My Thanksgiving Week Mantra…

You guys are going to get tired of me saying it but…

What You Can When You Can!

Or as I now refer to as #wycwyc — pronounced “Wick Wick“

If you missed my original #wycwyc challenge, I posted it in September and it has really stuck with me.

Actually, if I’m being honest, it has spread in my brain like a virus.

Yesterday I splurged on a giant cookie after my gym’s fundraiser. It was one of those M&M-topped monstrosities about the size of my head. I thought I’d be good with just a taste, but before I knew it, the cookie was gone.

About an hour later (probably the result of the sugar) I had an insatiable urge to just grab something out of the pantry. I was tired — NOT hungry — and the only thing that kept popping in my head were chips, crackers and pretzels.

As I walked past the pantry door I caught myself saying aloud, “Wick Wick” and walking away. Then I did what I do and posted about it on Facebook.

My what I can when I can moment right now is NOT grabbing something out of the pantry just cause I ate a cookie the size of my head. #wycwyc

And this is it, THIS is the power of #wycwyc. It’s a state of consciousnesses that can help stop the all or nothing mentality in its tracks.

Don’t throw away the day because you ate a cookie. Do what you can when you can moving forward! Sitting all day at work? Take the stairs every chance you get! Eating out with friends? Order soup and see if someone wants to share an entree! And my current favorite… Can’t make it to the gym during the crazy holiday week? Do what you can when you can and get the family out for a walk on Thanksgiving! :) 

The most satisfying and motivational part of the #wycwyc challenge is seeing other people adopting this mentality. My friend Carla, aka MizFitOnline, is the one who sent me that shirt in the above photo. She also ordered one for herself.

Just today she said her and her 7-year-old daughter say it to each other now. How cool is that?!

And I’m seeing more and more folks use it on Twitter and Instagram too!

I don’t want to get ahead of myself but do you remember when Carla and I wrote a book proposal and all the feedback we got was, you have no hook!  Well, maybe THIS is our hook.  We’ve been working on a few ideas and I’m really excited about motivating people to make positive changes that help them reach their goals. I’m so over traditional “diet” books. We keep focusing on the what to eat and how to move, when really, most people know that stuff. It’s putting it into practice day in and day out that gets ignored and as a recovering yo-yo dieter #wycwyc is the best way I can sum up my change in attitude and approach.

Even though I need another site like I need a hole in my head, this geek already set up wycwyc.com. I’m thinking it could be a fun way to pull all the stuff people post on social media! We’ll see.

View the original article here

10 ‘Healthy’ Thanksgiving Comments from Facebook

Yesterday the Food Network posted this to its Facebook wall.

How important is it that there be at least one healthy dish at your Thanksgiving meal?

My first thought when I read it was… ugh.

Why can’t Thanksgiving be “healthy,” and what the crap does that mean anyway? 

I make a fairly traditional Thanksgiving dinner every year. At least I think so. I roast a HUGE turkey (20+ pounds,) mashed potatoes, stuffing (IN the bird,) sweet potatoes, corn, roasted brussels sprouts, and a fun “Harvest” Salad, as I like to call it. We have pumpkin roll and pies for dessert and during the day I make a big veggie tray for snacking. It’s all REAL, HEALTHY food. Geesh, if we ate these types of food more often we’d probably be better off. Sure, you can consume too much, but Thanksgiving may be one of the “healthiest” food days of the year!

I’m so tired of people manufacturing this battle between “healthy” and “unhealthy” foods. It’s just another way to say “good” and “bad.” We all do it. I’m guilty too but the sooner we stop demonizing (food), depriving (ourselves) and degrading (others’ choices) the better. Then maybe we can stop the crazy dieting cycles so many of us seem to be stuck in.

I was happy to see some of the comments agreed with my gut reaction. Here were a few of my favorites (of the ones I read — there were TONS.)

Note: I don’t know if I should credit these as they are Facebook accounts. This is one of those times I’m just unsure what the proper etiquette is.

Define your own healthy. There will be white meat turkey, and that is low in fat and calories. There will be a salad, fresh healthy greens. I am making a cauliflower and fennel dish with no fat in the dressing, but I’m making it because it sounds good. Someone will make a quinoa tabbouleh, delicious and healthy. Sweet potatoes are high in fiber, even when they are soaked in syrup and topped with marshmallow. My family is great at making a large variety of foods so that everyone, be they calorie conscious, gluten free, vegetarian, low carb, high fiber or bacon lover can have something to be thankful for.Other than the pies this is the food we eat in our household all the time. Didn’t anyone else grow up eating pot roast dinner with gravy on Sundays? Depriving is the first step to diet failure.Everything and anything is healthy in moderation. Ignoring all the rules for one meal isn’t gonna kill you. After years of adjusting my eating habits to lose 150+ pounds, I simply don’t even enjoy the foods that put me on life support for a week. I also don’t ignore my cravings during the holidays!!!You should always have something healthy but you don’t have to stress about calories and fat on Thanksgiving. Just eat and be happy!Most of the dishes at the table are fairly healthy. It isn’t the quality that makes it perhaps a bit unhealthy, it’s the sheer quantity.Depends on what you consider healthy. A good meal with friends and family is always healthy.Everything is healthy if it feeds your soul.Why can’t all the dishes be healthy? And even if they aren’t, no ones forcing you to eat them.Very important, as a matter of fact we make our entire Thanksgiving meal healthy except for the dessert. There’s nothing wrong with adjusting recipes to make them healthier. It’s easily done without sacrificing flavor or texture.Truth be known, if you’ve cooked it all fresh it’s healthier then 90% of the crap we eat at a normal lunch during work. So I say just enjoy that and be thankful you could have Thanksgiving dinner, in a warm house, with family and friends

Last year’s Thanksgiving table.  I can’t wait for everyone to join us again! 

What’s your take on this whole “healthy” Thanksgiving thing?

View the original article here

A Thanksgiving Note….

I’m signing off for a few days, but couldn’t leave without letting you know. All the Grandparents are due to arrive tomorrow and I am looking forward to a few days of uninterrupted family time.

I leave with a few links and a quote…

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~Melody Beattie

The thing I’m most grateful for? My boys. Click here to see a my photo tribute to them.

I’ve been slacking in the food department on GreenLiteBites so I took a minute and recorded a (semi) quick video about my newest smoothie creation. Click here to check it out and see my Thanksgiving menu.

