For my pals in the USA, Thanksgiving is just around the corner! Are you cooking for your extended family or friends? I don’t typically have that responsibility but, as my interest in cooking has grown over the years, I now want the challenge. I’m looking forward to trying out healthier versions of Thanksgiving dishes on my family this year. In light of that, I’m sharing some tried and tested recipes that I love and think your Thanksgiving company will, too!
If your family is anything like mine, they want a no-frills Thanksgiving dinner. So, this is not the time to make a fancy rice pilaf, homemade bread rolls, or whatever artichoke appetizer you found on pinterest. When time is of the essence, you’ve got to consider what is really worth your effort.
For example, a few years back I made a cranberry sauce from scratch. It was so good! (Here’s the recipe if you’re interested). At dinner, my dad and sister tried it but that was it. I had cranberry sauce leftover for days because the rest of my family preferred the canned stuff they were familiar with.
Incidents like that make me frustrated and want to throw in the towel for cooking for my family. I absolutely HATE food waste but I also don’t want to be stuck eating my prepared dish for three days or more! Therefore, my tip for getting your family/friends to eat your dish is: DO NOT OFFER AN ALTERNATIVE. If the only cranberry sauce available was mine, I bet I wouldn’t have come home with a bowl full.
What was today’s post about? Oh yes, Thanksgiving dishes. I digressed. Anyway, I’ve tried all of these recipes (except one, noted) and think they can hold a worthy spot at the Thanksgiving table.
Sweet Potato Casserole is a solid dish on it’s own but I bet your guests won’t even detect the butternut squash. You get the caramelized sweetness of the sweet potatoes without all the heaviness. The butternut squash helps to lighten things up and the pecan crumble makes this practically dessert-worthy WITHOUT all the sugar in the classic dish.
Instead of mashed potatoes and gravy, make this mushroom gravy pie! Expect everyone to swoon and be begging for the recipe. Okay, I can’t say I’ve been begged for the recipe but the dish was well-received when I made it. If your family is super picky, you could omit the kale and everything will still be delicious. Plus, the pie works as a side to turkey or a main for the vegheads (like myself) at Thanksgiving!
If there is a vegetable that is most widely accepted, it would be cauliflower. Cauliflower has made its mark but I still wouldn’t go wild with it for Thanksgiving. In this salad, I love the tender cauliflower combined with toasty almonds and the creamy tahini dressing. The cauliflower salad is perfect because guests can get a few florets without feeling like they are taking away from the other Thanksgiving dishes they prioritize eating.
Show me someone who doesn’t like carrots. I bet you’ll have a hard time finding that person. If you have a group of vegetable haters at the table, like me, then stick with familiar vegetables. The carrots develop next level sweetness while roasting! In contrast, the curry spice provides some balance so you don’t feel like you’re eating straight up candy. (Not that anyone will confuse carrots with candy….) Also, the spice level is super light so it won’t interfere with the flavor profile of other dishes at the table.
I mentioned at the beginning of the post that I would include one recipe that I haven’t tried. This is it! I’ve made some other Hummusapien recipes and have been pleased so I don’t doubt this one will be great. If you’ve been looking for a green bean casserole that doesn’t used canned soup or mystery dry onions then we’re in the same camp! My mom usually makes green bean casserole with both of those ingredients but this year I’ll be in charge of the dish. I’m very excited to clean up the casserole and use real, whole food ingredients!
Remember that family meals require a little bit of compromise. Sometimes it is easier to go the pre-made route with certain dishes. Though, if you or someone else at your table has dietary restrictions then it will be much appreciated to have some allergen-friendly dishes. Just some food for thought as you go about preparing a Thanksgiving meal plan.
Also, if you want some more plant-based Thanksgiving inspiration, you can see these recipes and more over on my Pinterest Board!
Sometimes, it feels almost silly to write a recipe for something that is so simple to make. Though, as simple as something may sound to me, maybe it’s not a given for others. I’ve been making a sugar-free protein hot chocolate for so long now that I think it’s necessary I share it.
As far as I’ve seen, there are two camps: those who like cooking with protein powder and those who don’t care for it. For this recipe, you’ll need to be in the first camp because protein powder is essential to the sugar-free protein hot chocolate. BTW I like this brand of protein powder.
I’ll explain why I’m using protein powder:
Protein powder naturally has thickening properties so this helps give the beverage some body without making it heavy on milk.
It is also necessary for the sweetness factor. We’re not adding any sugar to this hot chocolate so we’re relying on the sweetener from the protein powder.
I’m a fan of drinking this when I want to get my protein in after a workout but don’t feel like swallowing a cold smoothie. #wintervibes
I’ve also been known to make this beverage in the afternoon for a natural pick-me-up. The cacao powder provides a mental energy boost and the protein helps tie me over ’til dinner.
Lastly, I love using this raw cacao with golden milk spices added. It makes for a hot chocolate with a lot of depth! If you don’t have this kind, regular cacao powder will do.
Sugar-Free Protein Hot Chocolate
Recipe Type: Drinks
Author: Melanie
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
Finally! A Hot Chocolate that isn’t a sugar bomb and actually keeps you satiated without weighing you down.
Ingredients
¾ cup milk
½ cup water
1 1/2 tbsp cacao powder (not cocoa powder!)
1 scoop (about 1/3 cup) chocolate protein powder
A tiny pinch of sea salt (optional)
Sprinkle of cinnamon and tumeric (optional)
Instructions
Add the milk and water to a pan and heat until it begins to simmer. Be careful not to let it boil!
In a mug, add your protein powder, cacao powder (I use 1 ½ tbsp but scale down if your protein powder has a very strong chocolate taste.), and sea salt (if using).
Pour the liquid into your mug and whisk until no clumps are left. At this point, you can sprinkle in a bit of cinnamon and turmeric on top. If using regular cacao powder, cinnamon and chili powder would taste good, instead!
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Even if you don’t follow this recipe exactly, I hope you give it a try. If a protein hot chocolate appeals to you then be sure to comment below or tag me on Instagram with your sugar-free protein hot chocolate recipes!
All you need is a few craft supplies and you’ll have the cutest little pinecone turkeys for your festive home or Thanksgiving table spread.
Who else likes to window shop at Michael’s, Home Goods, and Kirkland’s around the fall/winter season? The reason I say window shop is because seasonal decorum is so pretty but sometimes so expensive. Depending on what you’re looking for, there are some ways to craft decorations at home for a fraction of the price at stores.
Convenience plays a big part in the reason we buy those pre-made items. Especially if you’re like me and worried it won’t come out if you try making it yourself. Well, let me tell ya, these pinecone turkeys are easy enough that even I can make them. So, I think you can, too!
My mother is the queen of crafts and, as creative as I like to think I am, my DIY skills are limited. Most of the crafts she comes up with just by looking at what she already has available. She actually came up with the turkey friends after we acquired a large quantity of pinecones. Now, we have a couple of pinecone turkeys gracing the hutch in our home.
I loved the quaint and kitschy look of the decorations so much that I asked my mom if I could feature them on my blog. So here I bring you a DIY project for Pinecone Turkeys!
What You’ll Need:
Pinkering shears or sharp scissors
A few sheets of felt in autumn colors
Hot glue gun + glue sticks
Large or small pinecone with open scales
Directions:
Cut corners of felt sheets from your chosen colors into a fan shape. (I used 3 for the small turkey’s tail and 6 for the larger turkey’s tail)
With pinkering shears, cut slits into the fan from the outside towards the center. This will create the plumage, or tail feathers.
Cut a strip of felt for the turkey’s face in a tan or beige color. For small turkeys, a 1-inch long piece is ideal. For larger pinecone turkeys, use about a 1 ½ inch piece.
For the eyes, cut out 2 small circles in white felt and 2 smaller circles in black felt. The white circles should be larger than the black ones because they need to show after the black center is adhered.
