New Traditions

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. The gratitude for the blessings of the past year. The pumpkin pie. The food coma and football. Love it all.

My grandmother's crossstitch and my grandfather's turkey candy dish are always a part of my decorations.

My favorite dish growing up was my mother's stuffing, specifically the little brown crust peeking out from the turkey when it was done. She got up early to dice celery and onions and then bake cornbread in my grandma's skillet . We woke up with the smell calling us to the kitchen. The stuffing was a mixture of the cornbread, Pepperidge Farm croutons, the veggies and broth.

The hours we waited for it made it worth it.I always felt like I couldn't move after I ate it and slept a nap that rivaled any bear's hibernation. DEFINITELY Food Coma. Turns out that happened because I was ALLERGIC to the wheat and the cornbread. Weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth. Yup, its that bad. It's like I lost a connection to the family.

My granddaddy with my sister and my Nanny holding me at my grandfather's train yard. Nanny was a great cook. So many of the family traditional recipes are hers.

Oh the emotional, family ties to food. That's why folks with allergies really appreciate it when their loved ones try to make dishes they can eat. It's tough being a person that goes to family events with a whole list of "can't eat that" echoing in her mind. Especially when you are the only one affected.  So it is good to have a go-to list of dishes to take along because families can be afraid to cook for those with allergies or just not have the knowledge. New traditions don't have to be tasteless but...

I know, I know. Creating new traditions can be hard. It's risky. The dish won't taste exactly the same. You just may not like giving up the memories of the old for the reality of the new. But no pain, no gain.
 

Not sure how I feel about the new tradition of holiday blow-ups. But I know my grandkidlets love them.

Looking at Thanksgiving this year, I knew I would miss stuffing the most. So I set out to create a moist, delicious stuffing that was good and good for me.

Hunting down GF croutons:

I hunted Whole Foods for Gluten Free Stuffing. Unfortunately for me it has corn product in it. Fortunately for me, I found SmartGrains Croutons.

They also make a stuffing but the store didn't have it. If you can't find a gluten-free stuffing, you can make croutons out of gluten-free bread by cutting it into cubes and toasting at 350 for about 15 minutes, turn off the oven and then let them sit in the oven overnight to dry.

Mix approximately one package (or two cups homemade croutons) in one cup chicken or turkey broth. Stir until croutons are moistened. You may need to add more broth. Let sit while you move forward with the other ingredients.

Less bread.

 The aroma of sauteed veggies: 
   
So thankful, the smell of one diced onion and one diced bunch of celery in 2 tablespoons of butter is still the same. But I am also making it new by adding a cup of grated carrots for Vitamin A and color. Fifteen minutes until the onion is translucent.

More veggies.

Mixing it up:
 
Add a half teaspoon of salt and the same of sage (optional) into the veggies and stir. Then add the moistened croutons and veggies all together, making sure all the croutons are moistened.  NOTE: Do not overstir! You want the croutons to fall apart. You don't want them to disintegrate.

Getting that crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake for 45 - 60 minutes until the top is brown and the moist stuffing is baked through and not quite as moist. Top with foil if necessary to prevent burning.

Yummm. Even Man O loved it. And I picked off every crusty bit for me.

And yes, it tastes like stuffing. I couldn't have the cornbread but I love this recipe. For a once or twice a year celebration, the expense of the croutons is worth it.

So what have you had to give up as a holiday food tradition? Have you made new ones? Do you have family members with allergies? How does your family handle it?