Lumley Bell's Cornbread Dressing

I am getting really excited about Thanksgiving, and believe it or not it is not just because of the food. This year we are doing something that I have always wanted to do on Thanksgiving. Instead of spending the entire day focused on gluttony we are planning to focus on others for a bit and serve at a local mission. I pray that after serving those in need we have a new appreciation for the many abundant blessings that the Lord has given us.

Although I am most excited about serving, I am still looking forward to indulging in the annual yummies. You may have seen on Facebook that I recently shared that my grandmother's cornbread dressing was my favorite Thanksgiving dish. It is the best I have ever had and think it is the best in the world. Since there is still time for some last minute grocery shopping I thought I would share this treasured Thanksgiving recipe. Sorry there are no photos. I will snap some on Thursday and add them to the post.

My Grandmother, Lumley Bell Vinzetta, Grandfather, and Dad in the 1940s.

This recipes easily feeds 4-6 people, but when all the family is together we double it. 

Buon Appetito!

Lumley Bell's Cornbread Dressing

prep: cornbread (15 minutes) dressing (30 minutes)

bake: cornbread (about 25 minutes) dressing (30-45 minutes)

yield: 9 x 13 pan 

calories: 523

fat grams: 26

carbs: 52 grams

Buttermilk Cornbread:

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cup buttermilk

2 Tbsp. butter or bacon fat

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Sift dry ingredients. 
3. Combine egg and buttermilk; add them to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. 
4. Heat butter in pan in the oven for 10 minutes. Tilt pan to coat. Pour in batter.
5. Bake 20 or 25 minutes or until passes the toothpick test (Insert toothpick. If it comes out clean the bread is done.)
6. Dump out so it doesn't get soggy. (This isn't necessary when using for cornbread dressing.)

Cornbread Dressing:

Buttermilk Cornbread, crumbled

1 can water chestnuts (I do not add this. My hubby doesn't care for them.)

3 cans cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup of butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 cup chopped celery

2 sleeves saltine crackers, crushed

Sage to taste (I usually add about 1/2 of a .62 ounce container.)

About 1/2 cup chicken broth (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Saute onions and celery in butter. 
3. Combine all ingredients except chicken broth into a large mixing bowl. 
4. Stir until well mixed. 
5. Put into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. 
6. Optional ~ At this time you can pour a little chicken broth over the top to keep the dressing from drying out, or I usually pour it on after it has cooked then let sit until ready to serve. It doesn't take much, no more than 1/2 cup.
7. Bake 30-45 minutes or until browned. 

Peppermint Palooza

I know that peppermint foods are typically associated with Christmas. However, I love peppermint so much that I cannot reserve it only for the holidays. 

My absolute favorite peppermint treat is Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies. I adapted Southern Living's All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies to create this recipe.

I like sweets. I really do, but I am not usually too tempted to eat what I bake. I get more enjoyment from baking than I usually get from eating. However, I cannot resist these chocolaty delights. They get me every time. I tell myself,  that I am not going to eat any, but when the aroma of warm chocolate and peppermint hits me as I take them from the oven, I can't resist. I end up eating one or two immediately followed by a cold glass of milk. Mmm, mmm good!

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies

Yield: Approximately 40 cookies

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup cocoa

1 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

12 large candy canes or 6 oz. peppermints crushed into pieces (make sure not to crush too much or it will become powdery)

1 (12 oz.) bag white chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Beat butter and sugars at medium speed until creamy.
• Add eggs and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, beating until blended.
• Combine flour, baking soda, cocoa, and salt in a small bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating just until blended.
• Beat in candy canes and white chocolate chips just until combined.
• Drop cookies using a 2 tbsp. ice cream scoop onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
• Bake 10-14 minutes ( I bake mine 12 minutes). Remove to wire racks and cool completely (about 15 minutes).

I had about 1/2 of a batch of Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies leftover after Christmas so I decided to crumble them (in my brand new Cuisinart Food Processor that Santa brought me for Christmas) to use as a crust for a peppermint cheesecake. I looked through my cookbooks until I found this recipe. 

