Happy Friday! Which part of the pie are you?!?! I am fairly conscious while eating dinner, but once dessert is out all bets are off!
Turkey Day is officially less than one week away, so I thought I’d make this Anything & Everything Friday post completely Thanksgiving related! Alright, honestly it is mostly about food, but THANKSGIVING food! I also received our Thanksgiving-themed BarkBox, which is awesome.
Besides the BarkBox I have some gluten-free Thanksgiving recipes and a new way to use Thanksgiving turkey that I’ve never thought of!
BarkBox Thanksgiving-Style:
Our BarkBox this month was Thanksgiving-themed and adorable! It came with two toys: a turkey and an apron that says “Lick the Cook”. The box this month also had doggie poop bags that have “poo poetry”, if you will, on each bag. Awesome.
The treats this month were Pipsqueak Pup Chicken Jerky and Nature’s Bits Turpumpkin Oven Baked Treats. Yes, turpumpkin as in turkey with pumpkin. Hilarious! So far, the doggies love the treats and LOVE the toys! Check out Kevin showing the turkey toy he means business….
Mini Thanksgiving Desserts:
Do you ever eat so much at Thanksgiving dinner that you don’t have room for dessert? Honestly, that has never happened to me. I think I have a completely different “compartment” in my belly that is for dessert. In fact, I think I have a couple compartments. One is for all food, another for desserts and one is left strictly for ice cream!
Regardless, I have quite the sweet tooth so before dinner even begins I am getting my plan of attack ready for the dessert table.
I wish I was kidding…..
If your belly isn’t compartmentalized like mine, then you might get SO full at dinner that you can’t eat dessert (at least right away). Well here are some “mini” desserts, so even if you are full you can still enjoy a sweet treat right after the meal.
Check out Delish.com’s 37 Mini Thanksgiving Desserts For When You Think You Have No Room Left. Personally, I like “mini” treats because I can try several different desserts without having to commit to just one. Not only do I have a sweet tooth, but I am also very indecisive. What is your weakness at Thanksgiving dinner?
Tips for Eating on Thanksgiving:
Don’t get me wrong, I’m ALL about indulging in food on Thanksgiving. However, over the last few years I’ve gotten better about my eating choices on big holidays. I try to be more conscious of the food choices I make, not necessarily based on fat and calories but based on how much I want that certain food. For example, I can pass on green bean casserole but bring on the mashed potatoes! I will pick the foods I want the most and skip foods that are simple so-so to me. By doing this, I don’t feel deprived at the end of the day, but I also didn’t fill myself full of EVERYTHING, even it isn’t a must-have.
Here are some more tips for eating on Thanksgiving. The Daily Meal is a website that has articles about food, but is not healthy-eating specific. I was slightly skeptical about the tips in this article 28 Tips From Nutritionists for a Healthy Thanksgiving Feast because it is not a health-specific site. My skepticism continued with tip #1: Aim for No Leftovers. Leftovers are the best! I understood what they meant, so I kept reading and (surprisingly) the tips were pretty useful.
Thanksgiving only comes once per year so definitely don’t think TOO hard about being healthy. However, it is alright to think a little before shoveling barrels of stuffing into your mouth. If you see the barrel of stuffing and say “I love stuffing more than anything and I want to eat that entire barrel”, then go ahead and do it! If stuffing is something you like, but don’t love then eat 1/4 cup rather than the entire barrel.
Don’t deprive yourself, but if you are trying to eat healthier then read through the tips and pick a few to try out this year!
Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipes:
I don’t need to be gluten-free, but there are a lot of gluten-free products and recipes that are delicious! My mom tries to limit her gluten for personal health reasons, so I’ve experimented a little bit with gluten free recipes.
Thanksgiving is known for dishes like stuffing, rolls, gravy, pie…. a lot of non-gluten-free foods! 10 years ago that would have been a problem for someone avoiding gluten, but not anymore! Greatist.com writer Rebecca Firkser compiled a list of 7 Turkey-Day Dishes For All Your Gluten-Free Needs. Yes there is a stuffing recipe. Yep, there is a gravy recipe. AND YES, there are dessert recipes! Check out all seven recipes using the link above and say hello to a gluten-free friendly dinner!
Thanksgiving Pizza:
I love leftovers, but I REALLY love leftovers from Thanksgiving! Anyone else a fan?
There are a million different ideas for how to use leftovers from Thanksgiving, but this might be my new favorite! I’ve never tried this recipe, but I bet it is awesome. I came across the idea on Delish.com, but it is from a blog called The Gunny Sack. The article is called Thanksgiving Pizza Is A Genius Way To Use Leftovers and I honestly couldn’t agree more! You could make your own pizza crust or buy a premade one. Either way, I’m in!
Well that is all for Anything & Everything Friday! Have a great weekend involving good food, some exercise and lots of fun.
