Be Still My Beating Heart........Drum Roll Please!!!!!!!!!

OK so maybe a little dramatic with the title, but guess what I found in the store today? That's right...canned pumpkin! I have been waiting...no violently searching, for this and today was my day (Now if we can only get rid of this heat). The store had 4 cans left. I felt like I was doing something illegal as I grabbed the last 4 cans and darted to the checkout, carefully looking behind me as if someone would try to lift them out of my cart :-}



So for my first official pumpkin recipe of the season I came up with a Pumpkin muffin. Now I had some left over low fat buttermilk (this was from the chicken tender recipe that I did a few days back) and didn't want to waste it so I thought I would give it a try in this batter. I was very happy with how moist these came out. I may adapt this recipe, but am very pleased with my first run. I had one very overripe banana and threw that in too, boy was I glad I did. I think the next time I make this I may add in 2 overripe bananas. The banana had such a nice flavor mixed with all the spices and pumpkin. I already ate 2! These will be calling to me from the kitchen tonight.

Here is the recipe:
Makes about 14

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tablespoon aluminum free baking powder
1 tsp. sea salt
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice * I know this is redundant, but I wanted to be sure these didn't fall flat and wanted the flavors of Fall to come through*
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup agave
1 tablespoon steevia
1/2 cup Low fat Buttermilk
1 egg
1 - 2 very overripe bananas ( I used only 1)
1 heaping cup of pure pumpkin

Preheat over to 350

Mix all of your dry ingredients including spices. Then add all of the wet ingredients and mix well. Be sure to mash the bananas really well to distribute it throughout the batter.

Line your muffin tin and add batter evenly. Bake for 18 minutes - although I would give a quick toothpick check on them around 15 minutes to see how they are doing. Depending on your oven and how full you fill them will depend how long they take to bake. Mine were perfect at 18 minutes.

Is it already the end of Septmeber?

Happy Hump Day! I hope that everyone is having a good week so far. It seems to be flying by this week. I think that time speeds up toward the end of the year, do you think so too?

So we are almost in October and having 100 degree temps here in S. California. Ugh! I am so ready for this heat to end. We are in Fall and it feels like the middle of Summer. Although I really shouldn't complain because we really did have a mild Summer this year. So not wanting to spend too much time in the kitchen I made a quick and easy - effortless really lunch. Burritos! You cannot go wrong with this easy recipe. The kids love it too, although I have to mash the beans a little so a certain son will not complain about beans. He suddenly declared his disgust for beans so I have had to resort to creative ways to sneaking them into his diet :-) So, if you don't have picky kids/spouse you are cooking for, feel free to skip the mashing portion of the recipe (can you call this a recipe? It's just too easy). Enjoy!

What you need:
Flour shells of your choice
1.25lbs of ground turkey 97% fat free
1 can of your beans of choice - today I used reduced sodium Pinto beans
dash of onion powder
dash of garlic powder
dash of chili powder
dash of sea salt

Toppings can be anything you like. Cheese, low fat sour cream, salsa, lettuce, tomatoes...etc.

Place your turkey in pan and season then cook through on medium heat. After turkey is cooked through drain your beans and add into turkey. Cook for a few minutes to heat through. You can mash the beans with a masher if you want. Scoop onto your warmed shell and top and eat! That's it. I love sour cream & salsa on mine.

I just wanted to add here that if you have leftovers it taste incredible warmed up and tossed over lettuce. I then add some low fat sour cream and salsa and you have a great tasting taco salad!

Anyone seen any good movies lately? I finally got to watch the movie The Killers thanks to Netflix! It was a cute movie. I look forward to all the new releases that come out this time of year.

Easy Simple Pasta!

This is a great stand by recipe. You know when you are tired, or when nothing really sounds good. This is quick and good. Leftovers are good too. All different types of pasta work well with this recipe. I just happened to have this box of whole wheat farfalle on hand. I love this with whole wheat angel hair too! You can add just a sprinkle of cheese on your serving just before eating if you want a little extra :-)

Hope everyone is having a great Tuesday.

