SBD Holiday Side Dishes (various phases)
 

Recipes here:

Low Calorie Cranberry Sauce
 

Low Calorie Cranberry Sauce

1 (12-ounce) package Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries, rinsed and drained.
1 cup water or fruit juice
Sugar substitute to taste
Combine cranberries and water in a saucepan. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature. Stir in sugar substitute.
Refrigerate until serving time.
Makes 2 1/4 cups or 9 (1/4 cup) servings.

Note: Special diet cranberry sauces made without sugar or with sugar substitutes do not gel.

Nutritional Facts Per Serving: Cal. 21 (1%DV), Total Fat 0grams, Chol. 0mg, Sodium 7mg (<1%DV), Pot. 39mg (1%DV), Total Carb. 5grams (2%DV), Dietary Fiber 1gram (5%DV), Sugars 1gram, Protein 0grams, Vitamin C 13mg (21%DV), Dietary Exchange: Fruit 0.5

Recipe courtesy of Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.

Here is a different recipe:

Equal®'s Cranberry Sauce

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup Equal® Spoonful*

Directions
1 Combine cranberries and water in medium saucepan. Bring just to boiling; reduce heat. Boil gently, uncovered, over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until skins pop.
2 Remove from heat; mash slightly. Stir in Equal®. Cover and chill.

* May substitute 16 packets Equal® sweetener

Makes 12 servings

So this will be liquidy? I am confused about the side note: Note: Special diet cranberry sauces made without sugar or with sugar substitutes do not gel. Can we add come sugar free cranberry jello?

I'm not sure. I'm going to try the recipe as is with Splenda and see what it is like. The problem may only occur with Equal but I'm going to keep researching or experimenting. I believe I could add some Sure Gel from my canning supplies if necessary although I need to check to make sure the ingredients are okay for us to use.

I did find this:
Jams made without added table sugar require no-sugar-needed pectins for the jelling process. Do not use Sure Gel , Sure Gel Lite, or Certo, they will not set in jams made with Equal. Bernardin No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin is available in stores throughout Canada

and for Splenda it looks like Fruit Gel will work:
MAKING JELLIES AND JAMS WITH SPLENDA
Regular pectin needs sugar and acid to gel. Jams and jellies made with SPLENDA® Granular must use low methoxyl pectin with calcium added. Even though SPLENDA® Granular is made from sugar, it does not act like sugar in every cooking and baking application. Regular pectin and even some no-sugar needed pectin will not gel with SPLENDA® Granular. The SPLENDA® test kitchen has made successful batches of jam and jelly using Pomona's Universal Pectin** and Mrs. Wages Lite Home Jell***. Both of these brands have added monocalcium phosphate, which allows the pectin to set without sugar. Read the ingredient list on the side of the pectin box to find out if your brand has added monocalcium phosphate. Always check with pectin manufacturer's instructions before making jams or jellies.

*Low methoxyl pectin with calcium added is a type of pectin that does not need sugar to gel. Always follow pectin manufacturers' instructions for canning as the amount of pectin needed varies from brand to brand.

** Pomona's Universal Pectin® is a trademark of Workstead Industries Mail orders only Phone: 1 (413) 772-6816.

*** Mrs. Wages Lite Home Jell is a trademark of Precisions Foods. Available at most large grocery store or call Toll free 1 (800) 647-8170.

FYI - I tried this recipe a few years ago, and it was runny and kind of bitter with a bad aftertaste. I think it definatly needs something to make it jell, and I don't think I'd use as much artificial sweetener and just let the taste of the cranberries carry the recipe.

Did you use Equal or Splenda? I'm willing to experiment. My son loves cranberry sauce and I'd even be willing to make it will part sugar part Splenda if that is what it takes to make it healthier for him. I don't eat too much of it. I'll have to look for the right kind of Pectin, though.

