(Better for You) Puff Pastry Turkey Sausage Pinwheels are a recipe makeover of the classic holiday nibble. With a swap or two and a couple of additions this recipe for these popular hors d’oeuvres is lower in fat and calories, but still offers that classic flavor we all know and love.

This issue also shares

• The Best Life Living Tip: How besties affect your life — and lifespan. 👏
• The Self-Care Technique: Easy hack for moisturizing chapped hands 🧤
• Ideas and Inspiration: Tips for hosting sleepover holiday guests from travel expert Samantha Brown 🧳

Read on for more — including how to make these (Better for You) Puff Pastry Turkey Sausage Pinwheels. It’s the crispy, salty snack you need at your holiday fête this season.

Best Life Living Tip

In the photo above I am with my dear friend Evan.  We met in college at the University of Georgia and both cherish our longtime friendship. “Keep company with good people” is one of the 7 tips to live a happier life from the Mayo Health Clinic. Every Friday I have a standing date with Evan and his family for yoga and dinner. It’s one of the best parts of my week!

“You’re the average of the five people spend the most time with,” is a quote attributed to speaker and author Jim Rohn. This means that the people you spend the most time with influence who you are, making your overall character an amalgamation of those five individuals.

Friends play a big role in your overall health and wellness. Adults with strong social connections have a lower risk of health problems including depression, high blood pressure, and an unhealthy weight. Studies have found that older adults with close friends and a healthy social system are likelier to live longer than their peers with fewer friends.

Surrounding yourself with uplifting and supportive people will positively impact your life. #Facts

Self-Care Technique

Winter weather is hard on the skin, especially the nails and cuticles. It’s important to stay hydrated and moisturized.

Mama was right. Use dishwashing gloves. They are especially handy this time of year with more cooking, eating, and cleanup. It’s old school — and they work. Double down and moisturize with lotion before you put them on.

You can use the self-care technique before you put your winter gloves on, too. Lightly coat your fingers with cream or salve, paying special attention to the cuticles. I leave a tin of cuticle cream in my car console and apply it just before I put on my gloves for my morning walks. (It’s a practice called habit stacking, to build upon a habit.)

However, be careful not to stain your gloves. It’s best recommended for more casual cloth or knit gloves, not fine leather ones.

Check out this UC Health blog for more Winter Skin Care Tips for Preventing Dry, Cracking Skin

Ideas and Inspiration

Samantha Brown is legend! She’s hosted TV travel shows for years and brings that same great info and energy to social media. Check out her tips on hosting guests during the holidays.

1. Place amenity kits in bathrooms.
2. Printed displays for passwords.
3. Set up the breakfast buffet the night before. (Psst Turkey Sausage Pinwheels are great for breakfast, too!)
4. Share a list of area activities and attractions
5. Put out extra toilet paper.

I’ll add that you need to pretend like you’re a guest in the guest room. Where are you plugging your phone charger?

My suggestion is to place power strips near the bed and have extra cords and charging cubes ready. As Samantha says, “Travelers are a forgetful bunch.”

News You Can Use

These Turkey Sausage Pinwheels come in at 31 calories per piece (vs. about 100 for the full fat!) I’ve swapped out full-fat cream cheese with Neufchatel and you can’t tell the difference! They’re still indulgent but are a bit more nutritionally dense with the addition of grated onion and apple. This lends the pinwheels moisture and flavor without the fat.

For flavor, take a look at that deep, dark brown color on these Turkey Sausage Pinwheels. That’s what you want, not lifeless pale pastry! This is what is called “French Brown” and is largely due to the Maillard reaction, a chemical reaction between sugars and amino acids that occurs when food is cooked at high temperatures, contributing to the desirable browned color and rich complex flavor. 

Looking for other recipes for healthy-ish nibbles? This Faux Gras recipe from Bon Appetit, Y’all is made from lentils, pecans, and mushrooms makes 3 cups, and freezes beautifully. (Make a batch and serve half of it, then save the other half for a 2nd event, like New Year’s Eve or Day.)

Thanks so much for reading. Please give me a follow on IG @virginiawillis for more best life tips, self-care techniques, ideas and inspiration, and healthy recipes.

Remember, as long as you’re doing what’s Good and Good for You™ more often than not, you’re on the right track. 🙌🏻 You can do it!

Bon Appétit Y’all!

Virginia Willis

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Turkey Sausage Pinwheels

While there's nothing like homemade buttery puff pastry, that's not the world I live in! I like a product called Jus-Rols. It's available at Walmart and Kroger. It is puff pastry in a roll and comes ready to use, no defrosting necessary. While it is not made from butter, it is made from sustainable palm oil and has a good flavor. And, best yet, there's no odd fake fat flavor like with some plant-based pastry. Jus-Rol’s dough products are non-GMO and provide exceptional results without fillers, substitutes, or shortcuts – including no artificial flavors/colors, no bleached flour, and no high-fructose corn syrups. 

Want to make these Turkey Sausage Pinwheels ahead? Prepare the stuffed rolls ahead, then slice and bake just before serving.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, hors d'oeuvres, Snack

Cuisine: American, French, Southern

Keyword: healthy appetizer, holiday appetizer, party food

Servings: 30

Calories: 31kcal

Author: Virginia Willis

Ingredients

• 1 ounce block Neufchatel cheese room temperature
• 1 pound breakfast turkey sausage
• 1 onion grated
• 1 apple grated
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped herbs such as parsley and sage
• 1 13.2 ounce package puff pastry
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Place the Neufchatel in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside to come to room temperature. Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside. Unroll the puff pastry and place the parchment paper that comes with the pastry on top of the prepared sheet pan. Place in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the breakfast sausage and cook, using a spatula to break up the meat into smaller pieces. Once the meat is no longer pink, about 3 minutes, add the grated onion and apple. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the mixture is dry and the onions are soft and translucent about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Transfer the sausage mixture to the bowl with the cheese. Add the herbs and season with pepper. Using a spatula or handheld mixer, stir to combine.
• Remove the puff pastry from the refrigerator. Remove the parchment and puff pastry from the sheet pan. Spread the sausage mixture across the entire dough. Sprinkle with smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and freshly ground pepper. (The cheese is salty, so there’s no real need for additional salt.)
• Starting from the long end, roll the puff pastry into a log. Tightly wrap the log in the parchment. Place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. (You don’t have to use the sheet pan.)
• You can use a sharp knife, but the best way to achieve circular pinwheels is to use unflavored dental floss. Wrap a length of dental floss around the log where you want to cut, then gently pull the ends in opposite directions to slice cleanly through the log. Cut the log in half. Return one-half to the refrigerator. Working with the remaining half and dental floss, cut the log into 15 pieces about 1/3 inch thick. Place the pinwheels on the silpat-lined baking sheet.
• Transfer to the heated oven and cook until dark golden brown, about 18 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool slightly. Repeat with the reserved chilled roll.
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Serve room temperature with mustard for serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 31kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 93mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 81IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.2mg