Other than that, I got my butt kicked in Body Combat today. I was a sweaty mess! My plan is to run a Turkey Trot on Thursday morning, but besides that I’ll be taking it easy in the workout department this week too. It’s time to just be.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

View the original article here

New Thanksgiving Recipes from the Biggest Loser Nutritionist

Looking for healthier options for the Thanksgiving table?

The staple ingredients of this holiday's comfort food hold plenty of health promise. After all, most of the time the Thanksgiving spread features plenty of nutritious vegetables as side dishes, while turkey is low in both calories and fat and contains plenty of iron.

With a little culinary know-how, your Thanksgiving can be a guilt-free, healthful feast. Check out these new recipes I developed - they're both flavorful and nutritious.

Serves 8

Ingredients
1/2 boneless, skinless turkey breast, about 1 1/2 pounds
1 1/2 cups Cornbread and Dried Fruit Dressing
Kitchen twine
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon sage
1 Tablespoon canola oil

Special tools/equipment

Plastic wrap

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 °F.Place large piece of plastic wrap on countertop. Place turkey breast half on plastic and cover. Cover with additional plastic wrap. Using meat mallet, pound turkey to rectangle about 9-10 X 6 inches, about 1/4-inch thick.Remove plastic wrap from top of turkey and spread dressing evenly lengthwise over surface, almost to edge. Roll turkey lengthwise. With kitchen twine, tie roulade lengthwise once and in several places across turkey. Discard plastic wrap.In small bowl, mix together spices. Rub canola oil over all surfaces of roulade; rub spice blend evenly over roulade.Place roulade in shallow roasting pan, then place in oven. Roast for 45-60 minutes or until internal temperature measured with an instant-read thermometer reads 155 °F.Remove roulade from oven and let rest 15 minutes before carefully removing twine and slicing into 16 half-inch slices.

Nutrition per (4 ounce) serving
Calories 140
Total Fat 3.5 g
Saturated Fat < 1 g Cholesterol 65 mg Sodium 150 mg Carbohydrate 5 g Fiber 0 g Sugars 1 g Protein 22 g

Makes 6 cups (enough for Turkey Roulade) and 8 side dish servings

Ingredients
4 cups cornbread cubes, dried
4 ounces lean Italian turkey sausage, casing removed
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 cup chopped yellow or white onions
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1 small garlic clove, crushed
4 each dried apricots and pitted dried plums, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Canola oil cooking spray
1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Place cornbread cubes in large bowl and set aside.In small nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat, crumbling and stirring until brown and cooked through. Drain well and set aside.In large nonstick skillet, heat canola oil over medium heat. Stir in onions, celery and carrot; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute longer, but don’t allow garlic to brown. Stir in sausage, apricots, plums, thyme, sage, marjoram and 1/4 cup broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat; pour vegetable mixture overcornbread. Add parsley and stir well. Season with salt and pepper. (Dressing may be prepared to this stage a day ahead and refrigerated, covered.)Whisk together egg and remaining 3/4 cup broth and pour over cornbread mixture, tossing well. Spray 2-quart baking dish with canola oil cooking spray (use larger baking dish if not reserving dressing for Turkey Roulade) and transfer all but 1 1/2 cups of dressing to baking dish. Cover dish with foil and set aside.After Turkey Roulade has been in oven 30 minutes, place covered baking dish of dressing in oven. After 15 minutes (or when internal temperature of roulade, measured with instant-read thermometer, is 155 °F), remove roulade from oven and remove foil from baking dish with dressing. Continue baking dressing for about 15 minutes or until top begins to brown.

Nutrition per (1/2 cup) serving
Calories 100
Total Fat 3.5 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Cholesterol 30 mg
Sodium 310 mg
Carbohydrate 12 g
Fiber 1 g
Sugars 4 g
Protein 3 g

Serves 8

Ingredients
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 Tablespoons warm water
1 1/2 Tablespoons canola oil
3/8 cup white whole-wheat flour
2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste

Directions

Soak mushrooms in warm water for 5 minutes.In 2-quart saucepan, heat canola oil over medium heat. Whisk in flour until blended and continue stirring until roux is lightly browned and develops nutty aroma.Whisk in broth, optional salt and onion powder. Bring to a gentle boil until just thickened, stirring. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat and season with pepper. Add softened mushrooms and any soaking liquid.Purée gravy in food processor or food mill. Return mixture to saucepan. Heat just to a simmer.

Nutrition per (1/4 cup) serving
Calories 50
Total Fat 3 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 115 mg
Total Carbohydrate 5 g
Fiber 2 g
Sugar 0 g
Protein 1 g

Serves 8

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons canola oil
3 bunches rapini (broccoli rabe), about 3 1/4 pounds, rinsed, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
3 large garlic cloves, minced or crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups diced roasted red bell pepper, from one 12-ounce jar
3 Tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted

Directions

Heat very large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add canola oil to pan; add rapini, garlic and salt. Toss well, reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for 10 minutes or until rapini are tender, turning a few times while cooking.Add roasted pepper and toasted almonds, toss and serve.

Cook’s note: If your rapini is on the bitter side, drizzle a tablespoon or so of balsamic vinegar on top of it.

Nutrition per (1 cup) serving
Calories 110
Fat 5 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 55 mg
Carbohydrate 11 g
Fiber <1 g Sugar 3 g Protein 7 g

Serves 8

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon canola oil
4 large Fuji apples, about 2 pounds, cored, quartered lengthwise and cut into half-inch pieces
1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dried cranberries
1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)

Directions

In large, heavy saucepan, heat canola oil and add apples. Sauté over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until apples are lightly caramelized. Add water and lemon juice to pan, cook and stir briefly to deglaze pan.Carefully transfer apples to bowl of food processor and pulse just a few times to chunky consistency. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon and cranberries. Serve warm.

Nutrition per (1/3 cup) serving
Calories 40
Total Fat 1 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 9 g
Fiber 2 g
Sugars 6 g
Protein 0 g

Serves 8

Ingredients
Canola oil cooking spray
3 eggs, omega-3-enriched if available
1 1/4 cup pumpkin purée
7 Tablespoons (1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons) maple syrup
5 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk, heated until very hot
Boiling water, about 1 quart
Ground nutmeg (garnish)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Adjust oven rack to center position. Coat eight 6-ounce custard cups or ramekins with canola oil cooking spray and set them in 13 X 9-inch baking pan.In large bowl, beat eggs slightly; add pumpkin purée, maple syrup, canola oil, vanilla, spices and salt. Beat with mixer until blended thoroughly. Mix in hot milk until blended. There will be about 4 cups of liquid. Pour 1/2 cup flan mixture into each prepared ramekin.Carefully pour boiling water into baking pan around ramekins. Water should come up to level of custard inside ramekins.Bake 40-45 minutes or until set around the edges but still a little loose in center. When center of flan is just set, it will jiggle a little when shaken. Remove from oven and immediately remove ramekins from water bath; cool on wire rack until room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.Serve cold and garnish with ground nutmeg. This dessert can be made up to 3 days in advance. Keep refrigerated until serving.

