December Calendar Printable from TomKatStudio

I found this super cute December Calendar on one of my favorite blogs/daily reads. I thought you would love it too.
SNEAK PEEK: Go here to download it! Isn't it cute? Be sure to check out Kim's other lovely stuff here at her Etsy shop and be sure to check out her blog here!

BBQ Lil Smokies

This is for all your upcoming holiday potlucks!

Grape Jelly and Chili Sauce Little Smokies

From A Year of Crockpotting

The Ingredients

serves 8

1 pound Little Smokies sausage

1 (12-ounce) bottle chili sauce (housed by the ketchup)

1 (18-ounce) jar grape jelly

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the smokies into the slow cooker, and pour in the sauces. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or high for 2 or until the smokies are heated through. Serve out of the crock with toothpicks.

Big Barbecue Little Smokies

From A Year of Crockpotting

The Ingredients

serves 8

1 pound Little Smokies sausage

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon gluten free Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup barbecue sauce (check for gluten!)

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Dump it all in! Stir well and cook on low for 4 hours, or high for about 2. Make sure the smokies are hot throughout and serve out of the crock with toothpicks.

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Wassail

Holiday Wassail
From 101 Things to do with a slow cooker

3 sticks cinnamon (3-inch pieces)
2 tsp ground cloves
8 c water
3/4 c frozen cranberry juice - cocktail concentrate
3/4 c frozen raspberry juice concentrate
3/4 c frozen apple juice concentrate
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c lemon juice
orange slices, optional

In a 3 1/2 to 5 quart slow cooker, combine all ingredients except orange slices.  Cover and cook on high heat for 2-3 hours or on low heat for 5-6 hours.  Float orange slices in slow cooker during the last hour of cooking.  Makes 12-15 servings.

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Latte

Skinny Pumpkin Spiced Latte
Gina's Skinny Recipes 
Servings: 2 • Serving Size: 1 latte • Weight Watcher Points: 2 pts
Calories: 115.6 • Fat: 0.4 g • Protein: 6.6 g • Carb: 20.8 g • Fiber: 0.7 g    

Adapted from The Kitchn   

• 1 1/2 cups fat free milk
• 2 tbsp pumpkin butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp sugar or sugar substitute (to taste) 
• 1/4 cup of espresso (or 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee works)
• fat free whipped topping
• pumpkin pie spice for topping

In a small pan combine milk, pumpkin butter and sugar and cook on medium heat, stirring, until boiling. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Using an immersion blender,blend until smooth (or whisk well with a wire whisk) Pour into two mugs, add the hot espresso and top with fat free whipped cream and a dash of pumpkin pie spice on top.

Pumpkin Spice Latte RecipeFrom Snack Girl

4 ounces coffee or espresso
1/2 cup skim or nonfat milk
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (plus extra to dust on top)

Brew coffee and heat milk until hot in microwave. Foam milk with Aerolatte or other milk frother. Mix sugar and pumpkin pie spice in coffee and pour milk on top. Enjoy!

77 calories, 0.2g fat, 14.8 g carbohydrates, 4.3 g protein

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Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkin Butter
Gina's Skinny Recipes 
Servings: 14 • Serving Size: 1/4 cup • Points: 1.5 pts
Calories: 88.2 • Fat: 0.3 g • Protein: 1.0 g • Carb: 27.3 g • Fiber: 2.5 g   

• 3 1/2 cups pumpkin puree, or 1 (29 ounce) can (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup apple cider or juice
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2-3 cinnamon sticks
• 1-2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (to taste)

Combine pureed pumpkin, vanilla, apple juice, spices, cinnamon sticks and sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 - 40 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently. Adjust spices to your taste. 

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Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
From WW Chick
1 Weight Watchers French Vanilla Smoothie mix packet
8 oz of fat-free milk
1/4 (of a 15 oz) can of pure pumpkin
8-10 ice cubes
Pumpkin pie seasoning to suit your taste

Pour into blender, mix well & enjoy. Pumpkin is a great antioxidant!

Makes 1 serving
3 Points

(Weight Watchers smoothies are sold in meeting rooms across the nation, and are on sale right now for just $5.00 per box!!! Stock up for the holiday season.)

