Thanksgiving & Christmas 2014 Menu in Review

This year is the first year my family was gluten-free for the holidays so I want to keep a diary of what we tried, liked and want to do again next year!

Thanksgiving Dishes:

The main dishes were Turkey and Ham, both gluten and dairy free.

Side Dishes:

• Apple, Cranberry Spinach & Quinoa Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette - Gluten Free Goddess Recipe
• My version of this salad has apples, cranberries, sliced almonds, and this amazing dressing per the website. Sometimes I add chicken and avocado for a full meal. 
• Beyeler Review: We love this salad and it was a hit at the Wheeler/DeVries meal. I also served this at the Beyeler Christmas. 
• Clean Eating Sweet Potato Soufflé - Recipe Here
• I added 1/2 tsp salt and a dash or more of nutmeg and I used unsweetened almond milk. I also added gluten-free, crushed corn flakes to the topping.
• Beyeler Review: AMAZING! my mom's recipe calls for lots of butter and lots of sugar. This recipe is so clean and seriously, I promise better. Such a rich flavor and still sweet and tastes like a treat! Matt and Parker loved it. I LOVED it. Great leftover and you can make ahead and freeze minus the topping. Beyeler's enjoyed this as well.
• Gluten-Free Bubble Bread Rolls - Recipe Here
• I used Bob's Red Mill Baking Flour, and used the dairy free modification by using light coconut milk, ghee, and pineapple juice
• I simplified directions a little, mix wet, mix dry, mix together slowly, add yeast, beat 3 minutes. Let rise covered with damp towel for 60 minutes. Use big cookie scoop, layer in greased bundt cake tube or dutch oven. Place covered in suran wrap in warm oven to rise 30 more minutes. Bake. 
• Beyeler Review: The boys enjoyed having "bread". The rolls are "easy" to make but takes time to rise etc. Definitely best fresh out of the oven but we did eat them reheated.  This is not a roll a gluten filled person would enjoy. 
• Cornbread, Bacon, Leek, and Pecan Stuffing - Martha Stewart's Recipe
• Made with Pamela's Corn Bread Mix, cornbread made the day before and cut up and left out to dry
• Beyeler Review: AMAZING! No one would have thought this was free of anything. All the Beyeler's liked it as well. 

Dessert:

• Gluten Free, Dairy Free Pumpkin Pie 
• Mom was her recipe but made with Pamela's pie crust mix and coconut milk
• I made with gluten free frozen crusts from Sprouts, pumpkin pie mix and coconut milk
• Wheeler review - mom's was amazing! My filling was good (not as good as mom's) but the crust was not good!
• Pumpkin Pie Bars with Brown Sugar Oatmeal Crust - Ambitious Kitchen Recipe
• I used Trader Joe's Vegan Cream Cheese spread and Trader Joe's gluten free oats.
• Beyeler Review: This is the only dessert I made to take to Beyeler Thanksgiving so it was my only option that evening for dessert - and I didn't cry about it. I really really enjoyed this dessert and didn't feel deprived or left out of dessert. Everyone who tried it liked it as well. The Wheeler sisters loved it. I would like to make a grain free version. 
• Gluten-Free Toffee Pecan Pumpkin Pie - Pillsbury Recipe
• I did use the Pillsbury dough. I used only 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1 cup of coconut milk to replace milk and cream. 
• Beyeler Review: Everyone loved. GG and Papa ate this leftover and asked for the recipe. You wouldn't know the crust was gluten free. 

Christmas Dishes:

For Wheeler Christmas Eve 2014 we had a Mexican Theme Dinner. We served sweet green corn tamales and red sauce tamales. Gerson made homemade corn tortilla chicken enchiladas with green sauce - YUM! We also had pinto beans, rice, chips, guacamole, salad, and fresh salsa. All was delicious and an easy gluten-dairy free meal. We are use to having a lot of cookies and goodies around for Christmas so here is what we tried this year. 

• Gluten Free Dipped Oreos 
• Trader Joe's has gluten free Joe Joe's and for Christmas had them with peppermint filling. We stuck a stick in them and dipped in melted almond bark and the kids decorated them. 
• Kid Review - so fun and yummy
•  Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies - King Arthur Flour Recipe
• Added almond extract
• Wheeler Review - Fun for the tradition of it. Fresh baked they tasted good but didn't taste great after being frozen or left out. 
• Hot Cocoa Mix - Recipe
• simple
• Wheeler Review: Everyone liked it and especially with some peppermint schnapps. Would be pretty served with crushed candy cane on rim. 

