A Healthy Thanksgiving & a cool gift idea for homesteaders to give.

A Healthy Thanksgiving?

Is it possible for us to have a healthy Thanksgiving?
As Americans we tend to go crazy around the holidays. We consume larger meals, and go to parties with many sweets and treats. It is really hard to eat healthy when you are faced with so much temptation.
My new Ketogenic way of eating is an all new source of rules and things to avoid eating. Yet there are all new opportunities to eat some really wonderful foods.
We roasted a turkey breast this week. The normal sides are things like stuffing and mashed potatoes with gravy and a can of cranberry sauce(the jellied kind).
The turkey was roasted the way we always do it, with plenty of butter and olive oil, herbs and stuffed with an onion and an apple. It was amazing, and so moist.
Then instead of mashed potatoes, I made mashed cauliflower. I steamed the florets until they were fork tender, but not mushy. Then I put them into the food processor and added butter, heavy cream, salt and pepper, fresh parsley and some grated cheddar. They were fantastic!
We also made some wonderful gravy, using the pan drippings and coconut flour(instead of wheat flour)butter,heavy cream and herbs.
Gary did have a box of stuffing he made for himself,and we opened a can of jellied cranberry sauce too(I did have a little) but I had a beautiful Jarahdale squash that I roasted and had with yet more butter and salt and pepper. So freakin' good, I can't even tell you.
I did not eat the stuffing, but I could have made some low carb rolls or cheddar biscuits with almond flour, but I didn't really miss them too much.
I write this because I want you to know that you can still eat wonderful foods during the holidays.
The foods I eat are so flavorful and filling, I never feel deprived. I get full faster and stay full longer.
For our trip to the Cape for Thanksgiving, I will be making a beautiful pumpkin no bake cheesecake pie. I can't wait to share with friends and family!
I will also be making some mashed cauliflower, and some cheddar biscuits. Armed with some Keto foods that I can eat and share, I am setting myself up for success. I love the way I eat now. I am excited to share it with others. I just know it will be a hit with the whole family! If you too are eating a modified diet this holiday season, don't be afraid to bring along the foods that you can eat to share with everyone. Set yourself up for the win! I bet that they will all want to know the recipe.  <3

A cool gift idea for all you homesteaders to give this holiday season........is a feed bag tote!

I did not make this, it is a picture of one I found here.
I can't wait to make one that is lined.

If you have animals like goats, cows, horses, rabbits or chickens, chances are you have lots of feed bags.(do not use pet food bags, or any feeds that contain meat ingredients) I started to collect mine, because I thought they would make awesome tote bags. I was right! I did a search and found that I was not the first person to think of this. I was happy too, because they had already put tutorials and YouTube videos online, so I had a guide and instructions that I didn't have to make up on my own.
I use the internet as the tool it is meant to be. I got to work and made the first bag, It took me a couple of hours because I had to get the right settings worked out on my sewing machine, but once I did they were quite easy to make.
I will be experimenting with sizes and contrasting thread colors, and I may even try my hand at embroidering the recipients name on the tote. I would also like to make some lined with recycled fabrics. There are many possibilities to make them personalized, I can't wait to show you what I do with them. So far I have a few made for our trip as hostess gifts, and for family I will only see at Thanksgiving. I will fill them up with homemade jars of canned goods from our gardens and apple trees, and other baked goods. I can see selling them at farmers markets as well in the future. What a way to get use out of something that would otherwise go into a landfill and spend eons trying to decompose. They will be handy to keep in the car as grocery bags/shopping totes. I really hope they are received well, because I think they are great!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families and friends. That's what this day is really all about.

P.S. I created a new Pinterest board for Homesteading Crafts! There are so many wonderful Ideas!

Peace.Love.Joy

Victoria