Make the beak and a snood (the dangling part on the turkey’s forehead) in your choice of color. I cut out two triangles: one in orange and one in garnet felt.
Assemble the plumage cut outs between the open scales of your pinecone, using hot glue to adhere the plumage. Then hot glue the felt pieces for the turkey’s face where you imagine the head should be.
Let dry for a few minutes before handling. Place the pinecone turkeys wherever you need some festive decorations.
In the most basic of explanations: just cut out some pieces of felt for the turkey’s tail, face, and beak and glue it onto the pinecone. If your shapes aren’t perfect, it’s okay. The decoration is supposed to be rustic and whimsical so don’t overthink it.
Let me know if you give this easy craft project a try. Also, do you want to see more DIY projects here on my blog?
Are you a podcast-listener? I can’t say I’ve always been into podcasts because only in recent years did I discover the magic that they offer. I thought podcasts were only for NPR business folks and religious expression but that’s only a small fraction of the podcast universe. As a matter of fact, they’re so diverse that today I’m sharing my favorite health and wellness centered podcasts.
Before we get to the list, I know there are some people out there who need some convincing. If you have yet to get into podcasts, here are some reasons why I love them:
1. They serve as an educational tool and offer exposure to people and ideas you may not otherwise hear about
2. An episode or two in the morning or the evening helps me ease into/out of my day
3. It feels like I’m sitting in on a conversation with friends when I listen to podcasts
When I started listening to my first favorite podcast, I enjoyed knowing there were many episodes for me to listen to and jump around with as I pleased. (Back in the day that was Stuff Mom Never Told You). Once I caught up with all of the episodes, I took a years-long break from podcasts.
Now, I’m back at it and exploring other podcast series! There’s a few that I keep on rotation and am siked to recommend. I hope some of these strike your interest or encourage you to give listening to podcasts a try if you don’t already!
This high-vibe podcast started out as being an inspirational interview series between Jordan Younger, the woman behind The Balanced Blonde blog, and entrepreneurs in the health and wellness industry. Slowly, it transitioned into more of a holistic health and spirituality podcast. Jordan keeps it real and gives listeners some next-level vibes that I can’t say I’ve found elsewhere. There are some stand-alone episodes that I really enjoy but you get a better feel for Jordan’s journey (and yours as you go along with her) if you listen from the beginning.
I first became obsessed with Kalyn’s Coffee Talks on her YouTube channel. She touches on everyday issues like anxiety, stress, time management, and more. Kayln is young but she is extremely helpful for advice on manifesting positive life changes. During her short but informational podcasts, she’ll talk through how a subject affects her and address the unconscious processes we may go through. On each episode, she provides suggestions for kicking bad habits and tips for how to be your most productive and badass self. These are GOLD.
Talia, the host of the PiMP podcast, is a ball of energy! She is so passionate about the benefits of plant-based foods while also providing tools to make it doable for everyone. Her podcast episodes are very insightful because each episode narrows in on specific topics related to physical, mental, or dietary health. The podcast is also a great resource for any and all sorts of healthy living tips you could ever want!
This is a fairly new but awesome podcast addition to the health and wellness sphere. My Instagram pal, Andrea, co-hosts the podcast but I’m not playing favorites here. The Vreeken Bessa Show feels like a cozy sit-down with girlfriends discussing holistic health and women’s issues. Some topics you may have read about or heard of before but still give the episodes a listen—the hosts put a fresh spin on them that you won’t want to miss. The show is only a few episodes in so definitely start with the first episode.
OPP is hosted by the amazing blogger and cookbook author Jessica Murnane. She speaks to other bloggers, authors, scientists, and revolutionaries in different fields. She has her own set of health issues so she does a beautiful job of bringing that to light and providing specific resources for listeners and their varied concerns. I love how easy it is to jump around amongst episodes so if you want to dive into some random favorites of mine, check out: Episode 19:Finding Your Gift With De’Mar Hamilton of The Plain White T’sand Episode 95Are You an Empath?+Strategies for Sensitive People with Dr. Judith Orloff.
