Reviews and Recipes

As promised... (yes, I know it was well over a week ago...)  But here they are.  We got a lot, so get comfy.

Up first..   My version of chicken salad.   A few weeks back, a co-worker, Marcy brought this amazing chicken salad she found at Sam's.  It was sweet, and chunky, and super-fab.  I decided I could re-create this.  Sho nuff...  here ya go.

Here's what you need:

1 can Tyson Canned chicken breast (mostly because it's just easier)

4 tbsp of Kraft Poppyseed dressing

8 tbsp of Fresh Gourmet Cranberries and Walnuts (if you dont like nuts, just go with the cranberries)

1 small/medium Granny Smith apple (not pictured)

It made 4, 1 cup servings and came out to 208 calories, 18 carbs and 20 grams of protein per cup.   I ate mine with Kashi Asiago crackers.  YUM!

Let's move onto product reviews...

If you've followed by blog for awhile, you know I LOVE my salads.   As mentioned before Bolthouse Farms Yogurt dressings are my ABSOLUTE favorite!!  They come in a variety of flavors and ranch from 45 to 80 calories per serving, depending on the dressing you choose.   Locally, they can be found at Schnuck's and Dierbergs.  Each location has different selections of course, and they're located in the refrigerated section with the bagged salads.  They're normally around $3.99 each, which is more than I typically care to spend on salad dressings, but take my word for it, they're worth it!  Check the date though!!!  Some of them expire quickly... I'm guessing it's because of the "yogurt" in them. 



from left to right - Thousand Island, Chunky Bleu Cheese, Classic Ranch, Ceasar Parmesan, Honey Dijon,
 Classic Coleslaw 



My favorites are...

Bolthouse Farms Yogurt Ranch - 70 calories per 2 tbsp

Bolthouse Farms Balsamic Vinagarette - 45 calories per 2 tbsp

Botlhouse Farms Ceasar Parmesan - 70 calories per 2 tbsp

Bolthouse Farms Honey Dijon - 45 calories per 2 tbsp (EXCELLENT on grilled chicken breast topped with melted swiss)

and my 2 new favorites that I just found at Dierberg's (Thanks Pam for the heads up)

Bolthouse Salsa Ranch - 45 calories per 2 tbsp

Botlhouse Zesty French - 45 calories per 2 tbsp

Next up...  Marshmallows!!!! 

I usually hate marshmallows.  It's the texture that gets me.  BUT - I found these at Dierberg's and they were $1.  So why not right???   They came in all types of flavors.  I saw Chocolate Mint, German Chocolate, Coconut, and they were out of the Pumpkin Spice, so I opted for the Cinnamon Bun flavor.  My first thought was, "what the hell am I going to do with marshmallows??".  Then it hit me.. I'm a sucker for coffee creamer, so why not add it to my coffee for wayyyyyy less calories??   BINGO!

You can have 17 of these little gems for 100 calories!!! They're a pretty good size so I only added 4 (24 calories) to my coffee with 1 tbsp of Sugar Free Vanilla Coffeemate.  It was delish!  

I wish they would've had the Pumpkin Spice because how good would that be topped on some warm sweet potatoes!!!??? 

I think that's all I have for new stuff.   Let's move to Thanksgiving sides!   My favorite food ever... Macaroni and Cheese!!!   I'm making 2 versions this year.  My normal crock pot mac and cheese (recipe below), and a pumpkin mac and cheese.   I found this Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese recipe in the October Better Homes and Gardens magazine.  I love all things pumpkin, and let's be honest here, EVERYTHING is better with cheese, so why not give it a go!?   I'll report next week how good it is. LOL

In addition to the mac and cheeses, I'm making 2 cheesecakes, one pumpkin cranberry and one chocolate chip, and Hawaiian Bread Stuffing.

I love Thanksgiving!!!  But, let's keep it in check people!!  Take your measuring cups, your food scales, use smaller plates, whatever the hell you gotta do NOT to go crazy!  Stick to the white meat, no skin, skip the gravy... opt for either mashed potatoes OR stuffing, or just have smaller servings of both.  Stick to ONE plate and have dessert... no seconds.  These are all great ideas, yeah???  Let's see if I can take my own advice. LOL doubtful!  

Either way...   HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you and yours!!  As always, thanks for reading! 

Hawaiian bread stuffing

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup craisins
1/4 cup I Cant Believe It's Not Butter Light
1 yellow onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped celery, or 2 stalks
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and finely chopped
3 large eggs
1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8-10 Hawaiian rolls, cubed and toasted Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish.

*In a small bowl, combine chicken broth and cranberries; let soak for 30 minutes.

