Hey darrrrrrlin’! How you doing? Hopefully you’re not too stressed since it’s the week of Thanksgiving and all hell is breaking loose. I have mixed feelings about the holidays. They stress me out and give me anxiety, but my husband loves them so I try change my tone about them. To me, holidays mean busy airports, screaming children, rude people, family fights, creepy old men at family functions and food that makes me feel like sh*t. I know it’s totally a negative way to look at the holidays, but it’s just what I’ve experienced since I was a kid so as I grew up, I tried to steer clear of too many holidays functions. (And just FYI, as I wrote this in the airport of DIA traveling for work, I watched a child hit their dad repeatedly in the face as they wait for their flight to board)
But something I CAN control around the holidays is the food I eat. Before I went paleo, I would stuff my face until I felt sick on Thanksgiving day. But now, I just see it as another day. A day with more food on the table than usual. And since now I know what my body likes and doesn’t like, I can make sure my plate is filled with recipes that are both enjoyable and satisfying to eat. I hear somewhere the other day that the average American gains around 10 pounds during the holiday and that’s usually due to the excessive amount of food that is around along with the starchy carbs and sugars that are readily available. But if you’re willing to create your own dishes that make you feel comfortable and satisfied on Thanksgiving day, you won’t be part of that statistic! Food doesn’t have to make you feel like crap. It should actually do the opposite! I hope that some of the recipes below help you feel great this holiday season and keep you motivated and excited for 2018!
Something Savory:
Last Minute Smashed Maple Sweet Potatoes
Maple Rosemary Whipped Yams Topped with Cinnamon Candied Pecans
Last Minute Cinnamon Sugar Sweet Potatoes
Cinnamon & Sugar Skillet Sweet Potatoes
Bacon and Chive Sweet Potato Biscuits
Brown Butter & Herb Skillet Potatoes
Caramelized Onion & Sausage Stuffing
Savory Bacon Butternut Squash Souffle
Maple Bacon Pecan Roasted Butternut Squash
Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Butternut Squash
Brussels Sprouts and Mushroom Gratin
Something Sweet:
Cardamom Caramel Pear Upside Down Cake
No-Bake Chocolate Caramel Tarts
No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Gingerbread Trifles
Eggnog Pumpkin Pie with Gingerbread Crust
Ooey Gooey Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars
I hope this gets you excited for delicious food over the holidays that will keep you feeling amazing and on track for a healthy end to 2017!
Hey Juli. Happy Thanksgiving ????????. How do you feel about gf box stuffing? No matter how hard I try, or what recipes I follow, stuffing (or dressing) never comes out right. I do have nut and seed allergies, so that does limit me quite a bit with Paleo recipes to try. Thanks for your blog. Love your insight, and all you do!!!
i’ve honestly never made gf box stuffing. i’ve tried it at friends and found it super dry but it couldn’t be how they are making it, too. i just don’t care enough about stuffing (even though it used to be my absolute favorite) so i just skip it all together nowadays
But your Paleo stuffing recipe is one of my all-time favorites! <3
Juli, I hope you have a great Thanksgiving. My husband and I are hosting for the first time as a married couple. I have already made the Pumpkin Pie Cookie Crisp for the 2nd time. I also shared it with friends who came over this past Sunday and packed a little for myself today with my lunch at work so it is of course half gone. I can’t wait for my parents to try it. My plan is also to make the maple roasted brussel sprouts with butternut squash as one of our vegetable dishes. Thank you again for being such a great food, fashion and fitness resource. -Elena
awesome!! i’m making the pumpkin cookie crisp too! hope your guests love it!
“Creepy old men at family functions” TOTALLY ????????????
ugghhhhh my memories will always be haunted by one certain creep. the worst.
Julie, first off, I must say I have two of your cookbooks and I love them both. Thank you so much for helping me and others learn to enjoy cooking, while being healthy!
My question is – I am preparing my thanksgiving dishes and noticed some non-Paleo dishes call for Vegetable oil. Since this is something I want to avoid – what can I use as a substitute? Would melted ghee work?
Thank you for being awesome!
it really depends on the recipe but ghee is a great option!! xoxo
do you have an actual turkey recipe?
no, i hate turkey, but i know Michelle Tam has a great one! http://nomnompaleo.com/post/66597843666/butterflied-big-bird-spatchcocked-turkey
OMG @paleomg! I made 3 of your Thanksgiving side dishes and they were all amazing. Thank you for this post!