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Grateful for leftovers

Tired of traditional turkey leftovers? Turkey soup, turkey sandwiches, maybe even a turkey quesadilla? My favorite way to prepare leftovers is to layer everything into a casserole dish, then top with leftover mashed potatoes...Thanksgiving Shepherd's Pie! Check out my inspiration on marthastewart.com.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has always been a favorite holiday in our house because it revolves around food, friends, and family. For many years, my Thanksgiving tradition has been to wake up early to prepare the meal while watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (and later the National Dog Show). This year I will be preparing a wheat-free dinner featuring a brined turkey, vegetarian spelt stuffing, horseradish mashed potatoes, roasted root vegetables with brussels sprouts, homemade cranberry sauce, and gluten-free desserts: brownies and pumpkin cheesecake!

Here are some resources I've used this year to help prepare my Thanksgiving dinner:

New Seasons Market is where I have ordered my turkey since moving to Portland. I placed the order online, then picked up the bird on Tuesday. With each purchase you also receive a bag of potatoes and a box of broth.

Calculate your cooking time with Butterball's Calculator and Conversion page. Just enter the weight of the turkey and it instantly calculates cooking time.

Marketwatch.com features a great article about Thanksgiving safety in the kitchen, from cleaning to cooking times.

Don't get stuffed! At least, not if you're the turkey! According to the USDA, cooking a bird with stuffing inside not only can lead to an unevenly cooked bird but increases the risk of foodborne illnesses. My experience has been that a stuffed turkey is a dry turkey and I prefer to place herbs, carrots, and onion inside for extra flavor.


Gluten-free Pumpkin Cheesecake Adapted from this site, I just subbed Trader Joe's Gluten-free Ginger Snaps. The g-f brownies were made from a Trader Joe's mix, with added chocolate chips.

Safely store your leftovers My favorite food storage containers are glass with plastic lids, because they don't stain and can easily go from fridge to microwave to dishwasher (just take the lid off first). If you prefer plastic, or have yet to make the change to glass, go to The Green Guide for their guide to plastic storage supplies.

Docere...Reflexology!

Over ten years ago, I enrolled in a 200-hour Reflexology certification program at New York's Open Center. After completing the program, I was inspired to return to school and study naturopathic medicine. Reflexology is all about relieving stress by applying pressure to specific points in the feet (or hands or ears). By doing so, the body returns to a balanced state where it can heal. What a perfect way to treat the whole person...through their feet!

A couple of months ago, I was interviewed for a story in Health Magazine. The editor was looking for a doctor who uses reflexology in their practice and found me through NCNM. Well, the story is now available online!

Teaching patients is fundamental to being a doctor—naturopathic or conventional. In fact, the word "doctor" comes from the latin word "docere" or "to teach. One of the reasons I love using reflexology in my practice is I can teach my patients "homework" to work on their own feet at home. This is very empowering to many people, taking an active part in the healing process.

Check out the story, learn a little about the wonders of reflexology.