theworldaccordingtoeggface

Friday Five

2012-02-24T12:58:00.002-08:00

A weekly round-up of tidbits, tips, ideas, news articles, random cool things...

1. Registration is now open for the 2nd webinar in the "Complexity of Obesity" fourteen-part educational series hosted by the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) Obesity Prevention and Policy Management (Obesity PPM). The topic of webinar #2 is: Obesity and Addiction. It should be a pretty lively discussion. So many different theories. I have a strong personal opinion about the topic, I'll be interested to see if my view changes with what I hear. Be sure to register for FREE to obtain the access code and then listen in on March 29th, 2012 at 8:00PM Eastern Time.

2. Walt Disney World is the happiest place on earth unless you are overweight or obese then it's a place of stereotypical stigma and bias. Not cool.

Check out Disney's hideous attempt at "helping" childhood obesity.

Sad, it sounded like a great idea but obviously they had no advisory committee working with them. I fear that the "crisis mode" we are in re: childhood obesity is making people act without thought.

I am assured the Obesity Action Coalition's Bias Busters team is on it. I will update you when I hear anything.

3. Some articles I read this week that were worth checking out:

Positive media portrayals of obese individuals reduce weight stigma - Hmmm perhaps something Disney needs to read
Hospital pays $178M for false advertising, inexperienced doc - Ask LOTS of Q's!
Obese children outgrowing kids' clothing and furniture - A memory is what is left when something happens and does not completely unhappen.
Elementary School helping curb childhood obesity - AWESOME!
Can you get addicted to ice cream? Maybe, study shows - Try my alternative
50 Things to do Instead of Snacking - :)

4. As bariatric surgery patients (those of us with rearranged chitlins) it is absolutely essential that we take quality supplemental vitamins every day for the rest of our lives. Weight loss surgery dramatically alters your body's ability to absorb vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Not taking vitamins causes bad things. It's just not an option. I wanted to give everyone a heads up on a great Celebrate Vitamin product I think will help make vitamin taking easier by including an iron supplement instead of another pill...

Celebrate's Multi-Complete contains all of the vitamins and minerals that are in the original multivitamin formula PLUS 36 mg of iron daily. As always check with your medical posse on what is appropriate for your plan and remember... this product or any containing iron should NOT be taken at the same time as calcium to prevent absorption interference.

5. If you haven't entered this week's giveaway for the Bag of Love chock full of AWESOME weight loss surgery friendly favorites you have till Sunday, midnight, pacific time click here to add your name to the hat.

Every Sunday in the month of February (5th, 12th, 19th, 26th) a new I ♥ Giveaway begins. This Sunday is the last of the "I ♥" fun so I'm thinking the prize needs to be a BIG one! Plus, the blog just hit a pretty big milestone, the 7000 fan mark on Facebook, woot! Come back Sunday to get in on the celebration.

The World According to Eggface

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A day in my pouch

2012-02-22T11:00:00.000-08:00

My post weight loss surgery menu with a Mardi Gras vibe...

Breakfast: This was too die for good. Yesterday was Shrove Tuesday aka Pancake Day. I made a batch of crepes and filled them with a dollop of sweetened ricotta (sweetened with SF Torani Syrup) and topped with caramelized bananas and pecans.

Shelly's Bananas Foster Crepes

2 Eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Soy Milk (I use Silk Vanilla)
1/4 cup minus 1 Tablespoon Water
2 Tablespoons Sugar Free Brown Sugar Cinnamon Torani Syrup
1 Tablespoons Canola Oil
1/2 cup Spelt Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
dash of Salt

Blend all ingredients on low till thoroughly combined. Pour into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for a half-hour. Spray a non-stick 8 to 10 inch crepe pan with Pam. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan and twirl it around to spread the batter in a thin circle.

Cook till top appears dry and flip. Cook a minute or so on other side. Repeat till all batter is used. While you are making them you can keep them warm in a low oven 200 degrees or nuke for 20 seconds before serving. Makes 8-10 crepes depending on size of pan. Leftovers are great reheated (nuked 20 seconds) or I have eaten them cold too.

Bananas Foster Topping

1 Banana, sliced
2 Tablespoon Pecans, chopped
2 Tablespoons Sugar Free Brown Sugar Cinnamon Torani Syrup (SF Caramel or SF Vanilla Bean would work fine too)
2 Tablespoons Sugar Free Maple Syrup

Heat together till warmed through. Pour over crepes. Makes enough to top 4 or more crepes.

Lunch: I'm on a Greek yogurt and Fuji Apple kick right now. I do that. I'll want something 4, 5 days in a row any chance I can get it.

Shelly's Orange Almond Yogurt

1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (I used plain, 2%)
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Torani Syrup (I used SF Almond)
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Orange Marmalade
a sprinkle of toasted, sliced Almonds

Mix together yogurt and syrup till well combined. Top with marmalade and nuts. Great on its own, as a sauce for a fruit salad, made into parfaits (make them in plastic cups for a great on-the-go breakfast) or as a dip for sliced fruit.

Dinner: I made up some tidbits. It's kind of a tradition to have hors d'oeuvre-y tidbits the night of the Glee regionals. After all, Glee was my first television appearance. My Mum and I were in the balcony audience, in the season one finale. So if you have a copy fast forward to the 17.19 minute mark but don't blink ;) A star is born.

I BBQ'd some Shrimp and Chicken and made up little skewers. Raw, peeled & deveined shrimp, a swipe of olive oil, Cajun spice blend, BBQ'd about 4 minutes each side. The chicken was breasts, pounded flat, a swipe of olive oil, Cajun spice blend, BBQ'd. I added some Roasted Bell Peppers and Onions to the completed chicken skewers. I also made a creole yogurt dipping sauce which was great with both. A VERY high protein meal and yummy meal. Either would be great for parties. Thinking of making them again on Sunday for the Oscars.

Shelly's Creole Yogurt Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (I used plain, 2%)
2 Tablespoons Creole Mustard
dash of Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper

Mix together till well blended. If you don't have Creole Mustard you could mix equal parts of any grainy mustard and prepared horseradish. Great with shrimp, chicken, beef, veggies. Lasts a day or two in the fridge.

Snacks: Too much coffee and a slice of Low Sodium Roast Beef, sample at the deli I had while picking up supplies for the Philly Cheesesteak Casserole I'm making tonight.

Spent some time thinking about last year's trip to New Orleans. After many years of sitting on park benches watching the good times roll on by me. I am thankful for the second chance weight loss surgery gave me. Laissez les bons temps rouler! Let the good time roll!

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Drum roll...

2012-02-20T23:59:00.000-08:00

Thank you for the wonderful response to The World According to Eggface and CLICK Espresso Protein I ♥ Giveaway

The random generator has selected:

Cheryl K.
mommysquirrel@xxxxx.com

Congratulations!!! You are the winner of the AWESOME CLICK Espresso Protein Prize Pack - including a canister of Mocha CLICK Espresso Protein, a canister of Vanilla Latte CLICK Espresso Protein, a bottle of Sugar Free Brown Sugar Cinnamon Torani Syrup, and a super cool CLICKed Out Tumbler. Check your mail and follow email instructions for claiming your prize.

If you weren't the lucky winner this time and still want to try CLICK Espresso Protein here's a link to order.

If you are already CLICK'n here are some of my favorite CLICK recipes.

Thank you for playing everyone! Be sure to enter this week's I ♥ Giveaway!

