I find Georgene to be a very level headed person when it comes to the more serious topics.  She will give you the goods without an overabundance of vaguely related yammer (skills of which I’m always trying to personally hone!)  From my perspective, it is more about living “down to Earth” and even about saving some money (another skill I can always improve.)  I’m sure there will be a bit about self-defense thrown into the mix, but it’s definitely not the blog’s primary goal.  Survival.  Simply put.

Anyone just trying to get back to good old fashioned natural healthy eating might be interested in this blog from that perspective.   The most current entry is called [Cranberry-Licious] and starts out like this:

I know that cranberries are far from being an essential food. However, they are tasty and have some great fiber, and are even known for their Vitamin C. Unfortunately, after canning, the Vitamin C is probably destroyed in these beauties, due to the heat involved, but we won’t belabor the details. We will enjoy what we have, be glad we have it, and save it for the future.

Sure sounds interesting to me!  If it sounds like news you could use, head on over and check it out!

DFW Preppers

Ingredients
16 oz oysters shucked with liquor retained
4 cup fat free half & half
4 tablespoons margarine
salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste
old bay, moroccan rub, or whatever spice you like to kick it up a notch!

Directions

• In a medium to large pot, cook oysters in their liquor until they look plump and firm and the edges start to curl a bit.
• Turn heat to low. Add half & half, margarine, salt and pepper.
• Turn heat back up just a little, bring to just shy of a simmer, and heat the stew through. Do not boil. Stir occasionally.
• Best served immediately but will keep for a day or two in the fridge in a sealed container.

Sure, you can shuck your own fresh oysters. I’m way too lazy to do that, so I found a pint of fresh shucked oysters… liquor and all. Liquor is the liquid inside an oyster’s shell and is a key component of the stew’s flavor.

A pint of fresh shucked oysters.

The oysters just poured into the pan.

Simmer the oysters right in their broth.  At first, it is hard to imagine that these will become plump and juicy… but they do, and you will know it when you see it.  They’ll appear a bit more sturdy, and the edges will start to curl up just a bit.

Plump and yummy!

Once they’re firmed up a bit, turn down the heat and add in the rest of your ingredients.  Kick the stove back up a bit and heat the stew until it is warmed through and uniform.  You shouldn’t boil it, but I did bring it almost to a simmer.

Creamy and warm winter treat!

Add whatever spices you like.  Traditionally, Old Bay is the way to go.  I had a Pampered Chef moroccan spice blend I wanted to try, so in it went.  Wonderfully different!  At the point, the stew is really open to interpretation.  Add herbs and spices… serve it with oyster crackers… make it special!  We had ours just like you see it here.   Plain and simple!

About 1/2  cup makes a serving, and this recipe yielded approximately 5 cups.  To make a more traditional batch, use milk or cream where I used fat free half & half.  Real butter would replace the margarine.

I made this yesterday.  Just took a taste of it cold from the fridge, and it kept just fine.  Can’t wait to heat up some more for lunch tomorrow!

Hello little Wonderland Oysters! Into the pot with you!

My Sweet Prince holds his lunch up for us to see.

Wonder how this would do in a slow cooker?  I’ll have to try it!

Find this recipe in my SparkRecipes recipe box.

Ingredients
1 large tuna steak, big enough to serve 2 or 3 people
2 tablespoons sesame chili oil
salt and fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons creamy horseradish sauce, wasabi
3 green onions, sliced
1 lemon, juice of

Directions

• Drizzle sesame oil on both sides of the tuna steak. Season with salt and pepper.
• Combine remaining ingredients in a small sauce pan. Heat over low heat until butter is melted, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
• While sauce is heating, heat a heavy frying pan on another burner with high heat. Place tuna in pan and sear until crispy and brown. Turn and sear on the other side. About 2 minutes per side if you like it rare. Up to 5 if you like it well done.

Just a big ole thick tuna steak!

