Sometimes I am the worst food blogger ever! I want to be one of those bloggers that is prepared for every holiday and knows that its national grilled cheese day but I am so last minute and usually make food on a whim based on what looks good at the store or whats in the house.

This year I promised myself that I would post my Thanksgiving guide BEFORE Thanksgiving in case anyone out there needed some inspiration and once again, I am late! I actually just decided what I was going to make yesterday and yes it looks beautiful and tastes delicious but I feel like I have let you all down! I also hate to waste food and can't imagine making my dish 4 times before the big day, so here is my recipe for Thanksgiving.

I do have to deem this recipe a success for all members of my family enjoyed it, even the younger crew who had never had brussels sprouts before. These brussels sprouts where so sweet and literally picked on Tuesday at Royal Acres Farm and CSA, John is so good to me and gave me one last harvest of delicious items even though the CSA ended 2 weeks ago. Thankfully, I have spinach, squash, and broccoli to keep me fed for the next week or so.

Back to the brussels sprouts, as I kid I hated brussels sprouts! They were so bitter and bland and looked like little cabbage but now I adore them, especially roasted. This recipe combines a number of flavors; bitterness of the sprouts, sweetness of the honey, juicy nuggets of blackberry and tangy touches from the feta cheese. The lemon vinaigrette brightens the dish while a touch of cayenne rounds it out. I hope that you enjoy and that your Thanksgiving was well spent. Happy Holidays and Healthy Eating!

Honey Roasted Brussels Sprout, Blackberry, Walnut, and Feta Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

4-5 cups of Brussels Sprouts (mine were small so I didn't bother to halve them)

2 tbs Olive Oil

1 tbs Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

1 tbs Honey

1/2 tsb Cayenne Pepper

1 cup Walnuts, Toasted

1 cup Feta Cheese

2 cups Blackberries (halved if large)

Lemon Vinaigrette

2 tbs Olive Oil

Juice from 1 Lemon

1 tbs Oregano

1 pinch of Cayenne Pepper

1/2 tsp Paprika

1 tbs Honey

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place your brussels sprouts in a large bowl, halve if they are large. Toss with the olive oil, salt and cayenne. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. Drizzle with honey, stirring to combine and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes or until browned and slightly crispy.

Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, paprika, and honey in a small container.

Transfer the brussels sprouts to a large bowl, add the feta, walnuts, and blackberries, tossing to combine. Pour the lemon vinaigrette over top and serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

I'm heading to warmer climates tomorrow for a little r&r. I love traveling but when going away, even for a few days I always feel that I need to clean out the fridge, take out the garbage and leave my house in order. I am not one of those leave it for when I return type of gals. Therefore, today was filled with culinary delights meant to use up any leftover produce that was lingering in the confines of my fridge .

For breakfast I had coconut chia pudding with mangos. Who knew that chia pudding was so easy to make? A little coconut, some coconut milk, vanilla, and chia seeds and you are good to go!

Lunch consisted of a smoothie bowl loaded with kale, spinach, cucumber, avocado and coconut milk, blending until smooth and creamy then topped with sliced banana, mango, flax seeds, and cacao nibs with a drizzle of honey. I'm telling you, today was a great day for eating.

Finally, I had a few more items to use up, a half of a watermelon and some leftover celeriac from my Christmas Lasagna. I sliced the celeriac into sticks, squared the watermelon, threw in some feta cheese and make a delicious avocado dijonnaise that just made it all come together. I hope that you enjoy!

Celeriac, Watermelon, and Feta Salad with Avocado Dijonnaise

2 cups of sliced Celeriac (matchstick style)

1/2 Watermelon, cubed

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Dijonnaise

1/2 Avocado

1 handful fresh herbs (i had parsley but cilantro would have been lovely)

1 clove of garlic

1/2 cup Olive Oil

1 tbs Dijon Mustard

Juice from 1/2 of a Lemon or 2 tbs Apple Cider Vinegar

1/4 tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

1/4 cup Water + up to 2 tbs more depending on your preferred thickness

In a blender or food processor, add the avocado, garlic, olive oil, salt, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, mustard and water. Blend until smooth, adding more water if needed.

Slice the celeriac into matchsticks, cube the watermelon and toss together, adding the feta cheese. Top with the avocado dijonnaise, let sit for 10 minutes to develop the flavors. Enjoy and healthy eating!