This week we'll explore ways to enjoy pecans and a special pomegranate guacamole recipe. We'll also delve into a great book series, letting go of things we can't control, and a special homemade holiday gift idea.

Eat Colorfully

Seasonal Ingredient Spotlight: PECANS

Something about the fall holidays always makes me think of pecans. They're such an iconic late-fall treat. In addition to munching on them by the handful, there are many great ways you can enjoy pecans. They're fabulous on everything from salads to roasted vegetables to snack boards to baked goods.

If you want to explore a somewhat out-of-the-box recipe featuring pecans, I absolutely adore this Roasted Vegetable Harvest Pasta. It features high-protein chickpea or lentil pasta, a rainbow of seasonal vegetables, crunchy pecans, and juicy pomegranate. It works great as a plant-based main course for a holiday meal but is also weeknight-friendly.

On the sweet side, pecans and maple syrup are an iconic fall combination. Those flavors are pure magic in this Pumpkin Pie Granola and this Apple Pie Granola. Both are much healthier than store-bought options since they use fruit puree in place of most of the usual sugar and oil.

Looking for an easy appetizer for a party? These Maple Rosemary Cayenne Roasted Nuts combine sweet and spicy flavors and are a tasty way to keep everyone satisfied until dinner.

Special Recipe: POMEGRANATE GUACAMOLE

Looking for the most unique holiday appetizer around? This show-stopping pomegranate guacamole is easy to make, requires just a few simple whole-food ingredients, and is friendly for almost any diet. Unlike most of the classic holiday appetizers, this one is light and nourishing. I don't have this recipe on my blog, so you can only get it here (feel free to share it with a friend!).

Ingredients:

• Two large or three small avocados
• Juice of a lime
• 0.25 tsp flaky sea salt, like fleur de sel
• 0.25 c pomegranate seeds, plus extra for garnish
• Two sprigs of fresh mint, cut into thin ribbons
• 10-12 cucumber slices (optional)

Directions:

1. Mash together the avocado, lime juice, and salt.
2. Add the pomegranate seeds and fresh mint, then stir gently. Transfer the guacamole to a serving dish.
3. If desired, use a miniature cookie cutter (these are the ones I have) to cut the cucumber slices into small stars and use them to decorate the top of the guacamole.
4. Finish the guacamole with an extra sprinkle of pomegranate seeds.
5. Serve with your favorite veggie slices, crackers, and/or chips for dipping.

Recipe Notes:

This recipe is for a large batch of guacamole; it will serve 4-6 people as an appetizer. You can easily halve the recipe if desired. Feel free to change up the flavors by using a different citrus (lemon or orange would both work nicely) or by using basil or cilantro instead of mint. To make a spicy version, add a few pinches of cayenne.

Live Colorfully

A Book Series to Explore: LOUISE PENNY

Do you ever re-read books you've read previously? I've read all of Louise Penny's "Chief Inspector Gamache" series (except the brand new one, The Black Wolf, which just came out; I'm still on the waiting list for it), but decided to start from the beginning again this fall.

If you're not familiar with her work, I recommend them highly. You'll definitely want to read them in order, so start with Still Life. The series follows the story of a homicide investigator in rural Quebec. But don't worry, they're not gruesome or morbid. Rather, they're very nuanced, thoughtful explorations of the beautiful and awful sides that humans have. The character development is really interesting and the plots are unique.

One of the beauties of re-reading a book or series is that you can look for the intricacies. The character development in Louise Penny's books is so great that they're still fun, comical, and thought-provoking the second time around. Because I know where the series is headed, I can interpret the early books in a new context.

Need book ideas for these dark February days? Remember that you can always browse my list of favorite books to see if anything sparks your interest.

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Self-Care Pick: LETTING GO OF THINGS WE CAN'T CONTROL

This past week, I saw a quote that I wanted to share with you all: "Peace comes when you realize that everything out of your control should be out of your mind too".

Personally, this philosophy is something that I've worked on a huge amount over many years, so this quote really spoke to me. Yoga in particular has helped me learn to release things that I can't change; in fact, I used to practice with a yoga teacher who often used the mantra "give me the strength to impact the things I can change, and the grace to accept the things I cannot change".

Do you identify with this quote? Are you able to step back and release things that you can't change, and also to resist the temptation to control other people and their decisions? Especially during this busy holiday season, maybe we could all return to this quote when things get stressful, when we don't like situations that arise, or when we don't agree with choices that others make.

Although we can't control the situation, we can control how we react to it. So next time a situation arises that we don't like, what if we practiced releasing it rather than letting it stress us out? What if we reacted to it with grace, empathy, and curiosity rather than judgement?

Homemade Gift Idea: FIG JAM

As we continue into the holiday gifting season, I wanted to share another easy and unique homemade gift. (In case you're new here, in last week's newsletter I shared ideas about decadently giftable vegan "freezer fudge"). My suggestion this week is unexpected but delightful, versatile, and very special: it’s fig jam!

My super-easy fig jam recipe uses dried figs instead of fresh. This allows the recipe to be made with just a single ingredient (dried figs, plus some water), with no sugar or pectin added. It’s also incredibly fast to make and comes together in less than half an hour. The only caveat is that it needs to be refrigerated (or frozen), so this is a gift for people you'll be seeing in-person.

What can your lucky friends and family do with this fig jam? It’s a great element on snack boards, is fabulous stirred into sauces or salad dressings, makes a delicious jam cookie, and even goes well on sandwiches and flatbreads. This year, instead of rushing to the store for those last-minute items, what about sharing jars of this fig jam with your friends and family instead?

Thanks for joining me for this issue of Eat Colorfully, Live Colorfully! I'd love to hear from you, so please feel free to reply with questions, thoughts, or requests. If you missed a previous issue, you can view all my newsletters here. Have a great week!