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Tips to Make Great Skewer Kebabs

Recently we enjoyed a long reunion weekend in Gatlinburg, Tennessee with my extended family. The home-style cooking and family-style meal service at many of the restaurants we visited made wise meal choices and portion control a challenge. At several meals, I selected a skewer entrée, which caught my son's attention. After the second time ordering them, he asked what my sudden interest was with "food on a stick." Sounds like a typical teenage question doesn't it. I informed him it was a great way for me to control my entrée portion size while also getting some grilled vegetables. Kebabs have become very common in Western countries. On American menus, they may simply be called skewers or shish kebab, which is skewer of grilled meat. Kebabs are prepared in most Middle Eastern countries but are not always prepared on a skewer or consist of cubed meat and vegetables. There are several different spellings commonly used as well.

You can select a variety of skewers and the type you pick does make a difference. Flat stainless steel skewers hold food well but transfer heat and cold differently than a wooden skewer. Recipes may suggest one over the other based on whether the foods will be cooked or chilled, are more solid or prone to spin. Skewer kebabs can be prepared hot with lean cuts of beef, pork, chicken, fish, seafood, or tofu and vegetables. They can also be prepared cold with a variety of raw fruits, vegetables or cheeses for a "no cooking necessary" meal option or as a edible decorative centerpiece for a party. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you prepare skewer kebabs this summer.

Posted 7/5/2010  1:28:48 PM By: Tanya Jolliffe : 23 comments

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Guilt-Free Game Day Snacks: 7-Layer Fiesta Dip and Chips

Football and snacks go hand in hand, but so can game-day noshing and healthy eating.

Nachos, pizza, even wings can be a part of your healthy Super Bowl party menu.

I've revamped a few of your favorites and rounded up some members' makeovers, too.

I started with one of my favorites: layered Mexican dip. I always make a beeline for this dish at game-day parties. With layers of beans, cheese, black olives, sour cream, guacamole, and onions, the dip is made with healthy, whole ingredients.

Then I checked out the nutrition on the dish.

Even with baked chips, a cup of this dip has a whopping 562 calories, 42 g fat and 824 mg of sodium!

Do you know how much I probably have consumed of this dish at parties? So much that I decided to make it over before this year's big game.

My Skinny Fiesta Dip with Baked Lime Chips has all the flavor of the original, but it's much easier on the waistline.

Original dip (1 cup):
562 calories
42 g fat
19 g saturated fat
824 mg sodium

New dip(1 cup):
211 calories (fewer than half!)
9 g fat (about 1/5 the fat)
4 g saturated fat
405 mg sodium (less than half!)

Posted 2/2/2010  2:10:36 PM By: Meg Galvin : 87 comments

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6 Party Foods to Avoid This Holiday Season

Last weekend, my husband and I enjoyed a wonderful evening with many of his co-workers and their guests at their company holiday party. As drinks were enjoyed and the conversation flowed, friendly people roamed around serving appetizers. The most interesting appetizer we tried was the shrimp topped grits cake.

When it was time for the main course, we had our choice of two wonderfully prepared tables, one focusing on vegetarian pastas and the other which included meat entrées. Luckily, none of the worst holiday foods on this list were offered and we enjoyed a wonderful meal, great conversation and exciting entertainment thanks to the Rock Band set up in one of the dining areas.

Which foods should you watch out for and limit at your party events this season?

Posted 12/10/2009  11:25:20 AM By: Tanya Jolliffe : 118 comments

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Your Summer Party Survival Guide

Today is Canada Day and Fourth of July is Saturday, which means plenty of celebrating across the continent. While a family cookout or a neighborhood barbecue is supposed to be a time to eat, drink and be merry, those of us trying to follow a healthy path can find such events to be more trying than entertaining.

The endless platters of grilled meats.

The bottomless bowls of mayo-laden salads.

The ceaseless parade of refined carbs.

A typical meal from a cookout can have more than 1,500 calories and almost as much fat as you should eat for an entire day. You can cut the calories in half and boost the flavor with a few simple tricks!

Posted 7/1/2009  2:02:57 PM By: Stepfanie Romine : 36 comments

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Caterers Turned Web Divas Share Their Summer Party Recipes

Editor's Note: Over the last year or so, we've watched as a local catering company morphed into a fun multimedia company. Their boundless energy and sold-out events have solidified Cooking With Caitlin's reputation as women who rock. We've invited them to the dailySpark to share some of their favorite summer party foods. These flavor-packed dishes are sure to be a hit, and these ladies know how to have some fun and eat it, too!

By Kelly Trush

SparkPeople and Cooking With Caitlin have been dancing on the same floor for quite some time. As we find ourselves celebrating fresh, savoring yum, and reveling in community, it’s clear Cooking With Caitlin has even been busting quite a few of the same moves as our friends at SparkPeople. So when we of Cooking with Caitlin – Kelly, Molly, and Caitlin – were invited to blog on the dailySpark, we were delighted (in the immortal words of Kool and the Gang) to “get down on it.”

Molly, Caitlin, and I (Kelly at the keyboard) are sisters and friends who have come together in the name of food, in the name of family, in the name of freshness. In truth we grew up together, but it wasn’t until we broke bread as wives and mothers and longing-to-be entrepreneurs that Cooking with Caitlin was born. Having started as a catering company, in two years traveling at warp-speed, we have evolved into a food-focused website called cookingwithcaitlin.com, radio personalities, and cooking-meets-talk show television hosts.

Posted 5/14/2009  6:00:18 AM By: dailySpark Guest Blogger : 27 comments

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10 Tips to Keep from Overeating at a Party

Temptations abound at parties, but celebration doesn't have to mean overindulgence. Follow these tips to stay on track at your Super Bowl parties this weekend.

Posted 1/30/2009  1:53:11 PM By: Stepfanie Romine : 77 comments

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Save $$ on Your Super Bowl Party

When you're entertaining, you always want to make sure you have enough food on hand. But no one wants to waste food either. How can you determine how much food to buy for a party?

We'll show you exactly how much food you'll need for your Super Bowl party.

Posted 1/27/2009  3:40:28 PM By: Stepfanie Romine : 26 comments

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A Prince's New Year's Eve Party on a Pauper's Budget

Think you can't afford to throw a New Year's Eve party? Think again.

Use these tips to save money and throw a great party for your friends and loved ones!

Posted 12/29/2008  4:01:14 PM By: Stepfanie Romine : 48 comments

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11 Healthy Party Appetizers

Did you know that overindulging on the weekends can lead to weight gain of nine pounds a year?

To stay on track and still have fun with friends and family, serve some of these healthier party foods.

Posted 12/23/2008  12:14:31 PM By: Stepfanie Romine : 30 comments

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Holiday Party Tip: Slim Down Your Dips

What are the holidays without parties? And what's a party without great snacks? Too often, food is an afterthought at cocktail and holiday parties.

How many times have you gone to a party, only to find your only choices are a cheese ball and crackers and a bowl of greasy chips with thick and creamy onion dip.

Dips are easy and affordable party fare, and they can be healthy, too. As you're preparing for a Hanukkah, Christmas or New Year's Eve party, keep these tips in mind.

Posted 12/16/2008  4:04:51 PM By: Stepfanie Romine : 54 comments

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