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Things I Heart Giveaway

2012-02-19T21:15:00.000-08:00

Every Sunday in the month of February (5th, 12th, 19th, 26th) a new SUPER COOL Eggface Giveaway will begin. The prizes are some of my absolute favorite weight loss surgery must haves. Things I heart. I hope you'll heart them too.

This week's I Heart Giveaway Prize: an AWESOME Pink "Bag of Love" chock full of samples of some of my favorite weight loss surgery friendly products...

1 packet Celebrate Vitamins Strawberry ENS
1 packet Celebrate Vitamins Chocolate Milk ENS
1 packet CLICK Espresso Protein Mocha
1 packet CLICK Espresso Protein Vanilla Latte
1 packet CLICK Espresso Protein Vanilla Latte All-Natural
1 packet CLICK Espresso Protein Mocha All-Natural
1 packet Chike Strawberry Burst
1 packet Chike Chocolate Bliss
1 Chocolate Peanut Butter Quest Protein Bar
1 Cinnamon Bun Quest Protein Bar
1 Chocolate Brownie Quest Protein Bar
1 Peanut Butter and Jelly Quest Protein Bar
1 Strawberry Cheesecake Quest Protein Bar
1 Peanut Butter and Jelly Supreme Protein Bar
1 Peanut Butter Cup Oh Yeah Protein Wafer
2 - 150 ml bottles of Sugar Free Torani Syrups in Sugar Free Raspberry and Sugar Free Vanilla
1 Packet Hot Hands Hand Warmers
1 MIO Pink Digital Pedometer
1 20 oz. Pink Blenderball Shaker

How to Enter: Become a fan of The World According to Eggface on Facebook and then come back here and LEAVE A COMMENT (include a name and an email addy) on this blog posting. Click on # of comments below to leave yours.

Contest periods ends: Sunday, February 26th, midnight (Pacific time)

Monday, February 27th I'll draw a name using a random number generator and announce the winner here on the blog! I will also email the winner at the address posted. You'll have one week (7 days) to respond to my email or another winner will be chosen. One ENTRY per person. Winner must be a facebook fan of The World According to Eggface. Blog comments are moderated so there may be a slight delay (up to a few hours) in seeing your comment/entry post. Giveaway is open to anyone in the United States (48 contiguous, Alaska & Hawaii.)

***Want extra chances to win?*** Do anything listed below and leave me a comment letting me know what you did! For up to four more entries per person!!

* Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway: Hey everyone enter the @Eggface I Heart Giveaway http://tinyurl.com/7ws55xf

* Post about the giveaway to your pals on Facebook or some other social networking or support forum you frequent.

If you are a blogger:

* Blog about this giveaway and include the link to the contest (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)

* Place my super snazzy badge on your site.

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P.S. Curious about any of the great products mentioned above? Click on the highlighted links to learn more or purchase.

A day in my pouch

2012-02-15T23:59:00.000-08:00

A Valentine's Day (aka Singles Awareness Day) edition of a day in my pouch.

Breakfast: Celebrated with a delicious and festive breakfast (shared with my Mum)

Shelly's Raspberry Almond Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip

1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (I used 2%, plain)
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Raspberry Torani Syrup
Sliced Toasted Almonds

Mix together till well combined. Great for dipping fruit (strawberries, apple slices, banana chunks, etc.) or eating as is.

Lunch: I love making bento lunches they always make me feel like a kid at recess.

Pink Box (top left): Sliced Grilled Chicken (Breasts pounded flat, brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with Greek Seasoning and BBQ'd)
Orange Box (top right): Shelly's Greek High Protein Dip for dipping chicken
Blue Box (bottom left): Cheesestick
Green Box (bottom right): Leftover Strawberries from breakfast and Mango Chunks

More Eggface Bentos

Dinner: Ate this yummy Tortilla Pizza while watching the "Glee" and "The New Girl" Valentine episodes. Don't miss Glee's Amber Riley singing "I will always love you" which had been taped for this episode before Whitney Houston's death. Awesome.

Shelly's Middle Eastern Beef and Hummus Tortilla Pizza - Mission Carb Balance Whole Wheat Fajita Size Tortilla, a smear of store bought Roasted Garlic Hummus, Leftover Browned Ground Beef, crumbled Feta Cheese, a sprinkle of Za'atar. How to cook them.

Snacks: Much too much coffee including a Sugar Free Vanilla Soy Latte from Bux and a 1/2 a Peanut Butter and Jelly Quest Protein Bar while running errands.

More days in my pouch.

Hope everyone had a great day surrounded by the love of soul mates, family, pals and fur babies. Three out of four, not too shabby ;)

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Drum roll...

2012-02-13T10:19:00.000-08:00

Thank you for the wonderful response to The World According to Eggface and Celebrate Vitamins I ♥ Giveaway

The random generator has selected:

Cassie
cbmurdough@xxxxx.com

Congratulations!!! You are the winner of the HUGE 30 count variety pack of Celebrate Vitamin's ENS - Multivitamin, Calcium, & Protein Shakes - 10 single serve packs of each flavor Chocolate Milk, Vanilla Cake Batter, and Strawberry and a 20 oz. Blender Bottle Shaker in Valentine Pink Check your mail and follow email instructions for claiming your prize.

If you weren't the lucky winner this time and still want to try any of the GREAT Celebrate Vitamins products including their AWESOME ENS product line. Here's a link to order or learn more.

Thank you for playing everyone! Be sure to enter this week's I ♥ Giveaway!

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Sealed with a Cannoli

2012-02-12T15:35:00.000-08:00

Just made a batch of my Strawberry Cannoli. If you are looking for a protein packed, weight loss surgery friendly, healthy Valentine dessert, this is it, but make plenty because non-ops love them too.

Shelly's Strawberry Cannoli

12 Large Red Ripe Strawberries, washed & cored
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Torani Syrup (any flavor)
dash of Cinnamon

Optional toppings:
Unsweetened Coconut
Grated Sugar Free Chocolate Curls or SF Chips (Walmart)
Chopped Nuts (Chopped Pistachios, Pecans, or Hazelnuts are great)

Wash and core strawberries. Leaving a hollow in the berry. Set aside. You can buy a berry corer or I just use a paring knife.

Mix ricotta, SF syrup (I used SF Vanilla) and cinnamon (today instead of cinnamon I used 1/2 a Vanilla Bean insides, sliced down the middle and scraped) together till well combined.

Spoon mixture into a snack size Ziploc bag. Seal.

Cut end off and pipe mixture into hollowed strawberries. Dip into optional toppings.

If you are wanting to make them in advance just prep the berries and place them in a Tupperware, make the filling, place in the Ziploc and leave them separate in the fridge. Just before you are ready to serve them fill and top them or just fill them and have the optional toppings in little containers so your guests can top their own.

Getting ready to watch the Grammy's tonight, RIP :( Whitney Houston. One of the greatest voices of all time. If there really are choirs of angels in heaven they just got an awesome new member.

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Things I Heart Giveaway

2012-02-12T06:30:00.000-08:00

Every Sunday in the month of February (5th, 12th, 19th, 26th) a new SUPER COOL Eggface Giveaway will begin. The prizes are some of my absolute favorite weight loss surgery must haves. Things I heart. I hope you'll heart them too.

