Getting Through Difficult Times

On November 30, 2011, the world lost an amazing woman. Donna MacNiven, mother to my best friend and grandmommy to my Goddaughter, lost her heroic battle to breast cancer. The amount of love and support that surrounds her family and friends is contagious. Many of us who have been on the other side of a loss often feel helpless and unknowing of what to do to help. What I learned this weekend is that just being there helps. Be there to hug, cry, try to be strong, say a prayer, hold and squeeze a hand. That and food.

The amount of food that was brought to the house this weekend was enormous. And DELICIOUS. It wasn't until a lovely neighbor came by with a plate (actually, it was a platter) of cookies and a beautiful cake and said, "I probably should have brought a big salad" that I realized just how many of the individuals I meet with everyday feel in similar situations. At someone else's house, surrounded by every cookie known to man, desserts worthy of Martha Stewart's magazine, not to mention the emotions, grief and sorrow going through your heart and mind as you think of those that have passed. How do you make healthy choices???

Well, first things first. Eat a healthy breakfast. Everyday this weekend approximately 1 dozen bagels magically appeared. Also, fruit. Bingo! Fruit, a whole grain bagel hollowed out (I like the crust) and toasted, with a little peanut butter.

Exercise. Exercise is a natural stress reliever, and a great way to burn off some anxiety. Even if it means taking the kids down to to the pond to feed the ducks (they're awfully full from all of those left over bagels).

Find a vegetable. Any vegetable. Try to fill half of your plate with them.

Go easy on the desserts and snack wisely. Snack on heart-healthy (also crunchy and salty) nuts, fruit, vegetables dipped in hummus (Hint: if you are like me, cooking is a natural stress reliever, so preparing healthy dishes and snacks would be a big help too).

Alcohol is not a food group. I must admit, we did overindulge a bit this weekend, but there was a lot of therapeutic laughter and story-telling accompanying these glasses of wine. I wouldn't trade those hours where we were able to laugh and let loose a bit for anything!

Sleep! Again, I should have listened to myself more this weekend. But isn't that what life is all about? We learn to listen to our bodies. They have a magical way of telling us to slow down. When there is a tragedy though, we often ignore these signals.

 Finally, enjoy life. Recognize that eating too much one weekend is not going to "ruin everything". Get back on track. Find peace and comfort in the fact that even when a beloved person leaves this Earth, they are not gone from our hearts or our memories. If your newest angel is anything like mine, she would want you to live life with no regrets, enjoy every second, laugh often and take care of yourself.

Rest in Peace sweet Donna. Love ya!

Thanksgiving Weekend In A Nutshell

Phew! What a weekend. After spending 5 hours cooking on Wednesday evening, I ran my first half marathon on Thanksgiving morning (Suburu Outback Run, thank you 1st Place Sports!!!). I was thrilled to have completed in just under 2 hours (literally... 36 seconds short of 2 hours). I learned a couple of things about myself through training for this run. First, "Carb Loading" really needs to take place more than just a spaghetti dinner the night before (ironically, we had spaghetti for dinner Wednesday night.... mostly because it was easy and it wasn't Turkey).  Second, strength training is so important for distance running. And finally, burning approximately 1300 calories on Thanksgiving morning really does make sense when you hear about the massive amount of food we had!

After the run, we came home and I got my oven started. I had nightmares all last week that our oven would give out, but thankfully, we made it. One more thing to be grateful for. First up, quiche for the boys and pumpkin pancakes for me. I know you're thinking that I am an overachiever- but I prep'd these the day before and these pancakes were amazing, I would run another 13 miles for them. I found them on a blog that I follow- skinnytaste.com.

Next up, the Turkey (see recipe from "My First Post"). When the 19-lb turkey was in the oven, the chopping and sauteing continued. Joe worked in the yard until around noon when he came in, clearly frustrated with me because I wasn't cleaning the house and says "so how long is this cooking going to take?" My sarcastic-but-not-really reply, "Uh, all day babe. It's Thankgiving." Joe replys, "Fine then I'll just do all the work". Okay.....

I am so grateful to have spend Thanksgiving with such a great group of people. Joe's brother and parents came over, along with neighbors and friends. Our menu included: delicious appetizers and festive drinks prepared by Jenna, Brians' turkey cooked on the Green Egg, our oven roasted turkey, a ham, Jen's cheesy potatoes, wild mushroom stuffing, sweet potato casserole, creamed corn, roasted brussel sprouts and fruit salad. Dessert was another table (and plate) full: Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie, 2 Apple Pies, Birthday Cake (Happy Birthday Cary!) and Watergate Salad.

To prove that we all make mistakes, I woke up early Friday morning and realized that I forgot to put out the cranberry sauce!!! No worries, everyone came back over Friday evening for Thanksgiving Part Duex.

Saturday was a cleaning day, as well as a day of trying to figure out what to do with all of that turkey! Well, in true Southern form, I made a coleslaw and put some BBQ sauce out for the turkey. Viola!

