<p>I’ll amend the “it’s one day a year” to acknowledge that it’s also likely a few more days each year–Christmas, Easter, Passover, etc. But I’d still never give up on the traditional menus, and I’d have a riot on my hands if I tried to omit any of the family favorites. Anyone concerned about the food can take smaller portions or skip the more offending dishes. I handle the temptations of leftovers by making sure they all go home with the guests. I actually buy a set of those disposable plastic containers along with the ingredients for each feast just for that purpose.</p>
<p>I actually think the most dangerous part of the holiday season is the homemade goodies that people bring in to work, plus the corporate gifts of Harry and David towers and the like. When I worked in an office, the bounty was nonstop for at least several weeks, and way too hard to resist.</p>
<p>I hate homemade goodies.
Even when I was a kid, I didn’t like gooey sweet things. My great aunt used to always make fudge & I would stick it in the couch cushions because she wouldn’t take no thank you for an answer.:o</p>
<p>I love making new things, one year I made rice dressing with hazelnuts & dried apricots. But I was its biggest fan.People want what they want.</p>
<p>We usually host Thanksgiving for 30-35 people since our house seems to work the best. Ages range from 18-87 so we do a little of everything. The younger end is definitely more worried about healthy eating, while for others, they would be so disappointed if we didn’t include the standard potatoes and stuffing. Nobody is really into the sweet potatoes/ marshmallow thing or creamed green beans- they seem to prefer healthier recipes for the GB’s. We always end up with fairly healthy vegetable dishes, but always include loaded mashed potatoes. A few of the older generation like gravy but most others do not. I always throw in a fresh fruit salad. I have tried to mix up the stuffing recipe a few times but got blasted- there are so many interesting stuffing recipes but most want standard stuffing. The younger group doesn’t eat it anyway. We all try to include favorites that various people grew up with: enchiladas for my MIL and my H and his brothers, and a frozen cranberry salad for my Mom. It’s a potluck, so everything goes. My brother always barbq’s the turkey and we would be disappointed otherwise!!!</p>
<p>This year is a first in that we are traveling to my MIL’s and there will only be 10 of us at most. She has terminal cancer and can’t travel or really cook. She wants to order a turkey dinner from her grocery store to make things simple. I told her we will supplement with all of the side dishes, but we will probably keep it more traditional except for the enchiladas. My H’s brothers are pretty meat and potatos so it will be easier this year if we just adapt!</p>
<p>I’ve struggled with healthy eating for years. H is a pastor and that means lots of pot-luck church dinners. I’ve noticed most people don’t pay attention to what I’m eating. I try to nibble on raw veggies so I’m not as tempted by less healthy options. I’ve learned to be happy with a small spoonful of some of my calorie-laden favorites.</p>
<p>For holidays with extended family, one of the relatives recently developed a sensitivity to some foods, and after that new menu options have been introduced. Or foods have been prepared more plainly, with sauces on the side.</p>
<p>You probably don’t want to fake a health condition, but you can offer some healthier options to make sure you won’t go hungry or sabotage your progress. When I decline some foods in a church or family setting, I have offered the excuse that as I age, rich foods just don’t seem to agree with me.</p>
<p>Sweet potatoes are a favorite of mine but I hate the super sweet treatments of an already sweet item so a long time ago I switched the family to a weight watchers recipe that saut</p>
<p>I’m not opposed to the traditional holiday foods at all! But nobody will feel they are eating substandard foods at my house if they choose the almondine, the cauliflower pur</p>
<p>Poetgrl, I would love to sit at your table - pass the lime chili sweet potatoes please!!! Did you post that recipe earlier?? I’m going to ave to look back and see.</p>
<p>Someone above mentioned a fruit salad instead of a jello - that’s a great suggestion. I’m never a fan of the jello dishes. I am always required to make the a hot pineapple recipe but over the years I’ve reduced the amount if butter, sugar, flour in it and it still gets scarfed down so I guess lightening it up has not deterred anyone from eating it.</p>
<p>I don’t eat processed carbs. They make me feel badly for several weeks. But I don’t care if other people do, and you will find them at my house as well. </p>
<p>I bake the sweet potatoes like baked potatoes until they are super soft. I serve a lime chili emulsion with them. Simple as pie. Pun intended.</p>
<p>Singersmom, those sweet potatoes sound delicious. Could you post that recipe? </p>
<p>So far I would like to invite myself to poetgrl’s and EK’s dinners. Some really tasty sounding dishes. I am making those lime chili potatoes today - I have a big bag of sweet potatoes ready to go.</p>
<p>I think so far I am going to do two dressings - one that bakes inside the bird, like always (that I’ve never eaten), but then a separate dressing as well that isn’t so greasy and heavy. I also found a green salad that looks appealing - it has kale, wild rice, pomegranate, walnuts, feta and a nice dressing. </p>
<p>sorghum, completely agree on the potatoes! I don’t use margarine or butter substitutes. I use a lot of chicken stock/broth in cooking, but I like my potatoes the way they are and don’t eat much of them at the meal as a side. I prefer eating them as my main course!</p>
<p>There are certain must-haves at my house. Turkey, biscuits, cranberry relish. </p>
<p>We usually have mashed potatoes, but this year I think we’ll have latkes in honor of Thanksgivukkah. DH is in charge of potatoes and he may make latkes and mashed potatoes, but I don’t want that much. There will only be 4 of us and one of us won’t eat potatoes unless they’re french fries.</p>
<p>DH is the only one who’ll eat the gloppy green bean casserole, so I don’t make that anymore, but getting my sons to eat any vegeatble has been a chore. I’ve made green beans almondine, salad, roasted butternut squash…no go. They just don’t seem to think Thanksgiving is a day for vegetables. So I’ll make something I know DH and I will like and my sons can fill up on the other stuff.</p>
<p>My mom makes sweet potatoes with bananas mashed in them and pecans and craisins on top. It’s really good. I think it is a Tyler recipe, but when I just googled it and looked, I know my mom doesn’t put in any of the brown sugar, butter, flour or honey. But you could use it as a starting point. The nice thing about it is you can taste it as you are making it and figure out if you need any added sugar.</p>
<p>Fortunately my parents went healthier than we did, so it is very easy to eat at their house. My mom usually roasts those little tiny red potatoes and she makes a modified string bean casserole with roasted vidalia slices on top instead of those fried onions and makes her own white sauce instead of the nasty mushroom soup mix.</p>
<p>Iglooo I use turnips and potatoes because I am obsessed with turnips, but parsnips and sweet potatoes work very well too. I use leftover mashed potatoes and pur</p>
<p>“I actually think the most dangerous part of the holiday season is the homemade goodies that people bring in to work, plus the corporate gifts of Harry and David towers and the like.” - So true!!</p>
<p>Beware…those darn green beans are highly addictive! Candied, bacon-y veggies…pure bliss ;-). If you are lazy like me, you can just layer the beans in a casserole dish instead of bundling them. For the holidays, though, the bundles are so festive!</p>