Tip: Use leftover pumpkin purée in a smoothie with yogurt, milk, sweet spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves) and a drizzle of agave nectar, honey or maple syrup.

Nutrition per (1 flan) serving
Calories 190
Fat 7 g
Saturated Fat 1.5 g
Cholesterol 110 mg
Sodium 220 mg
Carbohydrate 24 g
Fiber 2 g
Sugar 18 g
Protein 6 g

View the original article here

My Thanksgiving Plans

Writing everything down has always helped me get organized or at least FEEL more organized and I’m in desperate need of that feeling right now. I have 5 family members coming in tonight for the Thanksgiving and 3 more tomorrow morning. I’m very excited about the holiday but as Chief Cook and Host of the festivities, I have a wee bit of extra responsibility.

So I thought why not share my Thanksgiving plans. It will help me get organized, makes my shopping list and maybe give you some ideas as well. Albeit it’s awfully close to the big day so I doubt I’ll be any help at this point.

Last year I started a tradition that part of me regrets. Not because I think it’s a "bad" thing but because I tend to go overboard and these things are a HUGE temptation for me. One is fine but this momma can eat at least 3 before her internal full meter starts to even jiggle.

Curious yet? :) Ok, Ok, I make these….

They are fast, easy, tasty, and a CROWD pleaser! With the kids up at the crack of down and grandparents downing coffee just to stay awake, nothing beats the smell of a cinnamon bun.

I would love to make my overnight steel cooked oats and have a breakfast topping bar with dried fruit, berries and nuts but I fear it’s going a bit overboard for my family and honestly, the thought of the extra work at this point makes me shudder. I use my crock pot for the sweet potatoes anyway and I have a system where everything is in the pots they are going to be cooked in the night before.

And in all Honesty, I’m actually excited for the cinnamon buns as it’s the only time of year I eat them. So they are a total treat for me. :)

Why am I so worried about a stupid cinnamon bun? I just remembered next on my agenda is the turkey trot! Last year the Husband, Mom and the kids joined me. They walked. I ran. Not sure if anyone is tagging along this year but I’m registered and ready to go. So excited as I get to wear my running for two shirt and now I’m really showing!

I don’t want to put any pressure on myself but I’d love to finish it in about 35 minutes. That seems to be my pace now at 5 months. Regardless of how long it takes I’m excited, the running and the event put in me a good mood the rest of the day and in a weird way, help me deal with the stress of the holiday.

Note: Haven’t decided if I should put the turkey in before I leave yet. It’s a timing thing.

When I get back I put out the snack spread which holds everyone off until dinner. On my list..

Vegetable tray with hummus and dressing for dipping. I was going to go only hummus but I thought I’d ease the family into this year and see how they like it. So I’ll also have the white creamy stuff as back up.

Cheese and cracker plate. I rarely buy block cheese anymore as it’s another one of those things I have a hard time stopping once I start. But on Thanksgiving I’ll buy a few blocks and put together a platter with whole wheat crackers and a good salami.

Nuts! I always buy a bag of mixed nuts in the shells for the holidays. Actually I buy them all season. The fact that they are in the shells helps me not go overboard while adding the fun factor to make them appealing to the kids. Little many loves to open them up and is getting quite good at it!

Fruit Bowl. This year I’ll have clementines, apples and pears out for quick grabbing. It’s amazing how many gravitate to fresh fruit when it’s made readily available.

Ok, on my menu this year….

Turkey, of course. We are a bird stuffing family. I have a recipe for stuffing I experimented a while back with but alas the husband is a stove top man. With all my healthy additions to the meal I decided this year to cave and make the stuffing with a stovetop base. However! I will be using the whole grain version, adding sausage and a TON of fresh veggies, including leeks (got them from the farm,) celery, spinach and carrots. I may even add some pecans but that may be pushing it. ;)

Mashed Potatoes are covered! My "lightened" Recipe is a crowd pleaser so I’ll be making a bunch. Click here for my Creamy Mashed Potatoes "Formula"

Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes. These are also a crowd pleaser. This year I’m going to add some carrots because I’m overloaded with them. The best part of this dish is the prep and forget about it aspect. Simply put everything in the crock pot and bam! Amazing sweet potatoes ready at meal time. Click here for the slow cooker sweet potato recipe.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts. This was an addition last year and everyone loved them. I will make them like this but I’m considering adding some pecans and maybe a splash of balsamic vinegar. Haven’t decided yet though. Straight up seems to please everyone.

Corn. This is for the husband mostly. He’s a corn man. :) So I prepare some simply and put it on the side.

Cranberry sauce. We are a canned cranberry sauce family. I don’t care what people say about it, canned cranberry sauce is one of those things you only eat ones a year and it’s totally fun. I’m a HUGE fan. That reminds me.. got to put it in the fridge now to chill it for tomorrow! :)

Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls. This is our roll of choice for the meal. Everyone loves them and I just buy the reduced fat variety out of habit. We can’t tell the difference.

The only other thing I’m considering is a Harvest Type salad. I happen to have tons of spinach and arugula and I’m thinking that with some pears, dried cranberries, pecans, maybe a bit of cheese and a quick dressing would be a fun addition. I’m gonna gauge the family on that one tomorrow morning.

NOTHING. I have nothing planned except clean up and if it’s nice out.. getting the family outside for a game of spit or a nice walk. If it’s not.. we will be firing up the old Wii for the family fun. ;)

A few hours later we’ll have some Dessert and coffee. I picked up some butter cookies and biscotti from a local store and tonight I’ll bake up some quick Simple Pumpkin Spice Mini-Loaves. I’m also on the way to the store to pick up some last minute supplies, if an apple pie happens to catch my eye I’m game. It’s a favorite of mine.

That’s it! That’s my Thanksgiving! I hope you all have a wonderful, happy, healthy holiday. Be present and NO worries about your "diet." No one will remember what you ate our how you looked but they will remember the time you spent with them.

If you are BlogToLose member.. I’ll be peaking in on our post challenge! Have fun with it!

View the original article here

Greedy Baby Mug Shot and Thanksgiving From Hell

Greedy Baby Mug Shot

This is what happens when child-spawns are allowed to romp in makeup. But is that what really happened? I would be an irresponsible mother if I confessed to you that Greedy Baby ended up with this mug shot while at the local precinct after a long night of partying.

Ooops?

But in other news…

I’m not a Thanksgiving recap kinda woman, but check out what happened and please feel sorry for me:

FAIL #1: On the way to Pennslyvania, health-hater and I got into an argument a high level spat over driving directions. But how does this happen when our OnStar GPS was pointing the way with turn-by-turn navigation? That is very stupid (uh, the arguing part) .

FAIL #2: Greedy Baby threw up in the car. She got car sick from husband’s driving. I just know it.

FAIL #3: The car broke down on the way home. But while we were waiting for the tow truck, it decided it was gonna start working again. It turns out driving through huge puddles does not make a car’s fancy computer system very happy. So don’t do that.

You can actually consider this a quadruple threat since our camera is (temporarily?) lost and I can’t retrieve our Thanksgiving pics to share with you. The camera phone mug shot of Greedy Baby is all I can deliver.

Depending on your level of “feel sorry” for me due to the events that unfolded, I am willing accept foot rubs, scalp massages, step-on-my-back cracks, or cash deposits to my bank account so you can help me feel all better. Pick one or pick them all. Because you wants me to be happy again, don’t you?

View the original article here

Post Thanksgiving Post

I’m SURROUNDED BY FOOD! Seriously. I don’t think Thanksgiving is an issue for me anymore it’s being left in a house with all my trigger foods that I hate. I have the most amazing mozzarella and Italian salami calling my name from the fridge. My Mother-in-Law brought an UNBELIEVABLE Wild Berry pie for dessert. I could seriously sit down with a fork and just polish that off if you let me. And don’t get me started on the cookies. I have leftover Italian cookies, chocolate Biscotti and oh! my friends just brought over a dozen donuts as a thank you for babysitting. UGH.

Here’s the thing. I’m stuffed. I’ve been full for 3 days now. I can’t tell if it’s because I ate too much or that I’m pregnant. Either way, WHAT do I want to do?

EAT!

Eat, Eat, Eat.

Heartburn and all I seriously could just keep eating and eating and I’m NOT hungry in the least bit.

But enough with the whining. I had a wonderful Thanksgiving! It started out shaky with a very moody 5 year old but we survived. He’s feeling a lot better now. It was so nice to just spend time with the family. I had a blast cooking all day Thursday and oh! I did fabulous at the turkey trot!

Chart taken from Nike+ web site after sync. Click here to see how I did it.

I didn’t quite reach my goal of 35 minutes but I got out there and DID it. That’s all that matters. It POURED the whole race but thankfully the temperature was nice. Chilly but not too cold.

I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to run. Athletically I feel like I could go forever, probably because my pace has slowed down so much. But physically, as in comfortableness, it’s getting tougher and tougher. It seriously feels like I have a bowling ball in my abdomen and I’m painfully aware of my bladder throughout the entire run regardless of how many times I empty it.

I’m going to just keep trucking as best I can. I did do boot camp this morning. It felt great but there is more and more I don’t feel comfortable doing, like the ab workouts and a lot of jumping jacks. I just do what I can and keep moving when it’s something I can’t complete. I’m hoping to at least continue to go until the end of the year.

So that’s it from me this post Thanksgiving. Right now I’m watching and recording the Wizard of Oz so I can re-watch with Little Guy. Tomorrow we are planning on pulling out the Christmas decorations, making some gifts for the grandparents and possibly going to see Tangled. It’s getting great reviews!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. I’m making tomorrow Sensational… join me? :)

View the original article here

Greedy Baby Mug Shot and Thanksgiving From Hell

Greedy Baby Mug Shot

This is what happens when child-spawns are allowed to romp in makeup. But is that what really happened? I would be an irresponsible mother if I confessed to you that Greedy Baby ended up with this mug shot while at the local precinct after a long night of partying.

Ooops?

But in other news…

I’m not a Thanksgiving recap kinda woman, but check out what happened and please feel sorry for me:

FAIL #1: On the way to Pennslyvania, health-hater and I got into an argument a high level spat over driving directions. But how does this happen when our OnStar GPS was pointing the way with turn-by-turn navigation? That is very stupid (uh, the arguing part) .

FAIL #2: Greedy Baby threw up in the car. She got car sick from husband’s driving. I just know it.

FAIL #3: The car broke down on the way home. But while we were waiting for the tow truck, it decided it was gonna start working again. It turns out driving through huge puddles does not make a car’s fancy computer system very happy. So don’t do that.

You can actually consider this a quadruple threat since our camera is (temporarily?) lost and I can’t retrieve our Thanksgiving pics to share with you. The camera phone mug shot of Greedy Baby is all I can deliver.

Depending on your level of “feel sorry” for me due to the events that unfolded, I am willing accept foot rubs, scalp massages, step-on-my-back cracks, or cash deposits to my bank account so you can help me feel all better. Pick one or pick them all. Because you wants me to be happy again, don’t you?

View the original article here

New Thanksgiving Recipes from the Biggest Loser Nutritionist

Looking for healthier options for the Thanksgiving table?

The staple ingredients of this holiday's comfort food hold plenty of health promise. After all, most of the time the Thanksgiving spread features plenty of nutritious vegetables as side dishes, while turkey is low in both calories and fat and contains plenty of iron.

With a little culinary know-how, your Thanksgiving can be a guilt-free, healthful feast. Check out these new recipes I developed - they're both flavorful and nutritious.

Serves 8

Ingredients
1/2 boneless, skinless turkey breast, about 1 1/2 pounds
1 1/2 cups Cornbread and Dried Fruit Dressing
Kitchen twine
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon sage
1 Tablespoon canola oil

Special tools/equipment

Plastic wrap

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 °F.Place large piece of plastic wrap on countertop. Place turkey breast half on plastic and cover. Cover with additional plastic wrap. Using meat mallet, pound turkey to rectangle about 9-10 X 6 inches, about 1/4-inch thick.Remove plastic wrap from top of turkey and spread dressing evenly lengthwise over surface, almost to edge. Roll turkey lengthwise. With kitchen twine, tie roulade lengthwise once and in several places across turkey. Discard plastic wrap.In small bowl, mix together spices. Rub canola oil over all surfaces of roulade; rub spice blend evenly over roulade.Place roulade in shallow roasting pan, then place in oven. Roast for 45-60 minutes or until internal temperature measured with an instant-read thermometer reads 155 °F.Remove roulade from oven and let rest 15 minutes before carefully removing twine and slicing into 16 half-inch slices.