This week's I Heart Giveaway Prize: An AWESOME CLICK Espresso Protein Prize Pack - a canister of Mocha CLICK Espresso Protein, a canister of Vanilla Latte CLICK Espresso Protein, a bottle of Sugar Free Brown Sugar Cinnamon Torani Syrup, and a super cool CLICKed Out Tumbler.

If you love coffee like me, you must start CLICK'n. Each 12- 14 ounce serving contains a double shot of gourmet espresso coffee, 15 grams of protein and 23 vitamins and minerals. All CLICK products are naturally flavored, colored, and gluten-free. You can CLICK in soooo many ways... hot, cold or blended into a CLICKacchino, 5 minute cakes, protein truffles, protein fudge, protein pancakes, granola and an unbelievable, to die for, toe curling good protein ice cream, and many more CLICKtastic recipes. Espresso + Protein = Heaven in a cup. I heart it.

If you are the lucky winner of this week's I ♥ Giveaway you'll have everything you need to make these super yummy, weight loss surgery friendly, on-the-go breakfast ideas...

Shelly's CLICK'n Apple Dippers

1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (I use 2%, plain)
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Brown Sugar Cinnamon Torani Syrup
1-2 Tablespoons of CLICK Espresso Protein (any flavor)
1 Apple, sliced
dash of Cinnamon
Plastic cups, wrap

Mix yogurt, syrup, and CLICK together till well combined. Spoon into plastic cups. Place your apple dippers into cup, sprinkle with cinnamon if desired, cover with plastic wrap and off you go with a protein packed yummy breakfast or snack. Also great topped with my CLICK'n granola.

Shelly's Cinnamon Bun CLICKacchino

1 cup Soy Milk (any milk will do)
2 scoops CLICK Vanilla Latte Espresso Protein Powder
2 Tablespoons Sugar Free Brown Sugar Cinnamon Torani Syrup
a few Ice Cubes

Whiz in blender till smooth. Top with optional squirt of Sugar Free Whipped Cream and a dash of Cinnamon. This is soooo good. Vanilla, brown sugar cinnamon, coffee. Nom.

How to Enter: Like both CLICK Espresso Protein and The World According to Eggface on Facebook. Come back here and LEAVE A COMMENT (include a name and an email addy) on this blog posting. Scroll down to # of comments to leave yours.

Contest periods ends: Sunday, February 19th, midnight (Pacific time)

Monday, February 20th I'll draw a name using a random number generator and announce the winner here on the blog! I will also email the winner at the address posted. You'll have one week (7 days) to respond to my email or another winner will be chosen. Remember winners MUST be a Facebook friend of both the pages above. One ENTRY per person. Blog comments are moderated so there may be a slight delay (up to a few hours) in seeing your comment/entry post. Giveaway is open to anyone in the United States (48 contiguous, Alaska & Hawaii.)

***Want extra chances to win?*** Do anything listed below and leave me a comment letting me know what you did! For up to four more entries per person!!

* Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway: Hey everyone enter the I heart @Eggface & @drinkclick Giveaway http://tinyurl.com/74z8p6o

* Post about the giveaway to your pals on Facebook or some other social networking or support forum you frequent.

If you are a blogger:

* Blog about this giveaway and include the link to the contest (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)

* Place my super snazzy badge on your site.

Friday Five

2012-02-10T20:45:00.000-08:00

A weekly round-up of tidbits, tips, ideas, news articles, random cool things...

1. If you missed the first Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) Obesity Prevention and Policy Management (Obesity PPM) webinar, "Introduction to the Complexity of Obesity." You can download the full presentation with audio from the OAC's web site by clicking this link. Don't miss this informative overview that sets the stage for the FREE 14 part series. The next webinar is set for Thursday, March 29, 2012 and will focus on the topic of "Addiction." According to the OAC website registration for the next webinar will be available soon! The series is free but you need to register for each to obtain an access code. I'll give you a heads up when it starts up again.

Thank you OAC and Obesity PPM for hosting these free webinars and for the perfect title "The Complexity of Obesity" because anyone who is fighting this war on a personal level knows obesity is more than the simple math of calories in, calories out.

Everyone that told me (I'm sure a lot of you have heard the same) things like... "Why don't you just stop eating and exercise more" or the especially lovely comment I once received, "Try shutting your pie-hole and getting off the couch" should be forced to listen and take a quiz afterwards.

2. The first winter after weight loss surgery I was freezing. I thought OK I have less insulation it makes sense but I really thought it would get better or I'd get used to it by now. I'm 5 1/2 years out now and nope, I am still a shivering icicle. The minute the temperature drops below 70 (I know I am a wimp) I'm pulling the sweaters out and huddled under a blanket.

My current favorite find are these little doohickeys: Hot Hands Hand Warmers. I bought them as sort of a joke but OMG I love them. I pop one in my jacket pocket when I'm heading out for coffee, a movie, or have to run an errand in the evening.

They are single use air-activated heat packs that contain iron, activated carbon and water. Once you rip open the outer pouch and the ingredients in the little pouch come into contact with the air, the ingredients oxidize and produce heat. It takes about 15 minutes to get to max temp and they stay warm for hours.

I used to avoid going out at night because my hands would be soooo cold I couldn't function. Now I stick my hands in my pocket and ahhhhh. I feel for the weight loss surgery post-op Mom's that need to get up at the crack of dawn and take the whippersnappers to school or sit on cold bleachers watching soccer games. Do yourself a favor and get some of these.

Look for them in the camping supply sections of stores or here is an online source. They are about 50¢ a piece. I'm sure the people I go out with are happier I found them. I complain A LOT LESS. Now if I could just win the lottery I could travel the globe and follow the summer months.

3. Some articles I read this week that were worth checking out:

'Fed Up with Lunch' exposes worst school meals
New Campaign Aims to Improve Troops, Families’ Health
How metabolic and bariatric surgery treats obesity
More than half of America's pets are obese, survey shows

4. Even though I am technically Valentine-less I'm getting in the spirit. The beginning of my decorating. My homemade stuffed felt heart garland... perfect for shoving pins in. Just kidding ;)

5. I made this cool collage for my What's Eggciting? page with pictures of just a few of the giveaways I've done on the blog. Check it out...

So much fun! If you haven't entered this week's giveaway for 30 day supply of Celebrate ENS and a Valentine Pink Blender Bottle you have till Sunday, midnight, pacific time to add your name to the hat. Remember Every Sunday in the month of February (5th, 12th, 19th, 26th) a new I ♥ Giveaway will begin.

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A day in my pouch

2012-02-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday in post weight loss surgery eating...

Breakfast: After I ate this delicious, weight loss surgery friendly, super easy breakfast, I packed up my lunch and took off for most of the day with a to-do list a mile long...

Shelly's Strawberry Almond Yogurt Parfait

1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (I use plain 2%)
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Almond Torani Syrup
1/4 cup Fresh Strawberries, cut up
a sprinkle of Toasted Sliced Almonds

Mix Yogurt and SF Torani till well combined. Top with berries and nuts.

I sometimes make these Yogurt Parfaits in plastic cups the night before, cover with plastic wrap and that way in the AM when I'm in a rush I can just grab one and go. Don't forget a plastic spoon.

Lunch: I spent the day picking up special order items for a pal who is catering a big event this week. A few of the errands brought me to a town very close to the beach so I brought my super cool bento box and sat for an hour staring at the ocean before heading back home.

