Skinny Gumbo means you don’t have to be so Fat on Tuesday!

 

With Fat Tuesday just a day away – RJ & I were contemplating delicious things to eat this week. Inspired by the legal holiday of Mardi Gras in New Orleans – we started thinking about Gumbo. And while gumbo is super delicious – it’s not very good for you. Despite it being Fat Tuesday tomorrow – we wanted to give you an option for SKINNY gumbo that you can still enjoy on Fat Tuesday in order to not feel like crap on Wednesday!

We pulled this recipe from eatingwell.com: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/louisiana_gumbo.html

I just had it for lunch – and i have to say – it was quite tasty! At 318 calories per serving, you don’t have to feel guilty. Especially if you have plans for eating a slice of King Cake. Just remember – if you get the “baby” in your slice of cake – that means you have to make it next year! 🙂

 

 

 

Holiday Beer Guide – An RJ Special Edition

RJ’s top 10 beers to give as a present (or drink for yourself)

RJ Side Note: Now keep in mind that these are not my 10 most favorite beers because that list would look something like this: IPA, IPA, IPA, IPA…..you get the idea.  So I have tried to pick not only a good range of beers for everyone, but also beers that should be reasonably easy to find at your local “good beer store”.  Another thing to keep in mind is we are approaching the Holiday season, so this may or may not have impacted my decision when putting this list together.  So without further ado, may I present to you “The Holiday Beer List”

dReJ’s Thanksgiving Special

Are you panicking to find a great recipe for your family feast tomorrow? Or perhaps you’ve been tapped to bring a side but aren’t feeling very crafty.

RJ and I are smoking some turkey, making stuffing, baking a ham and bringing a delicious (and i mean OUT OF THIS WORLD) sweet potato casserole and a green bean casserole to my sister’s house tomorrow since we love to cook so much. Oh and we are making some delicious chili roasted carrots, too!

So if any of that sounds interesting, see below for details and links as we of course grabbed some healthier versions of SOME of these items so you can splurge on others that aren’t so healthy!

Cornbread & Sausage Stuffing  (242 calories)

(http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/cornbread_sausage_stuffing.html)

Green Bean Casserole (212 calories)

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/green_bean_casserole.html_0

Sweet Potato Casserole (you don’t want to know how many calories!)

This is one that my sister in law’s step-dad makes….so I have no clue where the recipe is originally from, I just know that this is SUPER delicious and really easy to make. Promise it will be a crowd pleaser! Check out the post for it below to get the ingredients!

Chili Roasted Carrots (161 Calories)

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/chili_roasted_carrots.html

Happy Thanksgiving!

Chili Roasted Carrots (healthy but oh so delicious)

Okay my friends – I think i fell in love with carrots all over again when I made this recipe a few years ago. It’s been pretty much a staple in our lives every since. I’ve brought this dish for holiday parties, and we made it last year for Thanksgiving and I will make them again this year!

This is one of those SUPER cheap, SUPER quick, and ridiculously easy recipes to make that will taste like you really put a lot of effort into them. Be sure to make enough for everyone – this recipe makes enough for 4 servings. We are doubling the recipe.

Chili Roasted Carrots

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/chili_roasted_carrots.html

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 pounds carrots (10-12 medium), cut into 1/4-inch diagonal slices
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lime juice

 

 

Sweet Potato Casserole (SPLURGE!)

Sweet Potato Casserole (you don’t want to know how many calories!)

Delicious holiday treat!

This is one that my sister in law’s step-dad makes….so I have no clue where the recipe is originally from, I just know that this is SUPER delicious and really easy to make. Promise it will be a crowd pleaser! I make it every year and people always ask me for the recipe. It is SUPER easy to make. I even made this one before I met RJ 🙂

9 x9 dish, 350 degrees x 40 minutes

———Mix the following together and spread into greased dish:

3 c mashed sweet potatoes( fresh or canned yams)
1 c sugar
2 eggs- beaten
½ c sweetened condensed milk( can use fat free)
½ c butter softened
1 tsp. vanilla

Topping:
1 c brown sugar
1/3 c flour
1/3 c melted butter
1 c chopped pecans

Mix these together and spread evenly over filling.

Green Bean Casserole (healthier version)

We made this one last year and it was a hit. Here’s the ingredients and of course link to recipe is below. Since so many parts of the turkey day meal are packed full of calories – this is one that is easy to do a more belly friendly version, and everyone will still be happy!

Green Bean Casserole (212 calories)
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/green_bean_casserole.html_0

• 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, (see Ingredient Note)
• 1 pound frozen French-cut green beans, (about 4 cups) (we just bought canned green beans)
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk powder, (see Ingredient Note) (we bought actual buttermilk because the powder is hard to find)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

 

Cornbread & Sausage Stuffing

For those of you who might be in charge of the bird this year – here is the recipe we’re using for the stuffing. We are smoking our turkey – and if you haven’t ever done that before, we highly recommend it.

Cornbread & Sausage Stuffing  (242 calories)
(http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/cornbread_sausage_stuffing.html)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage, (about 4 links), casings removed
• 2 cups finely chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• We are cheating and just bought premade cornbread made for stuffing!
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 1/2-3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

Enjoy!