Holiday recipes for Blue Swayers from Gender Dreaming

[atomic sagebrush]

Before we get to the recipes, first a word from our "sponsor!"

If you haven't done so already, I'd like to urge everyone to buy a Dream Membership to Gender Dreaming. It's $12 for a full YEAR, a dollar a month, (not $12 a month like some people have thought.) This money goes to support the site, helps keep atomic unemployed so she can help swayers as a full time job, and keep things up and running for everyone. The site owner has a lot of expenses affiliated with keeping the site functional, and I for one really appreciate having a site that WORKS.

Basically, it's not really about what you "get", it's about supporting the site. But here's what you get anyway. Dream Members have access to private forums so you can post about personal issues privately. Trolls and spammers will be banned IMMEDIATELY rather than allowed to run amok for days like they were on IG because all the moderators are able to ban trolls and not just one person. We have a few paid-for studies that you can check out (including the Dutch study and the Oxford study) and hopefully more of these to come in the future. The complete French Gender Diet and the complete IG FAQ for the benefit of IG-style swayers, because no one can get onto IG any more (and if they don't like it, they can fix their site LOL).

And if in the future you do decide to go HT, there are extensive private forums for HT and also perks involved with some doctors offering discounts to Dream Members.

Finally, I am now focusing primarily on the Dream Members section (sorry, I just can't keep up and would rather do a few things well than everything badly) so if you post there, you will get an answer from me personally.

I will always post basic swaying information to be free for everyone, but I am currently working on 3 cookbooks, the Low Everything Diet for pink, the High Everything Diet for blue, and an In-Betweener Diet for pink swayers who don't need to/want to cut back too much, and blue swayers who are vegetarian. These will be 200-300 pages long with hundreds of recipes, and are designed to be healthy, delicious, gourmet diets that you can stay on indefinitely, rather than exercises in slow torture that will endanger your health. (I hope to have way more time to work on these now that I've cut back on my q and a in the other sections.) Dream Members have access to my complete diets and I will post the recipes in the DM section as I go the cookbooks are completed.

Anyway, on to the recipes!!!!!

[atomic sagebrush]

You may have a lot of ideas in mind for the holidays already (one great thing about the HE Diet, you can feel good about splurging over the holidays) but if not, here are some extra-meaty, dairy-free/low-dairy recipes just because. These are some more elegant suggestions beyond Campbell’s Soup and hamburger.

Cocktail PartyMost of us have friends or family over for drinks at least once during the holiday season. Here are a few ideas and recipes you can serve proudly without having people question wonder where the meat went.

Plus, you can use any or all of these to complement any of the other meals below!!

First of all - the most important component of all - the booze.

Wine (2 glasses)
(250 cals, 0 fat, 0 pro, 0 sodium, avg. 200 mg potassium)

--Lemon Drop
1/2 oz vodka
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1 sugar **** or sugar packet

Sugar to the rim of an old-fashioned or martini glass (directions above), and drop a **** or packet of sugar into the bottom of the glass. Pour vodka and lemon juice into a stainless steel shaker over ice (or blend and add ice ****s to finished drink) and shake until completely cold. Pour into the prepared glass and serve.

--Chelada

Men love this and it’s very high in potassium, for pink swayers who need some and blue swayers who want more!! This sounds gross but it’s actually very yummy and if you’re saving cals, you can use lite beer.

Per serving:

1 fresh key lime (If not available, use a half of a small lime)
1 oz. Clamato, cold
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes Habanero pepper sauce if desired
1 12 oz can/bottle of beer, cold

In a shaker with ice (or you can blend in a blender - having the beer and Clamato cold, you really shouldn‘t need ice), combine key lime juice, Clamato, Worcestershire sauce and Habanero pepper sauce; shake well to chill. Pour into a beer glass and top with beer.

The Snacks:

Easy and quick - mixed nuts, chips, pretzels, crackers, christmas cookies, etc.

