Celebrate Thanksgiving Day

Have yourself a heartburn-free holiday

Christine — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:46:53 +0000

Have yourself a heartburn-free holiday

(ARA) – For frequent heartburn sufferers, the abundance of rich food and drink at the myriad holiday gatherings between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve can be trouble. Even those who suffer occasional heartburn can find their mild indigestion flares up more during the holidays.

Contrary to its name, heartburn, which affects 60 million Americans at least once a month, has nothing to do with the heart. It’s a digestive problem that is also called reflux esophagitis or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Gastroesophageal reflux occurs when contents in the stomach flow back into the esophagus. This happens when the valve between the stomach and the esophagus does not close properly.

Heartburn is most often described as a burning sensation behind the breast bone that moves up toward the neck or throat. This occurs when stomach acid irritates the normal lining of the esophagus. People may also experience acid regurgitation with heartburn, which is the sensation of stomach fluid coming up through the chest into the mouth. Less common symptoms that may also be associated with gastroesophageal reflux include unexplained chest pain, wheezing, sore throat and cough, among others.

According to some physicians, planning ahead and knowing which over-the-counter (OTC) treatments may help are essential to keep your gatherings merry and bright.

“I always recommend heartburn sufferers be prepared and bring along a few over-the-counter treatments, like antacids or H2 blockers, when they are heading out for a holiday party,” says Dr. Tom Rupp, a Michigan-licensed gastroenterologist. “With regard to specific medications or brands, I would actually recommend patients just go with a store-brand treatment. Store-brand OTCs have the same efficacy as national brands and are approved by the FDA, but cost much less.”

Allegan, Mich.-based Perrigo is a pharmaceutical company that manufactures and distributes most of the over-the-counter medications found under store-brand labels at leading retailers, grocers, club stores and pharmacies. According to Perrigo, these products are the primary treatments available over-the-counter for heartburn relief:

* Antacids. Antacids come as liquids and tablets like calcium carbonate (name brands: Rolaids and Tums)

* H2 blockers. Indicated for occasional heartburn, these medications are most effective when taken an hour before eating. Examples include famotidine and ranitidine (name brands: Pepcid and Zantac).

* Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). PPIs are indicated for people who have heartburn at least twice a week. Omeprazole (name brand: Prilosec OTC) won’t relieve heartburn right away – and may take up to four days for full effect – so they’re not helpful for immediate, temporary relief after you’ve already overindulged.

“For most people holiday heartburn is nothing to worry about. However, if you’re having ongoing symptoms, you need to see a doctor. The worst thing you could do is ignore chronic symptoms, hoping they’ll resolve in the New Year on their own,” Rupp says.

You can find more information about the symptoms and treatments for holiday heartburn at the National Institute of Health, or the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

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How to make your holiday event stand out

Christine — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:37:57 +0000

How to make your holiday event stand out

(ARA) – When you open your home to family and friends this holiday season, you want to give your guests the best impression possible. But, it’s likely that you might not have everything that you need to accommodate your visitors.

Hosting a large gathering is not something you do every day, so many of the necessary items are not things you’ll have sitting in your kitchen cabinets, garage or basement ready for use. Fortunately, you won’t need to break the bank buying everything you need. If you can’t find what you’re looking for in your home, your local rental store will be able to help.

Here are a few things you can do to make your holiday event one to remember:

* Not enough seating? Consider renting some tables and chairs. It’s better than having to haul the card table up from the basement and offering your guests a cold folding chair.

* Set your table with the latest styles of linens, china and silver. If these aren’t items that you, or another family member, has at their disposal, find them at your local rental store.

* Don’t forget that elegant lighting and centerpieces will go a long way to creating the perfect look and feel for your special holiday event. Small things like this can make a huge difference in the ambiance of your gathering.

* Add some extra flair to your event and have a champagne fountain or margarita machine on hand. These types of fun rental party items make for a special surprise for your guests.

* The outside of your home is the first impression. Make sure that your outdoor decorations are just as elegant and beautiful as the ones inside.

* If you’re hosting a particularly large group, it may be difficult to keep food hot when it comes time to dine. Renting food preparation items, chafing dishes or other warmers will ensure every one of your guests enjoys a delicious dining experience.

To get a better idea of what types of items you can rent for parties and to locate a store near you, visit www.rentalhq.com. Think it sounds out of your budget to create a perfect event? Not necessarily. Your local rental store has everything you need and can offer service and advice to help eliminate stress. You’ll also save money on items you will be using only once.

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My Simple Thanksgiving Menu for Four People!

Christine — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 22:25:09 +0000

Thanksgiving

This year Thanksgiving dinner will consist of only four people in my household (myself, my husband, my sister and my niece). I wanted to make a delicious menu but not have a lot of waste. There are some dishes I cannot live without (I’m looking at you, stuffing) but others I think I shall forego this year. So what am I making? Here is the list I have going in my mind so far.

Appetizers – I’m not doing many appetizers this year. I may do some cheese and crackers and a few salty items such as pickles and olives. I also plan to make candied and spicy bacon because it is so quick and delicious!

