Please pardon the interruption to my series on wellness for this news briefing. I am sooooooooo excited to share this with you!!!!
Last Sunday I ran my very first 5K race. Yep, my very first one!!! It felt fantastic and I loved it. Okay, so let me be honest. I hate running. It stinks. But the feeling after you run is addicting. The "Whomp!!! You did it! You kicked some serious @$$!!!!" feeling. It's hard to describe, but it's a pure adrenaline rush.
Yeah me!!! Time: 28:09
There are a whole lot of reasons why I shouldn't run, the number one being that the orthopedic surgeon told me two years ago, "NO running!" But I'm a bit of a rebel. Since I hurt my shoulder, my training has been limited. Then came in the "I'm going for a 'NOT' run" (as I would tell my husband).
I have arthritis in my left knee. No torn meniscus.
The "NOT running" started last summer when I was doing interval training on the treadmill. I walked for two minutes, then increased my pace to my maximum for one minute. This maximum pace increased steadily to the point where I was running. "One minute, it's not too bad." Repeat this rotation for 24 minutes. I loved increasing my speed on the treadmill each time. Pushing my maximum effort to more than what I did before made me feel like I was accomplishing something. And I sweat like crazy, which proved to me I was working hard. I loved it.
drip,drip, drip
Then I started run / walking outside. Basically, I did the same thing as on the treadmill, only instead of timing it, I used driveways to mark my distance. This was even harder. Run: "Try to get to the end of the street." Walk. "Breathe, catch your breath. Breathe." Run: "Try to go a little further this time."
I even started running laps inside work on my late nights.
In November, I started running further distances without walking. I started at one mile and worked my way up a little bit gradually. And then I ran my first 5K race. Yeah!!! So psyched!!!
Our Team
So, why run? Why go against the doctor's orders? Here's the thing, I am by NO means telling you to go against your doctor's orders. Not by any means. Two years ago I weighed 50 lbs. more than I do now. I was no where near as strong as I am today. Not by a long shot. Not only that, I am a lot smarter about my own abilities and my own body. I recently saw a segment on The Doctors about this woman with MS who is running 7 marathons on 7 continents. If she can do that, I can certainly run a 5K. (Woman with MS to Run 7 Marathons on 7 Continents.) So, I took a calculated risk and so far it's come up okay.
Don't you just LOVE the pink headband with the cranberry shirt?
If my knee is wobbly or achey, I don't run. Running is nothing like riding my bike. But it's too cold to ride my bike and the roads are a mess due to the recent snow we've had. So...this lets me push myself. And...even though I hate it while I'm doing it, I like the way I feel after I run.
Sweat man...nothing like a good run to majorly sweat!
Questions for you... Do you run? Do you want to run? Do you think you could ever do a 5K? Do you wish you could? Send me an email and I'll give you some tips on how to get started. I am NO expert, not at all, but having JUST started, I can tell you what worked and did not work for me.'
Are you up to speed on my series on wellness? Check it out!
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Throughout my entire life I heard, "Breakfast is the most important meal." When I was on one diet or another, I often skipped breakfast to save calories or points. When I was fat, I hardly ever ate breakfast, except maybe donuts here or there and on weekends when I made pancakes for the kids.
So, why breakfast? What's so important about it? What about bacon? What about eggs? And is cereal any good?
I am three years into this fitness journey. I eat breakfast every day. I'll explain why later in the post. During the week, what I eat is pretty standard. I'll go through phases when I eat the same one or two things every day. But this is pretty much it:
Breakfast Option 1
2 eggs (either soft boiled or over easy) Use cooking spray to save on the fat from oiling your pan.
1 slice Arnold Double Protein bread, toasted
Coffee with half & half
Breakfast Option 2
Egg Fritata
Coffee with half & half
Breakfast Option 3
Protein Smoothie made with peanut butter
Coffee with half & half
Breakfast Option 4
1/2 Cup Oatmeal
1 serving fruit (mashed banana, fresh sliced berries, or a peeled, chopped apple)
1 Scoop Protein
Coffee with half & half
Yep, that's it. Every once in a while, if I'm not feeling well or am super tired, I'll eat a bowl of Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal with almond milk and call it a day. (Don't forget the coffee!)
On the weekends, if I am motivated, I might make protein pancakes. My cousin Jamie introduced me to Kodiak Cakes, with which I am just experimenting. I'll let you know what I think of them later on.
So, why breakfast?
There is definitely science to the importance of breakfast. You may or may not have heard the specifics, here they are in a nutshell:
A healthy breakfast helps to improve concentration and performance throughout the day,
Provides you with energy, which prevents fatigue.
Promotes overall healthier eating.
If I miss breakfast, I am off for the rest of the day. Recently I went home sick because I suddenly felt sick and thought I was going to pass out. What I didn't realize is that my blood sugar crashed. I was busy and skipped breakfast, had a protein shake mid-morning, which was low in carbohydrates. (I need carbs!) After I had it, I became ill. This doesn't happen every time I skip a meal, but having been obese for so long, I am still prone to pre-diabetic symptoms (hypoglycemia) I had pretty regularly three years ago (like blood sugar dips and spikes). Lesson for me? Keep peanut butter crackers in my desk.
I know most people who don't eat breakfast say they don't have the time to fix or eat breakfast, or they don't want the calories.
A healthy breakfast is worth the calories. You don't have to have an outrageous breakfast every day. Two eggs and a slice of whole grain toast is about 260 calories. In the overall picture of your day, that's a small percent. As far as the time it takes to make breakfast? Either make it the night before or have everything ready to make while you are getting ready in the morning.
When I have a protein shake, I put everything into the cup the night before and throw it on the blender when I am ready to eat it. It takes seconds. When fresh berries are out of season, I will throw frozen ones in at the last minute so the shake is frosty. I make my fritatas the night before. Even if I have oatmeal, I will put the dry oatmeal into the bowl before I go to bed. In the morning, I add water, microwave the oatmeal, add fruit and protein powder after cooking the oatmeal. Done. I have tried overnight oatmeal, but I don't like it.
Healthy Breakfast Options
What about bacon? What about eggs? And is cereal any good?
If you grew up in the 80s, you were told to stay away from eggs. Eggs are high in cholesterol. Don't eat eggs. Well, scientists have revealed that the cholesterol in eggs is not bad for you. So go ahead and eat your eggs. My fritatas (a fancy way of saying omelet) are made of egg whites and one egg. I like the yolk and I need my eggs to be somewhat yellow / orange.
Bacon, on the other hand is a processed meat. The fat and nitrates are something you should steer away from. However, a treat once in a while is not a bad thing. I have turkey bacon on hand, but I hardly ever eat it. Nitrates are nitrates whether it's pork or turkey.
Cereal is awesome. I love cereal. You want to choose cereals that are low in sugar and high in fiber. My absolutely favorite cereal is Kashi Go Lean Crunch. I don't tend to eat kids' cereal, although I do love Honey Nut Cheerios. Just make sure to read the labels. A bowl of Kashi is higher in calories than a bowl of Cocoa Puffs, but the former is higher in protein and fiber, making it a much better option.
Kashi Go Lean Crunch with 1/2 cup almond milk will satisfy me until my mid-morning yogurt. It might be higher in calories than Cocoa Puffs, but the protein and fiber are well worth it.
One of the reasons I don't eat cereal every day is I am conscious of my macros and I really need to eat protein at every meal. Cereal is lower in protein than what I normally eat for breakfast. This is why I usually add protein powder to my oatmeal.
Questions for you... What did you eat for breakfast today? Do you have a favorite breakfast recipe you will share with me? Email it to me today. Post your comments below.
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Food has been my life these past few weeks. I injured my back a little over a week ago and had to take some time off from working out. Instead of feeling lost without the gym, I went on a roll cooking and baking. Add to that, I've been to numerous Christmas parties, received Christmas cookies, and celebrated my son's 21st birthday.
Almost all of these recipes are no corners cut, so they are full fat and full sugar. As you are preparing for the holidays, plan your day so you have lots of fresh vegetables and lean protein, one light dessert option. Allow yourself a couple of "off the chart" treats and eat them in moderation. The key to long term success is to have an overall healthy nutrition plan and still be able to eat the things you enjoy in moderation. You don't want your daily week to week menu to be full of this kind of "full fat and full sugar" food, save it for special occasions, I follow flexible dieting, which allows you to eat what you want as long as it fits into your calories and macro-nutrients. I count every calorie! It has been very hard this season. I won't lie. But it is doable.
