Decaf Caramel Protein Iced Latte

~ by Jen

Thanks to everyone who "Double Clicked" (or in some cases, quadruple Clicked!) for Pouch Party!  

We have 2 Clicktastic prizes to give away:

• Prize #1 is a canister of Mocha Espresso Click with 1 bottle of Sugar Free Syrup and a copy of the Pouch Party Protein Shake Recipe Book.
• Prize#2 is 2 sample packs of Click (1 of each flavor), a Click Shaker Bottle, 1 bottle of Sugar Free Syrup, and a copy of the Pouch Party Protein Shake Recipe Book.  

All the entries were put into the random generator, and the winners are:

Prize #1:  Wendy Robertson Elliott

Prize #2:  Janice Eccles Ramos

Congratulations, ladies!  Please email us (pouchparty@yahoo.com) with your mailing address, your favorite flavor of sugar free syrup (we'll send whatever flavor you like), and your screen name on OH, so we can get your prizes sent out and post the winners on OH by screen name. 

S'anyway, this morning I could not make my usual Click Frapp because the UPS man totally dissed me yesterday and did not deliver my Click.  BOO! That led me to have to make something else, which always benefits y'all in the end, anyway!  

My favorited iced drink at Dunkin Donuts is their Sugar free Iced Caramel Latte.  You know I had to try that at home!!!  Now, in celebration of the goodness that is Coffee protein, I give you a new protein shake to try:  

Jen's Decaf Caramel Protein Iced Latte:

Ingredients:

12 oz 2% milk (if you don't do milk, use water, soymilk, whatever you use)

2 tsp decaf instant espresso powder (or those cool new Starbucks Via  packets  are great if you're travelling, use about half a pack of that or to your taste.  It depends how much you want to taste the coffee goodness.)

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

Davinci Sugar Free Caramel syrup to taste (I used 2 pumps)

Splenda to taste (I used 2 packets)

splash of Sugar Free CoffeeMate Hazelnut creamer (because I am addicted)

Directions:

Pour milk into your blender cup, add coffee powder, protein powder,  and SF syrup, whiz it up til well combined.  Taste it and add some Splenda if you need more sweetness (I tend to like things sweet, I am a Splenda crackhead, as Nik says).  You can add the Hazelnut creamer or leave it out if you aren't a fan, even top it with some whippage to be all fancy.  Caramel bliss!!

BF Top 5: Protein bars!

There was a time, not so long ago, that I was very opposed to protein bars. Because I only tended to see protein bars at 7-Eleven and Wal-Mart, I had the idea that they were all carb heavy and no better for you than a candy bar.

I’m here to admit—before you, the world-wide web and God—that I was wrong.  There are plenty of great bars out there! For those that don’t have the time or inclination to have a protein shake, the right bar can be a great choice. Just yesterday I forgot my lunch for work. I had to run an errand during my lunch hour and knew I wouldn’t have time to stop and get a full meal. Protein bar to the rescue!

Thanks to some good friends, I’ve found some great bars with decent stats to use in a bind. And I have a little secret. Come closer…closer…yeah…that’s close enough. I like to cut them into tiny pieces and eat them as treats sometimes! (giggles like school girl)

So here’s our picks for the “Top 5 WLS Friendly Protein Bars” (in no particular order)

#5 – Best bar to get at 7-Eleven



I don’t know about your “7-E” but mine is a WLS patients dream. They have four different kinds of low-sugar/no-sugar and low-fat ready-to-drink protein drinks AND a huge selection of protein bars. My go-to is the Detour Lower Sugar bar. They only carry one kind at my local convenience store—peanut caramel. Those that know me, know exactly why this is NOT a problem! The carbs on this one come in just slightly lower than the protein (which is really all you can reasonably ask of a protein bar) and it has vitamins and minerals to boot!







#4 – Best bar to order online



These babies are small but gooooooood. Choco-lite bars honestly don’t taste like a protein bar. I don’t know if they were even intended to be or if that was just a side bonus or something. But who cares? They are SO GOOD! Every time I go to Jen’s house she sets some out for me (because she is from “the South” and women from “the South” do hospitable things like that. In my house you get offered a glass of Crystal Light and some good conversation…but you can’t have my Chocolite bars I’m sorry…).





