Back!

I'm back. And I'm bakin'....

Apple Crisp is today's choice. I'm making it for my boy toy. Who bought the apples for me when we were in farm town.

5 Fiji apples cut up
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup margarine/butter
cinnamon to taste
nutmeg to taste
salt (pinch)


Rinse and cut up apples into bite size pieces.
Spray cooking spray into a 9x9 casserole dish.
Dump the apples in.
Mix all the dry ingedients together while melting the margarine/butter.
Mix the wet ingredients with the dry.

Bake @ 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Check for a light/medium brown crust. Bake until crust is light/medium brown.



Eat. Amen.

SUMMER!

It's a bummer.

I honestly haven't felt like writing. It's too hot!

So sorry guys. I will be back soon. I promise!!!

Words to live by:


Popsicles
Yogurt
Water

Repeat.

Support Groups, Classes and other non-sense.

Support Groups


Eisenhower Medical Center Support group is run by the fabulous Sarah Vasquez.

Their group meets every second of the month and has a meeting coming up July 13th.

Call Sarah at (760) 837-8490 to RSVP.


Classes

Are you a patient of Dr. Bob-O's? Did you have the surgery at Desert Hospital?? These classes are so for you!!! I'm a year and a few months out and STILL don't know everything there is to know. These classes help!!

June 25th- Food Labels
July 2nd- Conscious Eating
July 9th- Journaling
July 16th- Cooking with Bariatric Surgery
July 23rd- Dining Out
July 30th- Vitamin and Mineral's (RDA)

Call double fabulous Marsha @ 323-6503. Classes are Thursday @ 1 p.m.



NON-SENSE!!

On a very personal note--I'm 17 pounds from "ONEDURLAND". What's "onedurland" you ask?? It's the 100 pound mark. I can't even remember the last time I was in the 100 pounds area (seriously) and am excited and weirded-out.
I am Carrie, Big Mama, Fat Santa and Pippi Fatstockings to all who know me....weighing less than 100 pounds DOES NOT fit into those equations. Now, this might be self-deprecating, sure, but know what? I was big a long time, I'm not going to change overnight. Sure, I appreciate when someone says something to me-- I.E. "You look great! You must be proud! Etc." What I don't like is telling me that I'm not that girl anymore.
I am that girl, just a smaller version. If you can bring your neuroses to the table so can I. If I make the occasional (or every 5 minutes) joke about the fact that I literally just flew in from Canada with my bat wings....let me. I'm uncomfortable and I've always dealt with my "big ladiness" this way. I won't change overnight and don't expect the real world to either.
It's a no win situation really. I mean, When I was 460, I used to be PISSED that no one would open doors for me. NOW, EVERYONE AND THEIR MOM seem to have grown arms literally over night. And I'm still pissed. It's unfair and the world sucks, blah, blah, blah.
Anyway, I digress.

Summer note: I made a slushie last night and it was so good.

Crystal light strawberry drink mix
water
coconut extract
ice


1. Blend all the crap together and it's a slushie.

**I might or might have not pounded 2 of these beasts last night, whilst watching Quantum Leap. :)

Smoothie Time....Duh, nuh, nuh, nuh...nuh, nuh, nuh, nuh.

If you're a gastric bypass patient, summer sucks. No way around it. Exercising sucks, we can't get enough water, blah, blah, blah. That's why it's so important to eat/drink things we can process, won't make us sick and are delicious.

All these recipes have something we need and are easy to make. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!!

*C*


Calcium-Rich Berry Peach Smoothie

1 cup frozen whole raspberries w/o syrup
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar-free peach tea mix
6 oz. Light and fit White Chocolate Raspberry yogurt
1 bag frozen sliced peaches

1. In blender or magic bullet, place raspberries, milk, tea mix and yogurt. Cover, blend on high until smooth.
2. Add half the peach slices, cover and blend on high until smooth. Add the rest and blend until smooth.
3. Enjoy.



Spiced Carmel-Banana Smoothies

1 cup light and fit vanilla yogurt
1 ripe medium banana
1 1/4 cups fat free milk
2 tablespoons sugar free carmel syrup
1 1/2 cups ice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger

1. In blender, place ingredients. Cover, blend on high.
2. Serve.


Colada Smoothies

1 can of crushed pineapple
1 cup light and fit vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
3/4 teaspoon coconut extract
1 1/2 cups of ice

1. Blend pineapple until smooth. Add yogurt, orange juice, extract and ice. Blend until smooth.
2. Enjoy.

Chocolate-Raspberry Shake

1 1/2 cups of fresh raspberries
1 1/4 cups of fat-free milk
1 1/2 cups red raspberry yogurt (low-sugar)
1/2 cup sugar-free chocolate syrup

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth.
2. Enjoy.

