RDTOD November Favorites

Welcome to RDtipoftheday's favorites November edition. This blog series highlights my favorite recipes and things I'm loving this month! Since it is t-minus 16 days until Thanksgiving, I thought that I would focus on Thanksgiving favorites for planning and preparing the Thanksgiving meal to help make this holiday a little less stressful.

Eating & Cooking

This month I'm thinking about and preparing for Thanksgiving. Here are a few of my favorite things.

Ideas for Thanksgiving Sides and Meals

Stress-free Thanksgiving tips from Ina Garten and Good Housekeeping.

Here are make ahead ideas and Thanksgiving tips. 

I recommend a game plan for prepping ahead for Thanksgiving.

Turkey Talk

The Thanksgiving turkey seems to be the most intimidating and stressful part of Thanksgiving for home cooks. 

Here is a step-by-step slideshow with tips on how to roast your turkey and an infographic on how to roast a turkey. 

Infographic from HuffingtonPost.com

Here are some Thanksgiving turkey recipes because the turkey is the star of this meal.

After you've roasted your turkey, here's a video about how to carve the turkey and a slide show from Food Network.

Now you know what to do to make a successful turkey, here are some tips on what not to do for Thanksgiving turkeys. Avoid these mistakes, and you'll be golden!

Sides and More 

Now that you've got your turkey taken care of, here are some ideas for sides to complement your main course.

Here are easy Thanksgiving recipes.

If those weren't enough, here are 223 Thanksgiving recipes.

My current favorite appetizer to prepare is a crudite platter, which is a fancy way of saying a veggie tray. For one of my husband's work parties, I arranged this crudite platter to look like a turkey! It was a huge hit with the adults and kids! 

Thanksgiving and holiday foods tend to be very rich. I like to offer lighter options and always make room for fruits and vegetables. 

I love serving hummus with my vegetable tray, so here are 3 quick and tasty hummus recipes. There's a garlic & red pepper hummus, lemon & artichoke hummus, and a basil pesto hummus. So good! And, they can be made ahead!

Ideas for Thanksgiving Baking
Pie feels so festive and appropriate for the holidays. Here are 8 ideas for finishing the edges of your pie crust.

image via TopAmericanPie.com 

Lattice pies are impressive. Some people are intimidated to try them, but it's easier than it looks! Here's tips on how to create a lattice pie crust or here's nine pictures to walk you through each step.

Need Thanksgiving dessert ideas? Here are >100 ideas for cakes, cookies and pie - oh my!

If pies or dessert cause you stress, here's a quick and easy dessert recipe for browned butter salted cereal treats. There's no baking required. You simply mix, color, form, and cut. 

These crispy treats are officially nephew-approved! Kids and adults love these rice cereal treats. They are a simple, quick, and tasty dessert that can be made in advance. What's not to love?

Encouraging
Thanksgiving is a time to slow down and give thanks. I don't know how your holidays look, but sometimes my holidays get packed with so many good, fun things that it becomes stressful. The holidays are not a time for stress; they're a time to celebrate.

I hope you enjoyed these tips, recipes, and all of my favorites from this month. I'm planning some more holiday and entertaining posts that I hope you will love, so stay tuned!

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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RDtipoftheday's Friday Favorites: Thanksgiving Edition

Welcome to a new series Friday Favorites. I will be sharing my favorite things from blogs I read, favorite recipes, and much more.  My goal is to share my favorite reads and save you time wadding through the web. Hope you enjoy the new series! You can also tag me, @RDtipoftheday, on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter to let me know of anything you want featured on Friday Favorites. Also, tag me if you make any of my recipes. Enjoy this Thanksgiving edition of Friday Favorites!

Thanksgiving:
Are you looking for something quick, easy, and healthy to bring to Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving? Check out this Thanksgiving themed crudites platter. Fill the turkey with your favorite dip; I love light salad dressings or hummus with veggies.

A mindful eating tip for the holidays and everyday.

Folow my Pinterest boards and Thanksgiving board for recipes, ideas for celebrating healthier holiday, and easy entertaining ideas.

I love the idea of making personal seating cards. This would be a great job for the kids to personalize your tablescape. http://magnoliahomes.net/personalizing-your-tablescape/.

Holidays are for spending time with people you love. I would love to learn and cook with this talented lady; here are Ina Garten's favorite Thanksgiving recipes. http://www.instyle.com/home-decorating/entertaining/ina-gartens-favorite-thanksgiving-recipes#359797.

Recipes:
We celebrated National Sandwich Day on 11/2/15: Here are some yummy salad and soup recipes to accompany your favorites sandwiches.

Cobb Salad

Easy Tomato Basil Soup

Songs:
Have you started to listen to Christmas music? Or, are you holding off until Christmas? If you're still holding off, here are a couple songs about food or at least reference food or eating in the title.

Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson
Jambalaya by the Carpenters
Sugar Cane by Missy Higgins
Falling in Love at the Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg

Did I leave out any of your favorite food-related tunes? If so, let me know in the comments below.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 


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Chicken Cordon Bleu Sliders

I love Fall! The crisp air, yummy food, football, tailgating, and holiday celebrations! There's something about holiday food. It's usually decadent and reserved for a few days out of the year. But, I've created this slider, which is a play on chicken cordon blue.

This is one of my favorite quick and easy meals to prepare because ham and cheese sandwiches were my favorite sandwich when I was a kid. These are more of a "grown up" ham and cheese with chicken, which is better known as chicken cordon bleu. These bring back a childhood favorite that kids and adult will enjoy. They're even better because they're bite sized. Could it get any better?

Chicken Cordon Bleu Sliders
Ingredients
12 potato rolls or Hawaiian rolls
1 pound chicken breasts, sliced
1/2 pound ham, sliced
1 pound provolone slices
1/2 teaspoon Tony Chachere's seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon chipotle Tabasco

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire   

1 Tablespoon butter, melted
1 Tablespoon parsley, minced


Directions

Preheat oven to 300* F.

Split rolls in half to make a top and bottom bun. Place the bottom rolls in a 9x13 pan.

Layer 2 slices chicken and 1 slice ham on each roll.  

Top with provolone. Add the top 'bun'. 

Mix parsley, Tabasco, Worcestershire, and garlic with melted butter. Drizzle butter on top of rolls. Toast sandwiches for 10-12 minutes until cheese is melted, and the sandwiches are warm and toasted. Enjoy!

I like pairing these mini sandwiches with hummus and vegetables or baked potato soup.

P.s. This would be a great sandwich to make with Thanksgiving or Christmas leftovers. My family always has a turkey and a ham on Thanksgiving and Christmas. So you could make turkey cordon blue sandwiches. Delicious!

My Jalapeño chicken sliders would also be great. Just substitute turkey for the chicken and enjoy those leftovers!

Let me know if there are any nutrition-related topics you would like me to cover. You can comment below or tag me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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Chicken Marsala

November Favorites

Tips for Easy Entertaining

The holiday season is a time for celebrating and entertaining. Celebrations usually involve food of some kind. If you are entertaining, you don't want to be stressed. You want to be a successful host and enjoy the party. Here are some of my tips for easier entertaining.

If you are making a meal with multiple dishes, the preparation and cook times can be challenging. You are making multiple things with different cook times. Here are my tips to help make entertaining and cooking less stressful when entertaining.

RDtipoftheday Herbed Turkey

1) Make a plan. 
To make a plan for a successful dinner, assemble your recipes. Work backward to make a time line. For example, here's a plan for a 20-pound turkey.

Step 1: Defrost frozen turkey (about 20 pounds) in the refrigerator for 4-5 days before Thanksgiving.

Step 2: Brine or season the turkey over night.

Step 3: Cook the turkey for 20 minutes per pound (20 minutes x 20 pound turkey = 400 minutes or 6 hours and 40 minutes). The turkey will need about 25-30 minutes to rest after cooking to an internal temperature of 165*F. You will also need to allow time to carve the turkey. The oven may be open and shut to add extra items, so you would want to plan for the turkey needing about 7.5 hours to cook, rest, carve, and serve. If you have Thanksgiving lunch at noon, you would need to start cooking the turkey at 4:30 AM.

2) Prepare ahead.
Preparing ahead of time reduces stress. Set the table the night before if you're able. It's always nice to have something to cross off the to-do list.

Pick a simple appetizer or dessert that can be made ahead of time. Or, ask your guests to bring something. Pick up an appetizer from the store or make a fruit platter, cheese board, or vegetable platter.

Try making a turkey veggie tray with homemade hummus. The hummus can be made a few days before and refrigerated. The veggies can be washed, chopped, assembled and kept in refrigerator. You can have your kid chefs assemble the turkey. Extra hands make light work.

Try making a non-traditional dessert like my browned butter cereal treats. You can make it the day before and keep it sealed in an airtight container. These cereal treats are quick and easy to make. Kids and adults love them!

RDtipoftheday Glazed Carrots

3) Plan for extra.
This is a motto in my family. Knowing you have a little extra food prepared is nice for eliminating the mental stress caused by the question "did I make enough food?". It's also handy for the unexpected but welcome guests.  Also, who doesn't love leftovers?!?

RDtipoftheday Green Bean Bundles

4) Enjoy the party.
You've gathered your favorite people: your friends and family. You've prepped and prepared a delicious meal. Now, enjoy the party! A great host is relaxed and fully involved in the present. Have fun!

RDtipoftheday Tex Mex Deviled Eggs

To review, here are the four steps for successful entertaining.
1) Make a plan.
2) Prepare ahead.
3) Plan for extra.
4) Enjoy the party.

Stay tuned this week for leftover ideas to create new and delicious meals form your holiday leftovers. 

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. 

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Easy Entertaining Round Up

Do you love food? 'Tis the season for hosting parties, gathering friends and family, and eating. This means a multitude of opportunities for cooking and entertaining.

