Dig Into The Dog's Dinner

Have you ever had a pudgy Poochie, a flabby Fido, or a rotund Rover?  If so, chances are you're already familiar with the green bean diet.  When your furry friend needs to shed a few pounds, simply replace a portion of his regular food with green beans -- plain old drained, canned green beans -- and watch the extra rolls disappear.  Works like a charm.  

Can you tell where I'm headed with this?  I bet you can.  This time of year, when we're all trying not to gain our body weight in MORE body weight, why not give the old green bean diet a try?  When you're not attending a holiday party or other splendidly catered event, eat like your doggie.  Replace a portion of the heavy starches and proteins on your plate with green beans or lettuce or cabbage or kale or anything else that's green and fibrous and will help fill you up without filling you out.  Nothing like a little extra fiber during this annual eating extravaganza, plus it's the perfect opportunity to try a new vegetable or two.    

Once the holidays are over, consider making this adjustment to your evening meal every day, and watch the extra rolls disappear!

Eat Thankfully

I just saw an article in the paper about how to save calories during Thanksgiving dinner by sticking to white turkey meat (no skin, of course!), a small helping of mashed potatoes (no gravy, naturally!) and loading up on extra green beans.  And I am begging you: Check your diet at the door, throw your willpower out the window, this is NOT the day for counting calories.  

And keep this in mind:  Perhaps you have a houseful of family and friends for dinner.  Maybe you've been cooking all day, with dear ones by your side, and you've resurrected traditional favorites that have been passed down for generations.  Or maybe someone else is doing most of the cooking and you're providing one or two of your most-loved contributions.  Either way, there probably isn't another meal during the year that is founded so much on love and togetherness.  Feed off  that, be well nourished by it, and be thankful for every single morsel.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Holiday That Keeps on Giving (for Eight Weeks)

(I first posted this article last year at this time, but it so perfectly sums up my feelings about the upcoming couple of months that I'm repeating myself.  And it's not even age-related!)

     Welcome to HalloweenThanksgivingChristmasNewYear's, that eight-week, what-just-happened holiday that comes out of nowhere, spins us around until we don't know WHAT color we're supposed to be decorating with, and then leaves us breathless and five pounds heavier in January.  Did anybody get the number of that sleigh?  Ah, the holidays.

     It's true that most of us put on a few pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Why is it always a surprise?  We've finally purged the house of the remaining Halloween candy that we HAD to stock up on just in case there was an unexpected invasion of record numbers of costumed toddlers in our neighborhood, or, let's be honest, maybe we just threw in the towel and ate the leftovers ourselves.  Then we kick off the season with the granddaddy of all meals -- Thanksgiving dinner -- soon after which we launch ourselves into a full festive frenzy by baking absurd numbers of sweets in the name of tradition.  You know as well as I do that once the dust settles and we stow our holiday habits for another year, those extra pounds will come off again.  But if you're starting to stress out about it, read on.

     With all the hustle and bustle and dashing around, don't let your fitness program fall completely by the wayside, but be reasonable.  If you're accustomed to working out five days a week, accept that that may be unrealistic during the holidays.  Allow yourself an abbreviated version of your normal routine, or if you usually work out an hour a day, aim for 30 minutes a day or an hour every other day.  Use that time wisely (and vigorously), and then get on with other things.

     Now, about that monster meal:  If you're like me, when Great Aunt Gertie's cornbread sausage stuffing is on the table, I am there.  Why on earth would you deprive yourself of something so heavenly that you only get to eat once a year?  Shame on you.  But that doesn't mean you should take leave of your remaining senses.  If your family customarily eats Thanksgiving dinner in the middle of the afternoon, have a very light breakfast so you're not gnawing on the tablecloth by the time the big bird makes its appearance.  Then treat yourself to normal size portions -- let me repeat that -- NORMAL SIZE PORTIONS of all your favorite things.  If you don't absolutely adore sweet potatoes with marshmallows and red cinnamon candies, skip them.  Eat what you love.  Put your fork down frequently, and take a deep breath or two between bites.  If you avoid the typical frenzied speed at which we often indulge, you might even notice when your body begins to signal that it's feeling full.  When it does, have one more bite of your most favorite thing and then stop.  A piece of Granny Franny's famous pumpkin pie?  A small one, perhaps.  A piece of every kind of pie on the buffet table?  Oh, let's not.

