Over the years I’ve written a lot of posts about the holiday and how to balance the splurge and still lose weight. You can read some of those old posts here:<\/p>\n
Any Way You Slice That Pumpkin Pie<\/a><\/p>\n Repost: Why You Don\u2019t Quit for the Holidays<\/a><\/p>\n Repost: Setting a Skinny Table<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the past I usually started reigning in the food and alcohol intake after Thanksgiving until Christmas, trying to be balanced and eat in moderation without going overboard. Inevitably I’d gain around 3-5 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s but I’d lose it pretty quickly and easily in the new year. This year feels a little different, obviously. I’m not trying to lose weight, I’m not too worried about gaining a few pounds, and my priorities have shifted a bit.<\/p>\n Instead, I wanted to share\u00a0some favorite recipes\u00a0you may want to try at your holiday:<\/p>\n Grandpa\u2019s Atomic Garlic Dip<\/a>\u00a0–\u00a0My grandpa’s famous dip. It’s super garlicky, like prepare-yourself-garlicky, but it’s SO good. It’s a fabulous appetizer to take to your holiday party and goes great with raw veggies.<\/p>\n Buffalo Celery Appetizer<\/a>\u00a0 –\u00a0Another easy appetizer that is low in calories.<\/p>\n I love me some Brussels Sprouts! I have two favorite recipes I wanted to pass on. The first is a super easy and fast side dish (that we often do with just dinner on a regular night):<\/p>\n Saut\u00e9ed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Onions<\/a>:<\/p>\n This\u00a0Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad<\/a>\u00a0was one I made for a previous Thanksgiving holiday and it was absolutely delicious and a hit. Plus, even people who weren’t fans of Brussels Sprouts, liked this recipe!<\/p>\n Martha Stewart\u2019s Mac n\u2019 Cheese<\/a>\u00a0–\u00a0I don’t know that this is really a “side dish” but it’s an AMAZING recipe and is a must-make for any holiday party Michael and I get invited to. He made it once and now it’s requested. By everyone. It’s seriously that good. This particular recipe is a huge time investment but it’s so worth the effort.<\/p>\n Red Quinoa and Carrot Salad with Currants, Chickpeas and Cashews<\/a>\u00a0–\u00a0This would be a great side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas. It’s healthy, delicious and goes with everything.<\/p>\n Butternut Squash Cashew Soup<\/a>\u00a0– another great option for a side dish or appetizer. Make a small batch and serve it in tiny bowls or even in shot glasses!<\/p>\n If you’re not a fan of turkey, but want to do something similar, check out this recipe that was a fantastic dinner:\u00a0Crockpot Cranberry Chicken<\/a><\/p>\n Another alternative to turkey:\u00a0Roasted Garlic, Herb and Lemon Cornish Game Hens<\/a><\/p>\n We’ve done Cornish Game Hens instead of turkey a few times. On years when we were not getting together with family and doing the big “thing”, this was a nice option because it was MUCH less work, similar to having a turkey, but no massive quantities of leftovers.<\/p>\n Here are few recipes for bread type things:<\/p>\n Apple-Cranberry-Pistachio Bread<\/a><\/p>\n![\"IMG_3825\"](\"http:\/\/www.110pounds.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_3825-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nAppetizers<\/h4>\n
![\"dip\"](\"http:\/\/www.110pounds.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/dip.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nSide Dishes<\/h4>\n
![\"brussels\"](\"http:\/\/www.110pounds.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/brussels-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"salad\"](\"http:\/\/www.110pounds.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/salad-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"mac\"](\"http:\/\/www.110pounds.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/mac-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"photo-1-1\"](\"http:\/\/www.110pounds.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/photo-1-1-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"soup1-e1420484130443\"](\"http:\/\/www.110pounds.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/soup1-e1420484130443.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nMain Dish<\/h4>\n
![\"hens\"](\"http:\/\/www.110pounds.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/hens-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nBreads<\/h4>\n