For starters, I bought just enough tuna to feed my husband and I.  I wound up with leftover sauce, but I don’t mind.  It is good!  To sear the tuna, you want the pan pretty darn hot before you put the tuna in.  Notice that you drizzle the tuna with the oil, and then you put the tuna in the pan.  You don’t heat the oil in the pan.  I think this is key to getting the nice crispy brown outside without burning anything.

One incredibly flavorful sauce.

I used real butter here.  I believe regular butter is fine when not consumed alongside a lot of white carbs.  I think your favorite margarine would probably be ok here, if that is what makes you happy.   I doubt it will taste quite as good as real butter would, but I don’t think it would completely ruin the effort.  There are 28 reviews of this recipe over on RecipeZaar.  I bet at least one of them touches on the subject.  You can get LOTS of info and ideas by reading through the recipe reviews.

As always, I used low sodium soy sauce.   Now, for the wasabi, I did not use the more traditional tubed stuff.  I happened to eyeball a Manischewitz Wasabi Style Horseradish sauce on the grocery store shelf.  Who knew?  Looked interesting and was cheaper per ounce.  And guess what?  It worked very well in this recipe.  I would not recommend it for a bonafide sushi sit-down, but to add flavor to sauces or sandwiches… it’s pretty darn neat!

My side-plate-sized lovely salad.

I sliced up the tuna and piled it on top of fresh spinach and sliced tomatoes to form a lovely salad.  I drizzled the sauce, in moderation, over the whole thing for a nice dressing.  Added a little fresh ground pepper over top.  It was a delicious dinner.

My buddy, TJ, gave me a link to an alternate recipe that looks well worth trying.  Maybe next week!

Ingredients
16 ounces artichoke hearts, drained and mashed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Directions

• Mash 2 cans drained artichoke hearts.
• Put olive oil into frying pan.
• Saute cloves.
• Add mashed artichokes and eggs.
• Saute and stir about 5 minutes.
• Mix bread crumbs and cheese in bowl.
• Remove mix from heat, roll into balls, roll in bread crumb and cheese mixture.

Quartered Artichoke Hearts

I used canned artichoke hearts, though you should be able to use frozen or fresh ones you marinate yourself. (Google recipes for marinated artichoke hearts.)  I believe the canned ones come in marinades using things besides oil as a base.  Get the ones with the best nutritional stats.  I really don’t think it matters.  I did choose quartered hearts, as it made for quicker mashing.

Do the Monster Mash.

Though I used real eggs, I’m willing to bet that egg substitute would work just fine. For the garlic, I used chopped from a jar. I always keep a jar of chopped garlic in the fridge. I love fresh pressed, but these are a real timesaver for me much of the time. As for parmesan cheese, I believe we originally used the grated stuff in the green can. However, I never use anything but fresh shredded from the cheese case. I believe I used Sargento.

The breadcrumbs and cheese look on as the artichoke mash cools down a bit.

Pick whatever breadcrumbs sound good to you. Normally, I use Italian style. I picked a garlic & herb variety this time. Anything works. This is a key way to add unique flavor, though, so be creative. Plain will work, but it will probably bore you.  Add your own seasonings, if you so desire.  Don’t know how panko or ground up Fiber One would work here.  Might try that for a friendlier “throughout the year” recipe.  Wouldn’t dream of it for delighting Thanksgiving feasters.

The Artichoke Cheese Balls await their fate which lies down the gullets of fine Thanksgiving company.

Mom managed to get 24 Artichoke Cheese Balls out of this recipe.  Somehow, I only got 18.  I rolled them just a tad too big.   (Yes, we ate three at home.  Sorry. lol)

The red stuff is Suzy Q’s no sugar added cranberry sauce.  It just happens to be in the picture.  I don’t think I’d recommend it as a dip for the Artichoke Cheese Balls.  It is so yummy, though, that I made a batch to bring along.  I did offer up some healthier items to the cause, and that was one.  :)

Find this recipe in my SparkRecipes Recipe Box.
Also find this recipe in my public recipes on RecipeZaar.
It was also included in my Thanksgiving 2009 Brainstorm menu on RecipeZaar.

Thanksgiving 2009 Brainstorm – This is a collection of recipes I put together on RecipeZaar for your viewing pleasure. I believe I have tried every recipe on there at one time or another. I may add more throughout the weekend.  The Cheeseball with Everything is always a crowd pleaser.  Not a bad thing to keep in the fridge for nibbling, either.  This is a photo of one I made for New Year’s Eve a couple years ago.  I submitted it to RZ, and you can find a blurb from me among the reviews.  (Be sure to read through the reviews on the recipes that interest you!  All kinds of ideas and inspiration to be found there!)

Cheeseball with Everything!

I am pleased to make public for the first time two of my mother’s favorite recipes. Thanksgiving was a very special time for us and we loved to cook together. I miss her bunches.  The brownie recipe was a dessert she made throughout the year, and the artichoke cheese balls were made on special occasions. If you are looking for a simple, yet different kind of appetizer… I highly recommend the artichoke cheese balls.

Thanksgiving Recipe Collections

• RecipeZaar Thanksgiving Headquarters
• RecipeZaar Thanksgiving 2009 Menu
• Hungry Girl – These all look good. For those of you who followed my sweet potato souffle saga… the I Can’t Believe It’s Not Sweet Potato Pie seems to have accomplished what I could not. Haven’t tried it, but I sure plan to.
• Two Week Countdown to Thanksgiving – GoodHousekeeping’s Thanksgiving site.
• Flatten Your Belly at Thanksgiving – While I’m not a big fan of any particular commercial diet plan, I do borrow recipes from the Flat Belly Diet now and then.
• Wegmans Everything Thanksgiving
• Bloom’s Thanksgiving
• Food Network’s Thanksgiving Site
• SparkPeople’s 500-Calorie Thanksgiving Feast
• HealthyEats Blog

Tradition, Moderation, Simplicity

• All of my Thanksgiving tagged entries.
• My Recipe Index

Tips for Thanksgiving Moderation

• Hungry Girl’s Turkey Day Cheatsheet
• Hungry Girl’s 7 Ways to Avoid Thanksgiving Weight Gain
• Your Stay-Slim Holiday Survival Plan from Prevention Magazine

Last but not least… some random tidbits. My friend Yoshiko came by for tea and talk today. I whipped up a batch of the No Sugar Added Cranberry Sauce for her using PEACH jello mix. What a great combination this turned out to be. I also added just a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of ginger while it was simmering.

Cranberry sauce stirred into Fage Total Greek yogurt made a wonderful breakfast.

I also threw together a batch of the Yorkshire Pudding for Miss Yoshi.

Miss Yoshi gave me the beautiful Thomas Kinkade plate.

Yoshi's Yorkies!

It was a wonderful day.  I also had lunch with my friend & neighbor, Sharon, this week.  What a pleasant week it has been.  It’s almost like I have a real social life…  ;)

Served some weeks back with Prime Rib.

Wikipedia Article on Yorkshire Pudding
Wikipedia on Popovers

Be sure to google both terms when looking for the perfect recipe.  OR, just use this recipe I found on RecipeZaar! Definitely check out the original, but here it is with my preferred options.

Ingredients
1 cup plain flour
4 large eggs
1 cup skim milk
dried herbs or spices
morton lite salt
12 tsp canola oil

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Grab a 12-muffin baking pan and place a teaspoon of canola oil into the bottom of each tin.
• Place pan into oven for 15 or 20 min until oil is nice and hot. If you look carefully, you will see smoke. However, it takes much longer for canola oil to really start smoking than is needed to get it hot enough for these purposes.
• While pan is in the oven, beat the rest of the ingredients together to a nice creamy consistency.  Add herbs and spices to mixture as desired.
• When oil is hot enough, remove the pan from the oven and pour batter evenly into the 12 tins. DO NOT OVERFILL. These will puff up to at least twice what you place into the tin. They barely need to be half full.
• Place pan back into oven for 20-25 minutes until popovers are puffed up and crisp.
• Serve with gravy or butter or anything you think would be tasty when placed into the holes of the popovers.

