Happy Thanksgiving!

Theodore Roosevelt
Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds.

William Shakespeare
Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast.

I considered not even turning on my computer today but the I realized how many of my recipes are on my laptop.  Enjoy the Pumpkin Smoothie which I'll be making again this morning!

Deliciously Low-Fat Pumpkin Smoothie

adapted from healthful pursuits

Ingredients

1 cup milk 

(or non-dairy milk such as Soy or Almond milk)

1 cup pumpkin Puree

1/2 banana 

1 tablespoon flax seeds

1 teaspoon  pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

pinch ground nutmeg

pinch ground cloves

pinch all spice

Ice

Whipped topping (optional)

Instructions:

Place everything but whipped topping in the blender.

Blend until smooth

Sprinkle with cinnamon if you’d like!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Meatless On Monday #16 Healthier Holiday Sides

It's that time a year again! I looked for stats on how many calories the average American eats on Thanksgiving.  I found numbers ranging from 3,000 to 5,000!  Marie Claire had a great breakdown HERE of different foods and their caloric content.

Below are a few healthier sides.  Some I kinda just threw together and they're "hubby approved," others I found around the web and plan on trying this week.

Sesame-Ginger Broccoli Slaw
dressing from one lovely life

For sesame-ginger dressing:

4 Tbsp rice vinegar

2 Tbsp canola oil

1 Tbsp sesame oil (it’s not too strong in this. Promise.)

5 tsp soy sauce

4 tsp sugar

2½ tsp fresh ginger, minced

2 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

½ tsp pepper

½ tsp Asian chile sauce (optional)

For the salad:

1- 12 ounce bag Broccoli Slaw

1/8 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup fat-free feta cheese, optional

*Extras* 1/4 cup shredded carrots, 1/4 cup shredded purple cabbage, chopped celery

Directions: 

In a jar or lidded airtight container, combine dressing ingredients and shake to combine well.

In a large bowl combine salad ingredients.

Up to an hour before serving, toss just enough dressing with the salad mixture to coat. You’ll likely have leftover dressing.

OR...My favorite...Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Garlic!

Fat-Free Sweet Potato Fries
from fitness magazine

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound total)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly coat a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Scrub potatoes and cut lengthwise into quarters. Cut each quarter lengthwise into four wedges. Arrange potatoes in a single layer in pan. Coat lightly with cooking spray.

2. Combine salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl; sprinkle over potatoes.

3. Bake for 20 minutes or until brown and tender, turning once.

I know I'll be making the Broccoli Slaw this Thanksgiving.  My hubby keeps asking if there's anymore left!

Let's Talk Turkey!

The last  2 years I have used a brine recipe from Martha Stewart.  We have a love/hate relationship!  I love this recipe but I'm thinking about trying something new this year.  One of my very first blogs I started following is Dog Island Farm.  I found them from Homegrown.org.   I'll share both recipes since I'm still on the fence about which recipe to use.  

I love Rachel's recipe for "The Best Turkey You'll Ever Eat."

Martha's Turkey

"The Perfect Turkey"
from Martha Stewart
Ingredients

3 cups coarse salt, plus more for seasoning

5 cups sugar

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped

2 medium leeks, white and pale-green parts only, rinsed and coarsely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

2 dried bay leaves

3 sprigs fresh thyme

3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

Freshly ground pepper

1 fresh whole turkey (18 to 20 pounds), rinsed and patted dry, giblets and neck reserved for gravy

Directions

Put salt, sugar, onions, leeks, carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, peppercorns, and 10 cups water in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, stirring until salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from heat; let brine cool completely.

Add turkey, breast first, to the brine. Cover; refrigerate 24 hours. Remove from brine; pat dry with paper towels. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with rack in lowest position. Stir together melted butter and wine in a medium bowl. Fold a very large piece of cheesecloth into quarters so that it is large enough to cover breast and halfway down sides of turkey. Immerse cloth in butter mixture; let soak.

Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack set in a roasting pan. Fold wing tips under turkey. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper inside turkey. Loosely fill body and neck cavities with stuffing. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Fold neck flap under; secure with toothpicks. Rub turkey all over with softened butter; season with salt and pepper.

Remove cheesecloth from butter mixture, squeezing gently into bowl. Reserve butter mixture for brushing. Lay cheesecloth over turkey. Place turkey, legs first, in oven. Roast 30 minutes. Brush cheesecloth and exposed turkey with butter mixture. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Roast, brushing every 30 minutes, 2 1/2 hours more; cover with foil if browning too quickly. If making gravy, add giblets and neck to pan 1 1/2 hours after reducing temperature; roast 30 minutes, and reserve.

Discard cheesecloth; rotate pan. Baste turkey with pan juices. Roast, rotating pan halfway through, until skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees and stuffing reaches 165 degrees, about 1 hour. Transfer to a platter. Set pan with drippings aside for gravy. Let turkey stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes. Garnish, if desired.

"The Best Turkey You'll Ever Eat"

From Rachel at Dog Island Farm

Ingredients:

For Brine:
1 gallon unsweetened apple juice
3/4 cup salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6-8 slices of ginger
2 Tbs peppercorns
2 Tbs allspice berries
2 Tbs whole cloves
2 bay leaves

Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pan. Stir in salt and sugar. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes and then allow to cool completely.

Unwrap the thawed turkey, remove the giblets and place neck end down into clean cooler. Pour cooled brine over the bird. Add water until the bird is completely submerged. Add a bunch of ice on top to keep cool. Put lid on cooler and leave undisturbed for at least 12 hours.

For Roasting:

1/4 lb butter (1 stick) cut into pats
2 Tbs chopped fresh rosemary
2 Tbs chopped fresh Thyme
2 Tbs chopped fresh Oregano
2 cups chicken broth
Olive Oil

1. Remove bird from brine and let brine drain out of cavity. Don’t rinse bird.
2. Coat roasting pan with olive oil and place bird breast side up in it.
3. Using your hands separate skin from breast and legs. Rub the chopped herbs onto the meat.
4. Place the cut pats of butter under the skin in various locations, including the legs. Pour chicken broth over bird.
5. Cover bird with lid of pan or foil and place in a preheated oven at 350 deg.
6. Roast for two hours basting every hour. Remove foil and allow bird to brown, basting every 20 min.
7. Continue to roast bird until interior temp reaches 165 deg. Can range from 1-2 additional hours depending on whether the bird is stuffed. Make sure when taking the temp that the thermometer is through the thickest part of the breast and is not touching bone.