Do you still have some of that leftover turkey, and looking for an innovative way to turn it into a new meal?  SG has a perfect recipe for you…..Turkey Tetrazzini!!  I use the same recipe for my leftover chicken,  and my family loves it.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked, chopped turkey (chicken) breast
• 1 lbs fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped (I love my garlic chopper)
• 1/2 cup of butter, or margarine (1 stick)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 8 oz Cheddar  Cheese, shredded
• 8 oz Velveeta Cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Tabasco hot sauce to taste ( I used 8 drops)

Directions:

1. Saute onion and pepper in butter (margarine), until soft – about 5 minutes.
2. Add mushrooms and garlic, and cook 2-3 minutes.
3. Sprinkle flour over this mixture and cook 1 minute.
4. Pour in broth and stir until thickened.
5. Mix in grated Cheddar cheese, and cubed Velveeta cheese.
6. Add seasonings.
7. Cook 8 oz spaghetti, broken into 4 pieces (you can use any other pasta you may have on hand).
8. Place pasta, and above veggie mixture, into a casserole dish.
9. Add turkey(chicken) to pasta.
10. Add  Tabasco sauce, and mix thoroughly.
11. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
12. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes at 350 degrees F.
13. Serve hot, with tossed salad, and garlic bread.

TIP: You may use olive oil in place of butter or margarine for sauteing the veggies.

This dish is best when used the same day, but still reheats very well the next day.

Congratulations!

We successfully completed the Detox  Phase of the Fat Smash Diet.

Didn’t the 9 days just fly by?  Aren’t you feeling better already?  I sure am; it feels great!

Phase Two is much easier than Phase one, in regards to food selection.  Even though we still continue with all the foods from Phase One, we are making new additions.  This phase lets us get back to many of the foods we were missing during the past nine days.  It still is very important to eat 4-5 smaller meals per day, and healthful snacks in between.

We must remember NOT to skip meals, and stick to the eating schedule we have set up for ourselves in Phase One.  We must keep up the good work with physical activities, to keep on smashing the fat, and building good habits.

Here are the additional selections of daily servings:

MEATS:
(portions are 3-4 oz, which is equivalent to a deck of playing cards.  All these meats and fish are baked or broiled, NOT FRIED)

• Chicken without the skin
• Turkey  without skin
• Ground Beef:  EXTRA lean or ground sirloin
• Sirloin steak
• Lamb

SEAFOOD:

• Halibut, Tuna, Salmon, Snapper, Striped Bass, etc. – 3 oz. servings
• Shrimp – 4 large
• Mussels – 3 oz
• Oysters – 6-12
• Clams – 3

EGGS:

• 1 whole egg- scrambled, boiled, or poached

MILK and CHEESE:

• 2 1/2 cups of low-fat, skim, or soy milk
• 2 oz. of cheese (2 slices)
• ½ cup of cottage cheese

CEREALS:

• Any unsweetened cereals – 1 cup of cold, or ½ cup of hot
• Sweeteners:
• 4 tsp of granulated sugar (or sugar substitute)
• 1 Tbsp honey

DRINKS:

• Coffee – 1 10oz cup, and 3 cups or herbal tea, and 5 cups of Club soda or 2 cans of diet soda, and 1 cup of iced tea (sweetened only with 2 packets of sugar substitute, or Lemonade made with real lemons and 2 packets of sugar substitute or 2 tsp of granulated sugar.
• Unlimited flavored seltzer or tonic water
• Unlimited tap of bottled water

SNACKS:

• 2 graham crackers and 2 tsp. low-sugar jelly
• 2 Tbsp raisins and 10 peanuts
• 2 gingersnaps and ½ oz cheddar cheese
• 2 small chocolate chip cookies
• 15-20 fat free Tortilla chips
• 4 animal crackers and 1 small orange
• 2 rice cakes topped with 1 tsp. peanut butter
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 8 halves dried apricots and ½ cup skim milk
• 6 saltines-type crackers with 2 tsp. low-sugar jelly

EXCLUDED FOODS:

• White rice
• White Potatoes
• Bread/English muffins
• White pasta or whole wheat pasta
• White flour
• Pasties, donuts, Danish, cakes,cookies, brownies,
• Candy
• Ice Cream
• Potato chips, corn chips, tortilla chips, popcorn
• Chocolate
• Bacon
• Sausage
• Alcohol
• Fried foods
• Fast Foods
• Regular Soda
• Sweetened juices from a bottle or can
• Milkshakes
• Frappuccino
• Café latte or cappuccino

TIP: Don’t forget to do some physical activity after dinner.  Also, remember your food portion size:  less is more!

Whenever you weigh yourself, do it in the morning just before stepping into the shower.  You will love your scale.

Saint Nicholas, was the “gift giver” I was familiar with during my childhood.  He had a white beard, was dressed in bishop’s garbs, carried a crozier, and arrived on a white horse. On December 6th, he was visiting well-behaved children, and placing candy and cookies under their pillows. If you were really good, then he would drop off more goodies on Christmas Eve. You also were expected to know your Catechism, in case he decided to quiz you, before leaving you a gift.  We recited prayers and songs dedicated to St. Nicholas, instead of leaving him milk and cookies.

I was not familiar with “Santa” the chubby, jolly old man with white beard, dressed in a red suit and an elf‘s hat, with deer pulling his sleigh. Oh well, those were the days, when Christmas was about the Birth of Christ, rather than Christmas shopping, and children were happy with whatever they received, even if it was not exactly what they wished for.

