Surviving the holidays

pumpkin

pumpkin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s that time of year again – the holidays. While the holidays can bring you wonderful times with friends and family, they can also drown you in an overabundance of rich foods and sweets. Packing on a few extra pounds isn’t unusual during this time of year.

[tweetthis]Weight gain results not only from excessive eating and drinking, but also from added stress. [/tweetthis]

 

It’s time to de-stress and maintain a healthy weight this holiday season.

To get all my tips on de-stressing the holidays, listen to Health Coach Donna podcast on iTunes.

I wanted to share my Thanksgiving menu this year. I suggest keeping it simple and just serve your absolute favorites. I’ve included my favorite recipes below.
Hope you enjoy and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Mushroom Gravy

(This is from my sister-in-law, Anne McGuffey. I’ve modified the recipe a bit and made it gluten free)

Saute 2 medium , chopped onions in olive oil or butter. Add 1 lb. of chopped mushrooms. Use whatever mushrooms you love. Cook until mushrooms reduce and most of the liquid is gone.

Add 3/4 cup of sherry or wine of your choice, 3 cups of veggie broth, 1 1/2 tablespoons of Tarragon, 1 tablespoon of Tamari, and 1 teaspoon of Rosemary. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes to get all the flavors incorporated. I actually make this a day ahead and put in fridge overnight. If you do this, just put on the stove to reheat and serve.

Use an immersion blender to chop up the mushrooms and onions. You want to leave some chunks.

Slowly whisk in 1/2 cup of brown rice flour and 1/4 cup nutritional yeast. The yeast is optional, but I love the flavor it gives. Lastly, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of miso.

Continue to heat on low, stirring until thickened. If it’s not thick enough for you, add some more flour, too thin, more broth.

Green Bean Salad

Steam your green beans to desired tenderness. I like them slightly crunchy. Toss them in a bowl with 1 cup chopped walnuts, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon, and salt and pepper.

Cranberry Chutney
(I like to make this a day in advance)

1 cup “sugar” (Raw, coconut, honey, or maple syrup)
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 bags organic cranberries
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 granny smith apple
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
juice and grated zest of 1 orange
1/3 cup dried currants

1 to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch or arrowroot mixed in 1/4 cup water

In a medium saucepan combine sugar and wine. Bring to boil and reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered for 5 minutes.

Add all the remaining ingredients except the currants. Cook until cranberries have popped, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in arrowroot/water and currants. Let cool and then place in glass container and refrigerate overnight.

Pumpkin Corn Bread

This is from my favorite cookbook, Nourishing Meals. It’s so good I have not altered the recipe one bit. Make sure you use organic corn meal as anything else is GMO.

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Oil 8×8 baking pan.

Whisk together:

1 1/2 cups organic corn meal
1 cups brown rice flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt

In another bowl, whisk together:

1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup milk (almond, coconut, or anything you like)
1/3 cup melted coconut oil or butter
1/3 cup honey
2 large organic eggs

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and pour into baking pan. Bake for 35 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Grab the New Book!