Crockpot Turkey Chili

1 lb. ground turkey

1 small onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 small can tomato paste
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1 can red kidney beans with liquid
1 28 oz. can peeled whole tomatoes with juice
1 C frozen corn

Start by browning the turkey with the onion in a large saucepan.

Meanwhile, dump the whole tomatoes with juice into a blender and blend until most of the chunks are removed.

Now, here’s the tough part… Dump everything into the Crock Pot. Be sure to incorporate the tomato paste into the rest of the ingredients.
Cook on low for 6 hours.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! Sadly, Mr. Tote and I aren't hosting this year. We really would have loved to host, especially with our new house and everything. The picture above is from last year's Thanksgiving, which we hosted in our small apartment. So much has happened since last year! So much to be thankful for. Here's a few things I am thankful for...

This man, my best friend...

Our two crazy "children," Ozzy and Athena. And I am also thankful for the opportunity to rescue such wonderful animals, including Pandora who enriched my/our life for seven years.Our home. I took this picture one morning when the sun was streaming into our family room. It's one of my favorites.

And I am so thanful for our wonderful God. Without Him, none of this would be possible. So, I leave you with the following verse:

"When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you." ~Deuteronomy 8:10

Have a wonderful day, friends. May it be filled with food, family, friends and fellowship.

Turkey and Corn Chowder

With the weather cooling down and the wind gusting, I have been dying to make some soup. I pulled out some leftover turkey breast and corn "off" the cob that I had from corn season out of the freezer. I used Paula Deen's Chef Jack's Corn Chowder recipe as a guide, but I modified it majorly. Hello!?!?!? Two sticks of butter!??!?! Ridiculous...

1 Tbsp Brummel and Brown yogurt spread
1 small onion, diced
15-20 baby carrots, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups white corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1 C cooked, diced turkey breast
3 cups chicken stock
1 C fat free half and half
1 C 1/2% Milk
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 C COLD water
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in the soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic, and saute for 2 minutes.

Add the corn and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the half-and-half and milk and bring to a simmer. Mix the cornstarch with COLD water. Slowly add the mixture until the soup thickens (you may not need all of it to thicken the soup).

Add the nutmeg and salt and pepper, to taste, right before serving.

This soup really hit the spot. It was thick and full of flavor. We'll definitely be making this again!

WW Points per serving (1/6th of the recipe): 3 points

Turkey Stuffed Zucchini

This is a great recipe I found over at Gina’s Weight Watchers Recipes. Without ground turkey on hand, I used 95% lean ground beef. I also added some marinara sauce on top, which was a great addition, for only one extra point.

2 medium zucchini
1/2 tsp butter
1/4 onion, finely diced
1/2 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp white wine
8 oz (1/2 lb) ground turkey, or 95% lean ground beef
1 large egg white
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fat free chicken broth
2 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp dried basil
Salt and fresh pepper

Preheat oven to 400°. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and using a spoon or melon baller, scoop out flesh, leaving 1/4" thick. Arrange in a baking dish. Chop the scooped out flesh of the zucchini in small pieces.

In a large saute pan, melt butter and add onion, shallot and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add chopped zucchini and season with a pinch of salt, cook about 2-3 minutes. Add wine and cook until it reduces. Add ground turkey and season with salt and pepper, cooking until turkey is white, breaking up in smaller pieces. Add paprika, garlic powder, marjoram and basil. Mix well and cook another minute.

Place turkey meat in a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool. When cooled, add parmesan cheese and egg white, mix well. Using a spoon, fill hollowed zucchinis with stuffing, pressing firmly and top with bread crumbs. Place chicken broth in bottom of the baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake 35 minutes.

WW Points per Serving (serves 2): 4 points; 5 points with 1/4 C warmed marinara per person

Whole Wheat Pasta with Turkey Sausage, Spinach and Pine Nuts

Right before Christmas, WW was having a half-off sale on all of their cookbooks. I picked up a great cookbook, In No Time: Delicious Dishes in 20 Minutes or Less, for a whopping $3.50. The cover recipe is the pasta dish we made for dinner tonight. I split this 4-person recipe in half, but used the total amount of spinach that it called for.

Ingredients (Serves 4):
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 lb. hot italian turkey sausage, cut into 1/4" thick rounds
2 Tbsp. pine nuts
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 package (9 oz.) fresh fettucine - I substituted whole wheat spaghetti
1 bag (9 oz.) spinach

Bring 3 quarts water to boil in a large saucepan, over high heat.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the pine nuts, garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the nuts are lightly browned and the sausage is dark brown, about 2 minutes.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Return the pasta to the saucepan. Add the sausage mixture, spinach and reserved liquid. Toss to coat.

WW Points per Serving (prepared as directed): 7 points