What......Menu Monday....????

Well - it has been a rough week. That is all I can say! I am sorry for the missing Menu Monday but I have not handled this surgery very well. The surgery ended up being more difficult then expected. My Dr. was trying to prevent totally opening my up so opted for a lengthy surgery and to go the extra mile before making that decision. I am glad he did because it worked.....I think I am having difficulties now, if he would have had to open me completely up, I think it would have been worst.

I know I am getting old but gee wiz..............

This is how you stayed warm. Yes, you stuck the vacuum hose into my vacuum bag dress, turned up the heat and just toasted away. WHAT THE #&@*! I want blankets. Yes - those old fashion things that I am pretty sure that we all still use every night. A blanket! Isn't that the craziest thing you have ever seen! I felt like I was in the twilight zone or something...........



But I did get cute socks! And it matched my vacuum bag gown so I have to give them credit for that! It all matched.



Well - I am off for some rest. I plan on popping in later this week, depending how I am feeling!

Hey Everyone !!

Enjoy your time with family and friends!

Recipe Of The Day ~ Pinapple Cooler

This is a great drink for social occasions. Just multiply to make larger patches.

Pineapple Cooler
Serves 3 @ 2.5 pts

Ingredients:
4 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
2 cups carbonated water

Prep:
In a pitcher, combine the pineapple juice, lemon juice and extracts; chill. Just before serving, stir in carbonated water. Serve over ice.

Recipe Of The Day ~ Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie
Serves 8 @ 3 pts

Ingredients:
For the crust:
- 4 oz reduced-fat cinnamon graham crackers
- 2 Tbsp light butter, melted (I suggest Brummel and Brown)
- 2 large egg white
- 1 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
- 1 tsp light Pancake Syrup (I used Aunt Jemima Butter Light Syrup)

For the pie filling:
- 1 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp light Pancake Syrup (I used Aunt Jemima Butter Light Syrup)
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp table salt
- 1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
- Top with a dollop of Fat-Free Reddi-Whip whipped cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, combine graham crackers and light brown sugar, and process into fine crumbs. In a small bowl, combine the crumbs and the melted butter, and pancake syrup, and mix with hands. Then transfer to an ungreased 9” pie pan, and distribute crust mixture evenly, pressing it against the pan with your hands. Put in the fridge and chill for 40 minutes. Then, bake about 8-10 minutes, or until the pie crust starts to turn that yummy golden brown.

In a large bowl, whip egg whites into a soft peak, using an electric mixer. Fold in remaining ingredients (except the whipped cream). Beat the mixture until smooth, creamy and lump free, and pour into your pie shell. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Cut into 8 even slices and top with a nice dollop of the Fat Free Whipped Cream. Enjoy!

Total servings per recipe: 8
Serving size = 1 slice
Each serving = 3 Point Value

Menu Monday

Here it is ...... Thanksgiving week! I have a lot to be thankful for! God has truly blessed me and my family, including my wonderful blogging family. I have decided to only do a menu for 3 days, Mon-Wen. We all know what we will be eating on Thursday and in fact......for the remainder of the week! LOL!! We have turkey every which way by the time the week is over! I will only use Thanksgiving as an excuse. I am having surgery today (Monday) so I needed the short menu anyway! Thank you Thanksgiving! Hopefully I will be back blogging sooner then later. I do know that I will be in the hospital for a few days so I am going to try to schedule some posts in advance.....we will see how that works. I have never done that before! We will see how that works! Please keep my family, and myself, as we go through the next few weeks!

I love getting emails from everyone who visits Chubbie Chica. Everyone seems to be curious about who we are. So since that seems to be among the most common questions asked, I decided to let you all in on my families photo session so you can see for yourself. So CLICK HERE to see us .... for real! I must say - I love the results that we got from our family session. I am blown away by the talent Shaun has. If he can make me look good, fluff and all, he can make anyone look good! This Chubbie Chica had a blast! Yes - before you look - we have 5 children ranging from 17-3. My husband and I adopted 3 special needs children and then God blessed us with 2 of our own. My children are a true blessing and each one has something special to offer. Hope you enjoy seeing our family up close and real!

Now for this weeks menu! CLICK HERE!

Have a very happy and blessed Thankgiving everyone!

