Nutritious and delicious meals are important to everyone when feeding a hungry family.  However, food is more than nutrition for many people.  If you’re like me, cooking a beautiful meal is one of the ways that I show love.  Cooking makes me feel good.

Our holiday meals feature a traditional stuffed turkey as the centerpiece of the meal.  Then we surround the bird all the fancy fixings.  I’ve shared some thoughts last week about how to choose your holiday turkey – if you’d like to read it just click here.  Then come on back and I’ll tell you what that post got me thinking about.

As I was writing about choosing a turkey, I thought back on several holiday meals at which we had guests who were vegetarian seated at our table.  These guests were wonderfully polite and dug into all the vegetable dishes we had available, and there was quite an array.  But, here’s my thought – why should our vegetarian guests be limited to eating our standard side dishes?  Why can’t we create dishes that are more appealing, make more of a statement than a plate of, for instance, green bean casserole and mashed potatoes?

This year I am dedicating myself to making ALL my guests feel as special as I feel having them around my table.  I’m working on some “bountiful” dishes that will qualify as fancy vegetarian main dishes for our holiday meals.  I’ll share what I have so far with you so you can start developing a plan for your own vegetarian dishes.

Lentils & Pumpkin Curry with Apples

• 1 cup lentils
• 6 cups water

• 1 Tbsp. Canola oil
• 1 large sweet onion, diced

Cook lentils in water gently over medium-low heat for 45 minutes.  Drain and reserve the cooking liquid.

Heat oil in large sauce pan, add onion and cook over medium-low heat until onion starts to get transparent.

Add the following ingredients to large saucepan with onion:

• 1 small can diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoon curry powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• pinch of ground cloves
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper

Now, stir in the drained lentils and add 2 1/2 cups of the reserved liquid.

Add the following list of ingredients and continue to cook over low heat until vegetables are just fork tender, not mushy.  This should take around 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how low you let this simmer:

• 2 cups of diced pumpkin (make sure it’s the cooking kind and not the jack o’lantern kind) or other winter squash that you like will be good too.
• 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes or may like to use red potatoes.  Just scrub the potatoes, do not peel, and coarse dice.
• 1 small head of cauliflower, just the florets only cut into bite size pieces.
• 1 or 2 carrots, peeled and diced.

Now stir in the following ingredients and let cook for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once or twice.  Be sure you don’t let this cook too long.  You want the greens to be just wilted and the apples to be just fork tender, and not turn into applesauce.

• 2 tart crisp apples that are a good size.  Wash but do not peel.  Just core and coarse dice.
• 2 cups fresh chopped greens (kale, spinach, or what have you).  I like kale because it stands up better than spinach does.

Serve in a pretty serving dish on a bed of brown and wild rice.

Here’s how you can make this dish even prettier.  Serve it in a baked pumpkin or other winter squash “bowl.”  Bake a pumpkin by cutting off the top to form a “lid” and scooping out the seeds and stringy stuff.  Set the pumpkin in a baking pan and put a little bit of water in the pan.  Place a sheet of foil over the opening in the pumpkin and place the “lid” on the top of the foil.  You may want to wrap the “handle” with a little foil to keep it from burning up.  Bake your pumpkin in a 375 degree oven for about an hour, but check it at 45 minutes by sticking a fork inside to see if the flesh is soft. Keep the pumpkin bowl warm until your dish is completed.

Here’s another spin on a traditional dish, especially for Thanksgiving.

First Thanksgiving Succotash In Butternut Squash Boats

Wash and cut lengthwise 2 medium butternut squash.  Scoop out the insides and bake cut side down on a baking pan with a drizzle of canola oil covering the bottom of the pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes or until fork tender.  Remove and let cool.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and saute these ingredients until the onion just starts to get transparent:

• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced small
• 1 green bell pepper, diced small
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

Now, add to the large saucepan the following ingredients, and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally:

• 2 cups frozen baby lima beans
• 2 cups frozen corn.
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• pinch of nutmeg

When the baked squash has cooled down, carefully scoop out some of the flesh from the skins, being sure to leave the shells intact for filling.  If that means you have to leave some flesh in the shells, that’s okay.  Chop the flesh that you’ve removed and add to the saucepan.  Mix together, then scoop the mixture back into the baked butternut squash shells.  Top with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.