     And here's the kicker:  The day after Thanksgiving, get right back to business as usual.  Eat normally, exercise, and start looking forward to the next holiday.  As far as your body is concerned, it's not what you do between Thanksgiving and Christmas that's so important.  It's what you do between Christmas and the following Thanksgiving that makes the real difference.  During the holidays, pay a little more attention to your spirit and enjoy!

Do you have a trick for surviving Thanksgiving dinner?  Leave a comment!  (See the instructions in red after all the articles.) 

Stuff A Pumpkin

If you're carving pumpkins for decorations anyway, consider getting an extra one to scoop out and fill with this mouth-watering combination of goodies.  It's got BACON in it, and that's all I'll say about THAT.

PUMPKIN STUFFED WITH EVERYTHING GOOD
(Serves 2 - 4)

1 3-pound pumpkin, top cut off and seeds and pulp removed
1/4 pound of stale bread, cubed
1/4 pound of Gruyere, Swiss, or Cheddar cheese (or a combination), cubed
4 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and diced
2 cloves of minced garlic
1/4 cup of minced chives or scallions
1 tbsp. of minced fresh thyme

1/2 cup of heavy cream
1 pinch of nutmeg (grated fresh if available)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking pad or tin foil.  In a large bowl, combine bread, cheese, bacon, garlic, chives, and thyme and pack into empty pumpkin.  It should be well filled but not overflowing.  In a small bowl, combine cream and nutmeg and pour over contents of pumpkin.  The mixture should be moist but not swimming in cream.  Place top of the pumpkin back on and bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until contents are bubbling and pumpkin flesh is tender.  Remove top and continue baking for about 30 minutes, until liquid is slightly evaporated and top is brown.  Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Let's be honest.  You could combine the above ingredients and bake them in a combat boot and they'd be delicious.  But if you're feeling festive and you're going to the trouble of scooping out pumpkins anyway, this presentation would be a hoot. 

Enjoy!

I Dare You To Try This

Okay, prepare yourselves.  I'm going to say two words to you, and you're going to say just one back to me.  Ready?  Here goes:

Me:  Velveeta Fudge.

You:  Yuck! (Or possibly yuckie yuckie ewwwww, but that would be three words.)

I couldn't believe I was actually reading this recipe, but local foodie Jan D'Atri assures her readers that it is da fudge bomb, and we certainly wouldn't want to miss out on anything that good, so I'm passing it on.

VELVEETA FUDGE

3/4 pound of Velveeta cheese, cubed

2 sticks of butter

6-8 squares of unsweetened baking chocolate

2 tbsps. of light corn syrup

2 boxes (2 lbs.) of powdered sugar

1 tsp. of vanilla

1 1/2 cups of chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

In a double boiler or 3-quart saucepan, melt the Velveeta, butter, corn syrup, and chocolate over medium heat.  The mixture will become a yogurt-like consistency and might look like it's about to curdle.  (The thrills in this recipe just never end!) Remove pan from heat and mix in the powdered sugar until smooth and glossy.  Add the vanilla and nuts until well incorporated. Pour mixture into a buttered 9" x 13" pan and refrigerate until firm.  Cut into squares to serve.  

Jan notes that this fudge needs to be kept refrigerated or it will soften and adds that it can be kept in the refrigerator for weeks without losing any of its quality.  

It's worth a try, don't you think?  You first.  

What's Wrong With This Picture?

