Thanksgiving WAPF Style

People often have trouble reconciling “healthy eating” with holidays. With all the indoctrination we have heard equating healthy to low fat, low salt, unsatisfying “rabbit food,’ I think it is hard for most people to imagine a tasty, satisfying AND healthy holiday meal.

Yesterday at our house we did enjoy such a meal. It was certainly not low fat, low taste, or low labor. I spent many hours in the kitchen in meal preparation, but all the work seemed worth it when I watched my family's enjoyment. We all would have to admit to eating too much of it, but it was nice to know that the food was not just tasty but also nourishing.

So what was on the Lipe Thanksgiving menu?

Local pastured turkey – brined, rubbed in herb paste (made with fresh herbs and coconut ghee) and roasted. This was the best and juiciest turkey we have ever had. Truly amazing!

Giblet gravy – made with turkey giblets (heart, gizzard, and liver), the broth from cooking the giblets, homemade cream of mushroom soup (local mushrooms, chicken bone broth, fresh milk, seasonings), and chopped boiled eggs.

Green bean casserole – frozen organic green beans, homemade cream of mushroom soup, and fried onions (made by dipping onion pieces in egg then flour and frying in bacon grease).

Sweet potatoes – local sweet potatoes boiled and peeled, then mashed with coconut oil, maple syrup, a little salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. (Marshmallows from Whole Foods added to the top for the occasion. I haven’t figured out how to make healthy marshmallows.)

Dressing – dehydrated homemade sprouted wheat bread mixed with eggs, fresh herbs, and chicken bone broth.

Layered salad – local organic lettuce, frozen organic peas, celery, green onions, pastured pork bacon, fresh grated parmesan, homemade fermented mayo mixed with a little sucanat.

There were a few items that appeared on the Lipe Thanksgiving table that came already prepared (besides the marshmallows) – organic cranberry sauce, pie crusts (which were rather disappointing) and canned pumpkin for the pies. The pies were made with fresh cream and maple syrup (rather than sweetened condensed milk) and topped with organic vanilla ice cream. I prefer fresh whipped cream as a topping, but fresh cream is a scarce commodity. (Whipped cream with maple syrup will absolutely always be my pumpkin pie topping once I procure my own cow.)

I enjoy the challenge of making as much food as I can from scratch, but I understand that everyone’s idea of a holiday is not all day in the kitchen, so if your meal was less homemade than mine, it is certainly no cause for guilt. One thing I do hope is that everyone of you got to enjoy the best part of Thanksgiving -- spending time being thankful with friends and family.
Lisa