#3 – Best bar on a budget



Being a single mom I HAVE to have a budget friendly choice. Cuz I’m broke as hell most of the time. When I was just starting out in this process, my go-to bar was the South Beach meal replacement bars. They have everything a good bar should have—protein, calories, nutrients. And I could always find them on sale somewhere. My favorite (not surprisingly) is the peanut butter bar. You can find these in stores but they end up cheaper per unit if you order them online. Use your best judgment!






#2 – Best “mini” bar (besides the one at the Hilton)

Supreme Protein makes a variety pack of lil’ baby protein bars. I guess this is to keep you out of the bag of mini-Snickers that your co-worker INSISTS on keep in a glass jar on her desk in your direct line of vision. I dunno if that works (hit us up if it does) but these little babies are very cute and very good sources of protein. You just have to make sure you don’t overindulge, which is easy to do with mini-anything.







(Thanks to the dedicated reader who pointed out to us that we linked the wrong product! These are the minis which are NOT 400 calories! They are 200 with 15g of protein. In a pinch these do well for a newbie with not much tummy room!)

#1 – Best bar you can make yourself

This is a cooking blog so we couldn’t let you get away without at least one recipe! A good friend of ours on OH invented this bar and it has become a staple in many post-WLS kitchens. Seriously…she sent me a batch…make these!!! They taste great nuked. A “warm and oozy” treat.



Shari’s Otter Bars

Dry ingredients: (Mix in big bowl)

2 cups quick oats
1 cup Fiber Cereal (twig type)
4 scoops vanilla Whey Protein (I used Pure Protein this time)
1/4 cups toasted coconut (toasted in oven)
1/4 cup slivered almonds (toasted too with some butter extract and a little salt)
1/4 c. toasted soy nuts (ditto)
3 tbsp Sugar Free Mini Chocolate Chips (check Netrition.com)
1/2 cup raisins
2/3 c. nonfat dry milk powder
1/2 cup Splenda for cooking
dash of salt
2 tbsp cinnamon
---------------------
Wet ingredients:

1/3 cup NSA Applesauce
3 egg whites (I used 3/4 cup egg whites in carton)
1/3 cup coconut flavored DaVinci (or any yummy flavor)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all dry ingredients together.  Mix wet ingredients thoroughly in second bowl.
Pour wet into dry and mix thoroughly.  Spray 9x9' casserole with Pam. Spoon in mixture evenly.  Sprinkle top with a little cinnamon/Splenda.  Cook 15 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Unbelievably tasty and fudgy when served a little warm!

Yields 15 bars (stats below):

Cals: 142

Fat: 3.7

Carbs: 19

Protein: 11.5

Fiber: 4g

Banana Cream Pie Ramekin

~~ by Jen

So we asked "how do our Pouchers wanna go bananas?" and you answered, mostly "Banana Cream Pie!"  I was secretly hoping for Banana Pudding, because my StepMom makes THE BEST banana pudding you ever put in your mouth, and I come from a long line of great Southern cooks.  So, since this is my recipe, I decided to combine what I love about Mom's banana pudding and create a pie filling for the banana cream pie. Her pudding substitutes sweetened condensed milk for part of the regular milk, but I could not find a sugar free version and Mom says she doesn't know of one.  Sooooo, I used cream cheese!  It gives it the same consistency as the sweetened condensed milk without all the sugar and carbs. Thanks for waiting so patiently for the recipe, I had to put it through Nik's "3 Trials Before Posting" method to make sure I worked all the kinks out of it for y'all.

While I was tinkering around in "the lab" I also came up with a new version of a WLS friendly crust for those who aren't too keen on the Fiber One version that we normally use.  (I like it ok, but I must not make it right or something, because I can always taste the Fiber One in mine.  Maybe I just want Nik to make me pie!! Yeah, that could be it!) The secret ingredient is......wait for it......Sugar Free Shortbread cookies!!!!!!!  I used the Voortman's brand (side note, these things are TOO damn good and not something I could keep around.  Even the non-ops in my house were scarfing them down!)  My original plan was to use SF Graham Crackers, but the grocery stores in my new 'hood don't have them for some reason.

The ins and outs of crust creation are covered in detail in a separate "BF Basics" post, because I came up with quite a few different versions that work.  The Shortbread one is perfect for any type of cream pie or I also made a strawberry pie with it (yes, there will be a recipe posted soon).  It's great with the bananas and would be good with lemon or any other fruit flavor, because it's a basic flavor, just like graham crackers.  If you don't feel so inclined to make a crust, and we all have those days, you could always order some SF graham cracker crusts online if your store doesn't sell them.

