Happy National Hot Chocolate Day!

I seem to be the Queen of the overhead shot these days!

If there is a list out there of these food commemoration days, can someone please point me to it???

Thankfully, if you use the handy search box to your right, you search any ingredient, dish, keyword your heart desires and if it's on BF, the search box will find it!!!

Anyhoo...I thought in honor of this day I'd make you aware of BF's Cocoa Offerings.

So in no particular order, please feel free to try:

• My Thin Mints for Grown-Ups hot protein drink: Rich chocolate, a hint of mint. Nom, nom, NOM!
• Salted Caramel Protein Hot Cocoa: and this recipe is even easier now that Torani has made sugar-fee Salted Caramel syrup!
• This was originally a cold shake but I now drink it almost exclusively hot - Chocolate with Spiced Cookies protein drink!
• Autumn's Salted Peanut Butter Cocoa: a Foodie-submission!
• BONUS for my Foodies on #teamvanilla: The Hot Blondie! The vanilla-lovers answer to the Hot Chocolate.

So there you have it folks! My offering to National Hot Chocolate Day.

I can't wait until it's National Buffalo Wing Day, personally. :)

BF Review: Lean Cuisine Salad Additions

It even happens to me, dear Foodies. I wake up late, get out the door late, get the kids to school and..."Oh crap! I forgot to pack lunch!"

Thankfully there's a supermarket between the diva's school and my job (I only work about 3/4 mile from their school!) so I headed there to see what they could offer me. And I came across this:

Lean Cuisine Salad Creations (Southwest-style chicken)

• Simply add your lettuce!
• 260 calories
• 9g fat
• 26g carbs (probably from the beans and tortilla strips)
• 4g fiber
• 18g protein

So I decided to give it a whirl! I like a salad and I'm an adventurous gal.

So the box gives three easy prep steps:

Step one: Put your dressing in a cup of room temperature water to thaw. Yeah. My office doesn't do room temperature. It does hot. So I worked with it.

Step two: Microwave chicken & veggies in the steamer pouch for 2.5 minutes on high.

Step three: Assemble your salad by putting lettuce on a plate or bowl (yes it really does say that), followed by chicken & veggies, dressing, then tortilla strips (I'm a rebel. I did strips then dressing).

Firstly, this is the MOST work I've ever done for a frozen meal, ok? This better be good cuz this is almost as much effort as making my salad from scratch. Well not really, but still.

So I taste and...

• Um...the star of this salad is definitely the dressing. The corn lends a lot of flavor and I am amenable to the texture of black beans but the dressing popped. Wasn't too spicy. It was just right.
• The chicken, however, was a wee bit...bland. But it's only got 590mg sodium (which is paltry in terms of frozen stuff) so what can we expect?
• I wish I'd let the chicken cool a little bit more before I put it on my salad. It made my lettuce a bit wilty (and it was already wilty cuz it took me until 10:30 to put the bag of salad mix in the fridge).
• Some might question my decision to use the tortilla strips. My pouch, my choice. They do separate them out so there is nothing stopping you from tossing them if you are deathly afraid of tortilla strips. I like the crunch.

Final verdict: I actually liked this. I think if I was better prepared I would not have found the steps quite so labor intensive. But then, isn't the point of frozen meals that you don't HAVE to be prepared? That's a debate point I'll leave to you, dear Foodies. Long story short, I think it's a good option, especially on those days when you want a salad and can't/don't want to go out and procure one. 

And lookit! I even found you a coupon so you can try it for yourself! Squee!

Baked Cheese Crisps

Cheez-Its. They are my kryptonite. Can anyone relate?

Baked cheese is not my invention but I appreciate it, as I do snacks like "Just the Cheese." But...I'm a single mom with two kids, a dog and a cat to feed all on one meager salary so...sometimes a Foodie's gotta do what a Foodie's gotta do.

So here's how I get my Cheez-It fix on the cheap. This is the simplest thing I've probably ever posted on this blog. There are two ingredients. Cheese and cheese.

So here's how it goes down.

Step One:

The beauty of these things is they work with a variety of cheese qualities. Here, as you can see, I've used budget ingredients ;)

Choose your cheese(s). You can use one type of cheese or several. You can also add things in. I like spicy stuff, so I've done Mexican blend with a pinch of ground Chipotle pepper in it. I've done Parmesan/Romano (with a teeny bit of mozzarella) with a pinch of Italian spices. Let your imagination go wild! Here I did Colby Jack and Parmesan. It's an unlikely combo but then I'm an unlikely girl :)

I use full-fat cheese. I suspect this will still work with low-fat cheese but the cook times might be longer as reduced fat cheeses don't tend to melt as fast as full-fat. I do not know about fat free cheese because, frankly, it frightens me. :)

If you are using one cheese, measure out a serving of it for each person who will partake. If you are using more than one cheese, use equal parts of each.

