Do you realize it is only 1 1/2 weeks until Thanksgiving?  Where did the year go?  Yikes!  But it is okay, we don’t have to panic.  I have a handy Thanksgiving guide I’ll be following for our meal and to make the prep easier for me.  I, for one, do not like to feel all harried on a holiday.  I like to be able to relax and enjoy my family.  That is where my guide comes in.  It contains the recipes and steps I use for a delicious gluten free dairy free Thanksgiving, with a check list, time table, and a grocery list.  I hope it helps make your holiday a relaxing and delicious one!

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I’ll be hosting the Gluten Free Menu Swap this week.  Woo-hoo!  The theme is Thanksgiving Menus.  I can’t wait to see what everyone is going to be cooking up for the big day.  I love me some sweet potatoes…  Mmmm…   And pie.  Lots and lots of pie (the day after Thanksgiving is known as “Pie for Breakfast Day” in our house.)  Anyway, the easiest way to show you what we make for our big gluten free dairy free Thanksgiving is to give you the handy Thanksgiving guide that I put together.  It has the recipes we use for our feast.  Other Thanksgiving friendly deliciousness are Green Been Casserole (two ways) with Crispy Onions/Faux French’sVeggie Tortilla Pinwheels (yummy appetizer), Celery Mashed PotatoesPerfect Mashed PotatoesRoasted Rosemary PotatoesSweet Potato Puree with Bananas and “Buttered” PecansApple Cranberry SquashSpicy Thai Pumpkin Soup, and Apple Pie.  My oldest daughter has been in charge of making the pumpkin pie since she was 7 years old and always bakes Impossible Pumpkin Pie to make our tummies happy.  Yum!  What are your family’s “Just Gotta Have It” dishes for Thanksgiving?

For some AMAZING desserts for the holiday season check out the Supergrain Dessert E-Book from Attune Foods.

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Freezer cooking this week:  I’ll be starting my Thanksgiving pre-prep this week by making stuffing bread from my Thanksgiving guide and gluten free pie crust.   This Friday I will also be starting my annual bake-a-thon for Thanksgiving and Christmas by baking up a double batch of Ginger Snaps.  I’ll be packaging 1/4 of the cookies for Thanksgiving, a 1/4 for Christmas and (after putting a few in the cookie jar) the rest will be stored in the freezer for gift giving.  Cookies freeze really well, up to three months if packaged properly, so I like to take care of them ahead of time.

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The week’s breakfast options:  Apple Cider Muffins or Carrot Cake Pancakes, fried or scrambled eggs (I like a bit of sautéed kale and garlic in mine), and various fruits.
The week’s lunch options:  Nut or seed butter sandwiches (on banana bread or gluten free Amish Friendship Bread), Salmon & Sweet Potato Cakes, hard boiled eggs, various fruit, and veggie sticks.
Gluten Free Dairy Free Silver Dollar Pear PancakesGluten Free Dairy Free Ground Turkey and Veggie Tortilla CasseroleCassoulet, Slow Cooker

 

Printable grocery list for this week’s dinners.

 

 

 

Monday:  Silver Dollar Pear PancakesHomemade Turkey Sausage with fruit salad

For the freezer:  Make two loaves of stuffing bread from Thanksgiving guide.  Freeze one for left over turkey sandwiches on the Friday after Thanksgiving and one for stuffing.

 

Tuesday:   Ground Turkey & Veggie Tortilla Casserole (from the freezer) with a romaine salad topped with cherry tomato, roasted peppers and Dairy Free Ranch Dressing

 

Wednesday:  Cassoulet, steamed green beans and gluten free biscuits

For the freezer:  Make gluten free pie crust.   Shape into disks and freeze for when I make pies next week.

 

Thursday:  Orange Marmalade Chicken and a mixed greens salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

 

Friday:  Ultimate Beef Stroganoff (from the freezer), a spinach salad topped with pecans, pears and Basic Viniagrette.  For dessert, I’ll make a double batch of double batch of Ginger Snaps, some for dessert, the rest to freeze.

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What is everyone else serving up this week?

Kimberlee from The Peaceful Mom is cooking up Easy Chicken Stir-Fry with rice and Tropical Fruit Salad, Crock Pot Chili, Chili Cheese Fries (with leftover chili) with raw veggies and ranch dressing, Ham and Bean Soup, Pan Fried Pork Chops with steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes, Black Bean Burritos with Cilantro Lime Rice, and BBQ Pork with baked beans and Broccoli Slaw Salad. For breakfast she has a tasty looking Veggie Breakfast Scramble on the menu, and for lunch, Italian Chicken Salad. Yummy!

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Heather from Celiac Family has a whole bunch of awesome Thanksgiving inspiration to share, from the 2010 Thanksgiving Favorites to her Pinterest boards of yummy Thanksgiving worthy dishes.  Head to her site for the links.  So delicious!  I can’t wait to browse.  🙂  For dinner this week she is dishing up Hamburgers with Sweet Potato Fries and Steamed Broccoli, Roasted Chicken with Red Potato and Green Bean SaladMexican Chicken Pizza (swoon!), Teriyaki Chicken Tenders with Sautéed Broccolini, and Baked Salmon with a Balsamic Glaze with Yellow Rice and Acorn Squash.  Wow!

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Lori from Gluten Free Week has Fajita Bowls, Chicken and Bok Choi Stir Fry, Chicken and Black Bean Tostada, Salmon and Broccoli and Cranberry Sauce, Red Beans and Rice, Chicken Tikka Masala and Dal on her menu this week.  Go tasty!
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Elisabeth from the Girl Who Couldn’t Eat Anything has a wonderful sounding menu of Breakfast for dinner (scrambled eggs with veggies), Corn Chowder with coconut baconSweet & Sour Stir Fry (with shrimp instead of chicken), Broccoli & Rice from Happy Herbivore, and Smoothie & popcorn night.  Mmmmm!!!!
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Amanda at Gluten Free Detroit Metro has a delicious sounding Thanksgiving planned with Oven Roasted Turkey, Pennsylvania Dutch Potato Filling (GF Bread & Stock), Garlic & Lemon Green Beans, Candied Yams, Cranberry Relish, am amazing looking Pumpkin Roll and Apple Tarts.  For dinner this week she’ll be serving Chicken Chili, Cilantro Lime Shrimp over pasta, Cranberry & Orange Pancakes and Bacon, Meatless Chickpea Taco’s, and Cranberry Beef Roast over Mashed Potatoes.  
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This is being shared at Menu Plan Monday at Organized Junkie.