Ingredients:
1 can of diced tomatoes (14.5 ou.)
2 cloves of garlic- minced
1/2 onion - diced
1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cups Whole Wheat farfalle (I used a 2 cup measuring cup and it was heaping to the top)
Parmesan
Salt and Pepper

Boil your pasta according to directions. This is usually 9-10 minutes. You can throw a pinch of salt in the water before you add your pasta. In a pan add your 1 tsp. olive oil and add onion and garlic. Saute until these for about 7-8 minutes, but stir frequently to avoid burning. Add your tomatoes (you can drain these or leave the juice it is good both ways, but I usually prefer to drain most of the juice (though not all). Heat through and add pepper and a touch of salt. Add your drained pasta and top with your Parmesan cheese. Allow this to sit on low heat for a few minutes so the flavors can come together. This is really good re-heated!

Artickoke & Spinach Orzo!

Here is what you need

The finished dish!

This is a picture of the hot orzo covering over the spinach so that it can wilt a bit

Chicken base * add 1/2 teaspoon of this to the water you cook your orzo in for a touch of flavor.


In honor of the great for you artichoke here is a quick hearty recipe.

You need:
8 oz. orzo (1 cup)
1/2 tsp chicken base to flavor water you boil orzo in
2 - 3 cups of baby organic spinach
1 can of artichoke hearts - drained and chopped
1/2 cup feta
1 lemon


Bring pot of water to a boil with a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of chicken base. Once the water boils add orzo and cook as directed - usually about 8-9minutes. While the orzo is cooking put your spinach, chopped artichokes (drain the can), most of the feta (hold back just a bit for the top), 1/2 of the lemon squeezed on top of the spinach/artichokes/feta. Once orzo is done, drain and add immediately to the top of the spinach, add rest of feta and other 1/2 of the lemon squeezed on top. Do not stir, but cover immediately with foil to allow the heat from the orzo to wilt the spinach. Let sit for 3-5 minutes and stir well. Add a sprinkle of dried parsley and pepper. That's it....Eat & Enjoy!

Let Food Be Thy Medicine, Medicine thy food - Hippocrates

I watched an episode of Dr. Oz last week reporting on the benefits of certain foods in helping the body starve and inhibit cancer growth. It was interesting to say the least. Dr. Li has dedicated his life to studying the effects of certain food and how the food can help or hinder the growth of cancer in our bodies. Hippocrates said: “Let food be thy medicine, medicine thy food”. Science is now proving that to be true indeed. What we eat does matter! Think in terms of preventative, rather than waiting until you have a disease or other sickness, be proactive.

There were five foods that Dr. Oz featured on his show. These 5 foods were: bok choy, artichoke, flounder, strawberries, cooked tomatoes. These five foods that the Dr. Oz show featured are innocent enough, right? How easy is it to add some artichoke hearts to your pasta, or salad? How about a nice piece of flounder? Spaghetti sauce made with diced tomatoes? Or how about some sliced strawberries with your cereal? These are all simple ways to eat these foods. Here is one of the recipes that Dr. Oz featured on his website relating to this segment under the wellness warriors http://www.doctoroz.com/blog/nancy-schuessler/mighty-artichoke. The recipe is simply sautéing garlic, onions, fresh tomatoes, artichokes and great northern beans on top of whole wheat pasta. You could make this up and eat it for lunch for the week, or for a quick, healthy delicious dinner! This recipe has both tomatoes & artichoke!

So, in honor of making this the healthiest week possible, I wanted to kick of the week with a recipe that includes one of these key ingredients. A recipe easy enough that you could whip it up on a whim and feel really good about what you are eating with all the enjoyment necessary :-) (Recipe to follow in just a few minutes) So, here is to eating for health! Hoping everyone has a wonderful week.

http://www.doctoroz.com/

My Apple Cart Runneth Over!

We went apple picking yesterday! It has become an annual tradition. Taking the whole family to the mountains and letting the kids pick apples. I always buy some freshly made apple butter and pumpkin butter too. It is a great way to usher in the new season.

So with the change of seasons I have been thinking a lot about inspiration. Change can sometimes help to bring inspiration and often inspiration will bring about change! I don't necessarily think that we need to wait to be inspired before we start making changes, but rather make changes (no matter how small we start) and inspiration will follow. Make small healthy changes for yourself and watch how you will become inspired. A healthy snack, a glass of water rather than soda, a walk after dinner, appreciating all of the good things you have in your life. These are all small things that we can decide to do on a daily basis that will bring about inspiration.