Pink Box (top left): Shelly's Roast Beef & Cheese Cucumber "Sandwiches" and Mustard for dipping
Green Box (top right): Leftover chopped Strawberries from breakfast
Blue Box (bottom left): Peanut Butter & Jelly Quest Protein Bar
Orange Box (bottom right): Sliced Tomato and 2 Marinated Mozzarella Balls

More Eggface Bentos

Shelly's Roast Beef & Cheese Cucumber "Sandwiches"

Slices of Cucumber
Cold Cuts (I prefer low sodium Boar's Head brand)
Sliced Cheese

1 slice of cheese and meat makes about 4 "sandwiches" you can spear them with a jazzy food pick for parties. For ease of assembly the day of a party (great weight loss friendly appetizers) or for a quickly made lunch during the week pre-cut the cucumbers the night before and place in a Ziploc baggie in fridge.

Aside: My cat Charlie just stepped on my keyboard and sent you all a message. Ready for it... 022222222222222222222222222222222222222 Profound Kitty. Wishing she could pick the winning lottery numbers.

Dinner: I came home and made a casserole. Sunday I had roasted eggplant. Just eggplant cut into cubes 1" or so (skin on), tossed on a baking sheet with kosher salt and olive oil, baked at 425 for 45-50 minutes or so (move them around every 15). It's great to have in the fridge as a cold side dish to cold cut roll-ups or reheated sprinkled with cheese or tossed with marinara and sprinkled with cheese for a sort of Faux Eggplant Parmesan. I used some in this AMAZING casserole that has become a staple post weight loss surgery dinner at my house.

Shelly's Middle Eastern Casserole

1 Onion, diced
1/2 pound Ground Beef (or Turkey or Sausage)
1 cup Roasted Eggplant (see above)
1/4 cup Storebought Hummus (any flavor, I like roasted garlic)
1 (15 oz.) can Cannelini Beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tomatoes, diced
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
1 Tablespoon Za'atar, divided use (it's a spice, don't leave out)
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper
2-3 Tablespoons Feta Cheese, crumbled

Saute onion till golden set aside. Brown meat till no pink is seen. Add back onion and remaining ingredients with the exception of the feta and 1 teaspoon of Za'atar. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring to combine. Spoon into a Pyrex. Top with Feta and a sprinkle of Za'atar. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. It's great on it's own like I had it last night or with sliced cucumbers dressed with Greek yogurt and fresh herbs. Leftovers reheat great the next day for lunch.

Find Za'atar (aka Zatar, Zahtar) in ethnic aisles of well stocked super markets, Middle Eastern, Lebanese, Persian markets, good cooking stores like Williams Sonoma, online through someplace like Penzey's, or make your own...

Za'atar

1/4 cup Ground Sumac
2 Tablespoons Thyme
1 Tablespoon Roasted Sesame Seeds
2 Tablespoons Marjoram
2 Tablespoons Oregano
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

Grind spices in a coffee grinder. I have a coffee grinder just for spices but if you use your regular one clean it really well before you make coffee or it will be an interested flavor ;) Store in a spice jar for several weeks.

Snacks: Samples at the "Costco Buffet" a hunk of ham and piece of turkey cold cut, a few of my Frozen Protein Yogurt Drops while I vegged finally in front of the TV watching the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Sugar Free Vanilla Latte from Bux in my travels.

A very yummy day. Today I've got some casserole leftovers makes for an easy night which is good because right around dinner time is the first of the Obesity Action Coalition's free webinar series (14 part series throughout the 2012/2013 on a variety of obesity related topics)

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P.S. For those of you who attended the Southern California Weight Loss Surgery Meet & Greet this past July or the Temecula Hoedown. We lost a friend and fellow WLSer. Virginia Little Walker lost her battle with ovarian cancer. For those that did not get a chance to meet her she was a lovely lady with a smile that lit up a room.

Things I Heart Giveaway

2012-02-05T08:23:00.000-08:00

Every Sunday in the month of February (5th, 12th, 19th, 26th) a new SUPER COOL Eggface Giveaway will begin. The prizes are some of my absolute favorite weight loss surgery must haves. Things I heart. I hope you'll heart them too.

This week's I Heart Giveaway Prize: A HUGE 30 count variety pack of Celebrate Vitamin's ENS - Multivitamin, Calcium, & Protein Shakes - 10 single serve packs of each flavor Chocolate Milk, Vanilla Cake Batter, and Strawberry and a 20 oz. Blender Bottle Shaker in Valentine Pink

Celebrate Vitamin's ENS (Essential Nutrient System) shake is a one of a kind way to get your multivitamin, calcium, fiber AND protein all in one. Each shake contains a high potency multivitamin, 500 mg of calcium citrate, 4 g of fiber, and 25 g of whey isolate protein in each serving. An awesome option for just after surgery.

My blender bottle shaker goes with me on every post weight loss surgery travel trip. I place the shaker in my carry-on bag. When I'm on the plane, I just ask for a bottle of water or milk, empty my pre-measured snack sized baggies of protein (or perfect portioned packs like the ENS packets above) and shake shake shake. On road trips I always know I will have a great protein source in case good choices are scarce.

I love these ENS shakes. I used them just the other day to make a Neapolitan flavored batch of my Frozen Protein Drops. A quick and easy, weight loss surgery friendly frozen protein snack...

Shelly's Frozen Protein Yogurt (or Pudding) Drops

1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (or Sugar Free Pudding)
3-4 Tablespoons (to taste) of any Protein Powder

Mix together till well combined.

Line a baking sheet with wax paper and drop tablespoons of the mixture (yields about 25 drops) or fill an ice cube tray or if you are channeling Martha Stewart like I apparently was that day you can fill a candy mold (find molds at craft stores like Michael's, Hobby Lobby or Jo-Ann's) and make super cute shapes.

Freeze till solid about 2 hours. Store in the freezer (up to a week or so) and pop a few in your mouth whenever you want a frozen protein treat or add to smoothies for an extra protein boost instead of ice. These little suckers are crazy good.

How to Enter: Like both Celebrate Vitamins and The World According to Eggface on Facebook. Come back here and LEAVE A COMMENT (include a name and an email addy) on this blog posting. Scroll down to # of comments to leave yours.

Contest periods ends: Sunday, February 12th, midnight (Pacific time)

Monday, February 13th I'll draw a name using a random number generator and announce the winner here on the blog! I will also email the winner at the address posted. You'll have one week (7 days) to respond to my email or another winner will be chosen. Remember winners MUST be a Facebook friend of both the pages above. One ENTRY per person. Blog comments are moderated so there may be a slight delay (up to a few hours) in seeing your comment/entry post. Giveaway is open to anyone in the United States (48 contiguous, Alaska & Hawaii.)

***Want extra chances to win?*** Do anything listed below and leave me a comment letting me know what you did! For up to four more entries per person!!

* Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway: Hey everyone enter the I heart @Eggface & @CelebrateV Giveaway http://tinyurl.com/7o7jare

* Post about the giveaway to your pals on Facebook or some other social networking or support forum you frequent.

If you are a blogger:

* Blog about this giveaway and include the link to the contest (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)

* Place my super snazzy badge on your site.

P.S. Can't wait to find out if you are a winner to get yourself some Celebrate ENS shakes: Here's a link for more info or to order.

Friday Five

2012-02-03T07:11:00.000-08:00

A weekly round-up of tidbits, tips, ideas, news articles, random cool things...