S'anyway, let's go bananas, shall we? Oh, before I forget, I made individual pies in ramekins for fool-proof portion control.  I love this set and use it quite often because it's perfect for my egg custard creations or meal-size mini quiches.  Even at two years out I still am not the best at "eye-balling" a dessert portion (mainly because the fat chick in my head starts screaming "MMMMMMM--PIE--NOMNOMNOMNOMNOM" and I lose concentration) so it's best if I make them individual size.


Jen's Banana Cream Dream Pie
Ingredients:
For The Crust:
1 cup SF Shortbread cookie crumbs (if you use Voortman's that is 8 of the shortbread swirl cookies)
1/4 cup melted butter (yes, I use REAL butter feel free to use whatever you like)
2 tbsp Splenda

Directions:
Combine all three ingredients until well mixed, then press evenly into the bottom of a pie plate or if you make individuals like I did, split the crust mixture evenly among 6 ramekins.  Press evenly to cover the entire bottom and sides of the pie plate or just the bottom of the ramekins.  I set mine in the freezer for a couple minutes, this gives the crust time to firm up so it doesn't fall apart when you slice the pie.

Ingredients for Pie Filling:
1 box Instant Sugar Free Banana Cream Pudding Mix
1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
1 cup 0% Greek Yogurt (I used Chobani because it was on sale, any brand is fine)
4 oz cream cheese softened (you can use reduced fat, but I didn't)
1 1/2 c 2% milk
16 oz container of SF Whipped Topping
1 or 2 fresh bananas (optional)

Directions:  Set whipped topping aside.  In a large mixing bowl, combine Pudding mix, protein powder, yogurt, cream cheese, and milk with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined.  Once it is mixed, set it aside for a couple of minutes so the pudding can set a bit.  Remove your crust from the freezer, and pour in the filling.  Now top with the container of SF Whipped topping.  If you choose, you can slice a fresh banana or two and put those on top of the filling before you add the whipped cream topping.  I opted NOT to do so, because I have an issue (yes, I have more than Reader's Digest, thanks for noticing) with bananas getting slimy & brown when they oxidize.  Not to mention bananas are hella carby and not everyone tolerates them too well post-op.  What I chose to do, as you can see in the pic, is top mine with a slice of banana, and some more of the shortbread crumbs. Cover the pie and refrigerate for 3 or 4 hours before serving. (You can get plastic lids for the ramekins, these are INVALUABLE when you're early out.) Your family will love it, and they won't even know it's good for them, I promise!!!!

Veggie Frittata

~~posted by Jen

Lots of times I steam fresh or frozen veggies for a side dish, and inevitably when I clean out the fridge, there is always a sad little container of leftover vegetables.  Today was my weekly fridge cleaning day, and I found just such a container of mixed vegetables (peas, corn, carrots, & green beans), maybe a cup and a half.  I was about to make breakfast, and was planning on eggs, so I decided to make a frittata.  I also happened on an almost empty container of Greek Yogurt, it had maybe 1/4 cup in it.  Those of you who know me (whether online or IRL) know that I consider myself the Queen of Greek Yogurt.  Nothing is sacred, I will try it with Greek yogurt AT LEAST ONCE just to say that I have.  (Yes, I probably need some hobbies.)

S'anyway, I sometimes put cream cheese in my quiche instead of brie or a pricier cheese, so I figured wth, the Greek Yogurt might make the eggs creamier.  Holy Snaps, Batman!  I am not kidding.  Y'all, these are some of the best damn eggs I ever ate in my entire 39 years of egg eating.  Seriously!!  Added bonus:  the non-WLS peeps in my house went bonkers over this frittata.  There was not a SPECK of it left!  Plus, it is super duper quick and easy if you're in a rush and need a healthy meal the whole family will like.  You can whip this up quicker than Domino's can deliver.  I didn't add any meat to this, but you certainly could add meat if you have some leftovers that need to be used.  I served mine with a salad on the side, but it would be great with a cup of soup too.  Here's how I did it, super easy!!

