Thanksgiving is hands down my favorite holiday of the year. I mean, as a food person, how can I not love Thanksgiving, as the holiday’s primary focus is a huge meal chock full of tasty dishes.
When I say a huge meal, I mean huge. Even if the dinner itself turns out to be small, my family gobbles up all of those pre-Thanksgiving grocery store sales and cooks up mountains of turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts. However, cooking up so much food for Thanksgiving inevitably leaves us with lots of leftovers.
While reheated turkey leftovers are great, sometimes you need to be a little creative in order to use up all of those turkey leftovers. Here are my top 6 ideas for cooking with leftovers.
Soup
This is definitely a classic in my house, as nothing beats a good bowl of soup on a cold day. Simply dice up some leftover roast turkey and add it in instead of chicken in your favorite soups. Here are two great leftover turkey recipes for soup:
By J.J. Kunkle from The Fit Life
The Thanksgiving my husband and I share is a bit different than most. We love our families, but because Thanksgiving tends to focus on food and eating, it’s the one holiday we typically reserve for just the two of us.
Aside from the occasional fish dish, we eat a vegetarian diet. In addition to eating vegetarian, we also eat very health consciously—avoiding processed foods, preservatives and salt as much as possible. So, since we’ve been together, on Thanksgiving we take off for the Smokey Mountains. We rent a nice, little one bedroom cabin and together, cook a nice vegetarian meal for Thanksgiving. Then we spend the long weekend hiking in the mountains. Last year we made quinoa stuffed red peppers.
Read Full Post >
Thanksgiving can be a difficult holiday to navigate on a diet but not if you’re a contestant on NBC’s The Biggest Loser. This year, cooking expert Aida Mollenkamp will prepare a healthy Thanksgiving feast for the trainers and past season contestants on The Biggest Loser: Where Are They Now?
Mollenkamp, a chef, television personality and food writer, has a holistic approach to cooking delicious dishes for her friends and family. Following graduation from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, she moved to Europe, where she trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Since then, Mollenkamp has worked at several restaurants and hotels in the United States, from the California Pizza Kitchen to Hotel Bel-Air, in Los Angeles, California.
In addition to her experience in the hospitality industry, Mollenkamp has been an editor for CHOW Magazine, a host on Food Network and Cooking Channel and is writing a cookbook due out in Fall 2012. No matter what she is doing though, one thing is for sure: she’s usually thinking about food. On the Cooking Channel’s foodCrafters, Mollenkamp leaves the kitchen to discover the best handmade foods from around the nation.
Whether she’s cooking a feast for national television or an intimate dinner for friends and family, Mollenkamp has a holistic approach to cooking wholesome, healthy foods with fresh, sustainable ingredients.
Read Full Post >
Wendy Gregory Kaho blogs about the care and feeding of a gluten-free family at Celiacs in the House.
As the holiday season approaches, those new to the gluten-free diet, and even those with years of experience, can feel a sense of dread with all the opportunities for gluten in holiday gatherings and foods. How do we share the spirit of the season without the effects of an accidental “glutening?” I’ve gathered tips to make this a safe, joyous, and gluten-free holiday. 
Communication is key to staying safe and gluten-free during the holidays. Linda Etherton, the Gluten-Free Homemaker, shares tips for staying safe and gluten free when eating those holiday meals. Not only do we need to educate our guests and hosts to keep us safe, but it is also an opportunity to lovingly hint to our relatives that they may need to be tested for celiac disease or gluten issues, since this is genetic.
Planning is critical. Whether it is planning a safe dish to take to a potluck or party to planning an entire gluten-free meal.
Read Full Post >
Thanksgiving is full of traditions. The turkey, the pie, the stuffing, and the stuffing of bellies are all synonymous with Thanksgiving. Thankfully a growing tradition of Thanksgiving Day foot races is sweeping the country. More and more feasters are burning those calories before the tryptophan takes over and they become overfed couch dwellers for the afternoon.
Here are some of the best turkey day races the nation has to offer. Start a new tradition with your family and get a run in before you gobble.
1. 116th Annual YMCA Turkey Trot Buffalo, NY
Be a part of American history with this race. This is the oldest continually running footrace in North America, it’s even older than the Boston Marathon.
The 8K race brings more than 14,000 runners out in the brisk morning air. Each runner is asked to bring 2 cans of non-perishable food, making it a huge charity opportunity as well. What a way to celebrate the holiday!
2. Manchester Road Race. Manchester, Connecticut
The Manchester Road Race began in 1927 with just twelve runners. Today the 4.748 mile race welcomes over 15,000 runners and walkers. This race is celebrating its 75th anniversary and continues to see elite runners, professionals, and Olympians every year. The race also welcomes amateurs all the way down to their “mall walker” category. This long standing race is accustom to seeing running superstars like nine-time champ Amby Burfoot toe the line. The historic course and the supportive crowds are what have kept this race in business for so many years.
Read Full Post >