--Crudites

An array of fresh vegetables on a pretty platter with dip (you don’t have to eat the dip!) If you get a tray from your grocery store, it’s easy too.

More complicated (remember, taking on projects like cooking for a cocktail party is a great way to boost testosterone!!)

--Roasted Olives (from Lindsay Olives)

2 c grape or cherry tomatoes
1 cup Lindsay Brand Black olives
1 cup Lindsay kalamata olives (pitted)
1 cup Lindsay garlic-stuffed green olives
Optional - 1-2 c small button mushrooms (not in the recipe but I thought it might be good)
2 t fresh rosemary (I HATE rosemary and I would use basil instead this but it is what the recipe calls for) 1 t fresh thyme
8 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
Black pepper if desired

Combine all ingredients and toss to coat veg well with the oil mix. Roast in a 425 oven for 15-20 min until tomatoes have shriveled and browned. Let cool slightly and transfer to serving dish. Serve with pita or toasted baguettes.

--Asparagus Crostini

2 baguettes, sliced into ½ in. slices
1 c olive oil
Sea salt
2 lbs asparagus
1 ½ lb smoked salmon
1 round of Brie cheese, if desired
Black pepper if desired

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or grease with olive oil.

Lightly brush baguette slices with olive oil. Spread onto baking pan. Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper if desired. Bake for 5-7 minutes.

In the meantime, cook asparagus for 2-3 min. and then drain. Cut into 1 in. pieces.

To assemble, place a small piece of salmon atop the crostini , then 2 pieces asparagus. Top with a small slice Brie if desired. Garnish with a sprinkle black pepper if desired. Serve immediately.

--Skewered Chicken and Avocado

This is very easy to assemble and pretty low fat. I added the salt, sugar, chili paste, and olive oil to the recipe - the original only had the lime and cilantro and it seemed bland to me - but if you want to omit them, go ahead.

1 c fresh lime
1 t salt
½ t sugar
2 T olive oil
½ c cilantro, chopped or a couple squirts of cilantro paste
1 squirt chili paste or a couple drops of Tabasco (DON’T go overboard)
2 avocados, peeled and ****d
2 cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pint cherry toms
1 green pepper, cut into ¾ in. squares
1 mango, peeled and cut into ****s (if you don’t like mango, use pineapple)
White cheese such as Manchego or Monterey Jack if desired (you can totally omit this or substitute button mushrooms instead!)
16 10 inch skewers (you can cut them in half if you’d like to make smaller servings)

Combine lime, salt, sugar, chili paste, cilantro. and olive oil in a bowl and whisk together. Add avocado, cherry tomato, chicken ****s, green pepper and gently toss to ensure ingredients are well-coated. Thread all ingredients on 10 inch wooden skewers, leaving a little room at the end of the skewer to grip it. Brush remaining marinade onto skewers. Serve with lime wedges so guests can add extra lime if they want.

--Beef and Mixed Mushroom Skewers (adapted from Family Circle)

1 lb small red potatoes (about 1 in diameter) boiled till tender and cooled, about 15 min.
2 heads of elephant garlic, peeled, with cloves left whole (save small ones for another purpose) tossed in the cooking water with the potatoes for the last 5 min of cooking and cooled
2 T balsamic
5 T olive oil
2 T chopped fresh oregano
2 t McCormick brand (or other similar) Montreal Steak seasoning
1 ½ lb mixed mushrooms, like button, shiitake, cremini, etc
1 8-10 oz rib eye steak, cut into 24 ****s

Combine oil, vinegar, oregano, and 1 t steak seasoning. Set aside. Heat broiler and grease a broiler pan. Thread potatoes, mushrooms, garlic cloves, and beef on 8-10 skewers (if you don’t have metal skewers, you may need to poke thru the beef with the tip of a knife first.) Place on the broiler pan and brush generously with oil/seasoning mix and sprinkle ½ t remaining steak seasoning on top.

