Pineapple Casserole with a Tub o' Butter

With Christmas right around the corner, I'm sure that you're family is just as busy as mine. We have Christmas parties every Friday and Saturday from December 1st - January 1st. One part of me is super happy about all of these parties because it means that I do not have to think about dinner plans for my family. The other part of me starts seeing the calories rack up in all of the delicious, homemade, country cooking casseroles.

I'm not sure if your plate looks like mine at family gatherings, but I MUST sample one of everything. Who knows...that chicken casserole in the white Pyrex dish may taste totally different from the one in the clear brown glass...or at least that's my mentality!

At our last Christmas party, I entrusted Josh (who is a FABULOUS cook, I might add) to make our pineapple casserole. It is one of our family favorites and the recipe is listed below. But, in the recipe, Josh accidentally put the "1 Stick" of butter INSIDE of the casserole...while it was needed for the topping...so, he also put another stick of butter in the topping. There we have it! TWO sticks of butter in just my casserole alone. HELLO PAULA DEAN!

It was super yummy still (probably even yummier than normal). I've never heard of anyone complaining of a casserole being too buttery- so, Josh was in the clear, and his help still appreciated.

For this "health" post- I decided to put the calorie count of some of the most popular dishes at our family gatherings. This information was compiled from the appropriately named: http://www.fatsecret.com/! I hope you find them interesting as you fill your plate at your next holiday gathering. 

- Broccoli Casserole: 287 calories (11 g protein)
- Green Bean Casserole: 125 calories (4 g protein)
- Sweet Potato Casserole: 215 calories (4 g protein)
- Chicken Casserole: 500 calories (30 g protein)
- Pineapple Casserole: 219 calories (1 g protein) - how Josh made it: 367 calories...ha!

The "Under 40" Lunsford Clan at this year's Annual Christmas Party at the Union Grove Fire Department

Happy Eating those Yummy Casseroles!

Erica

Chocolate Wasted

As I unpacked my child's first trick-or-treating bucket filled to the brim with all things imaginable (a pencil included) I sorted through the candy I will let him have (soft, easily chewed things) and put the other stuff (hard candy, candy I know he doesn't care for, etc) in my husband's emergency sugar low stash. Also while unpacking/sorting, I couldn't help but think about the millions of trick-or-treaters that visited door to door throughout the United States- we had a whopping 50-75 kids visit our home.

I decided that I would write my first blog of the week regarding "health" on Halloween candy- the yummy, gooey, goodness...yet calorie and sugar filled.

Here's some of the neatest stats I found:

- There were an estimated 41 million trick-or-treaters out last night

- The average American consumes 24.7 pounds of candy per year (I believe that our family at about half that much last night!!)

- The highest calorie popular candy is the fun size Butterfinger- ringing in at a whopping 85 calories

- The lowest calorie popular candy is the 2 pack Starburst- coming in last at 40 calories

(thanks to calorielab.com and factmonster.com)

I wish that I could say that I limited myself and my son when it came to consuming the Halloween candy- but I didn't. Both of us consumed three pieces...my favorite are the fun size Twix and Gage's favorite are the Reece cups. What I can say is, Halloween comes one time per year; eat up! Enjoy those little pieces of chocolate heaven. Get chocolate wasted.

Our "One-Eyed Monster" on his First Trick-or-Treating Adventure!

Here's to staying up late with your kid that has a sugar rush, all the extra miles on the eliptical, and finding a good dentist....

Erica