theworldaccordingtoeggface

Nonna's Ricotta Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:05:00 +0000

Every Easter my Sicilian Nonna would make a Ricotta Pie. This is pretty darn close to what it tasted like but so much better for you. My weight loss surgery friendly version eliminates the sugar and crust. Lots of sugar and white flour in Grandma's version.

If you are jonesing for cheesecake this is a MUST make...

Shelly's Crustless Ricotta Pie

8 oz. container Ricotta Cheese
1 Egg, beaten
1/4 cup Pistachios, chopped, unsalted
2 Tablespoons Sugar Free Torani Syrup (I used SF Vanilla)
3 Tablespoons Sugar Free Orange Marmalade (I used Smucker's Simply Fruit)
zest of 1/2 a Lemon

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour mixture into 4/4-oz ramekins. Here's what I use.

Bake for 45 minutes till slightly golden and set.

Chill. Serve cold with a squirt of Sugar Free Land o Lakes Whipped Cream and a dusting of Unsweetened Cocoa.

This would be a tasty meal on the soft phase just eliminate the nuts. Oodles of protein.

Other Eggface Ricotta Dishes:
Shelly's Ricotta Cheese Lemon Pancakes
Shelly's Mushroom & Onion Baked Ricotta Cups
Shelly's Zucchini Roll-ups (aka Pasta-less Manicotti)
Shelly's Almost No Bake Cheesecake Bites
Shelly's Strawberry Cannoli
Shelly's Roasted Pears with Sweetened Ricotta and Caramel
Shelly's White Clam Tortilla Pizza
Shelly's Sweet & Savory Tartlets

Tartlets

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:35:00 +0000

One of my favorite things to do is to have impromptu "Tidbit Parties" or "Carpet Picnics." All you need are good friends and/or family, yummy weight loss surgery friendly snacks, and the ability to value the little things in life.

After a really hot day a "Tidbit Party" outside on the patio in the cool night air was just what the doctor ordered.

Our snacks...

Shelly's Sweet & Savory Tartlets

Sweet ones:
French Toast Flatout "Mini" Size Wraps
1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Torani Syrup (I used SF Vanilla but any will work)
dash of Cinnamon
Variety of Toppings

Pictured: Fresh Blueberries, Smucker's Simply Fruit Orange Marmalade, Smucker's Sugar Free Strawberry Topping, Fresh Cherry

Savory ones:
Mission Brand Carb Balance Whole Wheat Fajita Size Tortillas
1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 Tablespoon Storebought Pesto Sauce
Kosher Salt & a few twists of Black Pepper to taste
Variety of Toppings

Pictured: Fresh Tomato, Fresh Basil, Black Olive, Toasted Pine Nuts

You need:
2 Mini Muffin Pans (same manufacturer)
Cookie Cutter or Juice Glass slightly larger than the muffin opening
Pam Cooking Spray

How to:
Preheat oven to 375. Spray one of your mini muffin pans with Pam. Using a cookie cutter or juice glass cut circles from tortillas/flatout wraps. Kitchen shears can help if your cookie cutter is dull edged. Place tortilla rounds over muffin openings.

Place the bottom of the second muffin pan on top of tortilla rounds and press down. Leave the tins together and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven. Lift second muffin tin off. You are left with little tartlet shells. Fill with sweet or savory fillings.

Filling ideas:
Sweetened or Savory Ricotta (see above), SF Pudding, Yogurt, SF Jam, Fruit (fresh or frozen), Veggies (sauteed mushrooms, onions), Refried Beans, Salsas, Dips, Guacamole, Bean Salads, Tapanades, the ideas are limitless...

Rockin' Ranch Slaw

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:04:00 +0000

You know how I won First Place in the Lindsay Olive Cooking Contest at the Fair last month well I was originally going to enter the Hidden Valley Ranch sponsored contest. I won that contest a few years back with Artichoke Squares, a yummy quiche like dish. This was my tester recipe for this year's contest. It's yummy. It's an adaptation on my Turkey Slaw recipe if you've made that one before you'll love this. It's a great one for potlucks. A complete meal full of great stuff and weight loss surgery friendly of course...

