A FAMILY TRADITION ENDURES AND HEALTHFUL EGGNOG

My husband, Dean, has made gingerbread houses for the grandkids to decorate since they were very small (the oldest just turned 20). They were pleased that he was able to continue the tradition this year despite his recent hospital stay. I made hot chocolate for the kids but Dean doesn’t like hot drinks, so I made eggnog for him. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that sooner!  I haven’t been able to persuade him to join me in my morning regimen of Butter…

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS

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2008 2015 Just a little reminder about how time flies! My husband started making gingerbread houses with the grandchildren when they very small and the tradition has endured. Brandon is 19 now and home from college. They stayed to help decorate our tree after finishing their creations. Yes, that’s an octopus on top of Brandon’s house. And no, they are not low-carb. Dean loves to play Santa and I try not to be too much of a Grinch. Wishing you the very best for the…

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FRUIT CAKE RECIPE

YEAR END WRAP UP This has been a remarkable year–the message about what constitutes a healthful diet has finally made it into mainstream media! I tip my hat and raise a toast to all of you who made it happen: to the researchers, teachers, nutritionists, and doctors who risked careers and incomes to tell the truth; to the bloggers, authors, film makers,and all of you who saved lives by simply sharing your own success stories. The war on fat is almost over. Keep up the…

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BRANDIED CRANBERRIES

This was one of three new recipes I made for Thanksgiving this year. I made some more today and put it in jars so I will have enough to last through the holidays. It is luscious, easy, more versatile and even prettier than cranberry sauce. Ingredients: 2 cups (220 grams or about ½ pound) fresh cranberries 2 cups water Sugar substitute equal to 1 cup sugar * 2 to 3 tablespoons brandy or to taste A sprinkle of salt Directions: Wash cranberries and drain well, removing any…

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COOKIES FOR CHRISTMAS

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES Ingredients: 1 large egg 1 cup natural peanut butter, crunchy or plain, brought to room temperature High intensity sugar substitute, such as sucralose or stevia, equal to 3/4 cup of sugar 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of brown sugar replacement, such as Diabetisweet, LC Sweet Brown, or Just Like Sugar Brown 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 cup sugar-free chocolate chips, optional Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet. Directions: Beat the egg…

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OK, THAT’S ENOUGH SNOW AND CHRISTMAS WRAP UP

It’s still snowing. We’ve been stuck at home for most of the week. We put chains on the tires in order to make it to my daughter’s house yesterday, but we had 6 more inches of accumulation while we were there and the trip home was a bit dicey. Today we got another 5 or so inches more than what you see in the picture above. The Seattle area seldom gets more than 2 feet of snow and they are not equipped to deal with…

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SOMETIMES A TURKEY IS A TURKEY

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Sometimes a recipe works the first time; more often it takes many tries to get it right. I had high hopes for the turkey I roasted for Thanksgiving. I did some research, wrote up a plan of action, and kept notes. I chose a hen turkey because hens have proportionally more meat than Toms. It had to be between 12 and 14 pounds–big enough to feed the family, but small enough for me to lift and maneuver by myself. I searched out an all-natural, fresh…

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SNOW FOR CHRISTMAS!

We don’t often have have snow for Christmas here, but it started snowing yesterday and we just managed to get to the airport and pick up my son who was flying in from Los Angeles before it got really nasty. My husband, Dean, learned to drive in West Virginia, so ice and snow don’t faze him, but we passed many cars that had skidded into the ditch or been abandoned in the middle of the road before we made it safely back home. By morning,…

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