When it started to feel like autumn last week, I was thinking of apples and squash.  Now that's officially October, my thoughts are turning to pumpkins.  I just love all the different sizes and shapes and colors in big baskets at grocery stores this time of year.  Have you ever gone to an honest-to-goodness pumpkin patch and picked your own?  What a hoot!  But I digress.  I love the look of pumpkins and cleverly carved jack-o-lanterns for Halloween, but I most definitely do NOT like to eat pumpkin.  Not fresh, not out of a can, not in a pie, not in a cheesecake, no way, no thank you, no pumpkin for me.  Until I saw this recipe:  Pumpkin Bacon Macaroni and Cheese.  If you know me, you know that has my name all over it, except for the pumpkin.  But I am nothing if not adventurous, so I'm going to give this bad boy a try.  If you're an adventurer too, here goes:

PUMPKIN BACON MACARONI AND CHEESE

(With thanks to Lauren; serves 6.)

1 pound of short pasta, such as rotini

8 slices of bacon

1 cup of diced onion

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 cup of canned pumpkin (without pumpkin pie spices added)

1/4 tsp. of thyme

1/8 tsp. of cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

1 jar of prepared Alfredo-style sauce

3/4 cup of milk

1/2 pound of grated fontina cheese

1/3 pound of grated sharp cheddar cheese

Crushed Ruffles potato chips for garnish (optional)

Cook pasta to al dente, according to package directions, then drain.  Return same pot to stove and cook bacon until crispy, then drain on paper towels. When cool, chop bacon into small pieces.  In remaining bacon grease, saute onions and garlic.  Stir in pumpkin, spices, and Alfredo sauce.  Pour milk into empty sauce jar, replace lid, and shake vigorously, then add the milk to the pot.  Add the cheeses and stir while melting.  Stir in the pasta and half the bacon.  Spoon into serving dishes and top with remaining crumbled bacon and potato chips (if desired, and who wouldn't desire THAT?).  Eat it all up.

Now, honestly, with all that other glorious stuff in there, chances are you wouldn't even notice the pumpkin.  It might just add additional creaminess, which we would be willing to taste test, right?  Okay, let's try this wacky wonder.  You first.

 

 

Another Banner Day!

Wait no longer, here's your reason to celebrate the weekend -- it's National Chocolate Milk Day!  Remember chocolate milk?  Mmmmmmmm.  Way back there with the bologna sandwich on Wonder bread.  Those were the days. 

Fall In!

Fall is here, and while the desert autumn may not include brilliantly colored leaves and frost on the pumpkin, we do start to get a break from the heat, and naturally that makes us think of -- what else? -- apples and squash.  Maybe you're thinking of football games and Halloween and Oktoberfest, but I'm a foodie and I'm thinking about apples and squash.  So here are a couple of fall-inspired recipes:

MEZA LUNA LASAGNA 
(Serves 6-8)

1 large butternut squash, peeled, sliced lengthwise, and cleaned of seeds/string

Olive oil cooking spray

Salt and pepper

2 jars of Alfredo-style pasta sauce

1 package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained

15 ounces of ricotta cheese

1/4 tsp. of nutmeg

No-boil lasagna noodles

1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Slice the squash halves into half-moons about 1/2" thick.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and then sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Arrange the squash slices on the sheet in a single layer, spray them with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake until tender, about 35 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

In a sauce pan, warm the Alfredo sauce over low heat.  In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, spinach, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. 

To assemble the lasagna, coat the bottom of a 9"x13" baking pan with a little Alfredo sauce.  Place lasagna noodles side by side and top them with more  sauce.  Add a single layer of squash slices.  Top squash with more sauce and another layer of noodles.  Spoon the ricotta cheese mixture onto the noodles and spread it out to cover.  Top with more noodles and sauce and then the remainder of the squash slices.  Finish with sauce and the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.  Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.  Check for the tenderness of the noodles and then bake uncovered for 10 more minutes, until cheese is golden and bubbling.  Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.  

SQUASH CARBONARA 
(Serves 4)

1/2 large spaghetti squash, cooked and shredded with fork

(If you need pointers on cooking spaghetti squash, check out my post from September 1, 2011, where I extol the virtues of this magnificent vegetable.)

3 slices of bacon, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 clove of minced garlic

1/2 cup of light cream cheese, cubed

3/4 cup of milk

3/4 cup of baby peas

1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

While the squash is cooling, cook bacon in a skillet until crisp, then remove and drain.  Pour off the drippings and saute the garlic for about 1 minute.  Add cream cheese, milk, and peas and simmer over low heat until the cheese is melted.  Add squash and bacon and toss to coat with sauce.  Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. 

