As I am going to be extremely busy making roasted garlic mashed pots, gravy, and cheesy cauliflower for 15, by 11:30am tomorrow 
, I wanted to take the time to wish all of you kicka$$ people a Happy Thanksgiving! I also would like to thank everyone for the wisdom, laughs (and sometime tears) that have been shared hereā¦
Marie
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Happy Thanksgiving everyone! First time since pre-covid that weāre hosting and Iām expecting about 50 family members so Iāve got my work cut out tomorrow as well. Fortunately, theyāre all bringing stuff (sides, drinks, etc.,) so all I need to worry about is the 2, 26 lb Turkeys, 2 Hams and our sides weāll be fixing.
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Wow, 50 sounds like a great partyā¦I decided to grill flank steaks this year instead of my usual smoked turkey breasts. Wish me luck, there are a few diehards coming over who will be surprised!
Have a great Thanksgiving everybody!
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I am vegetarian, so the sides are the main draw for me! It sounds like everyone has wonderful celebrations planned! We have a mercifully quiet day on tap here, kicking off with a cold plunge in our as-yet unfrozen local lake! (My daughters are giving in to my persuasion while my husband stands to the side and shakes his head (and stays warm!).) Hoping everyone has a wonderful day! Jessica
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Iām a vegan. But our tradition is a tofurky with stuffing, potatoes, gravy, peas or green beans and cranberries. We bring ours with us and enough tofurky and cranberries to share for those who want to try it!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
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Another vegetarian here! 
We live in Germany, so our day is just ending and it was a good one for me. Tasty and, excitingly, a great blood sugar day!
I was diagnosed in August last year, so Thanksgiving 2021 was my first holiday. Holidays are a bit easier since we donāt live near family and we can make food to our taste (considering vegetarianism and diabetes).
Butā¦ last year on Thanksgiving day, I had an appointment with my diabetes team to learn how to carb count (Iād been on fixed values until then) and learn how to apply FreeStyle Libre 2. Thanksgiving is not a good day to start both of those. 
The factors they gave me for calculating insulin off carb counts was waaaay off and, after applying them to my carefully counted Thanksgiving dinner carbs, I had an epic low. It didnāt help that I did way more insulin than usual, as a pre-bolus, and all at once.
And Iām sure I was more reliant on FreeStyle Libre than I should be on the first day of a sensor. Now, I apply a day or a day and a half early and once I active it, itās usually pretty accurate, within 10 mg/dL. But I applied the first sensor at my appointment and activated it immediately. In hindsight, it was probably giving me numbers that werenāt accurate at all, but I didnāt know that at the time, although Iām sure I did plenty finger sticks. I got very frustrated with it, not realising it would get better after Day 1.
Fast forward a year and today I spent most of the morning between 100-110, then after eating Thanksgiving dinner had a wave up to 150 and a few hours later another up to 170, both of which were counteracted with two boluses in addition to my meal bolus and now, 7 hours after eating, Iām at a cool 99. 
Iāve come a long way in a year.
Thanksgiving dinner doesnāt always make for an appetising photo, but hereās our dinner. Butternut squash and sweet potato tart (30g carbs), stuffing (10g carbs), mash (10g carbs), mushroom gravy (0), mash ācrispiesā (toasted bread crust and rosemary chips fried with herbs and butter, 10g carbs) and lingonberry/cranberry sauce (10g carbs). And my FreeStyle Libre reader snuck into the photo with my beautifully flat 100-110 pre-meal line. 
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! May your lines be smooth and your bellies be full.
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My similar wishes for all! Have a great day or two with family and friends! Weāll be sound our traditional TGD at our daughters/son-in-laws and grandsons and extended families of our son-in-law! Have done this since they got married. Best to all of you!
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Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We serve a primarily vegetarian TDay meal at our household ( but also have Turkey for me, the pups and visitors 
) . As I do most of the cooking the menu is fairly simple these days - roasted cauliflower with wild mushroom gravy, cheddar cheese and chive biscuits, and a kale/butternut squash casserole with store bought dessert.
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I love seeing everyoneās photos and hearing everyoneās plans!
I was thinking about you wonderful dia-badasses yesterday and will be again today! We were at my in-lawsā yesterday and will go to my dad and stepmomās today. I got to take a break from hosting and cooking this yearā¦which has definitely simplified my holiday week! Iāll take it!
Wishing you all well!
Love,
Allison
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Unfortunately, Covid struck the family hosting. So we spent much of the day bringing dinners to those who wanted. It was all delicious, and Thanksgiving was still fun and cozy. No pics, as we were too hungry!
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Oh no! Iāve heard about COVID or the flu hitting several families around us!
Fortunately we had such moderate temps that I had my kids mostly hang out outside yesterday at the in-laws just in case. It seems like we catch something every year!
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@Mariethm Sounds like the makings of a good TGD story! While an added twist for you, perhaps a good āneighborlyā way for those you helped!
