Crustless Pumpkin Pie

This has to be one of my all time favorite Thanksgiving recipes!

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Makes 4 servings!

15 ounces canned pumpkin
1/2 c. egg beaters
1 1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 c. splenda

Mix all the ingredients together. Pour into pie pan sprayed with non stick spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then 375 for 35-45 minutes.

1/4 of the pie is a serving. If you do Weight Watchers, it is 3 points for 1/4 of the PIE!!!!!! WHOOT!!!!!

Enjoy!!!

How to Survive the Holiday Traffic!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner!

I have learned over the last few years that the holidays are not permission to eat all that you want and then some! The most important thing about the holidays is the company that you surround yourself with! The most important things are the faces around your table and what they mean to you and making the most of your time with them! You never know if that will be the last chance you get to see them!

I come from a BIG family! I love being around people! I enjoy the times I get to be with my family. I hate not being with them EVERY holiday, but treasure Christmas time when I get to be with them every year! I have some to realize that not everyone is that lucky to always be able to be with family! It is not too late to see if your co-workers, people that you attend church with or your neighbors have somewhere to go for Thanksgiving or Christmas. We are so excited this year to be having 2 families from our church join us for Thanksgiving! We are looking forward to a house full of laughter and yummy food!

If you can't think of neighbors, church people or co-workers, contact a local college and see if they have students that need somewhere to go for Thanksgiving dinner! I know (with having a college student) they would enjoy having a home cooked meal!

We need to get back to reaching out to the people around us and including them in our plans! You may never know what that will mean to people!

I am hoping over the next few days to post some of our favorite, healthy recipes for the holiday dinners coming up! I hope you will give them a try! You don't have to tell people they are healthy!!! I just make them and not tell my kids!! LOL!!

I hope that everyone has a most joyful holiday season and remember it's not about the stuff you get...but making the most of what you get to GIVE!!!

Keep on keeping on!!!!

The results of my 1/2 marathon adventures!!

So on Sunday, I totally stepped out of my comfort zone and did a 1/2 marathon! 13.1 MILES!!!! I was really very proud of myself! That was the most I had ever done in one day!

I had made a personal goal for myself of 4 hours. I really wasn't sure...but I knew that it had taken me 3 hours to do the 10 mile walk during my training. But really wasn't sure what to expect with so many people and a different route around the city!

I have to say that I had the best time!!! I had one of my very dear friends with me the entire 13.1 miles! We would check on each other every so often to make sure we were doing ok. We laughed and talked just about the entire way! We jogged and walked at different intervals. We NEVER QUIT!!!!

We enjoyed the people all around town holding signs, ringing pots and pans, cheering for everyone! Our favorite was an older couple standing out in their yard with a sign that said "Lamest parade ever!" But then they cheered for everyone going by! We met a lady who was standing at the edge of her driveway with a box of tissues and gave anyone that needed a tissue one to blow their nose. Then she had a bucket to toss them in. This brave lady was a cancer survivor and said that she hoped to be doing something like this once day! Touched my heart and caused me to toughen up and do a mile for her!

We also enjoyed different sightings of our families along the routes cheering and ringing cow bells and giving quick hugs to strengthen our spirits!

One thing that I saw that really hit home for me was that I was so very thankful for my running buddy Angela! We came up on a lady near the finish and she was crying a bit. We told her that she had it! That she was going go finish! She was alone and no one to encourage her along the race route! When you do something like this, it is very mentally taxing if you don't have someone cheering you every step of the way! You begin to fight the rough thoughts in your mind, you hear the "Oh you can't do this! and the What were you thinking? Make sure you have someone with you that will encourage you and cheer for you and you do the same for them! Yes, the lady did finish but I am sure that it was a huge struggle to do that alone!


We set out to do something together and we did it! We never left each other! We cheered for each other and was so blessed to have marathon runners coming up behind us cheering us on and telling us "You got this ladies!" "You are going to make it!" Guess what we did!!! We did 13.1 miles in 3:37:18 seconds! Was it the fastest time in the race....oh no, not by any means! But when you look at the obstacles and health issues that we have overcome to get to this point....it was like a Gold Medal performance for us! And it was!!!

God is so very good and blessed me beyond all measure to be able to do that race!!! I'm looking forward to doing other races...and yes I have a 5K here in a few hours. I am looking forward to a fun 3 miles!!! Seems like a piece of cake after 13!!!

Don't ever be afraid to try something new! You just never know...YOU MIGHT LIKE IT!!!

Keep on Keeping on!!!!!

Going On A New Journey!!!!

This week I have butterflies that are flying crazy in my tummy! Have you ever been so excited to go somewhere or do something that you just get so excited! I remember getting this feeling as a little girl when we would be going on vacation and would be so excited that I couldn't sleep the night before. I got this same feeling as I had both of my boys! I got this feeling as I stood in the courtyard of an orphanage in China! Once again I find myself with this same feeling! Hopefully it will all pass after Sunday!

Why Sunday? On Sunday morning at 7:00 CST I along with my friend Angela and 1598 other people will be participating in the Bass Pro Cohick 1/2 Marathon. I have been doing 5K's for the last 5 years consistently, but totally stepping out of my comfort zone to do this 1/2 marathon. I am very excited because it is doing something totally different and pushing me to reach deep and finish!

