Sharing some ideas for healthy Christmas side dishes if you’re planning for the festivities!

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you had a wonderful weekend! We had our Fighter Group Christmas party, I taught a barre class, and saw Wicked for the third time. I will probably see it at least once more in theaters – I think the Pilot needs to see it! The girls and I also started the holiday baking party and made peppermint bark and peanut butter blossoms.

I’m starting to plan our our holiday menus and was trying to brainstorm side dish ideas. Of course, my favorite part of the holidays is being with family, but the delicious food comes in 2nd 😉 The main dishes always take center stage, along with the desserts, but the side dishes are an easy way to add some color and nourishment. I like side dishes that are simple to prepare or can be made in advance, and these options check all the boxes!

Here’s our holiday menu for this year:

Brunch:

Nana’s egg casserole

Cinnamon rolls

Breakfast potatoes

Fruit salad

Coffee, mimosas, desserts

Dinner:

Giant cheese board

Caviar tray

Beef tenderloin with horseradish sauce

Mashed sweet potatoes

Green salad

Roasted balsamic veggies

Smoked turkey

Mulled wine and champagne

Dessert tray – Christmas cookies, yule log

*Worth noting here that we get our meat from ButcherBox (<— this link gets you free ground beef for life!) and I order the yule log from a local gf bakery

Sharing my thoughts on how to stay in shape during the holidays. This blog post was titled for The Man aka search purposes, so please read on for my full thoughts 😉 

Hi friends! How are you? I hope that you’re having a lovely week! I have a couple of meetings this morning, and am looking forward to putting up our Christmas tree tonight!

For today’s post, I wanted to chat about maintaining fitness and “staying in shape” during the holidays.

The holiday season is a magical time filled with joy, gatherings, and celebrations. With everything going on, it can be easy to let healthy habits fall to the backseat a bit. Today, I wanted to share some realistic tips to help you maintain your fitness routine and stay motivated during this busy and festive season.

How To Stay In Shape During The Holidays

Instead of thinking about “staying in shape,” think about staying healthy, fit, energized, and centered. Focus on the habits that make you feel GOOD so you can get through the busy season feeling happy, vibrant, and peaceful. A deeper goal than vanity-based goals will help motivate you when things feel hard. 

Here are some of the things I like to emphasize during the holidays or busier seasons of life.

1. Plan Ahead

Look at your holiday schedule and carve out time for physical activity. Every workout, even short workouts, are still worth it. It can be a huge stress reliever and chance to move your body, which feels good when you’re bombarded with extra to-dos!

Every Saturday, I sit down and plan my workouts for the upcoming week. If it’s scheduled, I’m more likely to make it happen. On the days that are packed, I make sure that I can at least do some steps on my walking pad or take Maisey for a walk.

2. Take a Moment for Yourself

Make self-care a priority, even though it can be tricky. A quick 20-minute workout or walking or running session can be your moment of peace amidst the chaos.

Incorporate relaxation techniques like yoga or meditation to reduce stress. I love the short Peloton yoga and meditation classes, and the Calm app is also a great resource for meditation. During this season, I tend to get overstimulated easily – it’s a lot of people-ing- and taking at least 10 minutes to breathe or meditate makes a huge difference.

3. Be Realistic

Even though it can be tempting to try and make drastic changes before the New Year, I think that December is best spent focusing on maintaining instead of adding in a bunch of new wellness goals. Instead of trying to hit personal records, focus on consistency.

I also think consistency is more valuable than intensity, so feel free to modify your routine based on your schedule and energy.

4. Prioritize Sleep

Sleep is so important for mood, metabolism, performance, memory, immune system function, hair, skin, so many things. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep to support recovery and stay motivated during the day. If you have t

Sharing some ideas for Christmas brunch and dinner recipes.

This year is flying back at warp speed, and I’m trying to do everything in my power to avoid the last-minute scramble. I started Christmas shopping early – I feel like it’s less of a hit on the budget when you space things out, too! – and am trying to plan and prep as much as I can. Last year, I had prepped a ton for Christmas dinner and it felt like huge treat. I think as moms, we have a lot of the to-dos on our shoulders, and the holiday season isn’t as fun if you spend it stressed and overwhelmed.

Christmas Brunch and Dinner Recipes

Since I was brainstorming ideas for Christmas brunch and dinner (both are at our house), I thought I’d share some sample recipes if you’re looking to prep in advance, too! Worth mentioning here that I get all of the meat for our holiday feasts from Butcher Box. They have beef tenderloin, turkeys, salmon, and it’s all great quality.

What I’m Cooking for Christmas

Smoked turkey on the Traeger

Cranberry sauce

Beef tenderloin with horseradish sauce

Artichoke dip and crackers

A massive cheese board (I take food styling serious when it comes to a cheese board!)

