Leftovers and Something New

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving (or a lovely Thursday if you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving)! We certainly did here in the gfe family. Thanksgiving has become my favorite holiday over the last several years. It’s simply about family, friends, food, and the fellowship that ties us all together and, frankly, I love that.

My hosting this year went great. Of course, I was a bit rushed towards the end (that always seems to happen), but it worked out. The reality is that nobody will notice if you don’t get around to scrubbing your kitchen floor that morning (okay, that week, but it did get vacuumed). At first I was a little annoyed at myself because my timing was off for baking my popovers and we ate about 30 minutes later than I had originally planned. However, everyone agreed that the schedule slip worked out well because it gave us time to visit properly before sitting down to the table.

During that time, folks sipped on my Reindeer Antlers. And, of course, they nibbled. They raved over my brown sugar chocolate chip cookies that came out as cookie brittle versus true cookies. (It’s a finicky recipe, but the “brittle” is still decadent and good; my sister even took home some to my brother-in-law who unfortunately had to work.) I asked Mom to go ahead and offer up her deviled eggs (naturally gluten-free), which nobody ever passes up. 

By the time the popovers were ready, all of us were ready to sit down to an impressive spread of food. I followed the 5 Tips for a Safe, Gluten-Free Thanksgiving (or any group meal) including briefly enlightening some of the extended family about the need for separate utensils, keeping my pies away from three other glutenous desserts, and so forth. Please take a moment to add your own tips and experiences to that post, so others can benefit. (My buddy Steve, formerly Gluten Free Steve, just added some very helpful reminders there!) 

After our grand meal, we all lingered over desserts and even after we moved to the living room, we just relaxed. Then we chatted about everything under the sun. I love how you can do that at comfortable gatherings. Sometimes the conversation has everyone involved, but more often than not, there are several other side conversations going on. To see everyone “catching up” and interested in the happenings in each other’s lives is truly heartwarming. Without the many people we love in our lives, nothing else has meaning. 

We’ve been snacking and enjoying some pies (being able to have leftover pie for breakfast is surely one of the top reasons to celebrate Thanksgiving), but we haven’t eaten all of our leftovers yet. Last night, we had Veal Scallopini and Steamed Artichokes. I had planned that meal for Thanksgiving Eve and had actually cooked the artichokes, but then Mr. GFE came home late after visiting cousins and confessed he’d already eaten turkey tetrazzini.

Of course I didn’t mind that, plus I was too busy that evening preparing Thanksgiving goodies to really enjoy a proper sit-down meal. It was easy to whip up Veal Scallopini last night and reheat the artichokes so we could have a relaxed dinner together. Steamed artichokes are one of those food choices that force you to slow down … you just can’t eat one quickly—which was great for last night. 

Tonight we ate those leftovers, and tomorrow we’ll be back eating turkey. I’m using a combo of some leftover turkey from my Traditional Turkey Breast (only two ingredients!) and some from my Special Zesty Turkey Breast. I’ll just cut the turkey into small chunks to make Tasty Tortilla Soup. It’s such a flavorful soup that one can make quickly using salsa, broth (I actually have some turkey broth from slow cooking the turkey breast), and whatever vegetables on hand that sound good. I think I’ll add some corn, carrots, and butter beans to this pot of Tortilla Soup. Of course, the best part of this soup is topping it with the tortilla “crisps”. You might find these crisps become your new toppings for all your soups. (They are delicious and you can quickly whip up a batch, instead of using crackers.) I may also try another recipe with the leftover turkey, and I’ll share that one later … if it works out. 

Now for the “something new” …yesterday, I officially launched a new page/category of gfe with this post on Reindeer Antlers and a giveaway. Update: This page is no longer in existence. You’ll find the giveaways and contests, travel reviews, reviews of gfe-type products, etc. just mixed in with all the other posts on gfe. (They will still adhere to the recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines on disclosing payments and complimentary products when sharing reviews or testimonials.) 

Don’t worry though … I’m not heading over to the overly processed, gluten-free specialty food world. That would be in direct contradiction to the gfe–gluten free easily approach. My giveaways will be focused on items like real food and cookbooks that I find of value—items that I think can sincerely benefit my gfe readers. 

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

Originally published November 28, 2009; updated November 17, 2025.

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