I love food and hosting company, but I sometimes have a little entertaining anxiety. Will the food turn out okay? Do I have all the ingredients? Will my guests like the food? Did I make enough food for everyone? How can I make sure the food will be ready in time or at the same time?  Most people are at least a little concerned about entertaining. 

Let me help take some of the stress out of entertaining. Here are some of my favorite ideas to take the fear out of entrees. With this Entertaining Made Easy series, your fears will be eased, and you will become a better host or hostess.

I would love to see how you are entertaining, so tag your entertaining pictures with #EasyEntree and #EasyEntertaining. And, tag me, @RDtipoftheday, so I can see what you do. You may be featured on the blog, Twitter, or Instagram.

Easy Entertaining: 8 Simple Sides

Easy Entertaining: 6 Easy Entrees

Easy Entertaining: 5 Breakfast Entrees for Entertaining

For more recipes, tips, and encouragement from a registered dietitian (RD), follow me, RDtipoftheday, on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

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RDtipoftheday Favorites: April Edition

Welcome to RDtipoftheday's favorites April edition. This is my blog series that highlights some of the best things I've been watching, reading, listening to, cooking, and eating. These are a few of my favorite things this month.

Reading
I've been loving my new cookbooks. I received several cookbooks as Christmas and birthday gifts (thanks family!). I've also found cookbooks at the library! Can you believe it?!? Here's what I checked out this month.

 image from amazon.com

Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook

As the name suggests, the New Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook features recipes made in cast iron pans. It has recipes ranging for sweet to savory. It includes dishes that can be served for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. As always, I'm excited to try some new recipes and find new ways to cook in my cast iron pan.

image from amazon.com

One of my 2016 resolutions is to read more. This month, I've read Unglued by Lysa Terkeurst and the cookbook mentioned above. Unglued is a nonfiction book about how people react to situations. I love this book for anyone that want to improve interpersonal skills and better handling different reactions. This book can be used for personal application, work or professional applications, and is great for relating to patients and their families. It teaches you about the different ways individuals react to emotions and how you can respond in a healthy way. I think it is a great read for everyone.

Cooking
I'm working on more recipes for the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), so I've been cooking and baking quite a bit. Stay tuned for those recipes.

I recently read Julia Child's memoir and enjoyed learning more about her life. This link popped up the other day on social media, and I thought I would share it with you. Here are five things we can learn from Julia Child's Kitchen.

Listening

image

I have been listening to a new-to-me podcast. It's called The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey. I have been listening to about 1-2 episodes per week to catch up. I usually listen on my commute or while cleaning house. I've started at the beginning, and I'm on episode 70ish. I'm loving it! Check it out. It's free. She posts one episode per week, but sometime weeks there are bonus episodes!

image

The newest podcast I've found is That Sounds Fun with Annie F. Downs. She is fun and funny, she has 10 podcast episodes. She is an author, blogger, and speaker. She talks a lot about writing in the podcasts I've listened to because of her recently published books. Her books are on my list to read. I'll let you know what I think in my future favorites!

I hope you enjoyed these tips, recipes, and all of my favorites. Let me know if this is a feature that you would like me to continue by commenting below. And, let me know if you have something you want to be featured. Thanks! Have a great weekend!

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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Healthy RD Challenge: Day 10

How are you doing with the #HealthyRD Challenge? I hope you are doing well! 

What is the Healthy RD Challenge?

This is my challenge for each of us to take one step a day on the road to being healthier . . . the healthy road or #HealthyRD if you will. If you participate in the #HealthyRD challenge, make sure you use the hashtag #HealthyRD. Tag me on Instagram and or tweet me, @RDtipoftheday, for a chance to be featured! I am sharing the five healthy choices I'm making each day this week.  Here's a reminder of what I did for the Healthy RD Challenge last week: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, and Day 7, Day 8, and Day 9. Check out the links to get ideas on living a healthier lifestyle.

Healthy RD Challenge: Day 10

Today, I am going to try a new food and eat 5 servings of fruits and veggies today, which is my #HealthyRD Day 10 healthy choice. One healthy dietary obstacle most people face is eating enough fruits and veggies. Many people state that the taste of fruits and vegetables is the number 1 obstacle to meeting the #5aDayChallenge. So, I encourage you to try a new food. If you have tried a food before and not liked it, try the food cooked in a new way. My sister in law makes sauteed Brussels sprouts that are a Thanksgiving favorite. One of my favorite Mediterranean restaurants makes roasted cauliflower that are so delicious. If I did not try these foods, I would be missing out on some deliciously healthy foods. So, try a new food; you might just like it!

Today, I am going to meet the #5aDayChallenge. I first issued a #5aDayChallenge last summer as a way to encourage myself and others to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. I am taking the #5aDayChallenge to become a #HealthyRD (healthier Registered Dietitian). Who's with me?

How will you choose to be healthy today?

Check with your personal RD or MD before starting a new diet or exercise program to make sure it is healthy, safe, and the right choice for you.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter . You can subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin.

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