Place the stuffed squash underneath the broiler (about 6 inches) away and allow to brown, about 4 or 5 minutes should do it.

These dishes are pretty and festive, yes, but more importantly they are main dishes, not sides.  These dishes are not an afterthought; they honor your vegetarian guests just like your vegetarian guests honor you by accepting your invitation to share a special holiday meal.

Choosing harvest vegetables, beans, lentils, and colorful brown and wild rice, will give you plenty of opportunities to create dishes that will not only please your guests, but will make you feel good about feeding them!

That is why I chose this topic for Fuzzy Wuzzy Wednesday, because the holidays are all about making our family and friends, and ourselves, feel good inside!  I hope you have a great day today and a warm and wonderful holiday season.

Yesterday I talked about creating a strict budget for Christmas gifts.  That got me thinking about the toys in our house.  Spending money on more toys when the toy room is already full-to-overflowing seems rather foolish.  When I stop to think about it, some of those toys never see the light of day anymore.  Because I’m starting my gift list, I thought this would be the perfect time to reassess the toys in the house.

Before you start making your gift budget and list, it seems wise to figure out what toys you have that your child is not playing with, and question why the toy is not being used.  The following are general categories that I find most toys fall into.  Start in the toy room by sorting all the toys into these four categories:

Broken Toys – It can be difficult to fix or repurpose broken toys.  However, if you have the creativity to use the leftover pieces of a long lost game or puzzle, then by all means go ahead and create!  You can make very cute picture frames out of puzzle pieces, for instance.

Batteries Missing – This is a common reason that a toy may be discarded, especially if a child is not old enough to know that the toy quit working because it needs a battery.  As you clear out the clutter in the toy room, check each battery operated toy that is in good condition and see if it needs fresh batteries.

Ignored Toys – If a toy is in good condition but has lost its appeal it could be for several reasons.  The child may have outgrown the toy, the child may have changed interests, or, if the clutter in the toy room has gotten out of hand, the child may simply not be able to find the toy.  In this case, clearing out the clutter in the toy room can reap some real rewards!  New toys… well at least newly discovered.

Unopened Toys – These somehow got missed during gift giving time I presume.  For whatever reason, you have just hit the jackpot, as long as your children have not outgrown them entirely.  Hide them away safely and you’ve got some extra gifts.

Once you’ve sorted the toys into these groups, grab some boxes.

Starting with the broken toys, make a decision about whether you want to save any of the pieces for craft projects, etc., and discard the rest in an appropriate manner.  Broken toys are not welcome by charities as they can be dangerous and, basically, no fun.

The toys that are battery operated should be sorted to see which ones you want to keep, and which ones should be sold or donated.  For the toys you keep, add up the batteries you need, listed by the type of battery, and add that to your shopping list for the next time you run an errand.  Keep in mind that if you’re going to be selling any of the toys either at a garage sale or on an auction site, you may need to buy new batteries to guarantee the toy works.  Depending on where you donate your toys, you may need to prove the toy works before they take it.  In that case you’ll need fresh batteries for those donated toys.  In other circumstances, you may be able to donate toys without proving they work, in which case you would just want to be sure you remove the dead batteries from those donated toys.

The ignored toys need to be sorted as to whether they were outgrown, lost interest, or couldn’t find.  You can simply reintroduce the child to the toys that were just buried among the clutter.  If the toys have been outgrown they should be boxed up and either sold or donated.  You may want to set the toys aside that your child has lost interest in and bring them out again in a couple months.  If the child still has no interest, then box up those toys and get rid of them.

Unopened toys should be hidden away quickly.  This is your secret toy stash to use for Christmas time or anytime you need a gift for your child.  You can also re-gift if you’re careful and don’t give it back to the person who gave it to you.  This may be touchy, so just keep that in mind.  If your child has outgrown the toy that is unopened, you may consider selling it on an auction site or donating it to a hospital or other charity.