Wow, ladies, I am such an amateur! I have no idea about pectin, or making homemade jams. I wish I could help in the experimentation process, but I'd prolly just put up a bunch of posts asking ?s and complicating your lives. I will definitely be waiting for the results of your experiments! Thanks!

Tonight I tried it with a package of fresh cranberries, one cup of water and one cup of Splenda. I brought the water and Splenda to a boil and then added in the berries and simmered them for 10 minutes. I stirred occasionally. Most of the berries popped and when they were done, I strained them through a wire strainer and then popped it in the freezer to cool quickly. I like it as is but my son needed extra Splenda. It was quite thick even without adding any pectin so I will probably just serve it as is for Thanksgiving.

Cracked wheat stuffing
 

I found this off the Bodsredmill.com site. I'm going to make it for my dinner

Bob's stone cracked wheat stuffing

1/2 cup butter (I'll probably use Smart Balance)
1/2 cut vegetable oil (I'll use olive oil)
1/2 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrots
3 cups uncooked cracked wheat
1-3/4 t. salt
1 t dried parsley
1/2 t. rubbed sage
1-3/4 t. poultry seasoning
1/4 t. black pepper
5 cups water
1 cup chopped walnuts

In a heavy 3 qt pan with lid, melt butter and add oil. Add celery, onions and carrots; saute 10 minutes then add cracked wheat and herbs. Stir and lightly brown about 5 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil; cover and simmer gently for about 25 mintues.

Stuff overn ready turkey and roast bird immediatley. OR, chill cracked wheat stuffing and stuff the bird the next day.

I'm planning on baking it in a pan, this year I'm getting a Butterball smoked turkey. I won't be stuffing it. The smoked turkey is very good. I got one a couple years ago. I'll just leave it in the oven either until the turkey is hot or the top is browning too much.

How about using Knox gelatin?

I would think that would work. I also saw a pectin in the grocery store that is designed to be used without sugar. I picked some up but haven't tried it yet.

Cranberries and apples have a lot of natural pectin so using sugar or not really has nothing to do with the consistency. I've made my cranberry sauce for the last several years with Splenda instead of sugar and as long as you cook the sauce until the berries pop (I usually let mine go for about 10 minutes), it will gel just fine. This year I added fresh grated ginger, orange peel, the juice of two oranges (to replace some of the liquid) and some crystalized ginger to mine. YUMMY! Can't wait to have it on my turkey today!

Spicy Cranberry Sauce
 

I don't see the Cranberry Sauce recipe that I use all the time now so I'll post it. I hope it isn't posted somewhere else.

Cranberry Sauce
Combine and cook about 8 minutes until the skins pop:
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (one bag 12-16 oz)
2 TBSP water

Stir in: 2 TBSP grated orange peel
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup sugar (I use Splenda)

Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook about a half hour.
This can be served warm or cold. It does thicken up perfectly when you chill it. It is also great to free extra and then thaw to eat. You can serve it with poultry, pork or even as a ham glaze.

Even my 8 year old has now decided he likes this better than the canned.

Dressed Up Brussels Sprouts
 

This is a great low carb side dish: Dressed Up Brussels Sprouts
"A quick and easy side dish from the microwave. Combining Brussels sprouts with kielbasa sausage and tomato juice is a new twist on a familiar favorite."
INGREDIENTS

* 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen brussel sprouts
* 6 ounces diced kielbasa sausage
* 1 cup tomato-vegetable juice cocktail
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 tablespoon butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Place Brussels sprouts in a 2 quart microwave safe casserole dish, cover, and cook 8 minutes.
2. Stir in kielbasa, tomato juice, pepper, salt, garlic powder, butter and oregano. Cover and return to microwave and cook for 8 minutes more.

Sourdough Stuffing with Pears and Sausage
 

This is the stuffing recipe I've used for the last two years. Everyone really liked it at our family Thanksgivings. I've tried this stuffed in a turkey and baked in a pan. It's good both ways...a bit wetter when in the turkey and a bit crispier when in the pan. Very, very yummy! :T