Broil on middle rack for 5 min, rebrush with oil/seasoning on the second side and sprinkle that side with ½ t steak seasoning. Broil an additional 5 min until garlic and shrooms are tender.

--Beer-Simmered Grilled Sausages (from Steven Raichlen, King of BBQ!)

Note - I prefer blue swayers use a Foreman or similar indoor grill to avoid the carcinogens that can form in charcoal and propane grilled meat but once in a while, it will not hurt anything.

8 mild Italian sausages or bratwurst (nitrate free is best)
1 thinly sliced onion
3 c beer
1 T olive oil
Several mustards (go for different looking ones)

Poke each sausage a few times to allow steam to escape. Lay onions in a large frying pan and add beer and enough water to cover. Set heat at medium - you are going for a rapid simmer but NOT boiling. Poach sausages in this liquid until about half-done, 4-5 min. Remove sausages, brush them with oil, and grill on an indoor or outdoor grill for another 4-6 minutes until casings are browned and sausages are cooked through. Cut in bite-sized pieces, spear with toothpicks, and serve with an array of several different fancy gourmet mustards.

[atomic sagebrush]

You may have a lot of ideas in mind for the holidays already (one great thing about the HE Diet, you can feel good about splurging over the holidays) but if not, here are some extra-meaty, dairy-free/low-dairy recipes just because. These are some more elegant suggestions beyond Campbell’s Soup and hamburger.

Cocktail PartyMost of us have friends or family over for drinks at least once during the holiday season. Here are a few ideas and recipes you can serve proudly without having people question wonder where the meat went.

Plus, you can use any or all of these to complement any of the other meals below!!

First of all - the most important component of all - the booze.

Wine (2 glasses)
(250 cals, 0 fat, 0 pro, 0 sodium, avg. 200 mg potassium)

--Lemon Drop
1/2 oz vodka
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1 sugar **** or sugar packet

Sugar to the rim of an old-fashioned or martini glass (directions above), and drop a **** or packet of sugar into the bottom of the glass. Pour vodka and lemon juice into a stainless steel shaker over ice (or blend and add ice ****s to finished drink) and shake until completely cold. Pour into the prepared glass and serve.

--Chelada

Men love this and it’s very high in potassium, for pink swayers who need some and blue swayers who want more!! This sounds gross but it’s actually very yummy and if you’re saving cals, you can use lite beer.

Per serving:

1 fresh key lime (If not available, use a half of a small lime)
1 oz. Clamato, cold
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes Habanero pepper sauce if desired
1 12 oz can/bottle of beer, cold

In a shaker with ice (or you can blend in a blender - having the beer and Clamato cold, you really shouldn‘t need ice), combine key lime juice, Clamato, Worcestershire sauce and Habanero pepper sauce; shake well to chill. Pour into a beer glass and top with beer.

The Snacks:

Easy and quick - mixed nuts, chips, pretzels, crackers, christmas cookies, etc.

--Crudites

An array of fresh vegetables on a pretty platter with dip (you don’t have to eat the dip!) If you get a tray from your grocery store, it’s easy too.

More complicated (remember, taking on projects like cooking for a cocktail party is a great way to boost testosterone!!)

--Roasted Olives (from Lindsay Olives)

2 c grape or cherry tomatoes
1 cup Lindsay Brand Black olives
1 cup Lindsay kalamata olives (pitted)
1 cup Lindsay garlic-stuffed green olives
Optional - 1-2 c small button mushrooms (not in the recipe but I thought it might be good)
2 t fresh rosemary (I HATE rosemary and I would use basil instead this but it is what the recipe calls for) 1 t fresh thyme
8 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
Black pepper if desired

Combine all ingredients and toss to coat veg well with the oil mix. Roast in a 425 oven for 15-20 min until tomatoes have shriveled and browned. Let cool slightly and transfer to serving dish. Serve with pita or toasted baguettes.

