Time for PIE! - Thanksgiving Series

It's Monday of Thanksgiving week!  What can you do today to prepare for Thanksgiving Day?  Make your pies!  Actually, you'll assemble them, wrap them, and freeze them until Wednesday night or Thursday morning.  Today, I'm sharing my recipe for Apple pie! (Filling AND crust!) 

Hosting Thanksgiving: Homemade and Allergy Safe

My family, my inspiration for all my recipes.  For them, I give thanks. 

We gather around the table.  We give thanks.  Family and friends bond over the breaking of bread and the sharing of bounty. May we have another year of plenty. Amen.

Every person should be able to share in a delicious meal with their family and friends without fear or anxiety over food allergies and restrictions. 

I have found that I, as a food allergy mom, have less anxiety and more enjoyment of the holidays when I host the meal.  I know it seems like hosting can be a lot of work, and it is, but it allows control over the ingredients, and the kitchen in which the dishes are prepared.  And that, to me, is worth any effort - to know that my children are safe and can relax around the the table. No worries over Aunt Gertrude planting a big kiss on my dairy allergic pre-schooler after eating cheese laden potatoes, or over someone mixing up the serving spoons between safe and unsafe side dishes.  No relatives concerned that they have done something "wrong" or dangerous." No cross-contamination to be concerned over, no constant watching over my shoulder to keep an eye on the faces and mouths of my children...looking to spot the first signs of redness or swelling.  When I take the menu, preparation, and venue into my own hands, the result is more relaxing for everyone.  

I have found great joy and peace in hosting the holidays in our home.  The kitchen is filled with delectable smells for days, the children help with the preparation of the food, the decorating of the table, and the creation of crafts to adorn the dining room.  It can be a beautiful time for the whole family.  It can also be overwhelming and a LOT of work! And let's be honest, not everyone in the family has the same idea of "tidy" when it comes to preparing the living room for company!  But even considering all of that, the joy of hosting a safe meal is greater. 

Stick with me over the next couple weeks, as I lead you through making dishes ahead of time, so your actual Thanksgiving eve, and day, can be enjoyable and safe!  

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and by e-mail to keep up to date with all the Thanksgiving preparations that are happening in The Allergy Safe Kitchen.  (Go to the top of the blog, the link buttons are all there! Don't forget to follow by email for grocery lists ahead of time, and additional tips and tricks!)  

Here are the links to the dishes and recipes I've shared already: 

Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

Apple Bread

Turkey Stock

 As always, from The Allergy Safe Kitchen, I wish you "Good Cooking, and Safe Eating"!

Time for Turkey Stock - Thanksgiving Series

I prefer to make turkey stock about a week or two before Thanksgiving.  I make a lot of it, in order to make gravy, and also to have it ready for my favorite post-Thanksgiving turkey soup.  I prepare for my leftovers!  Making this stock means that you will be roasting a turkey in a very simple fashion.  Roasting this turkey is a means to an end, what you really want is the carcass.  It's a bit of effort now, so you don't have to work so hard on Thanksgiving, or right before it. So, break out the roasting pan, here we go!

Apple Bread

My family loves to pick apples in the Fall.  It's a much anticipated family outing, and every year we get more apples than the year before!  The children REALLY love apple muffins, but if I'm being totally honest with you, I detest greasing and then cleaning the muffin tins.  I was looking for an alternative, so I turned to my trusty "Joy of Cooking" cookbook.  Of course, the apple bread recipe had eggs, buttermilk, and nuts in the ingredient list, so I got to work doing what I love to do - taking a classic recipe, making it allergy friendly, and tweaking it until it's just right and no one suspects that it's dairy, egg, and peanut/tree nut free! 

For the Love of Cranberries - Cranberry Sauce

I've already made my Cranberry Sauce for Thanksgiving.  Yep, I'm that far ahead of the game, and you can be too!  I make my Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce at the beginning of the month, and I preserve it.  You certainly don't have to go through the process of preserving, this recipe is fantastic made the day of, or up to a week before, simply keep it in the fridge.  I make 4x this recipe and I use it for Cranberry Muffins, and for Cranberry Spread. (4x the recipe yields approximately 5 quarts of Cranberry Sauce.) 

This cranberry sauce recipe is peanut-free, tree nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, wheat-free, gluten-free, soy-free, fish-free, and shellfish-free. Top 8 Allergen Free! As always, check this ingredient list and your local products to make sure that this recipe is allergy safe for your family and/or friends!

Steps marked with an asterisk (*) are child friendly for children who understand stove top safety!  

Click HERE for more information! 

Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

 Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup of granulated sugar

1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice

1 cup water

Zest of 2 oranges

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

24 ounces fresh cranberries

I wish you could smell this! 

Directions:
1. *Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.
2. *Bring to a simmer and continue cooking for 15 minutes until           thickened.
3. Ladle into warm glass jars and process for 10 minutes in a               boiling water canner. OR Store in airtight containers in the               fridge for up to 1 week.

Everything in the pot and ready to simmer! 

 As always, from The Allergy Safe Kitchen, I wish you "Good Cooking, and Safe Eating"!

Photo Credits: Aidan Van Horn