Are you worried about holiday weight gain? Be sure to check-out the November 5 Day Pouch Test Bulletin that is loaded with tips and techniques to avoid holiday bulge. 

  

 

  

Wash and dry butternut squash. Leave whole. Pierce skin with a carving fork in 4 or 5 places. Place squash on a baking sheet lined with foil and bake in a 350F degree oven for 40 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

When squash is cool enough to handle cut lengthwise in two pieces. Remove and discard seeds. Spoon out sqash into a casserole dish. Add sour cream and 1 tablespoon of the margarine/butter blend. Mash all ingredients together with a potato masher. Smooth mixture in casserole dish.

In a small bowl melt the remaining tablespoon of margarine/butter blend. Stir in breadcrumbs and parmesan mixing to moisten. Sprinkle crumb mixture atop squash and sprinkle with grated nutmeg. Bake in 350F degree oven for 25 minutes.

Serves 4. Per serving: 199 calories, 7 grams protein, 10 grams fat (5 saturated), 22 grams carbohydrate and 2 grams dietary fiber.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine cooking oil and hot pepper sauce. Add pecans; toss to coat evenly. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine chili powder, black pepper, salt, cumin and oregano. Add to pecans; toss well to coat.

Arrange pecans in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until toasted, stirring every 5 minutes. Keep a watchful eye as they can burn quickly. Remove from oven and stir in dried cherries. Serve warm or at room temperature.

One ounce of dry roasted pecans contains 187 calories, 2 grams of protein, 18 grams fat (1 saturated), 6 grams carbohydrate and 2 grams of dietary fiber. Nuts are rich in monounsaturated fats, the healthy fats.

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I know, I know! - These recipes include that "icky" thing - tofu. But before you move on consider this: tofu is a nutritional super-model with the remarkable ability to disguise itself as many things - in this case, Thanksgiving dessert. Silken tofu takes on a phenomenal life as a dessert and a healthy protein source. I encourage you to set these tofu desserts on your Thanksgiving dessert table. Shhhhh - - don't tell your guests these are "healthy" desserts - let them enjoy the decadence!

These cheesecake recipes are WLS friendly, but as with all things after WLS, proceed with caution in moderation.

Have all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a food processor or blender, puree the tofu and pumpkin. Add the Splenda cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, soy cream cheese and vanilla and process until smooth. Scrape down the sides as necessary. Pour the tofu mixture into prepared piecrusts and bake for 50 minutes, until firm. Turn off oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour. Remove and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight. Serve cool.

16 servings (normal portions)

Nutrition: 210 calories, 14.5 g fat, 0 cholesterol, 4.5 g protein, 13 g carbohydrates, 1.2 g fiber, 138 mg sodium, 49 percent calories from fat.

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 367 degrees. Toast the hazelnuts on a baking sheet for 7 minutes, or until the skins begins to crinkle. (Leave the oven on). Transfer the hazelnuts to a kitchen towel and rub to remove as much of the skin as possible (some skin will remain). When the hazelnuts are cool enough to handle, coarsely chop them. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the crumbs, oil, and 1 tablespoon of water. Press the mixture into the bottom and partway up the sides of a 9 1/2-inch spring-form pan. Bake for 8 minutes or until the crust is set. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

3. In a small bowl, combine the cocoa and � cup of water until well moistened. In a food processor, combine the tofu, cottage cheese, melted semisweet chocolate, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, whole egg, egg whites, vanilla and the cocoa mixture. Process until very smooth.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared crust and bake for 40 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees. Sprinkle the nuts on top and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheesecake is just set. Cool to room temperature; refrigerate for 2 hours or until chilled. Serves 12 (normal portions).

Nutrition: Calories, 205; fiber, 1 gram; protein, 8 grams; fat 7 grams; cholesterol 20 mg; sodium 189 mg.

It was an annual joke at my childhood Thanksgiving table that midway through the meal my mother would exclaim, "I forgot the cranberries!" and we would all laugh and the meal would continue without the ruby red gelatin being missed. The sad unwanted can of over-sugared jellied berries would then be pushed to the back of the pantry in hopes of discovery at the next turkey feast. Times have changed and the humble cranberry - a nutritional powerhouse - is no longer cloaked in sugar and shoved to the back of the dark pantry. Cranberries in all their glory are believed to be a potent cancer fighter, effective in slowing aging, contribute to dental health, reduce the risk of some heart disease and helpful in the prevention of peptic ulcers.

These recipes for cranberry condiments are guaranteed to make it to your holiday table. We present the recipes using traditional sweeteners: sugar, honey and maple syrup. Because they are consumed in such small quantities the sugar intake is minimal. However, if you are highly sugar sensitive use your favorite sugar, syrup or honey substitute in place of the traditional sweeteners. Just for fun we included "Maple-Cranberry Glaze" that uses canned jellied cranberries: admittedly it is a dressed-up darling from the bygone days of the wiggly-jiggly crazy odd guest out at the Thanksgiving table. An odd darling, maybe. Delicious? Absolutely!
Enjoy - and don't forget the cranberries!