Pork loin was purchased a few days ago with the lazy intent of throwing it into a crockpot with some low sugar BBQ sauce for an all day simmer. I decided I wanted to roast it tonight instead. First stop, of course, was RecipeZaar where I did a search for pork loin recipes. Organized the results by rating and snagged the top rated recipe. This process is rarely a let down if you’re in need of ideas. http://www.recipezaar.com/Honey-Roasted-Pork-Loin-29493

I tweaked it a little.  Mine looked like this:

Ingredients
2.25 lbs pork loin, boneless
salt and pepper
1/4 cup sugar free breakfast syrup
2 tablespoons Simply Orange w/ Pineapple
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

I was even lazier with the directions…

• Preheat the oven to 375.
• Set the pork loin in a roasting pan and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the syrup, juice, oil and thyme. Drizzle over pork.
• Add the broth to the pan.
• Bake 60-75 min. (Recommend internal temp of 150 to be safe.)
• Baste frequently. The more you baste, the better. I basted two or three times, and it was good ’nuff, but I think it could have been better had I been a little less lazy.
• I didn’t bother to reduce the sauce down. A thinner consistency went a longer way at probably less calories. The leftovers are also marinading in it.We didn’t have any fresh produce to speak of (ok maybe an onion, but did I mention I was trying to be lazy lol) so I cheated with some canned goods. I brought 1 cup of low sodium chicken broth to a simmer, quickly stirred in 1 cup of dry Couscous, removed from heat and let that sit for 5 min or so. Then, I stirred in some chopped tomatoes from a can. It was one of those “made for chili” varieties that sported a few green chilies and a little kick.
• I layered the pork over the Couscous mixture, drizzled some pork baste over the whole thing, and served it just like that. If I use the leftover couscous mix for anything other than to serve with the pork leftovers, I’ll probably add a tsp of olive oil to moisten it up a bit.

It has been a wonderful weekend.

My small plate.

My husband's plate.

Tomato Laden Couscous!

Very tasty for not much work!

Feel free to question me about the extent of my experience with particular sites, recipes, products, etc.

A note about recipes: I love to take traditional recipes and lighten them up or at least make them sugar free. Do not assume that I make a recipe AS IS nor that it is safe for you to do so. Be wise and wary, as always!

If you see a site that is owned by you or contributed by you and you would like some sort of credit or plug, by all means let me know. If you see unacceptable content I somehow overlooked, please let me know that too!

Enjoy!

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Mom's Artichoke Cheese Balls

Ingredients
16 ounces artichoke hearts, drained and mashed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Directions

• Mash 2 cans drained artichoke hearts.
• Put olive oil into frying pan.
• Saute cloves.
• Add mashed artichokes and eggs.
• Saute and stir about 5 minutes.
• Mix bread crumbs and cheese in bowl.
• Remove mix from heat, roll into balls, roll in bread crumb and cheese mixture.

Quartered Artichoke Hearts

I used canned artichoke hearts, though you should be able to use frozen or fresh ones you marinate yourself. (Google recipes for marinated artichoke hearts.)  I believe the canned ones come in marinades using things besides oil as a base.  Get the ones with the best nutritional stats.  I really don’t think it matters.  I did choose quartered hearts, as it made for quicker mashing.

Do the Monster Mash.

Though I used real eggs, I’m willing to bet that egg substitute would work just fine. For the garlic, I used chopped from a jar. I always keep a jar of chopped garlic in the fridge. I love fresh pressed, but these are a real timesaver for me much of the time. As for parmesan cheese, I believe we originally used the grated stuff in the green can. However, I never use anything but fresh shredded from the cheese case. I believe I used Sargento.

The breadcrumbs and cheese look on as the artichoke mash cools down a bit.

Pick whatever breadcrumbs sound good to you. Normally, I use Italian style. I picked a garlic & herb variety this time. Anything works. This is a key way to add unique flavor, though, so be creative. Plain will work, but it will probably bore you.  Add your own seasonings, if you so desire.  Don’t know how panko or ground up Fiber One would work here.  Might try that for a friendlier “throughout the year” recipe.  Wouldn’t dream of it for delighting Thanksgiving feasters.

The Artichoke Cheese Balls await their fate which lies down the gullets of fine Thanksgiving company.

