A Paleo Thanksgiving

Holidays can be tough when you and your extended family have different ideas about food. Having  been through multiple holiday seasons being paleo, I think that we have a good balance figured out, so I thought I'd share it with you. Note that this is what works for us and that things are a little different on the years that we are hosting. Honestly it's easier to stay paleo when we do host, but here are my tips for a healthy, paleo Thanksgiving.

1 - Bring your own dishes

When we are going to another family member's home, this is sides and a small dessert. Bonus points if you get to bring the turkey! We take two side dishes that we like and are also crowd pleasers and if we want it, some cranberry relish. 

Here are some of my favorites:

Maple sage roasted butternut squash 

Brussels sprouts with bacon (I add dried cranberries)

Paleo green bean casserole

Cranberry orange relish (so much better than canned cranberry sauce!)

Paleo dinner rolls

Paleo pumpkin pie

Skillet apple pie from this book - a favorite!

I also make a grain-free stuffing to take to my mom's. This recipe is pretty killer as well.

And if you're interested, my favorite turkey recipe and cranberry butter.

It is definitely more work to make a few of your own sides or rolls, but we leave our extras at home and eat them over the weekend! You can find some of my favorite paleo holiday recipes here.

2 - Plan ahead

We go in knowing that our meat is going to be cooked in less than ideal ingredients and isn't going to be the best quality. This is just a concession that we make. We don't partake in the Honeybaked ham/turkey since they are laden with sugar and additives, but will definitely eat an oven-roasted variety. If we are going somewhere that we know there won't be anything we would eat, we eat at home beforehand and have a cup of coffee or cider at the gathering.

We also talk about what, if any, things we want to eat that are not paleo, and limit ourselves to one thing.

3 - Take a walk

It feels so wonderful to get outside and move around, especially after a day of indulging, sitting and chatting with family and watching football. Even if you don't feel like it and even if it's just for a ten minutes, go outside and take a walk. You will feel so much better!

Happy Thanksgiving week! Wishing you a wonderful week and a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

xoxo

Easter 2014

This year's Easter celebration was {obviously} my favorite yet. We honored our tradition of attending church on the town square, then headed to spend the day with family. We had lunch with my parents and helped my niece and nephews hunt for eggs while my siblings and their spouses doted on little E. He even got an Easter egg from his Mimi with a little start up cash for his piggy bank. ;)

After lunch with my side of the family, we headed over to K's sister's house {which is conveniently right down the street from my parents} for more egg-hunting with nephews. Again, E got lots of sweet attention, and we spent some time outdoors enjoying the glorious sunshine and cool spring breeze. 

And as much as I love Easter because it is a day of family, the true reason for the holiday is so much more important. Praise the Lord that Jesus, the Son of God, was obedient to His Father and suffered torture and death in order that all of us may live in heaven one day. For that I am truly thankful.

xoxo

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A Shabby Chic Christmas

This past weekend we held a small surprise birthday party for my sweet mother at my parent's house. I shared a few of her Christmas decorations before, but I was amazed yet again by how festive and cozy their house is a Christmas time. 

My mother's style is what I would call shabby chic glam. Gold and white, glitter and lace, fresh greenery and birch wood, twinkling lights and fireplace logs. I love the tree placed in a wicker basket, the handmade cloth and lace garland, and the red-orange flicker lights on the birch logs under the mantle.

 I can't believe that Christmas is merely a week away!

xoxo

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Thanksgiving Recap

Thanksgiving came twice for us this year. On Thursday we hosted husband's family at our house, which was a complete success! Our turkeys turned out perfectly {I will probably never use another recipe since this one is so good.}, the nephews had fun feeding the horses behind our property, the pumpkin pie was topped with homemade whipped cream, and everyone enjoyed catching up and making plans for the little one on the way. 

On Sunday, husband and I headed over to my parent's house to have Thanksgiving with my family. Spending time over there during the holidays is always so special. It just doesn't feel like the holiday season without the smell of mom's apple cinnamon candles and fresh greenery on the mantle. Her decorations fill every room, with no corner left bare. There are gently flickering lights on the mantles, vintage trees and twinkle lights in all the rooms. It's perfect, really.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and were surrounded by those you love. I certainly was!
xoxo

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Forward Thinking: Holiday Gifts with Meaning

I am definitely one of those people who starts thinking about Christmas presents early. As much as I try throughout the year to pick up things on sale, I have a hard time saving them for the holidays. If I find something in the spring that I know is perfect for my sister, I'll find a reason to give it to her. Ha! I'm terrible at keeping gifts. That being said, I get the giving bug pretty early on in the holiday season. And this year I've decided to give the women in my life beautiful gifts that help support other women around the world - Guatemala, India, Ecuador. Here are a few things that I'm eyeing for the ladies in my life.

Clockwise from the top left:
Extra Large Bold Tribal Shawl - Maelu Designs
Sea of Flowers Infinity Scarf - Maelu Designs
Illusion Waves Turban - Maelu Designs
Golden Compas Infinity Scarf - Maelu Designs
Dainty Red Flower Pouch - Maelu Designs

Maelu Designs is an Etsy shop owned by a friend of a friend, Meghana, a beautiful woman with a beautiful spirit. Her company directly supports the local artisans in India and also donates a portion of all sales directly to www.globalfundofwomen.org, a non-profit foundation supporting women's human rights around the world. As a gift to Hiking in Stilettos readers, Meghana is offering 10% off your purchase through the holiday season! Just use the code "GOMAELU" at her Etsy store checkout. 


