Thanksgivukkah

If you are a Jewish American, then this Thursday marks the biggest, baddest, bestest holiday ever. This will be the first time in something like 7,000 years that Hanukkah and Thanksgiving align. (Never mind that neither of these holidays is 7,000 years old.) Two awesome holidays on their own, but combined, they blow every other holiday out of the water. So grab your turkey-shaped menorah and get ready!

Thanksgivukkah offers creative cooks all kinds of interesting options for combining the traditional dishes of these two holidays in unique ways. Some people may want to stick with the turkey, but I decided this was a great opportunity to ditch the dry bird and do something different.

Here's my menu for Thanksgivukkah:

Spinach and Artichoke Dip with root vegetable chips
Potato Latkes with homemade cranberry apple sauce and sour cream
Braised Brisket (cooked the day before and re-heated)
Mashed potatoes (Yes! 2 potato dishes!)
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Brussels Sprouts with Brown Butter and Pecans
AND
Pumpkin Pie with whipped cream
Hot apple cider

I've cut out a lot of the more carbolicious dishes we normally have on Thanksgiving, like corn bread souffle, stuffing, and succotash. There is very little wheat in my menu as I am mostly eating a grain-free diet these days. I have also continued to live sugar-free. The only dish on my menu that contains any wheat flour or added sugar is the pumpkin pie. I could have cut back here, but I didn't. I want my pie to be super scrumptious as I am almost never having any sweet treats. I believe a treat should be a treat!

Here is my pumpkin pie recipe:

1 frozen pie crust (We use Trader Joe's brand. No trans-fats.)
1 can (15 oz.) organic pumpkin puree
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 t. ground ginger
2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. freshly ground nutmeg (Grind it yourself. It makes a big difference!)
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. sea salt
3 extra large eggs
2/3 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400F. Bake your frozen pie crust blind, according to package directions. Or make your own. Knock yourself out. I am way to lazy to go to all that trouble, though.

Place all filling ingredients into blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Pour into baked pie shell. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven and cool. Refrigerate overnight if possible before serving. Makes 8 servings. Enjoy!