Christmas in the Time of Calories

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Turkey Breast with Mushroom Gravy

128 g turkey breast, roasted, skin removed: 160 calories

Gravy:

1/4 cup nonfat, plain yogurt: 28 calories

Third of a cube of no-salt vegetable bouillon: 5 calories

18 grams frozen Asian mushrooms: 4.5 calories

1/4 cup water

Directions: Simmer the bouillon until broth is made in the water. Add mushrooms. Continue to simmer until much of the liquid has evaporated off. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt. Serve over turkey.

Cranberry Relish

47 g cranberries per serving: 23 calories

Water to cover cranberries: 0 calories

Splenda/sucralose to taste: 0 calories

Ginger powder to taste: 0 calories

1/4 lemon (including peel), minced: 0 calories

Directions: Boil the cranberries until they pop and most of the liquid has cooked off. Add lemon and Splenda/sucralose and ginger powder to taste. Should be tart but not overwhelming. Serve warm or chilled.

Cauliflower Mashed "Potatoes"

100 g cauliflower per person: 25 calories

2 tablespoons fat free sour cream per person: 25 calories

Garlic powder to taste: 0 calories

1 tsp flax oil: 80 calories

Directions: Steam the cauliflower until very soft. Mash in the sour cream. Season with garlic powder to taste. Drizzle with flax oil just before serving (after removing from heat.)

Jack Daniels Pumpkin

1 cup canned pumpkin per person: 80 calories

5 ml Jack Daniels per person: 15 calories

Splenda/sucralose to taste: 0 calories

Cinnamon: 0 calories

Half-salt : 0 calories

Directions: Mix the pumpkin and the Jack Daniels in a sauce pan. Bring to a low boil. Add a dash of half-salt, Splenda/sucralose and cinnamon to taste. Reduce heat and simmer for half an hour. Serve hot. Dust with cinnamon or nutmeg before serving if desired.

"Miss Tenacity's" Ginger Ricotta Cheesecake

1/4 cup fat free ricotta: 45 calories

30 g (1/8 C) EggBeaters: 15 calories

1/2 T whole wheat flour: 12.5 calories

1/2 of a two-teaspoon packet of Splenda/sucralose: 0 calories

1/4 capful vanilla extract: 0 calories

1 scant teaspoon powdered ginger : 0 calories

Directions: Combine all ingredients, stirring until smooth. Pour into small Pyrex bowl sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, until top is lightly browned and puffy. Set dish out on a rack to cool.

CR Punch

3 oz pinot noir: 64 calories

1 cup Diet Cherry 7-Up (or diet cranberry ginger ale): 0 calories

Michael's entire dinner was only 629 calories. Since his breakfast was 622, and his lunch was 592, his total calories for that day were 1,843, only a little higher than his average caloric intake of 1,787.