Nutrition per (4 ounce) serving
Calories 140
Total Fat 3.5 g
Saturated Fat < 1 g
Cholesterol 65 mg
Sodium 150 mg
Carbohydrate 5 g
Fiber 0 g
Sugars 1 g
Protein 22 g

Makes 6 cups (enough for Turkey Roulade) and 8 side dish servings

Ingredients
4 cups cornbread cubes, dried
4 ounces lean Italian turkey sausage, casing removed
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 cup chopped yellow or white onions
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1 small garlic clove, crushed
4 each dried apricots and pitted dried plums, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Canola oil cooking spray
1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Place cornbread cubes in large bowl and set aside.In small nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat, crumbling and stirring until brown and cooked through. Drain well and set aside.In large nonstick skillet, heat canola oil over medium heat. Stir in onions, celery and carrot; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute longer, but don’t allow garlic to brown. Stir in sausage, apricots, plums, thyme, sage, marjoram and 1/4 cup broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat; pour vegetable mixture overcornbread. Add parsley and stir well. Season with salt and pepper. (Dressing may be prepared to this stage a day ahead and refrigerated, covered.)Whisk together egg and remaining 3/4 cup broth and pour over cornbread mixture, tossing well. Spray 2-quart baking dish with canola oil cooking spray (use larger baking dish if not reserving dressing for Turkey Roulade) and transfer all but 1 1/2 cups of dressing to baking dish. Cover dish with foil and set aside.After Turkey Roulade has been in oven 30 minutes, place covered baking dish of dressing in oven. After 15 minutes (or when internal temperature of roulade, measured with instant-read thermometer, is 155 °F), remove roulade from oven and remove foil from baking dish with dressing. Continue baking dressing for about 15 minutes or until top begins to brown.

Nutrition per (1/2 cup) serving
Calories 100
Total Fat 3.5 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Cholesterol 30 mg
Sodium 310 mg
Carbohydrate 12 g
Fiber 1 g
Sugars 4 g
Protein 3 g

Serves 8

Ingredients
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 Tablespoons warm water
1 1/2 Tablespoons canola oil
3/8 cup white whole-wheat flour
2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste

Directions

Soak mushrooms in warm water for 5 minutes.In 2-quart saucepan, heat canola oil over medium heat. Whisk in flour until blended and continue stirring until roux is lightly browned and develops nutty aroma.Whisk in broth, optional salt and onion powder. Bring to a gentle boil until just thickened, stirring. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat and season with pepper. Add softened mushrooms and any soaking liquid.Purée gravy in food processor or food mill. Return mixture to saucepan. Heat just to a simmer.

Nutrition per (1/4 cup) serving
Calories 50
Total Fat 3 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 115 mg
Total Carbohydrate 5 g
Fiber 2 g
Sugar 0 g
Protein 1 g

Serves 8

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons canola oil
3 bunches rapini (broccoli rabe), about 3 1/4 pounds, rinsed, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
3 large garlic cloves, minced or crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups diced roasted red bell pepper, from one 12-ounce jar
3 Tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted

Directions

Heat very large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add canola oil to pan; add rapini, garlic and salt. Toss well, reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for 10 minutes or until rapini are tender, turning a few times while cooking.Add roasted pepper and toasted almonds, toss and serve.

Cook’s note: If your rapini is on the bitter side, drizzle a tablespoon or so of balsamic vinegar on top of it.

Nutrition per (1 cup) serving
Calories 110
Fat 5 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 55 mg
Carbohydrate 11 g
Fiber <1 g
Sugar 3 g
Protein 7 g

Serves 8

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon canola oil
4 large Fuji apples, about 2 pounds, cored, quartered lengthwise and cut into half-inch pieces
1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dried cranberries
1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)

Directions

In large, heavy saucepan, heat canola oil and add apples. Sauté over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until apples are lightly caramelized. Add water and lemon juice to pan, cook and stir briefly to deglaze pan.Carefully transfer apples to bowl of food processor and pulse just a few times to chunky consistency. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon and cranberries. Serve warm.

Nutrition per (1/3 cup) serving
Calories 40
Total Fat 1 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 9 g
Fiber 2 g
Sugars 6 g
Protein 0 g

Serves 8

Ingredients
Canola oil cooking spray
3 eggs, omega-3-enriched if available
1 1/4 cup pumpkin purée
7 Tablespoons (1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons) maple syrup
5 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk, heated until very hot
Boiling water, about 1 quart
Ground nutmeg (garnish)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Adjust oven rack to center position. Coat eight 6-ounce custard cups or ramekins with canola oil cooking spray and set them in 13 X 9-inch baking pan.In large bowl, beat eggs slightly; add pumpkin purée, maple syrup, canola oil, vanilla, spices and salt. Beat with mixer until blended thoroughly. Mix in hot milk until blended. There will be about 4 cups of liquid. Pour 1/2 cup flan mixture into each prepared ramekin.Carefully pour boiling water into baking pan around ramekins. Water should come up to level of custard inside ramekins.Bake 40-45 minutes or until set around the edges but still a little loose in center. When center of flan is just set, it will jiggle a little when shaken. Remove from oven and immediately remove ramekins from water bath; cool on wire rack until room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.Serve cold and garnish with ground nutmeg. This dessert can be made up to 3 days in advance. Keep refrigerated until serving.

Tip: Use leftover pumpkin purée in a smoothie with yogurt, milk, sweet spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves) and a drizzle of agave nectar, honey or maple syrup.

Nutrition per (1 flan) serving
Calories 190
Fat 7 g
Saturated Fat 1.5 g
Cholesterol 110 mg
Sodium 220 mg
Carbohydrate 24 g
Fiber 2 g
Sugar 18 g
Protein 6 g

View the original article here

My Thanksgiving Plans

Writing everything down has always helped me get organized or at least FEEL more organized and I’m in desperate need of that feeling right now. I have 5 family members coming in tonight for the Thanksgiving and 3 more tomorrow morning. I’m very excited about the holiday but as Chief Cook and Host of the festivities, I have a wee bit of extra responsibility.

So I thought why not share my Thanksgiving plans. It will help me get organized, makes my shopping list and maybe give you some ideas as well. Albeit it’s awfully close to the big day so I doubt I’ll be any help at this point.

Last year I started a tradition that part of me regrets. Not because I think it’s a "bad" thing but because I tend to go overboard and these things are a HUGE temptation for me. One is fine but this momma can eat at least 3 before her internal full meter starts to even jiggle.

