Thanksgiving

The sky is grey and the weather's cold in my little corner of the Midwest today. Such post-Thanksgiving Day weather is hardly unusual , though it and the afternoon's uncommon pursuit, working on a car again after a decades-long hiatus, had me contemplating something decidedly unusual... Holidays.

Holidays, including this past Thanksgiving, are characterized by traditions that can't help but stand out from the day-to-day: Lavish meals that include uncommon dishes like green bean casseroles and multiple desserts, time spent with distant family and sometimes a random stranger (or two), parades led by overweight elves, sports played by overpaid atheletes.

Oddities aside though, I do appreciate the recent reminder of the need to be thankful. Beyond the day's successful car repair (hardly a given, considering I'm not even an amateur mechanic, much less a professional), I am grateful for a number of things... Family and friends, a good job, my health. And, on this cold, grey, Midwestern day, I'm especially grateful that, this Thanksgiving of Thanksgivings, I was blessed with the opportunity to help two groups of fellow Weight Watchers members navigate the perilous waters of a holiday almost entirely characterized by food, in my new part-time role as a Weight Watchers Leader.

The following Weight Watchers-friendly recipe was inspired by such thankful thoughts. Enjoy!

BACON, MUSHROOM AND SWISS MINI-QUICHES

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c. egg substitute
• 1/4 c. flour
• 1/2 c. finely-diced mushrooms
• 1/2 c. finely-sliced green onions
• 4 slices cooked, finely-diced turkey bacon
• 2 slices finely-diced, reduced-fat swiss cheese
• 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• Cooking spray

Directions:

Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375F. Combine ingredients. Fill each cup of prepared muffin pan approx. 1/2 full. Bake for approx. 14-16 mins. Allow quiches to stand for a few minutes before serving (NOTE: Leftover quiches can be individually wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer for future meals).

Serves 7, 2 Weight Watchers SmartPoints per serving.

A note to social media users: Here is a sample tweet you can use to share this recipe: 

• The #holidays have you exhausted? These @WeightWatchers-friendly mini-#quiches are a yummy way to simplify your holidays: http://bit.ly/2gvJtnQ #RecipeOfTheDay #recipe #foodblog

Additional acknowledgements: Portions of the above recipe were adapted from Weight Watchers Mini Zucchini Quiche recipe