Two Great Holiday Recipes!

Over Thanksgiving, I tried out these recipes and they were a HUGE hit! They're delicious and easy and I thought you might want to try them out for some of your holiday festivities.

Hot Mushroom and Cheddar Spread
Preparation Time:10 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

8 ounces freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups mayonnaise (It's best not to use reduced or fat-free mayonnaise)
2/3 cups freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
4 (4 1/2 ounces each) sliced mushrooms
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
Minced fresh parsley

Combine mayo, both cheeses, mushrooms and dressing mix in a large bowl. Spread into a greased 9 inch pie plate or appetizer dish.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes depending on the depth of the dish. Once cheese is melted, sprinkle with parsley and serve with crackers.


Sweet Onion Bake

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time:25 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes

6 Tbsp. butter, divided
3 medium-size sweet onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
8 oz. freshly shredded Swiss cheese
20 saltine crackers, crushed and divided
2 large eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Melt 4 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet and saute 20 minutes or until golden brown. Place half of cooked onions in a lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with half of cheese and 1/4 cup cracker crumbs. Top with remaining onions and cheese.
Whisk together eggs and next 3 ingredients in a medium bowl; pour over onion mixture.
Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter in skillet over medium heat; add remaining 1/2 cup cracker crumbs, and cook, stirring often,until crumbs are lightly browned. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over mixture in dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned and set.

(I found this recipe in Southern Living submitted by Renee Rand-Cesmirosky from San Antonio, Texas. I prefer using a smaller dish than recommended because the recipe does not fill the 8-inch dish completely.)

* I always recommend using freshly shredded cheese. It tastes a lot better than using pre-shredded cheese which oxidizes and loses some of its flavor. It takes a little more time but it's worth it.)

Keep off Those Holiday Pounds with These Easy Tips!

It's not uncommon to put on a few pounds around the holiday season. In fact, it's more uncommon NOT to gain weight during this festive time of year. Great food, delicious desserts, holiday libations, and then add into the equation that you have less time and energy to squeeze in a workout and you have a formula for weight gain.

You CAN avoid the holiday bulge, however, if you follow these simple tips:

1. Cut your portion size of foods that are high in calories and fat in half. If you can't resist that homemade macaroni and cheese on Thanksgiving Day serve yourself only half of what you'd normally eat. It's fun to sample all the delicious foods but you don't have to eat a full serving of each.

2. Don't indulge in the leftovers. Many times the extra calories and fat you consume during the holidays come not from the big family dinner itself, but the leftovers that you eat the days after. If you're eating Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner at another family member's house, it makes it easier since the leftovers stay there. If you take a dish to share, you can even leave your remaining food with the hostess so your not tempted by it at home. If the meal is at your house, send home leftovers with your guests for them to enjoy and to get it out of your house. Freezing leftovers is another great way to get the food out of sight and to have an easy meal or side dish for later.

3. Keep candies and desserts out of sight. Don't test your will power by having a cookie jar filled with delicious treats on your counter that call out your name every time you see it. Keep foods that tempt you out of sight and in a place that's difficult to get to. Put treats on the top shelf in your pantry or in a spare refrigerator so you have to work to get to it. Those extra steps or the energy of having to grab a stool to reach something may require just enough effort to discourage you to indulge. It also gives you a few extra moments to think about what you're about to eat and whether it's worth it versus if the food is within easy reach and can be mindlessly eaten.

4. Indulge only in the foods that are really worth it. Why eat the fat and calories of a slice of pecan pie if you don't absolutely love it? Be aware of what you're putting in your mouth and ask yourself if you like it enough to be willing to work it off. A slice of pecan pie can easily contain over 500 calories and 27 grams of fat. You'd have to run 5-6 miles to burn off that one slice of pie. If you're a huge pecan pie fan, that may be worth it to you. But if you can take it or leave it, I'd leave it.

5. Make an effort to stick to your exercise routine. To burn off the extra calories you'll be consuming, you need to fit exercise into your schedule. Try to add any additional exercise to your routine if possible. You might have to get creative to work it in with all the added demands around this time of year, but it's worth it. You'll not only keep the weight off but your sanity will benefit. Exercise is a great stress reliever and will help you better handle all that you have to do. When your kids are out of school, incorporate your workouts so they can participate too. Use a baby jogger to go for a power walk, run while they ride bikes, check out an exercise DVD that they can do with you, etc. Get creative and make it happen!

