The Holidays are Approaching......Fast......
Christmas trees begin to show up in stores as early as August these days. Unfortunately, as a nation, we have forgotten the ‘Reason for the Season’. Thanksgiving is meant to be a celebration of family and friends and Christmas is supposed to be a birthday celebration for the Savior. But instead of enjoyment and peace and love, we allow this time of year to become frantic and we forget the real reasons that we come together to celebrate. Once Halloween is over, the rush is on. We know it’s coming. It’s not a surprise. The dates never change. Then why does it always catch us unprepared?????
Did you know that the average weight gain between Thanksgiving and Christmas is 5 - 7 pounds? That is the average The real problem is that after Christmas, when those New Year resolutions come round, these same people are miserable, lethargic, overweight and out of shape. What would happen if one year, the resolutions were made before Thanksgiving? What a concept. Staying on an exercise program. Not overeating. Preparing recipes that are lower in calories and fat but still tasty.
Well, Envision Fit wants to help you this year. We know how busy you are. We know you have gifts to buy, parties to attend, guests to entertain and food to eat. You are busy and it is difficult to try new recipes, plan meals and get everything else done that is important to your holiday fun.
So, we are going to give you some easy recipes that are healthy and still tasty. There are reasons that you overindulge during the holiday festivities. When you are at a gathering and everyone else is enjoying that delicious pumpkin or apple pie, there is nothing for you to do but join right in or be miserable. What you need are alternatives that will give you taste with less hassle, calories or fat. The enjoyment of the holiday season is spending time with friends and family. If you are able to indulge right along with everyone else, you will forget about sacrificing for the good of your hips. You will have fun and you will enjoy the festivities.
Since desserts are one of the real dilemmas at holiday time, we thought we would start there. When preparing holiday meals at your own home or going to some one else’s home, offer to take a dessert so that there will be something for you to enjoy. If everyone else decides to enjoy it as well, great. If not, you can have it all to yourself.
We will be introducing you to some recipes that will give your pallet the traditional holiday taste and some that will wake up a new zesty taste in your holiday cuisine.
Fast and Fruity
2 cups frozen or fresh strawberries
1 cup pineapple chunks
4 sliced bananas
1 box instant banana pudding
½ cup slivered almonds
Place fruit in large bowl and sprinkle instant banana pudding over the top. Stir lightly and refrigerate for one hour. Toss almonds over salad and stir to mix.
Serves 8
Quick and Delightful
1 package sugar-free Jello (any flavor)
1 cup boiling water
2 cups of the same flavor of fat-free yogurt with fruit on the bottom
1 cup fat-free Cool Whip
1 8 oz. fat-free cream cheese, softened.
Dissolve Jello in boiling water and cool to room temperature. Mix yogurt, Cool Whip and cream cheese until smooth. Add cooled Jello and mix well. Refrigerate until set.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium size bowl combine pecans, apricots, raisins, sugar and spice. Mix until all ingredients are covered with spice and sugar. Spray the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking pan with non-stick spray. Place each cored apple in the baking pan and stuff each apple with as much of the filing as it will hold. Any remaining filling you place in the baking pan with the apple. Pour the juice over the top of the apple. While baking, occasionally baste apple with the juice and remaining filling. Bake 1 hr. and 20 min. or until soft, covered with aluminum foil. For a firmer apple just bake a little less time. Place a baking sheet underneath pan covered with aluminum foil to catch any spillage. As is or with a dollop of Cool Whip. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Yummy Pumpkin Bread
1-1/3 cup flour
½ cup Quick-cooking rolled Oats
1 cup Splenda for baking
1 tsp. baking Soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
½ cup egg substitute (equal to 2 eggs)
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
Preheat oven to 325. Spray a medium sized bread pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour through nutmeg). Add applesauce, egg substitute and pumpkin. Mix until just combined. Pour into bread pan and bake for 40 min. or until a toothpick comes out clear.
Serves 12
Itty Bitty Pumpkin Bites
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ginger
½ tsp. allspice
1/4 cup low fat melted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla
Preheat oven 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, using a whisk, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and allspice. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, egg and egg white, pumpkin and vanilla. Stir flour mixture into wet ingredients until just combined.
Raisins may be added at this point if desired.
Drop spoonfuls of dough an inch or so apart on a parchment - or silicone lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet to a cooling rack.
Makes 30 cookies
Crust less Pumpkin Delight
½ cup water
2 1-oz. envelopes un-flavored gelatin
2 cups fat-free evaporated milk, divided
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 15-oz. can pure pumpkin
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup cloves
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, sprinkle gelatin in water. Leave to stand for 5 minutes.
Pour 1 cup of fat-free evaporated milk into a small saucepan and heat until almost boiling. Remove from heat and whisk into gelatin. Don’t worry if the gelatin has hardened, the hot milk will liquefy it. Stir in remaining cup of evaporated milk, sugar, canned pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla extract. Stir until well blended.
Pour pumpkin mixture into pie plate. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Elegant and Tasteful
1/4 cup boiling water
3-oz. package sugar-free Jello, your favorite flavor of choice
½ cup cold water
ice cubes
½ cup thawed non-fat Cool Whip topping
Pour boiling water into blender. Add Jello. Cover and blend at low speed until dissolved, about 30 seconds. Combine cold water and ice cubes to make 1-1/4 cup. Add to Jello and stir until ice is almost melted. Add Cool Whip; blend at top speed for 30 seconds. Pour into tall-stemmed glasses or tall and narrow glass bowl. Chill for 30 minutes. Garnish with fresh fruit if desired.
Baked Apples
2 large apples, cored
2 tbsp. pecans, chopped finely
2 tbsp. dried apricots, finely diced
2 tbsp. raisins
½ cup orange juice
½ tsp. cinnamon
Pinch of allspice
Pinch of nutmeg
1 tbsp. brown sugar
A dollop of Cool Whip
Eat an entire apple for 2 servings or half of an apple for 4 servings.
Serves 8.
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