Lighten Up!

Heyo holiday hooligans! Hope everybody is excitedly gearing up for the onslaught of the holiday season and all the grubbing and elbow rubbing that comes with it : )

Last night, we headed to our dear PDX buddies' house for a Friendsgiving feast, for which Davis whipped up his mama's stuffing and I threw together ole' Mah-tha's cranberry orange sauce. They cooked up a juicy 14 pound turkey and everybody brought a couple of dishes to share. It was a lovely and lively time and we feel blessed to have established such a great circle of friends here.

Our cute hostess Carlie in the middle and her BFF since middle school, Vanessa, on the left

There was some delicious food, but I think the show stopper of the night was the mashed potato bar. Check this out...

Customize yer taters

Cute, clever, and festive-- and yes, those martini glasses in the back were the serving vessels for your spuds. Oh and the little jars on the right were homemade hot sauces. Wish I could take credit for all of this awesomeness but apparently I'm not the only food-obsessed kid in our group of friends ; )

Anyway! This morning, Davis and I were both feeling a bit of a food hangover and resolved to have a light and healthy dinner to counteract all of the rich food we have been and will be eating this week when real Thanksgiving rolls around.

After scouring a couple of cookbooks, I stumbled upon a recipe for Five Spice Chicken and Orange Salad and we were both immediately on board. I love this recipe because, while it is a fresh and light dish, it still gives a solid nod to the holiday season with the citrus and the cinnamon hiding in the five spice powder.

And look how pretty and colorful it is!

 It's really easy to prepare too-- just rub some chicken breast tenders in Chinese Five Spice powder, S&P and cook them on the stove, thinly slice some red bell peppers and red onions and toss them on a bed of greens, garnished with orange segments. Whisk together a dressing of orange zest and juice, apple cider vinegar, dijon and olive oil, pour it over and voila!

Love the zesty dressing

Ready to dive in

This is a winner here. We're both feeling nourished and just the right amount of full after cleaning our plates. Just priming our tummies for another big meal on Thursday. We'll be spending it with some more of our Portland buddies and, while we wish we could be with our families for the holiday, are looking forward to a long weekend of much needed downtime and celebration.

Can't wait to see you all for Christmas, though! Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving week! xo