My Thanksgiving

It's no secret..Thanksgiving is my least favorite holiday.  I really don't know why I dislike it so much, I just do.  I guess it's just been one of those holidays that's never been super traditional to me or meant a whole lot.  Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for MANY things and I sort of reflect on that each year, I just don't love all things Thanksgiving.  (I do love the HUGE paper full of ads that comes to my door that morning and all the shopping that now starts at midnight though...which many people despise!)  Its mainly the food...I don't love turkey, I really don't like mashed potatoes, I can do without stuffing and rolls and corn and I hate gravy!  Pumpkin pie is ok if you don't have crust and any other pie I can let sit...I'm just not a pie gal.  I like veggies, but up until I came along there were no veggies at my husband's family's Thanksgiving...weird!  Oh wait..corn!  I remember having to explain that corn is not a real vegetable...ugh!  Anyway, I digress.  There are a couple things I like and like I said those are veggies (pretty much anything except green bean casserole...that's making healthy veggies unhealthy!) and fruit!

I also like the sales that come along in the grocery stores this time of year on that produce.  So, I take advantage of those sales and this year decided to create MY THANKSGIVING!  What I would actually prefer to eat on Thanksgiving.  Much healthier (and yes, I know...Thanksgiving is not the day to be healthy...blah blah!)  Everyday is a day to be healthy darn it!  Yes, I eat sweets and treats and not so good food sometimes, so can you,  but it's not necessary to make an entire day out of it!  My hubby does, I just can't.  I'll pay for it for days...just not worth it.  Anyway, so I had some cranberries, sweet potatoes and a boatload of squash in my fridge just waiting to be used.  Tonight, I used them.  I made my pre-thanksgiving, thanksgiving meal :)

I wish I would've taken a pic, it was pretty! 

Turkey Tenderloin:  rubbed with dijon mustard and sprinkled with thyme, rosemary and oregano...baked at 375 for 50+ min.

Cranberry Pear Sauce:  package of cranberries, 2 pears, 1/2 cup (or less) or agave and a cup of water...to deliciousness!  Very good and SO much healthier than those with 3 cups of sugar!  Recipe can be found here!

Autumn Harvest Salad:  that salad I wrote about here and found the recipe here....I think I'm taking this to Thanksgiving this year.  I will eat it all and be full and happy!  That stuff just screams fall and it's still fall next week no matter what the thermometer says!

Anyway, I loved the meal.  Actually everyone liked the meal.  I think it was the first meal in months (besides pizza night) that my kids didn't complain about anything!  They both asked for seconds of the cranberries and finished their plates, in a timely manner!  Perhaps it'll have to be my thanksgiving everyday!

Are you like most people and love Thanksgiving or are you like me and love shopping?

Autumn Harvest Salad and then some..

I just remembered what I forgot to do yesterday.  Share this recipe with you!  I was reminded while I was eating my lunch which obviously was the leftovers from our "halloween supper" last night.  First I'll tell you what we had.  We (well, the kids) had yummy Kraft mac and cheese in halloween shapes (thanks Aunt Laura!) and mummy dogs made with our favorite TJ's Mango Chicken Sausages.  (btw...if you haven't had these you are missing out...BIG TIME!)  and THIS delicious salad...from one of my favorite foodies.   Oh MY...it was more than delicious!  I think I'm going to make more.  like now because I ate all the leftovers...what will I have for lunch tomorrow?

(image courtesy of How Sweet it Is)

Naturally I can't seem to follow a recipe exactly, right?  Well, it's true!  BUT...let me explain.  I couldn't do this recipe exactly because I refuse to pay $2.50 for ONE pomegranate and $5 for one bottle of POM juice!  That is crazy talk!  Talk to me in about a month when pomegranates are $1 each...because I love myself a good pom, but remember, I'm also super cheap!  So...I left out the pomegranate arils and made different dressing because of those reasons.  Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly!  Make it...now.  Go cut up some squash and sweet potatoes and apples.  You will NOT be dissappointed!  I also used a Whole Wheat loaf of bread that I found at Sendiks.  It was one of those big old thick oval shaped loaves...whatever those are called.  Clearly I don't know! 

So, left out the poms and replaced the dressing with THIS yummy dressing!  Pumpkin Cider Vinegarette...it had me at the name.   I had seen this salad before and figured they were similar enough so the dressing would taste good. I think I was right.  It was very very good!  I made extras, thankfully and now I'll make even more! 

Ok, I won't ramble on about a salad anymore, but I will tell you that I think I will make this until squash and sweet potatoes are not good anymore, which for me means spring when I can't stand to look at winter "fruits" anymore.  Then I'll just replace them with berries or something.  Let me know if you try it... and even more if you LOVE it like me.  What can I say, doesn't take much to make me happy does it?  Salad?  REALLY?!  Man, I need a life!  :)  Happy Tuesday!