Bariatric Foodie

Meet the Week One Pledgers!

2012-01-30T17:00:00.000-08:00

First...a word from our hostess...

Ok, so now that I'm done DRONING on...on to the list.

The names are in alpha order by first name. For Facebook it was my intention to only do first name, last initial but folks tend to have more than three names as their Facebook name and it got too confusing to decide how to shorten it!

Two favors, looking at the list:

If you pledged in more than one place this week, next week...PLEASE...only pledge in one place. It took a while to get the duplicates out. But also, if you see yourself on the list twice, please email me at bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com and let me know the two names you used and two ways you pledged and which way you want me to keep. Being on the list twice gives you an unfair advantage in the drawing, so let's keep this contest fair, k?
If you don't see your name on this list at all...don't freak out! Please email me the following at bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com: (a) Where you pledged (Facebook, the blog) (b) The name you used for your pledge (and some of you may find you're not on this list because you gave no name!) and (c) what you pledged. If I can find you, I'll add you! PLEASE make it easy for me to find you!

You have until noon tomorrow (Tuesday, January 31) to petition yourself onto this week's list. After that, the list is CLOSED for the week! And remember that if you are interested in winning the super big prize provided by Quest protein bars, you MUST pledge each of the four regular pledge weeks!

Without further adieu...here are the Week One Pledgers!
(Name + How you pledged)

Alanna Hendry, Facebook
Aletha Moody, Facebook
Alethea White, Facebook
Alisha Andziulewicz Martioski Griffin, Facebook
alumtube, Bariatric Foodie
Amber Cottrill, Bariatric Foodie
AmyC, Bariatric Foodie
Amy Edin Johnson, Facebook
Angel Denning Weber, Facebook
Angie, Bariatric Foodie
Anna, Bariatric Foodie
Anna Harper, Facebook
April Starinsky, Bariatric Foodie
Ashley Hall, Facebook
Babs, Bariatric Foodie
Barb Hook, Bariatric Foodie
Barbara Balrig, Bariatric Foodie
Barefoot Lawyer, Bariatric Foodie
Becky Caldwell, Bariatric Foodie
bettisima, Bariatric Foodie
Brandy Walters, Bariatric Foodie
Brenda Makar, Facebook
Bridget Epling, Facebook
Brittany, Bariatric Foodie
butterflylvr, Bariatric Foodie
Candi Noftz, Facebook
Cara G. Chapel, Facebook
Carolyn, Bariatric Foodie
Carrie Hays Jorgenson, Facebook
Charmaine Isaac Jackson, Facebook
Cheri Bradford Rousseau, Facebook
Cheryl, Bariatric Foodie
Christa, Bariatric Foodie
Christine Shento, Facebook
Christine Taylor, Bariatric Foodie
Coach Carissa, Bariatric Foodie
colleen, Bariatric Foodie
Corey H, Bariatric Foodie
Corey Hickok, Facebook
Courtney Clark-Lamberson, Facebook
Crystal Davis, Facebook
Cyndi Nugent, Gonzales Facebook
Cynthia-pumpkin Williams, Facebook
Dale Dorsz, Facebook
Darlene Smith Meadows, Facebook
Debra Jackson Rogers, Facebook
Debu-Chan, Bariatric Foodie
Denise Battista, Facebook
Denise Ward, Bariatric Foodie
Diana C, Bariatric Foodie
Diane Graves, Bariatric Foodie
Diane Warner, Bariatric Foodie
Doreen, Bariatric Foodie
Dori, Bariatric Foodie
Doris Kitchings Cameron, Facebook
flying woman, Bariatric Foodie
Franjellica, Bariatric Foodie
Goldie Evans, Facebook
Grace, Bariatric Foodie
Greatgastrectomy, Bariatric Foodie
Heather P, Bariatric Foodie
Hedrider, Bariatric Foodie
Hilary Janeesa Clemons, Facebook
Hillery K, Bariatric Foodie
Jaime Crawford Smith, Facebook
Jamie Metcalf, Bariatric Foodie
Jane Ivey, Facebook
JC, Bariatric Foodie
Jen M, Bariatric Foodie
jennifer, Bariatric Foodie
Jennifer Donaldson Stanton, Facebook
Jennifer R, Bariatric Foodie
Jo Drew Brown, Facebook
Joanie Fiore, Bariatric Foodie
JoAnn Simons, Facebook
Joyce M, Bariatric Foodie
Julie Kusz, Facebook
Karen M, Bariatric Foodie
Kat Cooper, Bariatric Foodie
Katerina Tsoukalas-Heitkemper, Facebook
Kathryn F, Bariatric Foodie
Kathy B, Bariatric Foodie
Katy Heppner, Facebook
Kelley Snow Pitts, Facebook
Kellie, Bariatric Foodie
Kelly Brabec, Facebook
Kelly Schaefer, Facebook
Kim Bariatric, Foodie
Kris Bariatric, Foodie
Krisi L, Bariatric Foodie
Kristen S, Bariatric Foodie
Kristen Selby, Facebook
Kyle McMacken Hammond, Facebook
Lapbandermk, Bariatric Foodie
Laura Landry Ryan, Facebook
Leesha MiChell Perryman Stell, Facebook
LeighAnn Stack, Facebook
Linda B, Bariatric Foodie
Lisa C, Bariatric Foodie
Lisa Lamberson Willis, Facebook
Liz, Bariatric Foodie
Liz M, Bariatric Foodie
Lori E, Bariatric Foodie
M. Pierce, Bariatric Foodie
Malia!!!, Bariatric Foodie
Mallory Harbeson Rimmer, Facebook
Mandi Viani Roccia, Facebook
Marni N., Bariatric Foodie
Mary D, Bariatric Foodie
Melanie Kling, Bariatric Foodie
Melanie Taylor King, Facebook
Melinda B, Bariatric Foodie
Melissa, Bariatric Foodie
Melissa Aryal, Facebook
Melissa Chamberlain, Facebook
Melissa G, Bariatric Foodie
Melissa Ratliff, Facebook
Melissa Y., Bariatric Foodie
Meryl U, Bariatric Foodie
Michelle Meneely, Facebook
mmjohnson13, Bariatric Foodie
Mrs. Ambrose, Bariatric Foodie
Nancy Rosso, Facebook
Nell R., Bariatric Foodie
NHPOD9, Bariatric Foodie
Nick Bloomfield, Facebook
Nikki Light, Facebook
nrslori1, Bariatric Foodie
Patricia, Bariatric Foodie
PATTIEPOO32, Bariatric Foodie
Paula K. Dulaney, Facebook
Rhonda Faircloth Kaye, Facebook
RhondaK, Bariatric Foodie (are you the same as the above???)
Roberta Morris Sonntag, Facebook
Robyn Butler Cyganik, Facebook
Samantha A Golden, Facebook
Sandi Knott Goodrich, Facebook
Sandy Barrow O'Connell, Facebook
Sara Collins, Facebook
Sara P., Bariatric Foodie
sarahmcdermott, Bariatric Foodie
Saralynn Anziana Wright, Facebook
Sean, Bariatric Foodie
Shannee, Bariatric Foodie
Shannon, Bariatric Foodie
Sharon Hamm Reeves, Facebook
Sharon M, Bariatric Foodie
Shawn Harrell Kelly, Facebook
Sheila Winderlich, Facebook
Shelagh, Bariatric Foodie
Shelly, Bariatric Foodie
Shelly T, Bariatric Foodie
Simone, Bariatric Foodie
Steen16, Bariatric Foodie
Stephanie Geidel Weaver, Facebook
Stephanie Raymond, Facebook
Susan Thompson Bariatric, Foodie
Tammy, Bariatric Foodie
Tammy, Washere Facebook
The Lingo Family, Bariatric Foodie
Theresa P, Bariatric Foodie
Tina Hedrick, Bariatric Foodie
Traci McGowan, Facebook
Tracy, Bariatric Foodie
wendy dettmer, Bariatric Foodie

AGAIN...if you don't see your name and feel it should be there, email me the information I listed above to bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com by 12:00 pm (EST) tomorrow!!! After that the list is closed for the week and the people on it will be the only ones entered into the prize drawing.

Good luck to everyone and here's to keeping your goals!

Bariatric Foodie Pledge: Week One Pledging is CLOSED!

2012-01-30T09:15:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who pledged this week. Just by eyeballing, there are nearly 200 pledgers between here on the blog, Facebook and Twitter.

Look for the pledge list later this evening. When it comes out, please look for the name you used to pledge. If you don't see your name there, don't freak out! But DO email me at bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com with a link to where you pledged. If you're there and you got your pledge in on time, I will add you to the list.

Again, a BIG thanks to Davinci Gourmet for providing this week's prize. Three bottles of sugar-free syrup to three winners!