Fiber One Strawberry Smoothies

2/3 cup low-sugar strawberry yogurt
1 cup fresh strawberry halves
3/4 cup fat-free milk
2 tablespoons Fiber One cereal

1. In blender, blend all ingredients.
2. Serve.


HEYYYYY!

All these smoothies have less than 15g of sugar, less than 3g of fat and fewer than 200 calories.

They are a great way to get in your protein, dairy and fiber.


YUM!!

Baby Poo Velvet.....EW!

This cake is the most moist when it’s made at least one day ahead and kept in the refrigerator.

1 1/4 cups cake flour (such as Softasilk)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup Nature Sweet crystals
1 egg
1 ounce red food coloring (do not substitute! I learned the hard way!)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 inch round or square cake pan with vegetable cooking spray and dust with 1 tablespoon cake flour, tapping upside down to remove the excess, and set aside.

In a medium bowl sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and unsweetened cocoa powder. Set aside. In a large bowl cream together the Nature Sweet, butter and eggs until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Carefully beat in red food coloring, scraping bowl frequently.

Beat in 1/2 of the flour mixture, followed by the buttermilk; then the remaining flour mixture. In a small bowl combine the vinegar and baking soda and quickly stir into the batter. Immediately pour into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out still moist, but not wet, or with large moist crumbs. Do not over-bake! Allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan by placing the wire rack on top of the cake and invert; allow to cool completely. (To ensure that your cake stays nice and moist, when the cake is out of the pan and on the rack, lay plastic wrap loosely over the top as it cools.) Split layers in half with a serrated knife and frost with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting. (This needs to be kept in the fridge and actually gets better a day later. I put toothpicks on the top to keep the plastic wrap from ruining the frosting.)

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
One 8-ounce pkg. reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups Splenda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a medium bowl beat the whipped cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside. In a large bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Beat in Splenda and vanilla. Gently fold in whipped cream. (This makes a lot of frosting, but it's worth it! You may not use it all on the cake, but it's great on other things, too.)

I'm making....

my sweetie pie a birthday cake.

Red Velvet Cake. His favorite.

I've never made it before and am a little nervous.

The frosting is made. And the cakes. (I'm just waiting for them to cool.)

First problem...

I didn't have any red food coloring. So, I went with blue...(blue velvet, get it? HAHA.)

Anyway, the cake turned an interesting shade of green.

BABY POOP GREEN.

Sigh.

The frosting is good though.

I'll be posting pictures later.

Secret Dinner....shhhhh!

Evil gal that I am, I cooked my parents dinner the other night and didn't bother to tell them it was all healthy and bariatric style!!!

Everything was fresh and delish! Tequila Lime Chicken, Guacamole, Chile Relleno Puff, Hot Artichoke Dip and Fresh Frozen Melon Berries!!

What?!? So good. And so filling. I think I filled my pouch to the maximum. YUM!

Here we go!!

Tequila Lime Chicken (no picture)

5-6 Chicken breast fillets (bone-in/bone-out)
1 bottle Lawry's Tequila Lime Chicken marinade
1 lime

Soak the chicken breasts in the marinade at least 3 hours prior to serving. Throw them on a pre-heated grill. Squeeze fresh lime over the breasts. Turn the fillets over about 5 minutes into cooking and squeeze more lime on that side. Grill 5 more minutes. The "well-done" factor is to each person's liking. I, personally, prefer mine on the "black" side.



Fresh Frozen Melon Berries (picture #1)

2 pkgs. raspberries
2 pkgs. blackberries
1/2 med. seedless watermelon
2 packets of Splenda

Rinse berries, set aside. Cut watermelon into cubes. Mix berries and melon and Splenda together. Wrap plastic wrap over the bowl and put in the freezer until dessert is served.


Guacamole (picture #2)

4 lg. avacados (Haas are best)
1 pkg. guacamole mix
1 pkg. pre-made pico de gallo
1 lime

This is a really simple recipe. Quarter and scoop all avacados and mash with a fork. Stir in guacamole mix. Stir in pico de gallo. Squeeze in lime. Keep chilled until ready to serve.


Chili Relleno Puff (picture #3)

Vegetable cooking spray
5 eggs
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder
2 cups cottage cheese
One 7-ounce can diced, mild green chilies
1 cup shredded Jack cheese
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a deep dish pie plate with vegetable cooking spray and set aside.

