Happy Thanksgiving!

Whimsy and Hugs!

Hello on Thanksgiving... a really quiet day planned for my son. We decided to stick to Keto today since so many delicious recipes kept popping up. I enjoyed today in the kitchen with these recipes. We are having a delicious roast beef instead of turkey. I have it cooking in the slow cooker with onions, celery, a few stewed tomatoes, and some pepperoncini... 

Even though the main dish is different, I wanted those sides we always fix. So I made them--- even cooking fresh cranberries. I remember how much Mama enjoyed cranberry sauce with nearly everything. 

cranberry sauce

Servings: 10-15

Ingredients

12 ounces of Cranberries

1 cup of sweetener

1 cup of water

¼ teaspoons of cinnamon

¼ teaspoon of nutmeg

Preparation  Start  Rinse cranberries Boil water with sweetener over medium high heat  Add in cranberries until it boils  Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes  Add in spices, taste and adjust to taste Allow to cook and chill in the refrigerator  The Taste Test Tip You can add pecans, orange zest, or even allspice

Per Serving (For 15 Servings) 2g Net Carb 16g Total Carb 1g Fiber 0g Fat 0g Protein 11g Calories

One Thanksgiving I had made the big, traditional feast in my home up north. My parents and some friends of my son's were coming, and I made a run with my son to Walmart at 3 a.m. to buy groceries...  Procrastination always combined with the need to wait for the month's paycheck! Then a huge snowstorm hit. It was too slick to even consider getting my parents out... So we packed up the entirely cooked dinner in huge baskets and shipped and slid over here through the woods. I think my son's friends came. too... 

Candied Pecans.

These taste like the real deal and they're sugar free!

Ingredients: 2 cups raw pecans (you can use roasted too, just skip the first step)

4 tbsp butter

3 tbsp sweetener

1 egg white

1 tsp vanilla flavor or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp water (total)

Dash of cinnamon

Dash of sea salt

Directions: 1. Roast pecans in a 350F oven for 10 mins and let cool 2. In a bowl, separate egg yolk from egg white 3. Whisk egg white and 1 tbsp water until foamy. Add cooled pecans in and mix into egg whites 4. Line baking pan with parchment and add pecan egg mixture and roast at 350 for 10 mins. 5. Make your caramel by getting out a saucepan and putting it on low to medium heat. 6. Add butter, sweetener and cinnamon and remaining water mix until combined. Set aside. 7. Take pecans out of the oven and mix. Put back to roast again for 5 minutes 8. Take out pecans and heat up your candied sauce. Pour pecans in and mix. Add back in baking pan and roast a final time for 5 minutes. 9. Take out, top with sea salt and let cool! Enjoy! 

These pecans were so easy although they took a long time to make. I doubled the nuts but not the caramel sauce. Next time I will know better! lol...  Still tasty, though, 

LOW CARB GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

*Ingredients*

Soup:

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 half white onion,

diced 12 oz. white button mushrooms

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

3 ounces cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Casserole:

2 tablespoons avocado oil or butter

2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut

12 oz sliced mushrooms

1/2 white onion, thin sliced

1 cup shredded cheddar

Topping:  (I think I will probably use the traditional can of fried onions here)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup crushed pork rinds

1/2 cup sliced almonds

*Instructions* 1. In a food processor, pulse the 1/2 white onion and 12 ounces of mushrooms until finely chopped. 2. In a large skillet, melt the butter and saute the onion and mushroom mixture over medium heat until cooked thoroughly, about 8 minutes. 3. Add the heavy cream, chicken broth, and cream cheese to the pan and reduce over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Remove from pan and allow to briefly cool. 4. Wipe out the skillet, and melt the butter or oil, and saute the additional sliced onions and mushrooms until tender, about 8 minutes. 5. While this cooks, blanch the green beans in boiling water for about 7 minutes, or steam in the microwave in a glass bowl with 1/2 cup of water. Drain well. 6. Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray. Mix together the blanched green beans, sautéed mushroom and onion mixture, shredded cheddar cheese, and most (maybe all) of the reserved mushroom soup. Combine well. 7. Cook in a preheated oven at 375˚F for 20 minutes. Stir well. Sprinkle the topping over the casserole and return to the oven for 10 more minutes. 8. Allow to cool and enjoy! *Nutritional Information* Calories: 357 Fat: 30g Protein: 12g Total Carbs: 12g Fiber: 4g Net Carbs: 8g *Per serving. Makes 10 servings. 

So... how is your day looking for 2020. My son and I would have been alone anyway. We have decided we are doing all we can to avoid a problem. The results are up to something or someone else. 

I send the very best to you all and hope for safety and good health for all of you. 

I have a sweet cross stitch kitted for a Thanksgiving start, and I am planning to get a few more rows on a shaggy blue afghan I'm making for a gift. 

Happy Thanksgiving from Missouri!