So now what? Go...work on your goals! I'll post a mid-week check-in, but you don't have to participate in that if you don't want to. You DO, however, need to heed the official check-in call on Saturday to complete your pledge for the week and be eligible for the prize drawing!

Thanks for making this a GREAT first pledge week already!

The Bariatric Foodie Pledge - Week One!

2012-01-29T00:00:00.000-08:00

***Pledging for week one closed on January 30 at 12:00 pm EST. If your pledge was made by then, you're in! If not, work on your goal along with the rest of us and I look forward to getting your week two pledge!

The day has arrived!

Today begins the 2012 Bariatric Foodie Pledge!

Have you been thinking about your pledges? Good!

As a reminder, this week’s prize sponsor is Davinci Gourmet, maker of wonderful sugar-free syrups that I use in a variety of protein shakes! Check out the ad on the right menu bar to see their full assortment of sugar-free flavors or visit their Facebook Page.

This week, our three winners will receive three (3) full-sized bottles of sugar-free Davinci syrup!

Exciting, right? Ok, let’s get to business. You may pledge your weekly goal in one of three ways:

Leave your pledge as a comment on this blog post. NOTE: This blog's comments are moderated so if you don't see your pledge right away, don't worry!!! I have to approve the comment for it to show up. I can see when you posted your comment and all comments made by the deadline count!
You may also pledge on Twitter by tweeting the following. “This week I’m taking the @BariatricFoodie Pledge to [insert goal]. http://bit.ly/Apolxn"
You may pledge on Facebook by following these steps:

Go to the Bariatric Foodie Wall and post “This week, I am taking the Bariatric Foodie Pledge to [insert your goal]. To learn how YOU can win prizes for setting goals, visit http://www.bariatricfoodie.com/.” Make sure you get all of that statement on there.
After you’ve posted that to the BF wall, hit the RESHARE link to share it to your wall, don't simply paste it to your wall as I can't see that you did it. (and yes, you do have to do both. Don’t want to share it on your wall? Then go with option #1.)
NOTE: Do NOT post your pledge as a response to the blog post announcement as I can't keep track of those. Post it as it's own post on the Bariatric Foodie Wall, then re-share it. Thanks!

You must pledge by tomorrow at noon (EST) to be eligible for this week’s prize drawing! Tomorrow evening I’ll post a list of everyone who has pledged using the above instructions.

If you don’t see your name (whatever name you gave on FB, here on the blog or Twitter) on that list, you have until noon on Tuesday to petition yourself onto the list! You’ll need to provide a link to where you pledged so I can see that you did it. Please note: the list will simply contain your name (first name, last initial if you provided your full name) and the method you used to pledge, NOT your goal. That’s your business!

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask – but do so early! The noon on Monday deadline stands!

Good luck everyone and let 2012 The Bariatric Foodie Pledge begin!

Bariatric Foodie Pledge FAQs

2012-01-28T09:44:00.000-08:00

The Pledge starts tomorrow...AHHHHHHHHH!!! (That's excitement, btw)

Here are some frequently asked questions about The Pledge to help you come tomorrow. I'll refer back to these as we go through The Pledge.

If I pledge on Facebook, do I really have to share my pledge on my wall? Why?

You'll see tomorrow there are three ways you can submit a pledge. If you don't feel comfortable pledging on Facebook, I invite you to consider one of the other two. But if you pledge on Facebook, you do need to follow all the directions, including sharing your pledge on your wall.

The requirement is two-fold. Firstly, it promotes accountability. If you pledge something in secret, the "stakes" aren't nearly as high for you to follow through. Secondly, it also lets other people know about The Pledge. This year I am thankful that several companies stepped up to sponsor great prizes for this. Part of why they do that is because lots of people participate in things like this. By sharing your pledge, it gets others involved and excited so we can make this event better and better each year.

Do I still get entered in the prize drawing if I didn't keep my pledge?

Yes. So long as you have pledged and check in (part of which, you'll see, is reporting on whether you kept your pledge and why) you are eligible for the prize drawing.

Can I win more than one weekly prize?

No, but remember that if you pledge all four weeks you CAN win the grand prize, even if you've already won a weekly prize.

Can I win prizes if I won a weekly or the grand prize last year?

Of course. That pledge was SO 365 days ago...

What if I need help, encouragement, information to help me keep my pledge?

I'll post throughout the week asking how things are going and inviting folks to share their challenges, triumphs, etc. on Facebook and Twitter. If you don't use either, please feel free to email me at any time! I'd be happy to post questions, either in your name or anonymously.

BF Basics: How to figure out a recipe's nutritional information

2012-01-24T09:10:00.000-08:00

Every now and again I will get a blog post comment or a question on Facebook or Obesity Help about the nutritional stats of my recipes.

And I always give the same answer: in general, I do not give nutritional stats for my recipes. (click that link to find out the many reasons why).

BUT it always leaves me feeling sort of like the Grinch. I mean, my intentions are good. I founded Bariatric Foodie to help empower post-ops to take control of their eating life. That includes knowing how to figure up the stats to your recipes AND determine if those stats are acceptable to your eating plan. It is my fondest wish to give you the tools you need to be able to do that.

And that’s when it hit me. I haven’t given folks the tools they need to know how to figure out their own nutritional information! That’s why I’ve been feeling like Stinkmeaner about this whole thing!

So…without further adieu…here is how you figure out the nutritional information for ANY recipe you make.

Online method:

Step One: Get to Tracking!!!

Log-into (or join) an online food tracker like FitDay, Sparkpeople or LiveStrong (what up with the two word in one names, food tracking sites???).

Most of these sites have functions that allow you to make a custom entry into a daily food journal. I can only speak for LiveStrong, which is where I track. Under MyPlate, there is a tab that says “recipes.” If you click it then you can go to “Create Recipe” and its pretty straightforward from there.

Step Two: Don’t leave ANYTHING out

Log every single ingredient, even if you don’t think it has any caloric value. Include Splenda and salt as well. Those things are important to your daily intake numbers.

Also be sure to indicate the measurements YOU used. If you tweaked a recipe, don’t put the amount of an ingredient called for in the recipe, but the amount you actually used. Again, LiveStrong makes this easy by letting you put in any amount of anything you want (1 tbsp of Fiber One for example) and does the math for you!

Step Three: Divide and conquer

Some trackers (like LiveStrong…I swear this is NOT an endorsement, it’s just what I know!) ask you for the amount of servings your recipe yielded. Some do not. If they do, when you are finished inputting your recipe you simply publish it and the tracker will tell you how many calories, carbs, protein, etc. is in that one serving. If not, when you publish, the food tracker will give you the stats for the entire recipe. DO NOT FREAK OUT. It’s for the whole shabang. You’ll need to divide by how many servings you got.

Don’t know? Understandable. Some of us pre-portion our foods and therefore know how many servings a recipe yields and some folks cook it and eat it until it’s gone. Neither way is wrong. Here are some tips:

If you made a casserole, try pre-cutting the casserole into the sized pieces you would eat. Yes, the fam might get annoyed at having to take five slices to make a regular portion, but they’ll get over it!
For stews/soups/chilis, I immediately transfer to a storage container (even if I am serving it that night). I do so with a cup measure (for me that’d be an 8 oz. cup measure…for you it may be smaller). Do that and count the number of times you ladled out…and there’s your number of portions!

The “Hand Method”

For those that don’t want to use a food tracker, you can always do this by hand. It requires a little more time and a bit more diligence about adhering to the portion sizes that the particular food product calls for, though.

Step One:

Take down the stats of each food you used in a recipe (from the nutrition label) and the number of servings of each food you used. (That’s the easy way. The hard way is using however much of a food product you want and then figuring out the math for how many calories that is based on the serving size they provide…but who wants to do that???)

Step Two:

Add up all the stats from each ingredient. This gives you the stats for the total recipe. Again, do not freak. Don’t do it!

Step Three:

Divide that number by the number of servings.

In closing I’d like to say once you start paying attention to your nutritional information (and here’s a good primer on what to pay attention to), this almost becomes second nature. At four years post-op I can guesstimate, within just a few calories, any recipe I make or eat. It just takes practice.

But I’m sorry, dear Foodies. Much as I love you, adore you, can’t get enough of you, I’m not going to start posting nutritional stats! And that’s that! ;)

Nik's Zesty Skillet Mushroom Chicken

2012-01-20T14:22:00.000-08:00

Better pic forthcoming...I promise! I made it yesterday for tonights dinner which...hasn't happened yet.

I’ve found, in my experience, that people either love mushrooms or they hate them. Every once in a while I’ll run into the rare person who says, “Enhhh, I can take them or leave them,” but again…that’s pretty rare.

Me? Definitely on Team Mushroom! I put them in egg scrambles, on tortilla pizzas, in casseroles…and now in this yummy and quick skillet dish.