THE GOLDEN SLAW
(Serves 6-8)

1 bag of shredded green cabbage (make it easy on yourself)

1 cup of shredded carrots

1 Fuji apple, peeled, cored, and julienned

1 cup of dried cranberries

4 tbsps. of your favorite BBQ sauce

2 tbsps. of mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt

Salt and pepper to taste

To make the dressing, combine BBQ sauce and mayonnaise or yogurt, then season with salt and pepper.  Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and toss with the dressing.  Chill before serving.

So there you have it -- squash and apples and more squash.  Hello, Fall!

It's a WONDERful World

First Twinkies and now Wonder Bread?  Holy prune pits, how much excitement can we take?  It's true.  Flowers Foods, which bought Wonder Bread from the Hostess company years ago, is reportedly bringing it back to grocery store shelves as we speak.  I know, I know, it's nothing but over-processed white flour with precious little nutritional value and not a whole grain in sight, but think back for a minute.  Think back pretty far.  Do you remember the satisfaction of a bologna sandwich on Wonder Bread with lots of real mayonnaise?  Do you remember how the bread was so soft and fresh that it stuck to the roof of your mouth?  Those were the days, eh?  As I always say, we don't exercise every day so we can eat celery and carrots.  Let a little Wonder into your life (every now and then)!

DIY: Scottsdale

I should warn you that this post has absolutely nothing to do with new food groups, clever recipes, or superior sources of protein.  It has to do with food debris (an oxymoron if ever there was one).  I'm talking about the food debris that can build up in your kitchen sink and result in sloooooow draining -- not a clog, just sloooooow draining.  

When our sink started getting a little sluggish recently, we tried several commercial drain cleaners and put a couple of magic spells on it, but to no avail.  And running the garbage disposal just made the situation worse.  So we lived with it for a while (you know how you put off calling the plumber as long as possible with the hope that the problem will just magically fix itself?), but last week I decided enough was enough.  

I went online and searched "slow draining kitchen sink" and was treated to literally dozens of repair suggestions ranging from too simple to possibly do any good to replacing the entire sink.  I was hoping for something in between.   Then I pulled up a post from five years ago and found a suggestion from a retired licensed plumber who said, "Here's a little-known tip for clearing a slow-draining sink that most plumbers won't tell you."  I was all ears. 

Here's what he recommended:

Assuming you have a two-sided sink, plug the left (non garbage disposal) side.

Run water in the right side until the sink is almost full.

While the water is still running, turn on the garbage disposal.  

Stand back.

Well, let me first tell you just how loud a garbage disposal can get.  Yowza!  It started out kind of slowly, but then the draining water began picking up speed, and suddenly there was a distinct sucking sound and things started happening very quickly.  The rest of the water swirled out of the sink at a rapid pace and when it was all gone, I peeked down into the garbage disposal and there wasn't a drop of standing water remaining.  I turned on the water and the disposal again, and both ran with enthusiasm.  I put a piece of lettuce (harmless, right?) down the drain and ran the disposal again, and it ran with equal enthusiasm.  I resisted the strong urge to raise my arms in the air Rocky Balboa style and strut around the neighborhood -- it wasn't yet time for that kind of celebrating.  So I left the kitchen.

I went back half a dozen times in the next couple of hours and ran the same simple little tests, and the water continued to drain quickly and left nothing behind.  I was starting to feel a little cocky.  

It's now been five days, during which I have run the dishwasher twice (the kiss of death for a slow-draining sink because it leaves nasty food debris all over the sink), and I am declaring our kitchen sink REPAIRED.  By me.  Little old me.  Go figure.  Now my husband thinks I'm the most brilliant blond in the history of brilliant blonds, and I'm seriously thinking of getting myself a truck and a onesie coverall with my name embroidered over the left breast and going out into the community to do my good works.  It's remarkable how much a small victory in the kitchen can boost one's confidence.  

I wish I could send that retired plumber a "thank you" e-mail, but the posting is so old that I can't get through.  If you're out there anywhere, sir, my sink and I are smiling.

