Pear Pomegranate Salad with Fruity Balsamic Vinaigrette

I’m sure your holiday meals are similar to ours; full of delicious, fattening, rich, buttery, heavy foods. I like making something light and refreshing so we don’t get completely off track this time of year. Plus when there are tons of pies, cakes, rolls, candies, etc most people don’t quickly grab veggies to put on their plate! Fill your plate half full of this salad and not only will you be less likely to overeat but you won’t have to feel as guilty about that pie you eat later! This is one of my go-to dishes to bring to any meal as it is so quick and easy and so healthy.

4 cups of fresh kale

4 cups of romaine lettuce, chopped
2 cups of spinach
1 cup of raw brussell sprouts, chopped
1 cup red cabbage, chopped
1 pear, thinly sliced
1 cup pomegranate arils
½ cup toasted/candied pecans
Pomegranate Balsamic Vinaigrette
½ pear, peeled and sliced
½ cup pomegranate arils
½ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp thyme

• In large serving bowls, combine salad ingredients and mix well.
• In a blender, combine vinaigrette ingredients and blend until smooth.
• Refrigerate at least an hour or until ready to serve.
• Drizzle vinaigrette over salad and serve.

Thanksgiving Menu Ideas

I can’t believe it is already time to post this. I’m a little nervous about the holidays this year. This will be the first year for a gluten-free Thanksgiving. Last year I was on a pretty strict diet, but I cheated a little and suffered the consequences. This year – none of that! I’m not nervous about the food. I’m nervous about the interactions during meal time. I definitely don’t want to hurt feelings or step on toes about not eating what the family cooks. However – I simply can’t afford to have a bad day due to poor diet choices. So here goes nothing (wish me luck!) As I’m sure many of you are doing, we are traveling some. We aren’t traveling far but we do have several dinners to go to or make. One thing I will miss this year – my mom’s pumpkin pie and my mother-in-law’s ham. Oh gosh… my mom always makes an extra pumpkin pie, just for me! I take it home; eat it again that night, for breakfast the next day, etc. We will have to work on an alternative but for now, no “Mom’s Famous” pumpkin pie for this girl. I’ve learned that you shouldn’t have to suffer or feel guilty about not eating holiday meals. There are many options out there; you just have to find what’s best for you. What we have decided to do is to just make our own “traveling” Thanksgiving dinner. I will make our own meal and take it to the dinners we are going to. For those coming to our house to eat, they can eat what we cook. If they don’t want to, they can bring their own. It’s not the best solution I’m sure, but it’s the best one we’ve come up with. I can’t touch, eat, or be around gluten. If anyone has other suggestions – I’m all for hearing about them! Anyway – I wanted to present some options to any of you having this same problem. Or if any of you are just wanting to try something new this holiday season, try one of the recipes below! Either way, it’s Thanksgiving and it’s a great time of year to be thankful for what we have. Whether you are doing a typical family tradition, or like us – trying something new, just remember how fortunate we all are. I sometimes find myself wondering why this happened to me, but at the end of the day I have to be thankful. I’m thankful God put me in this position to help me learn and challenge me. I have learned so much about taking care of my body and my health. My situation has also made me realize how fortunate it is to enjoy a meal with family. Something as simple as dinner can be taken away so quickly. Some may not be able to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner due to food allergies or illnesses. Others may simply not be able to afford it. Regardless, I am so very thankful for the opportunity to create a tasty, healthy meal on this wonderful day and I hope you all are too. Of course, I’m thankful for millions of other things but this is a food blog after all! Check out the full day’s menu options below and try some of the recipes – they should all be linked to the original posts complete with pictures. Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!

    

Breakfast:

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls (Maple or Original)
Banana Oatmeal Pancakes – my most popular! (for extra energy if you have having a late lunch)
Cinnamon Scones
Appetizers
Shrimp Dip
Veggie Pizza
Watermelon Mint Jam – served with crackers/chips
Smoked Chicken Antipasto
Lunch/Dinner:
Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts - for an alternative to turkey
Made Over Mashed Potatoes
Balsamic Green Beans
Roasted Fall Veggies
Deceptive Mac & Cheese
Stuffed Acorn Squash (or stuffing)
Mushrooms, Onions & Swiss Chard
Butternut Pumpkin Biscuits
Red Wine Cranberry Sauce
Desserts
Upside Down Apple Cake
Cranberry Pear Crisp with Lavender – my favorite!
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies – for the kids!
Pumpkin Pie with Almond Crust – if you want to get real fancy
Beverages
Apple Cider
Pumpkin Spiced Chai Latte
Strawberry Lemonade  - for the kids

Balsamic Green Beans and Mushrooms

This is just a quick and easy side dish that goes well with almost any entrée. It’s our go to for pot luck side dishes as it is so simple to make and warms up well. The balsamic is the key to the dish though so I don’t have any replacement recommendations. I have found a really good balsamic dressing that makes   perfect sauce for these but almost any brand will work. This makes about 4-6 servings.

1 lb fresh green beans

8 oz sliced mushrooms
½ cup sliced onions
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic, minced
¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing

• In a large skillet, sauté green beans, mushrooms, onions and garlic in olive oil for about 15 minutes or until beans are crisp tender.
• Add in salt, pepper and dressing. Stir until well combined. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
• You could also slow roast these in the oven. To do this: combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until dressing coats vegetables. Spread into a large baking sheet and bake at 400°F for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• You could also cook these in the crock-pot but I haven’t tried that yet.

Brie Peach Stackers

These little treats are awesome. They are a perfect blend of salty and sweet. It makes a perfect side dish to a grilled meat and a small salad. The basil really compliments the balsamic dressing and tomato. The salty brie really brings out the tartness and flavor of the sweet peach. Throwing it all on the grill gives it a little extra flavor as well. They can get a little messy and hard to eat but so worth it!

1 peach, sliced into about ¼ inch slices (peeled and pit removed)

1 tomato, sliced into about ¼ inch slices
6 basil leaves
6 thin slices of brie cheese
Balsamic vinaigrette dressing

• On a grill (or inside on a skillet), cook one side of peach slices for about 2 minutes – just enough to get it a little soft but it will still hold it’s shape.
• Flip peach slices over and top with brie, basil and tomato.
• Close grill lid or cover skillet and cook for abouter 3-5 minutes or until brie is starting to melt.
• Put peach stacks onto a serving plate and drizzle over about ½-1 tsp of balsamic dressing. Serve immediately.