Turkey - I purchased a fresh turkey from Whole Foods today. It cost quite a bit more but I’m hoping I can taste the difference. I purchased a small one around 11 pounds, but that should be sufficient. I plant to coat my turkey with an herbed butter of Thyme, Sage and Tarragon (Thanks, Bobby Flay)!

Stuffing – Tried and true recipe of family. A sausage, onion and celery stuffing. Thanksgiving wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without the stuffing!

Cranberry Sauce – Could possibly be my favorite thing at the table. I just love a tangy cranberry sauce.

Mashed Potatoes – Doing a gourmet spin on the potatoes with heavy cream, sour cream and sharp cheddar.

Rolls – My husband makes the most wonderful butter rolls and my mouth is watering just thinking about them.

Brussels Sprouts – I need some sort of green vegetable. I love green bean casserole, but as no one else in family will eat it I’m skipping it this year. I plan to make roasted Brussels sprouts with perhaps just a touch of lemon and salt.

Desserts – Pumpkin cheesecake and lemon cream pie. I think between those two desserts we’ll be good!

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Thanksgiving Recipe: Lemon-Poppy Seed Baby Bundt Cakes

Christine — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:39:03 +0000

Lemon-Poppy Seed Baby Bundt Cakes

(NC)—For many, the holidays are a time to overindulge—but maintaining a healthy lifestyle while enjoying flavourful fare and the sweet treats you crave doesn’t have to be difficult. At your next holiday party, end the night by serving these lemon-poppy seed baby Bundt cakes. By making simple substitutions, like using confectioners’ sugar in place of heavy frosting or whipped cream, and spraying Pam Bakinginstead of butter on the pans, you can cut the extra fat and calories without sacrificing on flavour.

Covered in a fresh, citrusy glaze, these cakes will satisfy just about any sweet tooth but are light enough for guests to squeeze in a slice or two.

Lemon-Poppy Seed Baby Bundt Cakes

Time:

Hands On: 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Servings:

Makes 12 servings (1 cake each)

Ingredients:

Cake

Pam Baking spray

2-1/2 cups unbleached flour

1-3/4 cups granulated sugar

2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup reduced fat (2%) milk

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon peel

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

4 large eggs

1-1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Glaze

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon peel

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

Directions

1 Prepare Cake: Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray two 6-cake mini Bundt pans with baking spray.

2 Blend flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, butter, the 2 tablespoons lemon peel, the 1/3 cup lemon juice, the eggs and the 1-1/2 tablespoons poppy seed in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium; beat 3 minutes. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake 45 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near centre comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire rack; cool completely.

3 Prepare Glaze: Whisk together confectioners’ sugar, the 1 tablespoon lemon peel, the 3 tablespoons lemon juice and the 1 teaspoon poppy seeds until smooth. Add water by the half teaspoon to desired consistency. Spoon over cooled cakes.

Cook’s Tips

If you have only one 6-cake mini Bundt pan, bake the first six mini cakes. After removing cakes from pan, make sure pan is cooled and washed before using again with remaining batter. To make one large cake, use a 12-cup Bundt pan. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in centre comes out clean.

Additional recipe ideas and more information about Pam Baking can be found online at www.pam.ca.

www.newscanada.com

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5 secrets to cut the fat, not the flavour

Christine — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:36:23 +0000

5 secrets to cut the fat, not the flavour

(NC)—The holidays call for spending time with close friends and family and celebrating with good cheer and good food. While decadent desserts are essential to any holiday celebration, the calories that often come with them are not. With a few small adjustments to your favourite holiday recipes you can cut the fat without sacrificing the flavour of your favourite seasonal treats.

To help make this holiday season a healthier one, consider the baking tips below:

1 Butter be gone. Most baking recipes suggest buttering cookie sheets and pans to ensure baked treats lift off of pans with ease. This year, consider swapping butter for Pam Butter flavour or PamBaking. Spraying a cookie sheet with Pam for two seconds instead of using 1/2 tbsp of butter will save you 4 grams of fat. More information can be found online at www.pam.ca.

2 Save the sweets. Substitute calorie-filled frosting and whipped cream with confectioners’ sugar when making sweet desserts. A light dusting over cakes and brownies leaves a sweet layer and cuts calories and fat significantly compared to heavy frosting.

3 Make it fruity. Replace half the butter, oil or shortening in recipes with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce. Fruit purees like applesauce have natural sugars and fibres that help retain moisture.

4 Cut the eggs. If your recipe calls for two whole eggs, substitute one whole egg with two egg whites or 1/4 cup of fat-free egg substitute. Eggs perform an important function in baked goods, so they cannot be eliminated completely.

5 Don’t go nuts. Reduce the amount of nuts in your recipe and toast them before mixing into your batter or dough. Toasting the nuts will give them a stronger flavour, allowing you to use less of them.

www.newscanada.com

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Thanksgiving Dinner – Garfield Style

Christine — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:55:43 +0000

Garfield Thanksgiving

I love Garfield. It reminds me of my beloved childhood. My sister and I would fight over the Garfield books, and she was five years older than me. That was the great thing about Garfield, it transcended age groups and was loved by just about all. As I was looking around online today for sweet Thanksgiving clips, I found this Garfield one. I always thought they dynamics between Jon Arbuckle and Garfield were a bit bizarre, but regardless here it is. Enjoy!

