More to Tips to Eating Healthy this Thanksgiving

Eat Right This Thanksgiving
Family Fun on Thanksgiving
Watch the Fat, Add Flavor to Your Thanksgiving Meal
(The American Dietetic Association's tips from years past. Short, sweet, and to the point!)

Thanksgiving Healthy Eating Tips (Comical, cute, and true!)

A Healthier Thanksgiving Stuffing (Good idea! I like the idea of forgoing canned items and making foods from scratch, especially when the time and effort is minimal! Kudos for switching to whole grain as well!)

Surviving the Holiday Season in Good Form! (Food, teeth, skin, and feet! Find ways to keep your entire body in shape this holiday season!)

Vegetables are the Root of Nourishing Holiday Meals! (Veggie-licious!!)


Gobble Gobble!

Vegetarian Pasta Dish (aka Bean Bolognese)

I've had this recipe sitting on my counter for awhile now. The right time finally came along where I needed a quick dish that I could cook in bulk and use as leftovers for the busy, upcoming week. I'm not usually a fan of pasta; I think it's highly overrated! :) It's high carbohydrate and high calorie in the usual American style of preparation and without enough protein or vegetable to ward off hunger for more than an hour or so. BUT this recipe, courtesy of Nutrition Action, intrigued me. And my interest paid off- it is yum yum yummy and of course provides long-term satiety with the addition of protein (beans and whole grain pasta) and fiber (beans, whole grain pasta, vegetables!) Give it a whirl!!











Bean Bolognese
If you use a food processor to mince the vegetables, just pulse a few times. Don't puree them.

Ingredients
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 onion, minced
1 large carrot, peeled and minced
1 large celery stalk, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
2 cups dry white wine
3 cups fat-free milk
1 15 oz. can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 1/2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2" cubes
1 15 oz. can no-salt-added white beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can no-salt-added kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp. kosher salt (or 1 1/2 tsp. regular salt)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 lbs. whole wheat pasta
1 oz. freshly grated Parmesan, about 3/4 cup

Heat 6 Tbs. of the olive oil in a heavy, large pot over medium heat.
Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Saute until the vegetables begin
to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, bay
leaf, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Add the wine, milk, tomatoes, and squash. Simmer until the sauce
thickens and the squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 20
minutes. Stir in the beans. Season the sauce with up to 2 tsp. kosher
salt and pepper to taste.

When you're ready to eat, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling
water until just tender, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta,
return it to the pot, and toss it with the remaining 2 Tbs. of olive
oil. Top with the sauce and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Serves 12.

Per Serving (1 cup sauce + 1 cup cooked pasta and 1 Tbs. Parmesan)
Calories: 440
Total Fat: 11 g
Sat Fat: 2 g
Protein: 16 g
Sodium: 440 mg
Cholesterol: 10 mg
Carbohydrates: 65 g
Fiber: 10 g

Tips to Keep Your Waist to a Minimum Throughout the Holidays!

I can't let a major holiday pass us by without a mention of healthy eating and portion control, can I?! I know what you're thinking "I know this. I already know all of this!" Yes, that's all very well and true, BUT this year I want you to do more than just tell me you know all about it and actually participate in it!

Tips to Avoid that Unwanted Weight Gain from 11/26 to 01/01!
1. Have a game plan.
Have a plan and stick to it. One of the worst things to do is to starve yourself all morning to save up and overeat at meal time. Sure. Mom and Dad have prepared their famous once-a-year side dish and how can you say no? You can't! I agree. But, you can have a plan to NOT overeat. The best think you can do is eat regularly, per usual. For example, if Thanksgiving meal time is at 5pm, then plan accordingly. Have breakfast at 8am, lunch at 12pm, a SMALL healthy snack at 3pm, and then you're ready for dinner at 5pm withOUT that ravenous feeling.
2. Choose One Plate and Have Portion Control
Why is it that you need to eat two plates at meal time? You don't. I'm sure Mom and Dad have made plenty of food and there will be days worth of leftovers. REPEAT: DAYS of leftovers!!! That means you get to eat those once-a-year delicacies for the entire next week! Yay! I'm not even going to suggest avoiding those tasty high fat dishes. Give yourself permission to have them, BUT only give yourself permission to have one serving! (REPEAT: THERE IS ALWAYS TOMORROW!)
3. Choose One Dessert
I'm almost on repeat here. Read above. Skip the cookies and store bought pecan pie. Why not indulge in grandma's homemade strawberry rhubarb pie or Auntie Jane's sweet potato pie?! Now that is worth the extra calories! Skip items that you can have any ol' day. Skip items that are not your favorites. Don't eat something just because it's there. Remember, it's your waist line that will pay later! (...and your overall health. Don't forget that usually tends to put a dent in your wallet too! Was that second, third, fourth piece of [fill in the blank of your favorite food] really worth it?!)
4. Skip the Liquids
Research has shown that we don't account for the calories we consume in liquids whether it be juice, soda, or alcoholic drinks. Meaning, if we drink our calories, we don't reduce our caloric intake by eating fewer calories later on. What does this mean? Excessive calories per day, which then equates to weight gain. And quick weight gain! Bring in the alcohol and uh oh, you have a disaster waiting to happen. Holiday drinks are usually quite calorically dense. And as most of us know, when we start drinking, then we want to eat (more.) As everything else, either avoid this waist line danger OR limit yourself to ONE drink!
5. Exercise Exercise Exercise
Getting up and moving doesn't mean you have to go run a marathon! (But, please do if you feel so inspired! ;))Why not go for a 20 minute walk with Uncle Joe who you haven't seen in 6 months? Why not take your new niece for a walk in her stroller?! She likes fresh air too even if she can't walk yet. And ya know, Buster over there, well dogs like there exercise too! Make it fun! Make it a family event!