But when I posted the picture of it on the Bariatric Foodie Facebook Wall yesterday, I was reminded of the polarizing effect of mushrooms (and mushroom sauce). To those who hate mushrooms I have this to say: play with your food!

Nik’s Zesty Skillet Mushroom Chicken

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken breasts
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt and pepper
1 medium onion, cut into slivers
About 6-8 large button mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp low-calorie butter stick (or butter, if that’s your thing)
10.5 oz. can of low-fat cream of mushroom soup
½ c. skim milk
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

Directions:

IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE WITH CHICKEN:

Try my chicken marinating technique: place chicken in a zip-top bag with a container of unflavored Greek yogurt for a few hours. Do it in the morning before you leave for work and trust me, your chicken will be transformed! I’ve not yet a chicken intolerant person yet who hasn’t been able to eat chicken made this way, so give it a try! I promise, the yogurt cooks off and you will NOT taste it!

Once you are ready to cook, season your chicken with garlic and onion powders, salt and pepper on both sides. Then cook your chicken in a heavily sprayed skillet (don’t use your George Foreman or grill pan for this one. I’ll tell you why in a moment.)

When chicken is done, set it aside but don’t cut it yet. Let it reabsorb those juices! Meanwhile, toss your tablespoon of butter in the skillet and let it melt down, then add the mushrooms and onions. Cook until softened, stirring often. This is where the skillet comes in handy. The little bits of crud left by your chicken go into the onions and mushrooms, infusing it with flavor!

NOW dice up your chicken and return it to the skillet and stir.

Add your cream of mushroom soup and milk and stir that thoroughly and then taste. If you need more salt or pepper (I like a LOT of pepper in this), adjust. Let it come to a bubble.

Finally, add your two tablespoons of Dijon mustard and stir that into the entire mixture and let it simmer another five minutes or so.

This stuff is SOOOOO good! I am eating mine atop some cauliflower rice. If your family is into mushroom chicken, this would go well with regular rice or atop a REALLY crusty piece of bread (provided you can handle being around said crusty bread).

BF Top 5: Big protein in small volume

2012-01-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

I’m a member of quite a few post-op online communities. One thing I see quite often, from folks who are newer out, are questions about getting lots of protein in very small packages.

There’s the infamous protein bullets (which contain a form of protein not well absorbed by a malabsorptive system, so RNYers and DSers…unless you are in the business of making fabulously expensive poo…I’d steer clear). I also hear quite often of protein pills (also ill-absorbed…and even if they weren’t still don’t contain enough protein to make it worth it).

I take the frequency of these queries to mean that folks could use some good guidance on how to get BIG protein in a small package. Well, I’m here to help!

We all know about shrimp and Greek yogurt. Yes, those are great forms of protein in small packages, but here are a few oft overlooked (or under appreciated ones). These are my top 5 favorite protein-packed foods, along with "micro-eating tips" to help you get the most out of your small portions.

Cottage Cheese

When I do food demos, folks are always surprised when I tell them that many times I sub up to half the cream cheese in my cheesecake recipe with blended cottage cheese!

When I was young I used to think this food was exclusively for old people and extreme dieters, neither of which I aspired to be. Well, here’s the deal. A half-cup of cottage cheese sports 14g of protein on average! (Versus 4g in a half cup of milk)

Nay-sayers…I know what you’re going to say. “But, Nik! It’s lumpyyyyy!!!” This, like most anything about food, can be easily fixed. Whether you like your cottage cheese savory or sweet, you can always run it through a blender to get it smooth before OR after flavoring it up.

Micro-eating tips:

For those who can’t eat a lot of food, combine a few tablespoons of cottage cheese (blended or not) with scrambled eggs, if you can tolerate them, for a nice treat. If you put them into the raw beaten eggs and cook them that way, they blend into the egg and give it a mild, cheesy flavor.
Try adding some whey to your…whey (cottage cheese = curds (the chunky stuff) and whey (the protein rich liquid that accompanies cottage cheese that comes from milk). I’d advise using ¼ scoop of protein for every ¼ c. of cottage cheese. Use unflavored if you don’t want it too sweet or try chocolate or vanilla for a nice treat with some fruit mixed in.

Turkey Pepperoni

Those little suckers are packed with protein! A serving size is 17 with 70 calories and 9 grams of protein!

Micro-eating tips:

combine with equal parts blended cottage cheese and ricotta (or just blended cottage cheese with Italian spices) and some spaghetti sauce for a nice pizza-esque deal.
Nuke them on a paper towel for 30-60 seconds to make crisp, yummy pepperoni chips to snack on throughout the day.
Or, my personal favorite, make an egg scramble out of it by adding some pepperoni to your eggs with a bit of cheese and mix in some warm spaghetti sauce.

String Cheese

I am one of those strange birds who doesn’t eat string cheese as string cheese. Usually one of two things happens with it: I either eat it like a regular cheese stick OR:

Micro-eating tips:

Wrap a piece or two of lunchmeat around that sucker for a nice roll-up. You can even cut up the cheese stick and wrap in smaller pieces of lunch meat for a “quick bite” of protein.
My WLS-friendly mozzarella sticks take string cheese to a whole other level! And you can even try subbing another type of cheese stick (I’m thinking jalapeno cheddar might be nice) and cutting smaller for a nice cheese popper!

Tuna

Say what you want, but tuna has great protein in small volume. Two ounces of the stuff has 10g of protein! Canned chicken is also a great choice as well if you aren’t into tuna.

Micro-eating tips:

You’ve had deviled eggs, but have you ever had Angelic Eggs? They combine the protein power of tuna with egg whites for a protein punch in a small bite!
Tuna Cakes…they are adorable and yummy and you can make them in nearly any flavor (and any size) you want. Here’s one of my faves.

Jerky

Whether you go for turkey jerky (easily available in many grocery stores) or the more expensive but hella-protein packed (and small!) Ostrim jerky (which would be my choice because of its taste proximity to the uber-UNhealthy Slim-Jim), jerky can be a protein seeker’s dream! Just don’t do several pieces a day. Jerky is jerky, partly, because it’s been salted, cured and dried. Salt = water retention = scale hell, mkay?

So there…five solid ideas for big protein in little packages. What are some favorites of yours? Post them in the comments with the stats so your fellow Foodies can try them out!

Tangy-Spicy Salmon & Quinoa

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I posted the above picture on the Bariatric Foodie Facebook wall, calling for folks to guess what was in it. This will be my lunch throughout this short work week, so I thought it'd be fun to give folks a peek into some of the stuff I like to make that hasn't yet made it to the blog.

Well, folks guessed the ingredients correctly and a few folks expressed interest in the recipe. I make this quite often for myself (the divas are diabolically opposed to any other fish besides tuna in a can) but the recipe requires a few special ingredients which, to me, make or break this dish.

Still, here's the recipe. Overall, this dish is a nutritional slam dunk: great (and complete) proteins, fiber, complex carbs, Omega-3's. Hey...I think I just thought of a name for this dish.

Nik's "Super Lunch"

Ingredients

1 small onion, finely diced
1 large clove fresh garlic, finely minced
1 can tomatoes & chiles (whatever heat level you like)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (omit if you don't like spicy food)
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp fish sauce ("what's that?")
1 can of pink salmon, bones removed
1/2 c. quinoa ("what's that?")
1/2 c. water
1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas)

Directions:

Spray a pot down with nonstick cooking spray and let it get hot over a medium flame.

Add onion and cook a few minutes until the onions soften. Add garlic and stir, cooking 2-3 more minutes.

Add tomatoes & chiles, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, vinegar and fish sauce and drop your heat down to low and allow it to come up to a simmer.

Add salmon, quinoa and water. Turn the flame back up to medium to bring it all to a boil then drop the heat again to allow it to simmer.

Cover and allow the quinoa to cook. You can tell it's done when you can see the little white ring of fiber pop out from the grain. Watch your pot! Quinoa, like rice, absorbs liquids.

Lastly, drain and rinse your garbanzo beans and add to the mixture last (I like them for the chew factor...nutrition is good on them too).

This dish is a bit tangy, a bit spicy. It does smell like it has fish in it, so if that is bothersome to you, you might think about whether you want to make this.

Ok, so...fish sauce. It's a...condiment, I'd say? It's used almost like we use table salt. It is tangy and salty and my favorite use of it is to mix it with rice vinegar to dip seafood in. If your town has an Asian market, they most certainly sell it. You might also find it in the international aisle of your grocery store (although it tends to be more expensive there).

The fish sauce, to me, makes or breaks the flavor of this particular dish. BUT, like I say...play with your food. You may come up with some variation of this that has nothing to do with fish sauce!

And for the inevitable carb nay-sayers, folks with small pouch capacities and those who just shy away from food like this, I'd encourage you to get to know quinoa. It's a good food. A superfood. And it's super delicious!

The 2012 Bariatric Foodie Pledge

2012-01-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

For the official rules of the 2012 Bariatric Foodie Pledge, click here.

