Day 74: Food is Love

Yesterday was one of the best days of my life. It was a day spent with family and each element of the day exceeded my expectations.

Starting with the food, I was determined to not allow the classic-Thanksgiving fare to break my calorie bank, so I carefully chose a delicious-looking line-up of 7 recipes to substitute for their full-fat counterparts. 
The goal: delicious, Low Glycemic Load dishes, which substituted vegetables for starches wherever possible. 
The challenge: to give us happy tummies & taste buds, to feel full without feeling overstuffed or heavy, and that we wouldn't miss the old recipes. 

The two main obstacles to a successful Thanksgiving dinner were: 

#1. I chose recipes that were untested. They looked and sounded good, and used fresh, low-calorie ingredients, but I didn't get a chance to try each one before we put them all together for our turkey-day menu. 

#2. I wasn't able to personally cook most of the recipes. I prepped the ingredients shortly before departing for the Harvest Moon Bazaar, which set my cooking counterparts up for success. If I've learned anything so-far, it's that prep is key! 

The family did the cooking while I was at the Bazaar, so by the time I got back, it was time to eat. Prior to sitting down, I saw doubtful glances about the food. My sister, Jen, was especially skeptical, because she thought it wouldn't be the same Thanksgiving Day experience using different recipes.  However, she was happily surprised, saying "Your recipes turned out great and an excellent twist on the thanksgiving feast!"  She added, "Who would ever make their green been casserole from cans again if they tried this recipe? Amazing!" 

Each mouthful was a delight! Everyone had a favorite dish and admired the fresh takes on old classics.

My family enjoyed each healthy dish and was grateful for my careful planning and the low-stress menu. I was grateful that everyone supported me to make healthier choices. I found out that changing the menu had an unexpected outcome. We created healthier ways of looking at life and each other. How what we chose to eat is important and how important we are to one another. This simple meal was a catalyst to enjoying the best, healthiest turkey dinner, and the most fun enjoying being together than I can remember. Cooking and eating the meal brought us together, helped us enjoy the closeness of family and made this Thanksgiving holiday ideal and unforgettable.

I'm so excited to share my family-approved Thanksgiving recipes with you!!  Starting tomorrow we begin our "7 Days of Thanksgiving!"  My holiday was perfect and I hope the same for yours.

Thanks for reading all!