--Asparagus Crostini

2 baguettes, sliced into ½ in. slices
1 c olive oil
Sea salt
2 lbs asparagus
1 ½ lb smoked salmon
1 round of Brie cheese, if desired
Black pepper if desired

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or grease with olive oil.

Lightly brush baguette slices with olive oil. Spread onto baking pan. Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper if desired. Bake for 5-7 minutes.

In the meantime, cook asparagus for 2-3 min. and then drain. Cut into 1 in. pieces.

To assemble, place a small piece of salmon atop the crostini , then 2 pieces asparagus. Top with a small slice Brie if desired. Garnish with a sprinkle black pepper if desired. Serve immediately.

--Skewered Chicken and Avocado

This is very easy to assemble and pretty low fat. I added the salt, sugar, chili paste, and olive oil to the recipe - the original only had the lime and cilantro and it seemed bland to me - but if you want to omit them, go ahead.

1 c fresh lime
1 t salt
½ t sugar
2 T olive oil
½ c cilantro, chopped or a couple squirts of cilantro paste
1 squirt chili paste or a couple drops of Tabasco (DON’T go overboard)
2 avocados, peeled and ****d
2 cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pint cherry toms
1 green pepper, cut into ¾ in. squares
1 mango, peeled and cut into ****s (if you don’t like mango, use pineapple)
White cheese such as Manchego or Monterey Jack if desired (you can totally omit this or substitute button mushrooms instead!)
16 10 inch skewers (you can cut them in half if you’d like to make smaller servings)

Combine lime, salt, sugar, chili paste, cilantro. and olive oil in a bowl and whisk together. Add avocado, cherry tomato, chicken ****s, green pepper and gently toss to ensure ingredients are well-coated. Thread all ingredients on 10 inch wooden skewers, leaving a little room at the end of the skewer to grip it. Brush remaining marinade onto skewers. Serve with lime wedges so guests can add extra lime if they want.

--Beef and Mixed Mushroom Skewers (adapted from Family Circle)

1 lb small red potatoes (about 1 in diameter) boiled till tender and cooled, about 15 min.
2 heads of elephant garlic, peeled, with cloves left whole (save small ones for another purpose) tossed in the cooking water with the potatoes for the last 5 min of cooking and cooled
2 T balsamic
5 T olive oil
2 T chopped fresh oregano
2 t McCormick brand (or other similar) Montreal Steak seasoning
1 ½ lb mixed mushrooms, like button, shiitake, cremini, etc
1 8-10 oz rib eye steak, cut into 24 ****s

Combine oil, vinegar, oregano, and 1 t steak seasoning. Set aside. Heat broiler and grease a broiler pan. Thread potatoes, mushrooms, garlic cloves, and beef on 8-10 skewers (if you don’t have metal skewers, you may need to poke thru the beef with the tip of a knife first.) Place on the broiler pan and brush generously with oil/seasoning mix and sprinkle ½ t remaining steak seasoning on top.

Broil on middle rack for 5 min, rebrush with oil/seasoning on the second side and sprinkle that side with ½ t steak seasoning. Broil an additional 5 min until garlic and shrooms are tender.

--Beer-Simmered Grilled Sausages (from Steven Raichlen, King of BBQ!)

Note - I prefer blue swayers use a Foreman or similar indoor grill to avoid the carcinogens that can form in charcoal and propane grilled meat but once in a while, it will not hurt anything.

8 mild Italian sausages or bratwurst (nitrate free is best)
1 thinly sliced onion
3 c beer
1 T olive oil
Several mustards (go for different looking ones)

Poke each sausage a few times to allow steam to escape. Lay onions in a large frying pan and add beer and enough water to cover. Set heat at medium - you are going for a rapid simmer but NOT boiling. Poach sausages in this liquid until about half-done, 4-5 min. Remove sausages, brush them with oil, and grill on an indoor or outdoor grill for another 4-6 minutes until casings are browned and sausages are cooked through. Cut in bite-sized pieces, spear with toothpicks, and serve with an array of several different fancy gourmet mustards.