Jen's What A Frittata!
Ingredients:
6 eggs (use eggbeaters if that's your thing)
1/4 cup 0% Greek Yogurt
1 tbsp chives
1 tbsp parsley flakes
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1/4 cup 0% milk
1 1/2 cups cooked vegetables (whatever you like or have on hand)
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar, use whatever you have or like)
1 small pat butter
1 tsp Olive Oil  (or you can use cooking spray for the butter & oil, personal choice thing)
salt & pepper to taste
OVEN SAFE SKILLET  make sure it is oven safe to at least 400 degrees


Directions:


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, yogurt, and seasonings.  Beat this well, so that everything gets really combined.  You don't want lumps of yogurt in your eggs.  I used a hand whisk and took out all my aggressions, but you could use an electric mixer on low for maybe a minute or two.  Set the cheese aside for later.  On top of the stove, heat the skillet and add butter & oil or spray well with cooking spray.  Once it is hot, add the veggies and stir them around til heated through, then pour in your egg mixture.  Using a rubber spatula, slowly stir the egg mixture and veggies until thoroughly combined.  You want the eggs to be about 2/3 done but still in a solid mass (think omelet) and not in pieces like scrambled eggs.  Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top of the eggs.  Remove the skillet from the stove top and place it in the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is thoroughly melted.  Let it cool slightly before cutting it into wedges, that gives the eggs extra time to set up so it comes out in one piece.  Makes 8 pie-slice sized servings.  

Reminder: Double Click Giveaway!

In case you haven't heard, we are holding a Double Click Give-a-way!!! Just choose two of the steps below to get your entry into the drawing.  Already a fan on Facebook?  So follow us on Twitter and subscribe to the blog (etc, etc...you get the idea).  To increase your chances to win, tell your friends about the contest!!!  They follow the same steps (click 2 of the 3) and say "I Click for Pouch Party with my friend Jane Doe (or whatever your friend's name is) that way you BOTH get a chance to win!  Here are your 3 options, remember you must do two of the three to qualify!

1. Like our Fan Page on Facebook and post to our wall saying "I Click for Pouch Party!"

2. Follow us on Twitter and leave us a direct message saying "I Click for Pouch Party!"

3. Subscribe to this blog and leave us a comment on this post saying "I Click for Pouch Party!"

So double Click us and you'll be entered to win...what else? A Click-tastic prize basket!!!  Contest starts Tuesday, July 20, 2010 and runs through Tuesday, July 27, 2010.  2 winners (that's right TWO!) will be randomly selected on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 and it will be announced here on the blog as well as on FaceBook and Twitter.

ADDED 7/22/10 :::::::::::BONUS ENTRY:::::::::
Re-Tweet this morning's message on Twitter (if you Tweet) OR Share this post on your FB page for a bonus entry in the drawing!!!!

You know you want it...so get Clickin'!

Cookies and Cream Protein Frozen Pie

Soooo…remember way back when we did the poll on frozen pies? And I told you my divas were mad at all of you because they wanted the cookies and cream one?

Well the other day I noticed my puppy was missing. On the kitchen counter was my batter bowl and under it was a note that said,

“Make our pie and the pooch lives. That is all!”

So…in the interest of saving my dear puppy I had to make the pie.

Thankfully, doing so was neither difficult nor expensive. It requires no special orders from the internet. In fact, it uses stuff you may already have in your kitchen (well…short of one particular thing and you’ll know what it is when you see it).

So to those many who voted for the C&C pie…enjoy it good health. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a puppy with PTSD to attend to…

Cookies and Cream Protein Frozen Pie

Ingredients
1 box sugar free vanilla pudding

3 scoops vanilla protein powder

1 ½ c. milk

1 c. unflavored Greek yogurt

1 c. fat-free whipped topping

1 serving sugar-free chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed

2 tablespoons no-calorie sweetener

Optional toppings: additional whipped topping, more sugar-free cookie crumbles

Directions

In a large bowl combine pudding mix and protein powder and whisk until thoroughly mixed.

Add milk and mix through until pudding starts to thicken. Let it stand while you chop up your cookies (I used a slap chopper).

Add Greek yogurt and sweetener and mix through.

Add cookie crumbles and mix through.

Add whipped topping and gently fold into the mixture.

Transfer to a pie plate and freeze about two hours before slicing.

Now notice that I did not make a crust for this. Why? Because it was too damned hot!!! I have no AC in the downstairs of my house and it has been over 100 degrees every day for…freaking forever. So the oven was not an option.