*In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, pepper and celery; cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently or until tender. Add apples and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

*Remove from heat and place in a large bowl.

*Beat 3 eggs in a separate bowl. Add salt and pepper. Set aside.

*In the large bowl with vegetables, stir in chicken broth mixture, mushroom soup, and nutmeg. Add toasted bread, stirring gently to combine. Add eggs. Spoon mixture into prepared dish and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until center is set.

12 (1 cup) servings.
227 calories per serving, 38 carbs, and 6 grams of protein

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

1 pound (2 cups) elbow macaroni or shells (or any other pasta of your choice - I prefer fusilli, or spiral pasta, it tends to hold sauces/cheeses better)

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

3 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

24 oz (2 cans) evaporated milk

3 cups heavy cream (or milk, but if I’m doing mac and cheese, I’m going all in with the cream)

4 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

*Coat the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray

*In a large bowl, beat eggs with cream and evaporated milks.  Mix in the uncooked macaroni and 4 cups of the shredded cheese mixture.  Transfer to slow cooker, and sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

*cook on low for 5-6 hours.  Do not stir or remove lid while cooking.

15 (1 cup) servings

555 calories per serving, 30 carbs, 20 grams of protein

Didn't we just finish Halloween??

Yep!!! And I'm still raiding Grace's Halloween Candy. I REALLY need to remove it from my house.  Upside - I made it back to the gym yesterday for the first time since Cardinal playoffs began, like 3 weeks ago.  Hence why the scale on Tuesday was UG-LY.  But it is what it is.    I managed to complete 90 minutes, burn 903 calories and I ended the day with a NET intake of 1500 calories.   A VAST improvment from the past month.  

Today has been a good day thus far.  I've only had ONE fun size Butterfinger, and 3 Starbursts instead of the 3 or 4 fun size candies I've been grabbing at one time.  Gym tonight is lower body leg work/push ups/ab work and 45 minutes of cardio.   My friend Pam suggested a November challenge... 90 in November.  90 miles by Dec 1.   You know Im a sucker for a challange..   I skipped November 1, so yesterday I managed 6 miles  (3 elliptical, 3 treadmill), and today's goal will be another 4.

Moving on..

While at my mom's house on Halloween night, my Aunt turns and says to me, "What do I need to bring on Thanksgiving?"   HOLY HELL its right around the corner!!

Just 3 short weeks from today, Thanksgiving will be here.  The day we stuff ourselves full of the most delicious comfort foods, a cornucopia of foods if you will...  mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, corn, cranberry sauce and, of course, turkey, among other delights, making us eat until we want to nap.  That damn tryptophan.

Last year was my first year hosting Thanksgiving, and I must admit, other than cleaning my house for hours only to have to re-clean after everyone leaves, I loved it.  All of my friends and family know how much I love to entertain, so this really doesn't bother me at all.  Plus - there's nothing better to me than having a house full of family to share the holidays with.   The best part of planning... THE MENU!!!    My family is pretty straight laced when it comes to food though.  They're traditional in the sense that they really don't like trying new things, but they're going to this year!   I've found an awesome recipe for stuffing, but you know me, I like to mix it up and create my own, so here it is...

DISCLAIMER:  this is in NO WAY healthy for you, so just have a little.  :)   Moderation, right??
2 cups chicken broth (I use College Inn, low sodium low fat chicken broth)
1 cup craisins (these can be found in the salad/condiment aisle, if you dont like craisins, regular dried cranberries will do)
1/4 cup I Cant Believe It's Not Butt Light
1 yellow onion, chopped (I actually grate my onion now, because I hate the texture….thanks Carolyn for the idea!!!)
1/2 cup chopped celery, or 2 stalks (I hate celery, so I chop it fine)
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and finely chopped
3 large eggs
1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8-10 Hawaiian rolls, cubed and toasted (1 package should work just fine)
Salt and pepper to tasteDirections:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish.
In a small bowl, combine chicken broth and cranberries; let soak for 30 minutes.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, pepper and celery; cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently or until tender. Add apples and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl.
Beat 3 eggs in a separate bowl. Add salt and pepper. Set aside.
In the large bowl with vegetables, stir in chicken broth mixture, mushroom soup, and nutmeg. Add toasted bread, stirring gently to combine. Add eggs. Spoon mixture into prepared dish and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until center is set.

12 servings.
227 calories per serving, 38 carbs, and 6 grams of protein.

I dont know about you, but I'd MUCH rather have this, over 200 calories of mashed potatoes! 

Have a great day guys!! Thanks for reading!