Thanksgiving in Japan, days 1 & 2

Last Saturday one of my closest friends and I celebrated Thanksgiving, just the two of us. She has far more food sensitivities than I do, so we planned out dishes that were safe for her. Anything that’s safe for her is definitely safe for me too!

I spent a couple hours in the morning and a few hours in the afternoon cooking for our special feast. I really love cooking, just wish it didn’t make so many dirty dishes to wash!

 Making the first dish of the morning, rice bread.

Finished rice bread - kinda chewy but still yummy. Like mochi, but bread!

Unfiltered apple juice + whole spices = spiced cider!

 While one dish was cooking, I prepped for other dishes.
Not much counter space, so these are balancing on my toaster oven and a roll of paper towels.

I cooked so much, I actually gave myself a blister and sore muscles. Chopping, stirring, more chopping, more stirring... Totally worth it!

First course - quinoa salad and rice bread.

Quinoa salad close up

Second course -

lentil soup, mashed sweet potatoes with Moroccan spices, and quinoa stuffing.

 Quinoa stuffing close up

On Sunday I went to a Thanksgiving party hosted by a friend. I brought leftovers from the day before for myself plus some homemade gravy, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat a majority of the traditional Thanksgiving dishes being served.

 Made chicken bone broth a couple days before, chilled it,

and ended up with this beautiful, healthy, nutrient & collagen-packed gel.

 Added some cornstarch and spices to my bone broth,

and got this huge jar full of gravy!

My friend generously gave me a discount since I was only partaking in the turkey.

 The Thanksgiving spread, of which I only had turkey.

The pies weren't nearly as tempting as those peanut butter cookies!

Somehow I resisted.

Got some turkey, added my homemade gravy, stuffing, and mashed sweet potatoes.

Also had a large salad and there in the back is my special pumpkin pie with no crust.

So for two days in a row I was able to safely indulge in Thanksgiving feasting! I am very thankful.

During the party clean up I rescued four (small) turkey’s worth of giblets and bones from being thrown away. Such delicious and nutrient rich parts of the turkey, and they’re all mine!

 This is how much bones and giblets four small turkeys make. All for MEEE!!

 My freezer is half full of turkey. Yes, half FULL, and it makes me so happy :D

Bagged up and froze all the bones and giblets I got. Gonna make so much amazing SOUP. I feel like I won Thanksgiving.