Recipe Of The Day ~ Cranberry Apricot Sauce

Cranberry-Apricot Sauce
Serves 10 @ 1 pt.

2 oz cranberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup(s) dried apricot halves, chopped
1/2 cup(s) unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup(s) water
1/4 cup(s) spreadable fruit, orange-flavor

Combine all ingredients in a medium pot. Cook over medium-high heat until cranberries have popped, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool and serve at room temperature. Yields about 1/4 cup per serving.

Recipe Of The Day ~ Turkey Stuffing

Flavorful but low-fat and low-calorie ingredients star in this renovated stuffing. It'll please the taste buds without making you feel...stuffed!

Turkey Stuffing
Serves 24 @ 2 pts.

9 slice(s) white bread, cubed
12 oz raw turkey sausage, casings removed
6 medium celery, stalks, chopped
3 medium onion(s), chopped
3 small apple(s), cored and chopped
1/8 oz fresh sage, chopped (use 1/3 cup)
3 Tbsp parsley, fresh, chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp thyme, chopped
4 1/2 cup(s) fat-free chicken broth
3/4 cup(s) fat-free egg substitute
1/8 tsp table salt, or more to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or more to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread bread on baking pans and bake until lightly toasted.
In a large nonstick skillet sauté sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Drain in a colander and return to skillet. Stir in celery, onion and apple and sauté until tender. In a very large bowl, stir together bread cubes, sausage mixture, sage, parsley and thyme. Drizzle with broth and egg substitute and toss gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon stuffing into a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish and bake until heated through and browned on top, about 45 to 50 minutes. Cut into 24 pieces and serve.

Recipe Of The Day ~ Candied Sweet Potato with Pineapple

Four ingredients equal one simple side dish. The pineapple juice helps caramelize the potatoes, resulting in wonderful flavor and texture.

Candied Sweet Potato with Pineapple
Serves 6 @ 2 pts

1 spray(s) cooking spray
1 1/2 pound(s) sweet potato(es), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
8 oz canned crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1 Tbsp McNeil Nutritionals SPLENDA No Calorie Sweetener
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Prep:
Preheat oven to 425ºF. Coat a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Place potatoes in prepared dish. In a small bowl, combine crushed pineapple, Splenda and cinnamon; add to potatoes and toss until well mixed. Bake, stirring after 30 minutes, until sweet potato mixture is bubbly, about 45 minutes. 1/2 cup per serving.

* You can use canned sweet potatoes in water to save time if you prefer.

Crock Pot Cookin'

It's Crock Pot Wednesday over at Dining With Debbie so here is Chubbie Chica's Crock Pot Cookin' recipe for the week.

Shrimp Creole
Serves 8 @ 3 pts

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 (14 ounce) can tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar
salt and pepper
1 1/2 lbs peeled and deveined shrimp
green onion, for garnish

Prep:
Preheat crock pot on high. In fry pan, heat olive oil. Add peppers, onions and celery. Cook until softened. Add chili powder and saute until caramelized.
Remove from heat and pour into crock pot. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, hot sauce, Worcestershire, white sugar, salt and pepper. Cook for 3 hours. Add shrimp and cook for about 3 minutes. Serve over rice. Top with chopped green onions.

Recipe Of The Day ~ Spoon Bread

I am going to give you some great sides that you can possably use with your Thanksgiving Dinner, or anytime within the holiday season.

Spoon bread makes a wonderful, wintry side dish or a satisfying main dish when served with a green salad.

Spoon Bread
Serves 8 @ 3 pts

2 cup(s) fat-free evaporated milk
1 Tbsp sugar
1 cup(s) uncooked cornmeal, yellow
1 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup(s) regular egg substitute
1 large egg(s)
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup(s) yellow corn
2 oz turkey ham, chopped

Prep:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a medium-sized soufflé dish with cooking spray.
In a saucepan, warm milk and sugar until steaming. Remove pan from heat and gradually whisk in cornmeal. Return to heat and cook, stirring, until very thick.
In a bowl, whisk together salt, pepper, egg substitute, egg and baking powder. Gradually whisk in cornmeal mixture. Stir in corn and ham. Spoon mixture into soufflé dish and bake until puffed and browned, about 45 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serving Size: 2/3C

Menu Monday

It's time for another menu! I have been busy this week.....I have to have surgery and I have been trying to get everything in order so when I leave it won't be such a disaster. And to help me along during my recovery as well. I have cleaned out all the toys and sent them to Goodwill, had the entryway-stairwell and hallway painted, got the laundry caught up, watched my daughter compete at a cheerleading competition and arranged transportation for my kiddo's. I am tired just typing it all! This week - I will be getting our Christmas decorations put up. If I don't I am afraid how my husband will decorate. That could be the talk of the neighborhood! I think I want to steer clear from that for a while! Might not live that one down. Wish me luck on the decorating this week!

