But I do have some great ones that I posted last year and would like to remind you of…

In “Thanksgiving Recipes: Let’s Talk Turkey,” I showed you a website with the secret for cooking a turkey with the juiciest white meat you’ve ever tasted.

And you’ll find delicious recipes for stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed or scalloped potatoes, yams, carrots and green beans. Sometimes, the old favorites are the best and that’s the case with these Thanksgiving recipes.

And then there are the Thanksgiving dessert recipes. You’ve got to try the Chiffon Pumpkin Pie.

Yes, I know it’s got a lot of calories. But it’s Thanksgiving… kick back and enjoy yourself… there are 364 other days to diet.

By the way, all of these recipes are from one of my favorite sites, Simply Recipes.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Again, for those of you who have I Love to Cheat, you already know what to do on Thanksgiving.

There were many wonderful Thanksgiving desserts to choose from. But I narrowed it down to five.

Just click the name of the dessert for a link to the Thanksgiving recipe.

Apple Cranberry Currant Crumble Pie Recipe

This pie would make a delicious dessert after any Thanksgiving dinner.

And I bet the smell of it baking in the oven is heavenly.

Pecan Pie Recipe

This recipe has less sugar than most, so you can enjoy the taste of the pecans. And it’s super easy to make.

Be sure to read the comments in Elise’s post for other variations on how to make this.
                      

Brandied Cranberry, White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Betcha never thought of brandied cranberries before?

For people who don’t like pie, this is a wonderful Thanksgiving dessert alternative.

Sweet Potato Pie With Pecan Topping Recipe

This is a Southern favorite.

Being from the North, I’ve never tried it. But that may change this year!

Be sure to read the comments in Elise’s post, too. There’s another recipe for Little Sweet Potato Pies that you won’t want to miss.

And finally, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving dessert without a pumpkin pie recipe. Here’s one with a mouthwatering twist…

Chiffon Pumpkin Pie Recipe

This is a special Thanksgiving dessert recipe that Elise describes as “wicked good.”

The whipped cream alone will kill anyone’s diet, but hey, it’s Thanksgiving. One day. Live a little!
                       

After all, what kind of Thanksgiving desserts did you expect from a website called I Love to Cheat Diet?

Technorati Tags: Thanksgiving dessert recipes, Thanksgiving, apple cranberry currant crumble pie, pecan pie, chocolate chip cookies, sweet potato pie, pumpkin pie

Elise has delicious recipes that even a cooking newbie like me can make and enjoy.

So it seems only fair that I share with you some of her excellent Thanksgiving dinner recipes.

For those of you who have I Love to Cheat, you already know how to incorporate these Thanksgiving recipes into your diet.

Just click the name of the food for a link to the Thanksgiving recipe.

Thanksgiving Roast Turkey Recipe

You’ve got to click over to Elise’s site to see how her mother makes a turkey with white meat that is moist and flavorful.

No dried out white meat here.
     

Elise will also give you tips on how to use the turkey heart and gizzard to flavor your Thanksgiving stuffing.

Thanksgiving Turkey Stuffing Recipe

Another winner from Elise’s Mom!

Elise will tell you how to infuse the stuffing with turkey flavor and whether it’s best to cook the stuffing in the bird or separately.
               

There’s even a video link to show you how to make the stuffing.

Now for the Thanksgiving side dishes…

Thanksgiving Cranberry Sauce Recipe

If you can resist this luscious-looking cranberry sauce, you’ve got more willpower than I do.

I don’t use the optional ingredients Elise lists.
                  

But take a look at her recipe and see if you like the options she suggests.

I was torn between these next 2 recipes because I love potatoes both ways.

Thanksgiving Perfect Mashed Potatoes Recipe

For the most buttery, creamy, heavenly mashed potatoes, you’ve got to get this Thanksgiving recipe.

Elise will tell you the secret. It’s so simple, anyone can do it.

I tried these potatoes. They’re delicious.

But as much as I love mashed potatoes, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving for me without scalloped potatoes. Here’s Elise’s recipe…

Thanksgiving Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

These scalloped potatoes will be on my Thanksgiving dinner table this year.

Elise uses more ingredients than I do, so I can’t wait to try her recipe. I never thought of using bacon in scalloped potatoes.

And for those of you who prefer yams…

Thanksgiving Spiced Sweet Potatoes (Yams) Recipe

I’m not a big fan of yams. But for many people, it’s a holiday tradition.

