Nearly every one of us will celebrate one or more of the upcoming fall and winter holidays, observances, and celebrations just around the corner. This year why not aim for praiseworthy recipes and meals that are also thrifty and nutritious as well as delicious? You need look no further. Following is a menu for a pretty easy breezy meal all the guests will enjoy. Uncle Morrie won’t need to sit in the corner with salad and applesauce while Cousins Burt and Sheila sift through each dish to avoid anything with meat, your granddaughter can’t have most grains, hubby has an Epi-pen handy in case he accidentally swallows nuts, your sister is diabetic and your old friends, the Carters, are vegan. Yikes! The scenario leaves a lot of guests in a post dinner hunger mode that might well ruin the celebration for them and for you.
Turkey, ham, and brisket are not necessarily meal requirements for every holiday meal, and no one needs marshmallows on yams, cheese and butter in every dish or layer cake for dessert. Exotic fruits and vegetables from other areas of the world might be fun for a holiday meal, but if they’re unseasonal where you live, they’ll be not only more expensive but less nutritional due to their long journey to your table.
Prepare or at least partially prep recipes up to three days ahead, and even longer for items you can freeze.
Look for what’s available and least expensive at the grocery store, including cuts of meat and eggs.
Be aware of what’s plentiful and seasonal where you reside. It will be fresher and less expensive.
When there are sales at the store on dry goods, stock up. We can always have use for canned beans, tomatoes, tuna, fruit, broth, dry milk, nut butters, corn meal, butter, vegetable oil, dry and canned milk and of course flour and baking supplies.
If friends or neighbors have a large supply of certain ingredients or prepared foods and you have something they might use, trade. It won’t cost either of you a penny.
Ask guests to bring a holiday dish, to share, that they enjoy and possibly prefer.
Know your limitations. Base your menu on availability of your time, your expertise and whether you’ll have a kitchen helper or be the chief cook and bottle washer.
Don’t overextend yourself or your budget.
Or be even more creative and make personal pizzas with easy no-yeast yogurt crusts and toppings you have on hand.
Or host a taco party and ask guests to bring components, they adore, for the taco fiesta. Have gluten free and vegan tortillas available if possible or ask guests to bring their preference.
Whether for Thanksgiving or any other winter meal celebration, the menu options are endless when the chef steps out of the conventional meal box and goes creative. Here are two thrifty menus that provide dietary options for all your guests. One is a quick and easy menu. The second is a menu plan for the ardent chef, on a budget, who wants to present showstoppers. Both menus are delicious and nutritious and varied to feed all the tastes and dietary needs of your guests while fitting into your budget. Mix and match or prepare just two or three of the dishes listed. It’s all about variation and deliciousness based on what works for you and your holiday crowd.
EASY MENU:
Stove Top Popcorn (gf/vegan)
White Bean Hummus with Rice Crackers (vegan, gf)
*Potato & Green Chile Stew
Zesty Barbecue Glazed Roast Turkey Drumsticks
Steamed Fresh or Frozen Broccoli with* Tamari aioli (veg, gf)
OR
Steamed Peas with mint and lemon butter (veg, gf)
Cornbread (gf) with butter/margarine
Homemade Jam
Chocolate Wacky Cake (vegan)
& Fruit Compote Sundaes (gf)
OR
*Chocolate Love Pudding (gf, veg/vegan)
& *Carrot Spice Cookies (vegan)
ARDENT MENU:
Humble Pumpkin Soup (veg/vegan)
*White Bean & Spinach Antipasto (gf, vegan)
*Gardeners’ Seasonal Company Galette (vegan / veg) &
Gardeners’ Seasonal Casserole (vegan / veg, gf)*Scalloped Spiced Yams & Apples with walnuts & cranberries (vegan/ veg, gf)
*Turkey Meatballs Stroganoff
Herbed Rice Pilaf (vegan, gf)
*Damper Bread with butter/margarine
*Oregon Apple Tart a la Jacques (veg/vegan)
& Maple Pumpkin Pie
OR
*Light Lemon Cheesecake Cups (gf)
& Zucchini Tahini Brownies (vegan)
By: By Kitchen Maven, Judi Berman-Yamada, https://www.facebook.com/Creativepenandpantry/
Many Recipes in my posts are found in my cookbook, “Thrifty Comfort Cooking for Challenging Times”. The book is available through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com. All (100%) of author royalties from retail sales of my cookbook go directly to the Oregon Food Bank, Tillamook Services, to assist families and individuals experiencing food insecurity. Purchasing the cookbook will benefit not only the recipient of the cookbook, but people in need, as well. Living near Tillamook County or even in Portland, you can purchase the book through Food Roots Farm to Table Marketplace for a sale price and all proceeds will go directly to that non-profit organization.
