Don't forget the leftovers

Who doesn't love Thanksgiving?  It is a time of being thankful for those around you and for the food on your table.  And if you are anything like my family, there will be plenty on that table.

Save the leftovers!  Some of the best meals can be made out of your leftovers.  A few of my favorites are:

• Turkey and cranberry sandwich: If you have rolls left over, use that as the bread.  Or if you have your favorite bread handy, use that.  Use a little cranberry sauce as your condiment and load up some turkey in there.  Sometimes I will use mustard too (because I love the heck out of the stuff) and lettuce.  I have also tried this with a little bit of cream cheese (a little bit goes a LOOOONG way so keep that in mind).  Yum!  
• Turkey casserole:  This is one of my mom's favorites.  She makes a casserole with the leftover dressing and turkey.  Super easy, as all you have to do is mix the two in a casserole dish and bake it!  She will sometimes add potatoes and gravy if needed or cream of mushroom soup.
• Turkey soup or stew: You can really put anything in your soup or stew.. that's what I love about them.  Use your favorite vegetables, add the turkey and chicken broth, and make your soup or stew with love.  Need a little more help?  Check out this recipe from AllRecipes.  Looks delish!  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/hearty-turkey-stew-with-vegetables/
• Turkey bulgur salad: I love the way turkey and bulgur taste together with a little twist of fruit.  I usually make this salad with a little pineapple, but since it is Thanksgiving and cranberries are so IN right now I found this recipe that looks tasty from Taste of Home:  http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/turkey---bulgur-salad

Have a favorite Thanksgiving leftover recipe?  Please share!  

And before you enjoy your meal, think of everything you are thankful for.  I am thankful for all of the important relationships in my life... family, old friends, new friends, and of course my furry loves too.  They bring a smile to my face daily!

Eat well,

Bri

An apple a day

An apple a day keeps the doctor away!  And pleases the taste buds!

My all-time favorite food is an apple.  I am in awe that I have not written about these gorgeous things yet.  Sure, I have written about apple chips and apple cider vinegar, but not apples.  What was I thinking?

So anyway, let's start with an important question.  Why do I like apples?  Well, for one, what other type of food has hundreds of varieties?  I could try a different apple every week if I wanted to.  Second, they are easy to grab and go.  I pack one in every single lunch I take to work (not always the same variety mind you- I keep it fresh & fun like the fresh prince of Belair).  Third, they are delicious.  This should really be the #1 reason because taste really is important when it comes to food to anyone with a tongue.  Fourth, they are nutritious.  These babies are high in fiber and vitamins.

Curious what variety to try?  Here are a few to start with...

1. Golden Delicious:  These never get old and have a pleasant taste.  They are not as tart as Granny smith apples, but sweeter than their red counterpart (the Red Delicious).  Great versatile apple!
2. Honeycrisp: These can be on the pricey side, but everyone I talk to say this is their all-time favorite apple.  Honeycrisp apples are out of this world delicious!
3. Gala:  Easy to find at any grocery store and has a good flavor for an on-the-go treat.  They are usually one of the least expensive apple varieties.

Another one of my favorites right now is the Macintosh.  It is very shiny and beautiful in color.  It

The Macintosh apple

is sweeter than my usual Golden Delicious, but offers a good break from the norm.

So tell me... what is your FAVORITE apple variety?  And if you say you don't know, jump on the apple wagon and try at least 1 or 2 new varieties this week.  Apples are in season so eat up!

Eat well,

Bri

Cookies by George 350

I love a good local business and I love a good cookie or two (or three, but who is counting?).  Put those two together and you get George 350.  

I had a get together at my house this past weekend and needed a treat to serve.  I am not much of a baker.  Perhaps I will get my bake on more in the future, but for now I will let the pro's do the baking.  Anyway, I sent in my order to George 350 and these were perfect to serve.  Portion control is easy with the smaller sizes.  The taste is out of this world.  The variety of flavors can reach all different taste buds.  And the owner is super cool!

A bag of cookies comes with about 10 cookies inside.  They are $7 a bag and worth every penny.  The flavors I had at the party were: 

Tasty treats!

• I heart chocolate & toffee (my favorite!)
• Coconut, sunflower seeds, & oats.. oh my 
• snickerdoodle dee-lish
• Peanut butter
• I heart Santa (sugar cookies with a Christmas candy corn in the center- so cute!)

The owner, Tony, is also open to suggestions and special requests.  With the holidays coming up, these can make tasty treats to pass out to co-workers, friends, and family members.  Make a basket of goodies and include a bag!

To learn more about George 350, be sure to "like" the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/george-350/582727051786198

Eat well,
Bri

Roasted Almonds

No matter how you crack it, almonds are GRRRREAT!

 Matt and I are having both of our families over on Saturday for a get together.  In a perfect world, I would make everything from scratch.  But, in my real world, that won't happen. However, I love all things simple!  I found a very simple honey cinnamon roasted almond recipe that will be my "from scratch" contribution.  

First things first, we all know how great almonds are.  Did you know that almonds have been shown to decrease appetite without increasing body weight?  In all my nutrition studies, almonds are like the holy grail.  They help curb cravings, are a perfect go-to snack, and do not cause people to gain weight (despite the higher calorie/fat content).  It's a natural food- comes right from nature.  I eat almonds daily.  They are FABULOUS for you!!

Anyway, you knew that right?  Good.  

Now, here is a recipe you can try if you are wanting to add a little "sweet" kick to your almond snack.  Great for holiday parties as well!  And the topping does not add much calories as compared to other roasted almond recipes I found.  One other mention: the aroma is to die for.  I almost want to bake these on the day of the party to keep my house smelling like roasted nuts.  Reminds me of the holidays!  If honey and cinnamon is not your thing, you are CRAZY!  Kidding, but if it truly isn't you can also roast your almonds and then top sea salt only.  Still a good snack.  

Honey Cinnamon Roasted Almonds

After the roast!

Ingredients:
2 cups almonds
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Sprinkle of sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Foil a cookie sheet and spread out the almonds.  Bake for 10 minutes.
3. Combine water, honey, and cinnamon together in a bowl while almonds are baking.
4. Take the cookie sheet of almonds out of the oven. Place almonds in bowl with the mixture and stir to coat.  Place the almonds back onto the sheet. 
5. Bake for an additional 8 minutes.
6. Let cool and sprinkle with sea salt.

Must give credit where credit is due.  Slightly modified the recipe from Dietitian Debbie who can be found here:  http://dietitiandebbie.com/2013/02/18/honey-roasted-cinnamon-almonds/

Eat well,
Bri