Next project:  Rebuilding the engine of my car.  I'm sure it can't be that difficult.

Cheap Nutrition

If you thought good nutrition was expensive, think again.  Here are ten of the most affordable foods on the market today:

1.)     Oats

2.)     Canned tuna fish

3.)     Fresh leafy greens

4.)     Dried beans and lentils

5.)     Pasta

6.)     Brown rice

7.)     Frozen vegetables

8.)     Yogurt

9.)     Eggs

10.)   Peanut butter and jelly

And I think we all recognize some of those same foods from lists we've seen of the best nutritional sources available.  We can eat right AND save money!

Good, Better, Best, Best Yet

You may recently have heard radio commercials describing a popular chicken recipe that's making the rounds.  It involves coating boneless, skinless chicken breasts with a mixture of (Best Foods) mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese, sprinkling them with bread crumbs, and then baking them.  Now, I am a mayonnaise girl, there's no doubt about it, and Best Foods (Hellman's on the east coast) is my mayo of choice, but consider replacing that mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt for a tangy flavor punch and a huge protein boost.  You could still combine it with Parmesan cheese and your favorite dried herbs for a boatload of flavor without quite so much fat.  I'm just saying.

 

Free Rice

The next time you have a few free minutes at your computer (you know, like when you're waiting for my next blog post), check out freerice.com.  It's a simple multiple-choice word game that enables you to donate rice to feed the hungry through the World Food Programme.  Keep your mind sharp and others fed.  What could be better than that? 

It's Always Something

If you're sitting around twiddling your thumbs wondering what could possibly liven up another boring Monday, twiddle no more.  Help is on the way!  Today is NATIONAL CHEESEBURGER DAY, and if that's not enough to get you into a festive party hat and dancing on the nearest table, then I don't know what is.  Now, go forth and do with that information what you will.  (But be sure to let me know if you eat anything good!)

Just Nuke it

I love vegetables.  And I mean, I LOOOOOOVE vegetables, pretty much any one you can name.  The only catch is that I prefer mine cooked rather than raw, and my favorite way to cook them is in the microwave.  Zapping them for a few minutes makes them tender crisp, not water-logged or dried out.  I even microwave my salad greens for 45 seconds before dressing them.  If you've never tried it, you would be amazed at the distinctive flavor of Romaine or butter lettuce, something you just can't discern when the greens are ice cold.  And don't even get me started on mushrooms, carrots, celery, sweet and hot peppers, onions, leeks, squash, eeeeeeeeek!

I recently discovered the beauty of microwaving corn on the cob -- four ears, husked, in the microwave for 3 minutes.  Cooked to perfection!  Last night, I tried it with a whole artichoke, one of my favorite things in the world.  I've cooked them in a big pot of simmering water on the stove (30-40 minutes), but this time I just trimmed off the sharp pointy leaves, placed it in a glass bowl with a little water in the bottom, then covered it with a plate.  Twenty minutes later, I had a tender, tasty, perfectly cooked artichoke (and did I mention that bad boy was enormous?!).  After cooking, slide a sharp knife down into the center to be sure the heart is tender. 

Now you can eat your vegetables AND save time!

Easy Peasy, Spinach Squeezy

Got 2 minutes?  Need a quickie appetizer?  Check this out.  And it's HEALTHY.  Combine 1 cup of plain nonfat Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup of light mayonnaise, 1 package of frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed to remove water), and 1 package of dry vegetable soup mix.  That's it!  Refrigerate until needed and serve with fresh vegetables, crackers, or crostini.  Of course, you could eliminate the mayonnaise and use only Greek yogurt, but what the heck.  You could also add tuna, shrimp, or diced chicken to boost the protein content and make it more of a meal.  And instead of a dip, it would be good on a baked potato, over cooked pasta, or stirred into scrambled eggs.  Use your imagination (and those two minutes you didn't know what to do with).  Enjoy!

