Thanksgiving menu planning and the T-Day calorie counter

It's less than two weeks till Thanksgiving, here in the US. I can't believe it's so soon! Anyways, it's time to get the big meal plan under way. 

Turkey--check, mashed potatoes with lots of butter--check, praline-topped sweet potato souffle--check, green bean casserole--check, dinner rolls--check, bread stuffing--check, gravy--check, cranberry sauce--check, pumpkin pie--check, pecan pie--check, caramel apple cake--check    

Whoa! Time to see if my body can even handle this amount of food. Here's something that may interest you (calorie counter for Thanksgiving dinner). Simply enter the food you plan on consuming, and see what it all amounts to, and just how much exercise you'll need to do in order to burn it off. I know, I'm a spoil-sport, making you see just how gluttonous we Americans are on the big T-day.

Anyways, check it out. It may help you refine and slim your Thanksgiving meal plan. I know it definitely inspired me to rethink our traditional favorites. 

I'll be making leaner versions of many of our family favorites, for example, serving pumpkin chiffon pie (instead of pumpkin custard, saves about 50 cals per serving) and skipping the pecan pie altogether. 

I'll do a lean green bean casserole (with a homemade alternative to the fried onions, and a mock cream of mushroom soup, shaving about 100 cals per serving). 

Substituting chicken broth for half of the butter in the bread dressing and the mashed potatoes (hey, even I like a little butter), will save about 35-50 calories per serving of each dish. 

I'm working on the recipes for some alternative ingredients in our family's favorite caramel apple cake, as well as in the cranberry sauce (I may use some stevia for part of the sugar, and applesauce for part of the fat in the cake). 

We may forgo the dinner rolls, as there will be bread stuffing, mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes -- probably enough starchy stuff. 

And I'm planning on adding a couple of healthier sides, like an apple slaw salad, and a kale and broccoli dish.

How about you? What's on your Thanksgiving menu? Do you give much thought to how heavy or light your Thanksgiving meal will be? 

Some people can just take small amounts of all these delicious foods. Not me. I'm not terribly disciplined if the food is all set out before me. I seem to do better if I begin by preparing lighter versions of our favorites.

Pumpkin-spice Cinnamon Buns

It really looked like November yesterday. The skies were gray with clouds, fog in the morning, just a few colorful leaves clinging to branches, and the air has turned quite cool. All of this outdoors, and then indoors, a cozy fire in the fireplace. It was a perfect day to bake something with a traditional fall flavor -- Pumpkin-Spice Cinnamon Buns.

These are a mildly sweet yeast bread, just as is, but a favorite of my kids when iced. The dough also makes a delicious crescent roll, without the added filling or icing, for the holiday table.

Pumpkin-Spice Cinnamon Buns

1/4 cup warm water
1  3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup warm milk
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
6 tablespoons (3/8 cup) canned pumpkin puree (if using homemade, strain in a mesh strainer for 30 minutes to thicken)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2  1/4 cups flour (adding more as needed)

In a medium-size bowl, soften yeast in the warm water. Add sugar and salt.

While yeast is softening, heat the milk in microwave. Stir in butter and pumpkin. When this is just lukewarm, add to yeast mixture.

Stir in spices and flour (1 cup at a time, until a nice dough forms, one that doesn't stick to a surface. Additional flour, as needed).  Knead dough 7-8 minutes. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour at 68 degrees F).

Punch down. Roll out into a rectangle, on a floured surface, until about 14 inches by 8 inches. Spread with soft butter (about 2 tablespoons). Sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Roll the dough up along the long edge, to make a roll 14 inches long. Pinch the seam. Cut into 16 mini cinnamon rolls.

Place on a buttered baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Cover and allow to rise until double, about 1 hour. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes (until tops are golden). Ice with a buttercream or cream cheese frosting, if desired.

These freeze well, unfrosted. When we want some, I thaw, heat briefly, then add icing.