We posted the queston for you on our Message Board, and here are some of the answers we received:
Lisa from Alaska writes:
For the last four years I hosted Thanksgiving dinner at my house, with lots of guests over (the more guest you invite, the more food dishes they bring!)
For the two target kids (kids on Feingold) and myself, I prepared a baked chicken (haven't found approved ham or turkey in Alaska), canned green beans, 1 pumpkin pie and 1 chocolate cake. Kiddos pick a favorite soda.
I made enough mashed potatoes, Rhodes Texas frozen dinner rolls and drinks for everyone.
Guests each bring one dish, such as a veggie platter, Butterball turkey, gravy, green bean casserole and desserts.
Often guests will bring a side dish that we can eat, like a sweet potato casserole, homemade gravy, cooked veggies, stuffing, desserts, appetizers, homemade rolls... They check every ingredient with me, down to the correct brand name for ingredients. Since each family only brings one item, they don't mind being careful about using Feingold approved ingredients.
Otherwise we targets just don't eat the guests' food. Hubby, non-FG teenager and guests end up with way too many food choices and are happy. Targets (Feingolders) are happy. And I barely have to cook. Hubby, teenager and female guests do the dishes.
This year will be different. Hubby will pick up Papa Murphy unbaked pizzas the night before Thanksgiving. We'll have a family-only Thanksgiving day. We'll eat pizza, play games and watch a movie. No guests, no work, no stress, but lots of laughter. Dd17 (17-year-old daughter) will make our favorite "no bake cookies".
Dd17 will be at college next year. I so wanted to prepare a huge meal for her last Thanksgiving before leaving for college. I told her I felt awful that my health won't let me do so.
She said she is SO relieved we aren't doing the big meal. She'd rather relax with pizza than fuss with a big meal. She will have teenage friends over to play cards with us later in the evening.
Hubby said the simple pizza meal sounds more relaxing than the usual Thanksgiving hassle.
One year I borrowed crockpots to make the meal. A little crockpot for appetizer dip, another little one for gravy, big ones for turkey, stuffing, soup, sweet potatoes... I liked the ease of preparing ahead. It allowed folks to show up when their schedules allowed. I like not having to time everything to be ready at once. But I didn't like cleaning and returning all those crockpots.
Tatianas mom wrote:Someone told about how they would put a piece of blue painters tape on the corner of the dishes they knew were Feingold safe. This allowed their children to go and get their own food without having to question everything, and nobody else knew anything at all. I tried it (put it on all dishes I cooked) and my daughter did a great job...she knew to look for the tape...of course it depends on the age of the children. Good Luck.
Janice wrote:We set the table with all but the plates, though, and have the beverages poured ahead.
One thing my sister does is to carve the turkey early and put it in the crock pot with some turkey broth. That way the turkey is hot and moist when served and stays hot for second helpings. It also means she isn't dealing with turkey when everything else is finishing up and needing to be put in serving dishes. That way everything is still nice and hot when it gets to the table.
Debbie wrote:Supply all the food your kids like so they won't be tempted to eat bad food. I have a great mom who always cooked her turkey and stuffing FG (per Feingold).
Or, have Thanksgiving at your house if at all possible.
My relatives all live close enough where I see them often, or so far away we don't even see each other on holidays, so if I don't do T-giving with them its no biggie. I've done my own T-giving for the last three years because my mom got tired of doing it and my brothers' families moved away so we weren't all getting together anyway.
All that said to say this - if you aren't seeing out-of-town relatives, you don't really HAVE to have dinner with them if you think it won't work out. Just visit them over the weekend and bring a pie or something to share with them.
ChristyLyn wrote:I have learned that it's most important to have a selection of DESSERTS for my son - he couldn't care less about missing any actual foods!!! I figure a holiday here and there is not often enough to worry about good nutrition - he wants the goodies all the other kids are having!
:)
