Firstly I would like to wish you all a Happy New Years and Merry Christmas!!!

Unfortunately, it has been a long time since I have been able to post, but the holiday season is always busy!  Fortunately for me most of my busyness has been good!  I have had lots of good times with my family, my boyfriend Phil, and his family too!  Admittedly, I did get a little bit off track with Weight Watchers and tracking, so I am a little bit afraid to weigh in this Saturday, but I am pumped to get back on track and lose the last ten pounds that I am hoping to lose!

I hope that you all have had great Holidays and enjoyed all of the treats that come with the holidays, and I would like to remind everyone that the New Year is a great time to start working on your health and losing weight!  I am planning to go back to eating the way I normally do, instead of the last two weeks which have been a treat!  I also am going to try to get more regular exercise, and even take skiing lessons!

Today, I want to share with you a great healthy seasonal recipe, that I made for Thanksgiving, and my office Christmas party!  It was a big hit!  It features two seasonal and healthy ingredients, pomegranates and brussel sprouts!  I hope you will enjoy it!

Ingredients:

• 40-50 brussel sprouts, thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
• 6 pieces of crispy bacon, crumbled
• 2 cups pomegranate arils (if you don’t know how to open pomegranates find out how here!)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup grated asiago cheese
• citrus yogurt dressing (ingredients below)
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • juice from 1 orange
  • juice from 1 lemon
  • 3/4 tsp of salt
  • 1/2 tsp of pepper
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp of honey
  • 2 Tbsp of plain yogurt
  • 1/4 cup of olive oil

Instructions:

So you can buy pre-shaved and washed brussel sprouts at Wegmans, but usually I like to slice them thinly myself with a mandolin!  A mandolin is a REALLY cool device that can be used to thinly slice things, and I got one for Christmas!  If you are not sure what they are, you can look here, and I highly recommend them!  They are fun and easy to use!

For the yogurt dressing, combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until you have a smooth and creamy dressing.

Make sure the brussel sprouts are washed, and add them to a large bowl.  Place all of the ingredients, including the dressing, on top of the brussel sprouts and stir the salad.  I like to let this sit in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours or overnight to let the flavors combine.  Serve with your favorite meal or eat it as a light lunch!  Enjoy!