I had a good TGD with friends/family at my daughters! I considered it a success as I enjoyed all the food I wanted, including a small piece of pecan pie, apple pie, some good wine with dinner, an excellent Macallan scotch (courtesy of my son-in-law) with the pie AND stayed in range the great majority of the timeā¦a brief excursion to to 265 that lasted about 90 minutes (due to a combination of sensor going deaf due to a cat on my lap, poor carb estimates on my part, and the alcohol wearing off quicker than expected), but well worth the enjoyable evening! Nowā¦.where is that fruitcake recipe for Christmasā¦.!
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Been there, done that! 
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Seriously! Iām already starting to organize my baking cupboard, and seeing what fancy baking chocolates are on sale at Chocosphere!
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Nice! 
What did you have? The 12? The 18?
The 25?!? 
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Ooh, I remember the pleasure of spending cold winter nights drinking18 yr sherry cask Macallan scotch! (I was assistant manager at a liquor store, and was treated to a LOT of nice stuff.)
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Two recipes for the holidays, neither is recommended for T1ās without substantial bolusā to counter the sugars and flour (Splenda and almond flour just donāt cook the same, if anyone finds something that works without the carb load, please advise!)
:
The fruitcake isnāt your standard āwet breadā or āsticky chock-a-bloc fruitā, itās more of a dense cake with candied fruit and nuts. The Cowboy Coffeecake is a tradition in our family to bake Christmas morning and enjoy with butter on top (if you can make it stick) while opening stockings and presents.
Best Ever Fruitcake
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook First Edition, Ninth Printing, 1953.
Ingredients
3 1ā2 cups (1 1ā2 lbs) mixed diced candied fruit and peels
1 1ā4 cups (8 ounces) dark seedless raisins
1 1ā4 cups (8 ounces) light seedless raisins
1 cup (4 ounces) chopped walnuts
1 cup (4 ounces) chopped pecans
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1ā2 tsp nutmeg
1ā2 tsp cloves
1 cup shortening/butter
2 cups brown sugar or brown sugar substitute
4 large eggs
3ā4 cup grape juice
Directions
1. Mix fruit, raisins, and nuts.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices.
3. Sprinkle 1ā4 cup of flour mixture over the fruit mixture (keeps fruit from floating).
4. Cream shortening and sugar, add eggs one at a time beating well after each.
5. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with grape juice.
6. Pour batter over fruit and mix well
7. Prepare pans.
a. Use paper lined pans (two 8 1ā2 x 4 1ā2 x 2 1ā2). Pour mixture into pans, filling 3ā4 full; do not flatten. Bake in very slow oven (275Ā°) for 3 to 3 1ā2 hours. Put pan with 2 cups of water on bottom shelf.
b. Use aluminum pans without paper same as above.
c. Use smaller pans: three 7 1ā2 x 3 1ā2 x 2 1ā2 or five 5 1ā2 x 3x 2 1ā4. Bake in slow oven (300Ā°) for 2 to 2 1ā2 hours.
8. Test doneness with tooth pick coming out clean.
9. Cool in pan.
Variation: After cool, brush top of loaf with brandy, Grand Marnier, or similar, do so every few days, keeping wrapped with foil.
Cowboy Coffeecake
Ingredients
2 1ā2 cups flour
1ā2 teaspoon salt
2 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup shortening
2 teaspoons baking powder
1ā2 teaspoon baking soda
1ā2 + teaspoon cinnamon
1ā2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup sour milk/buttermilk
2 well-beaten eggs
Directions
1. Combine flour, salt, sugar, spices, and shortening. Mix until crumbly.
2. Reserve 1ā2 + cup of mixture.
3. To remaining crumbs, add baking powder and soda; mix thoroughly.
4. Add milk and eggs; mix well.
5. Pour into 2 waxed-paper-lined 8x8x2 inch baking pans; sprinkle with reserved crumbs.
6. Sprinkle chopped nuts and extra cinnamon over crumbs.
7. Bake in moderate oven (375), 25 to 30 minutes.
We increase the cinnamon to about 1 1ā2 teaspoons, because itās hard to put in ātoo much!ā We also top it with about 2/3 cup of chopped pecans and a bit more cinnamon. We pour the whole thing into one 8x8x2 pan waxed-paper-lined pan and bake at about 350 for 50 minutes (test and bake more if neededā¦it often needs a longer time).
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But all the cinnamon in it should negate the carbs, yes?
Seriously, though, the coffee cake sounds yummy! (Sorry, not a fan of fruitcake)
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Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone. My mom hosted a 15 person family reunion and 75th birthday party in Flori-bama. We went to an Alabama football game prior to heading down to the gulf coast for a few days. The star of the Thanksgiving dinner was creamed corn with two types of chili peppers. This really perked up the bird and potatoes.
Watching the iron bowl today then heading back to normal lives tomorrow.
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@Mariethm Iām not a fan of a āmostā fruitcakesā¦too sticky, āfruityā, what have you! My mom introduced this one when I was a kid; Momās gone now and Iām pushing 68! Iāve always told peopleā¦like meā¦that this oneās different; most agree, though a few still didnāt care for it. I say, try one batch and see if it changes your mind. If not, youār out a few bucks worth of candied fruit (by far the most expensive ingredient)! But I respect your opinion either wayā¦
I couldnāt agree more on the cinnamonā¦including the laughter 
!
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