Brussels Sprouts!

First of all, I always thought these mini cabbages were called brussel sprouts, however, I recently learned that they are named after the region of Belgium that they came from, Brussels.

Not only was I wrong about the spelling of their name, I also didn’t know how to prepare them.  I have enjoyed Brussels sprouts that others have cooked, namely the Kung Pao dish at Café Sunflower.  Yum!  When I’ve cooked them, they turned out bitter and eating them was almost painful.

When I came across a raw recipe for Brussels sprouts, I was pretty excited to try it.   Joanne makes them look pretty tempting in her Raw Vegan Brussels Sprouts Salad with Orange Chia Vinaigrette recipe at Foods for Long Life.  Just like she promises, the sprouts are tasty and not the least bitter.  I halved the amount of agave that she used just because I don’t like my dressings too sweet.  I think this salad tastes best after sitting for a few hours and the dressing has softened the sprouts just a bit.  Isn’t it pretty?

I like this recipe so much, I took it to share with my family for Christmas.  For some reason, salad isn’t part of my family’s holiday meal traditions, but I think everyone tried some.  For my holiday meal, I also made a salad with clementines, pomegranate seeds, and walnuts with a Balsamic Vinaigrette.  Delish!  I tried to keep my meals mostly raw, however, I set no limits on desserts for the holidays!

Here is my Christmas meal:

 

However, most plates in my family looked like this:

I have definitely been having a hard time eating right this month!  The December weather has been abnormally cold, and there are treats every where!

What do you do?  Do you make exceptions for the holidays?  Does your family support your eating habits?  How do you stay raw in the winter?