Here's to a happy holiday and a smaller waist line! Good luck! :)

From Mabel's Kitchen

Mabel is my grandmother; she's still alive and kicking! :) When I think of her I think of three things.

1. 'I'm a bel not a ble.' In response to how to spell her name.
2. I'm not sure if I should be admitting this, but one of my fondest memories of Mabel is when I used to visit her when I was little. We would sneak downstairs in the middle of the night and eat celery and PB. Sometimes she'd go down to the kitchen, get the needed ingredients, and bring it back up to bed. Grandmas rock! :)
3. Her ability to please anybody (even me- a once very picky eater) with her indescribable ability to cook the most amazing, creative, inventive meals. This brings me today's post- in pre-Thanksgiving fashion.

My favorite Thanksgiving dish (although technically just a side) is cranberry relish. I'm sure you can get the recipe right of the package of cranberries, but I learned from the best!

Delectable Cranberry Relish
Puree cranberries.
Puree an orange- skin and all.
Using a spoon, blend together in a bowl.
Add sugar to taste.
Refrigerate and serve cold! YUM! Enjoy!

Quinoa Monday?!

Tomorrow is Monday and for those of you who are unaware, there is a push to have Americans reduce their overall meat consumption. The USDA has been advocating for an increased intake of beans and legumes (among other food items) in the American diet; you can find this information at mypyramid.gov. You can also read about dietary guidelines for Americans here. Skip to page 24 where the government recommends 3 CUPS of beans/legumes PER week! (Unfortunately, Americans are not reaching this goal!) There is a great website that advocates meatless meals one day a week- Meatless Monday.

When I was making dinner tonight, all of this popped into my head. I thought 'Geez. I really think most people would like this.' I completely realize that not everybody is going to become a vegetarian (nor do I think that everyone in the world should.) And of course I am not going to recommend tofu to a 'die hard' beef lover... BUT, I truly love the idea of meatless anyday for anybody and everybody (vegan, vegetarian, omnivore, carnivore!) Give it a shot.

Tonight I made Quinoa Stuffed Peppers! Follow the recipe as is! It's quick and easy. The hardest part is grating the carrots and then waiting for these tasty peppers to cook. Do some laundry, read a book, or help your kids with their homework while you wait. It's worth it!

Savory Shrimp and Sweet Potato Stirfry

It's late. I just got home from work. What's a quick, healthy dinner?! I have a sweet potato and an onion sitting on the counter. Oh ya! I have frozen vegetables and some frozen shrimp in the freezer. Well, I think a stir-fry should work! But, I'm tired of the plain, old, regular, yada-yada stirfry, aren't you?! With a little imagination and some quick thinking, I came up with the following (tasty, if I don't say so myself!) 30 minute recipe!

Savory Goodness!
Wash sweet potato and slice thinly. Put a smidget (yes smidget. Smidget = <1tsp) of butter or oil in the frying pan. (I used olive oil.) Slowly pan fry the potatoes. (I find that the addition of a bit (bit = <2 tbsp) water helps to quicken the cooking time!) Simultaneously, I chop up the onion into ringlets. In another saucer or frying pan I place a smidget of oil or butter and cook the onions until they are turning light brown! (Be sure to not burn them!!) Keep stirring and flipping both frequently. And remember to keep on the heat on low. While the potato and onion are cooking, bring some water to a boil. Add in frozen broccoli and cook for 4-5 minutes or until done. While the water is boiling for the broccoli, be sure to take the shrimp out of the freezer and defrost in the microwave or under cold water! (I recommend using the microwave or planning in advance and taking the shrmip out of the freezer in the morning and placing them in the refrigerator for the day to defrost. Running cold water to defrost is such a waste albeit quick!) In a fourth pan, add a smidget of butter/oil. Toss in shrimp and cook for 2 minutes on each side.



