Turkey Time!

This year might be the first year that I can out eat anyone and everyone at the Thanksgiving table, especially since these awesome maternity pants give a lot of extra room for stretching! Hehehe. But there is no reason to overdo it just because the food is front of me, or because I'm pregnant, and neither should you! Studies have shown that the average person consumes between 3,000 and 4,000 calories during a Thanksgiving meal, not including what you snack and sip on during the day. Here are few Thanksgiving tips that will keep you happy and keep your pants buttoned, whether you're pregnant or not, but still allow you to enjoy all the wonderful food!

1) Start your holiday morning out with a quick 45 minute workout. Whether it's a brisk walk, a short yoga session, or a full body circuit, getting a quick workout in before you stuff your face will get your metabolism moving!

2) Eat light!! If you are having a Thanksgiving dinner take it easy during the day! Whip up an egg white omelet and piece of fruit for breakfast. Keep lunch light with a broth based soup or light salad. My sister makes a wonderful pumpkin soup every year that we eat for lunch to hold us over until dinner. It's light on the stomach, but enough to keep your belly satisfied.

3) Try a new low fat recipe! We all have our family traditions and Thanksgiving favorites, but there is no reason we have to make them "Paula Dean Style"! Search for alternatives to your favorite recipes on cookinglight.com. Something as simple has replacing eggs with egg substitute can cut back on the calories, fat, and cholesterol while still giving you that traditional taste you love!

4) Thinking about going back for seconds? Be wise when going back for more! Instead of reaching for another scoop of grandma's sweet potato casserole and gravy smothered dressing, grab a second helping of veggies and a glass of water. It takes the body a full 15-20 minutes after you finish eating to feel satiety. So instead of going back for seconds right away, take a breather and drink a tall glass of water.

5) Minimize the mimosas! I'll be completely minimizing the mimosas this year (insert sad face). But the rest of you can enjoy your booze IN MODERATION!!!! Those extra cocktails add A LOT of extra calories to your Thanksgiving meal. So keep it light and sip on water most of the day so you can enjoy your favorite beer or wine during your Thanksgiving meal or while cheering on your favorite team!

6) Share a dessert plate. There are so many pies and sweet treats to choose from!  How can you pick just one?! Instead of dishing out a piece of each pie, share a dessert plate with someone. Having a bite or two of a few favorites  rather than eating  full helpings will satisfy your taste buds and keep your calories somewhat in check.

Here are a few healthy alternative recipes I have used in the past:

"I Can't Believe It's Not Sweet Potato Casserole"
http://www.hungry-girl.com/show/holiday-i-cant-believe-its-not-sweet-potato-casserole-recipe

Ingredients

• 8 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 2/3 cup light vanilla soymilk
• 2/3 cup sugar-free pancake syrup
• 1/2 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated), or HG Alternative!
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8" X 10" baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

Fill a large microwave-safe dish with 1/2 inch of water. Add squash and cover. Microwave for about 8 minutes -- squash should be tender enough to mash, but not overcooked. Drain well.

Mash squash thoroughly with a potato masher, food processor, or fork, but do not puree. (Squash should be pulpy.) Add soymilk, syrup, sweetener, salt, egg substitute, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. (Adding the ingredients in this order gives the squash enough time to cool before adding the egg substitute, which could begin to "cook" if added too early.) Mix thoroughly, but do not over-stir.

Transfer mixture to the baking pan. Bake in the oven until mostly firm, 45 - 50 minutes.

Top with mini marshmallows. Return to the oven and bake until marshmallows begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool before serving!
MAKES 8 SERVINGS



Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie
 http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/maple-bourbon-pecan-pie-50400000116756/

I decreased the calories and sugar even more by substituting the whole eggs with egg substitute and using sugar-free syrup rather than regular maple syrup.


Caramel Pumpkin Pudding Cupcakes
These are one of my favorite Thanksgiving treats.  Only 100 calories per cupcake!!!!
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/recipe/14406_Hungry_Girl_s_Caramel_Pumpkin_Pudding_Cupcakes/index.html

INGREDIENTS

• For cupcakes:
• 2 cups moist-style yellow cake mix (1/2 of an 18.25-ounce box)
• 1 cup canned pure pumpkin
• 1/3 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute
• 2 tablespoons sugar-free maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• For topping:
• 3 cubes (about 1 ounce) chewy caramel
• 2 teaspoons light vanilla soy milk

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Combine all cupcake ingredients in a mixing bowl with 13 cup of water. Whip with a whisk or fork for 2 minutes until well blended.

Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with baking cups. Evenly spoon batter into muffin cups. Place pan in the oven and cook for about 12 minutes (until cupcakes have puffed up but still appear a little gooey on top). Once cupcakes are cool enough to handle, arrange them closely on a plate so that the edges are touching.

Place caramel and soymilk in a tall microwave-safe glass or dish (mixture will bubble and rise when heated).

Microwave at medium power for 1 minutes. Stir mixture vigorously until smooth and thoroughly blended. (Return to microwave for 30 seconds at medium heat if caramel has not fully melted.) Immediately drizzle caramel sauce over cupcakes.

HAVE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Baby's First "Glamping" Trip

As I have mentioned before one of mine and Josh's favorite hobbies is backpacking. We try to go out west every August and backpack anywhere from 40-50 miles through the backcountry of a national park. When we aren't out west we like to find short 12-14 mile weekend hikes around GA, TN, and the Carolinas. When you are carrying everything you need for 3-5 days on your back you tend to travel with as little as possible. You ration your food,  you bring only enough water to get you to the first river so you can pump more, and you certainly don't have room to bring any games or activities to keep you occupied.

Well our idea of backpacking/camping is a little different from our friend's. They enjoy what we like to call "Glamping" or glamorous camping. This past weekend we had a wonderful glamping experience with about 15 our closest friends; it was GLAMOUROUS!

We had about 9 tents, a "kitchen" tent with an endless supply of our favorite camp foods ( most were not nutritionist friendly, but you have to splurge every once in a while!) a charcoal grill, two 50 cc motor bikes, corn hole, BB guns, glow sticks, an endless campfire, and of course A LOT of laughs! We "glamped" at a trail head up in Clayton,GA  right on the river. It was the perfect spot because we were close to water for the dogs to play and swim and right on the trail head so we could pick up and do some easy day hiking.

Friend montage!

What? You've never brought photo booth props on a camping trip??

What about sparklers and glow sticks??

Baby Thomas even got in on the photo fun!

Beautiful day for hiking!

Pregnant lady on a motor bike!

AMAZING weekend! Makes you want to go glamping this weekend doesn't it :)

I made a great lowfat Turkey chili before we left. It was the perfect healthy, hearty, warm dinner for a cold night outdoors. You don't normally see zucchini and carrots in chili but they blend in really well and add some great extra vitamins and minerals to what is often a high fat, mostly protein based meal.

Spicy Turkey Chili (courtesy of myrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS:

-1 1/4 cups green bell pepper strips

-1 cup sliced onion

-1/2 cup sliced carrot                

-1/2 cup  sliced zucchini                

-1 pound ground turkey                

-1/4 cup chili powder                

-1 1/2 teaspoons sugar                               

-3/4 teaspoon dried oregano                

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-1/4 teaspoon black pepper

-2 (14.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, undrained 

-1 (16-ounce) can kidney beans, drained

-1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained

-1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce

-1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese                

PREPARATION:

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add first 5 ingredients; cook 5 minutes or until turkey is browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in chili powder and the next 8 ingredients (chili powder through tomato sauce), and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with cheese.

IT'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND! GET OUTDOORS AND GET MOVING! 

                           

It's Fall Y'all!

This past weekend I traveled to Arlington, Virginia to spend some quality time with my sister and brother-in-law. It rained most of the weekend so we spent most of our time relaxing, watching football, cooking and catching up. Sunday morning my sister and I woke up and made some delicious low fat pumpkin bread.  It’s another one of my fall favorites! I have used this recipe from Cookinglight.com several times and it never disappoints! Paired with a steaming cup of coffee with pumpkin creamer and you’ve got yourself a perfect Sunday morning!

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

 3 1/3 cups of all-purpose flour

1 TBPS baking powder

2 tsp of baking soda

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp ground allspice

2 cups of granulated sugar ( we used a sugar substitute )

½ cup of egg substitute ( such as egg beaters)

½ cup canola oil

½ cup low fat buttermilk

2 large eggs

2/3 cup water

1-15 oz can of pumpkin

Instructions:

 Preheat oven to to 350°

 1. Combine flour and the next 6 ingredients (through allspice) in a mixing bowl and set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl place sugar, egg substitute, oil, buttermilk, and eggs and beat with a mixer on high until well blended. Add 2/3 cup water and pumpkin, beating at low speed until blended. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Lightly coat 2- 9X5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray and pour batter into pans. Bake in oven for 1 hour.