Mom managed to get 24 Artichoke Cheese Balls out of this recipe.  Somehow, I only got 18.  I rolled them just a tad too big.   (Yes, we ate three at home.  Sorry. lol)

The red stuff is Suzy Q’s no sugar added cranberry sauce.  It just happens to be in the picture.  I don’t think I’d recommend it as a dip for the Artichoke Cheese Balls.  It is so yummy, though, that I made a batch to bring along.  I did offer up some healthier items to the cause, and that was one.  :)

Find this recipe in my SparkRecipes Recipe Box.
Also find this recipe in my public recipes on RecipeZaar.
It was also included in my Thanksgiving 2009 Brainstorm menu on RecipeZaar.

Scrumptious, in spite of imperfections!

Ingredients
1/3 cup margarine or butter
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon lite salt
tons of fresh ground pepper
1 3/4 cups chicken stock
2/3 cups milk
about 2 cups of cooked turkey
about 2 cups of veggies* (see notes)
2 unroll & bake pie crusts

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Line pie plate with one of the crusts.
• Heat butter over low heat until melted.
• Blend in flour, onion, salt and pepper.
• Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until mixture is smooth and bubbling.
• Stir in broth and milk.
• Stirring constantly, heat to boiling and boil for one minute.
• Lower heat and stir in turkey and vegetables.
• Pour filling into lined pie plate.
• Top plate with second crust. Cut slits in top crust to allow venting. Press together the edges of top and bottom pie crust to seal.
• Put tin foil around just the edges of the pie so edges don’t burn during cooking.
• Bake in oven for about 35 minutes until crust is brown. Remove tin foil 5 or 10 minutes before pie is done.

How can we healthify this pie?  Well, to be clear, this decadent pie is a starchy comfort food.  I don’t think there is a way to eat it without guilt… other than to call it a holiday treat and don’t make another until next year!  There are some things you can do to make it a little less damaging… I always use Morton Lite Salt in place of regular table salt.  I did cook my vegetables in margarine, and I used low fat milk.  You can also opt for vegetables that are much lower in carbs and starch than the ones I picked.  I used Swanson chicken stock which actually had less sodium than their reduced sodium broth.  I reckon you could forget the bottom crust, put the filling right into the pie pan, then top it… making it a one-crust pie.  You can probably google low fat pot pie, or something similar, to find an all-around better recipe.  I desired to give my husband a full-on decadent real pot pie, for a change.  I’ve been picking from the middle, myself.  Still a lot starchier than what I normally eat, but avoiding the crust is an option to which I’m adhering.

Moving on…

The crust.  Lining a pie plate doesn’t come easy to some people, but don’t worry.  Just rip dough from here and patch it up there, as needed, until you have an evenly covered plate.  No one is going to see or care about the bottom.  Full coverage is all that matters!

Nobody knew the bottom looked silly!

The meat.  Of course, you can use chicken or just about any other meat with this recipe… but for our purposes, we’re using leftover Thanksgiving turkey.  Make sure whatever you use is fully cooked or just shy of done.  The overall 35 minute cooking time of the pie will not sufficiently cook raw meat.

The vegetables.  You have several options for vegetables here. I had some fresh shredded carrots and 3 or 4 baby red potatoes in the veggie drawer. Before I started cooking the pie filling base, I sauteed them in a little margarine… with lots of fresh ground pepper… then set them aside.  (We love fresh ground pepper!)

Red potatoes, carrots, and lots of fresh ground pepper!

If you don’t have fresh ones, you can use cooked leftovers or even a bag of frozen veggies.  Simply toss them in when the recipe calls for the meat and veggies.  Anything will work… peas, corn, peppers…  Whatever sounds good to you, toss them in!

Bubbly base!

In goes the filling. Time to add the top crust!

I tried to cut out a heart-shaped vent, but it wound up looking like someone dug a hole out of my pie with their fist. Bummer. So, I repaired it with a little leftover dough. Not the prettiest thing, but it is the best tasting pot pie we’ve ever had in this house. This just goes to show that even if you don’t have the skills of Martha Stewart when it comes to presentation, WHO GIVES A #$%* ??? Get in there, and cook anyway!

Six little vents and a last minute repair!

I got the base recipe from this Chicken Pot Pie recipe at RecipeZaar.

If you need more ideas for what to do with all those leftovers, check out Turkey Day, Take Two on RecipeZaar.