But I noticed with the Reese’s cup protein pie that even when my crust sort of fell off (which it did because the version I snapped didn’t get enough butter in the crust), it survived. So you choose: crust or no crust. It’s up to you. I like the Fiber One crust (sweet and gives you good fiber), Jen does not. Some of you may feel iffy about crusts at all. So this recipe is HIGHLY customizable.

The verdict from the divas? Well, I got the puppy back, so that says something. The first two times I made this (keeping in mind my 3 prep rule for my recipes) I added too much Splenda. It was SWEET. And if my Splenda-crackhead children, say it’s too sweet, then it is WAY too sweet. So just a little to help the sweetness carry over through the freezing process. That’s all you need.

For you number crunchers, here's the stats.

Enjoy!

Double Click Giveaway!!!

ADDED 7/22/10 :::::::::::BONUS ENTRY:::::::::
Re-Tweet Us (if you Tweet) OR Share us on your FB page for a bonus entry in the drawing!!!!

Here at Bariatric Foodie we pride ourselves on being different. We're crazy enough to believe that there is NO food that can't be made weight-loss surgery friendly. We admit our shortcomings. We even pimp other people's blogs. We buck the trend dammit! (We say "dammit"!) So all that is to say that it is a rare occasion that we do something just cuz other people are doing it.

The exception, of  course, is when what everyone else is doing is REALLY fun.

It seems to be the trend to do give-aways. We like give-aways. Heck, Nikki sometimes pays the toll for the car behind her just because...(chirp...chirp...)

So here's how it's gonna work. We want you to keep in touch with us. Why? Cuz we like you! Really...we do. And we're so sure that the content we have coming the rest of this summer (and even into the fall) is so awesomely awesome that we feel we'd be doing YOU an injustice not to get you in ridiculously close touch with us.

To get that party started we are holding a Double Click Give-a-way!!! Just choose two of the steps below to get your entry into the drawing.  Already a fan on Facebook?  So follow us on Twitter and subscribe to the blog (etc, etc...you get the idea).  To increase your chances to win, tell your friends about the contest!!!  They follow the same steps (click 2 of the 3) and say "I Click for Pouch Party with my friend Jane Doe (or whatever your name is) that way you BOTH get a chance to win!  Here are your 3 options, remember you must do two of the three to qualify!

1. Like our Fan Page on Facebook and post to our wall saying "I Click for Pouch Party!"

2. Follow us on Twitter and leave us a direct message saying "I Click for Pouch Party!"

3. Subscribe to this blog and leave us a comment on this post saying "I Click for Pouch Party!"

So double Click us and you'll be entered to win...what else? A Click-tastic prize basket!!!  Contest starts Tuesday, July 20, 2010 and runs through Tuesday, July 27, 2010.  2 winners (that's right TWO!) will be randomly selected on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 and it will be announced here on the blog as well as on FaceBook and Twitter.

You know you want it...so get Clickin'!

Homemade Citrus Green Tea

~~by Nikki

Anyone who knows me knows several things: first, that I am a shameless "know-it-all," second, that I'd give you the shirt off my back if I thought you needed it. Lastly, those who TRULY know me...know that shirt didn't cost much cuz I am CHEAP!

Well I wouldn't say cheap...frugal. That's a better word. Either way I try not to spend too much money. Part of this comes from being a single mummy but also because I've been striving to be a better steward of my resources (whatever that means...).

Keeping all this in mind, I set about an experiment recently. I love Diet Green Tea, especially the citrus flavor. I go through a LOT of it. In fact, at this point I've probably made huge deposits to many landfills with the plastic I've used (well...until recently when I became a more dedicated recycler). Between that and the cost of buying the stuff AND the fact that I'm not exactly sure where they get the tea from and if the person who grew it is actually benefitting from my addiction...well let's just say I wanted to find a way to drink my drink, save money, respect the environment AND my fellow man.

So in a way this is no just a drink. It's a MOVEMENT. :) My version is made using Fair Trade green tea. If you don't know about Fair Trade, you should check it out.There are many, many fairly traded products out there. I have done a taste test amongst fellow diet green tea enthusiasts and this blend gets their seal of approval.

