Christmas Ribbon Salad—A Lighter Treat for Christmas

Are you getting a sugar overload just thinking about all the holiday sweets? Sometimes a slight change of pace delights the palate while cutting a few calories.

Here’s a tempting salad or dessert to satisfy taste buds yet cut down on sugar. It looks festive and tastes great. Try this flavorful choice for children and adults alike.

Christmas Ribbon Salad

1                      (3 ounce) box sugar-free cherry flavored gelatin

1                      (3 ounce) box sugar-free lemon flavored gelatin

1                      (3 ounce) box sugar-free lime flavored gelatin

1/3                   cup light mayonnaise or salad dressing

2                      (3 ounce) packages light cream cheese

1                      cup miniature marshmallows

1                      (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

1                      (8 ounce) container light whipped topping

Dissolve lime gelatin in 1 cup hot water. Add 3/4 cup cold water. Pour into a 9″ X 13″ clear dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Dissolve lemon gelatin in 1 cup hot water. Add softened cream cheese and marshmallows and blend with a stick blender until smooth. Chill until consistency of egg whites and fold in drained pineapple, mayonnaise, and whipped topping. Gently layer the mixture over the congealed lime gelatin.

Dissolve cherry gelatin in 1 cup hot water. Add 3/4 cup cold water. Let partially congeal and spoon on top of the firm lemon layer. Refrigerate six hours or overnight. Serve on a bed of lettuce as a salad or on a dessert plate as a dessert.

On this Christmas Eve 2013, may you and yours enjoy a blessed holiday as we celebrate the true meaning of the season.

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Sweet Potatoes or Yams for the Holidays?

Will your traditional Christmas dinner boast of sweet potatoes or yams? Most likely whatever you call that orange-colored root vegetable, you will serve sweet potatoes. A good number of people think of sweet potatoes as yams, regardless of their true identity. Even if it’s sold as a yam, in the United States almost all of this valued vegetable, regardless of color or shape, will be sweet potatoes.

Yams, grown primarily in the Caribbean, have a different taste, texture, and appearance. Sweet potatoes vary in color from the well-recognized bright orange interior to white and even purple. Noted for its high content of vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, and fiber, it is also high in antioxidants but considered low in calories. It’s all that sugar and butter lathered on them that make the calorie count go ballistic.

Sweet potatoes are a great choice on holiday menus and a versatile addition to any meal from main course to desert. For the holidays, try plain baked sweet potatoes. Bake a batch of medium-sized potatoes about one hour in a 350^o oven. Eat straight from the oven or use for varied dishes.

Treat yourself and your holiday guests to a taste-tempting breakfast. Slice peeled baked potatoes lengthwise and heat. For a special treat, brown slightly in butter and serve with turkey bacon.

If you prefer a sweetened dish with your holiday dinner, cut lengthwise, place in a baking dish, drizzle with lite maple or plain syrup and heat in oven or microwave. This will satisfy a sweet tooth yet have a lot fewer calories than those rich casseroles with extra goodies

In addition to all the nutrients, sweet potatoes are economical this time of year and often on super sales. Take advantage of this great food. Whether you call it a yam or by its correct name, nothing beats a great sweet potato.

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