How’s 2012 going for you so far?

Has your year gotten off to a great start? Are you living each day to the fullest?

Or maybe you’re struggling and you wonder what you can do to make things better.

Either way, I hope the 2012 Bariatric Foodie Pledge can help you!

What’s The Pledge, you ask? I’m glad you did!

The Bariatric Foodie Pledge is an opportunity to reinforce or create better habits by setting goals, keeping them and celebrating!

Here’s how it works.

Every week beginning January 29 and ending March 4:

I will call for you to “pledge” to keep a promise to yourself for one week.
Throughout the week, you work really hard on that promise.
At the end of the week, you check-in to say how you did.
Everyone who does that gets entered to win a prize! And for Foodies who pledge all four weeks, there is a special grand prize drawing JUST FOR YOU the week of February 27!

Easy, right?

Last year I did this under the name “Pouch Party Pledge” and we had a blast!
This year The Pledge is even bigger. There will be THREE weekly prize winners each week and a BIG grand prize! Are you ready to hear about the prize sponsors? Here they are! Be sure to click the links on their names to go to their Facebook Page to thank them (and tell them Bariatric Foodie sent you)!

The weekly prize sponsor for the week of January 29, is Davinci Gourmet, maker of many of my favorite sugar-free syrups!
The weekly prize sponsor for the week of February 5 is Building Blocks Vitamins!
The weekly prize sponsor for the week of February 12 is Click Espresso Protein!
Finally, the weekly prize sponsor for the week of February 19 is Smart Living, maker of Carb Smart poducts!

At the beginning of each pledge week I will announce the exact prize. Remember, there will be THREE prizes each week, but you have to participate to be eligible for the weekly prizes! And you have to participate all four weeks to be eligible for the grand prize. I’ll announce the grand prize on the first day of The Pledge.

So get ready, get set…January 29 The Bariatric Foodie Pledge begins!

Chicken Enchiladas 2012

2012-01-14T09:47:00.000-08:00

My New Year's Resolution (if you can call it that) is cleaning up the blog a bit. There are posts where I promise to post a picture later that I never did or an additional recipe that I never did. If you see any of these posts please, please, PLEASE hit me up. I need to fix it!

So my inaugural effort is my chicken enchiladas. I have a nice (albeit LONG) instructional video on how to make them but never posted the full recipe. Well, here it is!

These are a good recipe for when you want to be "bad" while being good. The ingredients all stand up nutritionally. You've got good fiber, protein, veggies, low-fat, the whole nine. For newbies, I'm sorry but you probably shouldn't eat this. BUT...if it helps...you have these to look forward to!

Nik's Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

1 lb. chicken breast meat, diced into small pieces
1 small onion, finely diced
1 small green pepper, finely diced
1 packet taco or fajita seasoning (whichever you like best)
1 package whole-wheat, low-carb tortillas (I use La Tortilla Factory taco-size)
2 c. shredded Mexican cheese, divided
1 can enchilada sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a pan down well with nonstick cooking spray and allow it to heat up. Add chicken and begin to brown diced pieces, chopping them smaller with a spatula as they cook.

When chicken is about half done, add the onions and peppers and continue cooking, mixing chicken and veggies together, until chicken is completely done.

Transfer to a bowl and mix with seasoning packet thoroughly.

Take tortillas out of package and microwave about 15 seconds to make the more pliable.

On a flat surface, lay out your tortilla. Take a slotted spoon and spoon about 1/3 c. of the chicken mixture to one side of the tortilla. Add a tablespoon or two (your choice) shredded cheese.

Starting with the side the chicken is on, roll the tortilla into a tube shape and fit it into a 9 x13 casserole dish. Repeat until you run out of tortillas or chicken meat - whichever happens first! (For me this makes about 8 enchiladas - your mileage may vary).

After enchiladas are all lined up in the casserole dish, empty the enchilada sauce over them and top with remaining cheese.

Bake in a 350 oven for about 30 minutes or until cheese is completely melted!

I can eat one of these, topped with salsa and Greek yogurt and a side of fat-free refried beans. But that's now. When I was newer out, I cut one in half and ate it the same way with a smaller portion of all the same things. The divas love these and although they know it is low-fat/lower-carb they don't care.

Just goes to show...good taste trumps everything!

Protein Caramel Apple Salad

2012-01-12T04:07:00.000-08:00

Oh Foodies...how I can't wait to move and have a more spacious kitchen so that extension cord is no longer in my food shots!!!

So...it's almost two weeks into the new year. Let's talk sensible sweets, shall we?

I don't know about you but there comes a time, especially after holidays filled with rich food and lots of treats, that I get this strong and instinctual desire for cleaner food.

Such is the case now. I originally made this as a knock-off of something I found at the salad bar at Ruby Tuesday's. But, as some of you may know, I am prone to "very special" blood sugar moments if I have too many of any kind of carbs partying on my plate (or in my bowl, as it were), so I had to figure out a way to anchor this goodness with some protein!

I'm going to give you two versions of this recipe: a "just for me" version that will yield about 2-3 small servings and a "shareable" version that will yield 3-4 normal-sized portions. For newbies and those who just want to give it a whirl, go with the former. If you have a family who might be interested, go with the bigger recipe!

Nik's Protein Caramel Apple Salad

"Just for Me" Version:

1/2 a sweet apple, diced however small you want it (I used a Pink Lady)
1/2 a tart apple, diced however small you want it
1/2 a just ripe banana, cut into half-circle shapes
1/4 c. unflavored Greek yogurt
1 heaping tablespoon vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp sugar-free caramel syrup
1 tbsp no-calorie sweetener
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp lemon juice
1 heaping tablespoon whatever nuts you like (I used sliced almonds, but walnut pieces might also be nice)

"Shareable Version"

1 whole sweet apple, diced
1 whole tart apple, diced
1 whole ripe banana, sliced into half-circles
6 oz. container unflavored Greek yogurt
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
3 tbsp sugar-free caramel syrup
2 tbsp no-calorie sweetener
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 oz. whatever nuts you like

Directions:

Combine apples and bananas in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine protein powder and caramel syrup until a paste forms (if it's too dry, add a tiny bit more syrup but the paste is important so you don't get protein powder chunks in your final product).

To that, add your yogurt, sweetener, lemon juice and cinnamon.

Add to apple/banana mixture and toss lightly. Refrigerate until ready to use.

If desired, toast nuts in a dry pan for about 2 minutes before adding to the top of your salad.

This is especially good if you make it the night before. The flavors really set in and it is GOOD!

What are you guys eating to recover from the holidays?

Nik's Four Year Surgiversary Post

2012-01-08T06:59:00.000-08:00

Four years ago today...

It was not a Sunday. In fact, I think it was a Tuesday. At any rate, it was a day when I awakened, much like I did this morning, wondering what the events of the day would mean to me and how they'd affect my life.

Except these days, I don't have quite the same worries.

This is a warning. My surgiversary posts aren't 100% touchy-feely, but they are my truth. Weight loss surgery has been a roller coaster for me in many ways and I won't "fudge" about that. It hasn't always been good times and scale tumbling and high fives. In the past four years I've also had to own up to a LOT of what made me obese in the first place, especially this past year.

This is a brief snapshot of my journey. Let's start at the beginning.

This was me four years ago. No, I am not exaggerating or purposely showing you a particularly unflattering picture of myself. This is generally how I went about looking back then. I've taken some flack for that picture so I feel like I must say that not all plus-sized women show such disregard for themselves. But I did, so that's my truth.

Anyway, about this girl. She didn't like to interact with the world. She woke up in the morning with one purpose: to survive until the end so she could go back to sleep. But for her two daughters, she hated to be hugged or kissed or touched in general. She'd done such a good job of eating her feelings that she was quite numb.

I honestly can't even say what made me decide to have WLS. I can say that it wasn't a well thought out decision. You Foodies educate me so much in what I SHOULD have done. I did not research RNY, did not research my surgeon. I heard him speak at a seminar and said to myself, "I should get gastric bypass." And so I set off to do it. I am a spiritual person so I always say God was my eyes when I refused to see. And...well, thank God for that.

So...fast forward six months (you're allowed to do that at four years out since there's so much time to cover!). I was down about 95 lbs. I felt good. I was riding the wave of WLS success. I am smiling even as I typed that because I fondly name this period of my life the "ignorance is bliss" era. My mind was so focused on exercise, protein intake, water intake, vitamin intake that I scarcely had a moment to think about what was going on in my head. It's always been my theory that there are two types of happy people: the blessed ones who have managed to find true contentent and me, people too ignorant to know they're unhappy.

It was around this time I started experimenting with my recipes. I'd already tinkered around a lot with protein shakes (my restriction was such that food was not my friend up to then) and I was active on Obesity Help where I'd eventually take part in an "Iron Chef" contest inspired that me to start a little blog I named "Bariatric Foodie."

