Thanksgiving?

[DownWithGluten]

All right, Thanksgiving is rolling around and my mom is trying to figure out how to cook that will make it work for me too. As usual, I'm feeling like a burden somewhat by making others have to do extra work, but oh well.

Does anyone else have problems with Thanksgiving? How do you get around it? I'm the only one in the family that is gluten-free. My mom loves to stuff stuffing in the turkey, but that's made out of bread. There's probably a chance of cross-contamination there, right? Even if I just eat off the breast of the turkey, a part that didn't touch the stuffing? She could use gluten-free stuffing mix I guess...but it seems silly considering I never ate the stuffing anyway - she's the one who likes it. But yet, if the stuffing is going into the same turkey that I'm eating...etc. She suggested maybe making two turkeys? Or a little cornish hen? See, again, my skin crawls some since I feel like I'm burdening her by her having to make two. But, who knows.

And then the gravy...usually needs flour. I suggested maybe gluten-free flouer, but she doesn't want to experiment and possibly ruin the gravy for everyone else. And if she uses turkey drippings, it might have that blasted stuffing in it again.

So - uh, yeah. Any input on any of that would be appreciated. just wondering what other people do with family situations like this.

[CarlaB]

I found that EnerG rice bread actually makes better stuffing than wheat bread.

She could make the gravy, but you can't use it ... perhaps you can take some of the drippings first and make gravy with cornstarch then she can make the rest of the gravy with flour.

[Guest CD_Surviver]

you should never stuff a turkey with stuffing because you are eating all the juices that come out of the bird even the blood even though it is cooked it not a good idea to stuff the turkey.

and for the gravy use corn starch it is a really good thickener except that if adding it to something hot first mix it in with something cold then stir it and let it come up to temperature and it has a higher thickening point you have to let it boil for a little while first.

Lauren

[kabowman]

If she uses regular bread for regular stuffing and stuffs the bird, you can't eat the bird. If I am going to someone elses house (like this year), I make some stuff that I can eat to take and either make enough to share, like a pie, or just a plate of your food if you don't want to put her out.

I would suggest, since it is your mom, not stuffing the turkey with dressing but putting celery, onion, etc. inside for flavor and making the stuffing in a separate pan and then she can make one normal and a small gluten-free dressing for you and that isn't a lot of work then you can have the turkey and some dressing, if you even want dressing. She just has to make sure they don't mix and watch cc issues.

She can experiment with arrowroot flour for making gravy in the meantime so that it is not unexpected for Thanksgiving so, if she doesn't stuff the turkey with dressing, and uses arrowroot flour, then you can still have the turkey and gravy and almost no extra work or putting her out at all.

Someone on the board can tell you if you need to be careful about turkey brands, I order one from the butcher.

[Guest j_mommy]

My dad does apples in his bird! it's another idea!

I thrird previous posters, if there is reg stuffing in teh bird you can't eat it! Doing one normal turkey and a sm cornish hen sounds like a great idea! Most people don't have room to do two turkeys! It's great she is willing to accomodate you!!! How nice!

Does your family do another meat??? Mine does prime rib and ham too! I've already checked those and I'm ok, so I'm going to skip the turkey! and I'm bring pie I can eat and enough to share!

Good Luck!

[Mom23boys]

I am 42 and have been dealing with food issues since I was 14.

After trying just about every way of dealing with it, I do the cooking now. I'm tired of being stuck on the toilet or sofa - I've even spent Christmas in the ER. Our family and friends are welcome but don't bring anything or come into my kitchen. We will have a fairly "normal" Thanksgiving (or other holiday). If someone is stuck on a certain "brand" you may be disappointed (no Cool Whip in this house) but if you are open to the general picture you will love it and have no clue it is gluten, milk, shellfish, nut, art color, art flavor, vanillin, and preservative free. Shoot, last year it was even diabetic and cholesterol friendly.

[juliela]

Open Original Shared Link

take a look at this Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Guide for some ideas!