This Frozen Peppermint Cheesecake is a no bake  recipe. When eaten straight from the freezer it is more like ice cream than cheesecake. You also can remove it from the freezer and let it soften before eating. Either way it is delish!

I couldn't resist this recipe either. I had a piece every day until it was gone.

I think this makes a nice Valentine treat as well.

Frozen Peppermint Cheesecake

Yield 1 (9 inch cheesecake)

Adapted from: Southern Living Little Book of Cheesecakes

 

1 ¾ cups chocolate wafer crumbs (about 25 wafers) I used crushed peppermint bark cookies (for a quicker version, use two ready made chocolate pie crusts instead of using cookies)

¼ cup sugar I didn't add the sugar

¼ cup butter or margarine, melted

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1/3 less fat

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk lowfat

1 cup crushed hard peppermint candy

2 cups whipping cream                

·         Stir together first 3 ingredients; press into bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

·         Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add condensed milk, beating until smooth. Stir in candy.

·         Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form; gently fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Pour into prepared pan. Cover and freeze 6 hours or until firm. Gently run a knife around edge of cheesecake to release sides of pan; carefully remove pan just before serving.

This last recipe for White Chocolate Covered Oreo is one I saw on Pinterest a few months ago. This recipe is so simple. It is just oreo cookies dipped in white chocolate and then sprinkled with crushed peppermints. They are freakin awesome!

 

Buon Appetito!

Preventing Holiday Weight Gain Part 2 ~ featuring Registered Dietician, Jenny Cooper (including idea for figure friendly fruit dip)

        2. Don’t Drink Your Calories

Calories consumed from beverages can add up quickly and cause unwanted weight gain. Most beverages provide little to no fiber or protein (other than milk) so they do not keep you feeling full for very long. An 8 fl oz. glass of apple juice has an average of 120 calories and 0 grams of fiber, whereas a medium sized 5.5 oz. apple has 70 calories and about 3.5 grams of fiber. The whole apple would keep you full longer and have fewer calories and, therefore, would be a better choice than the glass of apple juice.  If you choose to have juice in the mornings, limit yourself to a 6-8 fl oz. serving of 100% fruit juice. Low fat dairy milk, soy milk or almond milk are acceptable caloric beverages to consume in moderation as these provide good sources of calcium, vitamin D and protein for not too many calories. Limit consumption of dairy including milk, yogurt and cheese to three fat-free or low-fat servings per day.

Rich hot chocolate and specialty coffee drinks can be a major source of excess calories during the colder winter months. The key to cutting calories on your specialty coffee favorites is to ask for a small serving size made with skim milk, no whipped cream and sugar-free syrup, if available. A 12 fl oz. tall Starbucks Gingerbread Latte made with 2% milk and topped with whipped cream has 260 calories. You can save 110 calories by order the “skinny” version of this drink made with skim milk and leaving out the whipped cream. Those small savings in calories can go a long way!  

Alcoholic beverages consumed in excess can also cause unwanted weight gain due to their high caloric content. One gram of alcohol contains 7 calories, whereas 1 gram of carbohydrates or 1 gram of protein contains 4 calories. One alcoholic beverage is equivalent to 5 fl oz. wine, 12 fl oz. beer, or 1.5 fl oz. (1 shot) of 80 proof liquor. This means a 12 fl oz. can of Bud Light with 12 grams of alcohol and 6.6 grams of carbs has 110 calories (12 grams alcohol x 7 calories per gram and 6.6 grams carbs x 4 calories per gram), a 5 fl oz. glass of red cabernet wine with 5.5 grams carbs and 15.2 grams alcohol has 127 calories, and 1 shot of vodka (minus the sugary mixer) with 14.9 grams alcohol has 103 calories. An 8 fl oz. serving of alcoholic Holiday egg nog can have as much as 400 calories!  As you can imagine, calories will add up fast if you’re consuming a few alcoholic beverages plus the food at that holiday meal.  The recommended limits for alcoholic are no more than 2 alcoholic beverages per day for men and no more than 1 alcoholic beverage per day for women.