Enjoy your Sunday! Try to do something good for yourself and watch how you will become inspired by yourself to do even more good for yourself.

Skinnied Down Onion Rings...Part II

OK so part 1 was pretty good,but now for part II! Part II is great. I loooove these! I have to say they are a little on the spicy side, but really, really, really good! Did you catch that these are really good? I liked the BBQ flavor, but in my heart I am a spicy girl, so these take the cake for me! Please try these...you will not be disappointed.

* My kids liked the BBQ Onion Rings better because these are spicy, but if you like spice these are for you!

Here is (probably the only) recipe you will ever need again for Onion Rings:
1 large onion
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 egg
2 teaspoons whole wheat flour
1 cup of Franks Hot Sauce
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder

Preheat Oven to 450. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice your onion rings. In one bowl combine 1 cup Franks with 2 teaspoons of whole wheat flour and 1 egg and mix together. The egg will help the batter stick better. In a different bowl add your panko bread crumbs, garlic powder and onion powder just sprinkle some on top of the panko and mix in. Let your onion rings sit in the Franks for just a minute and shake off excess liquid and dip in panko mix. lay coated onion ring on parchment lined baking sheet. Before baking spray with your Pam Olive Oil cooking spray. After 7 minutes turn, spray other side and bake for another 8 minutes. You may want to keep an eye on them and if you want them just a little crispier you can leave them in an extra minute or two. Let them sit for 1 minute out of the oven and Eat & Enjoy!

Have a Happy, Happy Saturday!

Skinnied Down Onion Rings...Part 1

I have a love for many things! One of those loves is for traditionally fat laden food items that have been "skinnied" (Is skinnied even a word? well I like it) down. That way I can continue to eat those foods that I love without any guilt. Skinnied down food = pleasure - the guilt! That is a great equation..hehe! OK so this is part 1 as I have been experimenting with different approaches to the perfect baked onion ring. I have tried many things, including buttermilk. I will share some of those other recipes in the future, but for now please try these! Makes a great snack for those football games!


Here is what you need for your Skinnied down Onion Rings:
2 small or 1 large sweet onion
About 1 cup of BBQ sauce
1 egg - add to BBQ sauce & beat into sauce
2 tablespoons Whole Wheat Flour - add this into the BBQ sauce
About 2 cups of Whole Wheat or Panko Bread Crumbs
A pinch of garlic powder
A pinch of onion powder
Pam olive oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice your onion into rings. Mix your BBQ sauce, egg, flour and lightly mix together. In a different bowl add your bread crumbs, pinch of garlic powder, pinch of onion powder.

Dip each onion ring first in the BBQ sauce mixture and follow it directly in the bread crumb mixture. Lay each coated ring on the baking sheet. Before baking spray the side of the onion ring that is up with Pam olive oil spray. Bake for about 6-7 minutes. Turn the onion ring over, spray and bake for 6-7 minutes. Voila' you're ready to eat!!

Happy First Day of Fall & Creamy White Chicken Chili....

Happy first day of Fall! I cannot believe it is already that time of year again. It is my favorite time of year. There is even the most magnificent moon out tonight to close out the day. I knew this would be the perfect recipe to kick off the first day of fall. It is the perfect way to enjoy a cool crisp fall day! So easy and yet so tasty! Honestly, with this recipe I like the leftover even better. I think the longer it sits the better the flavor gets. This recipe is courtesy of Jenna at http://eatliverun.com/


Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless chicken breasts cubed
1 medium sized onion diced
1 Tablespoon Veg. Oil
2 4.5 ou cans of green chili's diced
14.5 ounces of chicken broth
2 cans of cannellini beans (drained)
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon Cumin
1 Teaspoon Oregano
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 cup half & half
8 ounces reduced fat sour cream


Heat your oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add cubed chicken pieces and chopped onion and saute for 6-8 minutes allowing the chicken to sear and the onions to get translucent. Add garlic and cook for about another 3 minutes. Add beans, spices, chicken broth, green chilis and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Turn off heat and add sour cream and half & half. Serve! You can top it with a little cheese and extra sour cream if you want. I didn't add any to mine and it was really good!

BBQ Chicken Tenders!