I am having a great Fiber One Yogurt giveaway that you need to get involved in - best of all.....it's free! Check out the posting, just below this one for all the details. You can't lose!

Everyone have a great week!

CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEKS MENU!

Yahoo For Yoplait - It's FREE!

I LOVE Yoplait Fiber One Yogurts and if you have never tried them then you should. Infact, now you have no excuse......the first 50 bloggers that comment will receive a coupon for a free 4 pack of Fiber One Yogurt! Yep! That's right! It's free! All you have to do is place your comment here and click the "Try It Free" button - fill out your information - Yoplait will send you your coupon. Can't get any simplier..........and these are ZERO points. Yep! That's what I said. ZERO POINTS! What's not to love? A must have for the refridge. Thank you Yoplait !



Info For You About Yoplait Fiber One 50-calorie Yogurt:

* Yoplait Fiber One 50-calorie yogurt is the only leading nonfat yogurt with 50 calories and 5 grams of fiber.

* Available in four flavors – Strawberry, Vanilla, Peach and Key Lime Pie – Fiber One 50-calorie yogurt is a delicious snack that is good for you, contributes 20% of the recommended daily value of fiber and is a good source of calcium as well as vitamins A and D.

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* Fiber One 50-calorie yogurt features a ‘Hungry Girl Seal of Approval’, the first nationally distributed yogurt to receive this endorsement.



Yoplait Fiber One 50-calorie yogurt is available in the yogurt section of grocery stores nation-wide.

Now - what are you waiting for ?

Get Ready, Get Set..............

Get Ready, Get Set............O.K. hold on just a second! I am going to keep you in suspense for just a little while! O.K., O.K., O.K., you talked me into tell you just a little bit. I am getting ready for a Fiber One Yogurt give away! And.....you all could be winners, so Get Ready, Get Set......... (wait for my post) te, he, he!

Hurry Winners..........Hurry!

Here we go................ and the winner is:

Diana

Please email me with you mailing information so this can get shipped! Thanks for your support!

Menu Monday

Still not doing to hot but we are managing! So much has gone on in our little world in the last few weeks - I don't even know where to begin. On an exciting note, we had family portraits taken today and I can't wait to see them. We have one of the best on location photographers and we sure put him to work today. I will pass his information along later.......

I found out that I am going to have to have surgery on the 23rd........UUUGGGHHH!! But necessary! I will have a 6/8 week recovery time. I am not that thrilled but I just need to get it over with and done. Finding out that I needed surgery and everyone being sick made me do some soul searching. I run myself ragged, volunteering, this event, that event and so on......... I decided to let go of some of my commitments and focus on some of my real passions! And at the same time, de-stress my life and free up some time. I fond myself chasing myself all around town sometimes and my life continues without me. On Halloween my baby turned 3 (yes - a halloween baby) and I think I have missed some of his infancy and now here we are and he is a toddler. Before I know it, he will be in college.

It will take me a couple of months to get my life on a new schedule but I am so looking forward to it all. And the peace that comes with it!

Well, enough about my past weeks.....how about yours? What do you do to de-stress your life?

While you are thinking how to answer that question.
CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEKS MENU.

Again........why, why, why!

How many of you have been battling with all this crud and illness going around? I am sick and tired of someone being sick! It has started through our house again. That is a downfall of having a big family - it can circle around several times before you get rid of it! But - this is different!



I second guess myself as a parent and what we used to do for just general illnesses it seems that we just don't do it anymore - such a fear of running a fever. I am sick of hearing H1N1 ....I could really puke infact, I just might the next time someone brings it up! GO AWAY and let us be normal! I am so exhausted, both physically and mentally!



The baby is sick again although this time it does seem like he is responding to the medications! FINALLY! Hopefully Chubbie Chica will be back soon and back to the normal routine.