In Manchester, Connecticut, there is a local icon known as "Shady Glen." They have fabulous ice cream....my all-time favorite brand. UConn ice cream is a close runner-up, to me. This is understandable, since Shady Glen learned to make ice cream from UConn.
This little elf reminds me of the holidays. At each of the two Shady Glen locations, elves are painted on a mural on the wall. Time stands still in these soda fountains. The waitresses wear old-fashioned waitress dresses. Soda is made with syrup and soda water. The real thing.
You can see this guy is enjoying an ice cream treat as well as a "crispy cheeseburger." The recipe for the crispy cheese is a carefully guarded secret. Some day I will have to figure out how to do this. I will put it in a gluten free bun.
The ice cream, purchased in a pre-packed half gallon container, in appropriate flavors like vanilla and pumpkin, worked out fine for my GF family member. I definitely recommend them. Pumpkin is my personal favorite.
Anyway, do you know what smart elves make to bring to Christmas parties?
They are quite busy getting ready for the holidays. There are cards to write, presents to wrap, decorations to assemble, and menus to prepare. They need something easy to bring to a potluck gathering.
Enter: the delicious but simple Kielbasa and Sauerkraut!!!
Peter knows this is an easy dish. "Honey, we're going to -----'s for their annual Christmas party! I told them we'll bring kielbasa and sauerkraut."
This is good.
The last party we went to, I had no leftovers to bring home. If you use a brand of kielbasa that is gluten free (I happened to use John Morrell), you have a gluten free dish until the rest of the group descends on it. Before we left for the party, I set aside a plate for John to have when he was home the next day. He appeared to be eternally grateful. We have yet another party to attend in a few days, and I will do the same then.
HH's Take-Along Kielbasa and Sauerkraut
Take 3 14-oz gluten free kielbasas.
Slice them into 3/4" slices.
Take one 2-lb package of refrigerated sauerkraut. Cut a corner off the bag and drain it. Fill the bag once with water and drain it again to reduce the salt content.
In a crock pot, layer:
1 cut-up kielbasa,
1/2 the bag of sauerkraut,
another cut-up kielbasa,
the rest of the sauerkraut, and
the last cut-up kielbasa.
Cover. Cook 4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.
Bring to your holiday party!
