Tag: Turkey day prep

Turkey Day Prep: Creamed Spinach with Bacon

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Creamed spinach may not seem like a side dish that pairs well with the traditional Thanksgiving meal, but the creamy richness is an especially nice companion to turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing, and a nice change from the same old green bean casserole.  It’s also great with ham and, of course, any type of beef.  It’s #GlutenFree when you use #BobsRedMill Paleo Baking Flour and pretty #KetoFriendly too!  #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Creamed Spinach with Bacon

  • 2 – 16 oz pkgs Frozen Chopped Spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
  • 3 Cups Warm Whole Milk
  • 1 Pound Bacon, chopped into 1/2″ pieces
  • 1 Cup Finely Chopped Onions
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 2/3 Cup Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour (Grain & Gluten Free)
  • 6 TBLS Butter, melted

Cook bacon slowly until browned but not crispy.  Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate and leave the grease in the pan.  Over medium heat, cook the onions and garlic until the onions are translucent.

RouxAdd the salt & pepper and stir in the flour.  Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes, until a very light brown, fluffy roux forms.  Slowly stir in the warm milk (I microwave mine in a Pyrex measuring cup for about 2 minutes) and stir until smooth.

cookedAdd the bacon back into the pan and cook for about another minute, stirring continuously.  Add the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, over low-medium heat until all of the spinach is mixed in and warmed through.

Cover the top with the melted butter until ready to serve.

Nutrition Information: (Makes 12 – 14 Half Cup Servings)

  • 165 Calories
  • 5 g  Carbohydrates
  • 6.4 g  Fat
  • 8.2 g  Protein

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Turkey Day Prep: Cute & Fun Napkins

I’m not a particularly artistic or crafty girl, but this project from #FoodNetwork looks like something even I can do! Made from paper napkins, these turkey napkins are fun, fairly easy to assemble and a surefire way to add a little extra gobble to every place setting. It’s a great way to get little hands involved – or a project for those not cooking that will keep “helpers” out of your way in the kitchen! Here’s their step-by-step guide. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

To make the turkey napkins you’ll need:

  • 8″ x 4″ (Rectangular Fold) Red Paper Napkins (1 per place setting)
  • 8″ x 8″ (Square) Orange Paper Napkins (1 per place setting)
  • Woven Brown Napkin Rings (1 per place setting)
  • Peel Off Glue Dots (4 per place setting)
  • Glue on Google Eyes (2 per place setting)
  • Orange Felt & Scissors

Assembly:

  1. Unfold red napkin so it’s halfway open.
  2. Start with the red napkins and use an accordion fold (fold, flip, fold) to fold each up completely (as pictured). When you’re done, it should be about an inch wide. Moving onto the orange napkin, fold in the edges of the napkin, about 1/2-inch on each side. Then do an accordion fold on the orange napkin, the width should be a little under an inch.
  3. Layer the two napkins so that the orange napkin fits into the grooves of the red napkin. Don’t worry if the two don’t perfectly line up — slight imperfections will actually lend some nice extra texture.
  4. Gently work the napkins back into their accordion fold and carefully slide the napkin ring onto the middle of the napkins.
  5. Gently work with the napkin arrangement to see what it will look like when the two top corners of the red napkin are touching. Using your glue dots, attach the top two inner corners of the red napkins together with a glue dot. You want the napkin “feathers” to fan out.
  6. Cut a small triangle out of the orange felt and use a glue dot to affix your turkey’s beak to the napkin ring.
  7. Using two more glue dots, affix the two eyes above the beak, creating the turkey face.

To see the step-by-step instruction photo gallery, visit this link.

Turkey Day Prep: Keto Friendly, Low Carb Baked Cauliflower Au Gratin

Tomorrow’s all about talkin’ turkey, but tonight I wanted to look at an alternative to the usual sides and came across this recipe for baked cauliflower au gratin.  Anyone who is doing Keto or trying to avoid the bread and potatoes will definitely appreciate your (very limited) effort on this comforting side dish.

Baked Cauliflower Au Gratinlow-carb-baked-cauliflower-au-gratin-photo

  • 1 pound cauliflower cut into florets (or precut/bagged florets) 4 cups +/-
  • 2 TBSP butter
  • 1 TBSP + 1tsp almond flour
  • 1 TBSP + 1tsp coconut flour
  • 1+1/2 cups 2% or almond milk
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 oz)

Preheat oven to 375° F and bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Add the cauliflower to the boiling water and cook 5 to 7 minutes until just tender.  Drain well and spread out on paper towels.  Using another layer of paper towel on top, gently press out as much moisture as you can.

While the cauliflower cooks, melt the butter in a medium pan over medium/high heat. Once melted, add in the almond and coconut flours and whisk, stirring constantly, until it just begins to brown, about 1 minute.

Whisk in the milk, salt, garlic and onion powder and pepper until smooth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, stirring occasionally, until VERY thick, about 7-8 minutes.  Remove from the heat and whisk in 1/2 cup of the cheese until smooth.

Spread 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8×8 inch pan. Pack the cauliflower into the pan on top and then spoon the rest of the sauce over top. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.  Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 25-30 minutes. OPTIONAL: broil for 2-3 minutes until golden.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.  #ThisGirlLovesToEat