[atomic sagebrush]

Hanukkah

--Artichoke Jalapeno Potato Pancakes (from Reser’s Fine Foods)

I’m assuming you already have your preferred recipe for latkes and do not need another. This is something different.

Also, I am not 100% sure this is kosher so I apologize if this is a dud recipe.

2 ½ c mashed potatoes (you can use the premade ones they sell in the deli or freezer, or mash your own.)
½ c Artichoke Jalapeno Dip (you’ll find this in your grocery deli - Stonemill Kitchen is one brand but there are others out there.)
¼ c grated parmesan (you can omit this if you like)

2 T minced red pepper
2 T minced fresh Parsley
1 c dry bread crumbs or panko

Oil for frying.

Mix mashed potatoes, dip, parmesan, peppers, and parsley together till well blended. Shape into 12 patties and coat with bread crumbs. Fry cakes in oil over med-low heat until golden, about 5 min per side.

I’m giving you a couple different choices for vegetables, remember when swaying blue, you should aim for 9 servings of fruits and veg every day, in a variety of different, bright colors. There are also some more great blue friendly vegetable side dishes in the In-Betweeners thread if these two don’t thrill you.

--Wilted Spinach with Pine Nuts and Raisins

My son is deathly allergic to pine nuts - they can be replaced with slivered almonds or sesame seeds.

2 6 oz. bags baby spinach
¼ c raisins (can use golden raisins or a mix of the two)
¼ t salt
2 T pine nuts (or slivered almonds or both) and you can increase this amount if you like
Pinch of black pepper
Olive oil if desired

Steam spinach in a large pot. Add raisings and salt and pepper and stir to combine. Garnish with pine nuts and/or almonds and drizzle with olive oil.

--EASY Moroccan Spiced Carrots

1 lb carrots, cut into coins and simmered in water for 8 min, drained.
2 T olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
½ t powdered ginger (or use fresh minced)
½ t curry
½ t cumin
1/8 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1 T fresh mint

Heat oil over med. heat and and cook garlic (and fresh ginger, if using) for about 1 min - do NOT brown! Add spices and stir until well combined. Stir in carrots and mint and stir until combined.

--Onion Brisket (from Sunset Magazine)

beef brisket (7 to 8 lb.)
2 envelopes onion soup mix (1 oz. each)
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 onions (1/2 lb. each), peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
Salt

1. Trim and discard fat from brisket; rinse meat. Lay brisket, fattiest side up, in a 12- by 17-inch roasting pan. Sprinkle onion soup mix, brown sugar, and onions evenly over meat. Pour wine evenly over onions. Cover pan tightly.
2. Bake in a 325º oven until brisket is very tender when pierced, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. With 2 wide spatulas, transfer meat to a platter. Let meat and juices cool about 2 hours. Cover separately and chill until meat is cold, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.
3. Lift off and discard solid fat from pan juices. Thinly slice brisket across the grain, leaving slices in place; with a wide spatula, transfer neatly to pan with juices. Cover pan tightly with foil.
4. Bake in a 350º oven until meat is hot, 40 to 50 minutes. Serve with pan juices. Add salt to taste.

--Applesauce

Applesauce sounds daunting and it is a bit time-consuming. But it’s so easy it doesn’t even really NEED a recipe - nor should it, because different apples have such different levels of sweetness that it’s almost impossible to standardize the amount of sweetener you need.

Peel and core as many apples as you like, of any variety you like, and put them into a saucepan (bigger is better) with a small amount of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium heat, allowing water to simmer and cook the apples. Add more water as the water boils away. After several minutes (the more apples you are preparing, the longer this will take, and some varieties take longer than others) the apples will get very soft and begin to melt. Some varieties of apple will simply disintegrate into a nice chunky sauce, while others you might want to mash with a potato masher as they simmer (wait until they’re fork-tender to do this). The longer you simmer them, the more they’ll break apart, but if you want a very consistent, fine-grained applesauce, you’ll need to let it cool and puree it in a food processor. If you like it chunky (like I do!) then skip the pureeing.

After the apples are as saucy as you want them to be, you can begin to add sugar to taste. A big batch of tart apples will obviously take quite a lot of sugar, even as much as a cup. You can also add some cinnamon.

--Apple Pie Rugelach

One of the few Rugelach recipes I saw that did not have a lot of dairy. (from Good Housekeeping)

For dough -

3 c all-purpose flour
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 c butter (no substitutions), softened
3/4 c granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 t vanilla extract

On waxed paper, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. In large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar 1 minute or until creamy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Add egg and vanilla; beat until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour mixture just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl.

For filling:
1 c raisins
2/3 c walnuts, finely chopped
1/4 c packed brown sugar
1 1/2 t apple pie spice
3 T granulated sugar
1/2 c plus 1 T apple butter

Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a disk; wrap each disk with plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough 4 hours or overnight, until firm enough to roll. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix currants, walnuts, brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon apple pie spice. In cup, mix granulated sugar with remaining 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Between 2 sheets of waxed paper roll 1 disk of dough into 9-inch round. Remove top sheet of waxed paper. Spread dough round with 1 heaping measuring tablespoon apple butter; sprinkle with 1/2 cup fruit mixture, leaving 1/4-inch border around edge.

With pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut round into 12 wedges. (If dough becomes too soft to work with, place in refrigerator 10 to 15 minutes to firm up.) Starting at curved edge, roll up each wedge jelly-roll fashion. Place cookies, point side down, 1 inch apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet; shape into crescents. Brush tops lightly with water and sprinkle with some spiced sugar. Bake cookies 15 minutes or until golden-brown. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough, fruit mixture, and spiced sugar.

Store cookies in tightly sealed container, putting waxed paper between layers, at room temperature up to 2 weeks or in freezer up to 3 months.

--Date and/or Apricot Kugel (Good Housekeeping)

This does have dairy but that’s not a bad thing on the HE Diet!!

8 oz wide egg noodles
1 8 oz. cottage cheese
8 oz. sour cream
1/4 c packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1/3 c water
1 t vanilla extract
1 c chopped dates OR apricots (you may wish to make 2 kugels, one of each, just for fun)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat medium saucepot of water to boiling over high heat; cook noodles as label directs. Drain. In large bowl, with wire whisk, mix cottage cheese, sour cream, brown sugar, egg, water, and vanilla. Add prunes and noodles and toss well. Spoon mixture into 9-inch square baking dish. Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

(345 cal, the original recipe called for skim dairy but I replaced it with full fat, so has a lot of fat, 14 g pro, 230 mg sodium, good source of potassium)

SWEET POTATO (yam) LATKES

Ingredients

* 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded (I use a food processor to do this, but you can use a cheese grater)
* 2 eggs, lightly beaten
* 1 tablespoon brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or Matzo meal if you prefer)
* 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1. Place sweet potatoes in a colander. Place a cheesecloth over the potatoes, and squeeze the potatoes to release as much liquid as possible. Let the potatoes sit to release more liquid, then squeeze again.
2. In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes, eggs, brown sugar, flour, cloves and cinnamon; mix well.
3. Heat oil in large heavy skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Form mixture into pancake size cakes, and fry in hot oil. Flip cakes after 2 to 3 minutes (when bottom is browned) and brown other side. Drain on paper towels, and serve piping hot!

[atomic sagebrush]

Holiday goodies

[atomic sagebrush]

Christmas Eve Dinner

[atomic sagebrush]

Christmas Morning BreakfastFor Christmas morning, you want something special, delicious, and yet not something you have to slave over while you miss every joyous moment. I think this recipe fits the bill!

--French Toast on the Grill with Sausage (this recipe does have dairy, but it‘s divided into several servings so the content is minimal.)

Note - I prefer blue swayers use a Foreman grill or similar indoor grill to avoid the carcinogens that can form in charcoal and propane grilled meat but once in a while, it will not hurt anything.

Breakfast sausage (nitrate-free is best - enough to feed your whole crew)

8 slices pound cake cut ½ in thick
2 eggs
2 T maple syrup
1 c whole milk
1 t vanilla
Powdered sugar

Have your indoor or outdoor grill ready to cook! Brush grill with a small amount of oil to prevent sticking and grill sausages (turning frequently) until the casings are browned and they are getting crispy. (about 5 min.) Move to the edge of the grill or into your oven at 250 degrees to stay warm.

Mix eggs, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla. Dip pound cake slices into egg mixture (don’t let it soak, just 2-4 seconds per side) and place cake on hot grate, diagonally to make pretty char marks. Of course, you can also fry them in a skillet in some butter but grilling them is more fun! Grill until lightly browned, 2-4 min. per side.

On a serving dish, arrange 1 serving French Toast beside 1 serving sausage (2-4 depending on appetite) and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with warm maple syrup and butter.

[atomic sagebrush]

Christmas Dinner

These are not sky high in calories - remember, you don’t have to eat BILLIONS of cals to sway blue, just as long as you eat some protein and carbs at every meal and snack.

--Proscuitto Wrapped Dates (from Sunset Magazine)

This does have just a smidge of dairy, but you can omit it or substitute a whole walnut!! Prosciutto is a kind of Italian ham you can find in your local deli or you can substitute a strip of bacon - just make sure to cook until the bacon is done.

3/4 cup (6 ounces) goat cheese
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
24 whole pitted dates
6 thin slices prosciutto

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a fork. Slice dates lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, other side. Open dates; place 1 rounded teaspoon cheese mixture into each date. Cut 1 prosciutto slice in half lengthwise and then crosswise to make 4 equal pieces. Repeat procedure with remaining prosciutto to form 24 pieces. Wrap each date with 1 prosciutto piece; place dates on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes or until filling is thoroughly heated. Serve immediately.

--Chicken Salad Dijon with Grapes (adapted from Delano Farms)

Not a traditional Christmas salad BUT it’s colorful, easy, and a way to sneak in some extra meat!

1 lb chicken breast, cooked and ****d (to cook, rub with 1 t olive oil, sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper, and grill for 3-5 minutes or bake at 350. Cool and ****.)
2 t olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 T whole milk, plain yogurt - this is a miniscule amount of dairy.
3 T Dijon mustard
1/3 c chopped celery
1/3 c black seedless grapes, halved (or you can use red, or both)
1/3 c chopped red apples, unpeeled
If desired, add ¼ c slivered or sliced almonds and/or ¼ c walnuts (if you go up to the ½ c nut option, you’ll need to make a hint more dressing by adding another T mustard and yogurt.)

Whisk together oil, yogurt, mustard to make a dressing. Add chicken, celery, grapes, and nuts if desired. Garnish with extra leaves from your celery and/or a couple of whole grapes, if you like.

(Serves 4 at ¾ c serving which is a pretty big mound of chicken salad - if you’re serving more people, you may wish to simply serve smaller portions, ¼ or ½ c, since you’ll have a lot of other stuff to eat. For 4 servings - 175 cal, 5 g fat, 27 g pro, 235 mg sodium)

--Curried Tomato Soup

1 med onion, chopped
1 clove minced garlic
2 t olive oil
¾ t curry powder (with curry powder, you often get what you pay for so you may want to go with a brand name rather than cheap brand)
1 ½ lb. tomatoes, halved, cored, seeded, and peeled if desired (drop into boiling water for 30 sec than into ice water and remove peels - I did not peel and it turned out just fine)
1 ½ c organic chicken broth
1 T fresh basil, minced, or generous squirt herb paste
¼ t salt
1/8 t pepper
Brown sugar if desired

Cook onion and garlic in oil till tender. (don’t brown garlic!) Add curry and stir for 1 minute, then add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes and allow to cool slightly. Process in a food processor, a half-batch at a time, until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding a pinch or two of brown sugar (when I tested this, it needed sugar but if your toms are sweet, you may not.)

