Thanksgiving-Iron Bowl Food for the Weekend...

After spending a couple of days planning what I would fix for Thanksgiving weekend, I thought I had an excellent menu. It was healthy, all but one dish, and it was perfect for the Iron Bowl football game, Alabama vs Auburn. From spinach salad to pumpkin pie, glazed carrots to herb dressing...perfect and easy...just the way I love to cook most foods AND most of it was cooked in the crockpots. Even better. First, Thursday night, Jerry helped me prepare a few of the items, one being the bread for the dressing...gluten free too. 

 The dressing...I love a lot of celery in my dressing...

2 cups of chopped celery

2 Tablespoons minced garlic

2 chopped sweet onions

2 chopped red gala apples

1 cup of golden raisins (reserve a few to sprinkle on top)

1 Tablespoons of finely chopped thyme

1 Tablespoon of finely chopped Cilantro

1 teaspoon of sea salt

1 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups of fat free vegetable broth

6 cups of bread crumbs (I used a gluten free handmade recipe)

Mix all the ingredients together before adding the bread crumbs.

Stir well...it will be rather moist...

Layer in a 6-8 qt crockpot,

Stuffing, chopped chicken breast meat, low sodium/low fat

 cream of chicken soup (small can). There should be at least two

layers of this process in the crockpot.

Cook on low for 6 hours.

I have made this many ways...using less of the cream of chicken soup each time...if you want the dressing more moist, then use more broth or more soup. The higher you turn your crockpot, the chances of burning your dressing becomes.

This year I made a turkey breast,

cooked on warm in the crockpot all night

with Ken's Lemon Herb Marinate poured over it.

An hour before I took it out, I turned it upside down in the crockpot

so that it would gain more moister.

Juicy and fabulous...

The ham was spiral and pre-cooked.

However, I popped it in the crockpot and poured local honey

and 1/4 cup of Splenda brown sugar on top and allowed it to

simmer on warm for the day.

Tender and delicious.

I added Sweet Potatoes with fresh rosemary and red onions

in vegetable broth to another crockpot

Preparing the Acorn Squash to go with the 

Mushroom Rice dish.

Slightly cut off the bottom so that the acorn squash will sit flat.

Place on a paper towel and then on a glass plate, cover in plastic.

Cook on full power for 5 minutes. The inside will easily pull away from the skin.

I also punched some slits into..,forgot to mention that...before cooking...

I sauteed 1 cup each of leek, bella mushrooms, shallots, sweet onions

to go in the wild rice.

I used a fork to pull the squash and then formed it in a circle.

I mixed the sauteed vegetables, prepared wild rice,

1 Tablespoon of Cilantro, 1/2 ground cinnamon together

and placed in the center of the acorn squash. 

The Apple Pie mixture was a recipe shared at my

Weight Watchers Meeting. I twicked it a bit until I got it

a fewer less calories.

1 six ounce can frozen unsweetened apple juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 Tablespoon of fat free spray butter (YES INDEED)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon real vanilla

6 red gala apples, peeled, cored, sliced and cooked

(I cooked mine in water, lemon juice all night in the crockpot)

cooking spray

I did use a purchased pastry because I did the points calculator,

it was the same amount of points with the margarine and 

handmade pastry so I called it even lol.

I made a tart out of the two pastries...

because guess what!!! With my kitchen bulldozed down and

not having a kitchen...I have no idea where my pie plates are!!!

Too funny...Mother and I laughed about this...=P

Regardless, points equaled 4 for 1/8th of a slice.

Need a close up view...now that is fat free whip topping =).

I also made a Pineapple Upside Down Cake

which I did in the Crockpot. It was fabulous as well!

I recommend the one in the Microwave but this one was delicious too...

Weight Watchers friendly of course...

AND a Tupperware Recipe Using the Amazing Steamer!!!

(I can so come and make these recipes for you...I love them!!!)

1 box of Yellow Cake Mix

1/4 cup of Splenda Brown Sugar (my new best friend)

1 teaspoon of real vanilla

1 can diet lemon lime soda

1 regular can pineapple chunks

Spray the crockpot with cooking spray. Mix all the ingredients together and pour in the crockpot. Cook for 4 hours on low. Top with fat free whip topping. Without the topping the cake is 3 points for 1/8th of a piece.

Fresh pumpkin pie...totally with ALL the points AND calories!!!

Done...

Declared...Delicious by my Chef Ethan...=)

Pretty thick for not finding my pie plates lol,...

Steaming carrots...

to Sweet Glazed Carrots also cooked in the crockpot...

These were prepped all night...along with

green beans drained and topped with fat free Italian Dressing,

and kernel corn.

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Shallots and Sweet Onions...

We also had fresh turnip greens, Moscato Wine with Nuun and Cinnamon.

Chocolate even enjoyed his plate 

while his brother Beau got the ham bone and drippings...

Happy hearts, happy lives, happy home and happy tummies

for the whole blumming weekend!

Yes!

Happy Hugs,

Rita

Spaghetti Squash with Cilantro Hamburger Sauce and Recipe

  This amazing recipe begins with the Tupperware Steamer...

You will need 1 lb of lean hamburger.

Cook in the microwave for 5 minutes on high.

Remove.

Add 1 small chopped sweet onion.

Using a fork, grind the meat up a bit.

Cook in the microwave for 1 minute on high.

Remove.

Add 1 small can of sliced olives and sit aside. 

Take 1 spaghetti squash, stab 2 times with a sharp knife.

Place a paper towel on a glass plate and put the whole squash on it.

Cover the squash with another paper towel.

Cook in microwave on high for 5 minutes.

This will soften the hard shell making it easier to cut in half.

Then when done, cut in half, place plastic wrap over each half.

Place back on the plate, put back in the microwave for 5 minutes on high.

Remove.

Cut out the seeds in the center.

Using a form pull the squash away from the sides of the squash.

Place in a bowl. One squash will make a lot of noodles.

Add a jar of reduced fat spaghetti sauce,

the hamburger meat mixture, and

place in the microwave for 1 minute.

Stir well. Top with Fat Free Shredded cheese.

Serve hot.

Delicious...

looking forward to finishing out house to where

we can use real plates again...

 Madison kept saying, "Yum, Yum"...

Garrett loves the "new" pasta...eating healthier is important,

but introducing vegetables in a variety of ways even more so.

Ethan went back for seconds of this dish rather than the pizza.

Happy Dance for a wonderful supper...

Happy Iron Bowl Day, Alabama/Auburn!!!

Hugs, Rita

Picking Turnip Greens at the Old Barn...

This year's turnip greens were delicious straight out of the garden and into my mouth. Organic and wonderful...

I know I will be picking more of these beauties over the holiday weekend...

 Fresh turnip greens mixed with slices of sweet onions, simmered for a while are absolutely delicious! I love these greens fresh in salads, prepared for omelettes, combined with other greens in pasta or alone...greens. Delicious. Healthy. Wonderful.

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!!

Rita

Madison's Hair...a yummy twist!

 Everyday that my sweet friend, Madison, comes to my house after school, she wants her hair done. Well, the other day, I braided it and then twisted it over a couple of times at the end. I wanted something to decorate it with and had no flowers or anything. So...I found some suckers in the pantry!! Amazing!!

Here is the before "suckers" look.

...and from the side...

Then with the random suckers...

I waited until her parents picked her up to tell her...

"Um, Madison, there is something special in your hair for later..."

Hugs, and Happy Thanksgiving, Madison, 

because God blessed the day you joined our family!!

Rita

Trunk'a Treat with Bible Characters on a Twist...

 Let me start at the beginning! Each year, the church in our community, New Center Baptist, as provided a Trunk'a Treat for those that live in our rural area even before it was a popular thing for people to do. If someone is going tick or treating in our community, that means they are driving house to house, down long driveways at most of those homes. So, the church has provided great alternatives each year and it is wonderful. How does it work? Each vehicle decorates the back some way maybe with a game and hands out candy to those attending. I had decided to make costumes from the Lord of the Rings and purchased fabric, patterns and embellishments for them. Then the church posted, "Hay, let's do Bible Theme cars this time!" What? No....Oh well, I am flexible, so, I came up with Bible characters to go with the costumes I planned to make lol, yes I did...Meet, Jezebel...that indeed is a Bible character...

I had the nails professionally done on Halloween afternoon. People that have these, really want them lol. However, I did get my contacts in with my knuckles and braided Madison's hair as well as got my makeup on the next morning to go get the NAILS cut down lol! It can be done! 

New Center Baptist Church, Hartselle, Alabama...setting up...

Meet Elisha, the bald headed prophet! aka Jerry!

I made the costume and it was so much fun!!

It is made from linen and broadcloth

using Simplicity Costumes Pattern #9887.

I made this dress from polyester because I was afraid anything else would be too hot...Our game was a bean bag toss to knock Jezebel off her wall so the dogs could eat her. Then Garrett, the AL coach, lol, totally Biblical for him, gave them candy for doing so. It was totally a fun game. One little boy, about 3-4 years old, made 2/3 of the holes!!

LOVE love love the sleeves in the dress...

I made this dress using Simplicity Pattern #4940

except I changed the collar on this one and the back has a bit of opening and

 I have a charm that matches the earrings hanging down from the clasp...

Ethan went as a farmer...ok, maybe not so old Bible theme but he took 

Annie, the Cashmere Goat...

she was the hit of the whole thing!!

Garrett and me sharing a special moment at the supper provided by the church...

The chili/stew supper...a great way to connect to our community...

I added pastel chalk to my hair in pinks and purples...

I 

Then I added scrapbooking bling to my face...

I did pack on the Mary Kay makeup lol...

I wanted to look the part of Jezebel...

The holiday was such fun. Dressing up and creating a safe place for the community to experience the holiday is a good thing. I loved making the outfits too.

Hugs, Rita