Watch the calories during the Holidays

The holidays are approaching and you can do it while still watching your weight. Here are a few receipes to help you through the holidays.

Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without stuffing. But, as you know, butter-soaked bread cubes (aka stuffing) aren't exactly low in calories. And NO ONE (luckily, that includes you) should be stuffing-less on Turkey Day. Good news. It's not only insanely delicious, it's scary-low in calories and fat, too. WOW! OK, enough of our yapping -- here's the recipe...

Ingredients:
6 slices Wonder Light Bread, any variety (or another light bread)**
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup fat-free broth, chicken or vegetable; room temperature
1/4 cup Egg Beaters, Original
1 tbsp. LAND O LAKES Whipped Light Butter
2 cloves garlic; finely chopped
salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme

Directions:
For best results, leave bread uncovered for a night or two, until slightly stale. Otherwise, begin by lightly toasting bread. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut bread into 1/2-inch cubes. In a medium-sized pot, combine broth, celery and onion. Cook for 8 minutes at medium heat. Remove from heat and add mushrooms and garlic. Season mixture to taste with salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Spray a medium-sized baking dish with nonstick spray, and place bread cubes in it. Once veggie-broth mixture has cooled slightly, add Egg Beaters and butter. Pour mixture evenly on top of bread. Mix gently with a fork. Bread cubes should be moist, but not saturated. If necessary, add 1-2 tablespoons of water. Cover with foil and cook for 20 minutes. Remove foil and fluff/ rearrange stuffing. Return to oven (uncovered) for 10 - 15 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Serves 5.



Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 88
Fat: 1.5g
Sodium: 305mg
Carbs: 16g
Fiber: 4g
Sugars: 4g
Protein: 7g

* 1 Point! on weight watchers

**Nutritionals may vary depending on the bread you use.

The fat orange fruit (yes, it's technically a fruit 'cuz it has seeds!) Grab a can of pumpkin and your trusty box of Fiber One, and get busy! We

Ingredients:

For Crust 2 cups Fiber One bran cereal (original) 1/4 cup light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown); melted & mixed with 1 oz. water 3 tbsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, granulated 1 tsp. cinnamon

For Filling One 15-oz. can pure pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling) One 12-oz. can evaporated fat-free milk 3/4 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, granulated 1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)1/4 cup sugar-free maple syrup 1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/8 tsp. salt Optional Topping: Fat Free Reddi-wip Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a blender or food processor, grind Fiber One to a breadcrumb-like consistency. Combine crumbs with all other crust ingredients. Stir until mixed well. In an oven-safe 9-inch pie dish sprayed lightly with nonstick spray, evenly distribute mixture, using your hands or a flat utensil to firmly press and form the crust. Press it into the edges and up along the sides of the dish. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for the filling. Mix well. Pour mixture into pie crust. (Filling may be taller than the crust -- trust us, this is okay!) Bake pie in the oven for 45 minutes, and then remove it and allow to cool. Chill in the fridge for several hours (for best results, chill overnight). Cut into 8 slices, and if you like, top with Reddi-wip before serving!

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Serving Size: 1 slice Calories: 133 Fat: 3g Sodium: 236mg Carbs: 28g Fiber: 9g Sugars: 8g Protein: 6g POINTS® value 2*

Apple Crisp

POINTS® Value: 4Servings: 8Preparation Time: 15 minCooking Time: 75 minLevel of Difficulty: Easy

This dessert was devoured in minutes at our last recipe tasting. Great warm or cold. Even better with light vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients
4 large apple(s), peeled, cored, cut into 1/8-inch slices (6 cups sliced apples)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar, divided
2 Tbsp Minute Tapioca, or other brand
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, or freshly grated nutmeg (fresh preferred)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place rack in bottom third to middle of oven.
In a large bowl, toss together apple slices, lemon juice, 1/4 cup of sugar, tapioca, cinnamon and nutmeg; let stand for about 30 minutes.
Spoon apple mixture into an ungreased 9-inch square baking dish, or glass or ceramic pie plate; cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make topping, in a small bowl, combine flour with remaining 1/2 cup of sugar; mix until completely blended. Add melted butter; work in thoroughly with fingertips.
After pie has baked for 30 minutes, remove from oven and discard foil. Sprinkle topping over apples and bake, uncovered, until apples bubble and topping turns golden, about 35 to 45 minutes. Cool at least 2 hours before serving. Slice into 8 pieces and serve. Yields 1 slice per serving.

My favorite new accessory . . .

Over the weekend my husband convinced me to pick up a few fashion scarves to spruce up my wardrobe.  At first I was a bit skeptical.  Chadwick’s and metrostlye both accessorize with scarves throughout the catalogs and the models always look great.  However, would I look just as fashionable or just plain silly?  As I have mentioned before I am accessory challenged, but I have to say I love my new scarves.  They quickly and easily bring a bit of color and style to my wardrobe.  I received so many compliments from my co-workers, not to mention my husband, on how hip and adorable I looked.  It is amazing how such a small investment can update your whole look and give new life to your existing wardrobe.  Let’s be honest, we’re all trying to stretch our budget these days and a simple item such as a scarf or pin can help us to feel pretty without breaking the bank. I’ve already started to think about what great new accessory I can purchase next.  Will it be a great statement necklace, a shiny pin or a fun headband?  Let me know what your favorite accessories are and then be sure to check back to see what I picked. 

GG

Going to your 25 year High school Reunion

This weekend I went to my 25th High School Reunion. Yes, I am 43 years old.
How was it? Great!Many of my classmates I see on Facebook on a regular basis, but I prefer seeing people face to face.
If I were to report back who aged better...I am going to have to go with the Ladies!
Bottom line we know what to wear to make it work. What were the ladies wearing?
Some short casual skirts with sweaters, a couple dresses but mainly jeans.
I myself went with a great tweed sweater and skinny jeans tucked into my new tall black boots. I must say working for a Woman's Fashion Catalog definitely has its benefits. First I saw a few of the younger ladies around work wearing it, and then it was all over our catalog. Once I saw it in our catalog I knew exactly what I was going after. Ladies we may be getting older but lets face it, everyone likes to turn a head once in while. My motto, BE noticed, just don't stand out !
Don't be afraid to try a new look. Almost every trend can be worn in a Classy way.

Sweaters of the Season

Breast Cancer Awareness ♥ Share Your Story

As many of you may know we recently partnered with The American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, currently selling shirts with $5 of each sale directly benefitting this cause. We would like to take it a step farther though, to show our support during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we are asking you to share your personal stories on Facebook.

Simply click here to go to our Breast Cancer Awareness discussion.

Dos and Don’ts when you’re pregnant

First of all, make your weekends available around your due date!
I was happy enough to coordinate a baby shower for my dear friend, but I am now regretting it. She is due January 15th and so a few of us started to talk about planning her baby shower back in July and thank goodness we did.
There are 7 of us who are participating in hosting this shower and so the most difficult part “I thought” would be finding a date we ALL could attend. Boy was I wrong! The most difficult part has been finding a date that the “soon to be mother” can actually attend. Can you believe this? Attend her own shower? She has had every weekend booked since September into November. We really wanted to do this before the holidays because Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are so crazy for everyone and we figured the “mother to be” would want some time to get everything settled before her new bundle of joy is delivered with the holidays and all. Wrong! She’s been so difficult that we told her husband to just have her pick a day and low and behold it’s 2 days after Thanksgiving. So just a word of advice if you’re pregnant, please be accommodating so people can plan your baby shower.

Pink Month!

As many of you know October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Here at Chadwicks we have banded together with the American Cancer Society and for every “change” tee we sell, $5 goes to the ACS. For more information and to purchase a shirt click here.

Here are some other ways breast cancer is being supported this month:

Pink showed up everywhere on the football field this past week, with NFL players sporting pink gloves, sweatbands, and sneakers, coaches wearing pink hats, and pink jerseys being sold to fans.

Yoplait yogurt is putting 10 cents toward Susan G. Komen for the Cure for every yogurt lid that is mailed back to them before December 31, 2009.

Celebrities such as Taylor Swift and Audrina Patridge are supporting breast cancer by purchasing the LOFT bracelet. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation receives $5 for every bracelet sold.

Hershey’s hosted a Tour de Pink-four day, 220 mile bike marathon from Hershey, PA to NYC on October 2^nd. Over 170 survivors and supporters attended. Hershey is also selling their Hershey Bliss Chocolate in a pink ribbon wrapper.

What are you doing this month to support breast cancer?

Pink Shoes

You know the feeling you get when you get home and there is a package sitting right in front of the door..and for a minute you think what is that? But then, all of a sudden you remember what you ordered! For me it is a combination of exhilaration and at the same time thinking ohhh how I hope this fits!! Well that feeling happened to me last night. I felt like a child in a candy store- I hurried inside and literally threw my bag and coat on the floor. I raced to get a pair of scissors to open the box..and there they were- my magenta/deep fuschia wedding shoes that I had just ordered on Saturday. I was beyond excited! I stared at them for a few minutes in complete awe. The rush suddenly stopped when I put them on my feet and they were too big! I was so unbelievably disappointed- I am a size 5 shoe, and these were way too big. People are always in amazement at how small my feet are, but I find it to be quite challenging. It is so difficult to find cute shoes in my size. Sometimes I feel like I am the only person that has small feet. Looks like I am back on the hunt for the perfect wedding shoes!

What's in a Name?

My wife and I welcomed our little guy, Benjamin, into our lives 5 weeks ago (time is flying!), and we couldn't be happier... a little sleep deprived, but that's another story. When we go out, we get the normal questions from strangers- How old is he? How much did he weight? How long was he? One question we get a lot that surprised me was the meaning behind his name. We picked the name because we both liked it, it's not a family name or anything like that, we just realized we'd better like a name we're going to repeat a million times over the years!

It got me thinking, do most people pick names out for their children because of a special meaning or because it's a family name, or is it based more on what you like? Or maybe a mix of both, between the first and middle names? How did you decide on the names of your children?

If It's Free...

I love live theater, though I seldom get to Broadway (too far and too expensive). The closest I get is ushering at the local little theater group near where I live. In that way, I’ve seen some pretty awesome plays, but they don’t seem to have the room to do any musicals. And I just love seeing singing and dancing so it seemed like seeing Mama Mia (wasn’t Meryl Streep just a hoot!) was going to have to tide me over until somebody in Hollywood got the nerve to revisit that genre. But after reading an article online about Break Out in Song, I’ve determined that I could afford to see a musical, or at least a part of one-especially when it’s free.

Break out in song is a public arts project that puts on live performances of songs from musicals in public places and springs them on their unsuspecting audiences with incredible results. And I just wish I could be around when they show up next to work their magic. And magic it is—just look at the faces in the crowd when they are performing! It just makes me want to transplant the whole thing to Boston. Now if I my talents for singing and dancing could just be improved…

According to their website, they are now looking for suggestions of which numbers to perform in the future, I’m all for Make Someone Happy from Do Re Mi. Which production number would you vote for?
AEL

Single Again

So, here I am, 42 years old and I'm single again. I was married for over 11 years and with my ex-husband for over 13 all together. Needless to say, I was a little nervous about being completely on my own. I'm finding I love it.

I have a new apartment that I got to completely decorate on my own. I'm learning to do a lot of little things for myself, like hang pictures or kill creepy crawlies. (I hate bugs.) I am always busy, between work, the gym and my friends. I took a vacation for the first time in 20 years and had a great time. I've gone to a Red Sox game, a bachelorette party, played poker (and won!) and a variety of other things that I never had a chance to do before.

I suppose the one thing that still confounds me is dating. The last time I dated there was no Email, Twitter, Facebook, or Internet dating. I didn't realize that texting and instant messaging are now considered dates to some people. I have met some very nice men, some of which have turned out to be really good friends. I have also met some very strange people. It truly amazes me what some people will try to get away with on a first date.

The natural continuation of dating is what to wear. I have recently lost a lot of weight and have no idea on how to dress. Thank heaven I have my style divas here at Chadwicks. (Thanks ladies!) They have been wonderful helping me pick things out that actually look good on me and helping me put a wardrobe together. They are teaching me the fine art of accessorising and even how to wear heels again.

How about you other recently single women? Any advice on clothes or dating?

What could go wrong at the gym?

NOW THAT FALL IS HERE, I DECIDED IT WAS A GOOD TIME TO JOIN A GYM. I’M NOT VERY DISCIPLINED, SO EXERCISING AT HOME DOESN’T WORK FOR ME. MY GYM HAS A POOL, ALL SORTS OF CLASSES, AND THREE EXERCISE ROOMS WITH EVERY TYPE OF EQUIPMENT IMAGINABLE. IN ADDITION TO ALL THESE AMENITIES, A GREAT INCENTIVE IS THAT I’M PAYING FOR IT. I’VE BEEN GOING AT LEAST 3-4 TIMES A WEEK FOR A FEW MONTHS NOW, AND I MUST ADMIT, I’M REALLY ENJOYING IT. I HAVE MORE ENERGY AND CAN SEE MY BODY CHANGING (WHO WOULD’VE THOUGHT).

I’VE BEEN SPENDING ABOUT HALF OF MY GYM TIME ON THE TREADMILL. I’VE BEEN BUILDING UP MY SPEED SO THAT I’M COMFORTABLE DOING A FAST WALK/SLOW JOG. LAST WEEK I WAS FEELING REALLY GOOD. MY STRIDE WAS COMFORTABLE, MY HEARTRATE WAS WHERE I WANTED IT TO BE, I WAS MAKING GOOD TIME – LIFE WAS GOOD. SO I STARTED TO WATCH THE TELEVISION HANGING FROM THE CEILING IN FRONT OF ME. WHEEL OF FORTUNE WAS ON. THEY WERE TRYING TO GUESS A 4-WORD PHRASE. THE CONTESTANT CALLED OUT A LETTER AND THEN BOUGHT A VOWEL. IN LOOKING AT THE EMPTY BLOCKS, I STARTED TO THINK OF PHASES. MY PHRASE FIT INTO THE BLOCKS. I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT. DID I GUESS THE PHRASE?

