Protein Cheese Straws

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 sticks low fat butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Sift the flour, salt and cayenne into a bowl and reserve. With an electric hand mixer cream together the butter and cheese. Add the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time until the batter is smooth. Scrape the batter into a 1 gallon resealable plastic bag. Cut a corner from the plastic bag and on an ungreased sheet pan, pipe 2 rows each for every straw, about 5 inches long and 2 inches wide.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to racks to cool.

*Stolen from Paula Deen, altered by yours truly.

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!

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.