Todays handmade pick of the day is made by the one and only Angry Girl herself!  If you have a lil’ grinch lover on your shopping list, this is the PERFECT gift!

Grinch Hoodie Jacket – Junior’s Size Medium – aNGrYGiRL Gear

The Grinch’s face is featured on the back of this jacket that is made from a licensed Dr. Seuss shirt. The hood is lined with green polka dot cotton, a design which is repeated on the sleeves. The hood, cuffs, hem, and kanga pockets are trimmed with green monster fur.

Show the world how you really feel about Christmas 😉

THIS IS A PREMADE, OOAK ITEM, READY TO SHIP.

Size: Medium

Measurements:

Underarm to Underarm: 19.5 inches across unstretched.

Length at Zipper: 20.5 inches

Width at bottom hem: 18.5 inches – The monster fur on the bottom hem DOES NOT HAVE MUCH STRETCH, so watch the measurement carefully.

Check it out online at ETSY

Oh, Leave it to that Little Angry Girl to find such a cool unique gift for the Holidays!

“Buy Handmade for the Holidays! Check out this Abominable Snowman baby blanket by Bewhiskered. He looks just like the abominable snowman from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer!!! WANT!!!”

Don’t forget why it’s important to drink at least 60 ounces of water daily..

Over 50 percent of an adult’s body is water; that figure goes as high as 75 percent in an infant. Blood is 80 percent water and even muscles are 70 percent water. The waterway flows through your body, delivers nutrients to cells and carries away waste. Water acts as your body’s cooling system, moving heat to the skin surface where it evaporates away in sweat and breath. Water lubricates joints, softens skin, and makes muscles work more smoothly. If your body is temporarily short of water – a condition called “dehydration” – every organ in your body is affected.

Pre-hydrate yourself by drinking at least two glasses (16 ounces) of water an hour or so before you work out. As you work up a sweat, take frequent sips of water, as dehydration makes muscles tire more easily. After exercising, top off with two more glasses of water to rehydrate yourself.

Bodies lose a lot of water with illnesses that cause fever, vomiting, or diarrhea. Becoming dehydrated makes you feel doubly sick.

Thirst means your body already has a water shortage. Best to drink enough water so you don’t get thirsty. If thirsty, quench your thirst and then drink two more glasses of water. This is especially important for senior citizens, since the thirst signal declines with age.

drinking cold water will burn more calories than warm water, that is because your body has to “warm” the water up, which burns calories

Jenna from Pampered Chef shares another great recipe to cure the leftover turkey blues, delicious turkey nachos!

1 bag tortilla chips

3 cups diced cooked turkey

8 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese

2 T Jamaican Jerk Rub (you can order from Pampered Chef)

1 small red bell pepper

1 lime

2 T snipped fresh cilantro

¼ C sour cream and 1 t additional Jamaican Jerk Rub

Preheat oven to 425°F.  Arrange tortilla chips in a slightly overlapping layer on Large Round Stone.  In Classic Batter Bowl, combine turkey, cheese and 1 T of the Jamaican Jerk Rub; mix gently using small Mix ‘N Scraper.  Sprinkle turkey mixture evenly over tortilla chips.  Bake 5 – 7 minutes or until cheese is melted; remove from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack.  Meanwhile, dice bell pepper with Santoku Knife.  Cut lime in half crosswise.  Juice half of the lime using Citrus Press into Small Batter Bowl; add remaining jerk rub and bell pepper and mix well.  Snip cilantro in mincing cup of Herb Keeper using Professional Shears.  Slice the remaining lime half in half and then into slices.  Spoon bell pepper mixture over nachos; sprinkle evenly with cilantro.  If desired, combine sour cream and additional jerk rub in resealable plastic bag; trim corner to allow sour cream to flow through.  Pipe sour cream mixture over nachos; garnish with lime slices.

Your sick of the leftovers, and the cooking, here’s an easy one that will spice the turkey back up for you, compliments of Pampered Chef Consultant Jenna!

3 whole heads garlic (about 48 cloves), unpeeled

¾ tsp salt, divided

3 tbsp olive oil, divided

2 poblano peppers

1 medium onion

2-3 cups cooked turkey

2 tbsp Southwestern Seasoning Mix

2 cans (15.5 oz each) Great Northern beans, drained

1 jar (16 oz) salsa verde

Using (5-in.) Santoku Knife, slice about 1/4 in. off the pointed top of garlic heads to expose cloves. Place garlic cut side up in Classic Batter Bowl. Sprinkle garlic with 1/4 tsp of the salt and drizzle with 2 tbsp of the oil. Cover batter bowl with lid; microwave on HIGH 3 minutes or until garlic is soft. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, finely dice peppers using Santoku Knife. Chop onion using Food Chopper. Combine peppers and onion in Deep Covered Baker. Trim and finely dice turkey using Boning Knife.  Add turkey, seasoning mix, remaining 1 tbsp oil and remaining 1/2 tsp salt to baker; mix well using Master Scraper. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 4 minutes; stir to separate chicken. Cover; microwave an additional 4-6 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Meanwhile, gently squeeze cooled garlic from heads into batter bowl (discard skins); mash using Mix ‘N Masher. Add beans and salsa to batter bowl. Transfer bean mixture to baker; mix well.  Microwave, covered, on HIGH 5-7 minutes or until chili is heated through.