Try to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Most people need 64 fl oz. of water per day. Try meeting your fluid needs through water by keeping a reusable bottle of water on hand to remind you to drink enough water throughout the day, or by placing four individual 16 fl oz. disposable water bottles in your refrigerator each day and drink all four by the end of the day. Be sure to drink water before, during and after exercise.  If you exercise strenuously for 1 hour or longer or exercise in extreme heat like Bikram yoga, you may need to replace the electrolytes lost through sweat by consuming sports drinks during your winter workout.

Stay tuned for part 3...

Jenny Cooper, RD, LDN

                                                                               

Hi! It's Joy!

About 8 years ago I realized that I was consuming a lot of extra calories in my drinks.  I used to love soda (approximately 120 calories in a can) and who doesn't love a cherry slush from Sonic Drive-In (170-620 calories depending on size) or limeade (110-370 calories) or better yet a cream slush (390-600 calories). This realization caused me to change my ways and I began drinking only water and coffee, of course.  When I have coffee I use fat free creamer and a small amount of sugar which has anywhere from 50 to 100 calories depending on the amount. This is my daily indulgence that I do not have to feel guilty about since I am drinking water the rest of the day. Now since moving to Italy I do have wine with dinner on many evenings, but even then try to limit it to one 4 oz. glass. 

Jenny mentioned glorious Starbucks, which I do miss dearly, where my drink of choice is a tall (12 oz.) skinny vanilla latte (90 calories). You can even order drinks in a short size (8 oz.). It is actually the perfect amount for me. It gives me that little boost I need for the day or the afternoon :) You can see a list of Starbucks drinks that are under 200 calories here.

Unfortunately there are no Starbucks here in Italy, but we do have awesome Italian espresso and cappuccinos. The Italians do not do large drinks so I do not feel guilty when ordering a cappuccino which is only about 8 oz. They are really good too and definitely better than Starbucks'.  They do not do flavored coffees though so I will just dream of the day I can once again enjoy my yummy skinny vanilla latte.

Fruit juices are another way that we often consume too many calories and by choosing fruit instead we stay fuller longer and with fewer calories. My sister-in-law introduced me to the most delicious fruit dip ~ low fat vanilla yogurt! That's it, nothing else. Just yogurt and fruit. I like to make fruit salad with chopped fruit of my choice and mix in some low fat vanilla yogurt. It is really good and healthy. Jenny recommends that we get 3 servings of dairy a day and low fat yogurt is a great source. I really like the Yoglait French Vanilla flavor. 

Figure Friendly Fruit Dip/Salad

fruit of your choice

low fat vanilla yogurt (a little goes a long way)

you can also add some granola to give it a nice crunch

If you prefer organic, Stonyfield is a good choice as well.

I hope these tips will help you to avoid weight gain during the holidays. I don't know about you, but extra pounds and debt are two things that I do not want following me into 2012!

Buon Appetito!

Preventing Holiday Weight Gain Part 1 ~ featuring Registered Dietician, Jenny Cooper (including recipes for Spinach Dip and Baked Balsamic Chicken)

The Holidays are here! With the bustle of decorating, shopping, spending time with friends and family and eating delicious food who wouldn’t agree that this is the most wonderful time of the year? But along with the fun and celebration of the holidays also comes worry and stress around holiday weight gain. The good news is, you can enjoy all of your favorite holiday foods without stretching your waist line.  The key to preventing weight gain during the holidays is the same as preventing weight gain any other time of the year: limit the amount of calories you take in through foods and beverages while also burning extra calories through physical activity. Where most of us get in trouble during the holidays is when we overindulge on holiday goodies for two months straight and we allow the busyness of the holiday season and the colder temperatures to interfere with our usual efforts in staying physically active. To help keep you on track this year in preventing those sneaky pounds from piling on, check out these top three ways to prevent unwanted holiday weight gain:

1.       Avoid Overindulging During the Holidays

It’s perfectly okay during the holidays to enjoy your favorite holiday goodies, but try to limit the amount of high calorie foods you eat by practicing portion control. This can be accomplished by eating from a small salad plate versus a regular sized dinner plate and by filling half of your plate with fruits and vegetables, a fourth of your plate with a lean protein food such as turkey or beans and the other fourth of your plate with a starchy carb food like a dinner roll or mashed sweet potatoes. At that holiday meal, you can also save your calories by choosing to eat only your favorite dishes and fight the urge to “sample” everything. For dessert try to choose your top two favorite desserts offered and cut very small slices of each to enjoy.

