Italian Arugula Salad

So this salad recipe I really cannot take full credit for. It isn't exactly my recipe. I got this wonderful salad recipe from Real Housewife New Jersey star, Teresa Guidice's cookbook, Fabulcious. It is a really good cookbook, by the way. She has a lot of excellent recipes. Many of them of I tweeked to fit my personal needs and goals. However, the basis of them are great. This salad that I am sharing with you is so easy. And I know I say all my recipes are easy, but this one really is!

Italian Arugula Salad

2 bags of Arugula Salad
1 pint of cherry tomatoes (washed and sliced in half)
Olive Oil
Lemon Juice
Parmesan Cheese

1. slice the cherry tomatoes in half and mix with Arugula salad
2. drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice and Parmesan cheese

Serve and Enjoy!!

(You see I told you it was easy!)

Cream of Carrot Soup

Okay this recipe is not exactly spring or summer friendly but it is still very good and if you have with a nice garden salad topped with cherry tomatoes, yellow peppers, cucumbers and onions it will give it that spring/summer feel. This recipe is quite simple and shouldn't be too overwhelming.

Cream of Carrot Soup

6 large fresh carrots or 24 baby carrots
3 cups of vegetable broth
2 medium white potatoes
1/2 cup of non fat cream
1/2 tsp. onion and garlic powder mixture
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 cup water
1 cup of garlic onion croutons

1. Peel the potatoes and carrots
2. cut them into chunks and put them into the vegetable broth and water
3. allow them to simmer for 25 minutes and then puree it in a blender
4. add the spices and the cream and stir well
5. serve with garlic onion croutons

Healthiest Pasta Salad

I know that pasta gets a bad reputation. I hear it all - filled with carbs, high in fat (which by the way isn't even true!) and filled with empty calories. Well some of this is true if you buy the white flour pasta and add lots of cheese, sauce, meat and fattening oils. But if done correctly it actually can be not only not bad for you but actually good for you and very, very healthy!


Healthiest Pasta Salad
1 pound of veggie Ronzoni tri color pasta curly
1 pound of whole grain Ronzoni pasta curly
1 head of broccoli
1 head of cauliflower
1 can of black olives
1 cup of fresh cooked corn
4 large carrots
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
4 tbsp. of low fat olive oil enhanced mayo
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. Jane's Crazy mixed up salt
1 packet of Equal

1. cook each of the pasta separately - cook them each for 10 minutes
2. mix them together and let them cool while you cook the veggies
3. clean and cut the broccoli into florets and cook in boiling water until al dente (about 3 minutes)
4. clean and cut the cauliflower into florets and cook in boiling water until al dente (about 3 minutes)
5. cut the carrots into 1 1/2 inch thick pieces and cook in boiling water until al dente (about 3 minutes)
For each of these vegetables you will want to pat down and dry to make sure the water is out.
6. cook the corn and the cut kernels off the cob
7. add the corn, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots into the pasta
8. slice the olives into thirds and then combine them with your pasta- mix it all well. Add in onion and garlic powder. Let sit while you make the dressing

9. mix the mayo, balsamic, red wine, Jane's crazy salt and equal together. Toss into salad and mix well. Allow to sit in fridge and marinate for at least an hour - preferably 3-4 hours.

Serve and Enjoy!

Happy Memorial Day

So I am sure you are all getting ready for your BBQs with all your family and friends. So this post will be dedicated to all things BBQ. I am going to include 3 burger recipes, 3 side recipes and 3 dessert recipes. They're all healthy, so you can have all the recipes and not feel bad at all. So eat up!