• Peanut Butter Blossom Cookie - One Creative Mommy Recipe
• I only use the 1/2 cup brown sugar, I omit white sugar and double the vanilla. 
• Beyeler/Wheeler Review: These were amazing fresh, and still tasted great after being frozen but were very crumbly. 
• Grain-Free Magic Cookie Bars - Meaningful Eats Recipe
• I used Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips and Sliced Almonds instead of pecans. I also used almond flour. 
• Wheeler Review - a new favorite!
• Candy Cane Chocolate Chip Cookies - 
• Beyeler Review: no one liked the gluten free flour version and they did not keep or freeze well. 
• White Chocolate Dipped, PB Stuffed Pretzels, by Summer
• A gluten free pretzel smeared with creamy peanut butter and dipped in melted white chocolate. 
• Beyeler/Wheeler Review: AMAZING!
• Popcorn Mix Fun 
• I made Popcorn Mixes with the kids. Just easy and fun. One mix was yogurt covered gluten free pretzels with mint M&Ms covered with melted white chocolate. YUM! One mix was gluten free pretzels, mini M&Ms covered with melted Andes Chips. YUM! We used Costco popcorn in both. 
• Beyeler Review - Both were a hit. 

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Recipe from Aimee Bent:

For 4 servings: boil 2 cups water with a cinnamon stick until only 1 cup remains. Reduce heat to medium low. Remove cinnamon stick and add 1 Abuelita chocolate Wafer (in Hispanic Isle at any grocery store) and 1/4 cup sugar. Stir in until completely dissolved. Add 4 cups whole milk and heat until desired temperature. 

Paleo Waffles - that are amazing!!

Yummy...so these waffles taste like Eggos - no I'm not joking! Ok, it has been a long time since I have had a real Eggo but these are light, fluffy and crispy.

Here they are, light, fluffy, and crispy!

I had mine with maple syrup, coconut shreds, almond slices, banana slices, and cinnamon!

Here is how I made them!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Honeyville blanched Almond Flour ( I order on Amazon)
• 1/2 cup Tapioca Starch
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 Tbs. organic sugar or choice of sweetener
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 5 tbsp clarified butter (Trader Joe's brand) or grapeseed/coconut oil
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

Mix it all up. Heat up the waffle iron. Oil the waffle iron. Make those yummy waffles. This only made us 2 1/2 large waffles. 

Original recipe found here. Brittany Angell's Recipe

Crockpot Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

I made two crockpot casseroles tonight. So yummy! And took about 10 minutes to prep.

I made two different flavor combinations using the same base recipe.

Cheesy Bacon Tater Tot Casserole

Layers- bacon & cheese

Toppings- cheese

Spinach Basil Bacon Breakfast Casserole

Layers- bacon and fresh spinach 

Toppings- fresh basil

The final product was thick and fluffy and layered beautifully! 

This recipe is very versatile and can be used with whatever are your favorite omelette ingredients. If you want really meaty than add more meat if you want real cheesy than use the whole bag! 

Base Recipe Ingredients per crockpot: 

1 - 2lbs. bag frozen tater tots (Trader Joe's is gluten free) 

1/2-1 lbs meat of choice, cooked and chopped 

12 eggs 

1/2 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk) 

1/2- 1 tbsp dried minced onion 

a few grinds of Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning Grinder 

Optional layers: 

1/2 package shredded cheese 

2 big handfuls of fresh spinach 

... Or whatever your heart desires! 

Optional toppings:

Handful cheese

1-2 tbsp fresh chopped basil 

.... Or whatever your heart desires! 

Directions: 

1. Spray crockpot. 

2. Pour 1/2 bag of tater tots in crockpot. 

3. Layer in your fillings-cooked meat, cheese, veggies, etc. 

4. Sprinkle in dried minced onion 

Pour other 1/2 of tater tot bag in crockpot

5. Layer on toppings - fresh basil, more cheese, etc. 

6. Whisk 12 eggs, milk and seasoning 

7. Pour eggs over crockpot

8. Turn crockpot on! High 3-4 hours, low 6-8 hours

I enjoyed mine with fresh avacado over top of it. 

Servings: As the main dish this has 8-10 servings, as a side dish I would say 12--14 servings. 

Beyeler Review: So good and easy! The boys all ate it! Kept as a leftover well. Can be used for breakfast or dinner!