6. Remember, every calorie counts! The mentality of most people is that if they've already blown their diet, they might as well go all out and eat whatever they want. Don't fall into this trap. Every calorie you put into your mouth has to be burned off. If you over did it on one meal you can make up for it by adding in an extra workout, but if you over do it a second time you'll have to work twice as hard to burn off the calories. Your body doesn't care what your justifications are for eating what you do, it only knows that if the calories aren't burned off, it has to store them which results in weight gain.

These 6 simple tips can help prevent gaining those holiday pounds by balancing the temptations with smart choices. Doing this will allow you to enjoy the holiday fare while also helping you look and feel better when the season's over!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Simple Tips to Welcome Overnight Guests

With the holidays upon us, it's likely that you'll be having overnight company to prepare for. If you start planning in advance, it'll make welcoming your guests easy while allowing you to do the extra details that make your company feel pampered.

With these simple ideas you can be a gracious hostess without the stress!

* Make sure the linens and towels for you guests are washed and ready for their arrival. Having plush towels and extra-soft sheets are a wonderful touch to make your company comfortable. Tie a pretty holiday themed ribbon around the set of towels to offer a nice, unexpected touch that's sure to please.

* Have several types of pillows for you guests to choose from. Some people prefer the overstuffed while others like their pillows wafer-thin. If you have a choice available, it'll help each person get a good night's sleep.

* Place a variety of toiletries in a napkin-lined basket. Have the basics that they might need as well as fragrant soaps and lotions.

* Set out several bottles of water by the bed or in the bathroom.

* Put a nightlight in the bathroom so your guests don't stumble around for the light switch and won't get blinded by turning them on if they have to make a trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

* If space allows, have a small coffee pot ready to brew for your guests to turn on in the morning. If not, you can fill a coffee canister in the morning for your guests to take back to their room so they don't have to keep running to the kitchen for a refill. This allows your guests to take their time getting ready with their morning coffee and gives you a little more time in the morning to prepare for the day ahead.

* Have books and magazines out for your guests to enjoy. I love putting out local magazines or even collecting local articles of interest for them to read. It's a great way for your guests to learn more about the area in which you live.

* If children are visiting, find out their favorite foods so you know you'll have something they like to eat and drink. In the bedroom they're staying in, have a basket of age-appropriate toys and books. This is always greatly appreciated by children and parents alike.

* Make room in the closet so guests can easily hang their clothes. Having a luggage rack available is also a nice touch.

These easy tips will make your guests feel special and add to their overall experience in your home. One of the most important things you can do for them, other than what is listed above, is to not be stressed and enjoy their visit. If they feel you're over-worked or stressed during their stay, it'll not only make your guests uncomfortable, but they won't enjoy their visit as much.

If you get organized and work ahead, not only will your guests get to relax, but you will too!

Save Your Sanity by Maximizing Your Cooking Efforts

As moms, we know our time is precious, so when the holidays roll around it becomes even more critical to be organized and efficient in an attempt to maximize the little time we have.

If there's one thing you can do to help you and your family during the busy holiday season, serving a quick and easy family supper is it! By quick and easy I don't mean fast food, pizza or plain PB & J's. I mean planning ahead and maximizing your efforts so that your family will eat well, but without a lot of time put into it. Follow these three simple tips and you'll be able to serve delicious, healthy meals without spending extra time in the kitchen. This will allow you to focus on the things that make the holidays special!

1. Double the recipe of meals you're making now, and freeze half for later. If you start doing this today, you'll have meals ready to serve throughout the holiday season. This is a great thing for those hectic times when you've been out shopping all day or preparing for a holiday party or event. You'll have a delicious meal that you can easily pull out the freezer, thaw, and serve. (Remember to label everything so you can easily identify what you have.)