Salmon Burger
16 oz. can salmon
1 cup of whole wheat panko bread crumbs
dried parsley
tsp. dijon mustard + another tbsp.
2 extra large eggs
1 tsp. mayo
dash of onion powder

lettuce
tomato
onion
whole grain bun

1. crush the salmon
2. beat the eggs
3. mix all remaining ingredients
4. with your hands form 3 nice sized burgers
5. heat the skillet with olive oil and cook on each side for 5 minutes - flipping every now and then
6. serve with whole grain bun, lettuce, tomato and dijon mustard



Turkey Burger
1 package of ground lean turkey
1 egg
3/4 cup of oatmeal
dash of onion powder

Preheat oven to 350*
1. mash the ground turkey
2. mix in an egg, onion powder and oatmeal
3. form the turkey mixture in hamburger patties
4. bake in oven for 50 minutes

Serve with a condiment of your choice on whole wheat hamburger bun


Veggie Burger
4 Morning Star veggie burgers
4 slices of tomatoes
4 slices of lettuce
4 slices of red onions
mustard and mayo mixture
whole wheat bun

1. Follow the boxed directions for the veggie burgers
2. Serve with sliced tomatoes, lettuce and purple onions
3. spread low fat mayo on one side of the bun and the mustard on the side of the bun


Serve and Enjoy!

Mango Gazpacho Soup

I made this tonight for the first time for my parents. My dad's comment was "I can't eat this anymore because if I do then it will be gone and I won't have anymore to eat". My mom said "you should share this on your blog or maybe not, try selling the recipe". Well I guess from both comments you can tell that you're going to love it. This recipe is so easy and so healthy. It's super low in calories, low fat and basically just fruits and vegetables. Here's the recipe:

Mango Gazpacho Soup
1 medium mango
1/2 red pepper
1/2 large cucumber
1 cup + 2 tbsp. of orange juice
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
3 tbsp. fresh cilantro
1 lime
1 tsp. olive oil

1. cut the mango into 1 inch chunks
2. dice the the cucumber, red pepper
3. put into blender and add in spices, juice, cilantro and olive oil
4. blend well
5. add in a few extra chunks of mango

Serve and Enjoy!

Healthy Tips from the Healthie Foodie

This post I decided to dedicate to healthy swaps, healthy tips and some overall eating and cooking advice.

Healthy Swaps #1

Don't use vegetable oil unless you feel you absolutely need it...Instead swap it for coconut oil. Coconut oil. Coconut oil and vegetable oil are both high in saturated fats; and while saturated fats are not the healthiest fat, they are natural and should be somewhat part of your diet. I am not saying to overload with coconut oil, but when you're baking or frying something try to use the coconut oil - not only is better for you but it smells a lot better and add some extra flavor to your cooking. 

Here are some coconut oil health benefits:
1) It can help reduce your cholesterol because it has a special type of saturated fat in it called lauric acid, which increases your HDL - good cholesterol

2) It has a powerful antioxidant action in our body. This means it helps stop the unhealthy fats and such from doing damage to our body and thus help slow down the aging process

3) It adds volume and strength to your hair and nails

4) It also been shown in many studies, that coconut oil helps fight belly fat.

In addition to cooking with it you can also wrap it in your hair after you shower. It adds volume and strength even when applied externally.

Healthy Swap #2

Don't use mayo unless you have to...instead use olive oil enhanced low fat mayo or avocado. Just mash an avocado add some lemon juice and mix it right in with your tuna or egg salad or spread in your bread before you put on your meat or cheese. Mayo has basically no nutritional value whatsoever. Avocado on the other hand has a so much to offer. While I know avocados are high in calorie and high in fat - they're natural and only have the good fats. 

Here are some avocado health benefits:
(1) Did you know that mayo has about 1 gram of protein and an avocado has 4 grams?
(2) Avocados are an excellent source of potassium, vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin E and Vitamin B, they also have loads and fiber. One avocado has 11 grams of fiber- compared to 1 tbsp. of mayo which has 0.

(3) Avocados can help lower your cholesterol, control your blood pressure and they have been show to help fight against cancer

One tip, avocados are super healthy with so many health benefits. But like anything should be consumed in moderation. I still believe that using light olive oil enhanced based mayo is okay some of the time. My advice is half the time use avocado and half the time use the mayo. 

