Message from The Moms: Decadent DOVE CHOCOLATE Giveaway ($50.00 value)
Even dietitians let their hair down once in a while. To celebrate the start of the holiday season, we’re giving away a fabulously delicious DOVE CHOCOLATE DISCOVERIES Indulgence Bundle including sea-salted chocolate caramels (we have sampled these confections, and trust us, the combo of the chocolate, exotic sea salt, and caramel is outrageous) and dark chocolate-covered fruit (hey, at least we included some fruit in the giveaway). This is one prize you may not want to share! You can enter by either forwarding this newsletter to a friend via the Forward to a Friend button in the top right corner or by visiting our blog and posting a comment on your favorite holiday indulgence. The giveaway ends on Monday, December 7th at noon, so hurry up and enter!
It’s been a busy November for The Meal Makeover Moms. We spent several days in Napa, CA earlier this month with our friends, the Manic Mommies. We spoke at their annual Escape and cooked up an awesome new kid-friendly recipe for Quick Apple Sausage Quesadillas. While we were there, we also attended the first annual Foodbuzz awards dinner in San Francisco. Our blog was nominated for Best Family Blog, but unfortunately, we did not win. In our delusional minds, we’re sticking with the assumption that we lost by just one vote! Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote for us. For a good laugh, be sure to read all about our Foodbuzz adventures on Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen (let’s just say the trip involved a handsome police officer and a harrowing drive over the Bay Bridge)!
Right now, we’re testing new recipes for the hands-on cooking classes we’re scheduled to give during our stay at Rancho La Puerta, an exquisite spa located just an hour south of San Diego in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico. We’ll be there the week of January 23rd and hope you can meet up with us! We just found out that the spa is offering a fabulous special: If you and three friends arrange to join us that week, you will each save 25% off your registration. In addition, each guest will receive a complimentary 50-minute Relaxation Massage. But wait … there’s more! As an added bonus, anyone who comes to the spa that week and mentions they’re with “The Meal Makeover Moms” will receive two FREE spa treatments including a Relaxation Massage and an Herbal Wrap. This applies to any type of room accommodation. Please post a comment to our Facebook Fan Page if you plan to be there.
Before we sign off, we wanted to give you a quick update on our second cookbook. We’re working hard to complete our recipes and to have them tested by families across the country (many thanks to everyone who has already tested recipes and provided feedback). If you’d like to test a recipe, feel free to fill out our on-line Cookbook Questionnaire. The more volunteers the better. We’re getting close to making a decision on whether we’ll self publish or go with a publisher. We’re plugging along and are confident book #2 will be available in 2010!!
Oh, yes, one more thing: We just created a new recipe for Mango Almond Cheesecake and entered it in the Bon Appétit Blog Envy Holiday Bake-Off, and we hope you’ll vote for us. The recipe is a lot lower in saturated fat than traditional cheesecakes, and with the two mangoes called for in the recipe, it’s nutritious too.
Enjoy all the excitement of the holiday season. We’ll be back in touch next month with more news and giveaways.
Makeover Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Pizza Pies Makes 6 Servings
If you’re too tired to cook dinner, try our easy-does-it mini pizzas. You can even use turkey leftovers in place of the chicken if you still have some in your fridge.
One 12-ounce package whole wheat English muffins (6 muffins)
1 medium orange bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch dice (about 1 ¼ cups)
1 tablespoon canola oil
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into ½-inch dice
1 to 1 ½ cups preshredded, part-skim mozzarella cheese
1. Heat the oven to 400ºF. Slice the English muffins in half and place on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven for about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the pasta sauce, Buffalo sauce, and blue cheese dressing and mix well.
4. To assemble the pizzas, top each muffin half evenly with the chicken mixture. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top of each. Bake until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes.
Nutrition Information per Serving:300 calories, 10g fat (3.5g saturated), 530mg sodium, 28g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 24g protein, 25% vitamin A, 70% vitamin C, 25% calcium
Amy’s Enchilada Verde Spinach and Cheese Enchilada:
Amy’s Kitchen is at it again with a yummy new enchilada dinner made with organic corn tortillas, rice & tomatillos. How easy is that?
Nutrition at Your Fingertips:
Our dietitian pal Elisa Zied has a new book that explains the science of nutrition in an easy-to-read way. If you have questions about the metabolic syndrome, food allergies or foodbourne illnesses, she covers it all … and then some.
With 3 grams of fiber in an 8-ounce glass, this 100% fruit juice provides an easy way to add more fiber to your family’s diet. Grape juice is also rich in antioxidants, so drink up!
Join the conversation on Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen as we share healthy recipes and helpful ideas for feeding your family. We welcome comments and questions!
Tune in to Cooking with the Moms, our weekly radio podcast available every Wednesday on our website and on iTunes. Our most recent shows include Healthy Thanksgiving, Napa Valley Adventures, and Pizza Tonight.
Do your favorite recipes need a healthy makeover? We're here to help. All you have to do is send us an email with the recipe, the number of suggested servings, why you and your family like it, and why you think it needs a makeover. Keep those recipes coming!
This newsletter is published by The Meal Makeover Moms, 40 Glen St., Melrose, MA 02176.