As all four ingredients begin to finish cooking, choose the largest frying pan to use as the final destination. Be sure to drain the broccoli before adding to the main pan. Stir all ingredients together and add cinnamon and all-spice (to taste!) As a final little relish, drizzle a bit (bit=<1tsp) maple brown syrup into serving dish. (I used locally-made organic maple brown syrup! YUM!)



Immediately thereafter, transfer that exquisite medley from pan to dish! Eat up! Enjoy!
















For those of you who are curious, this recipe made two dishes for me. (Feel free to increase your portions if needed!) The ingredients in quantities are as follows:

1 medium onion
1 small sweet potato
total of <3 tsp butter/oil
1/2 bag frozen broccoli (or approx 2 cups)
6 large frozen shrimp
1 tsp maple syrup
sprinkle of ground cinnamon
sprinkle of ground all-spice

Divide by two and each dish is approximately 300 calories and 7 grams of total fat. Add a glass of wine or a glass of low fat milk or something else tasty and you have a filling, healthy, delicious 400 calorie dinner in 30 minutes!

My Life in France! by Julia Child

I recently finished reading My Life in France by Julia Child. What an inspirational book! My recollection of Julia Child was nothing more than the memory of a very tall woman with a strange voice who had a TV cooking show that aired on the weekends. When she was on TV I was just a child, but something even then was mesmerizing about her.

I find it fascinating that a women with little skill and knowledge of cooking food- let alone French Cuisine- became such a master chef. It was her passion and love of food that led her to accomplish so much. She tediously- and lovingly- tested and retested each recipe numerous times. She had a love for science; she wanted to know why a recipe worked and why it didn't work.

At times the book is humorous and I surprisingly couldn't stop laughing. For most of the book, you really felt as though Julia Child was right there with you. I kept reading with an excitement and strong desire to find out 'what's next?!' The detailed descriptions of the entire experience of preparing, cooking, and eating a meal makes me want to prepare all of my own meals from scratch. And the vivid depiction of the landscape make me want to travel. Living in the city, you sometimes get too busy to notice the simply beauty of life. Julia Child makes you want to drop everything, slow down, and find peace, serenity, and passion.

Besides cooking, this book sheds light into her personal life- her love life with Paul Child. It is a true inspiration. When I see so many divorces and heart breaks these days, this book sheds light on the possibility of long-lasting true love. They complimented each other so well! I don't think individually they would have accomplished all that they did without the accompaniment and support of the other.

All-in-all, this is one of the best books I have ever read. Minus some of the french phrases, it was an easy read. Whether you have a love for life or cooking, this is a must read book! Happy Reading!

A couple of my favorite quotes from the book include the following:

p. 157 "But then the horrors of moving would creep up on us. 'Honestly, I groan when I think of starting over in a new place,'' Paul grumbled. 'No wonder newborn babies cry so much... If variety is the spice of life, then my life must be one of the spiciest you ever heard of. A curry of a life!'"

p. 328 "Learn how to cook- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!"

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Demystified!

I have to admit I've put off making a pumpkin pie using a real pumpkin (versus that not-so-real 'yucky' can stuff) for years for unknown reasons and fears. Today I tackled that fear. I really had no idea where to start so, like everything and everyone else in the world today, I googled it. And what I found were easy, step-by-step instructions by Pickyourown.org! I followed the directions almost precisely with the exception of using a lot less sugar for the pie itself (vs crust). I think I used just over a half cup instead of the 1 cup it called for. (gasp!)

Demystification of REAL Pumpkin Pie Making!
1. It is not hard at all to make a pumpkin pie from scratch. It is quite effortless.
2. Neither is it time consuming. You cut the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. (SAVE THE SEEDS. Toasted pumpkin seeds are YUM YUM YUM! And now you can't get that from a can! Can you?!) While it cooks, you make the dough. As you finish making the dough and strategically place it in the pie dish, magically and coincidentally the pumpkin is cooked. Scoop out the goo (or in more proper terms- pumpkin flesh) and follow directions. Voila! You're done. Now you just wait in anticipation for an hour for it to bake. Ha! Now that's the hard part! (You know I'm right...:))
3. All-in-all, the hardest part has nothing to do with pie making. It is cleaning the oven from all the spillage. (Of note- the spillage is due to my new found quavering hands apparently, not due to some pumpkin ghost trying to keep me away from making a real pumpkin pie ever again! :) So luckily, you the general public, can ignore this point all together now!)
4. I have to admit the texture is quite different from that 'yucky' can stuff. :) The texture is more grainy (despite my minutes of meticulous blending with my hand blender. And yes, I am kinda old school. No fancy blender here.) To be honest though, the texture and taste is a million times better than that 'yucky' can stuff.
5. Just give it a whirl! The preparation is quite painless and in the end when you've accomplished that 'OMG. ...really challenging recipe...' you'll be smiling from ear to ear! Promise! Enjoy!

