Black Friday

Could I have eaten anymore yesterday? Probably. But not too much. That's the bad news.

The good news:

• I took a 3.5 mile walk, so that must have burned off something.
• I had oatmeal for breakfast, which I said I would do. I forgot to bring the salad for lunch, so I feasted on the hors d'oeuvres, which were amazing. But I did show some restraint.
• I remembered to chew each bite of food 25 times -- except I remembered after I scarfed down my full plate of Thanksgiving food. Next year.
• I had slivers for dessert -- a sliver of pumpkin, a sliver of coconut custard, and a sliver of key lime cake from Florida, which has the Oprah stamp of approval. Mary Ann had it shipped from http://www.wetakethecake.com/, so since she went to all that trouble, how could I resist?

But the best news: I woke up today and really ate lightly this morning. I am determined to make this a good day. A new day, a new day of eating. Isn't that what it is all about?

Goals:

Only one: I've not been terrific about chewing food and eating slowly. I've got to learn this. I looked around the table at Thanksgiving, and the slim people still had more than half of their plates filled with food and I was done. And Jack, if you are reading this, you need to slow down as well. From now on, we are going to eat dinner at the table, talk, and eat slower. (This is my way to see if my husband is really reading my blog.)

Pick of the Week: Butternut Squash

I owe my love of vegetables to my mom. I grew up in the Bronx, in the days when there was a green grocer on just about every block. You had your favorite, he was your friend, and he never steered you wrong. It was from our green grocer and my mom that I learned how to choose fruit and vegetables -- with your nose, eyes and hands -- and how to embrace the seasons. Even today, when some produce such as asparagus are year-round staples, I gravitate toward them when they are supposed to make the scene.

Now is the season for winter squash, and I eat my fill. And butternut is among my favorites.

Choosing: Butternut Squash is long, with a bulbous end and a tan-color. The flesh is deep orange. Look for well-shaped squash, heavy for its size and dry. Leave cracked or bruised butternuts as the market.

Storing: They keep at room temperature for about two months

Cooking: Wash outside, halve lengthwise, and remove seeds. Place squash, cut side down, in a baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Turn cut side up, cover, and bake 20 to 25 minutes more, until tender. You can also cook in a microwave dish with about 2 tablespoons water. Cover and cook, cut-side down on high about 9 minutes. If not tender, cook in increments of 1 minute each until tender. Let stand 5 minutes before serving,

When I was looking for a recipe for this week's Pick, I found this old favorite between my mom's version of lentil soup and a glorious Tuscan bean soup that I'll share later this winter. This soup is so creamy, you forget there is nothing fattening in it. But face facts: You're eating a bowl of veggies! But that's our secret. What really makes it extra special are the toasted squash seeds you sprinkle on top of the soup. Crunchy. Decadent, Different. Yummy.

BUTTERNUT BISQUE

1 medium butternut squash

Olive oil spray

1 large white onion, chopped

½ cup chopped celery

½ cup chopped carrot

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 to 5 cups chicken broth

Juice of one lemon

1 canned chipotle in adobo, minced (if this is too spicy, use half a chiptole)

½ cup nonfat sour cream

Salt, fresh ground pepper

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds, discarding the stringy pulp. Put the seeds in a sieve and rinse. Set aside.
• Spray a baking dish with the olive oil spray. Place squash, cut side down, in the dish. Pierce all over with a fork. Bake 45 minutes or until tender. Let cool.
• While the squash is in the oven, toast the reserved squash seeds in a small pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until crunchy, about 30 minutes. Season heavily with salt and set aside.
• Spray deep pot with olive oil spray and heat over medium heat. Saute onion until soft. Add celery and carros tand saute 10 minutes more. Add garlic and saute about 2 minutes more.
• Scoop the flesh of the squash into the pot and stir. Add 4 cups broth and lemon juice. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are very tender. Add the chiptole.
• Puree the soup in batches in a blender. Return to the saucepan, Add more broth, stirring it into the soup, until you get the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon soup into bowls, Top with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of seeds.

Remember my blog's name

In past years, Thanksgiving always begins the holiday eating frenzy, the day I decide to ignore my inner voice and begin eating in earnest.

Why? Simply because I always viewed a diet as something I go on, and then off, and then on again, and off again. What a recipe for disaster. My new mantra — Diet? Not again! — represents my philosophy: I am now eating for life. Sometimes I make great choices. Other days I make bad ones. But most weeks, the good choices are so outweighing the bad ones.

