Start planning now for Thanksgiving dinner

Fall is here. Thanksgiving is just around the corner. We need to start planning now, to make sure we get in some low carb options for our holiday meal.

Let's talk about appetizers. What do we snack on before the big meal? How do we keep from carb overload even before we sit down to eat? We do it with planning.

Use a raw vegetable tray with dip. Celery, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, pea pods and cauliflower are all excellent low carb options. Put out a cheese and meat platter. Skewer the meat and cheese together and have some honey mustard for dipping. A fresh fruit tray would also be a great option. Just remember to use planning and moderation.

Low-carb Sausage Balls

1 cup ground almonds

6 pork sausages (400g / 13oz)

1 cup mature cheddar cheese (grated)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (grated or as shavings)

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 375F.

Get the sausage meat out of the sausages, discard skins

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly – the easiest way is to use your hands. Make small balls with your hands and put them on the tray. You don’t have to leave a huge amount of space between – the balls will increase in size, but only slightly. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until golden. Put them out on a paper towel to soak up any excess grease

Serve hot or cold. They will keep on the fridge for 3-4 days.

Mozzarella Sticks

12-16 String Cheese Sticks

1/2 cup flour

1/8 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp Lawrys Seasoning Salt

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cup panko crumbs

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 tsp oregano

Vegetable Oil for frying

Unwrap cheese sticks and cut them in half. (tip: unwrap while cheese stick wrappers are still connected and they will all come off at once).

You can use bowls or plastic bags for this next step. TIP: Keep a box of these storage bags, without a zipper, on hand at all times. You can use them for so many things!!). In bag #1, toss the flour, paprika and salt. In bag #2, mix the panko, parsley and oregano. In a bowl, beat the eggs and milk together. Now coat your cheese sticks by first tossing 5 or 6 in your milk bowl for a good soaking. Next, throw them in the flour bag and shake, shake, shake. Put them back in the milk bowl, making sure to coat every side. Finally, toss them around in the panko bag for your final coat. Place them on a cookie sheet and freeze for 20-30 min.