Thanksgiving 2009 Brainstorm – This is a collection of recipes I put together on RecipeZaar for your viewing pleasure. I believe I have tried every recipe on there at one time or another. I may add more throughout the weekend.  The Cheeseball with Everything is always a crowd pleaser.  Not a bad thing to keep in the fridge for nibbling, either.  This is a photo of one I made for New Year’s Eve a couple years ago.  I submitted it to RZ, and you can find a blurb from me among the reviews.  (Be sure to read through the reviews on the recipes that interest you!  All kinds of ideas and inspiration to be found there!)

Cheeseball with Everything!

I am pleased to make public for the first time two of my mother’s favorite recipes. Thanksgiving was a very special time for us and we loved to cook together. I miss her bunches.  The brownie recipe was a dessert she made throughout the year, and the artichoke cheese balls were made on special occasions. If you are looking for a simple, yet different kind of appetizer… I highly recommend the artichoke cheese balls.

Thanksgiving Recipe Collections

• RecipeZaar Thanksgiving Headquarters
• RecipeZaar Thanksgiving 2009 Menu
• Hungry Girl – These all look good. For those of you who followed my sweet potato souffle saga… the I Can’t Believe It’s Not Sweet Potato Pie seems to have accomplished what I could not. Haven’t tried it, but I sure plan to.
• Two Week Countdown to Thanksgiving – GoodHousekeeping’s Thanksgiving site.
• Flatten Your Belly at Thanksgiving – While I’m not a big fan of any particular commercial diet plan, I do borrow recipes from the Flat Belly Diet now and then.
• Wegmans Everything Thanksgiving
• Bloom’s Thanksgiving
• Food Network’s Thanksgiving Site
• SparkPeople’s 500-Calorie Thanksgiving Feast
• HealthyEats Blog

Tradition, Moderation, Simplicity

• All of my Thanksgiving tagged entries.
• My Recipe Index

Tips for Thanksgiving Moderation

• Hungry Girl’s Turkey Day Cheatsheet
• Hungry Girl’s 7 Ways to Avoid Thanksgiving Weight Gain
• Your Stay-Slim Holiday Survival Plan from Prevention Magazine

Last but not least… some random tidbits. My friend Yoshiko came by for tea and talk today. I whipped up a batch of the No Sugar Added Cranberry Sauce for her using PEACH jello mix. What a great combination this turned out to be. I also added just a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of ginger while it was simmering.

Cranberry sauce stirred into Fage Total Greek yogurt made a wonderful breakfast.

I also threw together a batch of the Yorkshire Pudding for Miss Yoshi.

Miss Yoshi gave me the beautiful Thomas Kinkade plate.

Yoshi's Yorkies!

It was a wonderful day.  I also had lunch with my friend & neighbor, Sharon, this week.  What a pleasant week it has been.  It’s almost like I have a real social life…  ;)

Often overlooked, yet wonderful cranberries!

Ingredients
12 ounces (one standard bag) unsweetened fresh cranberries
1 cup water
1 cup Splenda
1 packet Crystal Light Orange Sunrise powder
1 packet sugar free strawberry jello powder (.3 oz)

• Rinse cranberries.  Place cranberries in 2-quart saucepan with 1 cup water.
• Stir in Splenda, drink mix, and jello powder.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
• Turn heat to medium-low and simmer, smashing and stirring every few minutes until cranberries have all popped and sauce has thickened.
• Serve warm, or place into covered container and refrigerate.

When I went into the kitchen to clean up for the night, I basically dumped all the ingredients into a pan and monitored them as I filled up the dishwasher and wiped down the counters.  I turned the stove off just shy of the desired thickness and stirred once in awhile as it cooled down right on the burner.   That’s how quick and easy this is to make.  In fact, once I make it for Thanksgiving, I remember just how tasty it is and continue to make it weekly throughout the winter.  It is WONDERFUL stirred into greek yogurt or just eaten by itself as a snack.  You can certainly freeze some bags of cranberries to make this throughout the year.  I like to leave it as a seasonal treat.

Fall scented simmer!