PS- the cooked pumpkin pie picture looks as though the crust burned. It is a fallacy. Random Fact- spilled pumpkin pie mixture makes your crust looked burned! Steady hands required! Good luck!

Swordfish Delicacy

I always hear how fish 'just takes too long' to cook. Well, I can't say I ever thought that, but I can say that I have overcooked fish and the desire to try again sometimes goes out the window. But, to my delight, I had the most wonderful experience tonight! I cooked swordfish that almost melted in my mouth. The cooked fish was soft to the touch of my fork and easily crumbled. It was a visual delicacy; too bad I forgot to take a picture. The top was a dark crispy brown and the inside was a soft mushroom gray/white. The first bite was an explosion of pleasant pungency likely from the dressing combined with an almost ice cream-like smoothness! I swear I have never tasted anything so good! And to think I cooked it! :)

Swordfish cooked to perfection!
Fresh swordfish (ideally fresh, but frozen works too. Just be sure to properly defrost.)
Marinate fish in your favorite sauce. I used an organic roasted garlic balsamic vinegar salad dressing (40 calories per 2 Tbsp for all those calorie conscious folks out there!)
Place fish in baking sheet. (Be sure to coat bottom of pan with oil to prevent sticking.)
Broil for 9-10 minutes (individual ovens usually vary.)
Followed by a quick bake at 350 degrees for 5-6 minutes (again individual ovens usually vary.)
Voila! It's done!
At the same time cook up your favorite quick side dishes and now you have perfection in 15 minutes or less. You can't get better than this! Enjoy!

Know Your Fats!

It's frustrating isn't it? You're trying to eat healthfully to decrease your risk for heart disease, but there are SO many mixed messages from the media. 'Do this... Don't do this...' How many times have you heard a contradiction of something else you heard the day before? Probably too many to count; I know.

So let's see if I can make it simple!

All fats are not created equally! (REPEAT: ALL FATS ARE NOT CREATED EQUALLY! Just checking to make sure you're listening! :))

There are FOUR different kinds of fats.
1. Monounsaturated fats (MUFA)
2. Polyunsaturated fats (PUFA)
3. Saturated fats (SFA)
4. Trans fats

1. MUFA are your number one heart healthy choice. You want to choose these types of fats most often. MUFA include walnuts, almonds, avocado, olive oil, canola oil...
2. PUFA are your second heart healthy choice, only second to MUFA. PUFA include vegetable oils and fish...
3. SFA are fats you want to limit. You need a small amount of saturated fats for your body to function normally. SFA are found in animal products mostly such as meats and dairy products.
4. Trans fats are mostly human made. These do more bad than good in your body. The amount you need is essentially zero. They are found mostly in baked goods and pre-made foods.

Fat Rules
1. Limit your total fat per day to 25% of your calories
2. Limit your saturated fat to 7% of your calories
3. Limit your trans fat to 1% of your calories

Fat Confusion: Fat versus Cholesterol
Research is showing us at the type of fat is having a greater impact on our risk for heart disease than cholesterol alone. Cholesterol- a waxy substance found in animals- does not necessarily increase the cholesterol (specifically LDL cholesterol) that we are measuring. Eating an egg a day is not likely to increase LDL (in the general population. There is a small percentage of people who will see an increase or decrease in their blood cholesterol levels based on the amount of cholesterol-containing foods they consume , but this is not common. How do you know if it's you? Trial and error with dietary changes in your diet followed by a blood test.) There are benefits of eating eggs and shrimp and other cholesterol containing foods which out weigh the minimal risks of the cholesterol content. For example, eggs and shrimp are both sources of lean protein which help to keep you satiated! (Just be sure to not add butter, cheese, or excessive oil- of any type!) Some eggs contain omega 3 fatty acids, which also have heart healthy benefits!

What we also now know with more clarity is that saturated fat will increase your LDL and trans fat will increase your LDL and lower your HDL. This is much more significant than the role of cholesterol per se. (LDL is your bad or lousy cholesterol; we want this number to be low. HDL is your good cholesterol; we want this number to be high!)

All foods in moderation! Be aware of what you're eating. And always remember portion control! :)

Enjoy!

The Bottom Line!

Dietary Fats (in detail!)

Know your fats!