Shelly's Rockin' Ranch Slaw

1/4 lb. (about 4 slices) Smoked Turkey Breast, diced
8 oz. Broccoli Slaw Mix
8 oz. Cabbage Slaw Mix
1 (15 oz.) can Black Beans, rinsed & drained
1/2 cup Cooked Corn Kernels (Fresh, Frozen or Canned)
1 Bell Pepper (I use 1/2 red, 1/2 yellow), diced
1/4 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/4 Small Red Onion, diced fine
2 Green Onions, diced
1/4 cup Raisins
1/4 cup Slivered Almonds, toasted

Dressing
2 Tablespoons Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
1/4 cup Mayo
1/4 cup Fage Greek Yogurt
1 Tablespoon BBQ Sauce
1 Tablespoon Cider Vinegar

Toast almonds in a dry pan for a few minutes. Set aside to cool and crisp up. In a large bowl combine turkey, slaw mixes, beans, corn, pepper, onions, cheese, raisins and almonds. Mix Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix, mayonnaise, yogurt, BBQ sauce, and vinegar together. Pour the dressing over the slaw mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

My Olive Salad win got a little press...
Rookie Cooks Win Big At County Fair - Union Tribune
StateFairRecipes.com

Cherry Heaven

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 17:31:00 +0000

I'm in cherry heaven. 88¢ a pound. Now is when I buy them up... pit them (yeah not so fun) and freeze them for making smoothies, Black Cherry Protein Ice Cream, Cherry Nut Protein Muffins before they get $$$ again. I love cherries.

This was breakfast...

Shelly's Cherry Berry Cottage Smoothie

1 cup Vanilla Soy Milk (you can use any milk)
1/2 cup Frozen Pitted Cherries
2-3 Frozen Strawberries
1/4 cup Cottage Cheese (I used storebought Pineapple Cottage Cheese)
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Black Cherry Torani Syrup

Whiz in blender till smooth. Top with Sugar Free Land o Lakes Whipped Cream, optional.

You can add Vanilla or Chocolate Protein Powder to this I often do but I was having it with a Banana Nut Protein Muffin so I didn't add it this time. I had plenty of protein with the milk & cottage cheese and the muffin. This is a great way for people who hate cottage cheese to eat it... you can't tell it's in there. Just thickens everything and makes it yum!

Repurposing

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:57:00 +0000

I get a fair share of emails asking me what I do with all my leftovers. A good question. After all, the beauty of having weight loss surgery is that we can only consume so much food. So I thought I'd give you guys an idea of how things get used up at my house because I hate waste. I call it "repurposing."

Leftover steak goes on a tortilla pizza, leftover meat or veggies turn into a soup, leftover chicken becomes chicken salad.

I generally freeze 1/2 a casserole and eat it for lunch the next week. Nice to have a day off from cooking but still have a warm yummy home cooked meal. You can also take a casserole and turn it into a pizza like this or this or this.

Here's a recent example of repurposing...

Shelly's Beef & Bean Taco Salad

1/2 pound Ground Beef
1/2 a Maui Onion, diced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 (15 oz.) can Pinquitos (or Baby Pinto) Beans, rinsed & drained
1 cup Cooked Corn Kernels
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Southwest Seasoning (I use Emeril's)

Shredded Cheese
Sliced Black Olives
Sour Cream or Fage Greek Yogurt (I made a Spicy Yogurt Dip)

Brown ground beef till no pink is seen. Drain any fats. Add onions and garlic. Saute till onions are soft. Add corn (I used corn from a leftover ear I had BBQ'd the night before), beans and seasonings. Cook till heated through. Serve a dollop of beef & bean mixture on top salad greens and top with cheese, olives and Spicy Yogurt Dip.

Shelly's Spicy Yogurt Dip

3 oz. Fage Greek Yogurt (I use 2%)
1 teaspoon Mayonnaise
a few splashes of Cholula Hot Sauce (or your favorite)
a dash of Southwest Seasoning
Kosher Salt to taste

Mix together. Great to top Taco Salads or use as a dip with veggies or soy crisps.

The leftover Beef & Bean mixture from the salad became Beef & Bean Bites (Crustless Quiches) the following day. Any leftovers can become a Bite...

Shelly's Beef & Bean Bites

About 2 cups Beef & Beef Mixture (leftovers from Shelly's Beef & Bean Taco Salad)
1/2 cup Colby Jack or Cheddar Cheese, shredded
5 Eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together. Spoon into lightly greased (Pam works great) mini muffin tins.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350. Makes 24. They freeze great too.

More Eggface Bites

Muffin Morning

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:03:00 +0000

Had a banana that needed using and I was wide awake at 3AM so I decided I'd get up and make muffins. Mmmm there's nothing like starting the day off with the smell of baking bananas and cinnamon. Insomnia has it's benefits.

I made a Banana Nut Muffin a while back with Almond, Soy Flour and Oats which were yummy but I think I like this version with Spelt Flour even better. Oooh looks like I'll have to do a banana nut muffin side-by-side taste test. Yum!

