I'm having my parents for Thanksgiving, and I thought I would present SBD legal and some small portions of "must have or it's not Thanksgiving" dishes. Basically, I think they may be on SBD and so we may do a box of mashed potatoes and a box of stuffing and make a bowl of baked green beens and buy a pie and that may be the extent of the "cheater" food.

I figure that even if we cheat a little, it's better to have a taste of mashed potatoes and stuffing and a heaping helping of something SBD legal and not hate ourselves the next day.

I know that everyone's got great ideas and if we all put our heads together...we can come up with some great ideas. The following is from the SBD web site for some reference.

SBD Phase 2 Thanksgiving ideas
Roast turkey = OK
Stuffing = Use whole-wheat bread and add mushrooms, garlic, nuts, beans, or eggplant.
Gravy = Use the pan drippings with the fat skimmed off, and replace cornstarch with a small amount of arrowroot.
Cranberry relish = Replace sugar with sugar substitute (for a recipe, visit the Thanksgiving section of The South Beach Diet™ Online). Those in Phase 2 and beyond can try blending other whole fruits, such as oranges, to balance the tart flavor of cranberries.
Mashed potatoes = Whip up a batch of South Beach "Surprise" Mashed Potatoes (you'll find the recipe online).
Side dishes = This is a great opportunity to boost your take of fresh vegetables. Try roasted green beans with slivered almonds, or saute some spinach with garlic and olive oil.
Pumpkin pie = The South Beach Diet™ Online has a number of clever alternatives, including Pumpkin Spice Ricotta Crème (Phase 1) and Individual Pumpkin Soufflés (Phase 2 and beyond).

What about roasted turnips blended for mashed potatoes...I find the mashed cauliflower to be blech.
I had found once a recipe for pumpkin soup which was very good...does anyone have one that's SBD legal? I have the cutest pumpkin tureen I bought last year.

also, I think a baked apple and cinnamon dessert would be great...some sort of compote or something...something that tastes like pie.

I would love to not blow my diet on Thanksgiving, and especially I DON'T WANT BAD LEFTOVERS!

Weeble

I love Mashed Turnips!
I'd definitely make some more friendly foods
Also you have to remember it's a dinner not an excuse to gorge
I bring something healthy and a dessert and I don't take more that I would at a regular dinner

Right on Weeble!

I'm onboard!!! We are going to have a 100% P2 Clean Thanksgiving! I'm taking another # off my ticker today, which is just added motivation. I have been trying some pumpkin concoctions both from our thread and from other places.

Thanks for starting this thread. I have been saving the ends of my Ezekial bread for stuffing. I am one who likes the Cauliflower Smashed Potatoes, but someday I need to try turnips.

We host my entire extended family for Thanksgiving, so we'll have all the traditional foods. But I always have several SBD friendly options, too. I DO plan to have a piece of traditional pumpkin pie, as I look forward to that all year, but that will be my only big indulgence. I'm usually too busy seeing to everyone's needs instead of sitting down to eat, anyway.

AND I will be there to keep an eye on you!

Well, the family isn't big on Beaching for sure, but at least Mom and I make everything reduced-fat. There will be turkey (and Quorn turkey for me,) mashed potatoes made with FF broth, stuffing, low-fat green bean casserole, cranberries, and I'm willing to bet Mom will make Grandma's Pumpkin Chiffon Pie with FF Cool Whip. I usually make a somewhat healthy appetizer (and there's usually one or two not-so-healthy appetizers.)

Gosh I can't believe it's coming up so quick. Of course, I may be doing a meal at Chris' as well, but I haven't been invited yet. (He usually invites me to things the day before.) They don't usually watch the calories/fat, but I don't have to go crazy at their place.

Thanksgiving is my FOOD day! But, it's just one day, and again, no reason to go insane.

Ruth, I so needed this gigantic laugh. Thanks for making my day!

Look at the main page of our recipe section. We posted holiday recipes several years ago. I know I make cranberry sauce with Splenda and stuffing with whole wheat bread and fix sweet potatoes.

I may not do any of it this year though since Brian will be with his Dad. Might cook over at Don's instead.

Oh, thanks for the pointer to the recipe page. I'm one of those people who just magically points and cooks...I like ingredients lists though, and on SBD, it's important to be able to follow the proportions!

sweet potatoes weren't part of my tradition growing up and I was first introduced to them at my inlaws. I don't like the texture... My MIL cooks them with brown sugar, syrup and marshmallows and the whole family can't' get enough of them (gag).

Is Quorn a no-turkey/tofurky vegetarian option? My husband is a vegetarian but he doesn't like most fake meats outside of veggieburger types, TSP, and my special "fake sausage". So he just eats sides at family dinners and is happy.

Thanks everyone!

Quorn makes a no-turkey roast that's AWESOME. Good texture, good flavor.

Believe it or not, 12 years ago, I went from 200-230 in a year when I tried to eat more healthy and 'convert' to vegetarianism (based on what my husband was eating at the time) and I went on my husband's "diet" of pasta and rice. When we're home he adds a gardenburger or whatever, but he is not deliberate about what he eats and is very carb-y.

Weezle, I would love to see your menu and share vegetarian SBD ideas (I am not but I am meat optional).

Weeb.

Weebles - want to share your recipe for sausage? I'm always looking for new ideas.

We will stay completely on plan. It's easy because we don't really do much. I'll make a Tofurkey roast, mashed turnips, roasted squash and a sf pumpkin custard. Might add some homemade whole grain bread if I'm ambitious.

My husband's so mad at me, because once I made the perfect sausage and I didn't write it down and I've never made it again. :P

To me, MACE is the most important spice in sausage, followed by sage and then black pepper. you can vary that based on what you're eating it with...if I were stuffing a squash I would put cinnamon and nutmeg in and probably toss the sage and pepper.

What I do is this. I have a silicon muffin tin, and I use that. It comes out looking like sausage patties that way. You can also stuff it into acorn squash (and put maple syrup on it!)

I mix up TSP (Textured Soy/Vegetable Protein plain or poultry flavor, if plain you probably want to put some bouillon with it) and oatmeal. Probably 3:1. Then I moisten the soy/oat combo until it's wet but not soggy.

I add egg whites (I'm kinda over egg yolks unless I want the taste specifically. I'm after the glue aspect here, and one egg will go quite a ways. You can feed the yolk to a skinny relative or save all your egg yolks in the freezer and give them to some nice old lady to make pound cake with for her church's bake sale. or feed them to your dog.)

It'll probably be Christmas before I have a dramatic cooking day again (I like to do once a month cooking, the freezer is full, I'm a grad student and I tend to stay out of the kitchen while I'm dieting), but if this doesn't make any sense, I'll try to have him watch me and write out a proper recipe.

I also have developed a SBD phase 2 compliant granola that I'm supposed to make before Christmas for presents for people from church (I'm a minister, a seminarian, and a pastor's wife, so this part of the year is VERY VERY BAD for me!), I will see if I can get that written down sometime too.

Just remember, that goes both ways, Ruthie dear.

Thanks Weebles! I make pretty good sausage with gluten but haven't tried mace. I'll pick some up this weekend and give it a try.
I but Unsweetened Vanilla Galaxy Granola. Apparently they bake it in applesauce which makes me curious. Might have to experiment.