You can play with this recipe a bit.  The original recipe calls for raspberry gelatin, but I already had strawberry on hand.  It turned out great.  I am trying out peach on a friend a bit later.  Can’t wait to see how that comes out!  You can also swap out Crystal Light flavors.  The original recipe calls for orange.  I had Orange Sunrise on hand, so in it went.  Yes, I “went rogue” by swapping out Orange for Orange “Sunrise”.   By the way…  one of the new style long Orange Sunrise packets, intended for a 2 quart pitcher of Crystal Light, comes out to exactly 1 tablespoon.

Suzy’s recipe calls for cinnamon.  A pinch of cinnamon is a fantastic addition.  Be sure you don’t overdo it.  A pinch will do.  Not everyone in my house likes cinnamon, so I leave it out most of the time.  Suzy’s recipe also says you can make this in a crock pot.  How I overlooked that, I have no idea.  What a wonderful recipe to have simmering on the counter all day.  I just love recipes that double as holiday potpourri.  You can bet I will try that soon.  I will probably need to double the ingredients to make it in my slow cooker effectively.

Also, I have never tried, but I am betting this cranberry sauce could make a wonderful top layer for some sort of cheesecake or cream cheese based pie.  It is so easy and has many many uses.  I recommend you try it at least once, even if you don’t care for traditional cranberry sauce.

Ready for Snackin'

There it is in all its saucy glory.  It’s still pretty warm there, but it continued to thicken in the refrigerator overnight.  I just had some, mixed into Fage Total, for my breakfast.

Served some weeks back with Prime Rib.

Wikipedia Article on Yorkshire Pudding
Wikipedia on Popovers

Be sure to google both terms when looking for the perfect recipe.  OR, just use this recipe I found on RecipeZaar! Definitely check out the original, but here it is with my preferred options.

Ingredients
1 cup plain flour
4 large eggs
1 cup skim milk
dried herbs or spices
morton lite salt
12 tsp canola oil

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Grab a 12-muffin baking pan and place a teaspoon of canola oil into the bottom of each tin.
• Place pan into oven for 15 or 20 min until oil is nice and hot. If you look carefully, you will see smoke. However, it takes much longer for canola oil to really start smoking than is needed to get it hot enough for these purposes.
• While pan is in the oven, beat the rest of the ingredients together to a nice creamy consistency.  Add herbs and spices to mixture as desired.
• When oil is hot enough, remove the pan from the oven and pour batter evenly into the 12 tins. DO NOT OVERFILL. These will puff up to at least twice what you place into the tin. They barely need to be half full.
• Place pan back into oven for 20-25 minutes until popovers are puffed up and crisp.
• Serve with gravy or butter or anything you think would be tasty when placed into the holes of the popovers.

The original recipe says to beat the mixture into the consistency of double cream.  I don’t think I get quite that consistency probably due to using skim milk.   Also, the original recipe calls for 1 cup of eggs.  I usually have large eggs on hand, so in my case that works out to 4 eggs.  Google for whatever size eggs you have.  (Did you know you can also google for standard conversions that will come up at the top of the search results??)

Sometimes I don’t add any herbs to the mixture, and other times I add savory herbs such as parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.  (She was once a true love of mine…)  I’ve often thought it would be fun to add cinnamon or something to these… perhaps cheese… but my men won’t have it!  Since I only partake in these once a year or so, I just make em the way they like em and serve with brown gravy.  I do fantasize about some sort of whole flour / eggbeater type combination, but I have yet to try.  (Yes, I have odd fantasies.  What can I say.)

Alas, this is not a recipe I can indulge in on a regular basis.  I will be enjoying one at the upcoming Big Meal.  :)

This recipe was given to me years ago by a good friend. Unfortunately, we’ve fallen out of touch. Still, I remember her each year when I make this. It’s become a Thanksgiving staple. Here is the recipe in its original form…

Ingredients
One 18 ounce can sweet potatoes, drained
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon margarine or unsalted butter
1/4-1/2 cup miniature marshmallow (not colored)
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
One 8 3/4 ounce can peach slices

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In one bowl, stir ginger into brown sugar.
• Cut the butter up into tiny little squares on a separate plate.
• Drain and slice sweet potatoes into their own bowl.
• Drain and place peaches into yet another bowl.
• In a 1 quart casserole dish, layer half the potatoes, half the brown sugar mixture, and half the peaches.
• Repeat layering to use up remaining ingredients.
• Bake uncovered in 375 degree oven. Spoon liquid from bottom of dish over top of potatoes once or twice during cooking. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until potatoes are glazed.