The nine month post-op mark is significant because that's when I hit my bottom weight. Man...I love everything about my body in that picture. I was toned (although i still sported the flabby skin) and confident. Hell, I took that picture in the damn buffet because even though my family insisted on holding family gatherings there...I didn't care! I was strong and resolved! By the way, that's my brother Manuel in the picture with me.

This picture is also significant because I didn't have very much longer until the bubble burst.

This is me Easter 2010. I was still relatively close to the weight in the picture directly above but a funny thing was starting to happen. The scale would fluctuate up a few pounds, down a few pounds, back to the original weight I was. But it did not move down, down, down. This was a shock to me because I hadn't reached a place on the scale where I felt like "It's ok to stop here." No, I still weighed far too much (in my own mind). My clothing size was far too big. Why was this happening to me?

For me, this is when the demons awakened from their slumber, sat down next to me, and tried to convince me to come back to them. I fought. Hard. By now I at least realized the life I had before surgery was a half life that I didn't want anymore. I felt very alive, full of feelings (many of which I did not want to feel) and still very restricted in my eating so I couldn't imagine the effort it would take to eat the feelings of fear I was experiencing at that point.

So when I tell people I experienced my "bounce back" during the time when I was most active and compliant with food, I tend to get a dubious, "Uh-huh." It is true. I gained a good bit of weight between my 2nd and 3rd year. But I think...looking at this picture now (me at 3 years post-op...the beginning of my "Bathroom Diaries" pics) that the exercise helped me. To me, I look more full-figured in this photo than in the one of me in the halter dress (and granted it is winter in this picture and summer in the other), but to me (and perhaps I'm deluding myself...you're free to challenge me if I am) I don't look like I'd gained 25 lbs. Which is precisely the amount heavier I am in the above picture than the halter picture.

I had to take a gulp as I type that out. Somehow I always think if I share my real struggle it hurts my "Foodie cred." But I think I've ditched that mentality. I had a bounce. I've been the same weight since that bounce so I must be doing ok now, right? (This is where you all nod very slowly and smile)

And this is me today. Well...not today because as I type this I am in the world's most unflattering pair of pajamas. This picture was actually taken about two weeks ago. By me. In the bathroom.

So for the sake of curiosity I will post the number stats of my journey but I'd also like to post some of the things that make an even bigger difference in my day-to-day life.

For the numbers I'll do Surgery/Lowest Weight/Now:

Weight:

327/172/200

Pants Size:

26/8/12

Shirt Size:

3XL/Medium/Large

Shoe Size:

10/9.5/9.5

Time taken to run one mile (I know this because I took a running class in 2006)

20 minutes/10 minutes/11 minutes

And here are the things that cannot be measured in numbers:

I hug absolutely everyone I see. Before I would not let people touch me
The sheer number of photos I've taken post op is a triumph. I never used to let myself be photographed (hence the one, jacked, before photo)
Before surgery I dreamed of being a professional writer. Now I AM a professional writer.
Before surgery I looked into the mirror and winced at what I see. Now I look in the mirror and smile and WINK at what I see.

There's much more but I'll stop here. My story in food and eating is all over this blog. I had nothing from you all. I am me, for better or for worse.

Thank you all for sharing in my journey. It isn't over yet. I think this year is going to be the best so far. Stick around until next year this time to find out if I was right!

Melissa's Oatmeal, Walnut and Cranberry Protein Cookies

2012-01-02T07:32:00.000-08:00

It really warms my heart when one of my Foodies plays with their food and sends me recipes and pics. I ask for it all the time! And sometimes my wishes come true!

Today’s offering is via my good friend, Melissa. I had the pleasure of meeting Melissa when I came to Pittsburgh for the Bariatric Foodie Holiday Food Tasting (also known as the weekend the Ravens kicked the Steelers butts in their own back yard…just sayin’).

Melissa is a busy mom of two boys and she’s been a reader for quite some time. After seeing my posts and others about healthier approaches to cookies this holiday season, she decided to come up with a recipe for a protein cookie. The above was the delicious result!

If you have any questions about Melissa’s recipe, leave them in the comments and I’ll be sure to ask her to address them. And if YOU have been playing with your food, share with your fellow Foodies! Send any recipes and pics you'd like to submit to bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com. I am always looking to feature YOU!

Enjoy!

Melissa's Oatmeal, Walnut and Cranberry Protein Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup SPLENDA® Granular

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup vanilla why protein powder
1/2 cup soy flour
1 3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 can pumpkin puree
3 tbsp 0% plain greek yogurt
2 eggs
3 tbsp flax seeds (ground)
1 cup chopped fresh cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, whisk together Splenda®, oats, protein powder, soy flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.

3. Stir in pumpkin, yogurt, and eggs and mix well.

4. Stir in flax seeds, cranberries, walnuts, if desired.

5. Roll into 48 large balls, and flatten on a baking sheet (Or use mini muffin tin and make mini muffin. Melissa tried both and reports both turned out well!)

6. Bake for 9-12 minutes in preheated oven. DO NOT OVERBAKE: the cookies will come out really dry if over-baked.

BF Top 5: Nik's Fave 2011 Recipes

2011-12-31T09:14:00.000-08:00

It has been an interesting year, Foodies. The year began with two authors and ended with one, but as you can see, nothing can stop the Foodie Nation. We rock on, baby!

This is very uncharacteristic of me, but I'm going to skip the long intro and just get to my five favorite recipes posted on BF this year. Click the titles to get to the full recipe!

Breakfast: Nik's Cheesteak Scramble

I love eggs...from my head down to my...well you get the point. I have been fortunate in that I can still tolerate eggs post-op so I love to make these easy scrambles that incorporate the flavors of my former, not-so-healthy food choices. This cheesesteak scramble was a nod to my old sub-shop days.

Entree: Mexican Sausage & Peppers

I love sausage & peppers in general, but when I played around with this recipe I was even surprised at how good it came out. If you were newer out, consider dicing your sausage and peppers, instead of slicing them for smaller bites. For the hearty eaters in your household, put this on a whole wheat sub roll for a mighty-mighty sandwich!

Soup: Nik's Cheesy "Fauxtato" Bacon Soup

For the "meat and potato" lovers in the house...this soup will help with the craving for a loaded baked potato. For newbies, omit the bacon pieces and mix in a Laughing Cow Light wedge or a sprinkle of yoru favorite finely shredded cheese while it's still hot for a yummy, puree-stage approved treat! For added protein, you can mix in a scoop of unflavored protein while cooking.

Protein Shake: Nik's Tropical Sunrise Smoothie

Every once in a while this chocoholic likes to take a break from the creamy drinks and have something a little fruity. This shake took me to the islands! Be sure you're approved for fruits before trying this one and if you don't know if you dump on natural sugars, be sure to do a sip test (sip...wait a full minute for a reaction...then proceed) first.

Protein Carrot Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting

These win on cuteness factor alone and decorating them was lots fun!

What recipes did you love this year? Let me know in the comments. And if you still haven't found your favorite BF recipe, be sure to check out my complete recipe index. I'm convinced there's something in there for everyone!

Thanks for making 2011 another great "year of the Foodie!"

Happy New Year!

Nik's Protein Peppermint Mocha

2011-12-27T20:28:00.000-08:00

For those who've read this blog for a while, you know I have this secret fantasy to take Starbucks DOWN!!! (Well not down...but at least have a higher protein answer to every nominous offering they have). This is why I took on the art of the Frappucino (using Click as my medium) and it's what inspired my latest protein drink obsession.

This post, though, I'd like to take a different approach to how I present it to you. I know not everyone cares WHY I make the choices I make in a recipe - some of you just care whether it tastes good. But for protein drinks especially, I think it's important to know something about balance of flavors and why certain things work and some don't. I know you guys tinker with recipes...and I WANT you to...that's the whole point of this blog. Not for you all to make all my recipes to the letter (although if you dig them as-is, go for it!) but that I present an idea and you use what YOU know to make it your own.

So without further adieu...let's get to the drink...and the rationale behind it.

Nik's Protein Peppermint Mocha

Ingredients

1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I am partial to this)
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp good decaf coffee or, my preference, decaf instant espresso
2 tsp. of your favorite no-calorie sweetener
About 4 oz. cold milk
About 6 oz. boiling water
2 tbsp (about 3 pumps) of either sugar-free Peppermint syrup or, my preference, sugar-free Peppermint Paddy syrup

(Yes, yes...I know 'Bux uses some sort of mocha syrup for their drink but seeing as my particular Starbucks won't sell it to me [they usually don't at the height of a new drink flavor], I can only do what I do! Plus I like the Peppermint Paddy syrup a lot.)

Ok, so let's break this down. Yesterday I went over how to make a hot protein drink. I made my drink using this process. You can too. Or you can use whatever method you like best. So let's talk about the ingredients.