Shelly's Banana Nut Mini Muffins (version 2.0)

3/4 cup Spelt Flour
1/2 cup Vanilla Protein Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
dash of Salt
1/4 cup Walnuts, chopped
2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
2 Eggs, beaten
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
4 Tablespoons Sugar Free Torani Syrup (I used SF Vanilla)
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 cup (1 large) Banana, diced

Topping
2-3 Tablespoons Unsweetened Banana Chips (or Unsweetened Coconut)
dash Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Sugar Free Torani Syrup (I used SF Vanilla)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray mini muffin tin with Pam and set aside. Mix all ingredients (except topping ingredients) together till combined. Spoon into muffin tin. Crush topping together in a snack size Ziploc. Sprinkle a little on the tops of each muffin.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until a tester inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Remove pans from oven.

Allow to cool in the pan for 3 minutes. Transfer to wire cooling rack to cool completely. Store in a sealed container to keep them soft and moist. Makes 24.

A couple of these babies split open and smeared with No Sugar Added Strawberry or Blueberry Jam = Heaven.

I always freeze half the batch. I wrap them in plastic wrap and toss them in a gallon freezer Ziploc bag then take them out a hour or so before I want to eat them. To reheat: you can nuke them to warm them up but I love to slice them in half and toast them. They get yummy crispy edges. Nom nom nom.

It's a good morning. Hope yours is too.

Who's Bad?

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:54:00 +0000

Watched the Michael Jackson Memorial this morning. Very moving. Whether you thought he was a misunderstood genius or a monster one thing is for sure his music is part of the soundtrack of our lives. I tend to believe (hope) he was just misunderstood.

Oh and I had to share these...

Eggface circa 1982 (11 years old) sporting my Michael Jackson pins
Well and errr ummm I might have danced "Thriller" on stage once or twice too...

"If you want to make the world a better place take a look at yourself and make a change." ~Michael Jackson

Leftovers Rock

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 03:46:00 +0000

Went to a restaurant last night and ordered a steak. 1/2 the steak I boxed up right away to bring home. My leftover steak became this yummy lunch. I had two slices with a fresh from the garden Tomato & Cucumber Salad.

Mmmm sometimes leftovers are even better than the original.

Shelly's BBQ Beef Tortilla Pizza - Mission Carb Balance Whole Wheat Fajita Size Tortilla topped with BBQ Sauce, Sliced Steak, Sauteed Onions, Shredded Colby Jack Cheese and a sprinkle of Steak Seasoning.

How to make them: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. I put 1 drop literally of olive oil on the cookie sheet and spread it around. Place tortilla on cookie sheet. Spread the sauce on the tortilla (pesto, marinara, alfredo, bruschetta sauce, whatever.) Put a slice of cheese on top of that and then any combination of toppings or leftovers I can find bumping around the fridge. Sprinkle with grated parmesan if desired. Pop in oven. 10 minutes exactly. Have the oven hot before you do the toppings **Do not let them sit. Pop them in the oven right away or the toppings will make the tortilla soggy versus the yummy crispy porn pictured above.

Some Tortilla Pizza FAQ's

More Eggface Pizza Porn:

Our 4th

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:49:00 +0000

Hope everyone had a HAPPY & SAFE 4th of July!

I BBQ'd Zucchini Weenies for lunch and steaks for dinner and hung with my Mum (it's her Birthday today!) We luckily have a peek-a-boo view of the town's local firework display from the backyard so no battling traffic or parking. We watched those then came in and caught the NYC and Boston Pops firework shows on TV with a big bowl of Protein Ice Cream for dessert. Nom nom nom.

For dinner I BBQ'd steak topped with mushrooms sauteed in garlic and a sprinkle of thyme and made this experimental Scalloped Crab and Corn Bake on the side. It was soooo good! It would be perfect for a Brunch too and it is a great use for leftover corn...

Shelly's Scalloped Crab and Corn Bake

4 slices Bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 Maui Onion, diced
2 cups Cooked Corn Kernels (fresh, frozen or canned doesn't matter)
1 (2 oz.) jar Pimentos, drained
1 (6 oz.) can Crab Meat, drained
1 (12 oz.) can Evaporated Milk
1 cup Colby Jack or Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning (Oregano, Basil, Garlic Blend)
2 Tablespoons Multigrain Pancake Mix, dry (I use this)
2 Large Egg Whites, beaten
1 Large Egg, beaten

Cook bacon, set aside to cool. Saute onion till golden.

Mix onion, crumbled bacon, corn, pimentos, crab together.

Combine cheese and pancake mix in a small bowl. Heat evaporated milk till small bubbles form on edge. Add cheese mixture stirring constantly. Heat till thickened. Remove from heat and add eggs and egg whites stirring constantly till combined. Add seasonings. Mix.

Pour cheese sauce over onion mixture and stir to combine. Pour into a greased 2 qt. rectangle Pyrex casserole dish (Pam works great) Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Zucchini Weenie

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:43:00 +0000

When we went to the County Fair this year there was a new fried food offering: the Deep Fried Zucchini Weenie - a hot dog stuffed in a zucchini, dipped in batter and deep fried on a stick.