It was very hard to keep this list at just 5 because I have a lot of podcast loves. I’ll save my other genre of podcast faves for another day. 🙂 If you listen to podcasts, what genre do you like? I’d love to hear any podcast recommendations!
How is your posture? Would you say you can comfortably sit up for long periods of time without hunching over? Personally, I feel that posture is something I need to continuously work on. Lately, I’ve found myself leaning forward a lot more, thus, putting pressure on my upper back. Specifically, my shoulder blade area on my back is where I’ve been getting a lot of tension build up.
If you’ve followed me on Instagram for a while, you know I’m a big yogi. Though, I can’t say I have been as dedicated to my practice the past few months. I go through phases where I really get into other forms of exercise so yoga has taken a backseat. It is evident to me that my body is asking for more yoga and stretching because my posture has really gone downhill.
Instead of being upset about my upper back pain, which is likely a result of looking down at too many screens, I’m going to work on it. I have the tools of yoga and some key stretches that have really been helping.
Today, I’m going to share with you the stretches that I have been doing to alleviate my upper back pain. This quick upper back stretching routine is great to do on its own or after a workout. You can also do this routine at your desk because it only requires the space you’re standing on.
You can watch the quick video demonstration of the moves over on my IGTV profile on Instagram. I’ve also included a gif here which shows a breakdown of the stretches. (My apologies for the lousy quality of the gif–I highly recommend watching the video for better instruction!)
Reach for the sky– Lift both arms straight up and reach as high as you can. Repeat 2x.
Crossover arm– Cross the right arm across your body, keeping it straight, and lightly tug it towards your body. Repeat on the left side.
Elbow to the sky– Reach your right hand up and bend at the elbow, reaching your hand towards your shoulder blades. Keep your elbow pointing towards the sky and, using your opposite hand, tug your elbow towards the left side. Repeat on the other side, with your left arm up, tugging with your right hand.
Shoulder blade tug-backs – Lift your arms straight up and then slowly bring your arms down behind you. Draw your shoulder blades together while doing so. Repeat 3x.
Hands behind your back – On your third shoulder blade tug-back, keep pulling your hands down until they connect behind your back. If your body is comfortable with it, a slight backbend would feel excellent right here.
Bend forward – Keep your hands connected behind your back and lean forward. Make sure you keep your back straight while bending forward, bending at your knees to propel yourself forward.
Reach for the sky – To come out of the forward bend, press your feet firmly on the ground. Use your feet to press against the ground and lift you back to a straight position. Release your arms and take them straight up to the sky one more time.
And if you have access to some floor space, I highly recommend this bonus stretch.
Thread the needle – Bring your hands and knees to the ground in an all fours position. Slightly separate your knees and connect your feet to create a triangle-like position. Press firmly with your hands on the ground before raising your left hand to the sky. Reach as high as is comfortable before bringing your hand back down and underneath the right side of your body. With your right arm propping you up, lean slightly on your left side to stretch out the upper back. Do what feels natural with your right arm but here are two suggestions: 1) keep your right hand pressed against the ground to prop you up or 2) lift your right arm and reach behind your back, towards your left hip. Choose whichever motion feels most comfortable for you.
I hope this stretching routine helps you out. If you give it a try, let me know what you think!
Do you want to see more quick routines like this? Drop me some comments down below or on Instagram!
Tender skillet potatoes are a hearty companion to veggie sausage, and kale in this savory skillet dish.
What is a food you’ve been afraid to eat but recently decided to incorporate? I’ve learned many people tend to have what they deem “good” foods and “bad” foods. I don’t think it is fair to write off vegetables or food groups needlessly.
I think what’s important is to make meals with foods in a way that is beneficial to your health and well-being.