Healthy Swap #3

When making something like baked ziti or lasagna - stay away from the ricotta cheese. And when I say away I mean FAR, FAR away. Ricotta cheese adds absolutely nothing to your dish. It's loaded in fat and calories and not the good kind. Assuming you're already using mozzarella cheese - why do you need more fat? Even if you the skim kind - it's still a poor choice. Instead use fat free cottage cheese. Cottage cheese has more protein in it and it is so much healthier for you.

For one serving of ricotta cheese you get about 200 calories....For one serving of cottage cheese you get about 80 calories. You do the math! You just saved a whopping 120 calories!! 

(1) Cottage cheese has 11 grams of protein

(2) It also has high levels of calcium - which is very good for your bones, hair and nails

(3) Cottage cheese has also been linked to weight loss

Healthy Swap #4

Oats for bread crumbs! When you're making turkey meatballs, turkey meatloaf, turkey burgers or regular burgers - Also go for the oats not the bread crumbs. If you insist though on using bread crumbs (make sure it's natural and whole wheat). 

Why use oats instead?

(1) They're high in fiber

(2) Lower in calorie

(3) Whole Grain

(4) Natural

(5) Packed with vitamins and minerals - iron, Vitamin B and have lots of good fiber

Healthy Swap #5

Skip the sugar and use natural unsweetened applesauce. 

I am not really sure this needs to explained. Applesauce is natural - has only apples (nature's candy) and water. You don't need to do this every time. But like I said with the avocado- try to do it half the time. 

Caramel Nut Bars

So this recipe is by no means healthy except for the fact that it has nuts which have lots of good protein. And the caramel is homemade - so you might say it is natural. But besides for that it isn't healthy, it is not low in calorie and it may leave you feeling a bit guilty. But it will also leave you feeling satisfied, feeling in love with this recipe and feeling like you want more. In this recipe my motto is to love a little. Counts you licks...not your calories! Enjoy!!


Caramel Nut Bars
1 cup of cashew halves
1 cup of crushed almonds
1 cup of salted peanuts
1 cup of pretzel thins crushed
1 cup of crushed graham crackers
2 tbsp. honey
dash of cinnamon
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of half and half cream
6 tbsp. on unsalted butter
dash of salt

Add Chocolate (optional)
6 oz of semi sweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp of butter (melted)

1. mix your cashew halves, crushed almonds, peanuts and pretzel thins together - set aside
2. in a medium saucepan pour 1 cup of sugar and continually stir until it turns in a dark brown
3. add in the butter and slowly allow it to melt into the sugar
4. add in the salt and cream and continue to stir until it becomes a thick brown cream
5. set aside for it to sit for 2 minutes - use immediately. You can though store it for up to 1-2 weeks but make sure that you reheat it before you use it.

6. place the crushed graham crackers down on top of a baking dish or wax paper.
7. pour the caramel on top and then add the crushed nuts - don't worry if they mix together or not.
8. cover and place in freezer for 1 hour
9. in a medium sauce pan melt semi sweet chocolate chips with 1 tbsp. of melted butter
10. drizzle the chocolate over the nuts
11. allow it to thaw and for the chocolate to dry - about 30 minutes.

Serve! I know it isn't really that healthy but I promise you it will be tasty.

Matza Tuna Ziti

I created this amazing recipe whewatn I was planning to make matza brie with an whole box of matza but ended up only needing 1/2 the box. I didn't know what to do with the other half of crushed matza. It was then that I came up with making tuna matza ziti. On Passover, Jewish people are not allowed to eat bread in any form. We can only eat matza. This recipe is very tasty. It kosher for Passover. But I promise you that even if you are not Jewish and aren't required to eat matza you will love this!!

1/2 box of crushed matza
2 eggs
2 cans of tuna
2 tbsp. of light mayo
1/2 onion
2 cups of shredded or sliced mozzarella cheese

1. mix the matza with egg
2. place half the egg/matza mixture into a baking dish
3. place 1 can of tuna down on top of the egg/matza mixture
4. sprinkle a layer of the mozzarella cheese
5. repeat
6. slice onions and place on top of final layer of cheese
7. bake in oven at 350 for 35 minutes


Serve and Enjoy! I am sorry but I don't have a photo of this one. :)

Summer Spinach and Beet Salad

This recipe I created because I was trying to use 3 cans of beets that was in my house. My mom buys things a lot without any purpose for them. I truly hate having left overs or things being unused or with no purpose. So with some web searching, some alternations and little creative thinking I cam up with this healthy and delicious recipe. Enjoy!!

2 cups of fresh baby spinach
1 15 oz. can of beets (sliced- not grated)
1 8 oz. can of mandarin oranges
1 cup of sliced feta

2 tbsp. of light olive oil
1 tsp. of red wine vinegar
1 tsp. of tarragon vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sugar

1. place the spinach on a plate and then in any order drizzle each ingredient on
2. Mix the dressing ingredients together and pour over salad

Serve immediately.
Serving Size: 2

Broccoli Mango Grape Salad

This is a very popular salad in my house. It goes extra well in baked BBQ Salmon (recipe to follow). It's pretty simple. The dressing is a little annoying and cutting up the mango is also kind of annoying. But I promise you it's totally worth it. You will absolutely love it!

Broccoli Mango Grape Salad

2 heads of broccoli

1 mango 

1 cup of grapes

1/2 cup of light mayo

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. Jane's Crazy salt

1/2 packet of Equal

1. steam the broccoli until a little soft but still firm

2. cut the grapes in half

3. cut the mango into 1/2 inch chunks

4. pat the broccoli dry and then add in the mango and grapes

5. mix the mayo, red wine vinegar, vegetable oil, Jane's Crazy, onion powder and equal

6. marinate in fridge for at least 30 minutes

7. serve and enjoy!!

BBQ Salmon

4 oz. salmon florets

BBQ sauce

Coat the salmon with BBQ sauce and bake at 350 for 30 minutes

Enjoy! 

Spaghetti Squash and Light Tomato Sauce

So my old next door neighbor had a vegetable garden and was always giving us vegetables that we truthfully had no use for. Of course we're a super healthy family and cook healthy most of the time but we are also just a family of 3 - so seriously how many veggies can one person eat? One time she dropped off some summer squash and I remember my mom saying to me "can you figure out to use this?". And sure enough I did. I came up with making spaghetti and then after the fact I found out it actually is a real recipe. I'll share with you what I made that day back in July of 2011. Now I make it as one of my go-to recipes.

Spaghetti Squash and Light Tomato Sauce

1 summer spaghetti squash

water

garlic and onion salt mixture

light tomato sauce

1. boil water

2. peel the squash into thin like spaghetti strips

3. boil it for about 3-4 minutes and then drain well - making sure it is fully dry

4. add in garlic/onion salt mixture (dash of each)

5. pour in sauce - about 1/4 cup and reheat or serve cold. 

Oven Roasted Asparagus

So I was in the mood to make a new vegetable dish and couldn't think of what vegetable to make. I thought and thought and then remembered that it had been about a billion years since I made asparagus - okay not a billion, I had actually never made it before. I searched for different recipes and from all of them came up with a pretty good one. It's super healthy and super tasty at the same time!

Oven Roasted Asparagus
1 pound of asparagus (cut of ends)
olive oil
salt
Parmesan Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. cut ends off asparagus and rinse them well
3. pour about 2 tbsp. of olive oil on asparagus
4. then sprinkle about a tsp. or so of salt and about 4 tbsp. or so of Parmesan cheese.
5. mix it all together
6. bake in oven for 15 minutes

Serve and Enjoy!

(Serve 2-3 people)

Apple Sauce (low fat) Cake

So I know what you are thinking - "low fat apple cake, yes I can have my cake and eat it too...but fat free it probably tastes like dog food because if it is low fat it can't be all that good". WRONG! This cake is actually one of the best cakes ever. I swear you will love it and won't even be able to tell that it is healthy...I made this for my mom one time and she raved about it for days...she normally just raves about it for the night she eats it and then moves on - it's just not her personality to rave globally.

Apple Sauce (low fat) Cake
2 cups of natural fat free apple sauce
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/4 cups of whole wheat flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
dash of salt
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 3508
1. Mix all the dry ingredients
2. Then add in the apple sauce and eggs
3. Then add in raisins and chopped nuts - whatever you like
4. Stir well and place in a greased pan and bake for 40 minutes

Serve as is and enjoy!! - Good at room temp, cold or warm.

Real Carrot Cookies

"Real Carrot Cookies" are an excellent choice for someone who wants something sweet but still get some health benefits along the way. I made this for my mom's birthday and both and she and my dad loved, loved, loved it. They thought it was incredible! They raved and raved about it that night and then a few days later. To quote my dad "the best cookies he's ever had" and let me tell you in his 62 years on earth he has his fair share of cookies. I promise that you will love these and so will everyone else that you make them for. Enjoy!

Real Carrot Cookies

6 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup flour
dash of salt
1/2 cup of quick or old fashioned oats
2 cups shredded carrots
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
your favorite frosting

Preheat oven to 350
1. mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking powder together
2. add in the eggs and melted butter and mix well
3. then add in the grated carrots
4. bake in oven for 25 minutes
5. let cool for 15 minutes before serving

Serve with your favorite frosting

Super Bowl Menu

The Super Bowl is an American tradition. Everyone watches the Super Bowl - or at least goes to a party. So whether you're into the commercials, the game or both - everyone wants something good to eat. But with all the choices and all the extra calories consumed it is important that we make each dish health conscious so you don't have to deprive yourself of anyone of the many fabulous dips.

Mexican Layer Dip w/ Blue Corn Chips
1 can of baked beans
1 bag of cheddar shredded cheese
1 cup of romaine lettuce
1 tomato chopped
1 can of black olives- sliced
1 tbsp. of Russian dressing
Blue corn chips

1. mash the beans and mix with dressing - spread on plate
2. add the lettuce, then tomatoes, then cheese and then the olives
3. serve with chips and enjoy!



Veggies and Avocado Dip
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Cherry Tomatoes
Baby Carrots
Celery
Red Pepper Slices
3 Avocados
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. garlic and onion powder

1. Mash the avocados and add some lemon juice and the garlic and onion powder
2. cut the vegetables into nice bite size pieces and arrange nicely on a platter (organize each veggie together)
3. put the avocado dip in the middle and serve!


Football Sliders (makes 3)
6 slices of pumpernickel bread
2 cans of chunk tuna in water
2 tbsp. mayo
2 slices of lettuce
3 string cheeses

1.make tuna salad
2. cut the pumpernickel bread into diamond shapes
3. add the tuna and and lettuce
4. peel the string cheeses and place on bread to make it look like the threads

Serve and Enjoy! (This year will be my first time making this so I'll post a picture later)

Every party needs a dessert....but since you're probably full from the nice but not too filling dinner have something healthy and sweet while they're handing out the rings and the winning quarterback is saying
"I'm going to Disney World!!!"

1. fruit skewers (any fruit is fine)
2. cookie ingredients
3. Nutella

3. vanilla mini tube frosting

Cookies:
1 cup of softened unsalted butter
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups of whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda

1. mix all dry and wet ingredients together
2. use a cookie cutter to cut them like mini footballs
3. bake at 350 for 20 minutes
4. allow them to cool
5. spread the Nutella on the cookies and then use the frosting tube to create the threads.

Enjoy!


 May the best team win! 

Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I made this tonight and my dad's first reaction was "is this on your blog? because it needs to be, it's the best you've ever made". My mom conquered. So I thought okay- I'll add it. It is quite simple to make and very healthy. It is important you make it this way because my method is what keeps it pure and healthy.

Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

6 slices of 100% whole wheat gluten free bread
1 cup of fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
6 slices of onion
3 slices of muenster cheese
3 slices of swiss cheese
3 slices of mozzarella cheese
3 tbsp. of unsalted butter

1. put the basil leaves and olive oil in a blender and blend it then add in the garlic salt and mix
2. lightly spread the butter on each side of the bread and then place down on Pam sprayed pan
3. carefully spread the pesto sauce on the bread and then carefully place 1 slice of each kind of cheese on the bread
4. place 2 slices of onion on each slice and then put the other slice of bread on top
5. grill each side for about 2-4 minutes flipping it occasionally until it is nice and brown

(makes 3 sandwiches)

Enjoy!

Salmon Zucchini Cakes

I came up with this recipe when I was trying to figure out a creative way to make my ever famous salmon patties which my mother adores yet my father just likes. My goal is to always make a hit- something that will leave my customers wanting more of whatever it was that I served. So when I thought about adding the zucchini into - it seemed perfect. It adds a little more taste to it and it is super (!!) healthy. And for those of you that don't like zucchini you can either just put less in or skip it...But I think yo should try it.


Salmon Zucchini Cakes

2 6 oz. canned salmon
1/2 cup of shredded zucchini
1/8 tsp. of onion powder
1/8 tsp. of salt
1/8 tsp. of dry mustard
2 eggs
1/2 cup of whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tbsp. of low fat mayo

1. shred the zucchini
2. drain and mash the canned salmon and then add in the zucchini, onion powder, salt, dry mustard and mayo and mix well.
3. add in 2 eggs and the bread crumbs
4. spray a pan with Pam cooking oil and allow it to heat for 2 minutes
5. form the paste into mini pancakes and place on pan and cook for on medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side- flipping it periodically
6. serve with ketchup, mustard, sour cream or whatever your heart's desire!

Fresh Baked Salmon with Lemon Sauce and Salad

This was a huge hit at my house and I know it will be the same at yours!

Fresh Baked Salmon with Lemon Sauce and Salad

4 oz. salmon fillets
4 tbsp. of lemon juice
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic salt powder
1/2 tbsp. of olive oil
1 c. seasoned bread crumbs

1. mix the lemon juice, black pepper, olive oil and garlic salt powder together
2. drizzle over the salmon and coat well- Allow it to marinate over night
3. preheat oven to 350
4.  coat the salmon in egg and then place into a baking dish
5. pour bread crumbs over salmon making sure it is fully covered
6. bake for 30 minutes
7. pour your favorite Fresh Express salad mixture into bowl along with your favorite dressing - serve with baked fish on the side..Enjoy!!

Chocolate Cheesecake Brownie

I know what you're thinking when you saw this post..healthy? Well like I said my whole angel is taking everyday recipes we all love and are used to and making them healthy. So while this recipe does have sugar in it and fat it is done in a healthy way to leave you feeling guilt free.

Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies
1/2 cup of unsalted I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
1 cup of sugar in the raw
1 tsp. of vanilla
1/2 cups of 100% whole wheat flour
2 organic large eggs
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2/3 cups of Hershey Chocolate coco

Cheesecake Filling
8 oz. of cream cheese, softened (low fat)
1/2 cup Splenda
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 ts. salt

Frosting
3 tbsp. of Hershey Coco
1/4 c. water
1/4 cup of powdered sugar

1. mix all the dry ingredients together fro the brownie mixture: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, Coco,
2 mix the eggs and butter and then add in the dry mixture - mix well
3. pour half into a greased pan
4. with an electric mixture mix the cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla together
5. pour into brownie mixture and then pour the rest of the brownie mixture on top
6. bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 25 minutes
7. allow it to cool for 20 minutes
8. mix the Coco, water and powdered sugar together until creamy - frost the brownies.
9. leave to harden for a few hours

Serve and Enjoy! 

Thanksgiving 101

So this post is very important to me because it speaks about Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for all that we are blessed with and to a time to give back to those who are not as fortunate as we are. It is also a time to spend with loved ones- family and friends and share in those delicious traditional foods. Thanksgiving is also a time when a lot of us eat more than we should. Did you know that on average a person consumes more 3,000 calories? How is that possible you ask? Well you have the appetizers which normally consist of nuts, poppy kock, mushroom puffs, olives and so forth- easy 400 calories right there. Then you have the turkey with cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, string beans, rolls, butter, and all your other traditional family recipes and then you have dessert...So when I say 3,000 or more I stress the more. But it is Thanksgiving so why not eat as much as you want, right? WRONG! Thanksgiving is not a time to over do it- it is a time to indulge a little but you need to be careful how you indulge and where you indulge. In this post I will share a few recipes that you should all have. It will leave you feeling much better at the end of the day- both mentally and physically.

Appetizers
Serve: honey roasted peanuts, salted cashews, and mini clementine cuties

Main Meal
Serve turkey with homemade cranberry sauce (2 pints cranberries, water and sugar in the raw- heat up the cranberries add the water and 1/4 cup of sugar)

Spiced String Beans (3 lbs of fresh string beans with 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1/4 tsp. cumin, 1/4 tsp. paprika and 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 cup of water- mix together and cook uncovered for 30 minutes


Mashed Potatoes (peel potatoes leaving some skin, boil them and then mash them - add 2 tbsp. of diced onions, 1 tbsp. of unsalted butter, dash of salt

Candied Sweet Potatoes (6 sweet potatoes -peeled and baked for 1 hour. cut them into cubes and pour over 1 cup of orange juice, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 c. bourbon- bake for another 45 minutes (stirring occasional)

Spinach Salad- 2 cups of fresh spinach, 1 8 oz. can of mandarin oranges, sprinkle some sunflower seeds, sliced strawberries and honey mustard dressing (light) mixed in.

Butternut Squash Muffins (skip the roles and use these instead)

Stuffing- 8 cups of whole wheat bread cubes, 1/4 cup of chopped celery, 1/4 cup of dried cranberries, 2 cups of mushrooms, 2 cups of chicken broth, dash of salt and pepper, 1/4 tsp. onion/garlic mixture, 1/4 tbsp. fresh parsley- Bake in oven for 1 hour











Dessert
Peanut Butter Balls (14 oz of 100% natural peanut butter, 1 cup of unsalted butter, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 3 cups confectionery sugar AND 14 oz of semi sweet chocolate chips, boiling water and 2 tbsp. of unsalted butter) - mix peanut butter, vanilla, melted butter and confectionery sugar together and the roll them into 3 inch balls. place in fridge for at least 2 hours. Then in a double broiled melt the chocolate with the butter. Dip the firm peanut butter balls into the choc mixture covering half way. Place down on parchment paper and place back in fridge over night or until ready to serve.

Pumpkin Choc Chip Cookies 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened, 1 cup of 100% pure pumpkin puree, 1 large egg, tsp. vanilla. Follow these steps:

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets.
COMBINE flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.
BAKE for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Crust Free Apple Pie (4 green apples peeled and slice, place into a baking dish, sprinkle with lemon juice, then mix 2/3 cups of veg. oil, 1 cup of whole wheat flour, 1 cup of sugar and 4 eggs. Mix together and pour over the apples. Preheat oven to 350 bake for 1 hour and then mix 1 tsp. of cinnamon with 2 tbsp. sugar and sprinkle over while hot. Serve cold or warm- but must let sit for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Fresh Fruit/Nuts

And you can also search my blog for other favorites such as:
Baked Squash
Real Carrot Cookies
Moroccan Carrots
Nutella Balls
Apple Cranberry Crisp