[juliela]

<a href="Open Original Shared Link .com/gp/richpub/syltguides/fullview/RPQ1T95D5ULOR/ref=cm_syt_dtpa_f_1_rdssss1/102-5802737-5672122?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=sylt-center&pf_rd_r=07EG0TV0FCFFKNRT68S6&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=253457301&pf_rd_i=0741440717" target="external ugc nofollow">Amazon guide to hosting a gluten-free Thanksgiving</a>

take a look at this Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Guide for some ideas!

I don't know if that link is working- you can search "Gluten-free Thanksgiving" within the amazon guides- or click on any guide on the bottom of a product page and search that way.

Open Original Shared Link

[kevsmom]

We always spend the holidays with good friends. What they do is make a stuffed turkey and a cook a gluten free turkey breast separately. They are cooked in the roasting bags so there is no chance of cross contamination. It is no more trouble to cook the extra breast. They carve the breast first, and then the turkey. The turkey breast always gets placed in front of my chair at the table.

Good luck - and have a happy holiday!

Cindy

[aeshlea]

Since we are on this topic, I have read somewhere that not all turkeys are gluten-free. Has anyone heard of this, or what it means? I think it said something about butterball turkeys and the

'butterball' part uses wheat in its butter mix. I dont know much about this, has anyone else heard of having to be careful about the actual turkey purchase?

[Gemini]

Since we are on this topic, I have read somewhere that not all turkeys are gluten-free. Has anyone heard of this, or what it means? I think it said something about butterball turkeys and the

'butterball' part uses wheat in its butter mix. I dont know much about this, has anyone else heard of having to be careful about the actual turkey purchase?

You would be correct......the processed turkeys like Butterball are injected with a solution to re-hydrate the turkey and it contains a gluten component. I buy a wild turkey and that's safe to eat.

I make my own stuffing out of a mixture of gluten-free corn bread and 2 other types of gluten-free bread to give it really great flavor and texture. Do not stuff the bird with gluten-free stuffing as it won't hold together once it becomes moist from the turkey juices.

I cook mine in a seperate dish and it's delicious...the gluten eaters love it! As for the rest of the meal, it's naturally gluten-free so that isn't a problem. I do buy gravy from Whole Foods that they make and everyone else has that.

Dessert is whatever you want to make and there are plenty of great gluten-free dessert recipes around. Couple that with some great wines and you'll have a successful Turkey Day!

[Centa]

Maybe this will help re. the Butterballs

Butterball Turkey (2006 info):

"When there are dietary concerns, we advise purchasing Butterball Fresh Turkey and Butterball Fresh Breast of Turkey, which are all-natural and contain no added ingredients. The breast meat of all Butterball Frozen Turkeys is deep basted with a patented recipe of ingredients to yield a more uniformly juicy and tender turkey after cooking. No "Big 8" allergens are included in Butterball's patented basting recipe and the recipe does not contain butter. The individual basting ingredients include water, salt, sodium phosphate to retain natural juices, modified food starch (corn or potato source) and natural flavors, all of which are specified on the labels of all Butterball Frozen Turkeys and Butterball frozen line extension products. Although wheat and rye gluten-free, the basting recipe may contain less than 0.5 ppm corn protein.

Because Butterball Frozen Stuffed Turkey (and Butterball Stuffed Frozen Breast of Turkey) is stuffed with a traditional bread stuffing, it does contain gluten. The gravy packets that come with some Butterball Turkey products also contain gluten.

Note: To help ease your mind, the USDA requires that "Big 8" allergens (wheat, eggs, soy, milk, fish, shellfish, peanuts and tree nuts) must be listed in the ingredient statement on the package when it is in the food. Also, if a product contains gluten as an ingredient the ingredients list would include "modified wheat starch."

If you have further questions regarding gluten in a Butterball product, please call Consumer Affairs (1-800-325-7424). When calling, please have available the UPC number of the product in question."

Quite a bit more from 2006: Open Original Shared Link

[DownWithGluten]

Thanks for your replies and suggestions, everyone! We'll see how it all works out...

[Lisa]

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