christmas Archives | Page 8 of 11

I was having a discussion with my mom the other day about what dishes I really looked forward to enjoying on Thanksgiving when I was a kid. They were the dishes that unless they were present my Thanksgiving meal would not be complete. As I rattled off the three different dishes, I realized they were variations of the three Thanksgiving posts I shot for the blog this year. Kind of funny, huh? In case you’re curious, this was kid Courtney’s must-have list: cranberry sauce, roasted sweet potatoes, & pumpkin pie. And what did I plan for the blog without even thinking once about this list? Sweet potato & sage corn muffins, this cranberry pear compote, and a gingersnap pumpkin pie I’ll be posting over the weekend. I guess I still have similar cravings in my ripe old adult age, but with a more refined palate 🙂

For this version of cranberry sauce, I gave it a little update, or some “Courtney flair” if you will. It’s more of a chunky compote full of fresh cranberries, Bartlett pears, meyer lemon, & fresh lavender leaves. I went with a nice, dark grade B maple syrup to add some sweetness and depth of flavor that you can’t get with cane sugar. I ended up eating it over oatmeal, on top of a waffle, and smeared onto these sweet potato & sage corn muffins. Let me know in the comments below some of your favorite Thanksgiving dishes!

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November is fleeting, though I guess that’s the way time is. Always moving forward, never back. I’ve been trying to enjoy this time of the year while it is here instead of worrying about when it’s over. I’ll admit that living in the moment can be challenging for me but I’m making a real go of it. One way I’ve been doing this is to try to slow down and chew my food. I know that sounds funny, but I think most of us habitually shovel food down our mouths quickly in order to move on to the next thing. This ends up causing digestive upset and doesn’t really make eating the wonderful sensory experience that it should be. So, chew your food! Appreciate the flavors, textures, and origins of what you are eating. Imagine the hands that grew and nurtured it. Try this next time you eat and notice what changes for you.

Speaking of food, Thanksgiving is swiftly approaching! I thought it would be apropos to share some gluten free/vegan dishes perfect for your holiday table. They are all simple to follow without laborious ingredient lists. Each one has a little somethin’ somethin’ that sets it apart from the more traditional Thanksgiving dishes, in addition to being completely vegan and gluten free. All of these recipes will culminate in a little Thanksgiving menu guide at the beginning of next week to help you in your menu planning.

These muffins are my take on cornbread. They have sweet potato puree in them to add a little natural sweetness and some sage to make them fragrant and earthy. You can serve these up on their own or dry them out a bit and use them to make stuffing or croutons. I recommend serving them with coconut butter and cranberry sauce, but they are perfectly capable of standing on their own 🙂

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Cranberry Pear Compote with Meyer Lemon & Lavender

Sweet Potato & Sage Corn Muffins