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“Thanksgiving Song” by Mary Chapin Carpenter

Christine — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:36:26 +0000

Mary Chapin Carpenter

I found this song on youtube today and I love it. It’s a warm and touching song with sweet lyrics and perfect for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Lyrics as follows:

Grateful for each hand we hold
Gathered round this table.
From far and near we travel home,
Blessed that we are able.

Grateful for this sheltered place
With light in every window,
Saying “welcome, welcome
Share this feast
Come in away from sorrow.”

Father, mother, daughter, son,
Neighbor, friend and friendless;
All together everyone
In the gift of loving-kindness.

Grateful for what’s understood,
And all that is forgiven;
We try so hard to be good,
To lead a life worth living.

Father, mother, daughter, son,
Neighbor, friend, and friendless;
All together everyone
Let grateful days be endless.

Grateful for each hand we hold
Gathered round this table

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Thanksgiving Quotes!

Christine — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:22:45 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving!

Looking for that special quote to recite on Thanksgiving day to Aunt Bertha? Or perhaps a quote to print on pretty invitations? Wait. Do people send out Thanksgiving invitations? Well, maybe Martha Stewart does. So incase you’re Martha Stewart and you’re reading this for inspiration here are some interesting quotes I found while searching online (FYI: you can also read this if you’re not Martha Stewart):

Thanksgiving is nothing if not a glad and reverent lifting of the heart to God in honor and praise for His goodness. ~Robert Casper Lintner

Thanksgiving is so called because we are all so thankful that it only comes once a year. ~P. J. O’Rourke

I love Thanksgiving turkey. It’s the only time in Los Angeles that you see natural breasts. ~Arnold Schwarzenegger

Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast. ~William Shakespeare

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!
~Author Unknown

Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds. ~Theodore Roosevelt

There is one day that is ours. There is one day when all we Americans who are not self-made go back to the old home to eat saleratus biscuits and marvel how much nearer to the porch the old pump looks than it used to. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American. ~O. Henry

It has been an unchallengeable American doctrine that cranberry sauce, a pink goo with overtones of sugared tomatoes, is a delectable necessity of the Thanksgiving board and that turkey is uneatable without it. ~Alistair Cooke

For flowers that bloom about our feet;
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;
For song of bird, and hum of bee;
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee!
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, “thank you,” that would suffice. ~Meister Eckhart

As I’m not that deep, I think my favorite quotes are numbers 3 & 5. God Bless & Happy Thanksgiving!

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Things To Do This Thanksgiving – Other Than Eat!

Christine — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:05:23 +0000

Turkey Trot is an idea!

I love Thanksgiving dinner but there are also other things to do this Thanksgiving holiday! Here are just a few thoughts:

1. Volunteer at a homeless shelter! What a wonderful way to spend Thanksgiving Day. Giving back to the community and helping those who are less fortunate.

2. Visit a retirement home and come bearing goodies! Some of the elderly have to spend Thanksgiving alone as they do not have family near or their family is not able to visit during the holidays. This is the perfect time to brighten someone else’s day.

3. Turkey Trot. Turkey Trot is a nationwide event that happens on Thanksgiving day. Runners and walkers will sign up to help a good cause and burn some calories. I have to say this sounds too ambitious for me.

4. Go to a Christmas lighting festival. Many churches, shopping centers and streets will have their annual Christmas lighting on Thanksgiving eve or night. This would be the perfect way to get the family in the holiday spirit.

5. Watch Thanksgiving movies with the family. Or alone, whichever you prefer. I like Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Charlie Brown Thanksgiving & Pieces of April.

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Putting a Gourmet Spin on Thanksgiving!

Christine — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 23:43:09 +0000

Thanksgiving

This year I have decided to do less dishes but ones with more pizazz! Instead of 15 different dishes that taste pretty good, I think I will make half as many but make them out of this world good. Here are few of my thoughts:

Appetizers – typically for Thanksgiving I will make plethora of appetizers. I will usually put out trays of pickles, olives and cheeses. I may still do that but I think also add some deviled eggs with paprika and pork belly to boot!

Turkey – this year I’m going to Whole Foods and going organic. I know it will cost a bit more but since I am only feeding four or five people I plan on buying a little guy. I have heard if you wrap the turkey in buttered cheesecloth is comes out super moist. I shall try that!

Side dishes – I will be making my spicy sausage stuffing with celery and onions as usual, but I plan to put a gourmet spin on the potatoes. I’m thinking of using red potatoes, with the skin on, and adding a bit of heavy cream, sour cream and sharp cheddar at the end. It’s all about the little details that make the holiday so special!

Dessert – this year I’m enlisting the help of my husband with dessert. He is quite the baker. Instead of the typical pumpkin pie, I plan to make a pumpkin cheesecake. I think adding the cheesecake to it will kick it up a notch!

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