Now that you have a good idea of what is actually in your child’s toy room, you can help Santa plan for his Christmas shopping!  Clearing out the toy clutter before Christmas may produce some pleasant surprises, saving you a lot of money and headaches by eliminating those duplicate toy purchases.

I hope this project not only helps you clear out the toy clutter you’ve been accumulating, but also helps you with your gift list, and budget, for Christmas.

It may seem a bit early to be thinking about shopping for Christmas gifts, but, if you’re like me, trying to save as much money as I possibly can, you should probably start today.  Planning a more affordable Christmas this year doesn’t have to mean cutting out all the gifts, decorations, food, and fun.  You just need to start early, use your creativity, and base your shopping on good judgment.

Christmas time is supposed to be a time of joy and celebration.  If you are burdened with debt because you overspent on gifts, your heart will not be light and full of good cheer.  Those expensive gifts can become a burden that strips away the joy of the season.

Let’s look at some basic strategies for slashing the overspending that can occur at Christmas time.

Plan Your Gift Budget – This is so basic you would think that most people already do this, but many don’t, and that is where the trouble starts.  Don’t start with a gift list, start with writing down exactly how much you can afford to spend on Christmas gifts this year.  Don’t forget that you’ll need to budget for the rest of your Christmas expenses, too.  Things like decorations and food need to be budgeted for, so keep the total expense in mind.

Make Your Gift Recipient List – Write down everyone you normally buy a Christmas gift for.

Remove Some People From That List – This may seem a bit difficult, but you are almost guaranteed that after you go through your list, you’ll find someone that you really don’t need to buy a gift for this year.  If it makes you more comfortable, just move their names to the bottom of the list so you can remember to do something for them, even if that doesn’t involve buying a gift.

Plan Dollar Amount For Each Recipient – Write a dollar amount behind each name that you now have on your list, then add it up.  Are you outside your budget for gifts?  You’ll need to go back then and rethink each amount and adjust the figures until it fits within your gift budget.

Make Your Gift List – Now you can go through your list of names and start jotting down ideas for each person.  Because you’ve created a budgeted dollar amount for each individual, your ideas now have a limit.  The problem most people get into when they shop for gifts is that they create a gift list with gift ideas first instead of dollar amounts first.  To save your budget, always start your gift list with the dollar amount to be spent for each gift recipient.

Start Your Shopping Early – Yes, there are some great bargains to be found as you get closer to Christmas, but the panic that sets in usually ends up costing us more than we planned.  Last minute shopping narrows your choices.

Re-Think Gift Shopping – Consider more inventive options for at least some of the names on your list.  Shop smart and thrifty by looking through bargain basements and resale shops.  Yes, even a trip through the second-hand stores may prove to be rewarding.  You’ll never know what kind of fun and funky finds you’ll come across.  For instance, you might find great vintage jewelry that would be just right for a teenager.  You may even stumble upon some antique books.  And, what little princess wouldn’t like a big box of sparkly gowns to play dress-up in?  You’ll find racks of bejeweled, lacy, and shimmery dresses on the bridal and special events racks in most larger thrift shops.  Check it out before you head to the mall.

Homemade Gifts – If you are creative, if you can follow a pattern, if you can cook, or if you just have a desire to make something nice, put your skills to work and make a gift.  Something as simple as a pretty jar filled with bath salts can be just the right gift to give a friend in need of a relaxing moment. Gifts made from the heart are always appreciated.

Leave Yourself Off Your Gift List – If you’re tempted to buy yourself stuff while you’re shopping for gifts, you’ll need to give yourself a stern talking to!  There are so many lovely things out there in the store aisles and they all seem to be calling your name.  That is what is called “marketing to the impulse shopper.”  If you have no control, give your list to someone else who has more self-control and is willing to do your shopping for you.  Know yourself and avoid this pitfall.  Your budget can’t take it!

This is my frugal challenge to you.  Hold onto the joy of Christmas gift giving by setting your gift budget within your means.  Don’t go into debt in order to give gifts that you cannot afford.  Your family and friends would not like it if they knew their gift caused you a hardship.