My children grew up knowing both “gift givers”; St. Nicholas on December 6th, and Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. You would think that it couldn’t get better than that…..until, one year they asked if we could celebrate Hanukkah, so they could receive gifts for eight days….…..figure that!!

St. Nicholas was a bishop, who was born in a small city in Greco-Roman Lycia, an area known now as Turkey. He was a bishop of coastal city of Myra. He was a man of great caring and generosity, and gift giver to children and the needy. There is an urban legend that St. Nicholas dropped gold coins into the hanging stocking of three young ladies, who were too poor to get married, as their father did not have enough money for a dowry. St. Nicholas  is also known as the father of Orthodoxy. He lived a long life and died on December 6th, 343 A.D.

Saint Nicholas Day is a commemorative celebration of St. Nicholas,  and is celebrated on December 6th, according to the Gregorian calendar, or on December 19th by the Julian calendar.

I have great respect for Saint Nicholas, and would like to introduce you to this celebration around the world, but mostly in  countries nearest to my location. As for the jolly old man in a red suit, that will have to be another story, later on.

I came across a site which alphabetically lists 34 different counties, from Aruba to United States, describing their traditional celebration of St. Nicholas Day.  I will share a few inserts with you, but for more detail and countries of your interest, you should check out this  site.

Ukraine
St. Nicholas, Sviatyij Mykolai, comes to Ukraine on December 6th (or the 19th in the Orthodox/Julian calendar). It is a happy day with visiting and sleigh rides. Schools have plays telling Nicholas stories and the saint visits local churches. Dressed as a Byzantine bishop, the good saint is often accompanied by angels. He quizzes children on their catechism before giving gifts. St. Nicholas Day is the main day for gift-giving, though gifts are also becoming associated with Christmas Day. Today many Ukrainian churches have St. Nicholas celebrations to help children understand that the holy man Nicholas came long before Santa Claus.

Poland
St. Nicholas, called Sw. Mikolaj, is a saintly, dignified figure in Poland; he comes as a bishop, carrying crosier. Descending from Heaven with an angel helper, he travels on foot or in a sleigh pulled by a white horse as he visits homes in the countryside. When he appears, the eager children cry, “He has come! He has come!” St. Nicholas’ presence fills the room with his smile, the twinkle in his eye, and his welcoming, booming voice. Children recite their catechism and prayers.

St. Nicholas rebukes or praises, as appropriate, before distributing holy pictures, red apples or oranges, and pierniki (saint cookies made with honey and spices). If he doesn’t come in person, treats are put under sleeping children’s pillows or left in freshly cleaned and polished shoes left out for the saint. St. Nicholas acts in his traditional religious role as a protector and patron saint while encouraging Polish children to be well-behaved, as there are switches for naughty children.

United States
Bishop St. Nicholas is celebrated by many churches and by communities which have a Dutch heritage. On the Advent Sunday closest to St. Nicholas Day, December 6, some churches have St. Nicholas festivals, large or small, with the good saint himself appearing to greet children, give instruction and encouragement, and hand out treats for children of all ages. In some places he is a focus in worship and in others he is part of a special fellowship event. St. Nicholas may also be the inspiration for a special Advent project—one which shows his concern for justice and relief of suffering. These observances are most prevalent in Orthodox and Episcopal churches, though not uncommon in many others, as well.

Canada
Many immigrant groups brought treasured traditions to Canada; Ukrainians and Dutch are among those who celebrate St. Nicholas. For Ukrainians, Christmas begins with St. Nicholas Day, when young children receive small gifts from their patron saint, Nicholas.

Parishes and schools remember Nicholas’ providing dowry money for needy young women by giving small bags of gold-colored coins to children. The children sing to welcome the saint, louder and more enthusiastically as they wait. The saint, on foot or by sleigh, comes dressed as a resplendent Byzantine bishop, accompanied by a troupe of angels. The angels help distribute goodies and small gifts.

Hopefully he’ll place something nice under your pillow on December 6th, or December 19th, depending on the calendar you follow.

Happy St. Nicholas Day.

Thanksgiving is almost here.  You love turkey, but this year you want to keep it low key, so I have just the right recipe for you….ASIAN-STYLE TURKEY BURGERS!!!!

I am not very fond of turkey myself, but I do prepare a big Thanksgiving Feast for my family.

These Asian-Style Turkey Burgers are great, if you are opting out of cooking up a storm for Thanksgiving!  They are easy to prepare, moist and flavorful, and only about 280 calories per serving.   How can you beat that!  I serve then on a 100 calorie Multi-Grain Sandwich Thins, made by Arnold.  You can add some of your favorite trimmings, and celebrate Thanksgiving on a lite side.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1/3 cup onions, chopped fine
• 3 Tbs fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
• 2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbs Green Pepper, minced
• 1 Tbs Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbs cold water
• 2 tsp fresh Ginger, peeled and grated (or 1 tsp powdered)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbs oil for frying
• 4 Multi-Grain Sandwich Thins, 100 calorie each

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix well the first 11 ingredients.
2. Divide the turkey mixture to 4 equal portions, shaping each into a ¾ inch-thick patty.
3. Coat a large skillet with oil, warm over medium high heat, until hot.
4. Add patties, and cook for 8 minutes on each side, or until done.
5. Serve on buns, with your favorite condiments and trimmings.

Tip:  Just for fun, I checked on the calories in some fast food chicken sandwiches, as I have not noticed turkey on their menu yet, and found out that these range from 360 – 660 calories per sandwich…ouch!