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Thanksgiving Menu and Printables

Need a little help with your Thanksgiving Dinner?  I've combined several recipes that are featured here on TasteZone to create a meal that is a sure winner!

 Crockpot Turkey Breast 

 Steamed Green Beans with slivered almonds 

 Lightened Up Mashed Potatoes 

 Fresh Cranberry Relish 

 Pumpkin Cheesecake  

Along with this menu, I've created some printables to help spruce up your holiday dinner table. :) Enjoy.

The Printable set includes:

• Printed Menu (following the menu above)
• Blank menu (for your own customization)
• Blank Napkin ring (that can be customized with guest names to serve as a place card) 
• A set of place cards for food service or guest seating
• A round blank card for wine glasses or straws 
• An activity placemat

You can print these items here.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Cheesecake

From First Place 4 Health

Number of Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 3-3x6" graham cracker rectangles
• 2 8-ounce packages fat-free cream cheese
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/3 cup dry non-fat milk
• 1 4-ounce can evaporated skim milk
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 small sugar-free vanilla instant pudding, dry
• 4 ounces Cool Whip Lite (thawed)

Instructions

Layer graham cracker rectangles in a 9x9 baking dish. Cream together cream cheese, pumpkin, dry milk, canned milk, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla. Add the sugar-free pudding and mix thoroughly. Blend in Cool Whip Lite. Spread mixture evenly over graham crackers. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Nutrition Information

110 Calories; 5g Fat (39.8% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 18mg Cholesterol; 160mg Sodium.

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Sweet Potato Fries

SWEET and SLIGHTLY SPICY BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIESFrom Nancy Creative

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks, wedges or chunky “French Fry” slices
• 1 1/2  Tablespoons canola oil or olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 Tablespoons honey or pure maple syrup, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and cut up potatoes. In a plastic ziploc bag, combine the cut sweet potatoes, oil, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper or chili powder. Seal the bag and shake until the potatoes are evenly coated with the oil and spices. Then add 1 Tablespoon honey or maple syrup to the bag and coat potatoes evenly. Spread the  potatoes out in a single layer on a large baking or cookie sheet (if you want easy clean-up, line your baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper).  Bake on the middle shelf of your oven for 30 minutes or until the potato edges are crisp and potatoes are cooked through (halfway through baking time, turn the fries over using a large spoon so the potatoes will bake more evenly). When potatoes are done, while still warm, coat the potatoes evenly with an additional 1 Tablespoon honey or maple syrup (you can place the potatoes in a bowl and toss them with a large spoon to do this). Then serve immediately.

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Fresh Cranberry Relish

Fresh Cranberry Relish
1 (12 oz) bag fresh or frozen cranberries
2 (8oz) can pineapple chunks, in juice, drained, reserving 2 tb juice
2 TB powdered sugar substitute, or more to taste
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp vanilla (optional)

Place half of cranberries and half of pineapple in bowl of food processor.  Coarsley chop fruit.  Transfer mixture to large bowl.  Repeat with remaining cranberries and pineapple.  Stir sugar substitute, reserved juice, cloves and vanilla, if desired, into fruit mixture.  Mix well.  Serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 24 hours before serving.

Makes 16 (1/4 c) servings
Dietary exchanges: 1 fruit
Calories 43(2% cal from fat); Total fat <1g; Sat Fat 0g; Protein <1g; Carb 12g; Cholesterol 0mg; Dietary Fiber 2g; Sodium 1mg

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Holiday Edition Posts

From now until Christmas I will be posting special holiday recipes.  I hope you enjoy!

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Steamed Green Beans with Almond Slivers

Steamed Green Beans with Almond Slivers

1 bag of green giant steamables green beans
1 1/2 TB roasted almond slivers

Steam veggies according to directions. Empty into serving bowl, sprinkle with almond slivers and serve.


