Instead of heading towards snacking disaster, I’ve been relying on healthy, filling alternatives to tide me over until dinner. My new favorite go-to snack (which doubles as a nice side dish) is a Cucumber Salsa Salad that I’d like to think my mother and I created together. She was making a cucumber and tomato side salad with Italian salad dressing. I wanted the same, BUT didn’t want the calories of the oily dressing.

Mom suggested that I substitute the dressing with a couple of tablespoons of this Grandessa salsa that she bought at Aldi’s. We used Artichoke Garlic Mild Salsa, which is only 10 calories per 2-tablespoon serving. I also added 1/8 cup of crumbled blue cheese to enhance the overall taste. You can certainly experiment with different salsa flavors – I’m going to try Sweet Onion next. With the blue cheese crumbles, the recipe below is a little over 100 calories and can feed two people as a side or make a really filling snack.

Cucumber Salsa Salad

• 1 cucumber (sliced – I like to cut my slices in half)
• Fresh salsa (4 to 6 tablespoons)
• Blue cheese or feta cheese crumbles (~1/8 cup) [optional]

Mix all ingredients and enjoy.

Disclosure: This post was written in participation for Kathleen’s My Favorite Things Thursday.

Thanks to Hip 2 Save for posting the money-saving tip that got me a more than free Brita water pitcher. I purchased the slim Brita model at Walmart using a coupon for $4. The original price was $8.97. There is also a mail-in rebate for $10, which means that you actually make money with this deal. Scanning the comments of the original post, it may take a long time (they say 6 to 8 weeks), but the rebate check is $10 no matter what.

To Get this Deal, Use the:

• $4 off coupon for Brita pour-through pitcher – from your Sunday newspaper [Smart Source]
• $10 mail-in rebate form for buying a Brita water pitcher or faucet mount system

I had a Christmas wish list (or wish list for 2012) in my head that I didn’t tell anyone because I just planned on using Swagbucks or Amazon.com gift cards to get myself, BUT my sweetie surprised me this holiday with one of the items on my list. I really wanted a glass cake holder (I may have mentioned it under my breath one day…and he remembered). When I opened the gift, it was a complete surprise. He went above and beyond my request with the Essentials for the Home 6 in 1 Footed Cake Dome. This sizeable glass dream is incredibly heavy yet versatile.

You can use it for:

• Cake display
• Punch bowl
• Salad bowl
• Serving dish
• Vegetable dip platter
• Appetizer server

Absolutely love it.

I am participating in Favorite Things Thursday at Katherine’s Corner because this is definitely one of my favorite Christmas gifts.

Yes, I did come home with this dog-decorated oven mitt.

Purchased new for $1.99 at the Goodwill Store.

When creating holiday treats, Torani Syrups would like to help enhance your favorite drink recipes. Not only will you find the flair of seasonal flavors (like the Peppermint I got a chance to sample), but you can also experiment with a variety of options – from fruity (like grape and guava) to nutty (like macadamia nut and hazelnut). With hundreds of recipes, you can use Torani Syrups to create various beverages beyond holiday coffee – think Italian sodas and fruit yogurt smoothies.

I especially like the sugar free syrups because they are 0 calories and offer a burst of uncompromised flavor. I tried the Sugar-free Brown Sugar Cinnamon syrup (sweetened with Splenda) – adding it to my Diet Swiss Miss cocoa, and I loved it. One serving of the Peppermint  syrup is 90 calories for 2 tablespoons. I only added 1 tablespoon of the Peppermint syrup to my diet hot chocolate, and I was sipping on a winter wonderland. An added tablespoon to vanilla ice cream is also very tasty. I’m definitely going to make a few lattes this weekend using the syrup – Torani, milk and a little Maxwell House. Seriously, who would pay over $3 at Starbucks when you can experience your own coffeehouse creations…especially, when there are so many different flavors?

Torani Syrups that have caught my eye include Italian Eggnog, Huckleberry, Blood Orange, and Crème de Banana. If you find a flavor that is unavailable at your nearest store, you can order online – use ‘shespeaks’ as a special code to get 10% off of your order.

Disclosure: I received information and samples of Torani syrups so that I could conduct a review and/or giveaway if I wanted. I was not monetarily compensated for this post and my opinions are 100% mine.

GIVEAWAY

Up for grabs is 1 coupon (for 3 winners) for a FREE bottle of Torani Syrup.