To start with, I usually double this recipe into a 2 quart dish and use an equivalent amount of fresh boiled sweet potatoes cut into chunks. I also use Splenda brown in lieu of regular brown sugar. This year, I might try Whey Low Gold. Typically, I can find a can of peaches with a Splenda base instead of heavy syrup. Fresh sliced peaches also work. I never use the marshmallow option. In spite of them still being in the list of ingredients… what to do with them has disappeared from my archives. I assume you would just throw the marshmallows on top during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Honestly, though, I think marshmallows would just wreck the unique and subtle peachy ginger taste.   This year, I also may try an earlier suggestion from NanaLinda to swap out a portion of sweet potatoes with butternut squash.

This recipe is not in my SparkRecipes database yet. It is in my RecipeZaar repertoire though. I just put in a request to have it made public. Check back later for the URL! I will also be creating my own Thanksgiving menu on there and will make that URL public. In the meantime, here are 220 other public Thanksgiving menus on RecipeZaar. Remember to sort by rating. THESE ARE FULL THANKSGIVING MENUS… not individual recipes. If you don’t already have a set of favorites, have a look through these. It may save you immeasurable amounts of time.

I still don’t have much of an appetite in the morning.  So, these days I have a protein drink.  In the summer, I usually have some sort of coffee based ready-to-drink (RTD) protein.  I either have something like Atkins Cafe, or I make my own with Lean Body chocolate RTD, chocolate unsweetened Almond Breeze, and some instant coffee crystals.  In the winter, I want something warm.  So, I make myself a protein mocha.

Ingredients
1 scoop of chocolate protein powder
1 shot of your favorite sugar free syrup
fresh brewed coffee

Directions

• Place the scoop of protein powder into a travel mug. My favorite is Nectar Chocolate Truffle, though I have done this successfully with Jay Robb chocolate whey protein, Lean Dessert Chocolate Fudge Pudding, and many others. Just about any brand will work.

• Add a shot of your favorite sugar free syrup to the mug. My two favorites are Da Vinci Dulce de Leche and Monin O’Free Caramel. (The Monin syrups are typically thicker. I like my phony caramel thick.) Just about any sweet flavor will work. You can even get crazy with some orange or almond flavored syrups. Get a spoon and stir… stir… stir. Stir until the protein is completely smooth. This is important. You want to smooth it out with that little bit of liquid before you fill the cup.

• Now, grab your fresh brewed coffee… which has either been sitting with the warmer off for at least 20 – 30 minutes… or, you’ve removed the lid from the pot, letting the steam escape while the coffee cools a bit. You DO NOT ever want to mix protein powder with liquid that is too hot. Doing so is what causes those nasty clumps. Fill your mug the rest of the way up with the coffee. I like to pour with one hand whilst stirring with the other. Be careful if you do this. Don’t burn yourself then blame me for it. You’ve been warned!

• Put the lid on your travel mug and sip away. Your Protein Mocha will make you nice and warm on a cold morning, and it will provide you with a decent amount of nutrients. I love these things. I drink them all throughout the year, but nothing hits the spot better on a cold winter morn. Sometimes I add a squirt of Hershey’s sugar free syrup to the protein powder / syrup mixture. If I want to treat myself, I will add a small spoon of Smucker’s sugar free caramel topping and / or a dollop of Cool Whip Free or fat free Reddi Whip.

The body best absorbs protein in the morning and just after workouts. Protein is also filling and will help keep you satisfied. And really, just about any flavor of protein will work… and any flavor of syrup will work. Go nuts with experimentation. Just stick to a protein powder that is lower in calories and carbs, and make sure you use sugar free syrups. There is no shortage of either out there. You can also do this with plain water, if you are not a coffee lover. I love coffee, and I love mochas, and I think the coffee covers up anything unpleasant about protein powder. In any case, the taste and quality of protein powder has come a long way. Even if you think you hate them, try one of the newer brands. You might be surprised.

These also make excellent snacks for chilly Autumn or Winter evenings.

Find this recipe in my SparkRecipes recipe box!

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN COOK?!

The contest will be hosted by the Arundel Middle School PTA on Sunday, November 15 @ 12pm.

Click the pic for more info!

What will YOU be bringing??