We are! But before we move on I traditionally prepare the same recipe to use up every last smidgen of the bird… Turkey Poblano Chowder. Oh my gosh, that stuff is good! Just a little spicy and just a little creamy, this simple soup packs 37 grams of protein and 16 grams of fiber in each 520 calorie serving. That’s a fairly generous sized serving, too, almost 2 cups. I never do it, but you could “healthy it up” a bit by using milk in place of the heavy cream the recipe calls for.

Another traditional Thanksgiving recipe is my version of Cranberry-Orange Nut Muffins. I bake these up a day or two ahead of time to have ready on Thanksgiving morning. Add a smear of cream cheese for a satisfying mini-breakfast that won’t fill one up before the big meal. While cranberries are in season,  I pop a bag or two into the freezer to enjoy in all sorts of baked goods year round.

As I said, we’re “turkeyed out”, so a slightly spicy bowl of Shrimp and Sausage Creole was a welcomed change of pace. I guess I’ve gone pressure cooker crazy, because I cooked the shrimp and sausage in my 6 quart, and the brown rice in the 4 quart. Crazy as it sounds, that approach worked out well. Dinner was quick and easy with a predictable outcome. See Recipe Conversions for the Instant Pot for some tips.

This is hard squash season, a vegetable I don’t have much experience with, but I’m trying. Last week’s effort was Butternut and Kale Tortellini. Epic Failure! To start with, Michael likes spinach, but kale is a whole different story if you get my drift. The sauce was bland and boring, and to top it all off, the roasted squash sort of fell apart in the final dish. Three strikes and it’s out! Oh well, some times you win and sometimes……

Be Thankful for what life gives you.