(My apologies for the lack of pictures lately. I seem to have misplaced my digital camera battery charger somewhere between here and I-don't-know-where and the camera phone is iffy. I will resolve this soon though because I know you all love your food porn!)

Good-for-everyone Green Tea

Ingredients

8 cups +2 additional cups water (NOTE this is a change from original posting. I was half asleep last night folks...my bad!)

5 bags of Fair Trade Green Tea
2 cups Splenda (also a change from original posting)
The juices of:
1/2 a large orange (I used a navel)
1/2 a lemon
1/2 a lime

2 trays of ice cubes

Directions:

Fill a large pot with 8 cups of water and add tea bags and set over a medium flame.

While that's going, in a smaller pot combine Splenda and other cup of water and bring to a boil then remove from heat.

When pot of tea comes to a boil, turn off flame and allow tea to continue to steep for about five minutes until it is a dark amber color.

Add fruit juices to the hot tea mixture.

Combine tea mixture and simple syrup in a pitcher and let it sit on a counter until it comes down to room temperature.

Add ice and then refrigerate (the ice is more for adding more water to the equation and making it the proper temperature to go in the fridge without sending it into hyper overdrive)

When ready to serve, do so over ice in a glass and, if desired, add slices of lemon and/or lime.

Cool, refreshing, cheap to make and it does something for your carbon footprint and your sense of humanity.

What more could you ask for?

Jackie's "Smiling Belly" Salad

Hey friends. Sorry for the lag time between posts. Pouch Party(TM) seems to have been DISCOVERED (hence the fact that I have been ordered...erm, instructed to use the damn trademark symbol whenever referencing it). I'll post a rundown of booked parties next week so that folks don't miss out on the fun and, as always, if you want Pouch Party(TM) (<---gah, that's gonna take some getting used to!!!) to come to you, hit us up!

Moving right along...

Here at BF, we love to hear what our fellow pouchers are up to in the kitchen. It is our sincere hope that this blog serves as inspiration for each of you to go out and create your own culinary masterpieces. Some folks even feel inspired to share those masterpieces with us.

One such person is our good friend Jackie. She's in the early stages of her journey and wrote to us yesterday to share a great recipe she came up. The name alone makes it a rock star recipe but check out how many ways she's got protein going in here. It moved my heart. I dunno if we inspired her to do this at all, but people? Get your protein!!!

Anyhoo...without further adieu...here's Jackie's message:
 
Hey Nik:

Like you I LOVE to cook! Now that I am a post op RNY too, I will be experimenting. Here is a gift for you, something I made the other day and it has sat with my pouch really well! Feel free to use it, change it up, whatever. Peace and have a great week !

Smiling Belly Salmon Salad

1 small can salmon (red or pink) do NOT drain liquid or bones.
2-3 TBS of NO-Fat Mayo
1-2 TBS of cottage cheeze
Salt/pepper/ to taste (I also like to use CURRY powder! YUM!)


Directions
Mix salmon and mush it good with a fork. Just mixing vigorously with a fork will make it the right consistency. Add your Mayo and Cottage cheese, mix some more. Add spices mix some more.

For NEWLY post Ops (In stage 2-3) you can just eat it as is. Contains a good 31 grams of Protein and no carbs! For those who can eat regular food you can add this mixture to some salad greens or maybe a low carb bread or cracker or tortilla.

Curry or spicy Salsa or Thai/Korean spice can give this quite a kick if you don't like "bland" fishy flavor.

(Notes: This is Bariatric Friendly for stage 2+, basically as long as you can have pureed foods.) Below is the nutrition facts for a 3 oz serving.

Protein: 31 grams!
Carbs: 0
Sugars: 7g (This is from the nofat cottage cheese)
Calories: 165

Warmly,

Jackie

Orange Creamsicle Protein Shake

~~by Nikki

So since it seems we’ve been on a tour of “Nik’s favorite summer flavors (as told through protein shakes)” I figured I’d continue the trend here.

This was one of the first non-standard protein shakes I learned how to make and it still serves me well when I have a taste for it. Now I know what some of you will say, “there are orange creamsicle flavored protein powders out there!” Yes, yes there are. And if you can afford to buy them, I say go for it! This one is especially good. But most days I’m living on paycheck to three-days-until-my-next paycheck and, frankly, the below is cheaper than buying specialty protein powder.

Making it is like transporting back to those first few months post-op. I have hazy memories of that time (even though it was just 2 years ago) but I know that this shake was a comforting staple in an otherwise rapidly changing existence.


