It’s so great to meet you here this week. It’s the holidays and such a special time of year.

It takes some energy to really enjoy all the festivities so make sure you are staying on track with your Insulite Nutrients (Element #1). They will help so much.

Eating well is another way to stay balanced, happy and energetic (Element #2). Food is beautiful and is one of the most important parts of the holidays. It’s how we celebrate.

I choose foods that are decoratively beautiful when planning what I’m going to make for holiday meals. It makes the dishes so pleasing to look at and so delicious.

Here are a few “must haves” that will make any holiday meal extra special!

• Pomegranate seeds – promote heart health and anti-inflammatory – add to a salad or make a festive guacamole
• Sweet potatoes – loaded with fiber, antioxidants and help regulate blood sugar – make the twice-baked recipe below, or “sweet potato squares” by baking them in coconut oil with a little sea salt

• Baby dumpling squash (acorn squash works well too) – high in vitamins A, C and some B vitamins and fiber – cut off the top, remove the center and seeds, brush the sides with olive oil and spices and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Fill with your favorite wild rice dish with cranberries or pomegranate seeds
• Cranberries – anti-inflammatory and full of antioxidants – add to a rice dish or a salad to add the “eye-popping” tartness of cranberry
• Green Beans – full of carotenoids (think eye health) and chlorophyll – so many great recipes – try the one in Sunset Magazine with chanterelles and cipollini (a type of onion)
• Pecans – an excellent source of Vitamin E, minerals, healthy fats and antioxidants – toast them and use them in quinoa, salads, nut mixes for an appetizer and even nut milk (blend a cup of pecans up in 4 cups water and use as milk – it makes a yummy frothy hot drink of your choice)
• Kale – high in vitamins K, A and many minerals – the texture is terrific for a beautiful salad – massage leaves with olive oil and sea salt to soften for easy digestion, add some color and it’s a festive holiday salad
• Persimmons – high in vitamin C and potassium – use the Fuyu variety to make a green bean salad, or add to other salads, grain or even a little sweet to vegetable dishes

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

• Author: Robin Nielsen
• Recipe Type: Holiday
• Cuisine: Side Dish
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 3 sweet potatoes, medium
• 1/2 cup butter, pastured (or for a vegan option, use whole fat coconut cream, unsweetened)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice (or make your own with: 3 tbls cinnamon, 2 tsp ginger, 2 tsp nutmeg, 1 1/2 tsp Allspice and cloves)
• 1 cup of pecans
• 3 tbls chives, finely chopped

*Always use organic and unsweetened ingredients whenever possible.

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet with one tablespoon of coconut oil and melt in oven. Slice sweet potatoes in half and put on parchment paper in the coconut oil. Bake until done – about 15-20 minutes.
• Let cool for 20 minutes or so. Remove flesh from each sweet potato half and place in bowl with butter (or coconut cream), sea salt and pumpkin spice. Use hand mixer to whip sweet potatoes. Spoon back into skins and sprinkle with pecans and chives.
• Put back into oven to heat for 5 minutes. Serve.

Enjoy cooking this holiday season. It’s so fun and so essential to keep our blood sugar balanced to feel well.

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