Angelica immigrated from Mexico to America in 2008, seeking a better life. Starting as a seasonal harvester, she soon discovered the many barriers between her and her goals. Realizing she was spending the majority of her wages to cover rent; she became determined to find a path to becoming a homeowner.
Unsure where to start, she went to her local credit union, began asking questions, seeking assistance. She learned that her first step was to build up credit, a process that took her seven months to be in good standing. Another issue arose, however, as her immigration status became another barrier to home ownership. Angelica was persistent with her credit union to provide a home loan, which she received after just weeks of deliberation.
Seeking to reduce her 30-year mortgage, Angelica made a commitment to pay off the house quickly, forcing her to cut expenses, save any funds, take on extra work and continually improve her credit. Through such planning, the house was paid in full in just four years.
Angelica shows that resilience and determination are fundamental traits to using existing systems to one’s benefit. By asking questions, getting advice from people with experience, and careful budgeting, anyone, no matter their financial status, can make their dream of home ownership, or finding financial freedom, a reality.
For more information on upcoming classes, visit our website at https://tillamookcountywellness.org/work-well/financial-wellness and follow Tillamook County Wellness on social media.
October was Emergency Preparedness Month. It was a reminder that we can be caught off guard at any moment and that negative consequences of the unexpected can be greatly reduced if we take advance action to prevent the worst from happening.
Our most recent emergency was the covid-19 pandemic. As we rebuild after that event, it is important to consider what we learned and to apply that knowledge to avoid further devasting outcomes. What we learned during the covid-19 pandemic is that individuals with chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes were at far greater risk of severe illness and death.
November is Diabetes Awareness Month. Type 2 Diabetes is occurring with far more frequency than earthquakes or hurricanes. We know what we need to do to prepare for and prevent its onset but we are not taking action in time to prevent it. We can screen for both type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. If we identify the condition at the prediabetes stage, there is much a person can do to reduce the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.
A simple blood test conducted by your medical provider is all that is needed. An A1C between 5.7 and 6.4 indicates a person is prediabetic. It is at this stage the condition is considered reversible. This blood test is part of an annual exam or well check. We owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to go in for those yearly checkups. Just like we take our cars in to have the oil changed, tires rotated and balanced, we need to have the same level of care and concern to keep our bodies in good working order. It’s preventive maintenance and it saves us a lot of money and frustration down the road. Just like avoiding maintenance of our car or home, the minor inconvenience of a doctor’s visit is minimal compared to the costs of delayed maintenance.
If we discover we are in that prediabetes range, the course of action is simple but not always easy. Monitoring lifestyle habits like sleep, water intake, nutrition, and physical activity and making small changes (or perhaps large changes) will significantly reduce risk for developing type 2 diabetes. These changes will also reduce risk for heart disease, stroke and cancer. Most importantly, making these changes improves our mood, energy and overall quality of life. Once we begin feeling better, we become more motivated to stick with our new habits.
Read below a recent interview with Karen Patterson who is currently taking National DPP, she tells us how she lost 50 pounds in the first 16 weeks!
Karen Patterson, 36 years old, two daughters, lived in PNW her whole life, moved to the Oregon Coast last year and is getting started on a health and wellness journey. These are her thoughts on our program.
“The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) has made me more aware of Diabetes and has helped me understand my habits and the need to change things for myself.” “I liked learning from everybody else that was pre-diabetic in class. I thought it was a good way of getting to know people in your community. Everybody struggles, and on the days where I felt like I was struggling the most, and felt bad about it, I didn’t feel alone because it wasn’t just me in class (DPP). I loved getting to know everyone!” “I loved meeting week after week, and the material was great. The fitness bands and the calorie book were fun things to get out of class. I would definitely recommend this class (DPP) because I think it is a step in getting to know what could be in your future if you are somebody who is pre-diabetic. I think it’s great for anyone to have the opportunity to do it (DPP). I like working out now, and I like eating healthier. It was a great class, I loved it!”
If making these changes feels overwhelming, consider joining the National Diabetes Prevention Program at the YMCA. If you’d like more information contact Kelly Benson at 503-842-9622 ext. 111 or kbenson@tillamookymca.org.