This post has a couple long time favorites and a couple new recipes I tried this season.
Appetizer Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts*, cooked and shredded
1 8 oz. packages of cream cheese
1/2 C Ranch dressing
1/2 - 3/4 C Buffalo sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot Wings Buffalo sauce)
1 C Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
1 package (bag) Tostitos Scoop tortilla chips, crackers or carrots and celery sticks
Optional:
Substitute Blue cheese dressing for Ranch dressing
If using Blue cheese dressing, substitute 4 oz. Blue cheese crumbles for the Jack cheese
*You can use canned chicken OR roasted / rotisserie chicken from Costco or your local grocers store. It's up to you. I put some chicken breasts into the oven.
Directions
Heat oven to 350F. Mix cream cheese and Ranch dressing together. Add Buffalo sauce. Pour into a 1 quart baking dish (or pie plate), stir in chicken and Jack cheese. Bake 30 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips, crackers or veggies.
Side Dish Twice Baked Potatoes
This is an annual tradition. I make these every year and serve them with our Christmas dinner. They are a nice treat! I make them ahead, freeze them and then bake them on Christmas day.
This is BEFORE baking a second time. I won't be doing that until Christmas day.
Ingredients
5 baking potatoes*
1 lb. bacon
1 C sour cream
1/2 C butter (1 stick)
2 C shredded cheddar cheese (or Monterrey Jack)
salt & pepper to taste
Directions
1. Bake your potatoes at 350F for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, however long it takes for them to be fully baked. If you pierce them before cooking them, do it on the side of the potato. You need 1/2 as many potatoes as the guests you expect to feed. I always make more than I need and usually buy larger potatoes for this.
2. Cook your bacon, pat excess fat from the bacon, cut up into crumbles.
3. When your potatoes are fully baked, cut them in half length wise. Scoop out the potato from the skin and place in a mixing bowl, set skins aside.
4. Mix sour cream, butter and potatoes until well blended. Add more sour cream or a splash of milk if necessary so the potatoes are a smooth consistency.
5. Stir in bacon, cheese and salt & pepper. Add more cheese if you like really cheesy potatoes.
6. Take potato mixture and place inside potato skins. You should be able to re-fill each skin.
7. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, place in a freezer bag and store until the day you plan to serve them.
8. Before serving, bake potatoes at 350F for 30 - 45 minutes.
Dessert Banana Cream / Pudding Pie This one really is a light recipe!!! No baking required.
Ingredients:
2 bananas, sliced
2 packages of sugar free pudding: I like this with vanilla pudding, but you can use chocolate or banana pudding if you like
3 C. low fat milk (or skim)
1 graham cracker crust (6 oz.)*
1 8 oz. container of light Cool Whip (or non-dairy whipped topping), thawed in the refrigerator
*If you use the larger crust (9 oz), increase other ingredients proportionately. (3 bananas, 3 pkg. pudding., 4 1/2 C milk)
Also, Keebler makes a low fat version of the crust if you like.
Directions:
1. Place sliced bananas in the bottom of the crust.
2. Mix pudding and milk until blended and thick. You MUST use less milk than the pudding recipe requires, or the pudding will be too soupy for the pie.
3. Place pudding over the bananas in the crust. Refrigerate until thoroughly set.
4. Serve with a dollop of whipped topping.
Other Pumpkin Bread I was on a baking binge this year with the pumpkin breads. I can't even tell you how many I made. I slightly modified this recipe from AllRecipes.
Ingredients:
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 C. coconut oil, melted
2/3 C. water
3 C. white sugar
3 1/2 C. all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
2 C. raisins
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray three 7x3" loaf pans with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separte bowl, whisk together remaining dry ingredients. Stir flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Stir in raisins. Pour into loaf pans.
3. Bake for 50 minutes in preheated oven. Toothpick test the breads to make sure they are done.
4. Cool on rack for 10 minutes, remove from pan. Allow to cool thoroughly.
I love the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Christmas Canon by Trans-Siberian Orchestra
I really enjoy the children's choir singing. Their voices are beautiful, accompanied by the stringed instruments. Makes my heart flutter when I hear it.
Questions for you:
(Answer in the comment section below.)
What did you do this weekend? Did you see Star Wars yet? How was it? Do you plan to see it? Have you seen any great Christmas movies this season?