Now that's something to be really thankful for this Thursday. And here is my plan, which I am printing out to remind myself what I should be doing throughout Thanksgiving day:

• I will start the day with a bowl of oatmeal, followed by a long walk, which should keep me sated until lunch.
• I will make myself a salad for lunch, because I don't want to arrive at the feast starving.
• At dinner, I will eat everything I want, but will remember portion control and load up on the foods that are the least fattening. I will chew eat bite 25 times, and enjoy the wonderful conversations that I know will be happening throughout dinner.
  
• And yes, I will take a slice of pumpkin pie, and chew each bite 25 times, to make it last as long as possible.

And when I go to bed Thursday night, it will be with a smile on my face for a job well done.

I'll let you know Friday how this worked out!

Monday, Monday....

Or should I say Sunday, Sunday, because I never sleep well Sunday nights. No matter how many cups of Sleepy Time tea I drink, or warm baths I take, the anticipation of the start of another week keeps me up most of the night.

Since I am trying -- desperately at times -- not to beat myself up about bad food choices, I thought I would try it with my Sunday-night insomnia. So last night, as soon as I turned out my light, I began repeating over and over: "You will sleep through the night."

And I did. I turned the light out at 9:30, and next thing I knew, it was 5:20. That's almost 8 hours of sleep, an unheard of amount for me even on a good night. I'm not analyzing why this worked, and I pray it will work again -- over and over.

Thanksgiving dinner

We are guests-with-a-list-0f-foods to prepare this Thanksgiving, and although I am trying to lighten things up a bit, there is nothing light about the hors d'oeuvre I am bringing -- a Cranberry cheese ball. The recipe is a take on one my mom used to make every Thanksgiving, so it's obviously been around for years. She called hers Raisin Walnut Cheese Ball, because dried cranberries had yet to make the culinary scene. I made the dried cranberry substitution years ago, simply because I like them so much better than raisins. The cranberry chutney was added a few years ago: I had a jar, and thought, why not? I promise it adds terrific punch to this cheese ball.

I make the cheese ball with light cream cheese and reduced-fat Cheddar, so there is a bit of calorie savings there. In addition to crackers, I put out celery slices. There -- I've done my part, but honestly....! Oh, the mind games we play.

By the way, I am making the cheese ball tonight, but will roll the ball in the walnuts and cranberries Thanksgiving morning. This is one big cheese ball, but don't worry. Leftovers make great sandwiches, especially on date nut or pumpernickel bread.

Cranberry Walnut Cheese Ball

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

3 pkgs. (8-oz. each) light cream cheese, softened

8 oz. finely shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese

2 Tblsp. cranberry chutney

2 Tblsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp. finely diced lemon zest

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 cups dried cranberries, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts

• Place butter and cream cheese in a bowl and beat on medium speed until well blended.
• Beat in Cheddar.
• Beat in chutney, lemon juice, lemon zest, Worcestershire and pepper.
• Form into a ball.
• Mix together cranberries and walnuts. Roll cheese ball in cranberries and walnuts. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate three or four days or freeze. Serve with a plain cracker, such as a water biscuit, and don't forget the celery!

Thanksgiving countdown

My goal this holiday season is to maintain. I'm not trying to lose weight, and of course, if I drop a pound or two, I won't complain. But I don't want to see the 14 pounds I've lost creep back on my body.

This year, my wonderful son, Tim, and his perfect wife, Kim, are hosting Thanksgiving, and they've given me the list of sides to bring. There is nothing I can do to change my recipe for herbed nibbles, little bites of bread oozing with butter. I would rather not make the recipe than try to make it healthy. But the vegetables -- here's where I can make some changes.

I love my recipe for Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts, but when I analyzed the ingredients, I decided it does not fit into my new way of eating. The recipe I have chosen to make is from "Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook," by the Editors of Vegetarian Times, and each serving has merely 36 calories. It serves 15, which makes it a perfect addition to a large Thanksgiving gathering.