Beat eggs for 3 minutes until lemon colored. Stir in flour, salt, black pepper, cayenne, mustard powder, cottage cheese, chilies, and Jack cheese until well mixed. Pour into prepared pie plate and sprinkle sharp cheddar over the top. Bake for 30 minutes or until puffy and a knife comes out clean and center is firm. Serve warm or at room temperature. Top, if desired, with avocados, salsa, sour cream, sliced olives, green onions.

Hot Artichoke Dip (picture #4)


Two 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, sliced
3/4 cup mayonnaise (I always use Hellmann’s)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons panko or plain breadcrumbs
Sliced green onions

Pulse the artichokes, cheese, garlic, and mayonnaise in a food processor to a coarse texture.

Spoon into a decorative shallow baking dish and season with salt and pepper.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Preheat oven to 350º F, sprinkle with the breadcrumbs, and bake for 30 minutes, until bubbling and lightly browned.

Sprinkle with scallion tops. Serve with Toasted Pita Crisps.

**Tips and Tricks**

Anything that has a pureed texture-- I throw in my magic bullet. That thing really is magic.

Anyway, this dinner was great. My parents loved it and felt good about eating it! We each had under 800 calories and a great time doing it. Half of a great dinner is the company you share it with.

Thanks Mom and Dad!

Fatty and a Skinny...

At the beginning of my journey, I weighed an uncomfortable and painful (physically and emotionally) 460 pounds. I ate like a man on death row and felt like one too.

Fast forward...

June 2009

One year later, I am minus 230 pounds! At a very comfortable and very UNpainful 230 pounds. I eat like a bird. A picky and protein loving bird, but a bird all the same.

In the next few months and weeks, I'll be telling you ALLL about it. How I came to the decision about the surgery, the surgery, my family, friends and all the crap (literally) in between.

Thanks for joining me!

Cinnamon Shrimp....say what???

This recipe is great for grilling. I love shrimp. High protein. Small. AND they have their own carry case!

1 bag frozen ready to cook tiger shrimp

3/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup dijon mustard

1/4 cup maple syrup

3 tablespoons cinnamon

1 cup water

salt and pepper to taste

So easy! Throw the shrimp in a bowl. Set out. Whisk all other ingredients together. Cover the shrimp with the marinade. Put in fridge. Allow them to thaw while marinating. I marinate mine all day. Pop them on a pre-heated grill for about 4 minutes on each side. I like mine WELL DONE.

Protein: 17 grams for 4 shrimp!! 200mg sodium

Cheezy Wheezy My Neezy

This recipe is also awesome. I'm usually not an egg fan, but something about the cheese. MMMMM. This is also pouch friendly!

Vegetable cooking spray

6 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 cup milk

1 cup cottage cheese

4 ounces cream cheese cubed

1 cup cubed sharp cheddar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x9-inch baking pan with vegetable spray and set aside.In a large bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Whisk in flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, seasoning, milk, and cottage cheese. Stir in cubed cheeses. Pour into greased 9x9 inch pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until puffed, golden and set. Makes eight servings.

Per Serving: Calories 202; Protein 16 g; Fat 12 g; Carb s7 g; Sugar 3 g; Sodium 272 mg

TIPS and TRICKS

Don't let the cottage cheese put you off, it bakes right in and you can't even tell.

The cream cheese is best cubed when put in the frezzer for 20 minutes.

Put extra cheese on top at the 25 minute mark.

Blackberry Orange Custard

This custard recipe can be made with any kind of fruit. It calls for blueberries, but I LOVE blackberries. It's rich, velvety and feels good in my pouchie.

1 cup blueberries (or anything else that goes with orange zest)

1 tablespoon orange zest

4 eggs, beaten

Pinch of salt

2/3 cup Splenda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup fat-free half & half

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place six 4-ounce custard cups or ramekins in a large baking dish. Divide blueberries and orange zest among them and set aside.In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, salt, Splenda, vanilla, half & half, and milk just until blended. Pour through a fine mesh sieve over the berries. (If you mix the preceding ingredients in a food processor or blender you don't have to strain.)Fill baking dish with hot water halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake for 25-40 minutes or until set, but still jiggly in the middle or a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from water bath to a wire rack and cool. Cover and chill. Makes six servings.

Per Serving: 104 Cal; 6 g Protein; 6 g Tot Fat; 7 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 5 g Sugar; 99 mg Sodium