Other companies to check out include Mercado Global and Noonday Collection.

 Clockwise from the top left:

Ikat Matea Weekender - Mercado Global
Bukenya Fringe Necklace - Noonday***

Lucia Shopper - Mercado Global
Cozy Zip Wrap - Noonday

Happy gifting!
xoxo

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Paleo Hot Chocolate* // Take One

Hot chocolate is one of those comfort foods for me. I remember my mom making me a cup to go as I headed out the door to high school... and when she stayed up late with me writing papers or studying for organic chemistry exams in college... and when she sat with me while I memorized countless amino acid structures in pharmacy school. For me the ultimate comforting snack is creamy hot cocoa and crackers with cheese. So naturally, I decided to make a more paleo-friendly version for the winter and holiday season.

You will need:

about 1 cup raw cacao butter chunks

1/2 cup cocoa poweter

1/2 cup room temperature maple syrup

a pinch of fine grain sea salt

flaked sea salt for finishing, if desired (I left this out as I knew we would be using these primarily for cocoa)

I followed this recipe from Oh She Glows (one of my favorite recipe sites) which was really very simple. I found the daisy mold and the raw cocao here (of course). Unfortunately, I wasn't as impressed by this recipe as I had hoped. While our mug of cocoa was tasty, the individual chocolates didn't melt very well, and overall, it just wasn't quite chocolatey enough. Next time I will try this recipe, but nonetheless, these little homemade chocolates were quite a tasty treat on their own. 

xoxo

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*I've said this before, but I use the term "paleo" loosely when referring to treats. Strictly speaking, sugar of any kind (maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar, etc.) is not a part of the paleo diet. That being said, I also believe in indulging every now and then, and in this season of apple ciders and fireplace fires, I think that a healthier version of my favorite childhood treat is more than appropriate. 

Holiday Hosting

{I love this simple, rustic table. I also LOVE the idea of relocating our farm table outside, but we will most likely end up just eating in the dining room and venturing outside after our meal.}


The holiday season is definitely one of my favorite times of year, possibly second only to the cool mornings and changing leaves of fall.. that promise the start of the holidays in just a couple short months. In keeping with our new tradition, we are hosting Thanksgiving at our house for K's family. Last year was the first year that we did this, and it was so wonderful having everyone over to our home. (We live the farthest out from the city, so it is rare that K's family comes over.) I am really looking forward to hosting again, even making the Thanksgiving turkey! Recipes and decoration how-to's are in the near future, but for now here are some of my inspirations for our Thanksgiving dinner.

{A simple but festive place setting (that will smell delicious) + GF iced oatmeal cookies for the kids... and me, who am I kidding!}

{Rosemary roasted carrots + roasted cauliflower with whipped goat cheese}

{Homemade spiced apple cider + pumpkin icebox cake (not paleo, but delicious and easily made GF)}

{I think making stars out of sticks would be a great project for the kids. We can collect sticks from the yard, make the stars, and then have the kids hang them on our tree. For our tree this year, we are doing a smaller one (maybe 3-4 feet tall?) placed in a galvanized bucket and decorated with white and neutrals.}

xoxo

{all links, recipes and images can be found here}

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Merry & Bright

Our Christmas season was so wonderful -- the closeness of family, amazingly delicious food, plenty of laughter, blessings all around. I am so thankful for every one of my siblings, their spouses and children, and all of my in-laws. My parents and grandmother are so special to me, and I can't imagine Christmas without them. As much as I tried to soak up every sweet moment, it passed all too quickly, especially in light of all of the anger and sadness this world has experienced of late.

 {My mom and I made an orange pomegranate punch with rosemary and ginger. So delicious! And so fun to see the guys drinking from the dainty vintage milk glass punch cups.}

Most of all this Christmas season, I am grateful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who left His Father's throne in heaven to live as a man on this earth and to pay for my salvation with his very life.

Hope you had the merriest of Christmases.

xoxo

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Deck the Halls

Christmas decorating was special this year, since this is our first Christmas in our new {to us} house. It was fun to finally pull out the things I've been saving for the last few years -- vintage ornaments from my grandmother, garland and lights for the doorway -- and deck the halls of our new home for the first time.

We went to a local tree farm and cut our first real Christmas tree. I used a piece of burlap as a tree skirt, and we trimmed away with ornaments I've collected over the past few years. For the mantle, white candles and greenery are festive, yet simple. I filled milk glass vases of different sizes with cypress clippings for the Christmas Eve table.

Merry merry Christmas to you.

xoxo

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Merry Merry

Hope yours was just as merry.
xoxo

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Handmade Christmas

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is traditions is the giving and receiving of handmade gifts. Last year my mother-in-law made all the girls a tote bag out of multiple fabrics, and it is one of my most treasured gifts. Unfortunately, I'm not that talented in the sewing department, so I typically stick with edible gifts. I really love the simplicity of layering ingredients in a mason jar and tying festive trinkets to the front. This year I wanted to do something besides sweets, so I made fruited rice curry in a jar {and for the non-curry lovers in the family, I made a couple jars of brownie mix}.

Happy handmade holidays.

xoxo

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