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Beliefnet is the place for everything Thanksgiving.  We have recipes, turkey recipes, stuffing recipes, crafts, prayers, inspiration, videos, e-cards - everything!  This American holiday is a special one, filled with family, friends, food, and gratitude.

Here are a few wonderful Thanksgiving treats for you and your family:

A Comprehensive "Thanksgiving 2009" guide, with all the trimmings.

A Gallery of Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes

Not Necessarily Healthy, but Beloved Thanksgiving Recipes

A Vegetarian Thanksgiving

Some Multifaith Prayers for Thanksgiving


I wish you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, filled with love, happiness and thanks.

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THIS IS THE LAST DAY TO REGISTER FOR MY UPCOMING RETREAT, "THE DIVINE EXPERIENCE" AT KRIPALU IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS.  PLEASE JOIN ME FOR A PRAYERFUL, RESTFUL WEEKEND.  Kripalu is a natural, whole-life spiritual resort with homemade foods, massage, aroma and Ayruveda therapies, meditation, yoga, entertainment - a total indulgence for the body, mind and heart.

This is a high-protein, low fat, no sugar recipe for a smoothie drink that will knock your socks off!  It's a great meal replacer, as it packs a bunch of nutrients and vitamins in it, naturally and makes you feel quite full.  It's also for those of us who have sweet-tooths (sugar addiction by any other name would taste as sweet?).

Dr. Norris Chumley's Dream Smoothie

1 cup (8 oz.) non-fat milk, or natural (no sugar) fruit juice
1 scoop ( 2 tablespoons) protein powder (preferably whey, with no added sugar)
4 ice cubes
1 banana (or other fresh fruit of your choice - try strawberries, or papaya, or mango)

put all ingredients together in a blender, and mix at medium speed for about 1 minute (be sure to put the lid on before you press the start button!)

Would love to hear YOUR ideas for smoothies, too.  Please comment below.

Please tell all your friends about this daily blog - send them an email of this recipe.  Click the "email" button below.

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These are the last few days to sign up for my "Experiencing the Divine" retreat at fabulous, beautiful, relaxing Kripalu Center in western Massachusetts.  I'd love you to join me for a deeply spiritual weekend together.

This is a really special treat: full of vegetables, but no fat, with intense delicious flavor.  It requires no advance preparation, no soaking of beans overnight, and takes about 5 minutes to put together.  Hard to beat this soup on a cold, Autumn day.

Dr. Norris J. Chumley's Split-Pea Soup

Serves 10-12

1 bag (1 pound) Split-Peas; organic if you can
2 stalks celery, chopped
5 carrot sticks, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 vegetable bouillon cubes; organic if possible
3 springs fresh parsley
3 small to medium potatoes, cubed
3 leaves collard greens or chard, shredded
3 leaves cabbage, shredded
2 quarts water
About a half-hour before serving, season with 5 bay leaves (remove before eating!), and some vegetable seasonings like Mrs. Dash, Veg-All and a little salt and pepper.  I also like a few shots of Amino Acids or soy sauce.  

1.    Wash and chop-up all the vegetables.
2.    Toss in a large cooking pot, or Crock Pot, cover with the water.
3.    If on a stove: heat to boiling, then simmer 2-4 hours at the lowest temperature possible.
4.    If in a Crock Pot, set on warm and cook 4-6 hours.
5.    About ¾ through the cooking, remove 2-3 cups of vegetables and broth, place in a blender and liquefy.  Pour back into the soup pot.  This makes for a really soupy, viscous mélange of deliciousness.

Why do I say this soup is "amazing?"  Try it and let me know with a comment below.  I think it's amazing because it tastes so good without meat.  I'm used to having split-pea soup with a ham hock or soup bone at the center of the flavor.  This one is totally vegetarian, even vegan, and still it has a really excellent flavor.  I made a pot 4 days ago and we've enjoyed pea soup all week!


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Please join me at my upcoming "Experiencing the Divine" weekend retreat in western Massachusetts, at Kripalu Yoga and Health Center.  Let's give our problems to God, together, in Kripalu's peaceful and lovely atmosphere of joy and happiness.


I can't believe how great this hot (or cold) drink is!  Sweet, tasty, no calories, no caffeine, and helps me curb hunger and lose weight.

Ever been at a bar and heard someone say to the bartender, "make it a double?"  That's what this drink is about.  Double flavor, doubly sweet. NO alcohol, fat, or sugar, though.

Here's the very simple recipe:

Dr. Norris Chumley's Double Sweet Tea

8 ounces boiling hot water
2 tea bags of berry herbal tea (I like Celestial Seasoning's Black Cherry or Raspberry)
2 packets of Stevia no-calorie sweetener

Add all the ingredients at one time.  Let it steep double the time (6 minutes or so).  This makes the tea rather strong; the flavor is doubled and very candy-like.  If you want it iced, let it steep a little longer and add some ice cubes, or better yet -- let it cool in the fridge overnight (perhaps make a lot more, in a pitcher).

This tea is amazing!  I'm drinking it every night: the times when I so strongly wanted carbs or sweets, difficult to handle threats to throw my weight loss and/or maintenance off-track.  This tea satisfies my sweet-tooth in a big way, with no calories.

It's healthy as it hydrates the body.  It curbs hunger pangs.  It helps one get a full-feeling.

Try it, you'll like it!  Let me know what you think by commenting below.

Please share this treat with your friends.  Email it to them by clicking the email button below.  Or tell them to go to www.beliefnet.com/drnorris every day!

We know why we're fat: too much food in general, especially fats and sugar-laden food.  Now, "This is Why You're Fat" is a book and website of a collection of recipes and photos of really crazy fatty, sugary food.  This may give you pause, or at least prompt you to think about what you put into your sacred body.

Take a look at the website www.thisiswhyyourefat.com and you'll see photos of "The Meat-Up" an insane casserole of (and I quote) "Ground Beef, topped with 2 pepperoni logs, stuffed with Cheez Whiz, topped with a layer of bacon, topped with a layer of mozzarella cheese slices, topped with more bacon, topped with meatballs and served with brown gravy."

There's Twinkie pies with whipped cream, caramel, and extra butter.  A special 3-layer pizza of pepperoni, ham and sausage, not just one crust and cheese topping, 3 (three) pizzas stacked on top of each other!

How about deep-fried chocolate cake with whipped cream?  Try the Japanese 7-hamburger Whopper with cheese, to celebrate the release of Windows 7!

My personal favorite is the (and I quote again) "Redneck Quiche:
Eggs inside individual bologna cups topped with mayo and Velveeta cheese."  Mmmmm.

Take a look and have a laugh.  Buy the new book from HarperStudio.  Just DO NOT EAT ANYTHING LIKE THESE RECIPES, please God!

Do YOU have any wild and crazy high-fat, high-sugar recipes guaranteed to give you a heart-attack and severe obesity?  Share them below in a comment, and share a laugh, please!

And do your friends a favor - share this daily blog - www.beliefnet.com/drnorris

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