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This weekend, we had three Christmas parties and my son's birthday (today). The basic survival plan was to plan, eat light whenever I could, make wise choices and drink lots of water. I talked about holiday eating in this post, "Planning for the Holidays." With my back injury, I have not been able to workout, so I have been cooking and baking like crazy. Tonight I made vegetable soup, pumpkin break and banana bread.
He is such a ham. Love.
I will be sharing some of my family's favorite recipes here: one appetizer, one casserole (or side dish), one dessert and one miscellaneous "other" type of recipe each week leading up to Christmas
(You can access more recipes here: My Favorite Recipes and More Recipes: Part Two)
These recipes are no corners cut, so they are full fat and full sugar. The best practical suggestion is to pick one or two for the big holidays, and then add lots of protein and fresh vegetables (with maybe one lighter dessert) to the rest of your menu. This will provide healthy choices and allow you some real treats. As I make these this season, I will post the pictures. For now, you'll have to trust my word that these are my absolute favorites!
Appetizer Crab Delights My Nanny in Florida used to make these for us. They are amazing! This is another appetizer you can make ahead, freeze and broil when you need them.
Ingredients
1 6 oz. can crab meat, drained
1 5 oz. jar Cheese Whiz (or other cheese spread)
1/4 C (one stick) butter, softened
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. parsley flakes
1 tsp. lemon juice
6 English muffins, split in half
Optional:
2 Tbsp. sliced green onion
1 tsp. lemon juice
Directions
Heat oven to 400F.
Combine crabmeat, Cheese Whiz, butter, mayonnaise, garlic powder, parsley and lemon juice. Mix well an spread over English muffins. Cut the muffins into quarters (or eigths) and arrange on a cookie sheet. Freeze on cookie sheet and store loose in a plastic bag to be used at a later date. Bake at 400F for 15 minutes. You can broil them for the last minute to get them toasty. If you cut into eights, serve with toothpicks.
Casserole Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
2 lbs. chicken (I use left over chicken from a roast chicken, but you can use frozen chicken)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 can white wine
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1 C. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 package Pepperidge Farms stuffing
1/2 stick butter Optional: 1 C. frozen green peas
Directions
1. Place the chicken on the bottom of a 9x9 or 8x8 pyrex casserole dish
2. Mix soup, wine and pepper. Pour over chicken.
3. If using peas, place over the soup now.
4. Spread cheddar cheese evenly over soup mixture
5. Melt butter in microwave, then toss with stuffing.
6. Place stuffing over the cheese.
7. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until bubbly. (If using frozen chicken, you will need to cook it longer, probably 45 minutes.)
Next step: Melt butter toss with stuffing, place over the top. Then bake until bubbly.
You can double (or triple) this recipe and serve to a larger crowd. This is a great meal to make ahead and throw in the oven shortly before serving. A friend of mine serves this as the main dish for her Christmas dinner, along with other side dishes.
A great way to use leftover chicken OR an easy dish to make ahead for a larger crowds.
Serve with veggies and a salad.
Dessert Cheesecake I got this recipe from my Aunt Jackie. I have made it over and over again throughout the years. I serve it with strawberries and sometimes with hot fudge.
I made this yesterday for my son, Mitch's birthday (he turned 21 today). It was so creamy and delicious!
Preheat oven to 450F Ingredients:
2 C graham cracker crumbs
(I use about 1 1/2 sleeves of graham crackers and make my own crumbs)
1/2 C melted butter (one stick)
1 C sugar, divided
2 lbs. cream cheese
1 C sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp. corn starch
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Directions:
1. Mix crumbs, 2 Tbsp. sugar and butter. Press mixture onto sides and bottom of 9" spring form pan. Chill while preparing filling.
I find it much less expensive to make my own graham cracker crumbs. I've bought the crumbs in the past and they sit in the box until the next time I make the cheesecake. By that time, they are stale. I hate the waste. My husband loves graham crackers, so it's a win win to make my own and I save money too!.
2. In mixer bowl, beat cream cheese and remaining sugar until smooth.
3. Beat in eggs, vanilla and cornstarch just until blended.
4. Stir in sour cream.
5. Pour into crust.
6. Bake 10 minutes at 450F. Reduce temperature to 200F and bake 45 minutes. Turn off oven: allow to cool with door opened slightly for 3 hours. Remove sides from the pan. Chill. Top with fruit pie filling before serving. (Or hot fudge!!!)