1. The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) & Obesity Prevention, Policy & Management are hosting a FREE webinar series. These online events will occur approximately every six weeks throughout 2012 & 2013 with a variety of topics, speakers, and panels discussing obesity related topics, the first of which will occur this coming Tuesday, February 7th. 8 PM Eastern time. Check out this link to register for the series. It's free but they give you an access link to log into the event. I'm registered!

"Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one." ~Malcolm S. Forbes

2. Please take a moment to sign, support & circulate the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC)'s petition requesting Facebook honor its own terms of use by taking down awful hate speech sites directed at persons afflicted with obesity.

Help stop bullying and hate. Thank you for signing and for sharing it with friends.

3. Some articles I read this week that were worth checking out:

The Most Inspiring Weight-Loss Blogs - Don't miss #3 ;)
10 Reasons for Childhood Obesity Slideshow
Cornell Study Links Childhood Stress to Adulthood Obesity
Allergan halts Lap-Band sales to 1-800-GET-THIN clinics
Woman’s Journey to a Stunning 500 Pound Weight Loss

4. Heads up: If you are looking for medical ID jewelry be sure to check out Lauren's Hope. Right now they have a great sale on many of their heart themed pieces. This beachy themed prettiness is on my wish list.

5. It's February, you know what that means... Singles Awareness Day! Kissy face lovers call it Valentine's Day, whatever.

In an effort to take my attention from being single and Cupid's really crappy aim I will be doing a TON of AWESOME GIVEAWAYS!! Be sure to check back on Sunday when the FUN begins!

Shape Magazine

2012-02-01T05:16:00.000-08:00

Thanks SHAPE Magazine (and Charlotte Andersen) I am so honored to be included. Congratulations to everyone in their effort to get healthy! We're in this TOGETHER, FOREVER.

Just 'cause I got the monkey off my back doesn't mean the circus has left town.

The World According to Eggface - The Most Inspiring Weight-Loss Blogs - Shape Magazine - Page 3

Leftovers transformed

2012-01-29T10:48:00.000-08:00

Repurposing: Transforming leftovers into something equally as yummy. The goal is for them to taste and look so completely different you don't realize you are having leftovers.

This is a must have skill post weight loss surgery since eating out usually results in lots of food coming home.

My world lately has been filled with words like construction, drywall, dehumidifiers, lots of check writing and sweaty workmen, Hmmm OK so not all bad ;) It's not quite over but I'm feeling like I'll be able to get back to my regularly scheduled programming soon. We've been eating on the fly in between water being turned off and on. Friday night after everyone was gone we went to the local Greek restaurant for dinner. I ordered the chicken souvlaki & gyros platter. It came with the typical choice of rice, fries or a salad. I don't do fries or rice post weight loss surgery so I opted for the salad with the dressing on the side. I ate most of the chicken and salad and brought home the gyros and a couple of pieces of chicken which made Saturday's lunch and dinner super easy.

Lunch... Portable Greek 7 Layer Salads. These were delicious. I assembled them in the early AM and then later in the day we were able to just grab one when we wanted.

Shelly's Portable Greek 7 Layer Salad

Ingredients (listed from bottom to top)
Cucumber, chopped
Tomato, chopped
a dollop of Hummus
Leftover Greek Chicken or Gyros Meat, chopped
a dollop of Shelly's Greek High Protein Dip
a couple of Kalamata and Greek Green Olives, chopped
a crumble of Feta Cheese
Optional: plastic cups and plastic wrap

Assemble the layers in regular big bowl or I made portable plastic cup versions and covered with plastic wrap to take outside and escape the noise of the workmen.

They would be great to take on a picnic or to work this way.

Shelly's Greek High Protein Dip

6 Greek Green Olives, pitted
1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (I use 2%, plain)
2-3 Tablespoons Feta Cheese, crumbled
Kosher Salt to taste
a few twists of Black Pepper

Whiz olives in a mini food processor till minced but not pureed. Mix into remaining ingredients. Great for dipping meats or veggies. Cucumber slices, yum!

If you are a major olive lover like me this is a great way to get a lot of olive taste without all the fat and calories that can add up when there is a bowl full of olives around.

Dinner... Still had some leftover Gyros Meat to use up and a Tupperware with about a 1/4 cup of leftover Creamed Spinach (Bird's Eye Steamfresh Bag)

Repurposed they became a couple of delicious tortilla pizzas like this...

Shelly's Leftover Gyros Tortilla Pizza - Mission Carb Balance Whole Wheat Fajita Size Tortilla, a dollop of leftover Creamed Spinach, Leftover Gyros meat, Red Onion, a few crumbles of Feta Cheese and Greek Seasoning. Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray (or a drop of olive oil.) Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

More leftover transformations.

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A day in my pouch

2012-01-25T05:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday in post weight loss surgery eating...

Breakfast: Well I woke up to a busted water heater. We thankfully caught it before too much damage was done, water was confined to the garage but uggggh grrrr #&$%ity, #&$% #&$% #&$%! I spent a good part of the morning making phone calls and then waiting for call backs so I had time to make a batch of my Pancake Bites.

I couldn't make up my mind what kind I wanted the original sausage, the bacon, or the fruity version. So I made all three. Sausage are my favorites. I love that sausage & maple combo. My Mum loves the blueberry ones.

Shelly's Pancake Bites

1/2 cup Multigrain Pancake Mix, dry
1/3 cup Soy Milk (any milk would do)
1/4 cup Torani Sugar Free Caramel Syrup
Assorted Toppings: Cooked Sausage, Crumbled Cooked Bacon, Fruit (I used frozen blueberries but banana slices or apples are yum too)

Mix pancake mix, milk, syrup together till thoroughly combined. Pour batter into a non-stick 12 cup mini muffin tin that has been sprayed with Pam. Fill about 3/4 way up.

Top each muffin with sausage, bacon or fruit. Make all one flavor or a combo. If you set the ingredients out family members and whippersnappers can make their own... banana blueberry bacon surprise.

Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until golden. Serve with warmed Sugar Free Maple Syrup.

Lunch: One of my easy go-to favs: Shrimp and Cocktail Sauce.

Dinner: Monday night, in honor of Chinese New Year I made meatloaf. I know what you are thinking meatloaf?! Ummm Eggy that's not very Chinese. Seriously this was yummy, a few Asian flavors transformed this classic American diner food into a delicious dinner fit for an emperor. Leftovers reheated were just as yummy. I served them on Monday with a green salad and the leftovers I served with sauteed onions (like the ones I make for my Faux Spaghetti & Meatballs.)

Shelly's Chinese New Year Meatloaf

6 Large Mushrooms, diced
1/2 cup (1/2 of a small can) Water Chestnuts, chopped (found in the Asian food aisle)
3/4 pound Ground Beef
1/2 pound Ground Pork
1/4 cup Oatmeal, uncooked
1/4 cup Milk
1 Egg, beaten
4 Green Onions, diced
1/2 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Ginger, grated
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Sherry
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper
Butter/Oil for sauteing

Saute mushrooms till golden. Add water chestnuts. Cook 1 minute more. Set aside to cool. Soak oatmeal in milk for 1 minute. Beat egg. Add egg and soaked oats to ground beef and pork. Add cooled veggies and all remaining ingredients. Mix till combined.

Divide into 8 equal mounds. Form into mini meatloaves or if you have this super groovy pan like me use it (spray with Pam.) Bake for 45 minutes total in a 350 oven. At the 30 minute mark you can glaze the meatloaf with my optional Year of the Dragon Glaze then return to oven to finish cooking.