I have a notebook filled with recipes that I have found and that have inspired me, basically ones that I will one day try. This recipe has been on the top of that dream list and today I finally had the chance to make this W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L recipe!This recipe can be found on Howsweeteats.com website. My husband and children have a real affectionate love for chicken tenders so I knew the real test audience would be them. Well, they loved these and have already requested that I make them again. I took two of the tenders and chopped them up in a delicious veggie salad (you could eat these plain, or in a wrap with a ton of veggies, in a quesadilla, or like I did and add a little to some salad, really endless possibilities). My family just ate these with a side of BBQ sauce for dipping, but again you can do whatever you prefer and like. I added a side of sweet potato fries for them and it was a comforting and filling meal. So, here is what you will need to make this dream a reality:

1 to 2 LBS of skinless/boneless chicken breast tenders
2 cups of low fat buttermilk
1/4 cup BBQ sauce ( I use Sweet Baby Ray's - Is there any better?!?)
2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs
1/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 Tablespoons McCormick's BBQ Seasoning
1 Tsp. Sea Salt
1 Tsp. Garlic powder

You will want to marinate your chicken tenders in a dish. You can marinate for as little as 2 hours or for as long as overnight. I marinated mine for 3 1/2 hours. For the marinade you will mix the buttermilk and BBQ sauce and add your chicken and cover. When you are ready preheat oven to 450. In a large bowl add panko, BBQ seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and flour. Coat each piece of chicken in the panko mix and lay each piece on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Continue until all chicken is coated. Spray them down with Cooking oil or olive oil before baking.

Bake on one side for 10-12 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces over and spray that side and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Perfection!

Stracciatella Soup With Orzo & Spinach!

Italian egg drop soup is the easier name, but I like the official name better..lol!
This soup is so good and so simple to make! I mean really, really good. It takes only about 20 minutes to make and tastes rich, silky and creamy. You will enjoy this soup and find yourself dreaming about it :-} I got my original recipe from Gina's Skinnytaste.com website. I basically used her ingredients, but with some slight modifications and I slightly changed up the technique. Serve this with a bread or a grilled cheese sandwich on sourdough and you will be very satisfied!

Ingredients:
6 cups of organic chicken broth
2 large eggs
1/2 cup Fresh shredded Parmesan (or you can buy the wedge and shred yourself) + a little bit extra for topping
4 oz. uncooked orzo (if you can find it use whole wheat)
about 1 1/2 cup of organic baby spinach
1 1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley
Sea salt and pepper if you desire


Use 5 cups of chicken broth and set aside 1 cup of that broth to use later. Bring your chicken broth to a boil. In a different bowl, while your waiting for your chicken broth to boil, add the 1 cup of broth, with 2 eggs, Parmesan cheese and parsley and whisk. Once your broth comes to a boil add in your orzo - you will want to cook this on high for about 9 minutes. After the orzo cooks for about 9 minutes turn your flame down to low and whisk in your chicken broth/eggs/cheese/parsley and cook for 4 minutes on low while stirring just a few times throughout the 4 minutes. After this your soup will be silky and creamy. After the 4 minutes while the flame is still on low add in your spinach and stir. Allow to cook on low for another 1-2 minutes and let that spinach start to wilt. Remove from heat and serve. Top each serving with an extra sprinkle of shredded Parmesan - this doesn't add very many extra calories and will give it a great taste! Left overs are so good too! Enjoy!

Oh My Sweet Tango!

Have you seen these apples in the stores lately? They are called Sweet Tango! You gotta give these a try. These are really great tasting apples!

Eggs With Soul!

Happy Sunday Everyone! I hope everyone is having a nice weekend. This is such a simple and quick recipe. Very nourishing and satisfying. You could eat this recipe for breakfast/brunch/lunch, or dinner! It's easy to adapt too based on what you like. So use this as your starting point. It is very good and will keep you full for a few hours.

What you Need: *Serves 2 people easily*
5 eggs
3 heaping teaspoons of diced fire roasted green chili's (mine were very small so I needed three, but if your pieces are larger you could go with 2)
3 finely chopped green onions
1 cup of chopped artichoke hearts ( I used frozen, but also like the can ones)
2 teaspoons of low fat sour cream
handful of goat cheese
green Tabasco *if you like*

Spray your pan with Olive Oil cooking spray. Whip up 5 eggs and add in your chopped green onions and your chopped artichokes. Allow to cook on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes and stir. Once they are almost cooked through add 2 teaspoons of low fat sour cream and stir into eggs. Allow to cook for another minute or two. Add your handful of goat cheese on top and turn heat to low to allow the goat cheese to soften. Give it a minute or two and remove from heat and serve immediately. Top with green Tabasco if you like ( I do like!).