Mashed sweet potatoes

Autumn salad with apples, feta, spiced walnuts and balsamic dressing

Homemade sourdough (made ahead and frozen)

Christmas cookies (I start baking early and just freeze everything! We usually do these thumbprint cookies, Mexican wedding cookies, peppermint bark, peanut butter blossoms, and Read more

The Most Amazing Apple Pecan Smoked Turkey Breast [+Video]

Impress your family and friends with this delicious apple pecan smoked turkey breast recipe. With a step-by-step video tutorial, you’ll have the perfect centerpiece for your holiday meal!

There is not a more juicy and flavorful turkey than this smoked turkey breast. It is our current favorite for Thanksgiving. I thought that Instant Pot Turkey was incredible, but man, this one just totally one upped that recipe.

We aren’t lacking for turkey recipes on our site. We love a juicy turkey slice for dinner, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t keep adding to it. That fried turkey from years ago is still ad favorite, the classic oven roasted whole turkey never disappoints, and we make the herb roasted turkey breast all year round for a healthy dinner recipe idea that isn’t chicken.

So even if you’re like us and there are other turkey recipes you’ve made before, take a chance and make the most amazing apple pecan smoked turkey recipe this Thanksgiving.

Ingredients for Smoked Turkey Breast

This list might look a little overwhelming at first, but there are a few components to this recipe in order for it to come together just perfectly! You need your smoker supplies, brine ingredients, rub ingredients and turkey gravy ingredients. Here is everything you’ll need:

For the Smoker

• Pecan Pellets or Chips
• Tin Pan

Turkey Brine

• Maple Syrup
• Brown Sugar
• Kosher Salt
• Apple Juice
• Orange Juice
• Chicken Broth
• Smoked Paprika
• Turkey Breast: Buy a bone-in turkey breast for the best flavor and texture.

Turkey Rub

• Brown Sugar
• Seasonings and Spices: Smoked Paprika, Ground Mustard, Kosher Salt, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Chipotle Chili Pepper Seasoning, Pepper and Cumin
• Butter

Steaming Liquids

• Pineapple Juice
• Water

Gravy

• Cornstarch
• Water

This is meant to be just a quick overview of the ingredients you will need. The measurements and details for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Turkey Basics

Before we jump in to making this smoked turkey, I want to cover a few of the basics:

• A frozen turkey will need thaw 24 hours per every 5 pounds.
• Turkey will need to smoke for 25-30 minutes per pound.
• Safe internal temperature fo

Italian Sauteed Mushrooms Recipe

Delicious & The BEST Italian Sauteed Mushrooms Recipe in the world – this is one of my favorite side dishes my mama makes.

I remember having huge family gatherings at my mom’s house on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas and these Italian Sauteed Mushrooms were always there.  My mom would cook a huge turkey and few side dishes, while everyone else would bring desserts and appetizers.

Reasons I Love This Recipe

Crowd Pleaser: Everyone loves my mom’s sautéed mushrooms! I don’t remember a single time that at least one person hasn’t wanted the recipe.

Easy: You wouldn’t believe how easy it is to make this mushroom recipe. All you will need is 5 ingredients and one SECRET SAUCE.

Quick: Cooking this easy holiday side dish will only take about 15 minutes.

Make Ahead: It tastes even better after 48 hours, because the mushrooms will marinate in the Secret Sauce and will make the mushrooms taste extra yummy. Such a win because that means you can prep ahead which is what I need when it comes to big holiday meals!

What are you waiting for? Scroll down to see how to make The Best Italian Sautéed Mushrooms Recipe.

Ingredients You Need to Make the Best Sauteed Mushrooms:

• Baby Bella Mushrooms: also called cremini mushrooms, they have a deep earthy flavor and beautiful color
• Italian Dressing: You can make your own homemade Italian dressing or buy your favorite brand from the store. This is the secret sauce combined with the flavor of the bell peppers and onions…so dreamy!
• Onion: just a yellow onion works great
• Red Bell Pepper: you could also use orange or yellow
• Salt and Pepper: adds flavor
• Parsley: used for garnish

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post. Keep scrolling for all the details!

Substitutions and Variations

If you can’t find baby bella mushrooms, white button mushrooms will work fine. They just will lack a little depth of flavor. Portobello mushrooms can also be used. You’ll just want to cut them into bite size pieces. Porcini, chanterelle or shiitake mushrooms are also options but they tend to be quite expensive. You can also do a combination of any of these.

Fresh parsley can be swapped for any variety of fresh herbs…thyme, oregano, or rosemary will all taste great.

If you want to add a little heat, add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes.

How to Clean Mushrooms

Mushrooms can sometimes have dirt on them when they are packaged. Be sure to wipe mushrooms with a dry paper towel to clean them. Don’t wash them in water or use a damp paper towel. Mushrooms are like sponges and will soak up water. You don’t want to add any extra moisture, and you want the mushrooms to soak up the Italian dressing flavors.

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