I hope you get as much out of it as I do!

Orange Creamsicle Protein Shake (on a budget!)

1 c. milk (whichever kind you use)

1 scoop vanilla whey (I use this kind, but I buy from Wal-Mart)

½ a sugar-free orange drink stick

No-calorie sweetener (to taste)

Make according to the Triple X method. I highly recommend a dollop of whippage with this one too. It reminds me of those orange push-up ice creams of my childhood. You know…back when EVERYTHING was 25 cents.

BF Top 5: Beat the Heat with Icy Treats!

~~by Nikki

I am a poet and I didn't even know it!

Ok, so I live in Baltimore. Jen is in New Jersey. Both our states are embroiled (never before has that been the MOST appropriate adjective) in a heat wave! It was 105 degrees in Baltimore yesterday, beating the record of 101 set in 1999. At 11 p.m. it was 95 degrees. Today is supposed to be more of the same. Yeah. This is so not cute.

So, to that effect we figured we'd help you out with some of the kitchen gadgets that can help you beat the heat.  Because you see...we are Slurpee fanatics. And yes there are Crystal Light Slurpees thanks for pointing that out BUT they are neither calorie-free nor low-carb so moderation is the key with those things. In the absence of that, here are some things you might want to check out:

For our fellow Slurpee lovers

The Hamilton Beach Icy Treats Maker is your gadget! It crushes ice to a nice, slushy consistency and you can add just about anything you like to flavor it. My current favorite is one stick of sugar-free Kool Aid Lemonberry Crush + 1 stick sugar-free peach drink mix. Yummy!

For the Starbucks Crowd

I have ordered the Mr. Coffee Frappe Maker and plan to do an extensive review once I've made some stuff on it but the feed back is great. For those that want something that is tried and true, the following is great (and multi-purposed):

The Keurig Coffee Maker will do your drinks hot in the winter BUT it also has an "iced coffee" function that will make a perfectly concentrated brew for your iced coffee fix. I have tasted the coffee too. It is YUMMMMMMMEEEEE...(I'm sorry...what were we talking about again?)

For the "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!" folks

A good, sturdy ice cream maker is a plus. Once you get one, head over to my girl Michelle's blog and check out her plethora of protein ice cream recipes (and protein ice cream cake!). This is the one I have and it is pretty good. Well, actually I have three, but I'll show you two of them. This is the first. It is for when I don't want to have to do much "hands-on" work:

Now I have two daughters and they love to prepare stuff just like me so I thought it would be fun to invest in one of these. The benefit is that they can each make their own ice cream, play and store it all in one gadget:

So there you have it folks. Five solid options for beating the heat with cool treats that will keep you on plan and sat-is-FIED! No need to thank me. I do, however, take payments in ice cream (particularly the following recipe)

Protein Rocky Road ice cream

Ingredients

2 cups milk

1 package sugar-free chocolate pudding mix

2 scoops chocolate protein powder

1/2 c. sugar-free chocolate chips

3-4 La Nouba sugar-free marshmallows, cut into pieces

Slivered almonds

Directions:

Combine milk, pudding mix, and protein powder in a bowl and beat with a hand mixer (or immersion blender) until smooth. Add to ice cream maker and churn according to your ice cream maker's directions. About 10 minutes before your ice cream is done, add marshmallows, chocolate chips and nuts. Freeze for about an hour to firm. Scoop and enjoy!

BF Survival Guide to getting through summer barbeques

So...it's the 3rd of July. And right now some of you are stressing. I know you are. I can see it in your eyes.

Because you're going to a barbeque tomorrow. And at that barbeque you'll come face to face with all the food you love but think you can't (or shouldn't) eat anymore.

Don't sweat it. We feel your pain. And we've got you covered.

Now for your convenience this advice is segmented a bit. But it's all from experience and all very valid.

