Over the years the one time I have felt truly connected to the Sacramento community is at Thanksgiving. More specifically, at The Run to Feed the Hungry. Sacramento’s Run to Feed the Hungry is the largest Thanksgiving Day race in the nation. It began in 1994 with only 800 participants and 15 years later it has grown to over 30,000 and raised over $800,000 in one day for the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services.
It is truly a phenomenal event that is unlike any other race because it centers around the holiday and the community, not so much finish times and PRs. If you were looking to PR, this is not the event. The crowds make it almost impossible to run at points. It has become a Thanksgiving Day tradition that my mom and I participate in the 5k fun run/walk. We walk, chat, people watch and always find friends to catch up with.
This year I live in town and the race is right in my neighborhood.
And this year, I brought Operation Beautiful to the Run to Feed the Hungry and my community. I knew this would be the perfect day and event to share the OB message. Thanksgiving is famous for people stuffing themselves silly and then feeling guilty the next day. Why not start the day off on the the right foot with positive messages? My mom and I each wore a note on our backs.
Over 30,000 people got to see the notes and we were stopped constantly before during and after the race to ask what Operation Beautiful was. Several people we talked to were teachers or worked with kids and were thrilled to hear about OB. I was even stopped by a new caster who wants to do a story!!! What a great start to one of my favorite holidays! What are you thankful for today?
I am Thankful for Community November 26, 2009
Thanksgiving Super Foods November 25, 2009
Tomorrow is the big day! Check out my Examiner post on the Do’s and Don’ts for a Healthy Thanksgiving.
It is reassuring to know that there are lots of holiday foods that are great for your health. Keep your eyes peeled for these foods at the holiday spread. Be sure to pay attention to how the foods are prepared, though. For example – baked or roasted sweet potatoes are a great choice and provide you with lots of fiber, vitamin A, and potassium for few calories. But when they are covered in butter and marshmallows you have to watch the portions.
Turkey
A serving of turkey provides almost half of the recommended daily allowance of folic acid and is a good source of vitamin B, zinc, and potassium. Opt for white meat and go easy on the gravy to keep the calories and fat in check.
Cranberries
Full of disease-fighting antioxidants and fiber, cranberries are a tasty super food. It is pretty much impossible to eat unsweetened cranberries, so watch the portions of dried cranberries or cranberry sauce. Replace sugar in cranberry sauce recipes with natural sweeteners like Agave Nectar and orange juice. Try this recipe:
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (about 2 oranges)
1/4 cup water
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 (12-ounce) package fresh cranberries
1 cinnamon stick
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Discard cinnamon stick; cool completely.
Pumpkin
Pumpkin contains lots of fiber and vitamin A. Make your own, healthier pumpkin pie to bring to dinner or include pumpkin in other recipes like a pureed pumpkin soup that will fill you up before the meal begins.
The Best for Last….Wine!
We have all heard that wine in moderation is good for our hearts. All wine is naturally heart-healthy, but red wines will provide the most antioxidant bang for your calorie buck. Something you might not know: The dryer the wine, the higher the concentration of its disease-fighting properties. Try this recipe from Cooking Light for Winter Sangria. It is a great crowd pleaser, and stretches the wine, so you save calories and can have more glasses! I know I will be bringing some to my Thanksgiving tomorrow!
Relax and enjoy your holiday and know that one day will not define your waistline or your health story. Be thankful for your health, family and friends and celebrate!
Sweetness Continued! November 24, 2009
Yesterday I shared the recipe for Dark Chocolate Mulled Wine Sauce and today the sweetness continues. Both recipes come from Cooking Light – my go to source for recipe inspiration. It is the holidays, afterall! One thing to note is that I do not have a huge sweet tooth. I love a good cookie, some ice cream or frozen yogurt, but if I had to choose, I would choose salty over sweet every time. That is way I love this recipe – it combines salty and sweet in one treat. And there is a little heat, too! I am also not a big baker and usually stick to simple desserts like ice cream or apple crisp. This Chipotle Peanut Brittle is easy, great for gifts and sharing and doesn’t take a long time.
