A Light Post-Thanksgiving Recipe

We all know what it is. That post-Thanksgiving "oh my, I probably should not have eaten so much, I just won't eat today" feeling. Bad idea. Never detox from overeating by fasting, just eat light--salad, fruit, lean proteins.

Here is a great low-calorie recipe that goes well with sliced apples--it is by no means my recipe as you can find it all over the internet, but I'll share it anyway with that caveat. I have improved upon the original just a bit for the holiday season--enjoy!

Pumpkin Fluff

Ingredients

1 container Cool Whip Free, defrosted
1 (12-14 oz) can plain pumpkin
1 tsp pumpkin pie seasoning
1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 package fat free, sugar free pudding mix (I like butterscotch or vanilla)

Directions:

1. Mix Cool Whip, pumpkin and spices until combined.
2. Add pudding mix and stir until smooth.

Note: I put the pudding mix in last or else sometimes it sets and clumps.

The cost:
cool whip: 1.00 (on sale)
pumpkin: 1.29
pudding: 1.00

Grand total: 3.29; serve with sliced apples, pita chips, pretzels or other snack items

Going Gluten Free

Some of you may have noticed that my recipes are frequently gluten free. That's because I'm slowly going gluten free (and feeling much better as I go!). I've found a lot of ways to substitute high gluten things in my diet, but by far the biggest challenge will be substituting flour in baking (I've been avoiding it).

So tonight, I turned over a new leaf and baked gluten free pumpkin muffins. It's actually the exact same recipe as my usual pumpkin muffins, I just substituted the regular flour for gluten free--and to my glee, they came out great! My favorite part of these muffins are the fresh cranberries--the little burst of tartness balances the sweetness of the sugar really nicely. And of course, nuts make everything richer, in my opinion.

Disclaimer: I can't say any gluten free flour would work since I've only tried it with one brand, but if you've used others, feel free to comment and let me know.

Addendum: If you don't like or are allergic to pumpkin (sorry SG!), you could substitute cooked & pureed squash or carrots, although you may need to increase the dry/decrease the wet ingredients just a bit for the right consistency.

Cranberry Pecan Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 (14 oz) can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup brown sugar
1 heaping Tbsp pumpkin spice
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 cups flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour)
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 12-muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. Using a whisk, combine eggs, pumpkin, applesauce, sugar, pumpkin spice, vanilla and salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. Whisk in baking soda and baking powder, then flour until just combined; don't overmix.
4. Fold in pecans and cranberries with a rubber spatula.
5. Divide batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake 12-15 minutes or until risen and firm, and edges are a golden brown.

The cost:
eggs: .33
pumpkin: 1.49
applesauce: .35
sugar: .45
flour: 3.50 (I only used 1/3 of the package but I had  to buy it new, luckily on sale!)
nuts: .40
cranberries: .33

Grand total: $6.52 ($5.36 once gluten free flour becomes a staple)