For newbies (or others with small pouch capacity) who don't want to announce to the world that they had RNY

Your lot is the trickiest. Eating around other people is like a covert mission. But we've got it all down to a few easy steps:

• Step One: Make a WLS friendly variation of deviled eggs by either substituting half the mayo for Greek yogurt OR substituting the yolk mixture for Greek yogurt infused tuna or chicken salad. If you go with the latter, make it as a smaller batch in addition to its non-WLS friendly counterpart (or so everyone thinks--but still make it healthy!). Make it look really jazzy and festive.
• Step Two: put a few of those on your plate, along with a little bit of any other offering you feel like you can have (if you intend to actually eat some of it) or put things like salad and the like if you don't intend to eat anything. Here's the crucial part: don't put a bunch of food on your plate. Scatter it around so it looks like just a few bites are left.
• Step Three: Take approximately one bite of YOUR side dish...then mingle. Be the life of the party. If you are actually hungry, take a bite every now and again but mostly smile at people, talk to them, for emphasis maybe hold said food in your hand for a bit while talking and then walk away.

Why does this work? People's eyes believe what is normal to them. In this instance what they SEE is you with a plate of food that looks like you've already eaten a good deal of it and by picking up the food every now and again you look like you're still eating it. After a while you can toss your plate, load up an ice cold drink and focus on that for the rest of the bbq...no questions asked.

For everyone else...and especially those who CAN eat a lot of the wrong things.

Mind your portion sizes. For those that don't know if they dump...now is not the time for experimenting. Now many would say eat before the bbq and don't eat at it but that's no fun. The essence of a bbq is to come together and socialize through eating, so in my estimation it's far better to learn to keep to good choices and healthy portion sizes than to try to avoid food altogether.

Now everyone isn't like me--I carry measuring cups with handles in my purse and measure out my bbq foods with them (in 1/8 and 1/4 c. increments) instead of measuring spoons. If you don't wanna be ghetto-fab like me, just remember the following visual portion cues:

• 3 oz. of meat looks like a deck of cards
• One serving of cheese looks like two 9-volt batteries
• For a non-op a serving of fruit would look like a tennis ball...for you I'd go for a golf ball sized portion
• A half cup serving is about as big as a light bulb...since many of you can't or shouldn't eat that much early out, you know if it is that size...you have too much!

If you get something stuck...

It's good to have papaya enzyme in your purse for such occassions as it really does help. They sell it at most drug stores and health food stores. Barring that, excuse yourself and go to the bathroom to see if it will come up. Stay away from the food area as the smells will start to overwhelm you. If you are with a spouse it might be good to tell them so they can "cover" for you. If worse comes to worse, blame the heat, tell the host/hostess you need to sit down for a little while and do so until the food comes up.

But the best strategy is prevention. Eat tiny bites. Chew well.

Do feel empowered to bring variations so that you can have a bit of what you like. For instance, I am known, far and wide, for bringing my own Hebrew National 98% fat free hot dogs to a cook out only to skewer approximately one and ask the resident "grillmaster" to do it up for me.

Meanwhile, DON'T forget that a bbq is about more than just eating. If there is music, dance! If there are new babies to hold, hold them. Take photos. Gawk over people you haven't seen in ages. Catch up with them. The food is only PART of the festivities.

And lastly...at a bbq don't focus on what you can't have. That stuff is probably no good for you anyway.

With a little planning and some strategy BBQ's can be FUN! Happy Independence Day All!

Neopolitan Protein Shake

~~by Nikki

I don’t know about you all, but as a kid, ice cream was a BIG part of my summer.

Besides begging my parents to buy the stuff, I spent a good portion of my childhood chasing down the Good Humor man. But my favorite…my absolute favorite…was Neopolitan ice cream (which, being a kid, I called “Napoleon” ice cream). For those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s a layer of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice cream.

Now my siblings were staunch ice cream purists. One flavor, no mixing! So they’d attempt to dig out their respective sections of ice cream untouched by the other flavors. I, on the other hand, loved to get all three. I’d wait patiently after they got theirs because…when Neopolitan gets all soft and turns into “ice cream soup” it is sooooo yummy.

The other day on OH, my good friend Monica posted that she was going to make a Neopolitan protein shake. I was intrigued. She described it as a “strawberry shake with added chocolate.” So of course I used that as a starting point and fiddled with it.

Here’s what I came up with. Took me straight back to my childhood—summers on my bike, climbing trees, and watching lightning bugs while eating ice cream soup.

The “Monica Effect” Neopolitan Protein Shake

Ingredients
1 cup skim milk
1 scoop vanilla whey (I used this for added authenticity)
1 heaping tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
½ c. frozen strawberries
Splenda to taste

Make according to the Triple X method. Top with whippage if you like.