My New Favorite HEALTHY Thing

Let's skip the sandwich. Huh?  Why would you want to skip a delicious satisfying sandwich when you can pile all your yummy fillings into a low calorie, low carb, high-protein, high fiber wrap?  You wouldn't, and you don't have to.  My new favorite thing is a tortilla called Let's Skip The Sandwich.  (You thought I was kidding, didn't you?  I never kid about food.  Never.)

My local store had four varieties of the generous-sized tortillas, including whole wheat, multi-grain, chia seed, and high-fiber.  I started with the plain multi-grain, which provides the following nutrients:  60 calories (hardly worth talking about), 2 grams of fat (ditto), 11 grams of carbs (of which 7 are fiber), and 6 grams of protein.  I haven't seen counts that impressive in a long time.  (No sign of a gluten-free variety, but if they aren't already producing one, it's only a matter of time.) 

I warmed mine in the toaster (for a little chewiness), loaded it up with my sandwich fillings o' the day, and folded it in half like a taco.  There was more than enough room for all the goodies, AND it didn't fall apart halfway through lunch.  They would also make scrumptious warm tacos, wraps, quesadillas (sweet or savory), and pizzas.  

So Let's Skip The Sandwich!  Look for them in your local grocery store and let me know how you like them.  

Juice it Up

I hate throwing out food.  Hatehatehate it.  I've been known to make leftovers out of leftovers.  Not so you could recognize them, of course, but they're still leftover leftovers.  You can ask my husband if they're tasty, and if you happen to ask him in person, please note that he is a robust and obviously well-fed individual.  So laugh at me if you must.

Not only do I hate throwing out food, I hate throwing out what comes with the food.  So I am going to share my latest secret with you: Juice.  That's right, juice.  Juice from pickles, olives, hot peppers, capers, pickled vegetables, beets, literally anything in your refrigerator.  When you use the last pickle, do not even think about throwing out that juice.  Save it, and if you're really clever, save it with all the other juices you've accumulated so you have a zesty mix.  Now, here's what you do with it:

1)  Mix it with a little olive oil for a salad vinaigrette.

2.) Add it to soups or sauces to liven them up.  

3.) Combine it with olive oil to saute meat or vegetables.

4.) Add it to plain Greek yogurt and fresh herbs for vegetable dip or for baked potatoes.

5.) Use it to deglaze the pan after browning meat or fish.  

6.) Combine it with mayonnaise or Greek yogurt to moisten tuna, chicken, or egg salad.  

7.) Add it to the tomato juice in your bloody Mary.  

8.) Dirty PICKLE martinis, anyone?

The beauty of this kind of juice is that it will keep for quite a long time, and you can just keep adding to it.  Of course, if the idea of old pickles sitting around in your refrigerator gives you the willies, just forget you read this article.  This tip is not for you.  But that also means that you have no sense of culinary adventure and are quite possibly no fun.  (Insert raspberry here.) 

Other ideas?  Let me hear them!

Squat, 2, 3 -- Ouch!

If you awakened this morning after yesterday's gym workout feeling stiff and sore, you're experiencing DOMS, delayed onset muscle soreness, which is just a fancy term for "Good workout!"  Fight the urge to stay in bed all day because the best thing you can do is move around.  Move gently, of course, but get the blood flowing to those muscles, and after they're warmed up, stretch them VERY gently.  

In addition, watermelon, ginger root, and tart cherry juice may help relieve some of that inflammation.  Not to mention an ibuprofen, a hot bath, and possibly a nice little glass of wine in the evening.  Whatever it takes!

Good workout!

 

Not Actually The Daily Double

Brace yourself.  A math teacher named Dan Anderson (whose cup apparently runneth over with free time) recently performed some simple calculations and discovered that, in fact, a Double Stuf Oreo cookie is really only stuffed with 1.86 times the amount of creme that's in a regular Oreo.  (Now I know why I've been lying awake at night.)   I'm guessing the "simple calculations" involved lots of creme scraping and a fair amount of cookie eating, but then it's summer, after all, and Mr. Anderson was probably anxious to be able to share a lively "What I Did With My Summer Vacation" story when classes resume. 

So there.  You heard it here first.  Now you can turn your attention back to something that really matters.