Not sure what to do with all that left over Thanksgiving turkey?  Jenna is a Pampered Chef Consultant and is sharing some great leftover recipes with us! Lets start today off light since we consumed a TON of calories yesterday!

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tbsp red or white wine vinegar

1 fresh garlic clove

1 pkt. Lipton’s Savory Herb with Garlic soup mix

1 medium cucumber

½ cup Kalamata pitted olives

1 small red pepper

1 small red onion

1 carrot

2 cups cooked turkey

1 (10 oz.) Pkg. hearts of romaine lettuce

1 can (15.5 oz) Great White Northern Beans

2 oz. crumbled Feta cheese

For dressing: In Small Batter Bowl, combine oil, vinegar, soup mix and garlic pressed with Garlic Press and whisk until blended, set aside.  For salad, score cucumber lengthwise using  Zester/Scorer; remove seeds using the Corer.  Using the Ultimate Mandoline fitted with the v-shaped blade, slice cucumber, cut slices in half.  Slice pitted olives using the Egg Slicer Plus.  Dice bell pepper using Chef’s Knife.  Slice onion using Ultimate Mandoline.   Grate carrot using Rotary Grater.  Place vegetables, turkey and beans into Dots Serving Bowl, pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.

The holiday season doesn’t have to equal weight gain. Here are some healthy habits that are easy to follow during the holidays to keep you on the right track to a healthier lifestyle!

If you write down what you eat, it will make you think twice about overindulging.

Alcoholic drinks are easily 100–300 calories or more per serving. Plus, drinking reduces inhibitions (which will make it harder to resist tempting foods) and can give you a hangover (which will probably lead to not exercising the following day). Eggnog (with or without alcohol) is one of the highest calorie beverages in existence. A better option could be wine spritzers or naturally flavored seltzer water. If you must drink, try drinking a large glass of water between each drink to help you fill up and slow down your rate of drinking.

Filling up on produce will boost your diet quality along with keeping you from arriving at a party so hungry that you can’t make healthy choices.

Examples include socializing, dancing, playing a game, etc. You can enjoy foods that you don’t normally have without overstuffing yourself. The truth is that this season is really about enjoying the company of family and friends.

Bring a healthy dish to a party so that you know you will have at least one good food option.

Roasted vegetables pack a lot of flavor without the fat and calories of other traditional holiday staples like mashed potatoes or green bean casserole.

It has been proven that people tend to eat healthier when they exercise. Staying active will keep your calorie burning level high and remind you of your health and fitness goals through the holiday season. If you feel like you don’t have time, think about not saying yes to every party, squeezing in a shorter workout and planning when you will fit in exercise the day before. Part of staying consistent with exercise is putting it higher on the priority level.

How many of us have been given a box of chocolates or plate of cookies that ends up at the office because we don’t want to be ‘tempted?’ Great, it’s out of the house, but what about all your co-workers that are trying to eat well too?

Remember, being mindful of your eating habits during this time of year will help you enjoy the holidays without compromising your healthy progress!

Sustain: to give support or relief to; to supply with sustenance, nourish; to keep up, prolong

A few weeks ago, I started thinking about writing a post on how to make Thanksgiving more sustainable — buying a locally-raised turkey and organic potatoes, reusing aluminum foil or perhaps donating some extra canned goods to a food bank or soup kitchen.

Sure all those are great ideas. But I didn’t want to sound snobby or preachy. So, I started pondering what the word “sustainable” really means and wondering about other, more personal, ways of having enjoyable and sustainable holidays beyond just buying (or not buying) specific things.

I think most of us can recall happy occasions involving meals with our parents or grandparents. At least, it’s my hope that family dinners and traditions like Dad carving the bird and Aunt Agnes’ Jell-O salad haven’t been completely abandoned. We remember the fine details of special dinners like the delicately crocheted table cloth, the pattern of the china, the fancy linens. It’s these traditions – food that is carefully prepared, a table lovingly set, recipes made year after year – that we remember long after meals are over and gifts are exchanged.

Recently, a good friend of mine decided that this year she will cook Thanksgiving dinner for a large group (both her and her boyfriend’s families) for the first time. Cooking a turkey, mashing pounds of potatoes and timing everything perfectly can seem a daunting task for those of us who scramble home from work praying there’s still a smear of peanut butter in the jar and the bread’s not moldy.