This recipe sounds so tasty, I might give it a try myself.
                   

And to top off the dinner portion of Thanksgiving, here are 2 great vegetable side dishes.

Thanksgiving Roasted Baby Carrots Recipe

These are the biggest baby carrots I’ve ever seen.

They’ll give your table a festive fall color and they taste great, too.
                

Thankgiving Green Beans With Almonds And Thyme Recipe

This is an easy recipe that will dress up any Thanksgiving dinner table.

The almonds are a nice touch, too.
                              
                 

Enjoy these Thankgiving recipes. Next time, we’ll talk dessert.

Technorati Tags: Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving recipes, Thanksgiving dinner, roast turkey recipe, turkey stuffing recipe, cranberry sauce recipe, mashed potatoes recipe, scalloped potatoes recipe, yams recipe, carrots recipe, green beans with almonds recipe

I’ve really enjoyed exploring the site looking for recipes that fit with I Love to Cheat. But the great thing is these recipes can be used with a lot of different diet plans.

I can’t possibly list them all, but here are a few new recipes for you. Just click the name of the food for a link to the recipe…

Roast Leg of Lamb, Mint Jelly, & Roasted New Potatoes Recipes

Even though I’m not a low-carb person, I want to point out that the Roast Leg of Lamb is a low-carb recipe.

For I Love to Cheat dieters, I’d use the simpler marinade that Elise talks about in the last paragraph before she lists the marinade ingredients.

On page 92 of I Love to Cheat, you can use these recipes for the lamb, mint jelly and new potatoes in the sample menu. The only change is to reduce the serving size of new potatoes from 4 oz. to 3 oz. cooked.

Same with the sample menus on pages 121 and 184. On page 221, reduce the serving size of new potatoes to 4 oz. cooked.

On page 158, substitute 5 oz. cooked of lamb with 2 tsp. of mint jelly for the lemon sole. You can still eat 4 oz. cooked of new potatoes. But I’d probably change the 1/2 cup of asparagus to 1/2 cup of snow peas.

Lasagna & Roasted Zucchini with Garlic Recipes

On page 94, replace the chili con carne with 5 oz. cooked of lasagna and 4 oz. cooked of zucchini with garlic.

On pages 138, 164, and 223, you can use these recipes for the lasagna and zucchini.

On page 188, replace the ravioli with 5 oz. cooked of lasagna, keep the garlic bread as is, and use this recipe for the zucchini.

Chocolate Mousse Recipe

Warning: It was pointed out by Denise in my comments section that this recipe uses raw eggs, which may pose a salmonella risk.

If you’re worried about this, click the link above.

Then check Elise’s comments section for an alternate recipe from another site which doesn’t use raw eggs. You can use that recipe instead.

Whichever recipe you decide to use, here are the sample menus that already have chocolate mousse or where you can make an easy substitution.

On pages 103 and 221, you can use either recipe for the chocolate mousse.

On page 130, replace the strawberry pie with 2 snacks: 1/2 cup of chocolate mousse and 1 small apple.

On page 163, substitute a 1/2 cup of chocolate mousse and a medium banana for the hot fudge sundae.

On page 185, replace the pudding and cookies with 1/2 cup of chocolate mousse.

Grasshopper Pie Recipe

Okay, I admit this one’s for me. If you’ve been reading this blog, you know I love mint and chocolate together.

Elise put this on her site for St. Patrick’s Day. But I think it’s good anytime.

I don’t have grasshopper pie in I Love to Cheat, so I’ll suggest where you can replace some of the desserts.

For example, you can substitute 1 serving of this pie for the parfait on page 102, the cream puff on page 131, the Key West lime pie on page 161, and the butterscotch sundae on page 193.

On page 230, replace the cherry pie with 2 snacks: 1 serving of this pie and 1 small apple.

Thanks again, Elise!

Technorati Tags: diet, dieting, lose weight, weight loss, recipes, sample diet menus, roast leg of lamb, mint jelly, roasted new potatoes, lasagna, roasted zucchini with garlic, chocolate mousse, grasshopper pie, I Love to Cheat diet

But when I ran across a site called Simply Recipes a few weeks ago, I got excited. Really excited.

Elise has delicious recipes that even I can prepare. For you low-carb dieters, she has a section with low-carb recipes. The Roasted Garlic Chicken Recipe and the Spinach Recipe listed below are both low-carb.

Elise also has sections for wheat-free, vegetarian, and quick recipes.

