The holidays are here and what better way to celebrate them this year than by cozying up at home and baking some festive treats for yourself, your fam, and your favorite people! Here's a round-up of a few of my favorite holiday treats, all made with better-for-you ingredients so you can indulge and treat yourself without worrying about hopping on a new diet or detox plan come January 1st. I'm a firm believer in working our favorite treats into a balanced diet, otherwise we're totally missing out on part of the fun of the holidays! Happy baking and happy holidays, my friends!

Every year at Thanksgiving, we have the most decadent and delicious carrot soufflé that has become a staple in our feast that I just can't bear to pass up. It's no wonder that it tastes like such a treat... it's loaded with sugar! This year I decided to give it a makeover to try to make it a bit lighter and healthier. I tested it out with a fraction of the sugar (using coconut sugar instead), swapping out flour for cassava flour to make it gluten-free, and cutting the butter in half. Even with all the tweaks, it turned out just as good, if not better, than the original recipe! It's the perfect Thanksgiving side dish and is a nice way to change up the usual sweet potato casserole. It's simple to make - you just throw everything into the food processor and blend it up, pour it into a baking dish, then sprinkle on the pecan topping (don't even get me started on the topping... it's heavenly!!) bake it until it sets, and you're good to go! 

This gorgeous Fall salad originally made it's way to the blog in October of 2013. I was in the midst of a part-time cooking program in LA and learned this technique to roast pears on a bed of herbs, drizzled with honey, and seasoned with salt and pepper, and it became my go-to when I wanted to make an elegant, flavorful salad that was just a little different and more festive than my usual. I figured it was time to update the photos to do this recipe justice, but I couldn't bear to delete the old cooking video, so I'll save that for ya at the end! While sometimes I cringe watching these old videos (which I once spent hours editing on iMovie at the wee hours of the night!), it's a peek into my mid-20s and I figure I should keep them for the memories! Ok back to the salad! This one would be such a beauty on your Thanksgiving table and a total hit for our intimate Thanksgiving celebrations this year! 

There are a few restaurants we've been picking up from on repeat during quarantine, and Cava is one that's in our constant rotation. Have you been? If not, imagine a healthy, Mediterranean-style Chipotle. You can build your own bowl or salad, load it up with hummus and your favorite sauces, stack up tons of toppings, pick a protein, add a dressing, and you've got the perfect filling lunch or dinner. I decided to recreate my Cava order at home, complete with my fave Lemon Tahini Dressing, and share it here for you to enjoy too! It's a giant entrée salad that's loaded with healthy ingredients, so much texture and crunch (a must in my salads!), and the perfect creamy dressing that gets tons of extra flavor when tossed together with the hummus. So yummy!

Where did the summer go and how is it already Labor Day!? With this super warm weather and just a couple weeks left of summer, all I want to make are giant salads with lots of refreshing ingredients and juicy summer fruit. Here are 5 of my favorite salads that would be perfect for your Labor Day festivities this weekend!