To be honest, I am in dire need of a break. This semester has flown by and although it has had its high points, the constant go, go, go has been whipping my behind. I am really looking forward to the lovely week off UConn grants for Thanksgiving…I simply cannot wait to have some downtime to spend with my family and catch up in the kitchen. I have already started compiling a “To-Make” list and figured I would share it for those of you (Type A’s like me) who have already began planning Thanksgiving dinner. I’m not quite sure what the Cardarelli’s are doing this year but regardless I intend on running Madison’s annual Turkey Trot, cooking and partaking in the best part of this holiday: stuffing my face. That’s a given. Here are a few healthy recipes and festive ideas I anticipate taking home with me in two weeks (hopefully I get a chance to test them out before then, using my roommates as my guinea pigs…per usual):
Drinks
To get the party started: Pomegranate Cosmos (Barefoot Contessa’s Ina Garten)
Starters
Brie and Chive Biscuits (Real Simple)
Roasted Winter Squash and Apple Soup (Whole Living)
Spinach and Green Apple Salad (Healthy Appetite’s Ellie Krieger)
Side Dishes
Cauliflower with Mustard-Lemon Butter (Epicurious)
Green Beans with Ginger and Cashews (Epicurious)
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Maple Cinnamon Sage Brown Butter (Everday Italian’s Giada De Laurentiis)
Main
Juniper-Brined Roast Turkey with Chanterelle Mushroom Gravy (Epicurious)
Dessert
(Thanksgiving isn’t complete without a slice of apple pie.)
Deep-Dish Apple Pie (Eating Well)
YUM! I cannot wait to try these out and celebrate giving thanks by gorging myself into a food coma. Trying to not gain weight during the holidays? (Aren’t we all…) Start this year’s season off on the right foot with tips for a healthier Thanksgiving, an article I found on EatingWell.com! Have a great recipe you want to share? Leave a comment below or on Sprinkled with Love’s Facebook!
“I have strong doubts that the first Thanksgiving even remotely resembled the “history” I was told in second grade. But considering that (when it comes to holidays) mainstream America’s traditions tend to be over-eating, shopping, or getting drunk, I suppose it’s a miracle that the concept of giving thanks even surfaces at all.” Ellen Orleans
Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren
