ThanksGiving Ideas...

[MyNewLife]

Hi Everyone!

My sister and I are trying to come up with some really cool ideas for Thanksgiving. In the past we have always had Thanksgiving at our Mothers house and it is just getting to much for her to do. My sister is going to start having it at her house and we are needing help to make it fun. Does anyone have any ideas how to start making fun Thanksgiving traditions that we can start doing every year. We want our Thanksgivings a time for Family and lord knows our family needs help with that..... ANY ideas will be great!

Thanks

Carrie

[Kristi]

:lb14: Carrie,

I wish I had some Ideas for you. I love to start new traditions. This year I am driving up north to my Brother's house for Thanksgiving.

When we have it at my place we do a potluck and I cook the Turkey. I also make whipped sweet potatoes.

I look forward to ideas too from others.

Hugs,

Kristi

[MyNewLife]

:lb14: Carrie,

I wish I had some Ideas for you. I love to start new traditions. This year I am driving up north to my Brother's house for Thanksgiving.

When we have it at my place we do a potluck and I cook the Turkey. I also make whipped sweet potatoes.

I look forward to ideas too from others.

Hugs,

Kristi

Thanks Kristi~!~

We are trying to think of some fun things to do, kinda make it fun and memorable....The whipped sweet potatoes sounds so good!!!

Thanks for the reply!

Carrie

[jhawkchick75]

My dad and I are running a 5k this year on Thanksgiving so i'm really excited about that. Our only family traditions are to drink and argue about sports!!

I'd say find something that you all really like and run with that. I know some folks do a family photo around the holidays when they have everyone together. Unfortunately in my family a lot of our traditions revolve around food, but I did OK with it last year so hopefully this year i'll be OK. I'm gonna offer to make something so I know i'm covered.

[MyNewLife]

My dad and I are running a 5k this year on Thanksgiving so i'm really excited about that. Our only family traditions are to drink and argue about sports!!

I'd say find something that you all really like and run with that. I know some folks do a family photo around the holidays when they have everyone together. Unfortunately in my family a lot of our traditions revolve around food, but I did OK with it last year so hopefully this year i'll be OK. I'm gonna offer to make something so I know i'm covered.

That would be really cool! My sister and Brother in Law are very much into Healthy Food and Exercise, WOO HOO idea, maybe we could have a food challange triva. How much is in this and that......hmmmm this could be fun! I also LOVE LOVE the idea of the run! Thanks Shelby!!!

Carrie

[MyNewLife]

That would be really cool! My sister and Brother in Law are very much into Healthy Food and Exercise, WOO HOO idea, maybe we could have a food challange triva. How much is in this and that......hmmmm this could be fun! I also LOVE LOVE the idea of the run! Thanks Shelby!!!

Carrie

OMyyy I have one more idea...I am SOOO excited. I think we should have every person (family) coming make a desert, but it has to be LOW everything and see who can make the best one with the least calories, sugar, etc.....

COOL COOL COOL!!!

Carrie

[MyNewLife]

I called my sister and told her my exciting news and her response was " ARE YOU CRAZY, I AM EATING AT THANKSGIVING"....lol

[jhawkchick75]

NICE!!!!!!!!! Well, what I would do is you make something that you really like and make it healthy and eat that. I always love making something and then everyone's faces when I tell them that it is low calorie. I say let's all start researching really yummie but low cal stuff and share it on here. That along with the great ideas for things to do.

One I totally forgot to put is we go driving around looking at Christmas lights. We go to the really fancy neighborhoods as well as the ones that have the really obnoxious Clark Griswold style houses too.

I'll start looking around and add some great recipes!

[MyNewLife]

NICE!!!!!!!!! Well, what I would do is you make something that you really like and make it healthy and eat that. I always love making something and then everyone's faces when I tell them that it is low calorie. I say let's all start researching really yummie but low cal stuff and share it on here. That along with the great ideas for things to do.

One I totally forgot to put is we go driving around looking at Christmas lights. We go to the really fancy neighborhoods as well as the ones that have the really obnoxious Clark Griswold style houses too.

I'll start looking around and add some great recipes!

I think I am going to go ahead and make something Yummy and then rub it in their faces!...lol sorry that was kinda Harsh...lol

Thanks Shelby and maybe we can come up with some really great idea! Was thinking about some Pumpkin Cup Cakes with a Cream Cheese/Sugar Icing.(You could use splenda and fat free cream cheese)...You put a spoon full on top cupcake before baking. I have not tried them but they sound YUMMY. My neighbor has the recipe, I would have to convert everthing but I think they would be really good! Ill let you know!

[bogiesmom]

OK I have a really cool idea for you!!!! Make some low calorie dishes but do not tell anyone and see if they prefer your dishes over to the loaded ones!! This email is looonnnng since I am putting some receipes for you from hungry-girl.com emails I get:

Pump It Up, Again!

In honor of Thanksgiving (it's the day after tomorrow!), we decided to serve up a second helping of one of our most popular recipes EVER -- our Too-Good-To-Deny Pumpkin Pie! This pie will fool EVERYONE into thinking that they're eating a fat-filled, high-calorie dessert. Make it and see...

Ingredients:

For Crust

2 cups Fiber One bran cereal (original)

1/4 cup light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown)

3 tbsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)

1 tsp. cinnamon

For Filling

One 15-oz. can pure pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling!)

One 12-oz. can evaporated fat-free milk

1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)

3/4 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)

1/4 cup sugar-free pancake syrup

1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. salt

Optional Topping: Fat Free Reddi-wip or Cool Whip Free

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine butter with 2 tbsp. water. Microwave until just melted, and set aside. In a blender or food processor, grind Fiber One to a breadcrumb-like consistency.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine butter mixture and crumbs with remaining ingredients for crust. Stir until mixed well.

Spray an oven-safe 9-inch pie dish lightly with nonstick spray. Evenly distribute crust mixture, using your hands or a flat utensil to firmly press and form the crust. Press it into the edges and up along the sides of the dish. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for the filling. Mix well. Pour mixture into pie crust. The filling may be taller than the crust -- trust us, this is okay!

Bake pie in the oven for 45 minutes. Allow pie to cool slightly. Refrigerate for several hours (overnight is best). Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Cut into 8 slices and, if you like, top with Reddi-wip or Cool Whip before serving!

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Serving Size: 1 slice

Calories: 133

Fat: 3g

Sodium: 236mg

Carbs: 28g

Fiber: 9g

Sugars: 8g

Protein: 6g

POINTS® value 2*

Kickin' Cranberry Sauce

PER SERVING (1/3 cup): 63 calories, 1g fat, 20mg sodium, 13g carbs, 2g fiber, 8.5g sugars, 1g protein -- POINTS® value 1*

Dab or pile this stuff on top of your turkey. Or just eat it plain! (There’s so much good fruit in here, we wouldn’t blame you.) P.S. For quick day-of assembly, start this off the day before...

Ingredients:

One 12-oz. bag whole cranberries

One 11-oz. can mandarin orange segments in their own juice

1 cup peeled and finely chopped apples

1 envelope (1/4 oz.) dry unflavored gelatin

2/3 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)

1/4 cup Almond Accents in Original Oven Roasted

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

In a medium pot, combine cranberries, Splenda, and sugar with 1 3/4 cups water. Set stove to medium heat, cover pot, and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for 10 minutes, uncovering to stir occasionally. Meanwhile, in a small dish, combine gelatin with 1/4 cup cold water, stir well and set aside.

Turn off heat and stir in gelatin mixture, stirring until dissolved and thoroughly combined. Stir in cinnamon and apples and mix well. Transfer mixture to a bowl, and refrigerate for at least 5 hours (overnight is best).

Once chilled and set, remove mixture from the fridge and give it a good stir. Drain juice from the can of orange segments. Roughly chop orange segments and drain any excess liquid from them. Slightly crush almonds so that they break into smaller pieces. Add chopped orange segments and almond pieces to the cranberry sauce, and mix thoroughly. Serve with lean turkey, pork, or chicken, or anything else you like cranberries with!

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Save-the-Day Stuffing

PER SERVING (1 cup): 89 calories, 1.5g fat, 275mg sodium, 17g carbs, 4g fiber, 4g sugars, 5g protein -- POINTS® value 1*

We loooove this swap, especially since we can't resist the usual carb-laden, high-cal version. Most of the credit goes to using low-calorie bread. (We heart Sara Lee's Delightful bread BIGTIME.) "Save the day" indeed!

HG Tip! Zazzle up your stuffing by adding any of the following to it before baking: an ounce of raisins, 1 medium-sized pear (chopped), 2 tablespoons of sliced almonds, an ounce of sweetened dried cranberries, or 1 medium-sized Granny Smith apple (chopped). Each one adds less than 20 calories to each serving!

Ingredients:

6 slices light bread (40 - 45 calories each with around 2g fiber per slice)

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1 cup fat-free chicken or vegetable broth, room temperature

1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)

1 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, to taste

Directions:

For best results, leave bread uncovered at room temperature for a night or two, until slightly stale. Otherwise, begin by lightly toasting bread.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut bread into 1/2-inch cubes. Spray a medium baking dish with nonstick spray, and place bread cubes evenly along the bottom of the dish.

In a medium pot, combine broth, celery, and onion. Cook for 8 minutes over medium heat.

Remove pot from heat, and add mushrooms and garlic. Season mixture to taste with salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Let cool for several minutes.

Add egg substitute and butter to veggie/broth mixture and stir. Pour mixture into the baking pan, evenly covering bread cubes. Mix gently with a fork. Bread cubes should be moist, but not saturated (if necessary, add 1 - 2 tbsp. water, and then mix again).

Cover with foil, and cook dish in the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove foil, and fluff and rearrange stuffing. Return dish to oven (uncovered), and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

MAKES 5 SERVINGS

Get Squashed! I Can't Believe It's Not Sweet Potato Pie!

This one's an instant classic, people. We promise. By substituting butternut squash for sweet potatoes and using some key light ingredients, you can save over 200 calories and nearly 17 grams of fat per serving on this Turkey Day classic. And it tastes EXACTLY like the real thing (yes, EXACTLY). Now THAT'S something to be thankful for! Butternut squash, with half the calories (and all the yummy fun) of sweet potato, is our new best friend. (Pssst... In case you haven't tried 'em yet, our Bake-tastic Butternut Squash Fries ROCK!)

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash (large enough to yield 2 cups mashed flesh)

1/2 cup Egg Beaters; Original

1/3 cup light vanilla soymilk

1/3 cup sugar-free maple syrup

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup SPLENDA; Granular

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2/3 cup miniature marshmallows

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel squash and cut into large chunks (removing seeds). Fill a large, microwave-safe dish with a half an inch of water. Place squash into dish and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for approximately 8 minutes (and drain). Squash should be tender enough to mash, but not fully cooked. With a potato masher, food processor or fork, mash squash. Measure out 2 generous cups, lightly packed, and place in an oven-safe baking dish. Add all ingredients except for marshmallows. Mix ingredients thoroughly, but do not over-stir; squash should still be pulpy. Allow to cook for 45 – 50 minutes. Remove from oven, and disperse marshmallows over top of pie. Return to oven for 5 minutes, until marshmallows begin to brown. Allow to cool. Serves 4.

Serving Size: 1/4 recipe; approx. 2/3 cup

Calories: 110

Fat: <0.5g

Sodium: 115mg

Carbs: 25g

Fiber: 1.5g

Sugars: 7.5g

Protein: 5g

*2 Points

The holidays are here. Know what that means? It's green bean casserole time! But did you know that even though the main ingredient in the classic dish is green beans, each serving can have about 250 - 300 calories and TONS of fat? How can that be? It's all those crazy canned fried onions that are crammed into and piled on top of the thing. One little can of those crispy catastrophes has roughly 900 calories and 70 grams of fat! Eeeks! The good news is, with just a few easy swaps, you can make your own version of this holiday fave, for a fraction of the fat and calories. Check out HG's NEW recipe and share it with everyone you know...

Rockin' Lean Bean Casserole

PER SERVING (1/10th of casserole): 76 calories, 2g fat, 431mg sodium, 13g carbs, 3.5g fiber, 4g sugars, 3g protein -- POINTS® value 1*

Ingredients:

Two 16-oz. bags frozen French-style green beans, thawed, drained & thoroughly dried

Two 10.75-oz. cans Campbell's 98% Fat Free Cream of Celery Soup

One 8-oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained

1 bag (about 1 oz.) Crispy Delites Red Onion Chips or 1 oz. (about 25 pieces) onion-flavored soy crisps, crushed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Make sure green beans are thoroughly drained and completely dry -- use a towel if you need to. Then, place half of the green beans in a casserole dish (a 2 - 3 quart rectangular one works best).

Pour 1 can of soup evenly on top of the layer of green beans. Place half of the sliced water chestnuts over the soup layer.

Cover with remaining green beans, and then top with the rest of the soup. Evenly top with the remaining water chestnuts. Place dish in the oven, and cook for 45 minutes.

Top with crushed soy crisps, and return dish to the oven for another 10 minutes or so, until chips turn golden brown.

MAKES 10 SERVINGS

Heads Up...Your Casserole Will Be Larger!

HG's Miracle Mashies

PER SERVING (1/5th of recipe, about 2/3 cup): 82 calories, 1g fat, 168mg sodium, 16g carbs, 3g fiber, 2g sugars, 3g protein -- POINTS® value 1*

Mixing cauliflower and potato is a GREAT way to get true mashed potato taste and texture, with a healthier, lower calorie spin. Woohoo!

Ingredients:

1 large (about 13-oz.) potato

3 cups cauliflower florets

3 tbsp. fat-free half & half

1 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread

1/4 tsp. salt

pepper and additional salt, to taste

Optional: 1/2 tsp. crushed garlic

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, peel and cube the potato.

Once water is boiling, add peeled potato cubes and cauliflower. Wait for the water to return to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium. Cook for 15 - 20 minutes (until potatoes and cauliflower are very tender).

Remove the pot from heat and strain out all of the water. Transfer contents to a large bowl, and add half & half, butter/buttery spread, salt, and (if you like) crushed garlic. Mash it all together with a potato masher, until completely blended. Season to taste with pepper and additional salt. Enjoy!

MAKES 5 SERVINGS

[MyNewLife]

Wow,

Thanks girl! That is a WONDERFUL idea you had and I am just going to do that. Thanks for sharing the recipes, they sound AMAZING!

I also responded to one of your responses I think to Revy D on the Nov 20th food log. I hope this makes you feel a little better ! You are doing GREAT!

Carrie