Optional: You could make a chocolate cheese cake by substituting Oreo cookies (without the filling) for the graham crackers and adding a cup of chocolate chips. I've never made it that way, but I have made other desserts with Oreo cookie crumbs for the crust and I think it might be a nice option.
Other Scallopean Pineapple This is a great bread stuffing casserole to serve with ham. We often have this with Easter dinner.
Ingredients:
1 quart soft bread cubes (4 - 5 cups)
3 eggs
1 C sugar
1 can crushed pineapple
1/2 C melted butter (1 stick)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Directions:
Beat eggs. Add everything, except bread cubes and stir together until well combined. Gently stir in bread cubes until thoroughly moist.
Place in a buttered baking dish.
Bake at 375F for 45 minutes. (It will take longer if the casserole is chilled.)
This song gives me the chills. It's another favorite Christmas carol
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day by Casting Crowns
This song sounds like angels singing in heaven. This particular version is my favorite.
What's your favorite appetizer to make (have) for / at parties?
Are you ready for Christmas? What do you have left to do?
Now: Subscribe to new posts! When a new post is added, you will receive an email notice so you can check it out. I promise: no SPAM and I won't share your email address with anyone. Look at the top right side of the page to subscribe.
Eating right during December is a real challenge. I talked about this last month in this post, "Planning for the Holidays." This coming weekend, we have three Christmas parties and my son's 21st birthday. (I can't believe he's turning 21!) The basic survival plan is to plan, make wise choices and drink lots of water.
Mitch brought us and our bikes down to send us off for the Ride to Remember in September.
I will be sharing some of my family's favorite recipes here: one appetizer, one casserole (or side dish), one dessert and one miscellaneous "other" type of recipe each week leading up to Christmas. (You can access more recipes here: My Favorite Recipes.) These recipes are no corners cut, so they are full fat and full sugar. The best practical suggestion is to pick one or two for the big holidays, and then add lots of protein and fresh vegetables (with maybe one lighter dessert) to the rest of your menu. This will provide healthy choices and allow you some real treats. As I make these this season, I will post the pictures. For now, you'll have to trust my word that these are my absolute favorites!
Appetizer Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip This is my own recipe, put together with ideas from various other recipes.
Serve with tortilla chips, veggies, crackers or pita...or whatever you want. It's delicious!
Ingredients
1 can artichokes in water, drained & chopped
1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained of all excess water
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 C. Parmesan cheese
1 C. shredded Swiss cheese
1 tsp. garlic powder
Drain all they water from the artichokes and spinach. (Not pictured: garlic powder, green onion or lemon juice.)
Optional:
2 Tbsp. sliced green onion
1 tsp. lemon juice
Directions
Heat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients, mix well. Spread in 1-quart casserole dish (or a 9" pie plate). Bake for 18-24 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve warm with fresh vegetable dippers, crackers or sliced pita. Store in refrigerator.
Mix ingredients, place in your dish and put in the oven.
Casserole This used to be a standard part of our holiday dinners, but my husband hates casseroles, so we serve fresh steamed green beans just for him now. Green Bean Casserole*
I totally forgot to take a picture of this after I made it. So this was taken when people "dug in". Note: I substituted peas for the beans.
Ingredients
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
3/4 C. milk
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
4 C cooked **green beans (or 2 cans cut green beans, drained)
1 1/3 C crispy fried onions (French's is best)
Optional: 1 C. diced red bell peppers
*Consider this: Substitute 4 C. frozen peas instead of green beans to make the same recipe with green peas instead! It's pretty amazing!
Directions
1. Mix soup, milk & pepper into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Stir in beans and 2/3 C crispy onions.
2. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until hot. Stir.
3. Top with remaining 2/3 C onions. Bake 5 minutes until onions are golden. **If using fresh or frozen green beans, use 1 pound.
Dessert Pistachio Supreme Cake You need one large tube pan. I recommend an Angel Food Cake pan, as a smaller bundt cake pan is too small. This is a holiday favorite!
When I was a kid, my mom would decorate the cake to look like a Christmas wreath. She would take some small red candies (usually red hots) and place them around the cake in clusters of three and sprinkle the top of the cake with green sugar and put a red ribbon on the cake. It was always so festive. I would have done that for you, but we don't have any red candies or green sugar in the house! I think you get the idea though. This cake is amazingly delicious!