After finishing our delicious breakfast we headed over to Germantown in Maryland to check out Butlers Orchard. It is such a neat little place! You can pick all kinds of fruits and vegetables during peak seasons. We went to see the pumpkins of course! While there we also picked up some locally made snacks for lunch. My sister picked up a jar of both apple butter and pumpkin butter. They are AMAZING!! The apple butter has no added sugar, it’s sweetened with its own juice. We also picked up some venison sausage and local cheese. Paired with their homemade sweet onion mustard and some whole wheat crackers and we had ourselves a delicious lunch! If you have never tried venison you should put it on your to-do list. It’s very high in protein and iron and has about 1/3 the fat of beef! It’s great in chili, as burgers, or even as meatloaf!

When my sister and I get together we REALLY love to get in the kitchen! We continued the fall theme for the day with a healthy dinner of bbq chicken, pan seared brussel sprouts, and winter squash gratin. Fantastic doesn’t even begin to describe how wonderful that squash gratin was! It will definitely be making an appearance at Thanksgiving this year!

Squash Gratin

Ingredients: (Serves 6-8)

*** I have listed the ingredients we used. We altered some ingredients to make it healthier

3 TBSP of unsalted butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 TBSP of fresh, chopped thyme

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes

1 small kabocha squash, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes

2 cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt and pepper, just a dash of both

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

½ cup fat free half and half

¼ cup bread crumbs ( if you can use homemade bread crumbs do so- they are much better!)

2 TBSP grated parmesan cheese

2 TBSP chopped parsley

½ grated gruyere cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Melt 2 Tbsp of butter in a large oven proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and thyme and cook until onion softens, about 5 minutes.
2. Combine both types of squash in a large microwave-safe bowl with 1 cup of water. Cover with plastic wrap and cook until squash is just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and add squash to the skillet along with garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook about 3 minutes. Add the broth and cook until mostly absorbed. Stir in the half and half and cook until slightly thickened.
3. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and toss with bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and parsley. Sprinkle on top of the squash and top with gruyere cheese. Transfer the skillet into the oven and bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes and then serve!

I used a cabernet garlic olive oil blend I got in Seattle to sautee the brussel sprouts. When I don't have something fancy like that I use olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

HAPPY HUMP DAY!! 

 

Baby's First Race

This past Saturday, Josh and, I along with some of our closest friends, participated in the Savage Run 2013! It was a 6.3 mile run with 25 obstacles along the way. We climbed up walls, barreled through hay, trudged through mud, scurried across monkey bars, jumped over fire, and had a BLAST!


I know what you’re thinking, “crazy pregnant lady!” Don’t worry; I skipped the tazors, the ice bath, and the 30 foot slide. I made sure everything I did was safe for me and our baby! Yet, I have to admit; I felt like a badass being 13 weeks pregnant and doing a race like this. Baby and I kicked butt!!

This is a great time of year to get outside and participate in a local race. The air is crisp, the leaves are changing, and the fresh air feels wonderful! So get out there and find a local 5K or 10K in your area.  You can walk or run, go at your own pace, have fun, you’ll feel accomplished.






Nice and clean before the race



Dominating the hay stacks! (left to right: Me, Josh, April, Toby)

 

Me and my sister-in-law April



We had a post-race party at my friend Beth’s house to celebrate our hard work! Good food, football, and fun! Since it’s officially fall I decided to make one of my favorite fall Pinterest recipes: Fall Pumpkin Dip. It’s super easy to make and a great light weight, healthy dessert or snack!

      Ingredients:

1-      15oz can of pureed pumpkin  

      16 oz of fat free or low fat cool whip

1-      5oz box of sugar free, fat free vanilla instant pudding ( use as powder- do not prepare as instructed on box)

½  TBSP of both cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice

        Mix all ingredients together thoroughly and let chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

I served it with sliced apples and low fat vanilla wafers, but it pairs well with ginger snaps or graham crackers as well.

I also made myself a nice, celebratory, VIRGIN, cocktail. Everyone was enjoying their favorite beer or wine, so I figured I deserved something fun and delicious, as well! So, I whipped up a lower calorie virgin piña colada from scratch. I only used three ingredients and it was SOOOO good! I don’t think I’ll ever buy the pre-made junk again!

Ingredients:  (makes about 4 glasses)

1-      8 oz can of cream of coconut (I let this chill the refrigerator so the coconut and oil separate. This cuts back on the fat- if you choose not to do this don’t stress; coconut oil is healthy fat)

1         container of Naked pure coconut water                                                                                                                                  

1         cup of fresh pineapple

Combine all ingredients in a blender with Ice. Sip, share, and enjoy!

                                               

                           GET MOVING, GET MOTIVATED, AND HAPPY HUMP DAY!