The thing I find so satisfying about the Starbucks Peppermint Mocha (versus the other versions floating around...some of which I did manage a sip or two of) is that they got something that nobody else seems to get...when you pair up the sweetness of peppermint against the bitter flavors of cocoa and coffee, magical things happen!

'Bux doesn't try to mask the bitters of the coffee and chocolate, but rather celebrates it. My first few tries of making this drink at home I didn't use unsweetened cocoa and was conservative with my coffee. Big mistake. It came out too sweet! When I added in the unsweetened cocoa, calmed down with the sweetener and added the proper amount of coffee, the bitter rang through loud and clear - and it was EXACTLY what I was looking for.

Keep in mind, Foodies, that most people's tongues like contrasting flavors: sweet and salty, sweet and bitter, sweet and spicy. These are all good combos that will excite your tongue! So don't be afraid to play those off of one another. It might get you some raised eyebrows when you talk about it with others...but who cares? As long as you have your food bliss, who needs to be understood?

BF Basics: How to Make a Hot Protein Drink

2011-12-27T06:21:00.000-08:00

As it usually happens, this post came about because I thought I'd already done a tutorial post, went looking for it and found I did not. I mention how to make hot protein drinks in all of my hot protein drink posts, but there is no one post for how to mix one up, similar to the post about how to mix up triple thick protein shakes using the Triple X method.

So this post is half housekeeping. And for your trouble, tomorrow I am also sharing my latest hot protein drink obsession in hopes that it may become your obsession too. Cuz...you know...addiction is funner with friends, right?

First, let's disspell some myths.

True or False: Once protein powder is heated above 130 degrees it is no good for you.

(FALSE)

In this instance I defer to my favorite protein powder analogy: the egg. Protein powder and eggs act a lot alike. A raw egg is a very absorbable form of protein. That's why you always see body builders putting them in their drinks or just downing them like shooters (ew). So then you cook it and the structure of the protein changes, but it's still protein your body can use. Same deal with protein powder. So next time someone tells you that particular myth, tell them Nik told you to say the following: "Nuh uh!"

The first and most important thing you should know about making protein drinks is what NOT to do with them. Do not simply add boiling water to a scoop of protein powder. Wait...that bears saying a bit louder. DO NOT SIMPLY ADD BOILING WATER TO A SCOOP OF PROTEIN POWDER. Yes, you can have piping hot protein drinks...but that's not the way to get them.

Now this, like many other aspects of post-WLS life, is one of those things where there are as many methods to do it as there are post-ops. This is my way. It doesn't involve any special machinery and even though I live in the 1800's and use a tea kettle, the whole thing takes all of about three minutes max.

Here's how I do it:

Step One:

I put just enough water in my teapot for my protein drink, ensuring it will boil up quickly. Then I get out my favorite coffee mug and put in a scoop of protein powder and whatever dry flavor additives I'm using (Splenda, unsweetened cocoa, instant coffee, etc.). What's in my cup? Tune in tomorrow and find out! But the important thing to remember here is to stir those ingredients thoroughly!

Step Two:

I add just enough milk to form a thick paste that resembles pudding before it is totally set. Then I spend about a minute stirring it to remove ALL the lumps. This is important. If there are lumps in your paste, they will form rubbery floaties in your hot drink. You don't want that. So stir! When done, it looks something like this.

Edited to add: I had a few folks ask me why I do this as opposed to heating up all milk and mixing in protein. I find that making a paste gets the protein all smooth before adding your hot liquids. I do water because my cup is 12 oz. and that much milk tends to be too rich. BUT if you'd like to do all milk, I still think making the paste is a good first step. It allows you to work out all your lumps before you add hot liquid. Lumps + hot liquids = floaties. Ew!
Step Three:

By this time, my water is boiling. I couldn't photo this part (cuz the divas were asleep and unable to be my photographer) but basically it goes down like this. With one hand (for me, my left if that matters to anyone), I pour the hot water into the cup SLOWLY. With my other hand I continuously stir the mixture. Do this until your mug is full. If you've done everything right, it should look something like this.

...and isn't that lovely? And tomorrow you'll get to find out exactly WHAT it is (no, it's not cocoa, although I have a divine recipe for Salted Caramel Protein Cocoa if you'd like to try that). Now if it isn't hot enough for you, no problem! If you have a lump free drink, you can now microwave it and it will just fine...and as hot as you like it!

Ok, so let's talk troubleshooting:

"Nik, my hot drink is sludgy and thick!"

Use a bigger cup and add more water to your drink. Or use the same cup and less protein powder. Either way, that should yield a thinner drink.

"Nik, mine still had floaties! Blech!"

This could be for several reasons. You might have had a lump in your protein paste. Or you may have added the water too quickly. Or you may not have stirred enough at some stage. It sometimes takes a few tries to get it right.

"Nik, what's this frothy stuff at the top of my drink?"

Yes, there is that. Surprisingly, it isn't just from the protein. If you use Splenda, it froths up when you heat it as well. Give your drink a stir to get the sweetener incorprated. What's left you can either keep (it's a similar consistency as the froth on a latte) or skim it off. Your choice.

"Nik, I got it right! But now I'm addicted to hot protein drinks!"

Ok...and the problem is...?

Check in tomorrow to see what that fabulous drink I made is and how YOU can make it too!

Need a last minute gift...get crafty!

2011-12-21T19:53:00.000-08:00

I am known within my family and circle of close friends as "the gift lady." Every Christmas Eve, I have a Christmas party and the running joke is that EVERYONE gets a gift...even if you brought someone I wasn't expecting.

How do I achieve this? Well, I try to always have extra gifts on hand, just because there are folks that give you a gift that you weren't expecting to and...well...tact and all that. But I rarely get caught off guard because I give absolutely EVERYONE a gift.

Last year, BF offered its first Christmas Gift in a Jar selection...a festive bean soup jar! This year I decided to go a bit more indulgent with the diva's teachers. I mean, after all, they do deal with my kids 6 hours a day for 118 days out of the year. I don't think there is a gift enough to thank them for what they do! Hopefully they'll use these jars for a few moments of sweet escape for themselves.

This makes a great and thoughtful last-minute gift for anybody who has a sweet tooth and here's the best part...it costs less than $5 to make each one! BUT (Disclaimer!) If sweets are your trigger: don't do this one! There are plenty of other gift in a jar ideas out there that can work for you! Check out the end of this post for a few of them.

Nik's Festive Candy Jars

Quart sized canning jars
A large roll of festive 1.5 in. wide ribbon
A large roll of thinner ribbon (in a complimentary color)
Sticky gift tags
A few pieces of cardboard (I just cut from a box I had on hand)
Tacky glue in a tube or a glue gun (your choice - I used some stuff from the dollar store called "Goop." The Goop never fails me!)

Big bags of 3 different kinds of Christmas candy

Directions:

Open your jars and layer your candy in whatever way you see fit. I put the loose M&M's at the bottom since they were going to end up there anyway! Put the top back on your jar.

Measure out your wide ribbon so you have a piece that fits around your jar with just about 1/4 inch overhang. Place glue directly on the ribbon then affix it to the jar. Depending on the type of glue you use, you might need to work quickly. With "the Goop" I have a good 2-3 minutes adjusting time. Allow to dry.

Affix gift tags to cardboard and then cut them out (oh yeah...might be a good idea to label the gift tag at this point too). Apply glue to the back of the cardboard and affix it to the front of the jar, directly on the ribbon.

Tie the thinner ribbon around the jar and affix the bow right in the middle of the gift tag.

This is a great project for the kiddos too. I got into jar gifts because I wanted the divas to be involved in their gift giving. The fam and I and God all know my kids don't have the money for swanky gifts...but they do have the ability to cut and glue!

And you can fill these with whatever tickles your fancy. There are a millon and two ideas out there. In fact, here are a few more from BF (no shipping required!)

Romantic "Dinner in a Basket" Gift - (TIP: if you give this to a couple that has small kids...slip in a handmade babysitting certificate and you'll be their favorite person for...forever!)
Healthy Snack Basket - Why should we keep our wonderful new lifestyles to ourselves????

Bottom line: Make what suits you best. But there's still time to give a great gift from the heart!

No-Flour Almond Butter Cookies

2011-12-21T07:34:00.000-08:00

For those who ordered a Survival Kit or attended, the Holiday Food Tasting, this recipe is also on your dedicated page (along with another recipe that is just for you!) and (God willing) so will downloadable recipe cards for them by the end of today!

Many folks shy away from playing with cookie recipes because they are something of a science experiment. Cookies need to have the right balance of starch, fat, flavoring and levening agents to form into the perfectly simple deliciousness that we know as a cookie.

But really it isn't all that complicated. Take these almond cookies. They use no flour. They use no baking soda. In fact there are just a few ingredients, many of which you MAY already have in your pantry or fridge.