2. Use a slow-cooker to have a great meal without all the last minute prep work. This allows you to put everything together in the morning when things are typically a little calmer. If your mornings are crazy, then put the meal together the night before. You can prep everything in the pullout dish, and then place it in the fridge. In the morning, all you have to do is put the dish in the cooker, turn it on, and your meal will be ready to serve for supper. Knowing that you have a delicious meal ready at home will prevent you from being tempted to order take out or hit a drive-thru on those crazy days. There's also something heart-warming about walking into your house to the delicious aroma of a meal that's ready for your family without having to do anything but put it on a plate.

3. Cut your effort in half by preparing for two meals at once. To do this, you need to plan out your family's menu for the week. Maximize your effort by serving meals with similar ingredients to help save time. For example, if you're going to serve spaghetti and tacos the same week, you can brown all the meat you need at once and then save part of it for the second meal. Or if you're grilling chicken one night, double the amount you grill and use the extra meat for stir-fry or to top off a hearty salad.

These three simple suggestions will help you save time, while still allowing you to serve a great meal to your family. The few extra minutes it takes to plan ahead will save you valuable time that's at a premium during the wonderful, but hectic, holiday season!

Plan Now for Hassle-Free Holidays

It's November 1st, which means that Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other religious holidays are right around the corner. These holidays can be the best time of the year for your family but they can also be the most stressful time if you don't plan carefully.

Being organized and planning ahead is the best way to dramatically reduce the amount of stress on you and your family. This will allow you to enjoy the holiday season as it was meant to be and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Listed below are some of the helpful "Holidays Without the Hassle" tips from my book Managing Life with Kids. Follow these suggestions to have a fun and stress-free holiday season.

1. Plan out your menus. If you're going to have Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner at your house or will be throwing a party, start planning what you'll serve. This allows you to try out any new recipes ahead of time to decide if they're "holiday worthy" and to make sure you have the preparation down. It also allows you to prepare and freeze any items that can be made in advance.

2. Keep a gift list. Keep a list in your day planner of all the people you know you'll buy gifts for and jot down any ideas that come to you or that you hear them mention they want or need.(I keep my list going all year and use it for birthdays as well.) Create a second page, or column, of the gifts you actually purchased for each person. This helps you keep up with what you bought for whom and if you save the list, prevents you from giving the same gift or type of gift the next year. If you also record the cost of each gift, it'll help keep you within your spending budget.

3. Pick out and address your holiday cards early. Having your cards ready to be mailed in advance is an easy way to stay ahead. You'll also get more enjoyment writing them because you'll have more time to personalize each card to its recipient.

4. Set a goal for when you want your gift shopping complete. I like to have mine completed by Thanksgiving. I learned this trick when I worked retail and was too busy during the month of December to get all my shopping done. This is one of my favorite holiday secrets because it allows you to focus on each person and the gift you want to give them instead of being in a panic to get all your shopping done at the last minute. You're also better able to take advantage of sales this way.

5. Make cookies and candies early to freeze. Find recipes that freeze well and make several batches to keep on hand. This is great for gift giving and to serve when you have company at the last minute. Making and freezing cut out cookies is helpful for when your children want to decorate cookies but don't have the attention span for the entire cooking process; this also prevents you from being in the kitchen all afternoon.

6. Decorate early and in phases.It's fun to get your house ready for the holidays, and by doing it early, you get to enjoy the decorations longer. Working a little in advance will also free up some time later when you have other holiday-related tasks to complete. If you break down your decorating into several phases it's not so overwhelming. For example, if you celebrate Christmas you can put out the indoor decorations first, put the lights up outside (even if you don't turn them on yet), and lastly put up the tree to decorate. This works well for putting away the decorations after the holidays too.

7. Line out your party clothes early. Whenever you get an invitation or know you'll be throwing a party, start thinking about what you and your family will wear. This allows you to shop early for that perfect outfit or take the clothes to the dry cleaners if needed.


8. Relax and enjoy! Once you have children, if not before, things do not always go as planned. Be prepared for such things by keeping a good attitude and understanding this reality of life. Find humor in a situation instead of letting it frustrate you. What might seem like a disaster today will be great for telling stories and getting a laugh years down the road.

Remember, the holidays come at the same time year after year. We know they're coming and it's smart to start planning ahead to get the most out of them. They're about family, friendship and being together. Plan ahead so you can be relaxed and focus on what's most important!