Curious yet? :) Ok, Ok, I make these….

They are fast, easy, tasty, and a CROWD pleaser! With the kids up at the crack of down and grandparents downing coffee just to stay awake, nothing beats the smell of a cinnamon bun.

I would love to make my overnight steel cooked oats and have a breakfast topping bar with dried fruit, berries and nuts but I fear it’s going a bit overboard for my family and honestly, the thought of the extra work at this point makes me shudder. I use my crock pot for the sweet potatoes anyway and I have a system where everything is in the pots they are going to be cooked in the night before.

And in all Honesty, I’m actually excited for the cinnamon buns as it’s the only time of year I eat them. So they are a total treat for me. :)

Why am I so worried about a stupid cinnamon bun? I just remembered next on my agenda is the turkey trot! Last year the Husband, Mom and the kids joined me. They walked. I ran. Not sure if anyone is tagging along this year but I’m registered and ready to go. So excited as I get to wear my running for two shirt and now I’m really showing!

I don’t want to put any pressure on myself but I’d love to finish it in about 35 minutes. That seems to be my pace now at 5 months. Regardless of how long it takes I’m excited, the running and the event put in me a good mood the rest of the day and in a weird way, help me deal with the stress of the holiday.

Note: Haven’t decided if I should put the turkey in before I leave yet. It’s a timing thing.

When I get back I put out the snack spread which holds everyone off until dinner. On my list..

Vegetable tray with hummus and dressing for dipping. I was going to go only hummus but I thought I’d ease the family into this year and see how they like it. So I’ll also have the white creamy stuff as back up.

Cheese and cracker plate. I rarely buy block cheese anymore as it’s another one of those things I have a hard time stopping once I start. But on Thanksgiving I’ll buy a few blocks and put together a platter with whole wheat crackers and a good salami.

Nuts! I always buy a bag of mixed nuts in the shells for the holidays. Actually I buy them all season. The fact that they are in the shells helps me not go overboard while adding the fun factor to make them appealing to the kids. Little many loves to open them up and is getting quite good at it!

Fruit Bowl. This year I’ll have clementines, apples and pears out for quick grabbing. It’s amazing how many gravitate to fresh fruit when it’s made readily available.

Ok, on my menu this year….

Turkey, of course. We are a bird stuffing family. I have a recipe for stuffing I experimented a while back with but alas the husband is a stove top man. With all my healthy additions to the meal I decided this year to cave and make the stuffing with a stovetop base. However! I will be using the whole grain version, adding sausage and a TON of fresh veggies, including leeks (got them from the farm,) celery, spinach and carrots. I may even add some pecans but that may be pushing it. ;)

Mashed Potatoes are covered! My "lightened" Recipe is a crowd pleaser so I’ll be making a bunch. Click here for my Creamy Mashed Potatoes "Formula"

Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes. These are also a crowd pleaser. This year I’m going to add some carrots because I’m overloaded with them. The best part of this dish is the prep and forget about it aspect. Simply put everything in the crock pot and bam! Amazing sweet potatoes ready at meal time. Click here for the slow cooker sweet potato recipe.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts. This was an addition last year and everyone loved them. I will make them like this but I’m considering adding some pecans and maybe a splash of balsamic vinegar. Haven’t decided yet though. Straight up seems to please everyone.

Corn. This is for the husband mostly. He’s a corn man. :) So I prepare some simply and put it on the side.

Cranberry sauce. We are a canned cranberry sauce family. I don’t care what people say about it, canned cranberry sauce is one of those things you only eat ones a year and it’s totally fun. I’m a HUGE fan. That reminds me.. got to put it in the fridge now to chill it for tomorrow! :)

Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls. This is our roll of choice for the meal. Everyone loves them and I just buy the reduced fat variety out of habit. We can’t tell the difference.

The only other thing I’m considering is a Harvest Type salad. I happen to have tons of spinach and arugula and I’m thinking that with some pears, dried cranberries, pecans, maybe a bit of cheese and a quick dressing would be a fun addition. I’m gonna gauge the family on that one tomorrow morning.

NOTHING. I have nothing planned except clean up and if it’s nice out.. getting the family outside for a game of spit or a nice walk. If it’s not.. we will be firing up the old Wii for the family fun. ;)

A few hours later we’ll have some Dessert and coffee. I picked up some butter cookies and biscotti from a local store and tonight I’ll bake up some quick Simple Pumpkin Spice Mini-Loaves. I’m also on the way to the store to pick up some last minute supplies, if an apple pie happens to catch my eye I’m game. It’s a favorite of mine.

That’s it! That’s my Thanksgiving! I hope you all have a wonderful, happy, healthy holiday. Be present and NO worries about your "diet." No one will remember what you ate our how you looked but they will remember the time you spent with them.

If you are BlogToLose member.. I’ll be peaking in on our post challenge! Have fun with it!

View the original article here

Burning Calories on Thanksgiving

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View the original article here

New Thanksgiving Recipes from the Biggest Loser Nutritionist

Looking for healthier options for the Thanksgiving table?

The staple ingredients of this holiday's comfort food hold plenty of health promise. After all, most of the time the Thanksgiving spread features plenty of nutritious vegetables as side dishes, while turkey is low in both calories and fat and contains plenty of iron.

With a little culinary know-how, your Thanksgiving can be a guilt-free, healthful feast. Check out these new recipes I developed - they're both flavorful and nutritious.

Serves 8

Ingredients
1/2 boneless, skinless turkey breast, about 1 1/2 pounds
1 1/2 cups Cornbread and Dried Fruit Dressing
Kitchen twine
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon sage
1 Tablespoon canola oil

Special tools/equipment

Plastic wrap

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 °F.Place large piece of plastic wrap on countertop. Place turkey breast half on plastic and cover. Cover with additional plastic wrap. Using meat mallet, pound turkey to rectangle about 9-10 X 6 inches, about 1/4-inch thick.Remove plastic wrap from top of turkey and spread dressing evenly lengthwise over surface, almost to edge. Roll turkey lengthwise. With kitchen twine, tie roulade lengthwise once and in several places across turkey. Discard plastic wrap.In small bowl, mix together spices. Rub canola oil over all surfaces of roulade; rub spice blend evenly over roulade.Place roulade in shallow roasting pan, then place in oven. Roast for 45-60 minutes or until internal temperature measured with an instant-read thermometer reads 155 °F.Remove roulade from oven and let rest 15 minutes before carefully removing twine and slicing into 16 half-inch slices.