Again, this is a small batch recipe, yielding only about a dozen cookies. Because even though these cookies are BETTER for you than traditional ones...cookies just aren't ever going to be health food. Sorry!

Nik's No-Flour Almond Butter Cookies

1 c. almond butter

1 c. Splenda (if you don't use Splenda, use the amount of your preferred sweetener equivalent to one cup of sugar)
1 egg
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. butter extract

OPTIONAL: Raw almonds for decoration

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl with a hand mixer, making sure egg is fully incorporated. Dough will be loose.

Use a large spoon to roll your dough into a ball. Transfer to a sprayed baking sheet then mash down your dough ball with a spoon to form a disc.

Bake about 8 minutes then remove from oven. Place an almond on top of each and press into the cookie while still soft (for a bit of extra flavor, try a lightly sweetened almond from a 100 calorie pack or a cocoa almond!).

Allow to cool on a rack before eating. Cookies will be crumbly...but YUMMY!

Mint Brownies (sorta...)

2011-12-19T20:11:00.000-08:00

(Earlier today in Nik's kitchen. Two divas leaning in front of the oven door, peering in the window.)

Diva #1: What is it?
Diva #2: Smells like brownies...
Diva #1: Maybe it IS brownies.
Diva #2: With our mom it's never JUST brownies...

Yep...they are right. Because this is no-flour baking baby!!!

Ok, so I didn't invent the concept of black bean brownies. Heck, I wasn't even the first of you guys to make them. I've always regarded them with curiosity (much like the curiosity I have for this so-called "cauliflower crust pizza" which I'm still a bit scared to try).

I mean, I got the concept. Got how it worked. But for real...does it taste like a brownie? I decided to give it a try.

But here's the thing. I'm not all into the mess of melting down chocolate so I had to find a recipe structure that used cocoa powder. I did! Here's my modified recipe.

Minty Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients

1 (15 oz.) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 c. Splenda (or if you aren't into Splenda, use what you like to equal 3/4 c. sugar. I just know I like things a bit sweeter but if you aren't...um...me...you might even go with 3/4 c. Splenda)
1/2 stick low-calorie baking butter (I used Blue Bonnet Light = 50 calories per tablespoon)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 c. baking cocoa
a "pinch of salt"
1 egg + 2 egg whites

Optional: 3-4 pumps Davinci sugar-free Peppermint Paddy syrup

Topping:

A few candy canes (I believe they have sugar free ones, mine are fully loaded because I couldn't find sugar-free)

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

The base recipe I used called for mixing all ingredients in a bowl with a hand mixer. That did not work for me. I had to bust out the Magic Bullet and whiz the beans up a bit THEN I put it in my stand mixer and added the rest of the ingredients. My batter came out looking like this:

So...it looks like brownie batter. Smells like it too. And let me just say that before I added the cocoa it did not. It smelled like...black beans. But have some faith here...this can work!

Pour into greased 8x8 baking pan and bake for about 25 minutes (or until center is set and edges are pulling away from the sides). This is important, so listen closely...LET IT COOL!

So here's mine out of the oven:

It LOOKS like a brownie. But for real...does it taste like a brownie?

It does! BUT (hoooooold your horses there Foodies). It doesn't exactly FEEL like a brownie. It's not exactly cakey. It's sort of dense. But I kid you not they don't taste like black beans. They taste chocolatey and minty, like a mint brownie should taste. My mouth is very confused.

So was La Grande Diva's when she tasted it. With her, if something tastes good, she simply nods. For this she took a bite...paused...bit again...and then said, "I don't know how I feel about these..."

Truth be told, I am sort of there with her. They were yummy (even she agreed) but it was a departure from a traditional brownie and I haven't quite decided if it's in a good or a bad way.

What are YOUR thoughts? Have you ever made black bean brownies? How did you make them and how did they turn out? I'd love to hear from you!

BF (No Flour) Cookie-palooza!!!

2011-12-17T07:21:00.000-08:00

Ok, first I have to give a big, PHAT (with a P) BF congratulations to Christine, the winner of the "Ho-ho-holiday Photo Contest!" She's won a super cool nutrition label digital scale. Check it out! I have one myself and when the divas and I FINALLY move (read: have a bigger kitchen) I am going to start playing with it more. Heck, you guys might even get a few recipe stats out of that thing!

So...cookies. I've explained my cookie rules before. But this Christmas, I wanted some. I'm nearly 4 years post-op and in many ways my eating life has reached its "new normal" (I've kicked a lot of things out of my life forever and now find I actually CRAVE the healthier stuff...crazy, right?).

I want Christmas cookies to be part of my new normal but not the way I used to have them. You know the deal. Big batches. LOTS of sugar and fat. And the dreaded white flour!!! No way! Not for me!

So this week I'm going to post a few recipes here of cookies that use absolutely no white flour, including one that includes no flour at all!

And for the folks who ordered the BF Holiday Survival Kit (or attended the live event), early next week I'm going to post two no-white flour cookie recipes (and Lord willing, one other yummy no-flour recipe) that I developed especially for the event (but sadly, did not have enough time to make). Look for the recipes AND downloadable recipe cards by Tuesday. If they aren't up by then, feel free to nag me shamelessly.

So on to the business of the day. I should first say that with Christmas cookies...I'm not so much into roll-out cookies that are sparkly. I like good, home-baked cookies! This recipe, and all the recipes, are made with WLS-friendly ingredients (but use your best judgment) but here's the best thing about them: I've tweaked the recipes so that each makes only about a dozen cookies! That means a smaller batch and less "residual temptation." Today's offering: oatmeal raisin!!!

Nik's No-flour Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Dry ingredients:

1 c. quick oats, halved
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Wet ingredients:

1/2 stick low calorie baking butter substitute (equivalent of 1/4 c. or 4 tbsp. I used Blue Bonnet Light)
1 egg
1 c. no-calorie sweetener (I used Splenda. If the kind you use doesn't measure 1:1 with sugar, use the amount your sweetener suggests for a cup of sugar)
1/2 tsp vanilla

Additions:

1/4 c. raisins
1/4 c. chopped walnuts (optional - I didn't use this time)

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Place half your oats in a blender or food processor and blend into a flour.

Place in a bowl and combine with your other half cup of oats. Add baking soda, salt and spice and blend. Set aside.

Cream together "butter" and sugar substitute. Add egg and mix until thoroughly combined (with Splenda this is going to look more mealy than creamy. Finally, add vanilla and mix well.

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until dough forms. Add your raisins in (and nuts if you're using them).

Using a spoon (of whatever size you like, but remember, the smaller the spoon, the more cookies you'll yield) scoop out dough and form a ball. Line your balls up on a sprayed cookie sheet then mash down into a disc with a spoon (like many no-flour cookie recipes, these don't spread on their own).

Bake for about 8-10 minutes. And here they are!

Yes, my baking sheet is a hot mess. I bake a lot. Let's focus on the BIGGER picture here.

This recipe yielded exactly 12 cookies with a small spoon, 9 with a larger spoon. I think I like the larger spoon one better. Three for me, three for each diva! YUM!

Ho-ho-holiday Photo Contest

2011-12-14T19:10:00.000-08:00

I am not above admitting when something I have done is a dismal failure.

I'm not sure if it's because it's Christmastime, or because I asked for a picture, or perhaps the prize wasn't that exciting. But the response to this contest was not good.

But alas...a contest is a contest. And I had three wonderful Foodies send in pictures, so I present them here to you! Ladies...look at it this way...you KNOW you have a 33.3% chance of winning!!!

Meet the Contestants

This is Christine. And if memory serves me correctly, her husband took this photo of her. Doesn't she look FABULOUS in front of her lil' Christmas tree?

On the left is Traci. On the right is Traci's mom. BOth are post-ops who are rocking a healthier lifestyle. Maybe they passed some tips onto Santa (who, by the way, I hear is on the next season of the Biggest Loser...and no I am not kidding). Perhaps that's why he's smiling so big. Or it could be that he's happy to be in the presence of not one, but two beautiful ladies!

And finally this is Ashley. What's so cool about this picture is that THIS is what Ashley looked like before...but this is how she looks NOW:

I know!!! I thought the SAME thing. What a difference! Although Ashley's pic was not in front of holiday deco, she and her hubby took the pictures to give out for Christmas, which is good enough for me!!!

Now, ladies...I want you to bookmark this blog post. And then I want you to set a reminder in your calendar for two years from now to come back to this link. Why? Because right about then your mind will start to play tricks on you about your process and you'll need some perspective. Photos are a great way to compare and contrast your journey, so I am SO glad you took me up on this opportunity to do so at Christmastime.

Ok, on to the business. Use the poll on the right menu bar to vote for who should win this ultra bitchin' digital food scale. Good luck ladies!

