Surviving Thanksgiving With Food Restrictions

My husband and I have completely changed our view of Thanksgiving now that we both have food restrictions. It started off with me. Not eating dairy was tricky when eating in larger groups, but completely possible. Now we throw in the no dairy, no soy, no wheat and (for me) no meat, you are talking about a list of no's that scares the pants off of most holiday hosts. Instead of focusing on what we can't have, we focus on what key components make the holiday meal special to us and how we can help the host with these things.

Obviously, for most, the turkey is the key component of Thanksgiving. I don't do "faux meats", so I just go without. The real star of the show, for me, is the dressing. Since my original recipe included bread, a recipe I adapted from my mother-in-law, I have since changed it even further to accommodate my husband and myself. It appears as though dressing (or stuffing) normally is a family favorite too, so I like making it and taking it along with us so the host can have their family favorite and we can share ours. Most hosts are happy to have you bring food along since it helps them in the preparation of the meal.

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Another key component I like to take along is a pie.  To me, while pie is not my favorite dessert, Thanksgiving just seems like holiday that celebrates pies. Our new family favorite here is a crust-less sweet potato pie. Honestly, since the crust of pies are not my favorite, this pie is perfect! You won't even miss the crust!

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We have really come to understand the the food is not really the focus of these events and that being with friends and family are the important parts. However, it is nice to have a few things that make the day special so taking a couple of our favorite dishes with us is a nice way to add to the meal and enjoy foods with everyone.