If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that one of my annual traditions is to remind you (and me!) to leave food guilt far, far away from the holiday table. Remember to think of that guilt as the uninvited guest to the party without a place to sit!

So, this year, let’s count memories, not calories or servings of stuffing! Let’s take a moment before we eat and focus on gratitude for a table full of abundance – both the love and the fresh food. Really feel it in your body; you’ll soon notice that it’s hard to feel guilt when you’re overwhelmed by deep gratitude.

Now that you're feeling grateful, I want to help you hang on to those feelings for as long as possible, even after the feast is over. And what better way to keep those warm memories alive than by getting creative all weekend long with... leftovers. (Yes, really!)

Here’s how you can repurpose your Thanksgiving dishes and creatively use them the next day:

In the morning, fill up that blender with those extra sweet potatoes and whip a creamy smoothie that will bring extra energy when you might need it most. Make a 5-minute Warm Chia Skillet and top it with a bright dollop of cranberry sauce, pecans, and orange zest. Or swirl in a spoon of cranberry relish into Seeded Overnight Oat Parfait for a hint of tart and sweet and a dose of Vitamin-C. Or go for a grown up PB & J using Superfood Nut Butter and you guessed it – cranberry "jam" for a satisfying sandwich that is truly next level!

Set up a DIY Bar with all the leftovers to take turkey and other savory dishes beyond a simple sandwich and whip up a Harvest Bowl loaded with all things Thanksgiving. Just line the kitchen counters with your heated leftovers and let everyone mix & match to come up with their own combination. Bowls are endlessly versatile, and a crowd-pleasing meal as easy as (pumpkin) pie!

Other Thanksgiving favorites are also ripe for reinvention: Toss a handful of turkey cubes into White Bean, Kale, and Sweet Potato Soup or my brand new Mexican Spiced Vegetable Quinoa Soup for a quick hit of protein and holiday flavor, too.

Scramble up some eggs and add in leftover green veggies for a Frittata that will serve a crowd of hungry guests all weekend long. Or grab a few more of those sweet potatoes, mix them with an egg or two, and pop the whole mixture onto the waffle iron for a Sweet Potato Waffle that’s great in the morning or a fun breakfast-for-dinner treat.

And don’t toss those turkey bones and veggie scraps! They’ll make a healing Bone Broth or Vegetable Broth that you can freeze and use throughout the year.

The only limit is your creativity! And each time you add Thanksgiving leftovers to a meal, take a moment to sit down and savor the familiar, comforting flavors, and recall the grateful spirit of the holiday.

So, here’s to the day after Thanksgiving – and many more! – filled with nourishing leftovers and an abundance of gratitude, without any guilt.

Now it’s your turn: What are your favorite ways to hang onto the Thanksgiving feeling after the big day has come and gone? Share them – along with your best leftover ideas! – in the comments.