Thanksgiving (yeah, it's coming!) will be here in not too long, and this year we will be going to my aunts. I know it will be interesting to try to stay Zone in a typical Norwegian Thanksgiving situation, but I was wondering if anyone had ideas for dishes I could contribute that would be a little easier for me to deal with? I would love to find a veggie dish that's zone-friendly as well as being relative-proof as a side dish (my father is literally frightened of broccoli!), and some sort of pumpkin dessert that's not carbo loaded would be great (is there some sort of pumpkin tofu pie or something?) Looking for ideas! Thanks! Ronica

Hi Ronica! Here's a pumpkin cheesecake recipe from "The Formula: A Personalized 40-30-30 Weight Loss Program" by Gene and Joyce Daoust p. 178. I haven't tried this recipe yet but this book has many wonderful recipes. This recipe is supposedly : "served warm or cold, it's a lot like pumpkin pie, only richer." Pumpkin Mousse Cheesekcake 8 oz Philadelphia Brand Fat Free Cream Cheese 4 oz Philadelphia Brand 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese 1/8 cup granulated fructose 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 large eggs 2 Tbsp. lowfat sour cream 1 cup canned pumpkin 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1/4 tsp. ground ginger 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/8 tsp. ground cloves 30 grams of pure whey protein powder 8 Tbsp. of whipped cream Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease and flour an 8-inch round cake pan. In a large bowl, blend cream cheese, fructose, and brown sugar. Mix in eggs, sour cream, pumpkin, salt, vanilla, and spices. Blend in pure whey protein powder. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake the cake on the center rack for 35 minutes or until just set in the middle. Serve warm or chilled with whipped cream (note from starz: I suppose the whipped cream would throw it a bit off). Cake can be stored covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 8 days, or frozen. Makes 8 servings. per serving: 150 calories; Grams = C-15g, P-11g, F-5g Also, I tried e-mailing you again, Ronica... Let me know if you don't get it, K? :-) Donna (starz)

Thanks for the recipe, Donna, but I don't think I got the email. Sorry--unless it came in the last 2 minutes... I get so much junk mail in my junk mail folder (like I desperately need to increase the size of my whanger-- PLEASE! :shock: ), so unless it's clearly labeled from someone I know, I may not get it. Could you send me your address, and I'll try emailing you? I don't have your address. Thanks, I got a can of pumpkin tonight at Woodman's, so will be experimenting. I am a sucker for foods of the season--my favorite food is usually what's fresh and available now. Dr. Sears has an interesting article he wrote on Thanksgiving eating that I found in a search that helped, too. I am hoping to figure out a way to make a pumpkin dessert to take, maybe with Splenda, TVP, and soymilk so Jeff can eat it too. The cheesecake sounds delectable! :D Ronica

Hi Ronica! I've posted this recipe before, but it is SO Fabulous! I'll post it again! *********************************** [b:dc58111975]Baked Ratatouille[/b:dc58111975] [i:dc58111975]Recipe courtesy Gourmet Magazine[/i:dc58111975] Recipe Summary Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes Yield: about 3 cups 3 tablespoons olive oil 5 chopped garlic cloves 1 large eggplant (unpeeled), diced 2 green bell peppers, diced 2 large tomatoes, chopped 1 onion, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 large zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 4 ounces diced feta cheese (optional) Heat oil in a heavy, large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Add eggplant, green bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, zucchini and basil. Saute for 5 minutes. Cover and simmer until all vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Uncover pot and simmer until juice thickens, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mix in vinegar; season to taste with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread in 9-inch pie dish. Sprinkle with cheese, if desired. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. ***************************************** I adjust the olive oil measurements so that it is zoned and also, I substitute cottage cheese for the Feta. It is really, really good! I hope you try it and enjoy it! ~Michelle

DARN IT!! I forgot to say that I prefer the dish when the eggplant is [b:e6c9454326]peeled[/b:e6c9454326], too ~M

Wow, Michelle, sounds good! Very similar to a dish I make called Caponata (I think it's the Sicilian form of ratatouille, doesn't have cheese or zucchini, but lots of tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, _peeled_ eggplant, garlic, olives, olive oil, red peppers, spices, etc.). I make in large batches and then can it. If we meet sometime I can bring you some from my last batch. It's a great appetizer (with crackers for non-zoners), or served warm as a side dish. I also like to add a pint to a small tomato sauce can and serve over soy pasta with chicken or without. It does sound good--I'll have to try it. thank you! Ronica