Step Two:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. While it's heating up, line a baking sheet with parchment paper (not aluminum foil, not non-stick cooking spray on the cookie sheet...parchment paper). Lay out your cheese however you want. I like to mix mine up a bit. You may like it layered. It's yo' thang. Do what you wanna do!

You can also do one big cheese crisp and break it up or do little rounds (I'm showing both ways in this post). Or heck...get creative. Make cheesy hearts if you wanna!

Step Three:

This is where the journey gets highly personal. When I researched how to make this, most sources said bake for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is very browned around the edges and lightly browned in the middle. In my oven, however, this took more like 13 minutes. Your mileage may vary. I'd say start checking on it at 7 minutes and let it go until it looks like this:

Or like this if you are doing rounds:

I love you too  much to lie to you, Foodies. The rounds got made because I made the big one...and the kids ate it before I could take a final pic!!!

Step Four:

This is, by far, the hardest part. Turn off the oven and walk away! The cheese crisps will continue to cook a bit on the hot cookie sheet but that will just contribute to them being crispier. But they MUST cool to be crispy. So you want crisps? Walk away!

Step Five:

When you come back you should have little pieces of cheesy heaven! And one note: If you overcook the cheese, no worries! (Unless it's burnt black...that tends to be...yucky...). When trying to get down exactly how long it took for these to cook I overcooked quite a few batches and both the divas and I still loved them!

Now, since you've only used one portion of cheese (which is what I'd use in any recipe where I  use cheese) to me these could be a snack. But most of the time, in my eternal weirdness) I find myself doing other things with them. Like dipping them in Greek yogurt ranch dip. Or crumbling over a salad. Or tossing atop a bowl of soup (that didn't work out so well for me by the way).

Whatever way you choose to do it, this will definitely give you your cheesy fix. Enjoy!

Nik's Portable Egg Scramble Kit

Do you have a default food? It seems to me that most weight loss surgery post-ops do. A default food is that food you're almost always in the mood to eat, if all else fails. I have several. One of my default foods is eggs.

But eggs aren't the most portable food in the world, especially for our rearranged digestive systems! If you cook them ahead and reheat them they can take on a rubbery texture. Or...your pouch/sleeve/____ (whatever you call that thing that receives food) can reject them for absolutely no good reason.

This is more a methodology than a recipe. You can do these "kits" any way you want using any ingredients you want. Microwave scrambles aren't an original idea of mine. I first heard about them through Hungry Girl. BUT hers seem more suited to scrambling at home. I wanted to scramble at work. So...here's how I do it.

Nik's Portable Egg Scramble Kit 
(Let's call this one a "whichamacallit" scramble)

Components:

In a small plastic container I put 3 oz. of liquid egg substitute. (Use however much you think you can eat in an appropriately sized container).

In a larger, microwave-safe plastic container I put:

• Diced veggies (I used diced red and green bell peppers, onions and tomato)
• Diced meat (I had a package of Turkey Lil' Smokies hanging out in the fridge so I sliced a few of those up)

In a snack-sized baggie, a put a bit of shredded cheese (I used an ounce. Your mileage may vary).

When it came time to cook it up (at work), I simply added my egg substitute and cheese to my veggies and microwaved on high for a minute at a time, stirring after each minute, until the eggs were cooked. This is where the veggies came in handy. The water they release helps keep the eggs soft and agreeable to my pouch. And lookit:

A yummy egg scramble lunch (or breakfast, if eggs for lunch isn't your thing), just for me!

This, of course, comes with a caveat. If you aren't good with eggs, don't try this at home! And not everyone is good with microwaved food, no matter how it's prepared. If that's you, proceed cautiously.

But for those who, like me, have a "pouch of steel" this is a great way to have breakfast for lunch (or dinner) when away from home!

BF Top 5: Portion Control!

Whether you are a weight-loss surgery patient or someone simply looking to eat a healthier diet, portion control is always a concern.

One great tool I've found is...ramekins! Instant portion control. They come in all sorts of sizes to meet various needs.

Keeping that in mind, here are a few of my favorite ramekin recipes (click the title for the recipe!):

Nik's Reuben Ramekin

Since the publishing of this recipe, a Foodie suggested adding some caraway seeds to this and I tried it. Oh. My. YUM!

Nik's portion-Controlled Cheesecakes

Because I heart cheesecake. But I do not heart overconsumption of cheesecake, otherwise known as "gut death." That's all I have to say about that.

Nik's Lil' Baby Pot Pies

Aren't they so cute! I love pot pies but when you're new out my family-style pot pie recipe can be a bit overwhelming. These guys are a bit more approachable.

Nik's Ramekin Peach Pies

Take a trip to the Peach Pit! (Beverly Hills 90210, anyone?). YUM!

Nik's French Onion Soup Ramekin

Yeah...I think I need to actually make this. Pronto! By the way for the fam, with the addition of a roast beef sandwich on REALLY crusty bread, this doubles as a French dip ramekin! (Just sayin')

Those are my five faves. Do you use ramekins? If so, I'd love to hear what you put in yours!

Salted Butter Toffee Protein Oatmeal

It's been all about oatmeal around here, hasn't it?