My Mum actually got one. Her comments while eating it were "It's OK but the zucchini isn't cooked enough" and she missed the BBQ flavor grilling (our preferred hot dog cooking method) gives the hot dog. She also got a mean case of heartburn from it thanks to the greasy batter and deep frying.

Mum's verdict: not something she'd get again especially without a roll of Tums.

So we went home and I got to thinking I really liked the idea of the zucchini and hot dog together. Let's try and make a version that addresses the things my Mum didn't like about the Fair's Zucchini Weenie and something weight loss surgery friendly so I can have it too. Here's my spin on it...

Shelly's Zucchini Weenies

Small Zucchinis
Hot Dogs
Olive Oil

Cut hot dogs and zucchinis lengthwise. Set hot dogs aside. With a melon baller or teaspoon carefully scrape out some of the fleshy part of the inside the zucchini. You are making a zucchini canoe basically.

Place 1/2 a hot dog in each hollowed out zucchini half.

Brush with olive oil and place on the BBQ. Grill about 5 minutes per side with the lid down for 1/2 the cooking time.

In the last minute or so you can add a slice of cheese if you want to make a Cheesy Zucchini Weenie or for fun use a squirt of that Easy Cheese spray cheese in a can stuff.

Verdict on my Zucchini Weenie: Two thumbs up from Mum and a yum from this post-op!

Hot Dog 411:

July is National Hot Dog Month
Americans consume 150 million Hot Dogs on the 4th of July
The most popular Hot Dog topping is Mustard
The world record for eating Hot Dogs is 53 1/2 Nathan's Hot Dogs and buns in 12 minutes by Takeru Kobayashi

Some Healthier Hot Dog options...

HEBREW NATIONAL KOSHER 97 PERCENT FAT-FREE BEEF FRANKS
45 calories, 3g carbs, 6g protein, 1.5g fat
BALL PARK FAT-FREE BEEF FRANKS
55 calories, 7g carbs, 6g protein, zero fat
OSCAR MAYER LIGHT BEEF FRANKS
90 calories, 2g carbs, 5g protein, 6g fat
BOAR'S HEAD BRAND LITE BEEF FRANKFURTERS
90 calories, zero carbs, 7g protein, 6g fat

a few more cals but nom nom nom...

APPLEGATE FARMS GREAT ORGANIC HOT DOG
110 calories, zero carbs, 7g protein, 8g fat
COLEMAN NATURAL BEEF HOT DOG (my fav)
170 calories, 1g carbs, 6g protein, 6g fat

and for the vegetarians...

SMART DELI JUMBOS SOY DOGS
80 calories, 3g carbs, 17g protein, zero fat

Gonna BBQ some more tonight throwing a couple of steaks on the grill and making a yummy side dish experiment. We'll see if it's blogworthy ;) Then local fireworks and I always tune into Pops Goes the 4th!

Happy & safe 4th of July everyone! God Bless America! Make today your own personal Independence Day and eliminate something negative in your life!

Fuel

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:20:00 +0000

My Super Cool Bento Box all packed up with snacks for an adventure...

Pink Box (top left): Grilled Zucchini & Mushrooms
Green Box (top right): Mini Protein Donuts
Blue Box (bottom left): Almonds and Lindsay Garlic Seasoned Olive Snackers (Love these)
Orange Box (bottom right): Wee Brie Cheese

These are a brand new product and were part of my first prize Olive Cooking Contest winnings at the County Fair. Tasty. They come in three flavors. Great for picnics.

Off to look for some trouble. I'll call if I need bail money ;)

Power Tools

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:04:00 +0000

Well you guys know my beloved Beehive Blender bit the dust last week. I decided I would upgrade. I have been wanting one of these forever. I figured I'd put my cooking contest winnings to good use and get myself a treat...

Vita-Mix 1364 CIA Professional Countertop Blender with 2+ HP Motor.

Oh yeah come to Momma.

This baby has some power. It's like the difference between using a knife and a buzz saw.

Patriotic Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:19:00 +0000

Yum. A healthy and tasty way to start the morning.

The blueberries are KILLER this year. We have a U-Pick-Em Blueberry Farm in my town I buy them from this farm at the Farmer's Market but it would be fun to go picking one day. Check out this great story.

Shelly's Red, White & Blue Breakfast Parfait

1/4 cup Fage Greek Yogurt
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Vanilla Torani Syrup
1 teaspoon Sugar Free Jello Cheesecake Flavor Pudding Mix, dry
scrapings of a 1/2 a Vanilla Bean Pod
Raspberries
Blueberries

Mix first four ingredients together in a small bowl. Layer in a parfait glass: raspberries, yogurt, blueberries.

