Deborah often titles her blogs "Cooking Day." I had to use a variation on that title today. I started cooking at 9:30 when I got up, and I still have a few dishes to finish after I post this blog. We had many traditional Thanksgiving foods, all prepared with BTD adjustments. I ate only two avoids, which is well within Dr. D'Adamo's guideline of 80% beneficial and neutral.

I started the day cooking fresh cranberries with pineapple juice and honey. I set them aside to cool and prepared the turkey. My husband's mother says that the best way to get a tender turkey is to put half an onion and half an apple in the neck cavity. Put the other half of the onion and apple along with 3 stalks of celery in the main body cavity. It worked for me today - the turkey was moist and delicious.

Last night I had left 5 sweet potatoes in the oven on a timer. This morning I peeled them and adjusted my Mom's sweet potato casserole recipe.

Mash the sweet potatoes with ½ cup soy milk, ¼ cup honey, 3 Tbsp ghee, ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp vanilla. Put the potatoes in a baking dish and bake at 350 for 20 - 30 minutes. (My Mom tops them with melted marshmallows, but that was an avoid I could live without)

Yesterday I had baked biscuits with half spelt and half rye flour. I had also made cornbread with cornmeal only - no wheat. Here is my Mom's dressing recipe with BTD adjustments.

4 cups of cornbread, 2 cups of biscuits, one onion diced, ¾ cup chopped celery, 1/3 cup ghee, 1¼ tsp sage, ½ tsp poultry seasoning, 3 eggs, 3½ cups broth (either canned or from the turkey). Cook the onion and celery in the ghee until very soft. Combine all ingredients. Bake in an 8x8 pan for 1½ hours at 325.

I do not plan to make corn - which is Type O avoid - a regular part of my diet. I ate only a modest portion. My As, for whom corn is neutral, will gladly finish the leftovers. This traditional favorite Thanksgiving dish is usually loaded with avoids. I was pleased that my version with one avoid tasted as good as the original recipe. My kids and my husband all said it was the best dressing they had ever eaten.

Dessert this year was non traditional. My husband requested cookies instead of pie. He wanted chocolate chip, but my son said "No chocolate." I designated my daughter as the official cookie baker. She started with an oatmeal chocolate chip recipe. She substituted rye flour for wheat and peanut butter chips for chocolate chips. (The cookies were neutral , but the peanut butter chips were avoid for me.)

I cooked green beans with basil and garlic. I brewed green tea and sweetened it with Welch's concentrated white grape/peach juice. Last I fixed a raw vegetable tray.

Conversation around the dinner table was lively. We talked about how much we have to be thankful for. We remembered funny stories from past Thanksgivings. We shared our hopes and dreams for the future. A day of cooking that nourishes the body and draws a family closer together in love and thankfulness is a day well spent.