Shelly's Year of the Dragon Glaze

2 Tablespoons Ketchup
2 Tablespoon Sweet Chili Sauce

Mix together and brush on meatloaves. Continue cooking for final 15 minutes. I use regular ketchup and chili sauce (found in the Asian food aisle, sometimes called Thai Sweet Chili Sauce) they do make low sugar or no sugar ketchup but I just use the real deal. If you dump easily skip this but divided over 8 mini-loaves it's really not that much sugar.

Snacks: Too much coffee and at some point I logged on to twitter and found out it was National Peanut Butter Day so I made a batch of Peanut Butter Swirl Protein Ice Cream. I ate it while I watched Tori & Dean Home Sweet Hollywood (I'm a sucker for reality TV) over the sound of the monstrous dehumidifier unit doing it's thing all night in my garage. Tomorrow a new water heater goes in, in a temporary location while we sort out the drywall damaged area. $$$.

Shelly's Peanut Butter Swirl Protein Ice Cream

1 cup Vanilla Soy Milk (or Regular Milk)
2 scoops Vanilla Protein Powder
2 Tablespoons Torani Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup
1/4 cup Powdered Peanut Butter (AKA PB2, Peanut Flour, Defatted Peanut Butter)

Mix together milk, protein, syrup, powdered peanut butter. I used this gadget to mix it up. It makes it airy and lump free. If you don't have one of those just whiz it on super turbo high in the blender, you want airy. Pour into ice cream maker. Follow your machine's instructions for freezing.

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 or so to get scoopable. If you leave it longer and it gets too hard just nuke ice cream 25 seconds to soften again. Optional: I took 2 Tablespoons of regular Peanut Butter, nuked 30 seconds, then drizzled it on the soft serve before I put it in the freezer. So each scoop gets a little swirl of peanut butter in it.

Other Eggface Protein Ice Cream flavors
Protein Ice Cream 101

Well, it wasn't a great day in my world but I sure did eat well.

More "A day in my pouch" posts

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Hot off the press

2012-01-22T10:46:00.000-08:00

A little local press for the donation project. My Mum made me go out in the cold this AM to procure a paper. She saves things like this, still.

Link to the article: TEMECULA: Woman’s donation matches weight loss | Breaking News | PE.com - Press-Enterprise

Anyone want to see my 1st grade report card I bet she has it ;)

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Join me!

2012-01-19T11:27:00.000-08:00

Losing 158 pounds has been life changing. I feel like I have been blessed with a second chance and I just want to celebrate this healthy new life every day.

Last month, I was thinking it would be fun to celebrate my weight loss by donating one non-perishable food item for every pound I've lost to my local food bank. I set aside a few bucks, collected coupons, trolled sale papers and I'm excited to announce I met my 158 item goal and will be donating all this tomorrow...

This was so much fun. I'm so excited to drop it off. I decided to post about it on the blog in hopes others will want do the same thing or something similar. Think about it... if we each took on a project like this what an awesome impact we would make as a community.

If you don't want to donate food, maybe you could do toiletry items (toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo) or clothing. Maybe cans of dog and cat food to your animal shelter. Maybe donate $1 for every pound lost to a favorite cause. May I suggest the Obesity Action Coalition or The Weight Loss Surgery Foundation of America. Maybe you could donate volunteer hours to your local senior center or hospice or something near and dear to your heart. The possibilities are endless and exciting.

I hope you will join me. If you email me a picture or let me know what you've done I'll give it a huge shout out on the blog.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. ~Margaret Mead

A Tale of Two Tortilla Pizzas

2012-01-16T10:01:00.000-08:00

Last night I had a Tortilla Pizza Party while watching the Golden Globes.

The highlight of the show was Morgan Freeman accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement award. So many awesome movies. The montage made me want to turn the Globes off and pop in, "The Shawshank Redemption." Probably should have.

My pick for best dressed was Jessica Alba in that pretty lavender Gucci dress and representing the dudes (they have it so easy) my pick was yum George Clooney. I loved the midnight blue color of Sofia Vergara's dress but not the style. I'm not feeling the whole Little Mermaid, fish tail trend. She looked like she should jump in the water and swim off with Tom Hanks.

The show was OK but dinner was awesome...

Shelly's Meatball and Ricotta Tortilla Pizza - Mission Carb Balance Whole Wheat Fajita Size Tortilla, Leftover Meatballs and Marinara Sauce, dollops of Ricotta Cheese, a sprinkle of Oregano and Parmesan.

Shelly's Philly Cheesesteak Tortilla Pizza - Mission Carb Balance Whole Wheat Fajita Size Tortilla, Leftover Sauteed Onions reheated with a Tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce, a slice of Boar's Head Low Sodium Roast Beef, and topped with Cheddar Cheese.

The Eggface Pizza Porn Gallery

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, BBQ sauce, hummus, ricotta cheese, (peanut butter or ricotta for dessert pizzas.) Put cheese on top of the sauce and then I add 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 pizza porn pictured above.

FAQ's:

How much is a serving?

The answer is: serving size can vary. What I eat as a 5 1/2 year weight loss surgery post-op is a very different amount than a 3 month, 6 month, post-op. My standard answer when it comes to portion size is: always go with what your medical posse recommends. For me if the toppings are protein dense like the one's pictured above then I usually eat 2 wedges and call it a day. If they are lighter just cheeses, veggies or pepperoni. I can eat the whole pizza but remember these are 6" fajita size tortilla (not typical size tortillas) If it's lighter toppings and I'm having a scoop of bean salad or a green salad with it I eat 2 wedges.

What's the nutritional value on (insert Eggface recipe)?

I don't put the nutritional info on my recipes because frankly that can vary so widely. I use full fat cheeses (the good stuff) others may use low fat or (horror) non fat, the % fat on beef, differences in packaged products, brands of protein, etc. will change the info dramatically. I eat full fat (cheese, butter, olive oil, etc.) Fat = flavor. I eat it in moderation (thanks to my pouch and my lifestyle changes) if I ate Reduced Fat or Fat Free (aka nuclear waste) I wouldn't be satisfied and in an hour I'd be thinking about my next meal. I eat yummy, lip smacking stuff so I never feel like I'm on a diet or suffering in my new life.

What I do when I need to find the nut info is go to a site like fitday.com type in each individual ingredient, this will give you cals, carbs, fats, protein gram totals, then divide by the # of servings you get from the dish. It's not exact but it's close enough for me.

Where do you find the Mission Carb Balance Whole Wheat Fajita Size Tortillas you use?

I get mine at Albertson's, Vons, Winco, I have seen them at Walmart a few times. If you don't have those stores near you contact the Mission Tortilla web site. Here's another "crust" option I use on occasion.

More Eggface Pizza Porn

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A day in my pouch

2012-01-15T13:35:00.000-08:00

My yesterday in post weight loss surgery eating...

Breakfast: Mixed up a protein shake and hit the farmer's market for some veggies and fruit for the week. I didn't get too much this week. I'm trying to use up my freezer stock (casseroles and soup plans this week) so just some onions, mushrooms, garlic, apples, olives and the world best feta cheese from the Greek olive man.

