Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey be plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have never a lump.

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize,

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!

From one of the 6 Hungry Chicks to all the others (and to all our "honourary chick" contributors & readers), may you have a blessed and beautiful feast this weekend, and may bounty and grace be your companions this winter!

Shel, Rick, Bob & Sarah

PS - Just thought I'd mention - before you all go gaga over the photo above - its a stock photo... my free-range gobbler is still awaiting the flame! I may have a way with words, but not with a camera... lol! ; )

Teriyaki Chicken (Barb B.)

OK Chicks - Here is one from an old (or is that "really experienced") chick! So quick and so tasty.

• As many breasts as you want (or other pieces). I have found frozen breasts thrown in frozen works best (and are the biggest time saver, they create some of their own juice and are the most moist)
• Teriyaki Sauce (the one you prefer from your local grocer or specialty store)

Put lots of teriyaki on the frozen breast and set them in the crock pot in the morning (or during your lunch "break"). Set at low if going all day. If doing a couple of hours before dinner, put on high.

I add a few cloves of garlic cut in half and a littlie soy sauce too.

It goes all-day when I start in the morning (add a sprig of thyme or whatever you want so it smells great when family/guests arrive)

Using the rice cooker with steamer I make my rice (your choice, white,brown, or gourmet) and do carrots and broccoli on top steamer of rice cooker. I do this about 20 minutes before serving the meal.

The dinner takes about 20 minutes of prep time from chicken to veggies -->(broccoli is lightly peeled on stems and separated, and carrots peeled and cut into long or nifty looking pieces).

Everyone loves it and kids think it is great. Once and a while check your chicken and make sure to brush the Teriyaki sauce on again or distribute, as needed. The darker and richer the look the better it tastes (but don't overdue - set on "warm" if you are not sure, edges should not look dry but nicely done). Serve on a platter with chicken on top and veggies around - or just dish it out!!

Ginger Carrot Soup - Dairy Free (Dawn)

My mom brought me some fresh carrots from her garden today so I decided to try making soup. I went online and found the following dairy free recipe for Ginger Carrot Soup and I really like it! We had it with dinner and then I put the rest in jars for the freezer. (Note all of the chopping!) lol

Ginger Carrot Soup

1 large white onion, chopped

4 stalks of celery, chopped

1 lb carrots, peeled and chopped

1 cup chopped apples

1 T. minced fresh ginger

2 T. honey

1 1/2 cups plain rice milk (or soy)

2 t. salt

1 t. pepper

1. In a 3-quart (or larger) stockpot over medium-high heat, heat 1.5 quarts of water with the onion and celery. Bring to a boil and add the carrots. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Add the apples and ginger. Simmer for 20 more minutes.

2. Working in batches, blend the soup starting at the lowest speed and work up to the highest speed until the soup is creamy. Return the soup to the pot and stir in the honey, rice milk and salt. Cook over low heat for 5-10 minutes or until soup reaches desired temperature and consistency, stirring occasionally and adding water if necessary.

Fettucini Alfredo with veggies & shrimp - lite version (Shelly)

This is a recipe Rick & I enjoyed back in our "kid free" days - but in those days, everything was full fat and butter! Times have changed... sigh - but this version is almost as good and we LOVE it... so do the kids. Its really quick too, though it does dirty a few pots. ENJOY!

Serves: 4 regular portions, 3 generous portions

Ingredients:
8 ounces fettucine (we use kamut, but traditional pasta, or whole wheat is great too)
1/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese if that is what you have on hand)
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup 1% or skim milk
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or margarine
1/2 cup each Red Pepper & mushrooms (or any other veggie your family loves)
Shrimp (we just defrost & use a "shrimp ring", but use your favourite kind, & as much or as little as you like)
1 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 tsp of italian spice mix
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped or put through a press
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
*1/2 tablespoon cornstarch* (you may or may not need this)

Directions:

• Cook the noodles according the package directions.
• Drizzle a tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan and get it hot. Add garlic & italian spice to hot pan.
• Cook for a few seconds, then drop the veggies (in our case peppers and mushrooms).
• Stir-fry veggies for a few minutes, then drop shrimp in and cook just until they start to curl and turn white. Note: DO NOT OVERCOOK SHRIMP or they get tough and wierd.
• Remove from heat for now.Drain the noodles well and return them to the empty pot. Add the ricotta (or cottage) cheese, yogurt, skim milk, butter, and 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese to the pot.
• Turn the heat on very low and stir well until everything is combined.
• If you are using shrimp, add that now as well, making sure you get all the drippings in the saucepan too - for flavour.
• If the sauce looks a little too watery, add the cornstarch and continue to stir until it has reached the desired thickness.

That’s it!! Divide between 4 plates, sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and the black pepper, serve and enjoy!!

We always eat this dish with a salad and with crusty bread, sliced, buttered and smeared with crushed garlic then lightly toasted under the broiler. Its also good if you substitute chopped chicken for the shrimp.