Yes List
Our family recently had a recipe brainstorming session. This was decided after several phone calls revealed that with all the new diet restrictions folks had this year due to medical issues we would either have one large salad or 7 main dishes at the next family gathering. Hopefully we will find one or two gems this year that will become a party favorite for years to come. We are working on creating new traditions this year.
The challenge has been to come up with recipes that are low fat, sugar free, milk free and still taste good enough to share at a family get together. Armed with pen and paper we wrote down substitutions, crossed off recipes that could not be altered and came up a menu that made everyone happy (and able to eat!) It is a lot harder than it sounds, especially when you are talking about the traditional holiday favorites like baked Ham, caramelized onions, mashed potatoes and three types of dessert.
It was funny that we did not really notice the difference in menu items until April this year. April is a very busy month for our family. There are several birthdays and anniversaries and also the holiday pops up in there somewhere each year. Hunting through my recipe books to find the newest sweet treat to offer the sugar challenged has been interesting and frustratingat the same time.
The good news of all of this is that in our supportive family everyone is really concerned about the others. So the new recipes take center stage this year. As the seasons change we will all be on the lookout for the newest magazine recipe that meets the requirements. My recipe book will begin to fill with handwritten notes from friends that have faced some of the same challenges and found a wonderful recipe to pass on. Some will be duds, and will never be seen again, but in the bunch will be one or two that will be asked for at the next party and again the next year. That is how tradition begins isn’t it? Aunt Sue always brings her milk free chocolate fudge cake and the recipe is passed down and eventually the holiday is just not the same without it.
I am looking forward to trying some new foods and starting some new traditions but I hope no new restriction will be added to the list. It is challenging enough already!