Nutrition per (4 ounce) serving
Calories 140
Total Fat 3.5 g
Saturated Fat < 1 g
Cholesterol 65 mg
Sodium 150 mg
Carbohydrate 5 g
Fiber 0 g
Sugars 1 g
Protein 22 g

Makes 6 cups (enough for Turkey Roulade) and 8 side dish servings

Ingredients
4 cups cornbread cubes, dried
4 ounces lean Italian turkey sausage, casing removed
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 cup chopped yellow or white onions
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1 small garlic clove, crushed
4 each dried apricots and pitted dried plums, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Canola oil cooking spray
1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Place cornbread cubes in large bowl and set aside.In small nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat, crumbling and stirring until brown and cooked through. Drain well and set aside.In large nonstick skillet, heat canola oil over medium heat. Stir in onions, celery and carrot; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute longer, but don’t allow garlic to brown. Stir in sausage, apricots, plums, thyme, sage, marjoram and 1/4 cup broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat; pour vegetable mixture overcornbread. Add parsley and stir well. Season with salt and pepper. (Dressing may be prepared to this stage a day ahead and refrigerated, covered.)Whisk together egg and remaining 3/4 cup broth and pour over cornbread mixture, tossing well. Spray 2-quart baking dish with canola oil cooking spray (use larger baking dish if not reserving dressing for Turkey Roulade) and transfer all but 1 1/2 cups of dressing to baking dish. Cover dish with foil and set aside.After Turkey Roulade has been in oven 30 minutes, place covered baking dish of dressing in oven. After 15 minutes (or when internal temperature of roulade, measured with instant-read thermometer, is 155 °F), remove roulade from oven and remove foil from baking dish with dressing. Continue baking dressing for about 15 minutes or until top begins to brown.

Nutrition per (1/2 cup) serving
Calories 100
Total Fat 3.5 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Cholesterol 30 mg
Sodium 310 mg
Carbohydrate 12 g
Fiber 1 g
Sugars 4 g
Protein 3 g

Serves 8

Ingredients
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 Tablespoons warm water
1 1/2 Tablespoons canola oil
3/8 cup white whole-wheat flour
2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste

Directions

Soak mushrooms in warm water for 5 minutes.In 2-quart saucepan, heat canola oil over medium heat. Whisk in flour until blended and continue stirring until roux is lightly browned and develops nutty aroma.Whisk in broth, optional salt and onion powder. Bring to a gentle boil until just thickened, stirring. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat and season with pepper. Add softened mushrooms and any soaking liquid.Purée gravy in food processor or food mill. Return mixture to saucepan. Heat just to a simmer.

Nutrition per (1/4 cup) serving
Calories 50
Total Fat 3 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 115 mg
Total Carbohydrate 5 g
Fiber 2 g
Sugar 0 g
Protein 1 g

Serves 8

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons canola oil
3 bunches rapini (broccoli rabe), about 3 1/4 pounds, rinsed, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
3 large garlic cloves, minced or crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups diced roasted red bell pepper, from one 12-ounce jar
3 Tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted

Directions

Heat very large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add canola oil to pan; add rapini, garlic and salt. Toss well, reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for 10 minutes or until rapini are tender, turning a few times while cooking.Add roasted pepper and toasted almonds, toss and serve.

Cook’s note: If your rapini is on the bitter side, drizzle a tablespoon or so of balsamic vinegar on top of it.

Nutrition per (1 cup) serving
Calories 110
Fat 5 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 55 mg
Carbohydrate 11 g
Fiber <1 g
Sugar 3 g
Protein 7 g

Serves 8

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon canola oil
4 large Fuji apples, about 2 pounds, cored, quartered lengthwise and cut into half-inch pieces
1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dried cranberries
1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)

Directions

In large, heavy saucepan, heat canola oil and add apples. Sauté over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until apples are lightly caramelized. Add water and lemon juice to pan, cook and stir briefly to deglaze pan.Carefully transfer apples to bowl of food processor and pulse just a few times to chunky consistency. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon and cranberries. Serve warm.

Nutrition per (1/3 cup) serving
Calories 40
Total Fat 1 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 9 g
Fiber 2 g
Sugars 6 g
Protein 0 g

Serves 8

Ingredients
Canola oil cooking spray
3 eggs, omega-3-enriched if available
1 1/4 cup pumpkin purée
7 Tablespoons (1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons) maple syrup
5 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk, heated until very hot
Boiling water, about 1 quart
Ground nutmeg (garnish)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Adjust oven rack to center position. Coat eight 6-ounce custard cups or ramekins with canola oil cooking spray and set them in 13 X 9-inch baking pan.In large bowl, beat eggs slightly; add pumpkin purée, maple syrup, canola oil, vanilla, spices and salt. Beat with mixer until blended thoroughly. Mix in hot milk until blended. There will be about 4 cups of liquid. Pour 1/2 cup flan mixture into each prepared ramekin.Carefully pour boiling water into baking pan around ramekins. Water should come up to level of custard inside ramekins.Bake 40-45 minutes or until set around the edges but still a little loose in center. When center of flan is just set, it will jiggle a little when shaken. Remove from oven and immediately remove ramekins from water bath; cool on wire rack until room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.Serve cold and garnish with ground nutmeg. This dessert can be made up to 3 days in advance. Keep refrigerated until serving.

Tip: Use leftover pumpkin purée in a smoothie with yogurt, milk, sweet spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves) and a drizzle of agave nectar, honey or maple syrup.

Nutrition per (1 flan) serving
Calories 190
Fat 7 g
Saturated Fat 1.5 g
Cholesterol 110 mg
Sodium 220 mg
Carbohydrate 24 g
Fiber 2 g
Sugar 18 g
Protein 6 g

View the original article here

New Thanksgiving Recipes from the Biggest Loser Nutritionist

Looking for healthier options for the Thanksgiving table?

The staple ingredients of this holiday's comfort food hold plenty of health promise. After all, most of the time the Thanksgiving spread features plenty of nutritious vegetables as side dishes, while turkey is low in both calories and fat and contains plenty of iron.

With a little culinary know-how, your Thanksgiving can be a guilt-free, healthful feast. Check out these new recipes I developed - they're both flavorful and nutritious.