Shelly's Cherry Vanilla Protein Shake

1 cup Vanilla Soy Milk (or Regular Milk)
1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Black Cherry Torani Syrup
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Vanilla Torani Syrup
1/4 cup Frozen Cherries
2-3 cubes of Ice

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

I worked a little in the garage on my never ending organization project. Every day I try and do a little at it. I've made at least 10 trips to the thrift (I have a 2-seater car) and had them come once to pick up big stuff. I'm almost done but every time I say that I see something else. I basically have 2 more floor to ceiling cupboards and a rack of tubs to go through. For those that don't know, I have a degree in Political Science and Child & Family Studies, the plan was to go to law school to become a Child Advocacy Attorney, but alas roads change and at one point in my past I was the Curriculum Director for the largest child care center (infant to 12 years) and private Kindergarten in the state of California. I have several tubs from those days. I can imagine it will mean several more thrift store runs.

Lunch: I packed up my super cool bento box and took it to the beach (my zen zone) I had some errands in the area so it was a little business mixed with a lot of pleasure. I needed to stare at this for a hour or so and recharge...

and enjoy this yummy lunch...

Pink Box (top left): Tomato, Basil, Feta Salad w/drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar
Green Box (top right): Cucumber Slices (my crackers)
Blue Box (bottom left): Salami and Provolone Slices
Orange Box (bottom right): 1/2 a Peanut Butter & Jelly Quest Protein Bar

More Bento Box lunches

Dinner: Took a few of the onions from the morning market haul, sliced them and cooked them low and slow till they were soft and just beginning to caramelize. Served them with Turkey Meatballs, Marinara Sauce and a sprinkle of Parmesan Cheese on top.

Generally I don't like pasta replacements. I don't do wheat or tofu noodles (there's Sicilian law against using those, not really but there should be) but I love to use veggies as a pasta replacement like these "Spaghetti" Onions or my Zucchini Manicotti. I actually prefer them and would choose them over pasta any day.

Snacks: Sugar Free Cinnamon Dolce No Whip Soy Latte, a Cutie Mandarin, and 4 Frozen Protein Drops. I love those little suckers.

Tonight it's the Golden Globes. I love the arrivals to see what everyone is wearing & the last 20 minutes or so when they give away the best actor, actress, the middle of the show is like Charlie Brown's parents talking, "Wahwah wah wah." A snooze fest. Though they serve booze at the Globes and that can make for some interesting speeches. I'm making some snacks with some of the leftovers from above so I'll snap a few pics to share and post later or manana. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Girl Scout Cookie Combat - 2012

2012-01-11T11:08:00.000-08:00

It's that time again. There's no getting away from them. Those smiley-angelic faces are everywhere, a sweet chorus of little voices, "Would you like to buy some cookies?" In my neighborhood you can't get in a store or bank without being hit up. The itsy-bitsy Daisies (first level Girl Scouts) are the worst. That should just be illegal, they are too darn cute. How do you say "No" to those?! It's just plain mean.

Ahhh but mean I must be because those little angels are hawking some of my pre-op crack. Not sure they still are packaged this way but Thin Mints boxes used to come with two sleeves of cookies inside. Wasn't that two portions? ;) Seriously though it's way too easy to eat a ton of them so since weight loss surgery they just don't get through my door.

Still jonesing for those iconic Girl Scout cookie flavors. Try these healthier ways to satisfy the urge...

This year in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts, in addition to classic favorites like Thin Mints, Samoas, and Tagalongs, the little whippersnappers will sell a new lemon cookie called Savannah Smiles (Savannah, GA is the birthplace of founder Juliette Gordon Low) so of course I had to make a yummy lemony alternative...

Shelly's Lemon Protein Shake (aka Savannah Smiles™)

1 cup Vanilla Soy Milk (or Regular Milk)
1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Vanilla Torani Syrup
2 teaspoons Lemon Jello Powder, dry
2-3 cubes of Ice

Whiz in blender till smooth. Top with a squirt Sugar Free Land o Lakes Whipped Cream and sprinkle of Jello powder, optional.

Shelly's Chocolate Mint Protein Shake (aka Thin Mints™)

1 cup Vanilla Soy Milk (or Regular Milk)
1 scoop Chocolate Protein Powder
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Peppermint Torani Syrup
1 Tablespoon Unsweetened Cocoa
2-3 cubes of Ice

Whiz in blender till smooth. Top with a squirt Sugar Free Land o Lakes Whipped Cream and a shaving of SF Mint Chocolate or drizzle of SF Chocolate Topping, optional.

Shelly's Caramel Coconut Protein Shake (aka Samoas/Caramel deLites™)

1 cup Vanilla Soy Milk (or Regular Milk)
1 scoop Chocolate Protein Powder
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Caramel Torani Syrup
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Coconut Torani Syrup
2-3 cubes of Ice

Whiz in blender till smooth. Top with a squirt Sugar Free Land o Lakes Whipped Cream, a sprinkle of Toasted Coconut and a drizzle of SF Caramel Topping, optional.

Shelly's Peanut Butter Chocolate Protein Shake (aka Tagalongs/Peanut Butter Patties™)

1 cup Vanilla Soy Milk (or Regular Milk)
1 scoop Chocolate Protein Powder
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Chocolate Torani Syrup
1 Tablespoon Peanut Flour (aka PB2, aka defatted Powdered Peanut Butter)
2-3 cubes of Ice

Whiz in blender till smooth. Top with a squirt Sugar Free Land o Lakes Whipped Cream and shaving of SF Chocolate, optional.

Shelly's Peanut Butter Protein Shake (aka Do-si-dos/Savannahs™)

1 cup Vanilla Soy Milk (or Regular Milk)
1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Vanilla Torani Syrup
1 Tablespoon Peanut Flour
2-3 cubes of Ice

Whiz in blender till smooth. Top with a squirt Sugar Free Land o Lakes Whipped Cream and a few chopped Peanuts, optional.

Here's a great variety pack that includes the Sugar Free Torani flavors used in the shake swaps.

Ways you can still support the Girl Scouts:

Buy the cookies and leave the boxes with the troop. I'm sure the girls would like a snack (it's hard work selling crack) or can re-sell those boxes to others (double their $) or some troops are collecting cookies for Operation: Taste of Home (cookies for the US soldiers serving overseas)

If your sister, friend at work, neighbor is asking you to buy them from their kids and you feel like you must *cough* emotional blackmail. Tell your sister, friend at work, or neighbor to keep the cookies. They can figure out what to do with them.

Donate your saved cookie $ to the Girl Scouts. I was a Girl Scout (photo evidence below) The cookie sales money we made helped us go camping each year. Give them money instead.

Or if you can be strong on the car ride... buy the boxes and drop them off at your nearest food bank.

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Leftovers transformed

2012-01-09T06:36:00.000-08:00

Repurposing: Transforming leftovers into something equally as yummy. The goal is for them to taste and look so completely different you don't realize you are having leftovers.

This was dinner...

Shelly's Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

1 Sweet Potato
2 Tablespoons (plus a teaspoon for sprinkling) Parmesan Cheese
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Milk
Kosher Salt to taste
1 pound Ground Beef (or Turkey or Sausage)
1/2 cup Frozen Peas
1/4 cup Shredded Carrot
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
a few twists of Black Pepper

Nuke sweet potato till soft about 9 minutes. Peel and mash with 2 Tablespoons Parmesan, butter and milk. Add salt to taste.

Saute beef till no pink is seen. Add peas, carrots, soy sauce and pepper. Mix to combine. Divide mixture equally in 4 ramekins till 3/4 full. Save any leftover meat in fridge for the delicious beginnings of breakfast the next day.

