Thanksgiving.

For any non-Canucks out there, the Great White North has already had its Thanksgiving weekend (unless you're like me and are married to an American, in which case it was "Thanksgiving: Part One of a Delicious Two-Part Series"). Thanksgiving is pretty much the best holiday - great weather, no gift-giving (seriously so stressful - I'm forcing my best friend to be my "present consultant" this year), a long weekend to spend with family and friends, and FOOD.

Of course, that last part becomes a bit more challenging on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. While turkey and veggies are usually okay, the fun and special Thanksgiving trappings like stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, and DESSERT get a bit more complicated.

I started this diet last year right before American Thanksgiving, which was very discouraging, and the Christmas season was a very long exercise in willpower. I made it through with one cheat (a bite of brownie) and a bit of gastric distress.

This time, though, I was ready. My dear Mum made me a homemade cranberry sauce with spices, and I made myself some steamed asparagus, breadless vegan stuffing and almond butter pumpkin brownies with chocolate chips.

I was also an enabler, forcing the people around me to eat all the foods I could not consume. It was especially bad since I was sitting the middle of the table, with all the desserts in front of me, so I kept asking if anyone needed a slice of cake or pie. One of our guests said of the meal, "It was like Man vs. Food. I won Thanksgiving at your house!"

To see what I thought of the stuffing and brownie recipes, check out my mini-reviews on pinterest. I find it really helpful to have my impressions of a recipe there, since it's usually what I use to find my favorite internet recipes (and I hope it comes in handy for my fellow pinterest browsers).

As for American Thanksgiving, a.k.a. Part Two? I plan to make this stuffing again (sans tomato), attempt gravy made with a pureed onion, try mashed cauliflower, and try a different dessert (maybe do a test run for my birthday cake in December?

Next week, I want to feature another Thanksgiving idea, courtesy of my genius mom.