I'm sure by now you've been thinking about what you'll like to have on your Thanksgiving table come next Thursday. I definitely am. I'm not 100% done with my menu yet, but hope to be soon! I thought I'd re-post this yummy side dish that's perfect and festive for Thanksgiving. I have a feeling this is going to make an appearance on my table mainly because Little Miss C gobbles them up! :)

I just had to post this scrumptious side dish for you all. If you saw my gratitude post that I just posted, these lovely carrots may look familiar. This past week I received my email from Peggy's Kitchen, which is from Mothering Magazine, a magazine I just love and subscribe to, for Maple Carrots and Cashews. It caught my eye and it looked like a wonderful side dish to add to my fall recipes.

When I made it, I tweaked it just a tad. I didn't use cashews because of Camille, but I could have added them after. Also, the recipe calls for maple syrup, but in the description, it say's honey. I still used maple syrup, but I imagine honey would be just as good, too! I think it's just a typo. :)

I really think you'll love this dish. We all did over here! Wanna know how I can tell if Camille likes something that I feed her? She starts to dance or shake her head up and down for yes! And, yes, she did just that for this dish! I really need to get it on video! :) So if you have kiddos, this is a great one to try,but don't use honey for the teeny-tiny one's. Use maple syrup until they're over two. Oh, and you wanna know how I know if Damian likes it? He scarfs it down and doesn't say anything like, ewwww, or, what's that? And, yes, the only thing he did was scarf it down! :)

I didn't snap every step, but I'm sure you'll get the idea. :)

OK! First up, wash up your carrots (I didn't peel them because I wanted the added benefits of the fiber that the outside of the carrot provides). I used 3 regular size carrots. I thought we'd have leftovers, but we ate them all up. So if you want leftovers, use a pound of carrots like the recipe says. Or, if you have a large family, you'll definitely need more than a pound.

Then I sliced them up. After they were all sliced, I placed them in a pan on high heat and added in 1/2 cup of organic chicken stock. The original recipe calls for broth. You can use either one. I prefer stock.

Once the broth was added, the carrots cooked on high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. The broth was boiling away. The recipe then called for straining out the broth after the carrots cooked for 3 minutes. After five minutes, I didn't have much liquid left, but I strained what was left.

Next up, I added in 2 tablespoons of grass-fed butter and 1 tablespoon of Whole Foods 365 Grade B Maple Syrup. The carrots cooked for another 5 minutes or so. The recipe didn't say to cover the carrots, but I decided to because I wanted to keep the heat so they would get super soft for Camille. I did mix them around a few times while they cooked, too.

Look at how GORGEOUS they look!?!? Wow! And, the smell...omgosh! Divine!

And, then before I knew it, they were done! Quick, easy and a perfect whole food for a side dish or a snack.

And, not only do you get the wonderful beta-carotene and other nutrients from the carrots, but you also get the healthy fat and nutrients from the butter (which helps your body soak up the nutrients the carrots provide) andthe vitamins and minerals from the pure maple syrup (oh, and be sure not to use the kind with that crazy sugar...um...what's it called??? umm...oh yeah, high fructose corn syrup, or any other sugar that isn't the REAL thing!).

They also look beautiful paired with the other dishes being served. As you can see below, we paired them with BBQ chicken legs and mashed red potatoes. Yummy!

It truly is the perfect fall side dish (well, one of them anyway!). Hope you'll enjoy them as much as my family and I did! :)

If you do try it, let me know how yummy it was for you? :)

Maple Carrots

Ingredients:
1 pound of whole carrots
1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth or stock
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Directions:
1. Wash carrots.
2. Cut ends off of carrots and discard.
3. Slice carrots on a diagonal, or they way you prefer.
4. Place pan on high heat.
5. Add in 1 cup of broth or stock. Let boil.
6. Add in sliced carrots. Make sure they're even on the pan so they can all cook at the same time.
7. Let carrots cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes.
8. Place carrots in strainer to discard broth or stock.
9. Place carrots back in pan. Add in 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Stir. Cover. Let cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how soft you'd like them. And, stir a few times, if needed.
10. Once done, place on your beautiful plate and serve.
11. Turn off all distractions, sit down with your family, take a few deep breaths, say how much gratitude you have for your food and your family and dig in, slowly!