Better Things

One of my favorite things about journaling, is that I get to look back and remember all that God has done. My thoughts and feelings at a particular time are recorded for me to see. Sometimes it's hard to read because the me now sees those situations from this side and views them with new light and grace. But there's a beauty in that too. Seeing growth and grace. I came across an entry from Thanksgiving 4 years ago and I want to share that here today. It's real and raw, and right where I'm still so often finding myself. "Hebrews 13:15 'Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name.' Continual? How? By knowing Him. In heaven, that's all I'll do. Praise Him. But here, it's called a sacrifice of praise. Why? Because here other things seem better than Him. Other things creep in and steal my heart away from His greatness and goodness. I forget. I am distracted. ...

Alright, I know what you're thinking: "If I'm going to eat dessert  it's not going to be clean. I'm going to enjoy it and I'm going all out."  I hear ya. But after years of feeling so yuck after eating a bunch of sugar and gluten and dairy on a holiday and after watching my chronically ill daughter relapse after not being careful about those top 3 inflammation inducers (processed sugar, wheat, dairy), I've been on a quest. A quest to discover and develop recipes that avoid most dairy, processed sugar, and grains and that still taste absolutely decadent. So, here are 5 recipes that are sure to add HEALTH and HAPPINESS to your Thanksgiving feast. Pumpkin Pie Crust: 1 1/2 cups nuts (I used 1 cup pecans/walnuts and 1/2 cup cashews) 1/2 cup almond flour (blanched, not almond meal) 2 tablespoons melted ghee  (or grass-fed butter if you don't have a dairy allergy) 3 tablespoons honey 1/2 teaspoon vanilla pin...

Goodness, I am truly the most tech unsavvy person on the face of the planet (well, at least the parts of the planet that have access to technology, that is.) So, if you poor blessed souls decide you want to wade through these recipes, here are some of my absolutely favorite Thanksgiving sides. I created some pretty cool files and recipes cards that I was hoping I could put in here for you to be able to print off, but I'm comforting myself with the fact that most of us just use our phones these days, anyways. So, if you'd like a printer friendly version, comment with your email address below and I'll send them your way. Otherwise, here they all are: THANKSGIVING DAY MENU: Homemade Cranberry Sauce Wild Mushroom Gravy Coconut Ginger Carrot Broccoli and Cauliflower Au Gratin Garlic Roasted Potatoes Slow Cooker Apples Butter Pecan Green Beans Butternut Squash and Cranberry Quinoa Salad Kale Salad with Pears, Feta, Pecans, and Craisi...