1.  Our schedule was all topsy turvy this weekend.

2.  We skipped the big meal on Thanksgiving Day. My family got together for wine and appetizers that afternoon then I threw a mac and cheese casserole in the oven and called it a day.

3.  I tried to treat Bear by making her this Homemade Frappuccino on Friday and let’s just say I completely misunderstood the assignment. Most likely because I’m a dork who makes my coffee by the cup with our Keurig so I ended up with a wild misinterpretation of the recipe.

4.  BrightSide’s extended family came Saturday and we brought food in. Chopped BBQ, brisket, hush puppies, collard greens, mac and cheese, green beans…it was a very southern celebration.

5.  I added my own Southern Scalloped Potatoes because a) who doesn’t love cheesy potato deliciousness and b) you can’t really find those gluten free out in the wild.

6.  I got lots of compliments which warmed my little gluten free heart. Ironically Bear didn’t like them as much as these Au Gratin Potatoes I made a while back but the rest of us enjoyed the cheesy treat.

7.  Which brings us to Sunday, the day we opted to make our own traditional Thanksgiving meal. Y’know the kind — turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, and that delightful can shaped cranberry sauce.

8.  Falling under the meh category is this Gluten-Free Stuffing I grabbed off the internet. My grandma’s stuffing is extraordinary but takes TONS of work so I was looking for something that would be good enough, especially seeing as neither of the kids eats it at all. This version didn’t hit the mark.

9.  But this Brown Gravy knocked the whole thing out of the park. I’ve tried more than a few recipes for gravy that doesn’t require meat drippings and this one is terrific. Ten out of ten. Highly recommend.

10.  The high point of these holiday meals is BrightSide’s turkey. He chunks and fries it then cooks it the rest of the way in the oven. This time he double breaded the turkey (GF, because he’s the best) and it turned out dee-li-cious!