Happy Wednesday friends! Thanksgiving is just a short week and a half away and I am already dreaming about all the delicious eats and planning our dinner menu. The next few recipes I share will all be inspired to make this the best and tastiest Thanksgiving yet! If you would like to get to planning early, checkout this Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup post I shared last year at about this time. It has a ton of healthy recipes for the perfect Thanksgiving Day ranging from appetizers, drinks, side dishes and desserts!
I am still in shock that the holidays are here. I feel like it was just yesterday we were celebrating Thanksgiving LAST year! The holidays are going to be a whole lot different this year carting baby A around. I am excited for her to be part of our yearly traditions and bring an entire new dynamic to the holidays!
But let’s be real, holidays are stressssssssful! All the go go go, family, traveling and pressure of finding the perfect gifts for your loved ones makes for a stressful time of year. When we are stressed it easier to be tempted by that extra piece of pie or Christmas cookie, or to stop for fast food on your way home from a busy day. Good news is, there are ways to handle stressful times and stay on track with a healthy lifestyle.
First thing first, you must plan. Fail to plan then plan to fail. It is cliche, but it is true. You know the holidays are coming up and you are going to be crazy busy. How are you going to fit in family gatherings while staying consistent with your healthy eating habits and workout routine? Well, you are going to plan it out. Using an old fashioned notebook or planner, google calendar or any other handy scheduling device, plan out your weekly meals when you aren’t at a holiday party and when you will get in a workout. Having your meals and workouts planned ahead of time will relieve the stress of weeknight meals and overthinking if you will be able to get to the gym or not with such a hectic schedule.
Find time for yourself. If you are going to make it through the holidays without gaining unwanted weight, having a breakdown because of the in-laws, or hiding in the bathroom from your crazy kids then you must carve out time for yourself weekly if not daily. This could be in the form of getting away for awhile and going to the gym, getting a massage, getting your nails or hair done, taking a soothing bath, going shopping alone, reading a book in a quiet room or coffee shop. Whatever brings you joy and calmness, find time during the holiday season to keep doing these things.
Embrace the holiday craziness! Unfortunately, we can’t control everything. Life is going to get busy, suck at times and sometimes seem like there is no end to the madness. What do I say about that? Embrace it! Having a positive attitude through the suck will allow you to enjoy every last bit of the holiday season. When you feel yourself getting negative (because you will) stop and reflect on the current positives in your life. Be thankful for your crazy in-laws, show gratitude to those that may be causing you more stress (cough cough, your kids maybe?) and always look for the positive in any situation because there always is one.
Let’s recap! We all want and aspire to make it through the holidays as healthy as we can and stick to our goals. With controlling our stress, this is doable!
- Plan your weekly meals and workouts
- Give yourself some “me time”
- Embrace this crazy season
Squash is a must for any and all Thanksgiving meals. I absolutely love it and it is one of my favorite in season fall foods! And have you ever cooked butter and maple syrup together? It is heavenly. Impress your guests with this divine, sweet and amazingly delicious Maple Pecan Hasselback Butternut Squash this Thanksgiving!
- 1 medium butternut squash
- avocado oil or spray
- dash of sea salt
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 4 tbsp grass fed butter
- 4 tbsp pure maple syrup
- pink himalayan salt
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- With a vegetable peeler, peel the skin off the squash. With a sharp knife, remove both ends of the squash and cut in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds with a large spoon. Lightly oil the cut side of the squash and place cut side down on the baking sheet. Lightly oil and salt the top of the squash halves. Place in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the squash to a cutting board and using a sharp knife cut ¼ slices all the away across the squash. Be sure to not cut all the way through the squash. Tip: place a wooden spoon along the squash to ensure you don't cut through. Transfer the squash back to the baking sheet.
- Place a small sauce pan on the stove over medium high heat and add the butter and maple syrup. Bring to a simmer and let simmer 2-3 minutes stirring continuously. Remove from heat and add the pecans. Spoon the maple pecan mixture evenly over both squash pieces. Place the squash back into the oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle each side with a pinch of pink himalayan salt, transfer to a serving dish and enjoy!