I have done 10 mile walk recently...so we will see how this 13.1 miles will go on Sunday! I am truly looking forward to doing this with one of my friends that has traveled this journey with me!

So I will post an update once we are finished on Sunday (AFTER I recover :o)

I challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and do something....even if it is walking down your drive way, your street or around your block!!! Help your body by MOVING!!!

Keep on Keeping on!!!

Sometimes You Get on a Detour!

Every so often on a journey, you come across the bright yellow sign that says Detour. What do you do in a detour? Do you panic because you are on a road that you are not familiar with or do you learn the route and learn the way to go so you know what to do the next time you come up on this detour?

This past weekend was one of those detour moments for me. It was a CRAZY Saturday and very full day on Sunday! Totally got off on a new road! On Saturday, we started the day off going to a movie premier, then had to get things ready for a homecoming football game and then off to a cookout with friends on a farm. Yes, when I went to the grocery store to get the things needed for said events. Then as we proceeded to go to all of these places...we packed a cooler to go to the cookout and took it to the football game. Once we got to the cookout, I realized that I left my turkey hot dogs in the fridge. I was very hungry at the cookout so yep...at two bratwursts! Although they were good, there were also some very yummy foods there. So it wasn't a good evening food wise...but lessons learned...don't pack so much in a day that you can't take the time to make sure you get the things that you need to be successful!

On Sunday we had friends over for a birthday celebration! Had a great menu planned...except for the appetizers! One of our friends brought those! They were great and with dinner being delayed a bit, with an unexpected "on call" moment. So we munched on appetizers until dinner time. It was a great day celebrating with friends...just not so good on this detour journey!

So on Monday....started back on the right road! Made up a little bit of the gain due to the foods that were consumed. And looking forward to keep on the right road!!!

Just remember...when a detour comes along...don't panic...remain calm and stay focused on the journey!!!

Keep on keeping on!

Antlers Wild Rice Soup

I LOVE LOVE LOVE to try new recipes! Last week one of my dear friends and I went to a cooking class at Silver Dollar City's Culinary and Craft School. I have enjoyed several of these classes over the last several years. All of the things she has prepared are wonderful. Well this class was no different. I did tweak the recipe to eliminate some of the fat and calories from it. So I will put my tweaks in where I substituted so that you can either make it the way she did or you can make some changes like I did to make it a more healthy choice.


1/2 cup uncooked wild rice (I used Uncle Ben's Whole Grain and Wild rice)
3-14 oz cans of chicken broth, divided (I used reduced sodium, fat free chicken broth)
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (I diced mine up)
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt (I used Mrs. Dash Onion and herb blend)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup heavy whipping cream (I used fat free half and half)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken

In a 4-qt. pot, combine uncooked wild rice, 2 cans of the broth, carrots, celery, and onion. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 35-40 minutes or until rice is tender but still chewy, adding the mushrooms the last 5 minutes of cooking.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt, and black pepper. Add the remaining can of chicken broth.. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute or more; stir in whipping cream. Add this mixture to the rice mixture, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken; heat through. Garnish with chives if you like. Makes 6-8 servings.

Nutrition facts WITHOUT the tweaks:
364 calories, 24 g. fat, 1016 mg. sodium, 20 g. carbs, 2 g. fiber and 20 g. protein
that would be 10 Weight Watchers points plus per serving.

With my tweaks it comes out to 4 Weight Watchers Points Plus per servings.

We really enjoyed it greatly!!!

Hope you enjoy it! It doesn't take really long to prepare!

Keep on keeping on!

Fall Time is COMING!!!!!

The temperatures are finally getting cooler after a very hot, dry summer. It is so refreshing to be able to get my walks in outside instead of on the treadmill. Don't get me wrong I like my treadmill, but I SOOOOOOO enjoy being able to take my walks outside.

With the cooler temps comes the soups and chili time of the year! Which is really my favorite!!! You can make so many healthy options for soups and chili!!! I LOVE a good vegetable soup and sometimes I will add in some ground turkey or some smoked turkey sausage for a little variety.

I all so love the fall craft shows and fun fall events! Today I went to Silver Dollar City with a dear sister friend of mine. It is their Cowboy festival. Now I have to say that the food at Silver Dollar City is out of this world!!! They have some of the best cooks around for a theme park!! But another reason that I love going to Silver Dollar City is the hills!! I used to just about curse those hills because I would be so winded coming back up them and would just wish that there would be a different way to get out of the park...but alas..NO! Silver Dollar City is set in the beautiful Ozark Mountains. So you start at the top and walk down into the valley to get to the shows and rides... Well...you really get a great workout walking around the park! I usually don't let myself eat a lot at the park. Every so often, we will eat at the park. But they will let you bring in your own coolers!! So it is very easy to pack up your favorite healthy snacks and it can make for a great day! Most amusement parks will also give you free cups of water! Take advantage of that! You don't have to drink the sodas! You will also save money!!!

Look for fun ways to get some walking in! You don't have to go to an amusement park to do it, although it really is fun! Find a nature trail close by and get a friend, your children etc to go walk those trails.

Go to the zoo if you happen to have one near by. Since the temps are cooler, the animals are more likely to be out and be playful! They enjoy the cooler temps too!

Go to the park and play ball or Frisbee with friends or family.

There are always fun things you can find to do, you just have to look for them sometimes!!!

Enjoy the beautiful weather and spending time with family and friends!!!

Keep on keeping on!