Who's the Winner? It could be YOU!!!

2011-12-12T09:21:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday Foodies!

And thanks to EVERYONE who came out to the 2011 Bariatric Foodie Holiday Food Tasting and who ordered a Holiday Survival Kit.

IMPORTANT: All Kit orders have gone out. So far I’ve gotten a few back return to sender because of the addresses and I’m working to get in touch with those folks to get them their Kit. If YOU have not yet received your Kit, hit me up!!!

Now, you might remember that for the people who ordered the Holiday Survival Kit, you guys get your own special “door prize” — a Ninja Prep Blending System (producer of the infamous "90 second ice cream").

I entered the names of everyone who ordered a Kit (thank you PayPal for the convenient list) and plugged it into my handy-dandy list randomizer and the winner is…

TAMI WOOTEN!!!!

Tami, you have until this Friday, December 16th to email me at bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com to claim your prize. If I don’t hear from you by then, I draw again!!!

Again, thanks to EVERYONE who participated in BF's Holiday festivities! It's so much fun to interact with all of you and help you translate your holiday traditions into your new lifestyle! If I can be of ANY assistance this holiday season, feel free to call upon me!

Nik's "Ho-Ho-Holiday" Photo Contest (and a reminder)

2011-12-08T05:49:00.001-08:00

One of the first ornaments I ever bought...for La Grande Diva's first Christmas...nearly 13 years ago!!! Yikes...I'm getting old...

Ok, I'm gonna do the reminder first. I know I haven't mentioned it lately, but next week is the drawing for the Holiday Survival Kit door prize, a Ninja Prep Blending System!!! Check back for that next week. If you ordered a Survival Kit (whether the online only or the full one) you are entered to win that prize!!!

Now...onto the business of the day. Another giveaway!

I'm a big believer in documenting our journies in photos, which is what inspired this particular contest. I didn't take a lot of photos to compare while I was losing and I regret it! I let the scale and my addled brain tell my story and let me just say neither was a great narrator!

So to encourage you to document your progress, I propose the following:

You take a picture of yourself (preferrably in the outfit whose size you still can't believe you can fit OR the pants where you can now fit in one leg!). But I want you to take this picture either a) near your Christmas tree or b) near other holiday/winter themed deco (for those who don't celebrate Christmas). The point is...I wanna see you all looking GOOD in the wintertime!!!
Three ways to enter: either post the picture to the Bariatric Foodie wall on Facebook, post a Twit pic with the hashtag #BariatricFoodie OR email it to me at bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com. However you submit your picture, I need your first name and last initial! (And I'll respond to confirm receipt. If you don't hear from me, bug me to make sure I got your entry!)
I'm going to post the photos here along with a blog poll for folks to vote for their favorite. Winner takes all, which will be...

This ultra-bitchin' food scale! It really is a neat thing. It:

Computes calories, calories from fat, carbohydrates, protein, fat, saturated fat, fiber, sugars, cholesterol, and sodium
Includes information for 1,999 foods; user can easily create and store up to 99 customizable food code entries
Weighs in grams or ounces with accuracy of +/- 1 gram; weighs up to 72 ounces (2000 grams)
Calculate your daily nutritional intake to help you achieve your health goals

For those who want to measure their food AND plan their meals with caloric accuracy, this gadget will really help.

So...go to it! Make it fun! Wear a big smile! You've got stuff to be happy about! After all, you are pretty awesome. And yes, you are absolutely allowed to campaign on behalf of yourselves to your friends, family or anyone else you think might vote for YOU to win!

But most of all, be proud of what you've accomplished (and pre-ops...I want you to participate too! You've got stuff to celebrate. After all, you took the first step to reclaiming your lives!)

Entries are due December 13. I'll post pictures/names on the 14th and voting will be open through the 16th!!!

Any questions? Post them in the comments and I'm happy to answer!

BF Kid Zone: Trail Mix Pancakes

2011-12-06T06:47:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me and the divas in real life should know we are unapologetic food snobs. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that boxed pancake mix is forbidden in my house.

One might think this means I spend a lot of time making pancakes. Not so! My 12 year old has gotten so adept at mixing up her own that I don’t have to set foot in the kitchen on Saturday mornings, our appointed pancake day!

For this pancake, though, I did venture into the kitchen. The idea started with that Trail Mix protein shake for kids that I shared…last week? Anyway, back in May I was in Michigan visiting Pam and she gave me a muffin she made where she used oatmeal as the starch instead of flour.

That idea had been percolating in my head for a while now and I’d been wanting to play around with it. Thinking on the trail mix shake, I wondered if it could translate into a pancake? (Only in my mind does all this come together in a way that makes any sense.)

It did translate. And it was nummy!
This recipe makes approximately four pancakes. A tall stack for your favorite short stack.

Nik’s Trail Mix Pancakes

¾ c. quick oats
1/8 tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
2 tbsp almond slices
1 tbsp almond butter
½ a very ripe banana
1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice
¼ c. raisins
1 large egg

Step One:

Use your blender to grind up your oatmeal into oat flour (admittedly, one could just buy oat flour but this method is cheaper!).

Step Two:

Add to said blender the remainder of your ingredients (except the raisins) and blend until smooth. Like so:

Step Three:

Spray down your griddle (or a frying pan) with nonstick, let it heat up then add equal sized dollops (I use a quarter cup measure).

While they are cooking on the one side, add the raisins. I first had this allusion of making a smiley face or a heart. But that pan is hot! If you have any success with that, lemme know.

Step Four:

Flip when bubbles start appearing on the top of the cakes and cook another minute or two.

I admit it! I had a bite (or three). They were good! Crunchy though. Some kids might not like that. If yours is one of them, omit the almond slices. I served this with some sugar-free pancake syrup (oddly my child prefers the sugar-free to the regular).

And the larger point here is that I know a lot of you want to feed your families healthy food. You have seen the light and you want to share it! The important thing to remember is to meet your family, especially your kids, where they're at. My kids like pancakes, so I'm always striving to make their pancakes a little healthier.

Enjoy!

RIP "Bruh Bird"

2011-12-02T09:33:00.000-08:00

So I've been telling you all week, "don't throw out the carcass...don't throw out the carcass!!!"

And you thought I forgot about it, didn't you?

I didn't! And the waiting was intentional. Because the week after Thanksgiving there is a time honored tradition that happens in American refrigerators that goes a little something like this:

Yeah...except that we now now the dangers of leaving food uncovered like that for long periods of time. But remember back in the good old days when we didn't know that these things could kill us? (Sighs) S'anyway if your bird looks like my bird it is looking a little something like this now:

Skin and bones. And fat meat. My kids loathe fat meat. And this really is an instance where we should follow our kid's lead.

Step One: Throw out anything on the turkey you don't want to eat. The fat meat, the skin, etc. For some of you the skin might already be long gone!

Step Two: Once you are down to the bones and meat you need to get as much meat off the bones as possible. Some of it just isn't going to budge. That's ok! We'll handle that. But as much as you can get off, put it in a bowl and start creating with it! You can make turkey salad for sandwiches, turkey pot pies, turkey tertrizini (did I spell that right), turkey a la king, turkey a la Nik (oh dear...now I'm gettin f flashbacks of Forrest Gump...ack!)

Step Three: Haul out your biggest stock pot. This may require you nagging your hubby to go retrieve it from wherever you keep it because I am convinced only the the very wealthy have enough cupboard space to actually keep their big stock pot in the kitchen. Anyhoo...once you've got your stock pot, you want to follow the instructions in the BF Basics: Making Stock.

Stock is good for so many things. It is the base of soups, gravies, sauces and more. ONce you have a good batch of stock, you can freeze it (I like to use this to help ensure longevity) or can it if you know how (true fact: Nik is afraid to can. I keep worrying that I'll do it wrong and give us all a strange disease! I'm working it out in therapy).

But from your one turkey carcass you can get several good cans of stock to put up for the winter and then when it comes time to make some chili, or some soup with quinoa or WHATEVER you wanna make, you have delicious homemade stock to start out with. Plus...it sound pretty cool to say you made your own stock, doesn't it?

And that tender meat that came off the bone in the stock pot? Ohhhh...that is a treat because it's all soft and tender. TOTALLY appropriate for a pouch, sleeve or...whatever you happen to call your digestive apparatus.

Here is the world's simplest thing to do with it.

Nik's Quickie Turkey "Stuff"

1 c. shredded turkey
1 can (12 oz.) low-fat cream of chicken soup (Aldi has a good one for cheap!)
1 can of mixed veggies (or peas and carrots if you want to avoid the potatoes, drained)
1/2 c. water
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder to taste
Optional, a few tablespoons of bread crumbs for topping

Directions

Combine everything except breadcrumbs in a small pot and warm through. Serve in a little bowl or a ramekin.

Top with bread crumbs (or, if you are Nik...paremesan cheese!).