But I’m going to post the pictures and links to some recipes that can be used with the sample menus in I Love to Cheat or in menus you create yourself.

You’re also welcome to use these recipes if you follow another diet plan, but you’ll have to determine for yourself if they fit your diet.

I’ll post more at a later time. Just click the name of the food for a link to the recipe.

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe

(Photo Courtesy of Simply Recipes)

For I Love to Cheat dieters, here are sample menus that already have pancakes or where you can make easy substitutions.
   
On page 98, use this recipe as is, but adjust the size of the pancakes to approximately 4″ in diameter (meaning 4″ measured across the center from one side to the other).

Eat 3 pancakes with butter and maple syrup as listed. You can use the blueberries without making any other adjustments to the menu.

The same is true for pages 172, 202, and 232.

On pages 186 and 231, you can have the pancakes as described above, but top them with powdered sugar instead of butter and maple syrup.

On page 126, substitute 3 of these pancakes (again, approximately 4″ in diameter) for the waffles, keep the butter the same, and change the amount of maple syrup from 4 Tbsp. to 2 Tbsp.

Roasted Garlic Chicken Recipe

(Photo Courtesy of Simply Recipes)

Here are some sample menus that already have roasted chicken or where you can make easy substitutions.

On pages 93, 159, 193, and 218, you can use this recipe to make the roasted chicken for dinner. You can use any leftovers for lunch in the menus on pages 113, 142, 202, and 232.

On pages 123 and 127, you can substitute chicken for the pork chop or the roast beef for dinner. Use the same portion sizes listed.

Chile Con Carne Recipe

(Photo Courtesy of Simply Recipes)

I Love to Cheat has a mild chile con carne recipe. So I thought you might like this spicier version for a change.

On pages 91, 94, 129, 144, 175, and 206, you can use this chile for dinner. On pages 156, 177, and 204, it will make a great lunch recipe. If you don’t want to make it fresh, you can just heat up any leftovers.

Spinach Recipe

(Photo Courtesy of Simply Recipes)

I felt like I had to put in a vegetable before the final 2 recipes. You’ll see why shortly.

This sounds like a delicious sauteed spinach recipe. In I Love to Cheat, you can eat 1/2 cup cooked of this spinach for dinner instead of the cauliflower or broccoli au gratin in the sample menus on pages 90 and 128.

On pages 162 and 182, you can replace the kidney beans at dinner with 3/4 cup cooked of spinach.

And finally, on page 204, just eat 1/2 cup cooked of this sauteed spinach instead of the one listed.

Dad’s Favorite Fudge Recipe

(Photo Courtesy of Simply Recipes)

On her website, Elise says this recipe is known as “fantasy fudge.” I can see why.

For I Love to Cheat dieters, you can use this recipe for the fudge listed in the snack section of the sample menus on pages 114 and 215.

It can also be used as a snack substitute for the banana nut muffin on page 99, the peanut chocolate candies on page 157, and the 2 cookies on page 179. Eat 2 pieces of approximately 1″ square each.

Mint Chocolate Pudding Cakes Recipe

(Photo Courtesy of Simply Recipes)

My neighborhood Girl Scout delivered my Thin Mint cookies on Saturday. So in tribute to the Girl Scouts, I thought I’d list this recipe.

Elise says the cakes are usually inverted and served with raspberries, mint leaves, vanilla or mint ice cream, or whipped cream.

I estimate the cakes at about 400 calories each. The raspberries are 50 calories for 1/2 cup and the ice cream is 150 calories for one scoop or 1/2 cup. The calories for whipped cream depend on the kind you use.

This is definitely a decadent dessert. It can be eaten under the snack category of these sample Indulge Menus in I Love to Cheat.

On page 102, substitute one pudding cake with a 1/2 cup of raspberries for the parfait and the plum. On page 129, substitute the same for the cherries and the hot fudge sundae. On page 160, use this substitution for the yogurt and cheesecake snacks.

You can eat whipped cream instead of the raspberries, but you’ll have to check the container for how much whipped cream measures out to 50 calories.

On page 187, you can substitute one pudding cake with one scoop of ice cream for the candy apple and the graham cracker snacks. On page 211, substitute the same for the cookies and the corn bread snacks.

Even with I Love to Cheat, these pudding cakes shouldn’t be an everyday item. Oh, who am I kidding? This ain’t Carrot Sticks ‘R Us. If you can work them into your menus without getting hungry, go for it.

Thanks, Elise!

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