THE NEXT THING I KNEW, MY BRAIN WAS SAYING WAIT A MINUTE, YOU’RE ON YOUR KNEES. HOW DID I GET HERE?? THE TREADMILL WAS STILL GOING. I’M NOW IN SURVIVAL MODE – WHERE’S THE STOP BUTTON? BEFORE I COULD FIND IT, I HAD ROLLED OFF OF THE TREADMILL AND ONTO THE FLOOR.

WHY IS IT THAT WHEN YOU FALL, YOUR FIRST REACTION IS TO LOOK AROUND TO SEE IF ANYONE SAW YOU. SO I LOOKED AROUND, AND THEY DID, AND THEY WERE LAUGHING.

WHEN I GOT HOME AND TOLD MY SON WHAT HAD HAPPENED, HE TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO FIND A NEW GYM. I LIKE MY GYM. I’M GOING TO STAY. WHAT ELSE COULD HAPPEN?

Lights, Camera, Beautiful!

So, I just wanted to Blog about my latest make-up purchase that I am completely in love with. I recently made a trip the local make-up counter and purchased a make-up kit by Smashbox to make my face look camera ready! I was a little skeptical at first, considering my new laugh lines and age spots that I have received since hitting 30, but I figured I would give it a shot. There are 5 steps, which may seem like a lot but it is totally worth it. It comes with a cd that gives you tips and a tutorial on how to apply the make-up, and after that all you need is a little mascara (my favorite) to complete your look. I would totally recommend spending the money to anyone who thinks their face could use a little help!!

By Coco

What I'm Watching...

What am I watching you ask? A LOT of different shows! Because of DVR my life is now surrounded around the TV shows I am watching/DVRing. I like to watch for the pure enjoyment of each show, but I also like to take notice of all the latest trends that are shown. I like to watch Gossip Girl, 90210, Grey's Anatomy, Vampire Diaries...all the girlie stuff, but that's where they show the best clothes! Who could forget The Hills and The City! The list goes on! Just think of how much money the wardrobe of each show costs...that's what got me thinking...if I see it on tv, where can I get it at a much lower price? I'm sure Chadwick's has something comparable to what you're seeing on the screen. Remember, it doesn't always have to be exactly the same, take the style as an idea and make it your own! Just take a look at the examples!

Grey's Anatomy - Chadwicks

Gossip Girl - Chadwicks

90210 - Chadwicks

By LB

What are you watching?

Is it just me or does it seem like there are a ton of new shows this year? It is so hard to pick the ones we want to watch. Luckily we have a DVR so we can watch even more shows! We figured we would watch all the shows that we think look interesting and then start to weed out ones that we don't really like. But sometimes we are DVRing two shows at a time so we have a bunch to go through. And with being so busy with work, my free time is limited. So if I want to get my house cleaned, bills paid, laundry and yardwork done, etc. I really need to watch less TV!

So far the definite new shows we like are Flash Forward and Modern Family. And our favorite returning shows are Big Bang Theory, Brothers & Sisters, The Biggest Loser and Grey's Anatomy. What are you watching?

To dress up or not?

How many of you out there still dress up for Halloween? How many of you dress up your pets?

I think the last time I dressed up was when I was 10 or 11. I found out  that I have to dress up this year for a party, so its time to start looking for costumes. I  don’t like to dress up so I always look for ways out of it. I think it's the mask that always has me dreading Halloween. 

I am a big Adam Sandler fan and so I decided to dress up as Happy Gilmore. All I need is a Bruins Jersey, sweatpants and Black boots. Living in Massachusetts I already own two of these, so I only have to go out and buy blue sweatpants.  All I have left to do is to bring some of my golf clubs with me. Are there any other easy costumes that wont cost much money and make it feel like your not really dressed up? I may need those ideas for next year. 

As for the pets I have a 6 month old German Shorthaired Pointer. My wife wants to dress him up for Halloween. I am not sold on this but most likely lose the battle and let her dress him up. The only problem is that large costumes for dogs are sold online and not in stores. 

Since I am set up with my costume already please let me know what costume I should get for Wrigley. I would love to know any web sites that have good deals on dog costumes as well. All help and recommendations would be great! These are my top 5 so far.