POM Marinated Deliciousness!

This is a wonderful recipe from Greenlitebites.com. Roni has some amazing recipes that always inspire me. She uses healthy ingredients that satisfy! You should give her site a visit. I have made her POM marinated chicken with brown rice and spinach many times and have switched it up a little here and there depending on what I have at the time. I have used chicken and turkey cutlets and I have swapped the brown rice for jasmine rice...it's all good! I'm just saying I don't think you can do wrong with this recipe! It's just so good! Today I made it with the turkey breast cutlets because that is what I had and brown rice. I do love my jasmine rice though too! Whatever you decide to use you will not be disappointed. Roni's recipe can be found here: http://greenlitebites.com/2010/05/20/pom-chicken-brown-rice-spinach/
She has much better pics than I do so check her site out! Here you go....


Here are the ingredients:
• 4 oz POM juice
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey or agave
• 1 tsp dried tarragon
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• pinch of kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breast (About a pound) OR about 1lb of turkey breast cutlets
• About 2 cups cooked brown rice I used Minute Instant brown rice
• 2-3 cups of baby spinach

Whisk the POM juice, honey (or agave), vinegar, tarragon, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Pierce the chicken/turkey a few times with a fork and let sit and marinate for at least a half an hour. I usually let it marinate for an hour.

Usually before I start cooking my meat I will start my rice so that it is ready to add. Try to keep your rice warm though that way it will be quick once you add to the meat.

Place the chicken/turkey in the hot pan. It will smoke and sizzle but do not touch it. Let it sear for around 2 minutes. After 2 minutes turn over. Cook for one more minute and remove the chicken/turkey from the heat and cut into pieces. It will not be fully cooked yet, but we are not done cooking it. Return the meat to the pan and add the left over marinade to the pan at this point.Allow it to cook your meat thoroughly. Bring it to a boil, this will not take long since your pan should still be hot.

Now you will want to add your cooked rice to the pan of meat and stir. Add your baby spinach and stir and once it starts to lightly wilt shut off the heat and serve immediately.

Burgers & Fries...Try This On For Size!

This is a kid tested and husband approved recipe! I love when a healthy recipe is enjoyed by the kids too. This is a quick and easy recipe. I love these fries and so glad the cooler weather is back so I can use my oven again. When I make these fries I use sweet potatoes or yams. Both of these work great and are very tasty! They are so good for you too. No guilt with these fries. I usually turn these half way through the baking process, but I forgot and they still turned out great. Just keep an eye on these because every oven is different and it will depend on how big/small you cut these. Here is what I did:

Two yams or sweet potatoes - you can make more if you need too. Preheat oven to 425degrees. Wash them and cut off any gross parts. Cut them into uniform pieces. I like to keep the skin on mine. I topped my baking sheet with tin foil and spray it with Pam Olive Oil spray so they do not stick, but crisp up nicely. Lay the fries down and spray tops with more OO spray. Sprinkle with paprika, curry powder and sea salt. Now this time I forgot to turn them and baked them at 425 for 2o minutes and they were crispy and perfect. I usually turn them half way through. Try it either way, just be sure they get crispy enough! Dip in Ketchup and enjoy :-)

Now, for the chicken burgers. Mix 1lb of ground chicken with garlic powder, onion powder and worcestershire sauce (about a tablespoon and a half - maybe add a bit more for flavor, a dash of sea salt and 1 and 1/2 handfuls of feta cheese. Mix well and form into patties. Just gives the chicken a nice hint of flavor,nothing too overpowering at all. Cook on Medium heat for about 6-7 minutes each side (just make sure your chicken is cooked all the way through).

There you go! Just a simple idea for a quick lunch or dinner! I highly recommend trying the sweet potatoes/yam fries. They are tasty and good for you.

Hope you are all having a nice Tuesday! Please forgive these pictures because they do not do the food any justice. The food tasted much better than it looks in the pics :-)

MONDAY MUSINGS: All Calories Are Not Created Equal!