In order to be completely successful and eliminate the potential for any surprises (turkey explodes, ruins oven) she wanted to do a practice run of the entire dinner, complete with all the side dishes, and invite non-judgmental friends over to be the guinea pigs. I should explain that my friend is a researcher by trade who needs empirical evidence and supporting data for personal as well as professional projects. Our circle of friends, which includes a lot of journalists, need free food. It’s a win-win. Also, being diehard Pittsburgh Penguins fans, we couldn’t help ourselves and began referring to the practice dinner as the “Letestube Turkey,” an homage to the team’s new center, Mark Letestu. (We’re nerds. Creative, but nerds none the less.)

When we arrived at our friend’s place for the practice dinner, we found a beautifully decorated table with candles, linens and real china. The smell of the turkey, brined with apple and spices, along with stuffing, mashed potatoes and seasonal Brussels sprouts, filled the home. A great start for Letestube.

As it turns out, the table where we sat once belonged to a relative and the linens were handed down. As I looked around, I recalled the tablecloth my own grandmother (and now mother) uses for holiday dinners and my family gathered around the table telling stories and laughing. I started thinking that making holidays sustainable is about more than just buying organic potatoes or using seasonal vegetables. It’s about carrying on family traditions and creating your own new ones.

Although the word has recently been applied to everything from farming to building, sustainability, in the traditional sense, means to keep up or prolong something that’s worthwhile. In making a wonderful dinner, my friend not only nourished new relationships and traditions (we hope she needs to practice again next year!) but also carried on the memories first nurtured in her own family. Score one for Letestube!

So, if you find yourself making your own “Letestube Turkey” for the first time this year or for the 30th, remember that it’s shared experiences, memories and laughter that sustain us rather than expensive gifts.

Now, about all that plastic wrap you’re using for leftovers…

•1  cup  chopped celery

•1  cup  sliced fresh mushrooms or one 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained (optional)

•1/2  cup  chopped onion (1 medium)

•1  teaspoon  poultry seasoning or ground sage

•1/4  teaspoon  pepper

•1/8  teaspoon  salt

•8  cups  dry bread cubes*

•1/2  to 3/4 cup  chicken broth or water

•1  10- to 12-pound  turkey

•Cooking oil

•1/3  cup  margarine or butter

1. For stuffing, in a medium saucepan cook celery; fresh mushrooms, if using; and onion in margarine or butter until tender but not brown; remove from heat. Stir in poultry seasoning or sage, pepper, and salt. Place dry bread cubes in a large mixing bowl; add onion mixture and, if using, canned mushrooms. Drizzle with enough broth or water to moisten, tossing lightly.

2. Season body cavity of turkey with salt. Spoon some of the stuffing loosely into neck cavity. Pull the neck skin to the back; fasten with a skewer.

3. Lightly spoon more stuffing into the body cavity. (Place any remaining stuffing in a casserole, cover, and chill. Bake stuffing alongside turkey for 30 to 45 minutes or until heated through.) Tuck the ends of the drumsticks under the band of skin across the tail. If the band of skin is not present, tie the drumsticks securely to the tail. Twist wing tips under the back.

4. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Brush with oil. Insert a meat thermometer into the center of one of the inside thigh muscles. The thermometer bulb should not touch the bone. Cover turkey loosely with foil.

5. Roast turkey in a 325 degree F oven for 3-1/4 to 3-1/2 hours or until thermometer registers 180 degrees F. The internal temperature of the stuffing should reach 165 degrees F. After 2-1/2 hours, cut band of skin or string between the drumsticks so thighs will cook evenly. When done, drumsticks should move very easily in their sockets and their thickest parts should feel soft when pressed. Uncover the last 30 minutes of roasting.

6. Remove turkey from oven. Cover; let stand 15 to 20 minutes before carving. Use a spoon to remove stuffing from turkey; place in a serving bowl. Carve turkey. Makes 12 to 14 servings.

*Note: To make dry bread cubes for stuffing, cut bread into 1/2-inch square pieces. (You’ll need 12 to 14 slices of bread for 8 cups of dry cubes.) Spread in a single layer in a 15-1/2×10-1/2×2-inch baking pan. Bake in a 300 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until dry, stirring twice; cool. (Bread will continue to dry as it cools.) Or, let stand, loosely covered, at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.

Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare stuffing cubes and freeze up to 1 month ahead. (Do not stuff turkey until just before roasting.)

•Calories392, Total Fat (g)19, Saturated Fat (g)5, Cholesterol (mg)121, Sodium (mg)343, Carbohydrate (g)14, Fiber (g)1, Protein (g)38, Vitamin A (DV%)15, Vitamin C (DV%)2, Calcium (DV%)6, Iron (DV%)23, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet