Where is everyone?

Please tell me the new log on process isn't the reason the board has slowed... I know some of us just hate change ! Anyway, I figured I would start asking some holiday related questions to try to get the board moving again. So... What are some of your favorite or "famous" dishes that you will be serving this year for Thanksgiving or Christmas? Will you alter the recipe(s) to accommodate your eating plan or will you just indulge less? Anyone planning on traveling away for the holidays? If so, where are you headed?????? I am going to make a lower fat version of glazed carrots as my dish to share at Thanksgiving. I am flying to Maryland with my Mom and neice next Wednesday to spend the holiday with my brother and his family. I love the fact that I don't have to ask for a seatbelt extender or overflow out of my seat now...oh the things, thin people take for granted. Take care and have a great day! Amy

I'm planning to evaluate our traditional recipes and see if I can't make them a bit more WLS-friendly with a few ingredient substitutions. And of course, I'll be eating much less than last year! The biggest challenge for me will be in my baking. I host an annual Cookie Exchange so I'm trying to find a fabulous tasting cookie that is low fat and sugar free (or very, very low sugar). I want something that tastes so good, no one will believe it is LF/SF. Got any suggestions and/or recipes? I'll be home for Thanksgiving, but heading to NC to celebrate Christmas with our families. It is a wild, hectic week trying to get around to all of the holiday gatherings, but I love it! Everyone has been 100% supportive of me & my wls so eating is never a problem. There is always sooo much food, I just pick & choose what works for me. If I can't resist some of those foods that only come out during the holidays I will only eat a bite or 2. In the past that has satisfied my need to "indulge" without ruining my day. Vickie J.

I will be home at Thanksgiving. I have invited several neices and their families to eat with us. Not sure who is coming at this point. Since my WLS, I have been cooking everything in splenda and that does not seem to make a big difference in the taste. The problem will probably be on the desset side. I will make less than normal. My favorite, family traditional dish is sweet potatoe souffle. At Christmas I will be traveling to Tennesse to meet my future in laws. We will be staying with my financee's sister. We will come home on Monday and will get married on Friday. We are hoping some of his family will be able to come down for the wedding. We have plans to bring 3 teenagers home with us for the week and then head back to Tennessee on Sat before NY for our honeymoon and to take the kids back home. As you can see, I have a busy holiday season planned. Most of the Christmas shopping has been done. The wedding plans are in the works, most of what needs to be bought has been bought. I have been trying to plan ahead and do ahead. Hopefully the inviatations can be addressed this week and mailed out this weekend.

Martha, Congratulations I didn't know you were getting married. It sound like a busy holiday season for you.

Miss Martha??!! You are getting married? WOW!! Congratulations girl. I am so happy for you. I wish you lots of happiness in your new life together. Sallykate

This may seem like a real crazy question, but could some one tell me what it feels like when something gets caught and how do you know it has happened and what do you do about it. Many thanks! Still waiting on insurance approval. Carol

Carol, For me, if I eat too fast or have too big a bite, the food gets stuck in my chest and I either need to throw it up or sometimes I can ride it out and after about 10 min it passes. It really depends on the individual but your body seems to know when something just didn't go down right. If you are referring to a blockage further down in the tummy/pouch, I have no idea how you would know except you are in a lot of pain and can't keep food or drink down, at least that is what I have heard from others. Good question! Amy

Perhaps you are referring to something feeling like it is caught in your pouch? It feels like a lump in your chest, and you know...you will probably have to throw up. either you did not chew well enough, or your pouch just did not like it. For thanksgiving, I am frying a turkey, stuffing, potatoes, sugarfree cranberry salad I make, and sugar free pumpkin pie, maybe a deep dish apple too( SF). Will do stuffed mushrooms, and some other vegetable appitizer My parents are flying in from Buffalo. Good for them, it is going to snow tonight! Blessings, Tami

Tami, Will you share your SF cranberry salad recipe? Thanks! Vickie J.

I will be home for Thanksgiving but unsure yet about Christmas. I will be cooking (from my chair in the kitchen) a huge dinner. My sisters and their families are coming and 6 of my 7 children will be here and of course my little grandsons, Dylan and Noah. My mother who has Alzheimers and is in a nursing home will also be with us for the day! I can hardly wait! Don't know if my brother and his girlfriend are coming or not. I plan to cook my traditional meal of ham, turkey, stuffing, gravy and a lot of other things. I always make everyones favorite dishes. I plan to look for ways to cut fat and calories and I have decided if it doesn't taste just fabulous I won't eat a second bite this year. Usually by the time dinner is ready I don't feel like eating it anyway. I will have to watch the snacking though. I have made holiday dinners before where I made everything almost fat free (as fat free as you can make stuffing and gravy) by skimming off all the fat and not using meat to season vegetables and you know what...Noone knew it but me! Everybody raved about it all and carried food home so I assume it was pretty good. For Christmas my daughter wants everyone to come to her house in Georgia and I really want to go but I don't know if I can travel with my Mom this year (it was pretty hard last year) and I don't want her to be at the nursing home without family on Christmas either. So it is still up in the air. Tomorrow is my birthday! I will be 46! It's not bad because I just figured out that I will be 46 and not 47 LOL!!! My daughter asked about a cake Huum??? I told her just to get a pound cake or angel food cake, some strawberries and some fat free cool whip. Sounds good! Wishing everyone a great Thanksgiving and a safe trip to those who will be traveling! Kat