If you guys have been following me along since the beginning of this blog, then you may know I believe in cycle-syncing. This is lifestyle created by Alisa Vitti, the author of WomanCode, which involves eating and exercising based on where you are in your menstrual cycle. You can read about how I got started with it and how it helped me here.
Let’s circle back to what I was talking about initially: good and bad foods. So, during my luteal phase, I lean towards roasted, hearty dishes. Earlier this year I began craving white potatoes during this phase. While I do like potatoes (who doesn’t?), they were a feared food. I’ve always heard they are nothing but carbs and mess with your blood sugar.
Personally, I did feel the effects of white potatoes on my blood sugar. Though, the little root vegetable is a host of some valuable nutrients so I wanted to find a way to alleviate that problem. The blood sugar spike can be mostly avoided by pairing potatoes with other substantial ingredients or reducing their starch.
Yes, you read that right. It is possible to reduce the starch in potatoes!
Here is how:
It’s no secret potatoes are super starchy. Though, there is a way to cut down that starch and get crispier potatoes! If you can plan ahead, peel and chop your potatoes and cover them in water. Let them soak in a water bath in your fridge for at least 24 hours. If you soak them longer, you can change out the water, too.
Then, when you’re ready to cook, drain the water and rinse the potatoes. Pat them dry and cook up in a skillet or in the oven. The interiors will still get soft and fluffy but the outside develops a crispy coat. I’ve tried this method for cooking potatoes different ways and I notice a difference in how I feel after eating them. My blood sugar isn’t spiked and I satisfy my craving for potatoes. WIN-WIN!
Give this method a try by cooking some homemade oven fries or the following skillet country potatoes with veggie sausage. 😉
Spicy Veggie Sausage and County Potatoes
Recipe Type: Brunch
Author: Melanie
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2 servings
Tender skillet potatoes are a hearty companion to veggie sausage and kale in this savory skillet dish.
Ingredients
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 ½ cups, russet potatoes, chopped into cubes
¼ tsp garlic powder
2 Hilary’s Spicy Veggie Breakfast Sausages
1 ½ cups frozen or fresh kale, chopped
Salt and pepper
Optional: Spicy Mayo, for serving (see notes)
Instructions
In a cast-iron skillet, on medium heat, sauté the onion and green bell pepper with a pinch of salt until soft—about 5 minutes.
Add the chopped potatoes, garlic powder, and another couple of shakes of salt. Don’t skip this or the potatoes won’t be nearly as tasty!
Cook until the potatoes start to brown and then stir them around. When it looks like the potatoes are slightly browned on the outside, place the veggie sausages into the skillet. Then, cover the pan with a lid so the potatoes can cook through. I like to let mine get nice and soft on the inside but cook time will vary depending on how small you chopped the potatoes. Cook time is anywhere from 20-40 minutes.
While the potatoes cook, you can make the optional spicy mayo.
The potatoes are ready when you can pierce a potato cube with a fork. Taste it to see if it is tender enough for your liking and, if so, stir in the frozen or fresh kale. This only takes about a minute so the kale can wilt and soften. Sprinkle some fresh cracked blacked pepper over it all and enjoy!
Notes
Spicy Mayo two ways:[br][br]Chipotle Mayo[br]2 tbsp chipotle in adobo sauce, finely chopped[br]4 tbsp vegan mayo or mayo of choice[br][br]Kimchi Mayo[br]4 tbsp spicy kimchi with brine[br]3 tbsp vegan mayo or mayo of choice[br][br]The spicy mayos will not be smooth but the flavors will still be excellent. This is how I enjoy them but you may also blend these us to make them smooth.
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The veggie sausage and country potatoes serves 2 modest portions as a meal or side. I like to eat this skillet dish as a meal with the spicy mayo drizzled on top. You can eat it with a spinach and tomato salad (yum!) or eggs, if you eat eggs.
Thanks for reading and thank you to Hilary’s for allowing me to test out some of their plant-based patties. You can find these in a store near you using the store locator on the Hilary’s Eat Well website!
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