Today we set up the Christmas tree and decorations. Lights on the house are up as well (perhaps suprisingly, Joe loves having the house decorated for Christmas, he has gotten decorating the outside of the house down! I went to the grocery store- reluctantly. Does anyone else feel like they shouldn't  have to grocery shop for a month after Thanksgiving, but inevitably have to go that weekend? After shopping, Zeke and I went for a walk and I worked out a bit. Tomorrow will be back to normal workouts!

Dinner consisted of steaks on the grill, roasted broccoli and cauliflower (carmelized and delicious roasted at 400 degrees in just a little olive oil, salt and pepper), sauted leaks and shallots (in just a little olive oil, earth balance, salt and pepper) and a baked potato. True, we could have had enjoyed even more leftovers, but we both needed a break. Besides, there is a week's worth of turkey sandwiches to come!

Happy Holidays!

My First Post!

The idea of starting a blog has been on my mind for a while now. With Thankgiving only 4 days away and a million other things to do, why not add starting a blog to the list? To my fellow "foodies" as well as my fellow Americans, Thanksgiving is one of the most exciting and important Holidays of the year. We have come a long way since the first Thanksgiving, with the endless list of traditional recipes passed down from generation to generation, as well as a plethora of ideas from cooking shows, cook books, cooking magazines and friends. While I feel Thanksgiving should be a time to spend with family and friends, giving thanks for all that we have, it is also a time to enjoy some traditional foods.

The average American takes in over 4,500 calories and over 229 grams of fat on Thanksgiving, according to the Caloric Control Council. Yikes! While I believe in the occasional indulgence, why not find recipes that are delicious and can keep you closer to your caloric needs? As I type this, a pot of "pumpkin butter" is simmering on my stovetop, recipe to come!

I urge you to enjoy your favorites on Thanksgiving and try altering a recipe or two to become a bit more  nutritious. Monitor your portions and keep to one serving of food. Enjoy what you love, leave out or just have a taste of the foods you care less for.

Most of all, enjoy this time of year! Even in trying times, there is always something to be thankful for. I wish you a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!

Here is the first recipe to share. (This is how I will be preparing the turkey this week.)

Lemon-Garlic Roast Turkey with White Wine Gravy
(Adapted From EatingWell November/December 2008)

10 cloves garlic, divided
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup kosher salt
1 12-pound natural or organic turkey
1/4 cup freshly grated lemon zest
1/4 cup packed fresh oregano leaves
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 onion, quartered
1 lemon, quartered
4-5 sprigs oregano
3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 cups organic low-sodium chicken or turkey broth

1. Crush 6 cloves garlic and add to a very large stockpot (or clean bucket). Stir in lemon juice, Worcestershire, salt and 4 quarts cold water.
2. Remove giblets from turkey (if included) and trim excess skin. Submerge the turkey in the brine and refrigerate for 24 hours. If the turkey is not fully submurged, turn it every 8 hours.
3. Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse well and pat dry. Discard the brine.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Place the remaining 4 cloves garlic, lemon zest, oregano, oil, pepper and 2 tablespoons water in a food processor and pulse until it becomes a paste (Don't have a food processor? No problem. Just chop ingredients on a cutting board until finely minced). Loosen the skin over the breast and thigh meat. Rub the paste all over the turkey, under the skin into the breast and leg meat and a little inside the cavity.
6. Stuff the cavity of the turkey wtih onion quarters, lemon quarters, and oregano sprigs.
7. Tuck the wing tips under the turkey. Tie the legs together with kitchen string. Place the turkey breast-side down in a roasting rack set in a large roasting pan.
8. Roast the turkey for 1 hour. Turn it breast-side up on the rack, add 1 cup water to the pan, and continue roasting 1 hour more. Baste the turkey with pan drippings, ten with foil and continue roasting, basting every 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer (inserted into the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone) registers 165 degrees F (approximately 30-45 minutes more).
9. Transfer the turkey to a large cutting board; let rest at least 20 minutes before removing kitchen string and carving.
10. Meanwhile, pour any pan juices and fat into a large glass measuring cup and place in the freezer until the fat rises to the top (approximately 10 minutes). If you have a fat separator, you could use this instead. Whisk flour wtih 1/4 cup water in a small bowl.
11. Set the roasting pan over two burners on medium heat. Add white wine and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Continue cooking until reduced, about 3 minutes.
12. Remove the pan juices from the freezer, skim off the fat and discard. Add the de-fatted juices and broth to the roasting pan and return to a simmer. Whisk often. Cook for about 1 minute, then whisk in the flour mixture and simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes more. Pour the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve and serve with the turkey.

Serving Size: 3 ounces turkey (fits in the palm of a lady's hand, about 1/2 inch thick) with 2-3 tablespoons gravy (about the size of a golf ball)

Per serving: 180 calories; 6 g fat (2 g saturated, 2 g monounsaturated*); 66 mg cholesterol; 2 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugar; 26 g protein; 0 g fiber; 120 mg sodium; 273 mg potassium

*Mononusaturated = "healthy fat" (most of your fat grams should come from monounsaturated sources)
Saturated = "unhealthy fat" (try to keep saturated fat below 7% of total calories, i.e. under 15 grams per day for a 2,000 calorie diet, an increased intake of saturated fat leads to elevated total cholesterol, and high LDL or "bad" cholesterol)