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My Favorite Sandwich

My Favorite Sandwich
From Quit Eating Out


Hawaiian Bread
Pesto
Provolone Cheese
Your Fave Turkey and Ham 

Preheat oven to 450*.  Slice a Hawaiian Bread loaf in half horizantally.  Liberally spread Pesto over both sides of bread.  On the bottom arrange turkey and ham.  Cover with six slices of Provolone.  Place top of bread back on sandwich.  Tightly wrap the sandwich in aluminum foil.  Place directly in oven on rack.  Cooking time will vary.  For the center of sandwich to be warm with melted cheese, allow 20-25 minutes.

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Oatmeal

It is getting cold in my neck of the woods, and oatmeal is one of my fav breakfast staples, so I thought I'd do a little looking for some fun recipes.  Here are a few recipes I found online.

Almond Joy Oatmeal From Undressed Skeleton191 Calories, 7g Fat, 23g Carbs, 6g Protein, 5g Fiber

Ingredients:

• 10 Milk Chocolate Baking Chips
• 1 Cup Almond Milk Unsweetened
• 1 Packet Instant Oatmeal
• 1 Tbsp Sweetened Shredded Coconut
• 1 Tbsp Chopped Almonds
• 1 Packet Truvia

Directions

1. Prepare Oatmeal as Directed With 1 Cup Almond Milk
2. Stir Almonds and Truvia In Oatmeal
3. Top Oatmeal With Baking Chips and Coconut
4. Mix Together

Crock-Pot Cinna-Apples 'n Oats
From HungryGirlPER SERVING (1 heaping cup): 249 calories, 4.5g fat, 320mg sodium, 52g carbs, 7.5g fiber, 26g sugars, 4.5g protein -- PointsPlus® value 7*

This sweet 'n satisfying dish is like the love child of gooey cinnamon apples and brown sugar oatmeal. It's perfect for breakfast, dessert, or snack time. Yay!!!

Ingredients:
8 cups chopped Fuji apples (about 6 apples)
2 tbsp. brown sugar (not packed), divided
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, divided
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup light vanilla soymilk
1/3 cup sugar-free pancake syrup
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown)

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix apples with 1 tbsp. brown sugar and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Stir to coat apples well. Transfer to the crock pot.

In the empty bowl, combine oats, soymilk, 1 tbsp. brown sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, syrup, and salt. (All remaining ingredients except butter.) Add 1 cup water and mix well.

Add oat mixture to the crock pot, and gently stir. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 7 hours.

Add butter and mix well. (Do NOT forget this step. Stick a Post-it to your timer if you have to!) Serve and enjoy!

MAKES 5 SERVINGS






Crockpot (overnight) Oatmeal

• 1 cup Steel Cut (Irish) Oats (160g)
• 4 and 1/2 cups of water
• pinch of salt

Mix ingredients - cook on low for 8 hours (overnight).  Remove lid, turn off heat and let sit for 20 minutes.  Serve topped with your favorite toppings.

Overnight Oatmeal Recipe

From SnackGirl

(serves 4)
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
4 3/4 cups water

or
(serves 2)
1 cup steel cut oats
4 cups water

Mix oats and water in slow cooker and set for 8-9 hours. Amounts can be doubled or halved depending on the size of your cooker. These recipes will work in a 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 quart capacity slow cooker.

Weight Watchers' Applesauce-Cranberry Oatmeal

3 tablespoons oatmeal, uncooked
1 tablespoon dried cranberries
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup water
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Directions:
Prep Time: 2 mins Total Time: 4 mins
Mix all ingredients together. Microwave for 1-2 minutes.


OATMEAL EXPRESSO

From Kitchen Parade

Hands-on time: 5 minutes

Time to table: 5 minutes
Serves 3

• 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats (Jennette uses quick oats)
• 2 teaspoons instant coffee
• 3 teaspoons Splenda
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup water

Combine oats, instant coffee and Splenda. Stir in the skim milk and water. Microwave the mixture for one minute and 45 seconds.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per serving: 87Cal; 2g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 13mg Sodium; 16g Carb; 2g Fiber; 1g Sugar; 3g Protein; Weight Watchers 1 point

