Habanero Cranberry Sauce

Habanero Cranberry Sauce

Move over canned cranberry, this recipe is HOT! :) We've all seen it, and most of us have tasted it.  That tubular cranberry "sauce" that comes out of a can, and holds it shape while you slice it and serve it alongside a turkey on Thanksgiving day. Luckily I grew up in a family that preferred the real stuff, made with fresh cranberries, simmered with sugar on the stove.  Although to be honest, I've never been a huge fan.  Something about combining sweetness with meat never tasted right to me... until I found this recipe. Depending on how spicy you like things, you can adjust the heat in this recipe with the ratio of cranberries to habanero peppers.  I made it a couple of times over the past Holiday season, once for a Thanksgiving celebration with friends, and once for the actual day with a large group of extended family.  Both times it was a hit, and people kept raving about it and asking for the recipe. So for those of you who have been waiting, I am sorry it has taken so long. All I know is that when people are all grabbing for left overs and you barely have any to take home yourself, you know you have a hit.  A HOT one! ;)

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Happy Thanksgiving, and early Christmas all baked into one!  This delectable dessert brings together my favorites from both holidays (pumpkin and gingerbread) into one taste of heaven. Not too sweet, and full of flavor, this dessert was so good that the large pan of them were eaten by my small family of four within a couple of days.  I actually put half of them into the freezer, only to take them out two days later for breakfast. I found a recipe like this online, but used whole wheat flour, cut the sugar in half and replaced the cool whip with organic whipped cream and a touch of sugar. They do take a little more work than most of the desserts I throw together, but this one is worth the extra effort.  So even if you don't have time today to make something extra for the big feast, this sweet treat will be in season for at least another month, if not all winter!  Happy Holidays everyone!

Harvest Turkey Salad

Harvest Turkey Salad

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!!  I made this recipe back in the summer when I was craving a taste of fall.  I love that my local grocery store sells rotisserie turkey breasts, so the hard part of the meal prep is done for me.  Of course a real home cooked turkey would be even better which is why I have been waiting to post this recipe until Thanksgiving time.  By combining some of my favorite flavors from a Holiday meal, I turned a traditional chicken salad recipe into something completely unexpected.  The crunch of the apples and pecans, the tart sweetness of the cranberries, the spice from the horseradish and the aromatic herbs and spices make an ordinary piece of turkey turn into an awesome taste experience.  I made a sandwich out of it on local whole wheat bread for my husband, but my portion never made it out of the bowl because it tasted so good I gobbled it up with the spoon I used to mix it.  So if by any chance you have any turkey left after your feast up there in Canada today, I highly recommend trying this recipe out in the days to come for a unique twist on leftovers.  I know I will be making it again in November after my family's big turkey meal!!

Canadian Thanksgiving Casserole

Happy Thanksgiving Canada!

Canadian and American Flag painted play house in our back yard
(built by my husband, painted by me)

This recipe is in honor of all my amazing family and friends who live in my country's wonderful neighbor to the north, Oh Canada!!! My Canadian husband may not have remembered until I said something a few days ago about today's Thanksgiving, but he was quick to request that I make him a turkey dinner, and knowing that the fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach, I had to oblige.  I would much rather celebrate the Canadian fall harvest than the man who accidentally sailed his boat into the Bahamas 500 years ago and then tortured and enslaved the people who had lived there for centuries.  So Happy Thanksgiving it would be today.

However, after a long week of baking, exercising and blogging, I really didn't feel like cooking a turkey from scratch.  I have yet to find any organic turkey at my local supermarket, and since I don't cook or eat meat that often, I decided to cave in and buy a precooked, yet delicious, rotisserie turkey breast at the store.  I had initially planned to just serve it with some gravy from a jar (definitely not a normal staple in my home), a side of fresh veggies, homemade stuffing and mashed potatoes.  But then I got to thinking... what if I tried to do something a bit more creative? The thought of mashed potatoes led me to think about changing up a traditional shepherd's pie recipe using turkey instead of ground beef.  And what if I add in stuffing too?  I am sure I am not the first to think of a creative way to basically heat up leftovers, but I thought it sounded like fun. And then of course it would give me something to blog about as well. 

In order to make my meal as healthy as possible, I am sticking to my usual organic, whole food, whole wheat, full of vegetables style of cooking.  I have tried to make my process as simple as possible to understand, although in the end you can always make whatever stuffing and version of potatoes you prefer and just layer it this way.  But here is exactly what I used and how I put it together.  And it was totally worth celebrating!!  Happy Thanksgiving to the land of maple syrup and polar bears!!! I love you Canada!

Canadian Thanksgiving Casserole

Savory Pumpkin Biscuits

Breakfast is served!!
pumpkin biscuits, fruit salad and turkey sausages

These are incredible. They are moist, flaky, and good for you!  Usually I don't bake with a lot of butter, but I figured that this twist on my pumpkin scone recipe has so little sugar (a mere tablespoon of honey) that I figured using good old delicious organic butter would be best without affecting the overall healthfulness of the recipe.  Made with a whole cup of fresh roasted pumpkin (canned pumpkin would be fine as well), 100% whole wheat pastry flour and antioxidant rich spices, these biscuits are a healthy addition to any meal; morning, noon or night.  Even my super picky daughter gobbled up two of them which means I got her to eat a couple of spoonfuls of pumpkin with her breakfast without her even knowing! These biscuits can be made any size or shape, and if made large enough would be fabulous as the base for a breakfast sandwich.  They could also be served with a little extra honey as a dessert or with some tea, and would make a fabulous addition to a Thanksgiving dinner. Definitely one of my best creations ever!