Top each ramekin with the mashed sweet potato mixture. Sprinkle with a little more Parmesan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. I served them for dinner with a simple green salad.

Leftovers repurposed into a delicious breakfast the next day...

Shelly's Leftover Shepherd's Frittata

1/2 - 1 cup remaining meat mixture from making Shepherd's Pie
2 Eggs, beaten
1/4 cup Feta or Ricotta Cheese
1 Tablespoon Parmesan
Fresh Basil

Heat leftover meat mixture in oven proof saute pan till warmed through. Pour beaten eggs over. When egg is almost set, spoon dollops of cheese on top and sprinkle with Parmesan. Place in oven on broil for 5 minutes till top is golden. Sprinkle with fresh, chopped basil before serving.

Mission accomplished. Nom squared.

More leftover transformations.

Frozen Protein Drops

2012-01-06T11:57:00.000-08:00

A quick and easy, weight loss surgery friendly frozen protein snack...

Shelly's Frozen Protein Yogurt (or Pudding) Drops

1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (or Sugar Free Pudding)
3-4 Tablespoons (to taste) of any Protein Powder

Mix together till well combined. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and drop tablespoons of the mixture (yields about 25 drops)

or fill an ice cube tray.

Freeze till solid about 2 hours. Store in the freezer (up to a week or so) and pop a few in your mouth whenever you want a frozen protein treat or add to smoothies for an extra protein boost instead of ice.

In this batch I used Celebrate ENS in Strawberry & Chocolate Milk. I had weight loss surgery in one of the hottest summers on record. I would have LOVED these that summer. I kept hearing the music of the ice cream truck driving by the house and it about drove me nuts.

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National Bean Day and Cosmic Reminders

2012-01-05T10:18:00.000-08:00

You know those nights when you get home late and you really don't want to cook but you still want something warm and satisfying. This is the go-to weight loss surgery friendly dinner I make. It is a sort of a quickie cassoulet.

Shelly's Quickie Cannelini Cassoulet

1 Yellow Onion, chopped
1 (15 oz) can Cannelini Beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup Cooked Sausage Crumbles (I use those Jimmy Dean crumbles)
dash of Greek or Italian Seasonings
a few twists of Black Pepper
Crumbled Feta Cheese

Saute the onion till golden. Add drained beans and seasonings. While the drained beans are heating through. Nuke the sausage crumbles for a minute. Leftover Turkey or Beef work great too. Even a chopped up mini meatloaf in a real pinch. Toss sausage (or whatever) together with beans. Stir to combine. Serve warm with crumbled feta on top.

I get this great goat's milk feta from the farmer's market but really any cheese will do (feta, ricotta, ricotta salada, goat cheese, queso fresco, cotija, even Parmesan in a pinch)

I've had a ton of these nights lately. One of the causes is a huge cleaning and organization project in the garage. It's resulted in 5 thrift store donations (by car, darn 2-seater only holds so much) and 1 truck pick-up. I was going to have a yard sale. I kept shoving stuff off to the side to have one. I could have really used the $$ but I finally just thought, "That's it, it's going. I'll hope for some good karma for putting it all back out into the universe for free." I gathered it all up and donated it. Then as I was moving boxes I found this...

There you go. The sign I already was rewarded and anything I can do to pay that blessing forward I will gladly do. By the way, 26/28 wasn't my biggest size, just before surgery I was buying 30/32's at Avenue's. Now... Small/Mediums and Size 4 pants. Ohhh yeah I have been rewarded. BIG TIME. Thank you universe for the cosmic reminder.

Back to the Bean Day celebrating. Here's some other favorite Eggface bean dishes...

Shelly's BBQ Baked Bean Casserole
Shelly's "Award Winning" Jazzy New Orleans Muffaletta Salad :)
Shelly's Savory Garbanzo Bean Crepes
Shelly's Chick Pea Fritters
Shelly's Mexican Beef & Bean Bake
Shelly's Cannellini Bean Mash
Shelly's Italian Beef & Bean Soup
Shelly's Cannelini Bean Soup
Shelly's Black Bean Soup
Shelly's Chickpea Deviled Eggs
Shelly's Chicken & Chickpea Salad
Shelly's Greek Three Bean Salad
Shelly's Italian Bean Salad
Shelly's Kidney Bean Soup
Shelly's Greek Bean Salad
Shelly's Chicken Cacciatore with Beans
Shelly's Roasted Chickpeas
Shelly's Beef & Bean Bites
Shelly's Greek Hummus Rounds
Shelly's Burrito Peppers

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T08:12:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year
May 2012 be your BEST year yet!
☆ ✮ ☆ ✮ ☆
It was a quiet night well until I tested out my collection of vintage tin noise makers. I've been cleaning the garage and finding all sorts of stuff. I noshed on some weight loss surgery friendly snacks and watched Ryan Seacrest, Gaga & the Biebster :x

Shelly's Shrimp Cocktail with Two Dips

Cheated and bought a tray of cooked shrimp at Costco. I did mix up a couple of yummy dips. It was a delicious protein packed way to usher in the New Year!

Shelly Lemon Dill Yogurt Dip

3 oz. Greek Yogurt (I used 2% Fage Plain)
1 Tablespoon Mayo
1 Tablespoon Fresh Dill, chopped
Squeeze of fresh Lemon Juice
Kosher Salt to taste
a few twists of Black Pepper

Mix till well combined. Can be refrigerated a couple of days. Great as a dip for fish and veggies.

Shelly's Healthier Remoulade Sauce

3 oz. Greek Yogurt (I used 2% Fage Plain)
1 Tablespoon Cocktail Sauce
1 Tablespoon Prepared Horseradish
a few dashes of Hot Sauce (I used Cholula)
Kosher Salt to taste
a few twists of Black Pepper

Mix till well combined. Can be refrigerated a couple of days. Great as a dip for meats, shrimp and veggies.

Dessert was my traditional raisins.

For new readers... every New Year I toss 12 raisins, one at a time, toward my mouth at the stroke of midnight. The idea is for every raisin that you get in your mouth that will be one month of good luck in the coming year. I've done this now for several years. Thankfully my aim has gotten better since the first year. The first year... first raisin I tossed SCORE right in the mouth, second raisin BAM right in the eye. This raisin thing is pretty accurate because that was an INTERESTING year.

It's going to be a GREAT 2012... 10 out of 12!

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P.S. Sending cyber xxxx's to those of us that were kiss-less last night when the ball dropped. Silver lining: a single kiss can exchange between 10 million and one billion viruses. Cootie heads ;)

2011 Blasts from the Past

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Some of my favorite posts from the past year. It was an AWESOME year in my post weight loss surgery world...

January: 10 Favorite Protein Sources

February: Girl Scout Cookie Combat

March: Ramblings

April: NYC Wrap Up & Brooklyn Bridge Walk

May: Cinco de Mayo and Weight Loss Surgery Friendly Memorial Day

June: Fun at the Fair and Obesity Action Coalition in Washington DC

July: Cucumber Crackers

August: Weight Loss Surgery Meet & Greet Snacks and 5,037 pounds lost with Weight Loss Surgery

September: National Pancake Day! and New Orleans Recap

October: Deviled Eggface and Just Add Water

November: Weight Loss Surgery Holiday Survival

December: Strawberry Cannoli Santas

2010 List

Thanks for joining me on this journey!