(6 servings, 61 cal, 2 g fat, 3 g pro, 296 mg sod)

--Green Beans and Potatoes in Chunky Tomato Sauce (from Eating Light)

A great way to get some potassium without ODing on calories!!

1 1/2 T olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 c diced red potato
1/2 c chopped celery
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 lbs green beans, trimmed
1/4 c water
1/3 c chopped fresh cilantro
3/4 lb plum tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1/4 t ground red pepper

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add potato, celery, salt, and beans; sauté 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup water; cover and cook 5 minutes or until beans are crisp-tender. Add cilantro and tomatoes. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 4 minutes or until tomatoes begin to soften, stirring occasionally. Stir in peppers.

(70 cal, 3 g fat, 2 g pro, 160 mg sod, good source potassium)

--Onion Brisket (from Sunset Magazine)

Same recipe as for Hanukkah above.

beef brisket (7 to 8 lb.)
2 envelopes onion soup mix (1 oz. each)
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 onions (1/2 lb. each), peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
Salt

1. Trim and discard fat from brisket; rinse meat. Lay brisket, fattiest side up, in a 12- by 17-inch roasting pan. Sprinkle onion soup mix, brown sugar, and onions evenly over meat. Pour wine evenly over onions. Cover pan tightly.
2. Bake in a 325º oven until brisket is very tender when pierced, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. With 2 wide spatulas, transfer meat to a platter. Let meat and juices cool about 2 hours. Cover separately and chill until meat is cold, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.
3. Lift off and discard solid fat from pan juices. Thinly slice brisket across the grain, leaving slices in place; with a wide spatula, transfer neatly to pan with juices. Cover pan tightly with foil.
4. Bake in a 350º oven until meat is hot, 40 to 50 minutes. Serve with pan juices. Add salt to taste.

(268 cals, 12 g fat, 27 g pro, 350 mg sod)

--Chocolate Indulgence (from Baker’s Chocolate)

This recipe has a lot of cholesterol to help raise that testosterone.

1 pkg (6 squares) Baker’s Bittersweet Baking Choc
¾ c butter (1 ½ sticks)
4 eggs
1cup sugar
½ c flour

Microwave choc and butter for about 2 min until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate melts and cool to room temp. Beat eggs and sugar until thickened and light. Add choc mixture and stir in with wire whisk (not mixer). Sprinkle with flour and continue whisking gently until it’s incorporated. Pour into greased and floured 9 in round cake pan.

Bake at 350 for 30 min until center is set. Cool 5 minutes and carefully remove from pan, then cool completely on a wire rack. It should serve 8-10 depending on size, and you may garnish with powdered sugar, berries, whipped cream, chocolate curls, etc.

[Hobbermittens]

THANK YOU, Atomic!! This is awesome!! I am totally making that Olive recipe for xmas eve. I was looking for something new and delicious! I think we might try the artichoke jalapeno pancakes, too. We do Hanukkah as well as xmas (that's how I was raised, with one Jewish parent, and we did both holidays, so I have been trying to do the same with my kids, though we put the emphasis on Chistmas). We also make sweet potato (or yam) latkes... those are yummy too. I can add the recipe if anyone wants to try them!

[atomic sagebrush]

Yes Hobber, please add it! I didn't want to go too all-out with the latkes because I know everyone has their family recipe but I LOVE latkes, we have them every year and I would love to give your recipe a try!!