Chipotle Peanut Brittle
Cooking spray
1 cup sugar
1 cup light-colored corn syrup
1 tablespoon butter
1 (11.5-ounce) container salted, dry-roasted peanuts
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
Preparation
1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; coat paper with cooking spray.
2. Combine sugar, corn syrup, and butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook 18 minutes or until a candy thermometer registers 275°, stirring frequently. Add peanuts; cook 3 minutes or until a candy thermometer registers 295°, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda and chile powder. (The baking soda will cause the mixture to bubble and become opaque.)
3. Quickly pour mixture onto prepared pan; cover with a sheet of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, quickly roll mixture to an even thickness. Discard top parchment sheet. Cool mixture completely; break into pieces. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 28 servings (1 oz each). Each serving has 133 calories.
Crunchy, salty and sweet! The heat from the chipotle comes through at the end and just warms your mouth, adding an extra layer of flavor!
How Can You Go Wrong with Chocolate and Wine? November 23, 2009
This weekend for the Dude Food party, I was in charge of dessert. I had seen a couple recipes in Cooking Light that I wanted to try and this was the perfect time. They were amazing! The first was a Dark Chocolate Mulled Wine Sauce that we served over vanilla ice cream. Perfection! It was so easy and so flavorful and perfect for the meal.
Dark Chocolate Mulled Wine Sauce
1 cup cabernet sauvignon or other dry red wine
1/2 cup sugar
1 sachet Mulling Spice Blend (recipe below)
1/2 cup Mexican chocolate cocoa powder
1/2 cup light-colored corn syrup
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, chopped
Preparation
Combine first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes. Discard sachet. Add cocoa and corn syrup, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Simmer 2 minutes; remove from heat. Add chocolate, stirring until chocolate melts. Cool to room temperature. Makes 2 cups.
Mulling Spice Blend
2 teaspoons whole allspice
1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick, broken in half
1 (3 x 1-inch) strip orange rind
Combine all ingredients on a double layer of cheesecloth. Gather edges of cheesecloth together; tie securely.
This sauce was amazing. I tweaked the recipe to use the Mexican chocolate powder because I like the hint of spice that it has. You could taste the wine, the spices, and the mulling blend and they all worked so great together. A little goes a long way, so you can make a batch and it will last a long time. And 2 tablespoons only has 80 calories and adds so much more flavor than regular chocolate sauce!
MAKE THIS SAUCE! Coming up tomorrow is a recipe for Chipotle Peanut Brittle!
Weekend Recap and Prepping for Guests November 22, 2009
We had a whirlwind couple of days with a visit from Shelley, a Dude Food catering event and giving Shelley a speedy tour of Napa and Sacramento. On Friday Shelley took the ferry from San Francisco to Vallejo and I picked her up so we could meet Aaron in Napa at my aunt’s house to throw a dinner party for 10. Dude Food was hired to do the food and the night was a hit. There was grilled pizzas and dip, bacon wrapped pork tenderloin, grilled veggies and smashed potatoes, a cheese course and dessert. I nibbled on a little of everything in kitchen as I helped plate, serve and clean up. After all the guest left, we had a sleepover and woke up to breakfast made by my aunts. Yum!
We spent Saturday driving through Napa, Yountville and St. Helena to give Shelley a super-fast tour of Napa. We went to Oxbow Market to admire all the tasty food and wine, had a mini cupcake from Kara’s Cupcakes and stopped for an impromptu photo shoot in a vineyard.
Only best friends would wake up and dress exactly the same without any discussion. Great minds think alike!
Mini Fleur de Sel Cupcake – MMMM!
Gorgeous day in Napa!
This morning I dropped Shelley off at the airport and headed straight to the gym. With more visitors this week and Thanksgiving, I don’t know what my exercise schedule will be like. I wanted to make sure I fit in a workout to start off the week. I had a sweaty 30 minutes on the stepmill and then did some upper body weights, abs and stretching. It felt so good to sweat!
I came home to a warm shower, and breakfast made for me by Aaron. Potatoes with red bell pepper, garlic and basil, scrambled eggs and a chicken sausage. Yummy and beautiful too!
We are planning to spend the rest of the day relaxing and prepping for Aaron’s mom and uncle’s arrival. It’s going to be a great week!