I found the lemon an interesting addition to Brussels Sprouts a la Grecque, providing the perfect balance with the sweetness of the sprouts. For traveling, I will cook the Brussels sprouts, combine the vinaigrette, and transport them separately. Just before serving, the sprouts will go into the microwave for a quick warming, and then be tossed with the lemon sauce. The pimiento is optional, but I think it adds a nice taste touch, plus it looks festive.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS A LA GRECQUE

4 cups water

3 lbs. Brussels sprouts

3 tsp. red wine vinegar

2 tsp. lemon zest

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/3 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup pimiento, optional

• In a large pot, bring the water to a boil and add the Brussels sprouts. Cover and cook until just barely tender, about 7 minutes.
• Whisk together the vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, parsley and pimiento in a small bowl.
• Drain the Brussels sprouts and transfer them to a serving fish. Toss with the lemon mixture.
• Makes 15 servings. Per serving: 36 calories; .3g fat; 7g carbohydrates; no cholesterol; 91mg sodium; 3g fiber.

Pick of the Week: Cranberries

This column is for Jeannie, my newly transplanted Memphis friend who asked for a recipe for cranberry sauce. I have three favorites, and I love them all. Picking one would be like calling one of my three children my favorite.

And no, there is nothing dietetic about cranberry sauce. But for me there is no substitute. Cranberry sauce and portion control go hand in hand. Plus, I really have no idea how many calories are in each tablespoon of my recipes, and in this case, ignorance really is bliss.

Any of these sauces can be made a week or two ahead, and my advice is to do it one night when you have 20 minutes to spare. How good does that feel to check one item off your Thanksgiving to-do list? One of the sauces is served warm, so a simple pass in the microwave for a minute or two, just before the turkey is served, works well. The other two sauces are best served at room temperature.

Selecting: You really have no choice, since for most of us, cranberries come bagged. But do look at the berries to be sure they are plump and unblemished. In all my years of buying cranberries, I can count on one hand the number of berries I had to toss out. Color does not matter, since cranberries range from a light red to a deep cranberry color!

Storing: In the refrigerator, secure in the bags they are packaged in, cranberries keep about four weeks. If I am not using the cranberries within a week, I store them in the freezer, where they will keep about 9 months. I just double wrap them for extra protection. They can also go from freezer to recipes, since they thaw almost immediately.

ZINFANDEL CRANBERRY SAUCE

1 3/4 cups red zinfandel

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed golden brown sugar

6 whole cloves

6 whole allspice

2 cinnamon sticks

1 3-by-1-inch strip orange peel

1 12-oz. bag cranberries

• Combine all ingredients except cranberries in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes, until the mixture is reduced to about 1 3/4 cups.
• Strain syrup into a large saucepan. Add cranberries and cook over medium heat until the cranberries burst, about 5 or 6 minutes.
• Transfer sauce to a bowl. Cool, cover, and refrigerate until cold.

TRIPLE CRANBERRY SAUCE

2 cups fresh cranberries

1 cup dried cranberries

1 1/2 cups cranberry juice

Grated zest and juice from 2 lemons and 2 oranges

3 cups packed brown sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

• Place all ingredients in a saucepan. Mix well.
• Turn heat to medium-low, bring to a simmer, and cook until berries burst, about 10 to 15 minutes. It's good to stir the pot from time to time.
• You can serve as is, warm, with the turkey, or refrigerate, covered, and heat in the microwave a minute or two before serving.

NUTTY CRANBERRY RELISH

1/2 cup brandy, preferably apple

1/4 cup cranberry juice

1 12-oz. bag fresh cranberries

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 3-inch piece of cinnamon stick

1/3 cup walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

• Combine all ingredients, except the nuts, in a saucepan. Stir to combine.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
• Reduce heat, stir in the nuts, and cook gently until cranberries burst.
• Poor into a bowl and cool. Can be refrigerated a few weeks.

What a week

I know there are worst things than the flu, but when it hit me last week, I couldn't think of one. After 8 days, I've yet to reach the feeling terrific stage. All I really want to do is sleep.

And eat.

But that's understandable because I know I eat when I'm tired, a subject I blogged about recently. I also seem to lack motivation. Preparing my daily salad for lunch is too much trouble. I have no energy. It's much easier to open a can of soup, but for me, that's like Chinese food: two hours later I'm starving. I need something else with that soup, but anything that's appealing is too fattening.

This afternoon I screamed "enough," soaked a pound of black beans, cooked them up, and know that tomorrow night's dinner will be a mix of the beans, some brown rice, jarred salsa, diced scallions, with a sprinkling of diced black olives. Healthy? You bet. Easy? Absolutely. Filling? The complex carbs and protein will keep me sated for hours.

The way I'm feeling, this might just be my dinner all week.