This is the first Monday Musings post! I would like to use these posts every Monday to express some of my thoughts on nutrition and health. It takes a great deal of effort to be the best that you can be! Nutrition, sleep, and exercise are just a few of the key components that are necessary in helping us be the best we can be. If you are run down and tired all of the time you will likely not be able to complete your daily tasks being your best. Often times we put all of our emphasis on clothes, cars and other materialistic things and do not give a second thought about the quality/types of foods we are purchasing. In my opinion, and own personal experience, high-quality whole foods are necessary for optimal health. I think when people stop and think about the kinds of foods that we are ingesting everyday, it becomes clear that we all too easily put the wrong foods in and very little of the right foods in.

Are all calories created equal? If you eat 200 calories worth of chips or you eat 200 calories for 2 organic cage free eggs with veggies and some goat cheese it becomes clear that all calories are not created equally. Especially when you further consider the nutritional value in those chips vs. the eggs. Eggs are a nutrient dense protein and essential fatty acid packed food. They contain vitamins B-12, D, E, riboflavin, calcium, zinc, iron, and lutein. We sadly cannot say that of our 200 calories worth of chips. Be mindful of the foods that you eat! I know we cannot be perfect, but we should really work at eating the best foods we can to ensure that our bodies have what they need to perform the best! Cherish your body and try to give yourself quality ingredients. It will change the way you feel, and it will also change the way you think about food. I know it's cliche', but eat to live!

Get To Snacking!

Just a quick idea for you! Multi Grain Cheerios with Almond Milk (vanilla unsweetened - only 40 calories a cup)and a scoop of almond butter. I had forgotten about this fulfilling snack, but have recaptured it and love it. All for under 250 calories!!

Mexican Delight?...Do It Right!

I made these enchiladas on a whim tonight. I wanted enchiladas but didn't have much to work with. I used my Low Carb flour tortillas (Only 80 calories each and a nice big size). I used 1 can of refried black beans ( I buy these from Trader Joes) and sauteed one sweet onion and one red bell pepper. Make sure to let them get really sauteed so that flavor really comes through. I like mine a bit brown, in fact when I make these again I am going to really let them get crispy. I layered each tortilla with some black beans and topped it with the onion, red bell pepper mixture and folded and rolled them up like a burrito. Spray your glass baking dish with a bit of Olive Oil spray and put some enchilada sauce on the bottom too and stack those babies in there side by side. Pour on your enchilada sauce and make sure there is enough in there to cover the sides and tops - you do not want them to be too dry. Layer your cheese on top. Believe it or not, this doesn't take much cheese to make it cheesy and delicious! I also topped them with some light organic sour cream. My husband liked these too, but mentioned they would have better with some shredded chicken. But I loved these and thought they were filling and savory just the way they were! Great way to satisfy your Mexican food craving without the guilt.

A Day Away, Pumpkin Crisis & A Grilled Turkey Rueben!

Hello! I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. Football has arrived, but sadly canned pumpkin has not! So, I have been to 5 stores desperately seeking pumpkin and no one has any! Nor, can any of the store managers tell me when they expect some in. This cannot be happening! Does anyone know where to find the great canned pumpkin?!?! On a brighter note, we got to go to Disneyland/California Adventure yesterday. I won tickets to World of Color and it included a 1 day hopper pass. We had such a great day! The World of Color show was incredible! Such a great day away. I feel so fortunate to have won the tickets. After yesterday and my failed attempt for pumpkin I wanted...no needed some comfort food. I decided to make a grilled turkey Reuben. Now I know not everyone is a kraut fan, but if you are you need to make this. It is so good and so satisfying. I have made it low fat so that there is no guilt associated with this comforting sammy. Here is what I used:

2 slices of sourdough bread
1 wedge of light spreadable laughing cow cheese
2 slices of Hormel Natural Turkey (contains no nitrates/nitrites)
a bit of sauerkraut
Olive Oil Spray
Mustard

I just spread the laughing cow cheese on the sourdough bread and placed the turkey and sauerkraut on it and sprayed the outside of the bread and grill. I also put some mustard inside once it was done. It was perfect! Great sandwich.

Well, hopefully I can find some canned pumpkin because I have some A - M-azing recipes I want to try. Have a fabulous day!