Gundry Thanksgiving - What To Do!

First of all - don't fret!

Second of all (as I often tell my mother) - embrace the cheat!

Gundry is a way of life and it is always there to get you back on track.  If you want to be 100% Gundry all the time - I support you and admire you.  If that seems overwhelming - well, then you're probably normal.  Thanksgiving is a once-a-year event that is, in many ways, about the feast itself.  So, if you want to cheat a little bit - do so.

In my family there are a number of us that are on Gundry and many who are not.  So, when planning our potluck feast, I assigned the traditional non-Gundry items to members of the family not on Gundry - i.e. my uncle and his lovely new wife were assinged stuffing and bread - and I asked each of the Gundry followers to contribute a Gundry-friendly side dish.

While we're making an effort to have lots of delicious Gundry-approved options available, we will still be prepareing some of our favorite Thanksgiving dishes.  Despite their dedication to the Gundry lifestyle, my dear Max is still making his famous Cheesy Potatoes and my aunt is still in charge of baking pies - it's tradition!  I wait all year to indulge in my aunt's famous chocolate chip pie!  Although, word has it she is working on a Gundry-friendly pumpkin pie using almond meal in the crust and a combination of agave and stevia to sweeten the pumpkin (we're allowed 1 cup per day).

For most of the Gundry-ers in the family, we will probably partake in a bit of the traditional stuff, but moderate ourselves more than we would have pre-Gundry.

If you are participating in a Thanksgiving feast in which you are the only Gundry'er, offer to bring a side dish and bring a Gundry-approved vegetable or green salad.  You can load up on veggies and some turkey and partake in a few bits of the traditional items like mashed potatoes, candied yams and stuffing.

Here are some delicious, festive and Gundry-friendly recipes from the latest issue of Sunset magazine:

side dishes

Warm Brussels sprout leaves with toasted garlic and lemon
http://www.sunset.com/food-wine/holidays-occasions/thanksgiving-side-dish-vegetable-recipes-00400000056750/page2.html

Roasted cauliflower with capers
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=50400000107339

Southwestern Roasted Green Beans (Sunset, Nov. 2001)
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000000524155

Roasted chile-lime broccolini
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=50400000107270

appetizers

I'm thinking of trying this recipe using the cheese as the base instead of the bread and reduced balsamic instead of honey -

Chestnut and sharp cheddar crostini
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=50400000107346

Try this dip wtih veganaise or yogurt instead of mayonnaise.  You can bring endive leaves for Gundry'ers and bread for everyone else -

Warm crab and artichoke dip
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=50400000107319

Whatever you decide to cook and eat, enjoy yourself!  The feast aside, Thanksgiving is truly about giving thanks for all the good in your life and spending time with friends and family!