Striving for a Healthy Thanksgiving

“Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭95:2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I am 163 days into a journey to wellness.  Great things and not so great things have happened.  I have lost a total of 35 lbs.  I have not had a soda in 163 days.  I have also been sidelined with some physical limitations that are taking me to the chiropractor and physical therapy.  For those of you with chronic pain, I tell you I can sympathize with you.

Some of the knowledge that I have acquired during the process is what I can eat and what I can't eat. Eggs, milk, yogurt, pineapple, red grapes, and gluten make me sick.  So I must avoid those foods. 


I was taking with my health coach today and we were discussing Thanksgiving and how to navigate through the meals.  I was reminded of a sweet potato recipe.

Healthy Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole

This Healthy Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole is made in the crock pot, saving you valuable oven space. Sweeten this side dish with honey or liquid stevia making it much healthier than the traditional version!

Prep Time 25 mins

 Cook Time 3 hrs

 Total Time 3 hrs 25  mins

Ingredients

4 pounds sweet potatoes about 5 medium

2 medium apples

½ cup water

¼ cup honey or 1tsp of liquid stevia.

2 teaspoons cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)

½ cup coconut milk 

½ cup coarsely chopped pecans lightly toasted

Instructions

Scrub and peel the sweet potatoes, then chop them into 1-inch cubes and place in slow cooker. Peel the apples and chop them into 1-inch pieces; add to the slow cooker. Add the water, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Cover and cook on high heat for 3-3 ½ hours, until sweet potatoes are very soft.

Use a potato masher to mash the sweet potatoes and apples until your desired level of smoothness. If you like, you can also use an electric mixer to achieve a smoother consistency.

Add the butter (if using) and milk, and stir until well combined. Sprinkle on the toasted, chopped pecans and set your slow cooker to the “Keep Warm” setting for serving.

I hope you can use this recipe in your journey of thanksgiving.