[use the Rafflecopter form below – you may have to REFRESH or RELOAD to see the form]

Happy Thanksgiving readers to you and your family.  I’m a big fan of sweet treats, so I’d love to know what dessert you served this Thanksgiving.

I will have sweet potato pie and Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough pies this year.

Share your dessert by leaving a comment.

Homemade pies are a popular dessert for the holidays and adding an egg wash can create the finishing touch that visually ‘wows’ your family. Your final results depend on the part of the egg you use and the kind of liquid added to the wash. For every egg, you will use only one teaspoon of liquid.

Another way to spice up an egg wash is to add your favorite spice, such as cinnamon or nutmeg. Others will add a bit of flavoring to improve the overall taste. Below you will find the different ways you can enhance the appearance of your pie crust.

• For Shiny Crust – use whole egg & salt
• For Faint Shine on a Crust – use whole egg &milk
• For Matte, golden-brown Crust – use whole egg & water
• For Shiny, golden-brown Crust – use egg yolk & water
• For Shiny, golden-brown Crust – use egg yolk & salt
• For Shiny, dark Crust – use egg yolk & cream
• For pale, Crisp Crust – use egg white
• For Matte, golden-brown Crust – use heavy cream or half & half
• For Faint shine on a golden-brown Crust – use olive oil

I’ve used an egg white wash across lattice-top apple pies and love the glazed outcome.

Wow…so it seems that I’ve been protecting my pie crusts in the most tedious, time-consuming (and not always successful way). I used to cut small strips of aluminum foil and arrange them around the pie crust. Sometimes, the little strips would fall off, while other times, small pieces would cook into the mix.

A much, much easier way that I just learned is to cut a hole in the middle of a 12-inch square piece of foil that matches the size of your pie (excluding the crust). Fit the foil over the center of the pie and gently fold over the ‘ring’ around the crust’s edge. The foil will protect your crust from overcooking. I don’t know why this easy method never occurred to me before.

Does this work?

Just read that when making pumpkin pie, you can add marshmallows on the bottom and then add filling.

The marshmallows are supposed to rise to form a topping. Sounds like something I would like to try when making pumpkin tarts.

This holiday season, Mrs. Cubbison’s would like to make it easier for you to create special Thanksgiving memories at the dinner table with two new products: Multigrain Stuffing with Cranberries and Crispy Onions.

The Crispy Onions are perfect for your favorite Green Bean Casserole recipe. Made from fresh onions with all-natural ingredients, they smell and taste delicious. Outside of the Thanksgiving side dishes, the crispy crunch also adds texture to hamburgers and livens up salads. One serving (1 ½ tablespoons) is only 40 calories with no saturated fat content.

The Multigrain Stuffing offers nicely sized pieces of cranberries throughout the savory-smelling product. To make as a stovetop dish, all you need is two cups of low sodium broth and six tablespoons of butter (even though I always substitute for something with fewer calories). One 1/3 cup of dry stuffing is 110 calories. It definitely makes a colorful addition to the Thanksgiving dinner table.

Looking for Thanksgiving Tips?

Mrs. Cubbison’s has also created a website devoted to one of the most important family gatherings and mealtimes of the year – http://www.Thanksgivingtips.com . Forget calling the turkey hotline to get answers for your most pressing questions, Mrs. Cubbison’s offers solutions and tips for more than 30 of the most-asked Thanksgiving meal questions.

They also provide an Interactive Turkey Roasting Guide. Simply enter in your turkey info and when you want to eat, and then follow the instant instructions on cooking and serving your juicy masterpiece.

Other highlights of the new Thanksgiving resource include:

• Cooking Videos – with expert chefs that demonstrate how to successfully stuff a bird plus demos on making other side dishes
• Easy-To-Use Categorized Recipe Library – including creative ways to prepare and serve stuffing
• Facebook interaction – for those last minutes of panic

From those preparing their first Thanksgiving meal to eaters looking for healthy alternatives, I especially like how http://www.Thanksgivingtips.com offers tips and ideas for a wide range of home cooks. The website is extremely clean and well-designed. It does not overwhelm you, but instead creates an inviting space to learn how to improve your Thanksgiving meals – even if it’s your first turkey or your fiftieth. Other ways to make your holiday meals easier to perfect include following Mrs. Cubbison’s on Facebook or browsing some of their You Tube videos.

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.