Easy Last Minute Turkey Decor & Salsa, Tips For Your Waist and Greek Food

Easy Last Minute Turkey Decor & Salsa, Tips For Your Waist and Greek Food

For whatever reason, whether you are too busy, not able to decorate with foods and kitchen tools, or choose to make decorating easy, here are some tips you can use on Thanksgiving and recreate for your Shabbos Thanksgiving weekend.

With my tips, you can dress and impress your family and guests with my simple tips…..and it doesn’t have to break your bank or stress you out.

Some suggestions I always make:

Keep neutral tone fancy plastic in stock. You can always embellish them to coordinate with your theme.

Look around your house for what you already have. Copper is a trend this season, so I am taking my great-grandmother’s copper pot to my florist and using it as a vase and centerpiece.

Make decorating a family event from shopping, to placing items around the house.

Buy some food, make some food. This year, I bought my desserts. I am topping cupcakes with felt pilgrims. I also bought mini apple pies, which I will hear before serving and then decorate with with pieces of spiced apple and cranberry Fruit-a-Peel flats.

https://www.amazon.com/FRUIT-SNACKS-HEALTHY-ALL-NATURAL-GLUTEN-FREE/dp/B07933XXDB

Because so many are looking for substitutes for croutons in salads, try using cookie cutters on polenta or apple slices. Polenta is made from cornmeal.

Thanksgiving Salsa

Last year, I made this salsa as a topping for turkey slices. It was such a hit, I am making it again. If you like mango salsa in the summer, adopt fall flavors for my version. Also, roasting fresh cranberries a bit add a tangy twist.

Ingredients
2 cubed, bite size Granny Smith apples
1cup roasted, firm fresh cranberries
1/2 cup peeled, diced cucumber
1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix well and let set at least an hour before serving.

Buffet Tips For Your Waist

I am welcoming back Dr. Lisa Young, author of the new book, Finally Full Finally Slim.

Many people including myself are invited to parties almost every night. If you ask most dieters, they get nervous by buffets of any kind. Dr. Young recently attended a gala with me and walked by various popular stations giving tips and not feeling deprived.

Dr. Young’s Tips

Have ONE alcoholic drink, and try to avoid ones made with juices and simple syrups
Know your limits– Can you take just one frank in a blanket or mini egg roll? If you can’t, then don’t start taking them.
Don’t stand and eat. Take a plate and sit.
Hydrate yourself with lots of water.
Eat sushi, but limit yourself to no more than 6 pieces
Eat fresh fruit at the dessert bar
Try to keep track and use a portion control guide
Satisfy yourself–if you feel deprived, you will fail and have a hard time getting back on track
Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!

Greek Food

Since this is an international column and everyone is not celebrating Thanksgiving, I wanted to share two cookbooks I recently read and loved. First of all, I learned about Greek culture and history through the recipes and anecdotes written among the lamb, beans and lentils and of course, desserts in her cookbook, Take The Taste Of Greece With You, Litsa Botontzakis, the chef and author. She also wrote a child children’s book, A Season for Chestnut, getting your favorite youngsters involved in the kitchen.

Since the Greek flavors and ingredients are so similar to those found in Israeli kitchens, adjusting some of the non-kosher recipes seems easy. The Lemon Chicken with Potatoes and Veal Stew with Baby Onions make perfect Shabbos entrees. The desserts, traditional Greek specialties, are mostly parve, with phyllo dough, honey, nuts and sugar.

Food, Fun, Family and Friends…Everything Food In Recipes and Restaurants From Cindy’s Corners

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Cindy Grosz can be reached at cindyscorners@gmail.com