More Eggface Blueberry yumminess
Shelly's Blueberry Oat Bars
Shelly's Blueberry Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Shelly's Blueberry Cheesecake Protein Ice Cream
Shelly's Blueberry Banana Protein Smoothie
Shelly's Blueberry Cobbler Protein Ice Cream

FYI Amazon's Torani Syrup Sale is still going on... a GREAT DEAL 3 bottles for $16.30 and FREE SHIPPING with orders of $25. Sugar Free Vanilla, Caramel, Raspberry, Hazelnut, Chocolate...Here's the 411.

The Great Rollatinis Version 3.0

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:34:00 +0000

With all the birthday stuff I didn't want this to get lost. Remember those Chicken Rollatinis last month well we ate version number three for dinner the other night. Super yummy.

Shelly's Onion & Cheese Chicken Rollatinis

2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, sliced into 3-4 pieces each and pounded flat
1 Maui Onion, sliced
1 oz. Herbed Goat Cheese
1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1/2 cup Storebought Bruschetta Sauce
1/2 cup Storebought Alfredo Sauce
1/2 cup Mozzarella, shredded
a Tablespoon or so of Olive Oil for sauteing

Pound chicken breast pieces flat between plastic wrap. Set aside. Saute onions till golden. Set aside to cool. When cool add to goat cheese and mix together. Heat a little olive oil in a shallow non-stick fry pan. Place a dollop of onion and cheese filling on the end of each pounded chicken breast and roll up. Place seam side down in hot pan. Saute 5 minutes on one side, flip and saute 3 minutes on other side. Remove from pan and place rollatinis in a Pyrex casserole dish.

Mix all remaining ingredients (except mozzarella) together. Pour over rollatinis. Sprinkle mozzarella on top. Bake for 30 minutes in a 350 oven.

The other Eggface Rollatinis:
Version 1.0
Version 2.0

Birthday Wish!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:22:00 +0000

One more thing about my birthday...

Mini Protein Donuts are PERFECT for holding a birthday wish candle.

...and oh boy did I make a GREAT wish!

I can't tell.
You know the rules ;)

Birthday Treats

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:51:00 +0000

Had a great day yesterday. Thank you for all the sweet birthday greetings!

It was a hot day 101°F here in my 'hood so we escaped to the cheapy movie theater. Saw "Ghosts of Girlfriend's Past" with my hottie Matthew Mcconaughey. I love that he was once arrested for a disturbing the peace naked and playing the bongos. Ohhh how I would have loved to have been that arresting officer. Wee Ooh Wee Ooh Wee. The movie was cute should have been released near Christmas though as it was a take on "A Christmas Carol" but whatever... I enjoyed the movie, popcorn & especially the couple of hours of free AC!

At 101°F outside you know my Ice Cream Maker was churning. Here's what I made with it...

Shelly's Gingersnap Protein Ice Cream

1 cup Vanilla Soy Milk (or Regular Milk)
2 scoops of Vanilla Protein Powder
2 Tablespoon Sugar Free Gingerbread Davinci Syrup
1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger, divided use
4-6 Sugar Free Oatmeal Cookies, crushed (I use these)

Mix together milk, protein, syrup and 1/4 teaspoon of the ginger. I used this gadget to mix it up. It makes it airy and lump free. If you don't have one just toss it in a blender on super high. You want it fluffy almost double in size. Pour into ice cream maker. Follow your machine's instructions for freezing. Crush the cookies with the remaining ginger in a snack-size Ziploc. 5 minutes before done add to ice cream maker. You can eat it right away it is soft serve-ish but I like to put it in the freezer to set for an hour.

So I took 2 scoops of Gingersnap Ice Cream and made a yummy Protein Shake...

Shelly's Gingersnap Latte Protein Shake

1 cup Vanilla Soy Milk
2 scoops Shelly's Gingersnap Protein Ice Cream
1 scoop Click Espresso Protein Powder
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Vanilla Torani Syrup

Blend. Top with Sugar Free Land o Lakes Whipped Cream and a dash of cinnamon

Later in the day I made myself some more birthday treats... Mini Protein Donuts and Strawberry Cannoli. Mmmm.

Birthday Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:09:00 +0000

So today many many many ;) grrr many moons ago I was born. Not doing much today saving $ for something BIG. Just dinner & a movie probably but first BREAKFAST...

Nom nom nom.

Eggface's Heart Shaped Baked Egg Cups

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a heart shaped silicone muffin pan with Pam cooking spray.

Crumble cooked sausage, ham, smoked salmon, bacon, cheese, diced green onion, chopped herbs, leftover chopped veggies (broccoli, peas, asparagus, spinach...), refried beans. It's a great use for leftovers... meatloaf, taco meat, hamburger, chili. Whatever combo you like... into each muffin cup.

