THIS WEEK'S FESTIVE FARE: 'Low Cal Vegetable and Fruit Stuffing'

I was at the hair salon Tuesday evening for my usual. What's "my usual" you ask?  Well, while it may seem as though I'm swinging rather wildly from  today's topic by answering ... actually I'm not! You see I've kept my hair looking like this for almost 20 years now and if  by chance you think that it doesn't look natural, please DON'T FEEL COMPELLED TO TELL ME. In this case, denial can be a beautiful thing. 

In fact, though I'm not going grey just YET, it still takes my hair dresser a staggering 3 hours of work before she has slathered my entire head of hair with color, from bottom to top.  However, I'm there longer still, as that's when it's time for me to just kick back and 'be processed!'

I put myself through this ordeal about once every 12 weeks or so just to keep my hair looking like I'd always wanted it to when I was growing up. Now days, it's a 'natural looking' ("careful, I can hear you" ... ) medium golden blond, with lighter, brighter, highlights scatter throughout.

Really, when I think about it, this appointment only comes around about four times a year. But after 20 years, the hours in that chair have really started to add up. For the most part though, I usually cherish reasons to sit my tired backside and get some rest. The longer the better!

Considering what I do for a living, it's a luxury. SO, if I'm being completely honest I must admit, the only reason I have even a slight problem with this quarterly little 3-hour 'time out session,' is that the procedure my hair dresser needs to use, involves LOTS of shiny, silver wrapped foils that end up covering my entire head ya'll. It's also just about the time she slips in that last little piece of foil, when someone recognizes me and wants to chat. NOT MY BEST LOOK IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN! I look a bit like the large sliver dome that welcomes visitors into the EPCOT CENTER! 

So, back to what all of this has to do with healthy, low-calorie stuffing options for Thanksgiving.

The shampoo girl had just laid my head back and started removing my "many" foils, when I heard a conversation between the receptionst and a woman who had stopped in to make an appointment. She was saying that she needed an appointment some time about 6 weeks from Tuesday. That's when the receptionist chimed in: "Well, you won't be able to get THAT Tuesday. Six weeks from Tuesday would be CHRISTMAS." And no kidding, the woman let out a little shriek. I chuckled. SO did everyone there. I stopped myself short however, when it crossed my mind that NEXT THURSDAY would be THANKSGIVING! YIKES!!!

SO, I said all of that to say this. Here is that healthy, great-tasting stuffing recipe that I promised I'd share with you in my last post. I made it just in time for Thanksgiving. You might want to try this low-calorie option for your table this year.

It not only tastes great, but it will have you walking away from the table with a much lower calorie intake then in years past. Thanks to that lady at the salon, I got it to you JUST in time to add the ingredients to your grocery list.

Enjoy your holidays by using alternative recipes like this AND by incorporating the steps I laid out for you in last weeks blog "Plan for Holiday Weight Management."

Until Next Time, 

Candace 

www.CandaceGrasso.BlogPost.com

Low-Calorie Vegetable and Fruit Stuffing

Introduction:

Whole wheat bread gives this side staying power. The fruits and vegetables bulk up the dish, so a little goes a long way. A bit of turkey bacon adds another layer of flavor without adding many calories.

Minutes to Prepare: 10                                                                  

Minutes to Cook: 30

Number of Servings: 18

Ingredients:

10 c wheat bread, (a dense bakery bread), cubed

2 strips turkey bacon, diced

1 1/4 c low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1 T butter, unsalted
2 yellow onions, diced
5 Granny Smith apples, cored and diced
2 c fennel, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
pinch salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t oregano
6 dried apricots, chopped
1/2 c egg substitute
2 T flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast bread cubes until light golden in color, about 12-15 minutes; set aside and cool. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees. Place Turkey Bacon in a heavy saucepan. On top of stove cook over moderate heat just until the fat is melted and the meat starts to brown. Remove from pan; chop into a small dice and reserve. Drain off any excess fat and discard. Melt butter in the saucepan. Add onions and saute until golden in color. To the onions, add the diced bacon, apples, fennel and celery. Cook, stirring for 3-5 minutes. Spray with pan spay a 13 X 9 baking

dish. Combine toasted bread, vegetable mixture, and stock to a large bowl. Mix in herbs, seasonings, fruit, and beaten eggs. Transfer to baking dish. Cover with foil that has been sprayed with pan spray. Cook 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top is browned; about 20 minutes.

Nutritional Info:

     Serving Size equals ½ cup of stuffing

• Servings Per Recipe: makes 18
• Calories: 78.3
• Total Fat: 1.2 g
• Cholesterol: 2.5 mg
• Sodium: 68.5 mg
• Total Carbs: 15.0 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.4 g
• Protein: 2.7 g