Serves 8

Ingredients
1/2 boneless, skinless turkey breast, about 1 1/2 pounds
1 1/2 cups Cornbread and Dried Fruit Dressing
Kitchen twine
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon sage
1 Tablespoon canola oil

Special tools/equipment

Plastic wrap

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 °F.Place large piece of plastic wrap on countertop. Place turkey breast half on plastic and cover. Cover with additional plastic wrap. Using meat mallet, pound turkey to rectangle about 9-10 X 6 inches, about 1/4-inch thick.Remove plastic wrap from top of turkey and spread dressing evenly lengthwise over surface, almost to edge. Roll turkey lengthwise. With kitchen twine, tie roulade lengthwise once and in several places across turkey. Discard plastic wrap.In small bowl, mix together spices. Rub canola oil over all surfaces of roulade; rub spice blend evenly over roulade.Place roulade in shallow roasting pan, then place in oven. Roast for 45-60 minutes or until internal temperature measured with an instant-read thermometer reads 155 °F.Remove roulade from oven and let rest 15 minutes before carefully removing twine and slicing into 16 half-inch slices.

Nutrition per (4 ounce) serving
Calories 140
Total Fat 3.5 g
Saturated Fat < 1 g
Cholesterol 65 mg
Sodium 150 mg
Carbohydrate 5 g
Fiber 0 g
Sugars 1 g
Protein 22 g

Makes 6 cups (enough for Turkey Roulade) and 8 side dish servings

Ingredients
4 cups cornbread cubes, dried
4 ounces lean Italian turkey sausage, casing removed
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 cup chopped yellow or white onions
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1 small garlic clove, crushed
4 each dried apricots and pitted dried plums, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Canola oil cooking spray
1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Place cornbread cubes in large bowl and set aside.In small nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat, crumbling and stirring until brown and cooked through. Drain well and set aside.In large nonstick skillet, heat canola oil over medium heat. Stir in onions, celery and carrot; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute longer, but don’t allow garlic to brown. Stir in sausage, apricots, plums, thyme, sage, marjoram and 1/4 cup broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat; pour vegetable mixture overcornbread. Add parsley and stir well. Season with salt and pepper. (Dressing may be prepared to this stage a day ahead and refrigerated, covered.)Whisk together egg and remaining 3/4 cup broth and pour over cornbread mixture, tossing well. Spray 2-quart baking dish with canola oil cooking spray (use larger baking dish if not reserving dressing for Turkey Roulade) and transfer all but 1 1/2 cups of dressing to baking dish. Cover dish with foil and set aside.After Turkey Roulade has been in oven 30 minutes, place covered baking dish of dressing in oven. After 15 minutes (or when internal temperature of roulade, measured with instant-read thermometer, is 155 °F), remove roulade from oven and remove foil from baking dish with dressing. Continue baking dressing for about 15 minutes or until top begins to brown.

Nutrition per (1/2 cup) serving
Calories 100
Total Fat 3.5 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Cholesterol 30 mg
Sodium 310 mg
Carbohydrate 12 g
Fiber 1 g
Sugars 4 g
Protein 3 g

Serves 8

Ingredients
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 Tablespoons warm water
1 1/2 Tablespoons canola oil
3/8 cup white whole-wheat flour
2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste

Directions

Soak mushrooms in warm water for 5 minutes.In 2-quart saucepan, heat canola oil over medium heat. Whisk in flour until blended and continue stirring until roux is lightly browned and develops nutty aroma.Whisk in broth, optional salt and onion powder. Bring to a gentle boil until just thickened, stirring. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat and season with pepper. Add softened mushrooms and any soaking liquid.Purée gravy in food processor or food mill. Return mixture to saucepan. Heat just to a simmer.

Nutrition per (1/4 cup) serving
Calories 50
Total Fat 3 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 115 mg
Total Carbohydrate 5 g
Fiber 2 g
Sugar 0 g
Protein 1 g

Serves 8

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons canola oil
3 bunches rapini (broccoli rabe), about 3 1/4 pounds, rinsed, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
3 large garlic cloves, minced or crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups diced roasted red bell pepper, from one 12-ounce jar
3 Tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted

Directions

Heat very large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add canola oil to pan; add rapini, garlic and salt. Toss well, reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for 10 minutes or until rapini are tender, turning a few times while cooking.Add roasted pepper and toasted almonds, toss and serve.

Cook’s note: If your rapini is on the bitter side, drizzle a tablespoon or so of balsamic vinegar on top of it.

Nutrition per (1 cup) serving
Calories 110
Fat 5 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 55 mg
Carbohydrate 11 g
Fiber <1 g
Sugar 3 g
Protein 7 g

Serves 8

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon canola oil
4 large Fuji apples, about 2 pounds, cored, quartered lengthwise and cut into half-inch pieces
1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dried cranberries
1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)

Directions

In large, heavy saucepan, heat canola oil and add apples. Sauté over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until apples are lightly caramelized. Add water and lemon juice to pan, cook and stir briefly to deglaze pan.Carefully transfer apples to bowl of food processor and pulse just a few times to chunky consistency. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon and cranberries. Serve warm.

Nutrition per (1/3 cup) serving
Calories 40
Total Fat 1 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 9 g
Fiber 2 g
Sugars 6 g
Protein 0 g

Serves 8

Ingredients
Canola oil cooking spray
3 eggs, omega-3-enriched if available
1 1/4 cup pumpkin purée
7 Tablespoons (1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons) maple syrup
5 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk, heated until very hot
Boiling water, about 1 quart
Ground nutmeg (garnish)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Adjust oven rack to center position. Coat eight 6-ounce custard cups or ramekins with canola oil cooking spray and set them in 13 X 9-inch baking pan.In large bowl, beat eggs slightly; add pumpkin purée, maple syrup, canola oil, vanilla, spices and salt. Beat with mixer until blended thoroughly. Mix in hot milk until blended. There will be about 4 cups of liquid. Pour 1/2 cup flan mixture into each prepared ramekin.Carefully pour boiling water into baking pan around ramekins. Water should come up to level of custard inside ramekins.Bake 40-45 minutes or until set around the edges but still a little loose in center. When center of flan is just set, it will jiggle a little when shaken. Remove from oven and immediately remove ramekins from water bath; cool on wire rack until room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.Serve cold and garnish with ground nutmeg. This dessert can be made up to 3 days in advance. Keep refrigerated until serving.

Tip: Use leftover pumpkin purée in a smoothie with yogurt, milk, sweet spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves) and a drizzle of agave nectar, honey or maple syrup.

Nutrition per (1 flan) serving
Calories 190
Fat 7 g
Saturated Fat 1.5 g
Cholesterol 110 mg
Sodium 220 mg
Carbohydrate 24 g
Fiber 2 g
Sugar 18 g
Protein 6 g

View the original article here