You will want to fill the muffin tins about 3/4 full of "stuff" before you add the egg. I leave a little indentation or well in whatever filling I add so the egg has a little place to fall into. Crack one large egg into each well. It's OK if it breaks. Season with a pinch of Kosher Salt and a few twists of freshly ground Black Pepper.

I used some leftover spinach, a sliced mushroom, some diced green onion, a couple of Tablespoons of Bruschetta Sauce. Topped with the egg, feta cheese crumbles and salt & pepper.

Bake in a 375 oven for 20 minutes (soft yellow my preference) or 23 minutes (firm yellow.) Pop out of pan and serve.

Well my only consolation to getting older is I look better now than I did in my 20's :) Thank you weight loss surgery!

Pistachio 5 Minute Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:12:00 +0000

My Mum declared this 5 Minute Cake her favorite...

Shelly's Pistachio 5 Minute Cake

1 Egg, beaten
3 Tablespoons Milk
2 Tablespoons Sugar Free Vanilla Torani Syrup
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
3 Tablespoons Multigrain Pancake Mix (I use this)
2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Coconut
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Jello Pistachio Pudding Mix, dry
1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
Pinch salt
1 - 2 cup Measuring Cup or Microwave Safe Mug

In a measuring cup or microwave safe mug, Mix egg, milk, syrup and oil and combine thoroughly. In a separate bowl, mix pancake mix, coconut, protein powder, pudding mix and salt. Tip dry into wet and stir till combined. Nuke in microwave for 2 minutes (my microwave is getting old and needs 20 seconds added now.)

Let it sit for three or so minutes (it pulls away from the sides) before tipping the cake onto a plate. Yields 4-5 slices. Top slices with SF Land o Lakes Whipped Cream and Pistachios. It would be great topped with a scoop of Pistachio Protein Ice Cream too.

More Eggface 5 Minute Cakes

This was a pre-Birthday cake we ate last night. Today I'm making a batch of mini protein donuts and some strawberry cannoli for my B-day manana. I'm going to be 29 in case you are wondering ;) Next year too.

Apple Flat Out Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:16:00 +0000

This was breakfast. Mmmmm so good and my house still smells like freshly baked apple pie. Nice.

Shelly's Apple Flat Out Pizza - French Toast Mini Size Flat Out Wrap, Ricotta Cheese sweetened with SF Caramel Torani Syrup, Apple Slices, drizzle of Sugar Free Maple Syrup, dash of Cinnamon.

Bake for 10 minutes in a 375 oven on a lightly oiled cookie sheet.

"From the bitterness of disease man learns the sweetness of health."
~Catalan Proverb

Poor Farrah Fawcett lost her battle with cancer today. It's hitting me especially hard because a family member has just be diagnosed. Prayers to Farrah's family and to all those still fighting that horrible disease.

Life is short. Surround yourself with the people & things that bring you JOY!

Lemon Love

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:28:00 +0000

Long day of work today. I was thankful I had some of this bean salad leftover to come home too. Bean salads only taste better the next day. All the flavors get a chance to love on each other. Yum!

Shelly's Greek Garbanzo Salad

2 cans (15 oz.) Chickpeas (aka Chickpeas, Cece, Garbanzo), rinsed & drained
1 Cucumber, diced
1/4 of a Red Onion, diced
3 Green Onions, diced
1/4 cup Kalamata Olives, sliced
1/4 cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
2 Tablespoon Pine Nuts, toasted

Lemon Dressing

3 Tablespoon Good Olive Oil (I used a Garlic Infused Oil)
Zest of a whole Large Lemon
Juice of 1/2 a Large Lemon
1/4 teaspoon Greek Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper

Toast pine nuts for a few minutes in a dry pan. Don't walk away. Set aside to cool. Drain and rinse Chickpeas. Mix all remaining salad ingredients together. Toss cooled pine nuts in. Mix Lemon Dressing ingredients and pour over salad.

It's a good lemon year on my tree...

I'm on a lemon kick today I guess... I've got a batch of Lemon Merigue Pie Protein Ice Cream churning as I type.

When life gives you lemons... make ~~lemonade~~ Greek Garbanzo Salad. OK it's not as catchy but a lot tastier.

More Eggface Salads:

Shelly's Italian Bean Salad
Shelly's Chutney Chicken Salad
Shelly's Greek Bean Salad
Shelly's Shell-less Taco Salad
Shelly's Tropical Chicken Salad
Shelly's Black & White Bean Salad
Shelly's Naked Asian Chicken Salad
Shelly's Strawberry Fields Forever Chicken Salad
Shelly's Corn, Crab and Black Bean Salad
Shelly's BLT Chicken Salad

Want even more? Type in Salad (or any ingredient) in the Search Box under my Before & After Picture.