The original recipe says to beat the mixture into the consistency of double cream.  I don’t think I get quite that consistency probably due to using skim milk.   Also, the original recipe calls for 1 cup of eggs.  I usually have large eggs on hand, so in my case that works out to 4 eggs.  Google for whatever size eggs you have.  (Did you know you can also google for standard conversions that will come up at the top of the search results??)

Sometimes I don’t add any herbs to the mixture, and other times I add savory herbs such as parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.  (She was once a true love of mine…)  I’ve often thought it would be fun to add cinnamon or something to these… perhaps cheese… but my men won’t have it!  Since I only partake in these once a year or so, I just make em the way they like em and serve with brown gravy.  I do fantasize about some sort of whole flour / eggbeater type combination, but I have yet to try.  (Yes, I have odd fantasies.  What can I say.)

Alas, this is not a recipe I can indulge in on a regular basis.  I will be enjoying one at the upcoming Big Meal.  :)

I still don’t have much of an appetite in the morning.  So, these days I have a protein drink.  In the summer, I usually have some sort of coffee based ready-to-drink (RTD) protein.  I either have something like Atkins Cafe, or I make my own with Lean Body chocolate RTD, chocolate unsweetened Almond Breeze, and some instant coffee crystals.  In the winter, I want something warm.  So, I make myself a protein mocha.

Ingredients
1 scoop of chocolate protein powder
1 shot of your favorite sugar free syrup
fresh brewed coffee

Directions

• Place the scoop of protein powder into a travel mug. My favorite is Nectar Chocolate Truffle, though I have done this successfully with Jay Robb chocolate whey protein, Lean Dessert Chocolate Fudge Pudding, and many others. Just about any brand will work.

• Add a shot of your favorite sugar free syrup to the mug. My two favorites are Da Vinci Dulce de Leche and Monin O’Free Caramel. (The Monin syrups are typically thicker. I like my phony caramel thick.) Just about any sweet flavor will work. You can even get crazy with some orange or almond flavored syrups. Get a spoon and stir… stir… stir. Stir until the protein is completely smooth. This is important. You want to smooth it out with that little bit of liquid before you fill the cup.

• Now, grab your fresh brewed coffee… which has either been sitting with the warmer off for at least 20 – 30 minutes… or, you’ve removed the lid from the pot, letting the steam escape while the coffee cools a bit. You DO NOT ever want to mix protein powder with liquid that is too hot. Doing so is what causes those nasty clumps. Fill your mug the rest of the way up with the coffee. I like to pour with one hand whilst stirring with the other. Be careful if you do this. Don’t burn yourself then blame me for it. You’ve been warned!

• Put the lid on your travel mug and sip away. Your Protein Mocha will make you nice and warm on a cold morning, and it will provide you with a decent amount of nutrients. I love these things. I drink them all throughout the year, but nothing hits the spot better on a cold winter morn. Sometimes I add a squirt of Hershey’s sugar free syrup to the protein powder / syrup mixture. If I want to treat myself, I will add a small spoon of Smucker’s sugar free caramel topping and / or a dollop of Cool Whip Free or fat free Reddi Whip.

The body best absorbs protein in the morning and just after workouts. Protein is also filling and will help keep you satisfied. And really, just about any flavor of protein will work… and any flavor of syrup will work. Go nuts with experimentation. Just stick to a protein powder that is lower in calories and carbs, and make sure you use sugar free syrups. There is no shortage of either out there. You can also do this with plain water, if you are not a coffee lover. I love coffee, and I love mochas, and I think the coffee covers up anything unpleasant about protein powder. In any case, the taste and quality of protein powder has come a long way. Even if you think you hate them, try one of the newer brands. You might be surprised.

These also make excellent snacks for chilly Autumn or Winter evenings.

Find this recipe in my SparkRecipes recipe box!

Souffle #1 Before

Souffle #2 After

Yes, that topping tastes as decadent as it looks.  Recall that I swapped out the Splenda brown for some Joseph’s maple flavored maltitol syrup.  This wound up tasting just as good as the Splenda brown, but it didn’t make for a nice presentation.  I could have probably halved the amount of syrup.  I don’t know if that would have improved the presentation, but it surely would improve the stats (and the tummy discomfort some experience from consuming maltitol.)   If you should decide to make this recipe, even though I’ve concluded that sweet potatoes aren’t worth these kinds of stats, go with the Splenda brown.  It’s a more traditionally “crumbly” topping.  You’ll still need to “drop it’ across the top, but it will be much easier to deal with than this and prettier to look at.

This is a tasty recipe in its original form.  I just don’t think I can eat it in good conscience… not even on a holiday.  I would rather splurge my calories on a couple cookies.  But, that’s my overall opinion on any sweet potato casserole at this point.  After attempting sweet potato souffle #2, I’ve concluded that sweet potatoes are by far their best when tossed in a little olive oil and roasted alongside some butternut squash.  So, make of that what you will.

Ingredients
1 cup sweet potato puree
8 oz heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup Whey Low Gold
2 tbsp margarine
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tbsp ground flax
1.5 tbsp warm water
2 tbsp margarine
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c Whey Low Gold
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 c chopped pecans

Directions

• Blend sweet potatoes, whipping cream, 1/2 c whey low gold, 2 tbsp margarine, cinnamon and ginger until smooth and whipping cream has somewhat thickened.
• Pour souffle mixture into an 8 x 8 baking dish sprayed with a little butter flavored non-stick spray.
• In a separate bowl, stir together flax and warm water. Add 2 tbsp melted margarine and the vanilla. Stir until blended. Add 1/4 whey low gold, oats, and pecans.
• Evenly top souffle mixture with the oat mixture. Bake at 350 for 45 – 50 minutes

Action shot!

Souffle #2 Before

Souffle #2 After

This recipe also had its presentation issues.  As you can see, the evenly distributed topping wound up sinking into the middle.  I believe this had to do with the souffle itself, and I will probably try a similar topping on something else one day.  It was good… kind of like granola.

I was not pleased with the outcome of this recipe.  It seemed pretty thin compared to what I was expecting.  I don’t think I could serve it right from the oven to the table.  However, something good came out of this.  I scooped it into a small round tupper and threw it into the fridge, deciding that it was a pretty decent mashed sweet potato recipe – though still higher in stats than a mashed recipe needs to be.  Overnight, it thickened and turned into a wonderfully decadent sweet concoction that I will very purposely use as a sweet potato pie filling one day.  I imagine a low carb nut meal crust, but it really doesn’t even need that.  If this were sitting beside a pumpkin pie on the dessert table, I would go for it.   Give me 1/4 cup and a spoon, and I’ll be off to the races.   And the stats probably are not so bad when considered as a dessert.

You can, of course, find this recipe in my SparkRecipes recipe box.

I have to run for now, but I do have a go-to sweet potato casserole recipe that I’ve been making for the masses for several years now.  I will make it again this year.  It is more like a traditional casserole… not a souffle.  Not that the souffle was much like a traditional souffle.  (Confused yet?)  It involves ginger and peaches, and I will post it very soon to conclude our little Sweet Potato Souffle Saga.

AH… one last note.  NanaLinda left me a comment suggesting I swap out a portion of the sweet potatoes with some butternut squash.  What a terrific idea.  I’ve had butternut in sweet potato’s stead, but it never would have dawned on me to sub some out here.  I may still try that with the ginger peach casserole.

I prefer sweet kittens over sweet potatoes. (For cuddling, silly!)

Correction: Some research revealed that I was actually nominated into the queue by a nice person named Parsley (who has entered 764 recipes into that thing!  If I don’t return soon, send in a search party!)  And it looks like it was Liza who ultimately put me there.  Liza has been a dedicated RZ staff member for several years, and she has proven more than once that she can remain a class act when a customer is yammering at her.  (Of course, I’m not the customer in question here.  Why on Earth would you think that?? lol)

That's me!

I found RecipeZaar a few years ago when I absolutely had to start taking responsibility for what I was putting into my body.  I commuted pretty far from home and had little time and energy for cooking.  Enter RecipeZaar.  Not only did I find time, but it helped me make MORE time for myself.  It also helped me save money, and it made me realize that I adore cooking when I have the time.  In fact, I was just telling this to someone not 30 minutes ago.  How appropriate that the congratulatory email came when it did.  (I had already been to RZ once today, but I generally come in through the side door… I have my own page bookmarked.)