On this Hallow’s Eve, whether your night has many frights and spooky lights in store or will be filled with the warm glow of Jack-o’-lanterns as you answer the door to your festive visitors, we combined tips from the CDC and Dana Zia, the Tillamook County Pioneer’s food writer, to help provide you with some tricks in your trick or treat tonight.
Treats:
Not all treats are created equal; there may be a considerable amount of sugar in the treats your goblins or ghosts (and even yourself) consume. Dana Zia shared with us that an estimated 2 billion dollars is spent on Halloween candy each year. For context she adds, “that is enough for 20,000 students to attend a decent college for 4 years, or to feed 303,030 kids in Ghana, Africa for a year!” Eating a nutritious meal, drinking plenty of water (bring water with you) and enjoying the candy in moderation is a way to offset the anticipated sugar load. It is also important to inspect the candy’s packaging before eating, and only eat factory-wrapped treats. If you have any doubt about the safety of a treat, throw it out.
Halloween can be extra tricky for trick-or-treaters with food allergies. Just as with inspecting the candy before eating, if you have an allergy, always read the label on the treat, and throw it out if the label is missing. If an epinephrine auto-injector is prescribed to you or your spooky trick or treater, it is a good idea to carry it with you. If you see “teal pumpkins” with a trick-or-treater, this is a good indication that that superhero or princess has a food allergy. The Teal Pumpkin project was started by Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) to start a worldwide movement to make Halloween more inclusive and safer for all by providing non-food treats, such as stickers, school supplies, and small toys, to kids with allergies, who can be more easily identified by carrying “teal pumpkins.”
Tricks:
The CDC shares the frightening fact that children, on average, are 2x more likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year. It is important to be prepared with safety in mind and keep these tricks up your sleeve before going out on Hallow’s eve.
Make yourself more visible to traffic by adding reflective tape to costumes and candy bags and by carrying a flashlight (check the batteries before heading out!). Trick-or-treating is safer in a group, with at least one responsible adult. Stick to the sidewalks when possible, walk, do not run between houses, and stay on the far edge of the road on the side that is facing traffic if walking on the road cannot be avoided. ALWAYS look both ways before crossing the street at a crosswalk or intersection. It is a good idea for each member who is trick or treating to carry emergency contact information in case lost or separated from caretakers or group.
We wish you all safe and happy hauntings tonight. For more information on Halloween safety from the CDC please visit CDC.org and search for “Halloween safety.” For more wellness information, visit our website at https://tillamookcountywellness.org/ and follow Tillamook County Wellness on social media.
A rich, creamy recipe that combines delicious fall flavors with satisfying pasta.
Ingredients:
12 jumbo pasta shells (about 6 ounces)
1 ¼ cups nonfat ricotta cheese
¾ cup pumpkin
½ teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons basil
¼ teaspoon sage
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup pasta sauce
Directions:
Wash hands with soap and water.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain and place each on a baking sheet to cool.
In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, pumpkin, spices and all but 1 Tablespoon of the cheese. Reserve the 1 Tablespoon cheese for topping.
Spread pasta sauce in the bottom of a baking dish that holds all the shells in a single layer. Fill each shell with about 3 Tablespoons of pumpkin mixture and place shells close together on top of the sauce.
Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 15 minutes more.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes:
Freeze unused pumpkin and add to soup, chili or pancake recipes.
Perfectly Paired: Roasted Parsnips and Carrots as Your Ideal Autumn Comfort Side. Roasting these root vegetables brings out their delightful blend of sweet, smoky, and nutty flavors, making them the ultimate accompaniment for a cozy, rainy fall day.
Ingredients:
¾ pound parsnips, peeled if needed
¾ pound carrots, peeled
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut the parsnips and carrots into uniform pieces such as 3 x ½-inch sticks or 1-inch thick slices.
3. Place cut parsnips and carrots into a large bowl. Add the vegetable oil and stir to coat the carrots and parsnips.
4. Add the salt, garlic powder and black pepper and stir until the vegetables are well coated with seasonings.
5. Place vegetables in a single layer on large baking sheet being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Lining the baking sheet with foil or baking parchment will help with clean-up.
6. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring the vegetables half way through the time. The carrots and parsnips should be caramelized to a medium brown and blistered.
7. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes:
Try adding other seasonings such as thyme or onion powder.