CHOCOLATE-CINNAMON SUGAR OATMEAL TOPPING

From Kitchen Parade

Hands-on time: 5 minutes
Time to table: 5 minutes
Makes 6 tablespoons

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix all ingredients and place in a sprinkle jar.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per teaspoon: 15Cal; 0g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 0mg Sodium; 4g Carb; 0g Fiber; 4g Sugar; 0g Protein; Weight Watchers 0 points

Harvest Apple Oatmeal
From Diabetic Cooking


1 c unsweetened apple juice
1 c water
1 medium apple, cored and chopped
1 c uncooked old-fashioned oats
1/4 c raisins
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
apple slices (optional)


Combine juice, water and chopped apple in 2 quart microwavable bowl.  Microwave on HIGH 3 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time.  Add oats, raisins, salt and cinnamon; stir until well blended. Microwave on MEDIUM 4 to 5 minutes or until thick; stir before serving.  Garnish with apple slices, if desired. Makes 2 servings.


Conventional Directions: To prepare on the stove, bring apple juice, water and chopped apple to a boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Stir in oats, raisins, salt and cinnamon until well blended. Cook, uncovered over medium heat 5 to 6 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally.
Dietary exchange: 2 1/2 starch, 2 fruit
Cal 301 (9% of calories from fat), Total Fat 3 g, Sat Fat <1g, Protein 6g, Carb 67g, Cholesterol 0mg, Dietary Fiber 7g, Sodium 154mg


Cranberry Maple Oatmeal
From The Lean Green Mommy Machine


4 cups water
2 cups quick cooking oats
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 Tbl. butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (omit if you don't like cinnamon)
1/2 cup maple syrup
milk for consistency/quick cool down

Directions:
1. Boil water and salt in a medium-sized pot
2. Once it reaches a full boil, add oats and cranberries - turn off the heat and stir.
3. Once oats are stirred in, remove from burner and let stand for 5 min.
4. Stir in butter, cinnamon, and maple syrup.
5. Serve and top with more syrup (if desired - taste before doing this!).

Apple and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Recipe From SnackGirl

(serves 2)
1 cup water
1 cup apple juice
1 cup rolled oats
1 apple (cored and roughly chopped)
1 teaspoon peanut butter (optional)

Combine water, apple juice, rolled oats, and apple in a small saucepan and turn heat to hight. When the water boils, turn the heat to low and cook, stirring, until the water is just absorbed, about 5 minutes. Cover the pan and turn off the heat. Five minutes later, spoon into a bowl and add 1 teaspoon peanut butter and more sugar (brown sugar, honey, maple syrup) if desired.

265 calories, 4.3 g fat, 52.2 g carbohydrates, 6.3 g protein, 6.1 g fiber, 23 mg sodium

From Snack Girl:

Some tips:

• Get your hands on some rolled oats or steel cut oats from the bulk section of your supermarket. They are cheaper and more delicious than Quaker (trust me, I have tried them all).
• Use a small slow cooker (1.5 - 2.5 quart). I used my large one and it really made a mess to clean up. Picture crusty oatmeal glued to my cooker. The small ones are perfect for this task.
• Change what you mix in to your oatmeal. You can get bored with oatmeal if you eat the same thing every day. Add different things and look forward to the meal.

Sweet things to add to oatmeal:
maple syrup, brown sugar, honey
cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves
Raisins, dried apricots, dried cherries
Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries
Banana, Apples, Pear
frozen berries
apple butter

Savory things to add to oatmeal:
soy sauce and scallions
salsa
crumbled Hard Boiled Egg
peanut butter, almond butter, etc.
cooked vegetables from last night
grated cheese

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Cheesy Chicken Noodles

Cheesy Chicken Noodles
From 101 Things to do with a slow cooker

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) broccoli cheese soup
2 c milk
1/2 c dried minced onion
1/2 ts dried basil
salt/pepper to taste
egg noodles, already cooked

Place chicken in greased 4 1/2 to 6 quart slow cooker.  Combine remaining ingredients except noodles and pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on high heat 1 hour and then reduce to low heat and cook 5-6 hours.  Serve over hot cooked noodles. Makes 6 servings.
Serve with tossed green salad or fresh veggies.


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