Avoid skipping breakfast to “save” calories for the big meal later. This will only cause you to overindulge during the meal. Have a breakfast consisting of protein, a whole grain and a piece of fruit. The protein and fiber from the breakfast meal will curb your appetite and control blood sugar until your next snack or meal. If your holiday meal is later in the day, be sure to have a healthy snack 1-2 hrs before the meal to, again, prevent you from overeating at the meal. Your snack should also contain some type of protein and fiber such as low fat cheese slices and whole grain crackers, unsalted trail mix with nuts and dried fruit or raw veggies and hummus.

Be sure to eat a healthy meal before heading out for that last minute shopping trip or when hitting the major after holiday sales, and carry a healthy snack with you to prevent being tempted by unhealthy fast food and convenient store snacks. White meat turkey on whole grain bread with veggies or tossed into a salad makes a great pre-shopping trip meal!   

Stay tuned for part 2...

                                                                                                 
                                                                                                           Jenny Cooper, RD, LDN

 Hi! It's Joy.

Jenny was talking about the importance of eating a well balance breakfast. I have a hard time finding something for breakfast that will stick with me all morning.  Recently, a friend told me about Bagel Thins. They are just like a bagel, but thinner (duh, I am sure you could have figured that out) and have about 1/2 the calories of a regular bagel.

I now eat a Bagel Thin sandwich and drink an 8 oz. glass of skim milk every morning for breakfast:

• 1 whole wheat bagel thin toasted
• 2 fried egg whites (mix 3/4 tsp. sugar with leftover egg yolks and freeze for later use)
• 1 slice of lowfat cheese 

This meal has approximately 300 calories, and it sticks with me until lunchtime even on days when I run 5 miles or more.

Jenny also mentioned eating a healthy snack a couple of hours before a big meal to curb your appetite. One of my favorite snacks is spinach dip with fresh veggies. Just look at these beautiful veggies at the local Italian market.

Spinach Dip

2 cups light or nonfat sour cream

1 pkg. frozen spinach (chopped, thawed, and drained)

1/4 cup chopped onion

3/4 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

• Combine ingredients in a bowl and chill for at least an hour.
• Serve with raw carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, celery, bell peppers, tomatoes, asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, zuchinni, squash, snap peas or any veggie of your choice. 
• Can also be served in a round bread loaf.
• Also makes a great spread for sandwiches.

Jenny says that we need to include lean meats in our diet. Here is a really easy and juicy chicken dish to help you maintain your weight during the holidays. It is great hot out of the oven with veggies. Leftovers would be perfect tossed in a salad for that preshopping meal!

Balsamic Baked Chicken

Source: www.food.com

4 chicken breast halves, bone-in or skinless

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Arrange the chicken bone side down in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
• Pour the vinegar over them and sprinkle evenly with the oil, oregano,  salt, and pepper.
• Bake the chicken 20 minutes and baste with the vinegar juices.
• Bake 20 minutes more (depending on size of breast) or until juices run clear.
• Serve chicken with juices spooned over them.

Servings one breast (94 g.)

calories 170.2

fat 10.1

protein 15.2

fiber <1 g

Buon Appetito!

More Spooktacular Treats!

I know that today is Halloween so there isn't much time to plan and prepare these great treats, but I am sure there are other procrastinaters out there like me. Of course, it is not that we put things off, but our lives are so full of really important activities that we don't have time for planning trivial things like googly eyed cookies. Well, at least that is what I tell myself to make me feel better.

