Lighten' UP! Have people ever said that to you, about you? Well, today we are going to talk about Lightening UP, so of our favorite recipes for the holidays. There are enough of us here who have been through a holiday season before, and equally enough who have not; but we can always review and renew ideas and maybe come up with some new ones.

First, what is your favorite thing for the holiday meals you have? As KD would tell us, what is the ONE thing you are NOT willing to give up? This is a more "getting to know you question than anything else....

Second, what are some of the ways that you
use to lighten up some of the foods you eat daily or especially for the holidays? What do you use to substitute for the more fattening ingredients than the original recipe.

Third, if you want to post the recipe, please do so....with the changes you 've made.

Have a great weekend. I am going to lock myself up with a gallon of water in my craft room to finish some projects that were due this week.
But I'll be out to check on our answers. I have to start planning our meal for thanksgiving , too.

Cathy J

quote:

Originally posted by susanrows:
I found a wonderful recipe for "fruited mashed sweet potatoes," using bananas, orange juice, lots of spices and very little butter.

OMG! My mom made that one year... Did it also have coconut? I didn't care for it, either!

I would make it for dinner co-op... like as part of a Carribean dinner... but not on Thanksgiving.

I like my sweet potatoes with brown sugar and a little butter...

I also like KD's curried sweet potatoes and garbanzo beans... but not on Thanksgiving.

I chuckled reading some of these responses, remembering the year my sister asked me to "bring the sweet potatoes" to Thanksgiving at her house. I found a wonderful recipe for "fruited mashed sweet potatoes," using bananas, orange juice, lots of spices and very little butter. Did not go over well at all! My sister and my dad sulked the whole day because I had misunderstood my instructions: bring THE sweet potatoes meant make the gooey casserole we like with the marshmallow topping. I was never entrusted to bring a dish again.

These days I leave all the Thanksgiving cooking to DH and MIL. That may be why I love this holiday so much!

quote:

Originally posted by SheriaVa:

Stupid question, but how do you guys buy your barley? Loose in a bulk foods section of your grocery store? Boxed? Bagged? Is there anything particular I should look for? Thanks.

Yep, definitely you need to look for "pearl barley". I get it in bags at the supermarket or in bulk at Whole Foods.

Thanks for the barley talk. I am missing it too.

I LOVE stuffing - I don't have a recipe...I just wing it ! I have really no idea on how to "slim" it down and still have it taste so yummy. If anyone else has any ideas- would love them.

I make up for the stuffing by not having any bread and loading up on the veggies. I would much rather have stuffing that mashed potatoes, and we always have squash, broccoli or cauliflower.

yummmm - my taste buds can't wait for Thanksgiving !!!!

KD has a whole Holiday Menu on the website:

http://kathleendaelemans.com/rcp_holiday.html


Turkey saftey basics:
http://kathleendaelemans.com/ask_turkey_safety_basics.html

Holiday Weight Loss tips:
http://kathleendaelemans.com/ask_holiday_weight_loss.html

quote:

Originally posted by SheriaVa:
how do you guys buy your barley?

I buy pearl barley. It is at the grocery store with the bags of rice and beans. It is in a bag.

OR... in bottles after it has been made into beer.

quote:

Originally posted by synesthesiac:
I LOVE barley too!! Really, everyone should try it; it is a perfect substitute for rice: wholesome, filling, fiber-rich.

Stupid question, but how do you guys buy your barley? Loose in a bulk foods section of your grocery store? Boxed? Bagged? Is there anything particular I should look for? Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by synesthesiac:
I LOVE barley too!! Really, everyone should try it; it is a perfect substitute for rice: wholesome, filling, fiber-rich.

Actually it was one of your posts that reminded me, "Hey, I haven't had any barley in a while..."

Green bean casserole is a favorite of mine so I made my own version. Instead of Cream of mushroom soup I use sourcream, worchestershire sauce, a little onion soup mix and sauted onions as my creamed soup. I still put a few fried onions on top, but not as many as I used to.

I usually make a light dessert since I don't like pumpkin pie anyway. Not sure what it will be this year.

quote:

Originally posted by GoingSkiing:

Going to make some barley tomorrow with sauted celery and onion and poultry seasoning... going to to have it with chick breast and gravy.

I LOVE barley too!! Really, everyone should try it; it is a perfect substitute for rice: wholesome, filling, fiber-rich.

As for my lightened up food:
I adore mashed potatoes and refuse to give them up. I have found that boiling them in chicken broth then mashing them with light cottage cheese and a little low fat milk (depending on texture/wetness of the potato) makes for a unique flavor and texture.

Also, corn is the favorite veggie from my childhood, but a bit starchy and calorie-laden. I cook broccoli and carrots and throw in a bit of corn; it's delicious!
And for any veggie, cooking in broth lets you get away without any butter (or very little, if you must).

I've gone too far and lightened up actual holiday meals too much in the past. Not good. Since I'm not home/cooking most holiday meals, they are sort of beyond my control. It is one day... I don't stress. I don't stuff myself anymore... but I don't stress.

I've been making a lot of "holiday" foods every weekend since Oct. I've made lightened up pumpkin pies twice. I made a "lite" turkey "dressing" with quinoa and we had it with chicken breast and gravy and cranberry sauce.

Going to make some barley tomorrow with sauted celery and onion and poultry seasoning... going to to have it with chick breast and gravy. Going to have little baby indiv. apple pie tomorrow.

I'm really enjoying having the holiday meals I love more often.

I'll have to say that my favorite thing is the turkey dressing w/giblet gravy & cranberry sauce.


The only thing that I suppose I do is use lower fat ingredients where I can that won't affect the flavor very much...EXP: FF Chicken Broth and so on.

I just try to practice portion control and when eating at big family get togethers, just two or three bites of whatever I want. I pay attention to when I am feeling full and make sure not to overstuff myself.

I just bumped up an article from Runner's World that has some suggestions on how to deal with all the upcoming holiday dinners & get togethers.

I also limit myself to one glass of wine and drink water and/or iced tea the rest of the time. Wine seems to make me hungrier and less aware of when I am feeling full so I wait until the end of the meal or after the meal is over to have a glass.

Another thing....I try not to let myself fall into the "all or nothing" frame of mind during this time either. Just because I eat a holiday meal doesn't mean that I have "totally blown it" and so why not spluge for the rest of the day/week/month.

quote:

Originally posted by TriGirl:
One thing I always loved this year is apple pie. So I make a lot of apple crisps and other baked apple recipes that have the cinnamon and brown sugar in them but no crust. That way I get the homey apple-cinnamon smell without a lot of fatty crust.

Today for brunch I baked some apples in a casserole dish this way: sliced but not peeled apples with a little brown sugar, salt, and nutmeg. I put a tiny bit of butter (about one tablespoon) for an entire dish of apples and also put in a few pecans for crunch. I baked these at 350 for about an hour (I never really use recipes) I made buckwheat waffles (I use the Arrowhead farms brand) with a little granola in them and topped them with the apples. I had one waffle, a fruit and yogurt smoothie, and a cup of coffee and it was very filling.

Your brunch reminded me of our breakfast today. I made whole grain pancakes and we topped them with an apple compote. I took an apple and diced it (skin on), 1 tsp of brown sugar and a dash of cinnamom and nutmeg. I nuked the apple and spices for 1 minute in the microwave and then spooned it over the pancakes. It was very yummy.

My Thanksgiving is usually with about 40 people so I only bring one or 2 things. Like others here, I kindof think it is sacred and don't mess with it too much. I usually bring a dessert (usually Chocolate Silk Pie). I can lighten that a little and do but it is minor (egg beaters instead of eggs and lf cool whip instead of regular).

I always bring mashed potatoes too and those I do lighten. I cook them in some water mixed with chicken stock to help the flavor and I throw in garlic cloves also (I use russets). Then I rice the potatoes and the garlic. I mix in some butter (not a lot but I am usually doing 5 pounds of potatoes) and buttermilk. I picked that up from KD. It makes them taste delicious. A lot more flavor than skim milk. and everyone loves them.

Pam

P.S. The baked apples would probably serve 4-5 people -- we had a lot leftover.

One thing I would refuse to change is our mashed potatoes. But they aren't really that "fat" anyway. I make them from scratch with yukon gold potatoes, skim milk, and just a tablespoon or two of real butter for the whole batch. I don't like gravy so I really need the potatoes to be right.

One thing I always loved this year is apple pie. So I make a lot of apple crisps and other baked apple recipes that have the cinnamon and brown sugar in them but no crust. That way I get the homey apple-cinnamon smell without a lot of fatty crust.

Today for brunch I baked some apples in a casserole dish this way: sliced but not peeled apples with a little brown sugar, salt, and nutmeg. I put a tiny bit of butter (about one tablespoon) for an entire dish of apples and also put in a few pecans for crunch. I baked these at 350 for about an hour (I never really use recipes) I made buckwheat waffles (I use the Arrowhead farms brand) with a little granola in them and topped them with the apples. I had one waffle, a fruit and yogurt smoothie, and a cup of coffee and it was very filling.

I know there are more answers out there, please share with us your ideas.

Cathy

I do lighten up.
I make our green beans just steamed and then quickled browned with garlic and pepper in a non stick pan. No more mushroom soup/fried onion casserole for us as it wasn't a big favorite anyway.

I use lf chicken broth in my bread stuffing and just upped the veggies and fresh herbs that I add.

We use 1% milk in the mashed potatoes and the sweet potatoes we just roast.

Thanksgiving was never one of my favorite holiday meals so it was an easy one for us to lighten up and make healthy.