Something Sweet

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:37:00 +0000

BBQing burgers and making a bean salad for dinner and later these are chilling for dessert...

Shelly's Triple Strawberry Trifle

1 Shelly's Pretty in Pink Strawberry 5 Minute Cake, cut into rounds
2 Tablespoons Sugar Free Strawberry Topping or Jam (I use Smucker's)
1 cup Strawberries, diced
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Vanilla Torani Syrup
1 batch Warm Vanilla Custard (recipe below)

Prepare my Strawberry 5 Minute Cake per recipe see link above. Allow to cool. Cut cake into at least 4 slices and use a cookie cutter or juice glass to make a round small enough to fit in the bottom of 4 ramekins. Spoon Strawberry Topping over cake rounds.

Divide strawberries that have been sweetened with Sugar Free Torani among the 4 ramekins.

Top with Warm Vanilla Custard.

You can eat it warm or put them in the fridge to set up for 1/2 hour. I let them chill and top with Sugar Free Land o Lakes Whipped Cream.

Shelly's Warm Vanilla Custard

2 Tablespoons of Bird's Custard Powder
2 cups Milk
2 Tablespoons Sugar Free Vanilla Torani Syrup

Mix powder into a smooth paste with a little of the milk. Heat the remaining milk to almost boiling and pour onto the custard mixture. Return the mix to the pan and heat till thickened (it will bubble). Remove from heat and mix Sugar Free Syrup in. You can eat this as is warm (my favorite) poured over slices of my 5 Minute Cakes, Crumbs and Protein Souffles or chill it and it will firm up like pudding.

Speaking of something sweet. Check out these cuties I spotted on my walk today...

3 years and 2 scoops.

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:52:00 +0000

I sat down to write this blog entry and NOTHING. I've been staring at the blank screen for an hour and the words just wouldn't flow today then I realized why.

Today is my 3 year Surgiversary.

3 years ago today I was recovering in a hospital in Ensenada, Mexico from open RNY Gastric Bypass Surgery.

All I really want to say today is THANK YOU.

Thank you to Dr. A the AWESOME surgeon that gave me back my life,
Thank you to my Family and Friends (both real world & cyber) who give me support and encouragement everyday,
and I want to Thank myself for the courage to change my life.

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.” ~James Neil Hollingworth

I celebrated this milestone day with 2 scoops of Protein Ice Cream...

Shelly's Kitchen Sink Protein Ice Cream

1 cup Vanilla Soy Milk (or Regular Milk)
2 scoops of Vanilla Protein Powder
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Vanilla Torani Syrup
1/4 cup of Crushed "Stuff" (Nuts, Unsweeetened Coconut, Crushed Cookies, SF Chocolate)
Drizzle of Peanut Butter (about 2 Tablespoons nuked a few seconds to thin)

Mix together milk, protein, and syrup. I used this gadget to mix it up. It makes it airy and lump free. If you don't have one just toss it in a blender on super high. You want it fluffy almost double in size. Pour into ice cream maker. Follow your machine's instructions for freezing. 5 minutes before done add crushed stuff.

When done scoop 1/2 out of machine into a Tupperware container. Drizzle Peanut Butter top with other 1/2 of Ice Cream and repeat drizzle.

You can eat it right away it is soft serve-ish but I like to put it in the freezer to set for an hour.

This is a great use for the leftover toppings after making a batch of my Mini Chocolate Protein Donuts... just toss them all in a ziploc and into the freezer and they'll be ready for the next batch of Protein Ice Cream.

More Eggface Protein Ice Cream flavors

Greek Tortilla Pizza & RIP

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:51:00 +0000

Let the olive fun begin...

Shelly's Greek Tortilla Pizza - Mission Carb Balance Whole Wheat Fajita Size Tortilla topped with Hummus, Grilled Zucchini, Kalamata Olives, Feta Cheese and Greek Seasoning.

How to make them: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. I put 1 drop literally of olive oil on the cookie sheet and spread it around. Place tortilla on cookie sheet. Spread the sauce on the tortilla (pesto, marinara, alfredo, bruschetta sauce, whatever.) Put a slice of cheese on top of that and then any combination of toppings or leftovers I can find bumping around the fridge. Sprinkle with grated parmesan if desired. Pop in oven. 10 minutes exactly. Have the oven hot before you do the toppings **Do not let them sit. Pop them in the oven right away or the toppings will make the tortilla soggy versus the yummy crispy porn pictured above.