These adorable treats were not made by me, but by my bff, Jennifer, for her daughter's birthday. I was really tempted to post a pic so you could meet her, but I knew she would kill me!! Her daughter's birthday is in October so what would be more perfect than a Halloween theme birthday party? Jen is really creative and comes up with the cutest ideas for parties, teacher gifts, crafts etc.

She set the stage for the party with these brilliant bat invitations 

You can find a tutorial on how to make these here.

A Happy Birthday banner welcomed the guest. This idea can be easily adapted to any occasion.

Her treats were great! These Mummified Oreo Suckers are too cute!! I love that they are on a stick and the googly eyes are darling. You can find a tutorial on how to make these here.

The eyes were made of royal icing. They look hard to me, but the recipe says they are easy to make. You can find the tutorial for the googly eyes here.

These strawberry ghosts are super cute and gives kids a healthier option. Right? Hehe!

You can find the recipe here.

These Nutter Butter Ghostly Cookies are always a hit and are soooo good. I love peanut butter and white chocolate so they are one of my favorites! I am not sure what recipe she used, but when I have made them in the past I simply melted white chocolate chips adding a little crisco or vegetable oil to thin the chocolate, and then dip each cookie tapping in on the side of the pan to release the excess chocolate. They are really easy. Just be careful not to scorched your chocolate when melting! :)

These "pumpkin seeds" are a really cute idea!

You can find the tutorial here.

The cuteness doesn't stop!! Check out these fangtastic party favors! These sure beat giving candy as party favors!!

Here are a couple of pics of the spread from the party. Jen always makes the cutest cakes for her girls' birthdays!! Love the spider cake!

And another pic

Hope this gives you some great ideas! Great job Jen!

Spooky Treats-Repost

This is a repost from last Halloween. These treats were fun to make and super easy. The kids loved them!

My son Collin talked me into hosting a costume party for his friends. I really didn't mind doing it, and of course I enjoyed making the treats. I know one day he will be grown so I better enjoy it while I can.

I googled Halloween treats and found several cute ideas.

Eyeball Fondant Cupcakes
I had some white fondant circles that I had made awhile back (thankfully fondant lasts a long time) so I used them to make toppers for cupcakes. I used M&Ms for the pupil and red icing in a tube for the veins.

Nutter Butter Ghost Cookies
These little guys gave me some trouble, but they were so worth it. They are just Nutter Butter cookies dipped in white chocolate. Last night I tried to make them and attempted to melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave, and I scorched the chocolate. Since it was about 11:00 pm and I couldn't go to the store, I tried to make icing to dip them in, but that didn't work either. So today I went to the store and got more white chocolate chips. This time I used a double broiler to melt the chocolate. I had to add about a 1/2 cup Crisco to 2 (12 oz) bags of white chocolate to get it liquid enough so I could dip the cookies. It took me a few tries to get the hang of it, but figured out that the best way to dip them is to submerge them in the white chocolate, and then scoop them out with a fork tapping it on the side of the pan to allow the excess chocolate to drip off. For the eyes, I used mini chocolate chips and pinched off the tip and placed them tip side down.

Witches Fingers

These witches' fingers are too easy. It is simply mozzarella cheese sticks with sliced almonds on the end. I cut a little of the cheese off before placing the almond on, and then put slits in the cheese for knuckles.


 

Hot Dog Mummies

My sweet friend Christy made these hot dog mummies. They are hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls with dots of mustard for the eyes. They are too cute and really good too!!

Frozen Hand Punch

I looked for a Halloween punch, but most of the recipes called for dry ice. Since we can't get dry ice here that wasn't an option. I found this idea for frozen hand punch and knew that is what I wanted to make. I was really easy to do.

I filled a rubber glove with a mixer of water and grape juice and closed the glove with a rubber band then put in the freezer. The punch was orange cream sherbet and ginger ale. Just combine any flavor sherbet and ginger ale. Remove glove from frozen hand and place in punch. 

The Spread

Hope you have a funfilled weekend!!