Ingredients:
1 box white cake mix (no pudding in the mix)
3 boxes instant pistachio pudding
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/2 C milk
1/2 C water
5 eggs
1/2 pint heavy cream
1 8-oz container Cool Whip
Directions:
1. Mix cake mix, 2 package pudding, milk, oil and water until blended.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each,
3. Pour into greased & floured tube pan (I use cooking spray and then lightly flour it). Bake at 350F for one hour or until done.
4. Cool cake thoroughly before frosting.
Make sure to mix the eggs in one at a time!
Frosting
1. Beat heavy cream until peaks form.
2. Add 1 package pudding, mix well.
3. Add Cool Whip, mix well. Spread over cake. There is so much frosting, that I usually cut the cake in half horizontally and put frosting in the middle.
Tip: It takes a long time to beat the cream into a whipped cream consistency. Put your bowl and beaters in the freezer first. It helps to expedite the process. I think it took me about 5 minutes to get the cream to this point.
Other Baked French Toast This is great to make ahead, put in your oven before you go to bed on Christmas Eve, setting the timer on your oven for it to be ready when you everyone gets up. Serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit. Delicious Christmas morning breakfast.
Double recipe to make a 9x13" pan.
Ingredients:
1/4 lb. melted butter (1 stick)
3/4 C. brown sugar
5 eggs
1 1/2 C. milk
12 slices bread (I recommend using thick cut French Toast bread, or a nice cinnamon swirl bread)
cinnamon
ground nutmeg
Directions:
Pour melted butter in bottom of pan. Sprinkle brown sugar over. Combine milk and eggs. Place stacks of three slices of bread in pan. Pour eggs and milk mixture over bread. Sprinkle cinnamon and grated nutmeg on top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 325F for 25 minutes and 4 minutes at 350F, or until browned. Turn over to serve. (See note above about doubling recipe.)
Another of my favorite Christmas Carols...
Silent Night / Noche de Paz, sung by Gloria Estefan
I love to hear Silent Night sung in different languages. It's magical. I especially like the German version of the song, but I could not find a decent rendition on YouTube to share.
Questions for you: (Answer in the comment section below.)
What's your favorite side dish to serve with holiday meals? What's your favorite Christmas movie?
Now: Subscribe to new posts! When a new post is added, you will receive an email notice so you can check it out. I promise: no SPAM and I won't share your email address with anyone. Look at the top right side of the page to subscribe.
Eating right during December is a real challenge. I talked about this last month in this post, "Planning for the Holidays." Christmas is only three weeks away, so it's all about decorating, shopping, parties, baking, eating, and drinking. Throw in my son's birthday, and his girlfriend's too and you have a perfect recipe for eating too much.
I've been doing lots of cardio to help burn the extra calories. 35 minutes on the elliptical this morning...burned 461 calories!
Speaking of recipes, I promised I would share some with you. I will share one appetizer, one casserole, one dessert and one miscellaneous "other" type of recipe each week leading up to Christmas. These are my family's most favorite recipes. No corners cut, so they are full fat and full sugar. The trick is picking one or two for the big holidays and supplementing the rest of your menu with much healthier choices. As I make these this season, I will post the pictures. For now, you'll have to trust my word that these are my absolute favorites!
This is Christmas (circa 1985) at my Grandmother's house. Pictured here: My Aunt Debbie, my Dad, and my Grandma Trudy (may she rest in peace). I did some more decorating tonight and came across some Christmas things she made for me and gave me after I got married. It brought tears to my eyes. I miss her so much. She was always so good to me. She was also an amazing cook. I fondly remember the feasts she prepared for our huge Pippin family gatherings.
Appetizer Audrey's Sausage Breads This was given to me by a waitress I used to work with at Russell's Restaurant when I was in college. She was a lovely lady who died from lung cancer. She gave me this recipe at my bridal shower.
Pop these under the broiler until bubbly and they are a delicious hors d'oeuvre.
Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef (or substitute ground turkey)
1 lbs. sausage (porks-in-roll works well)
1 lb. Velveeta cheese
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1/2 Tbsp. parsley
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 pkgs. party ryes (found near the deli section of the store)
Directions
Cook meets, drain thoroughly. Pat dry with a paper towel to drain excess fat. Add chopped cheese and mix until cheese is melted. Add remaining ingredients and mix until creamy. Top slices of bread with meat/cheese mixture. Freeze on a cookie sheet. Store loose in a plastic bag. When ready to serve, broil 4-5 minutes or until bubbly. (Be careful not to burn.) These are great during holidays for friends dropping in.
Typically, I freeze these for 15-20 minutes. then store them loosely in a Ziploc bag.
Before serving, I broil them for 5-7 minutes until bubbly.
Amazing!!!
I have a thing for snowmen.
This is one of my cute snowmen ornaments.
I love how it reflects the Christmas lights on the tree.
Casserole Our all time family favorite: Spinach & Broccoli Casserole NEVER tell my mom I posted this here. This is an absolute favorite. Everyone loves it. But I am forbidden to share the recipe, so she can never know. Ingredients
1 box frozen chopped spinach
1 box frozen chopped broccoli
8 oz. cream cheese
1 stick butter, cut in half
1 C. Pepperidge Farm stuffing crumbs
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Directions
Thaw spinach and broccoli and mix together in a bowl. Add salt & pepper. Open the package of cream cheese and 1/2 stick of butter and melt in the microwave until completely melted. Mix together and pour on top of spinach and broccoli. Mix everything together. The the other 1/2 stick of butter and melt completely. Take one cup of stuffing and add to the butter. Mix the two together until the bread crumbs are moistened. Pour crumbs on top of the spinach and broccoli. Bake at 350 for 45 min - 1 hour.
Yields: 18 x 8 casserole, six servings
Go Patriots!
Dessert Chocolate Mousse Crown Pie This is the tastiest chocolate pie you will EVER eat.
Crust:
Cooking spray
12 oz. coconut
1/3 stick margarine
Grease pie plates with cooking spray.
Lightly brown coconut in frying pan with margarine.
Press coconut into pie plates.
Mousse:
2/3 C Kahlua
1/3 C cold water
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
16 oz. chocolate chips
3 large eggs (separated)
1/4 C. granulated sugar
1 pint whipping cream (whipped until stiff)
Mix Kahlua & water in large saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over the mixture. Let stand for one minute. Stir over low heat until gelatin is completely dissolved. Add chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Mix egg yolks, one at a time, using wire wisk. Cool completely to room temperature. In large bowl, mix egg whites until peaks form. Add sugar. Stir in one large tablespoon of egg mixture into chocolate an mix. Then take all of the chocolate mixture and put into the bowl of egg whites. Blend well. Gently fold in whip cream and whip until completely blended and smooth. Fold into coconut pie shells. Cover and let chill at least 7-8 hours. Top with whip cream.
My husband and younger son, Joey are Giants fans, so we have to keep the whole family happy when decorating the tree.
Other Cranberry Bread
Ingredients:
2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 C sugar
1/3 C melted butter
1 whole orange
1/3 C orange juice
2 Tbsp. Myer's rum
2 eggs, beaten
2 C cranberries, coarsely chopped
3/4 C walnuts or pecans
Directions:
Spray bread loaf pan with cooking spray, dust lightly with flour. Preheat oven to 350.
Combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and sugar in a bowl. Whisk together.
Place your orange into a food processor and puree, with skin.
Stir together the orange, melted butter, orange juice, eggs and rum. Stir into the flour mixture and until ingredients are well combined.
Wash and drain the cranberries. Coarsely chop the cranberries and break walnuts or pecans into pieces. Add cranberries and nuts to the batter.
Place into loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes, until tests clean when inserting a tooth pick. Optional: brush top of the loaf with melted butter and sprinkle granulated sugar over the top of the loaf.
(Modified from Cooks.com. Depending on the size of your loaf pans, this may make two loaves. I found their original recipe is too dry, so I added an orange to the recipe (instead of orange zest) and increased the eggs to two. This yields more batter, which is why I get two loaves out of this recipe. This is my FAVORITE cranberry bread recipe.)
One of my favorite Christmas Carols...
The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole
This is my son, Joey's absolute favorite carol.
Questions for you: (Answer in the comment section below.)
What's your favorite dessert for the holidays?
What's your favorite Christmas carol?
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