My plan is to stay at my target points everyday this week and keeping all my Flex Points available for Thanksgiving Day. If I have any Flex Points left over then I will enjoy them on Friday.
Here is the Thanksgiving Day Menu:
Appetizers:
Kashi TLC Multi Grain Crackers
Sun-dried Tomato Dip
Baked Tostitos Scoops
Dinner:
Turkey
Southern Corn Bread Dressing
Herb Roasted Vegetables
Bacon and Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Make-Ahead Gravy
Nature's Own White Wheat Dinner Rolls
Pecan Pie
Buttermilk Pie
Chocolate Pie
Cool Whip
I presently get 33 points daily. I have saved my 35 Flex points to also use Thanksgiving Day. Here is what is in my journal planned for the big day! All can say is Yummers and boy will I ever eat well!
I start the day with 68 total points!
3 cups of coffee with 1 1/2 servings Fat-Free Half & Half 1 point
1 serving Huevos Rancheros 2 points
2 small La Tortilla tortillas Low-Fat Low Carb 1 point
Tostitos Baked Scoops (15) 2 points
1/4 cup Sun Dried Tomato Dip 1.5 points
Kashi TLC 7Grain Crackers (15) 2 points
4 ounces Turkey Breast 4 points
Southern Corn Bread Dressing (1/10 recipe) 6 points
1/4 cup Make-Ahead Gravy 1 point
3/4 cup Herb Roasted Vegetables 1 point
3/4 cup Bacon Cheddar Mashed Potatoes 4 points
3/4 cup Green Bean Casserole 4 points
Nature Own's White Wheat Dinner Rolls (2) 2 points
1 Tablespoon Brummel & Brown Margarine 1 point
1/4 cup Cool Whip Light 1 point
1/8 Chocolate Pie 9 points
1/8 Buttermilk Pie 11 points
1/8 Pecan Pie 10 points
I will have 4.5 points remaining after all of that. I doubt very seriously that I will be hungry after enjoying all of this so I will most likely move those 4.5 points to Friday as additional Flex Points. If for some reason late Thanksgiving Night I get hungry then I have 4.5 points to make a wonderful Turkey sandwich using 2 slices Nature Own Sourdough Bread, 2 oz. turkey (2), 1 1/2 Tablespoon Miracle Whip Light (1.5), Lettuce, tomatoes and onions (0).
See how important it is to plan! You can have a fantastic holiday using those Flex Points. If I chose to exercise today I could also add more points. I think that this is really more food than I can really eat. But if I want it all I can have it guilt free. I will make sure to reach my Daily Target Points but if I can't eat it all then what I can't I will simply move to Friday and enjoy another day of carefully planned leftovers.
Plan!
Servings: 12
HUs: 2
Ingredients:
3 cups egg substitute
1 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
6 slices whole wheat bread
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
2 cans tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel)
1) Cube bread and spread over bottom of a 13x9" pan that has been sprayed with Pam.
2) Sprinkle with 3/4 cup cheese.
3) Drain tomatoes (but keep the liquid!) and sprinkle them over the bread.
4) Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese.
5) Combine tomato liquid (should be about a cup) and skim milk to make 2 cups liquid. Pour
in eggbeaters, dry mustard, and salt. Whisk together.
6) Pour liquid over top of casserole dish.
7) Cover and put in the refrigerator overnight.
8) In the morning - uncover and cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes (or until firm to the
touch!)
Serving Size: 2 Tablespoons
HUs: 2
Ingredients:
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, oil-packed -- drained and chopped
8 ounces Philadelphia Light Cream Cheese -- room temperature
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup light mayo
10 dashes Tabasco
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 scallions -- thinly sliced (white and green parts)
Instructions:
Place tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, Tabasco, salt and pepper in a food processor. Add scallions and pulse twice. Serve at room temperature.
Per serving (excluding unknown items): 72 calories; 6g Fat (66.5% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 11 mg Cholesterol; 324mg Sodium
Servings: 10
HUs: 6 per serving
Note: Points are based on both the Speckled Corn Bread recipe and the ingredients that make the Southern Corn Bread Dressing. I ran both recipes through the WW Recipe Builder.
Ingredients:
Speckled Corn Bread (recipe follows)
1 (12 ounce) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
2 tablespoons rubbed sage
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon margarine
Cooking Spray
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup shopped onion
4 (10 1/2 ounce) cans low-salt chicken broth
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
Crumble Speckled Corn Bread; set aside. Bake biscuits according to package directions; let cool. Tear 8 of the biscuits into small pieces; reserve remaining 2 for another use. Combine crumbled corn bread, torn biscuits, sage, poultry seasoning and pepper in a large bowl; set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt Margarine over medium-high heat in a medium nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray; Saute celery and onion 8 minutes or until tender. Let cool slightly. Add vegetable mixture to dressing mixture, and gently stir in broth and egg whites. Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.
Calories: 262 (25% from fat); Fat 7.2g (sat 1.6g, mono 3.2g, poly 1.3g); Protein 8.8g; Cholesterol 1mg; Calcium 150mg; Sodium 782mg; Fiber 1.3g; Iron 3.2mg; Carbohydrate 9,3g
SPECKLED CORN BREAD
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon margarine
cooking Spray
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 1/3 cups self-rising yellow cornmeal mix
2/3 cup self-rising flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 1/4 cups skim milk
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Melt margarine over medium-high heat in a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Saute corn and bell pepper 8 minutes or until corn is lightly browned and pepper is tender; stir frequently. Let cool.
