How about a cheese ball? HAM CHEESE BALL (serves 12-15) Two 8 oz pkg crema cheese, softened 1 cup ground smoked ham 1 TBL grated onion 2 tsp dried parsley flakes 1/2 tsp seasoned pepper 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans Combine first 5 ingredients in medium mixing bowl. Cover & chill 30-60 minutes. Shape mixture into a large ball & coat w/chopped nuts. Wrap w/plastic wrap & refrigerate. Serve chilled w/assorted crackers.~~Food for Thought This is good with corn chips: 5 green onions, chopped 8 oz can water chestnuts, drained & chopped 1 cup sour cream 1 cup mayonnaise 2 TBL soy sauce In a bowl, mix together green onions, water chestnuts, sour cream, mayo & soy sauce. Pour in a container & refrigerate.~~Kitchen Miracles KINGSTOWNE WRAPS 1 1/2 cups shredded cole slaw mix 1/2 cupwater chestnuts, finely chopped 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions 2 tsp Asian sesame oil (the dark kind) 4 TBL plum sauce 4-6 flour tortillas combine first 4 ingredients & 3 TBL plum sauce, mixing well. Spread remaining 1 TBL plum sauce evenly over tortillas; spread 1/2 cup cole slaw mix on each tortilla to within 1/4" of edges. Roll tortillas up tightly & wrap in plastic wrap. Chill at least 1 hour. (Overnight works, too.) cut diagonally into 1" slices when ready to serve.~~What Can I Bring?

Because the last few falls in Kentucky have had unseasonably cold days, you might want to consider something hot. The balancing act is to prepare it ahead of time, and hold it so it stays warm but doesn't get overcooked. So that can limit your choices. Crockpots and electric skillets are invaluable for keeping things warm while you do something else, though. You might think about something like: Meatballs in Almond Sauce 2 slices whole wheat bread, crusts removed 3 tbls water 2 lb ground pork 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tbls flatleaf parsley, chopped. 1 egg, beaten Freshly grated nutmeg Salt & pepper All purose flour, for coating 3+ tbls olive oil Squeeze of lemon juice Almond sauce: 2 tbls olive oil 1 slice whole wheat bread Generous 3/4 cup blanched almonds 2 garlic cloves, minced 2/3 cup dry white wine Salt & Pepper 1 3/4 cups vegetable or chicken stock For the meatballs: Put the bread in a bowl and add water. Let soak 5 minutes. Squeeze out the water and return bread to the dried bowl. Add the pork, onion, garlic, parsley and egg, then season generously with nutmeg and a little salt & pepper. Knead the ingredients well together to form a smooth mixture. Spread some flour on a plate. With floured hands, shape the meat mixture into small balls (I use a 1 1/2-tbls sized scoop), then roll each meatball in flour until well coated. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed skillet. Add the meatballs, in batches, so they do not overcrowd the skillet, and cook for 4-5 minutes or until browned on all sides. Use a slotted soon to remove meatballs and set aside while you cook the rest, adding more oil if needed. Make the sauce: Het olive oil in same skillet in which the meatballs were fried. Break the bread into pieces, then add to the skillet with the almonds and cook gently, stirring frequently, until the bread and almonds are golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds, then pour in wine and boil 1-2 minutes. Season to taste with salt & pepper and let cool slightly. Transfer almond mixture to a food processor.* Pour in the vegetable stock and blend the mixture until smooth. Return the almond sauce to the skillet. Carefully add the meatballs to the almond sauce and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the meatballs are tender. Taste the sauce and season with salt & pepper if necessary. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice (or put a lemon wedge on each plate) and a sprinkle of chopped parsley. *You may have to do this in batches, or it's likely to overflow the processor container. Or use a blender instead. I'm thinking you could prepare these to the final simmering stage, put them in a crockpot, and turn it on while the tour is in progress. By the time you're done, so will they be. If the tour runs long, nothing will be hurt. I would serve them on a bed of broad egg noodles, with a salad on the side. An apple/Ceasar salad complements this dish nicely.

I really like Cooking Light. There are some really good recipes. I just decrease my "fat" called for or mainly I use lots of fresh herbs to help with the flavor. Here is a google search on Low Fat Recipe Websites. Also think about quinoa. It is great. Some of the wonderful reasons to eat it, i.e. it taste good, is healthy for you, is gluten free, is high in protein, is a versatile grain for many dishes, is relatively inexpensive, etc. Here is a webpage with some Quinoa Recipes.

This is a weightwatchers recipe, I haven't tried it yet but 2 of my friends have and really like it. macaroni and cheese Prep Time : 18 min Cook Time : 40 min Level of Difficulty : Easy Was : 9 POINTS Now : 6 POINTS main meals : Our rich, creamy macaroni and cheese explodes with flavor for two-thirds of the dish's usual POINTS. Ingredients 12 oz uncooked macaroni, elbow-type 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream 12 oz fat-free evaporated milk 8 oz low-fat shredded cheddar cheese 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard 1/4 tsp table salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg 2 Tbsp dried bread crumbs 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. 2. Cook pasta according to package directions without added fat or salt; drain and transfer to a large bowl. While pasta is still hot, stir in sour cream; set aside. 3. Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until tiny bubbles appear just around the edges (known as scalding). Reduce heat to low, add cheese and simmer until cheese melts, stirring constantly with a wire whisk, about 2 minutes; remove from heat and stir in mustard, salt, pepper and nutmeg. 4. Add cheese mixture to pasta; mix well. Transfer to a 4-quart casserole dish. 5. Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over pasta. 6. Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes. Yields about 1 cup per serving. Chef Tips We renovated Macaroni and Cheese by:  Using fat-free sour cream instead of regular.  Swapping evaporated fat-free milk for regular milk.  Opting for reduced-fat cheddar cheese instead of the full-fat variety. POINTS  Serves 8  Points per serving - 6