Basically, it got me organized.  First of all, the recipe search feature is great.  It is not flawless, but it lets me sift recipe searches down to the nitty gritty in ways I had not seen before.  Other sites have picked up on this and ran, since then, but I believe RZ set the standard that now brings us even better sites like SparkRecipes.  They remain bar-none for the shopping list and my cookbook collection.

The shopping list is wonderful.  As I add recipes to my shopping cart, RZ does a pretty good job with adding up all the ingredients I need and organizing them by store department.  This has saved me untold amounts of time and money.  I no longer roam the store aimlessly wasting time trying to make decisions.  I take my shopping list to the kitchen, mark off what I have, then take it to the store.  I know right where I’m going.  I get in and get out.   No more wasted food in the fridge.  I was notorious for buying something that looked interesting and letting it go to waste because I had no plan for what to do with it.  Also, the recipes titles are on the shopping list tagged with letters that correspond to ingredients.  If you can’t find what you need when you’re in the store, you are well equipped for substituting on the spot.

It also has a menu planner I use for big meals like Thanksgiving.  I can slide things around into courses and change the number of attendees… then RZ will print out the ingredients I need according to the recipes I’ve chosen and the number of people.  It makes the adjustments for me.

I could go on for ages about it, but you should really wander over to RecipeZaar and check it out if you don’t already use an online technology for your meal planning.   Also check SparkRecipes, as they are probably the best of all possible worlds when it comes to recipes and nutrition tracking. RecipeZaar does its best to calculate nutritional info, but to date there is no way to track your personal intake.  It is worth it, to me, to enter some of my own recipes into both places.

Anyhow, I just wanted to post a quick thank you to RecipeZaar… especially now that I know I wasn’t chosen by some programming algorithm.  ;)

RecipeZaar's Thanksgiving stuff is up!

Ingredients
3 cups sweet potatoes (fresh or canned)
4 eggs
1 cup Splenda granular
1 cup (2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup Splenda brown sugar blend
1/2 cup flour

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Blend first 3 ingredients, 1 stick of margerine, and vanilla until smooth. Place in casserole dish.
• Blend last 3 ingredients and 1 stick of butter. Crumble evenly on top of sweet potato mixture. It may sink in a bit. That’s perfectly ok.
• Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
• Have a serving and be done. Try not to pick at the top all week!

I finally did up the nutritionals for it on SparkRecipes and was not very pleased.  They’re off the charts, and I can think of many things I’d rather have for the cost.  Having said that, this is a pretty tasty recipe.  If you make it as stated, it’s suitable Thanksgiving fare.

I tried to give this recipe a makeover by swapping out the Splenda brown in the topping with Josephs sugar free maple syrup, among other things, but I think I wound up with something too sweet for normal human consumption.  So much so, that I apparently pitched my notes in disgust.  Disgust that I didn’t come up with a makeover worth blogging about.  I was not too disgusted to eat some of it.  ;)   Unfortunately, for me, I think this recipe is just an excuse to eat the topping.  I’d probably be better off just making some cookies.

I endeavored to fashion a much healthier sweet potato souffle recipe with which I could try again using my leftover sweet potato puree.  I will reveal the recipe tomorrow.  Suffice it to say, I came up with a nice alternative to mashed potatoes… perhaps even a festive one.  Ultimately, though, I think I’ve decided that I will stick with a more typical sweet potato casserole when it comes to Thanksgiving.  I have one I like that involves ginger and sliced peaches.  You may well see that one next week.   Overall, I think I like simple roasted chunks of sweet potato w/ olive oil… or a baked potato with some Splenda and cinnamon.  I’m just not a big enough fan of the sweet potato casserole to warrant the less than stellar nutritional stats that seem to come with it.

Photos and notes for both recipes to follow tomorrow.  Always leave them wanting more… isn’t that what they say?