Some Tortilla Pizza FAQ's

More Eggface Pizza Porn:

I had 2 slices of this yummy Tortilla Pizza for lunch yesterday and a Banana Protein Mochacchino - my Starbuck's knock-off Vivanno. As I was making my shake my blender made a horrid sound... it was kind of like a moose giving birth and then black grease shot out the bottom. I saved my shake but my beloved Beehive Blender was toast. Errr $$$ I can't live without a blender but I can't really complain we had 15+ great years together that Beehive & me. Thank you for all those pre-op Margaritas and Mudslides you were the life of many parties and for the Protein Shakes and Protein Souffles as a postie. RIP you will be missed.

More from the Fair...

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:25:00 +0000

There were lots a crazy new foods at the Fair this year: Oatmeal Cookie Chicken Sandwich, Zucchini Weenies, Deep-Fried Bread Pudding, Chocolate Covered Bacon. Eeek. Pre-op I probably would have indulged in several of them (well not the oatmeal cookie thing that is just sick) and easily consumed a week's worth of calories in one day. Thankfully my mindset has changed and very few of these sound appealing...

I did have Roasted Corn (a Fair MUST) and for dinner a big juicy cheeseburger wrapped in lettuce, no bun. They will do it just ask. I was impressed with the Albertson's Supermarket Rejuvenation Station (for my local pals: it's located on Wyland Way between the Music Mania Theme Exhibit and the AgriFair) that had a lot of yummy healthy snack choices.

I bought some weight loss surgery friendly snacks in my Super Cool Bento Box that carried us through the day and of course I sampled my Jazzy New Orleans Muffaletta Salad after the judging was over.

Pink Box (top left): Yellow Pepper Strips, Cucumber Slices and Baby Carrots
Green Box (top right): Banana Caramel Nut 5 Minute Protein Cake Hearts
Blue Box (bottom left): Shelly's Caprese Skewers
Bottom right: Tribe Single Serve Hummus (love these)
Off to the side: 2 Sugar Free Jolly Ranchers (totally never would know they are SF)

One of my favorites to make for holiday parties...

Shelly's Caprese Skewers

Fresh Basil
Bocconcini (those bite-sized fresh mozzarella balls)
Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
Pesto Sauce (homemade or storebought)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Bamboo Skewers (toothpick size or cut a full length in half)

Wrap the bocconcini with basil leaf and pierce with skewer. Add a tomato to skewer. Repeat until you run out of skewers or ingredients. Drizzle skewers with pesto sauce (if it's too thick nuke it or thin it out with olive oil) and sprinkle with freshly ground salt and pepper.

Fun at the Fair

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle "Shelly") — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:28:00 +0000

It's County Fair time again. If you are a longtime reader of The World According to Eggface you know I love to enter cooking contests. Each year when the Fair comes around I enter at least one of the cooking competitions. The theme of the Fair this year is ♫ Music Mania and the contest I chose to enter was sponsored by Lindsay Olives: The Olive Lover's Salad Challenge.

The rules: Entry had to be a salad and had to contain at least 2 types of Lindsay Olives. The entries were judged on the following criteria: Creative Ingredient Combination 30%, Tantalizing Taste 30%, Ease of Preparation 25% and Visual Appeal 15%.

This was my entry...

Shelly's Jazzy New Orleans Muffaletta Salad

2 (15 oz.) cans Cannellini Beans, rinsed & drained
1/2 cup Lindsay Pitted Large Black Olives, drained
1/2 cup Lindsay Manzanilla Pimento Stuffed Olives, drained
1/2 cup Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, halved
1/4 of a Red Onion, diced
1/2 a Cucumber, diced
1 cup Bocconcini (Bite-size balls of Fresh Mozzarella), halved
1/4 lb. (about 6 slices) Genoa Salami, diced
1 Tablespoon storebought Pesto Sauce
3 Tablespoons storebought Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
a few twists of Black Pepper to taste

Rinse and drain beans. Set aside. Drain olives and pulse in a mini food processor till finely chopped. Pour onto beans. Dice onion, half tomatoes and mozzarella balls and add to bean & olive mixture. Dice Salami and add. Add all remaining ingredients. Mix till well combined. Best if made several hours before serving or even the night before.

Muffuletta (pronounced "moo-foo-LET-ta") is a sandwich that originated in 1906 at the Central Grocery in New Orleans, created by Salvatore Lupo, a Sicilian immigrant. A chopped olive mixture is considered the heart of the sandwich. I adapted the sandwich into this summer salad. Great for picnics because there's no mayo and it only gets better and better by the end of the day. Oh and it's weight loss surgery friendly of course.

Guess what?!

I won First Place! My Blue Ribbon...

Me in my apron looking all worn out after a day of cooking and walking around the Fair. Serving tastes of my salad...

This is the cool engraved trophy plate I won. It's a clear glass etched plate so it's hard to take a pic of...

Oh and I won $$ and this...

;) Soooo prepare for a boatload of olive dishes cause I have A LOT OF OLIVES!