Combine vegetable mixture, cornmeal mix, flour, sugar and ground red pepper in a large bowl; add milk and egg whites, stirring until moist. Power batter into a 9-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in Center comes out clean. Remove from pan; let cool completely on a wire rack.
Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)
CALORIES 100 (9% from fat); FAT 1g (sat 0.2g, mono 0.3g, poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 3.8g; CHOLESTEROL 1mg; CALCIUM 105mg; SODIUM 381mg; FIBER 0.5g; IRON 1.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 19.8g
Servings: 12
HUs: 1 for 1/4 cup
Notes: Prepare this up to a day in advance.
I used a box of organic chicken broth since I didn't have turkey stock available. I also subbed 1/2 teaspoon of Penzey's sage for the fresh sage. The flavor was so good, and it was nice to have the gravy ready to heat up when the turkey was done, rather than having to rush to defat the stock and make gravy.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter softened
5 cups Roasted Turkey Stock, divided
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine the flour and butter in a medium bowl.
Heat a large saucepan over high heat. Add 2 cups stock; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 5 minutes). Add the remaining 3 cups stock; bring to a boil.
Stir 1 cup stock into flour mixture, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Power mixture into saucepan; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in sage salt, and black pepper.
Calories 29 (75% from fat); Fat 2.4g (sat 1.3g, mono 0.7g, poly 0.2g); Protein 0.4g;Cholesterol 6mg; Calcium 2mg; Sodium 63mg; Fiber 0.1g; Iron 0.1mg; Carbohydrate 1.6g
Servings: 8 (3/4 Cup)
HUs: 4
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds potato - peeled and cubed
1 cup 2% sharp cheddar cheese - (4 ounces)
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons sour cream, light
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 whole bacon slices - cooked and crumbled (drained)
Place potatoes in a sauce pan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes or until tender.
Drain and return potato to pan. Add cheese and milk; mash to desired consistency. Cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly. Add onions and remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.
Per serving (excluding unknown items); 187 Calories; 5g Fat (24.1% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 14mg Cholesterol; 325mg Sodium.
Servings: 6 (3/4 cup)
HUs: 4
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 medium sweet onion (half diced, half thinly sliced), divided
8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2/3 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup low-fat milk
3 tablespoons dry sherry
1 pound frozen French-cut green beans (about 4 cups)
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3 tablespoons buttermilk powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 2 1/2 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook, stirring often, until softened and slightly translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in mushrooms onion powder and 1 teaspoon salt, thyme and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the mushroom juices are almost evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle 1/3 cup flour over the vegetables; stir to coat. Add milk and sherry and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Stir in green beans and return to a simmer. Cook, stirring until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in sour cream and buttermilk powder. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
Whisk the remaining 1/3 cup flour, paprika, garlic powder and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Add sliced onion, toss to coat. heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion along with any remaining flour mixture and cook. turning once or twice, until golden and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes Spread the onion topping over the casserole.
Bake the casserole until bubbling, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Servings: 8
HUs: 9
Note: I do not measure Cool Whip and cover the whole pie. I let each person place the amount of cool whip that they want on their pie. If you want Cool Whip please remember to adjust the points.
Ingredients:
1 Pillsbury All-Ready Pie Crust prepared, cooked and cooled
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 large egg yolks
2 cups 2% reduced fat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter
Combine first 4 ingredients in a large heavy sauce pan; set aside. Combine egg yolks and milk. Stir into sugar mixture. Add butter. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture thickens, and boils. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Power into pre-baked pie crust. Cover hit filling with plastic wrap getting out all air bubbles. Refrigerate for several hours or over night.
Servings: 8
HUs: 10
Note: This is the pie that I took to my meeting this last Saturday. I had read from the Hungry Girl website that Karo had come out with a new Karo Light Syrup. I decided to experiment and I took my favorite pie recipe and played around. First try and I got an excellent lower point pie! It is really good and I'm so happy to be able to have this pie again. The new "Karo Syrup Lite Syrup" is in a Aqua Blue Bottle. It is a light corn syrup with 33% less sugar. I really hope that you will try this pie! Everyone in the class told me that they really did like it and thought it was a great pie!
Ingredients:
1 Pillsbury All Ready Pie Crust (uncooked placed in pie pan)
1/2 cup Karo Lite Syrup (Aqua Blue Bottle)
1/2 cup Karo Dark Syrup
1 egg
2/3 cups egg beaters
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Cup pecan halves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl stir Karo, eggs, sugar, melted butter and vanilla until well blended. Stir in pecans. Pour into prepared pie crust.
Bake 50-55 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.
Karo representative told me that using the new Lite Syrup you may have to cook the pie longer. She said to cover the pie once it got brown but cook it till the knife comes out clean. I did this and I had to cook the pie an extra 10 minutes but I did not have to cover the crust in my oven. Just be sure to watch the pie and test for doneness as stated above.
Servings: 8
HUs: 11
Ingredients
1 Pillsbury All-Ready Pie Crust (uncooked place in pie plan)
2 cups sugar
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (slightly rounded)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup margarine
3 large eggs
Prepare oven to 350 degrees
Cream sugar and margarine. Add eggs and flour; beat well. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Pour into prepared pie crust.
Bake for 45-50 minutes.
I bake the pie till it no longer jiggles in the center. Closely watch. You may have to cover the pie.