We've had high-protein baked oatmeal, scrambled oatmeal...well this morning I just wanted a plain bowl of oatmeal. But for me it has to have protein. Why? Because in my old bariatric age (just turned 5 years post-op), I seem to be developing blood sugar control problems (I refuse to call it hypoglycemia yet) and so starch has to be accompanied by protein!

S'anyway. I have a good bit of leftover sugar-free Torani English Toffee syrup from the Protein Shake Sample Kits so I decided to see how that would work in my protein oatmeal.

Nik's Salted Butter Toffee Protein Oatmeal

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. quick oats (That's what's in the above. I realize that might be WAY too much for some of you, so if need be, cut down to 1/4 c. I'll give modification directions with the other ingredients.)
• 1/4 c. Torani sugar-free English Toffee syrup (or use 1 tbsp. for every ounce of oatmeal)
• 1 scoop of your favorite protein (I used Any Whey unflavored. If you are using less than the 1/2 c. serving, use a 1/4 scoop of protein per ounce of oatmeal. So 1/4 c. would be half a scoop of protein).
• 1 c. skim milk (use twice the amount of milk than oatmeal)
• A small pat of butter or low-calorie butter substitute
• A generous pinch of salt (this works especially well if you have large-crystal salt)

Directions:

In a bowl combine your oats, protein powder and syrup until thoroughly mixed. 

Then add syrup until a coarse, thick paste forms.

Add your milk and stir it in thoroughly.

Pop it in the microwave for about three minutes but stop half-way through to stir.

It is done when the oats have absorbed all the liquids. You'll need to stir again to incorporate the protein all the way.

Top with your pat of butter and your pinch of salt and...

NOM!!!! I think I found a new favorite oatmeal flavor!

Brandi's Oatmeal & Egg White Scramble

I love it when a Foodie starts their message to me about their recipe with, "I know this may sound strange but..."

Isn't that a condition of post-op eating? I mean, we do eat pretty weird stuff, at least according to the non-op world. I personally eat REALLY weird stuff (for instance, my favorite dinner is simply cottage cheese with...you guessed it...peanut butter!). 

I know I'll get comments from folks who are hopelessly normal. But you know what? That's fine too. My point: Bariatric Foodies do it THEIR way. So whatever your "thang" is, I always love to know about it! 

Here's the recipe Brandi sent me.

Brandi's Oatmeal & Egg White Scramble

Ingredients:

• A 500g carton of egg whites (or about a dozen eggs worth of egg whites)
• 1 1/2 cup rolled oats 
• 2 tbsp. vanilla extract (or she likes to use Davinci's sugar-free cookie dough syrup)

Nik Notes: Brandi didn't specify if she uses any additional sweetener. I probably would. Between 1/4 -1/3 c. for the entire recipe (remember, when you heat things with sweetener you up the sweet factor. When you chill things with sweetener you dull it). And I'd also put in a "splick" of salt (again, don't ask me how much a splick is...it's a splick!). Salt and sweetness work well together in oatmeal (as in most places, actually). 

Let all ingredients sit together in a bowl for 30 minutes.

Scramble together in a non stick frying pan until cooked. Usually takes about five minutes, sometimes less.

Each batch makes 6 servings of 1/2 cup with 160 calories and 12 g of protein (See? Brandi is even nice enough to give you stats!). She adds one tablespoon sugar-free blueberry jam and one tablespoon sugar-free breakfast syrup as well (she said this is included in the 160 calories).

Her verdict? I'll let her tell you:

"I find it super filling. I nuke my portion in the microwave for 90 seconds in the morning. It's easy to grab especially on the mornings I run before I go to work. I know it sounds and looks odd but I swear by it!"

Considering I got away with inventing something called an "Eggchilada" I think you're good, Brandi. Thank you for sharing your kitchen inspiration with the Foodie Nation!

Do you have a great recipe to share? Email it to bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com.

Malia's Peaches and Cream Protein Baked Oatmeal

But first...a public service announcement.

Yes, I will sound like a broken record but the 2013 Bariatric Foodie Pledge is coming! I want you guys to be up on what it is so you can all participate. The exciting thing about this year is that there is more than one grand prize! As a reminder, the grand prize is drawn from people who pledge goals and check-in on those goals for all four weeks! And I have some great stuff lined up. On Facebook I've already announced TWO grand prize sponsors:

• Torani Syrups (check them out on Facebook or @Torani on Twitter)
• Celebrate Bariatric Vitamins (check them out on Facebook or @CelebrateV on Twitter)

Be sure to like or follow them both and write a note of thanks for supporting the Foodie Nation. Showing our appreciation helps me get more companies involved in future giveaways!.More prize announcements to come!

Ok, back to business. So...Malia is a fellow Foodie who claims she doesn't cook much. But after getting pics of how she was playing with her food it became apparent to me that while she might not cook frequently, she does cook well!

Here's her recipe for Peaches & Cream Protein Baked oatmeal. She also sent a recipe for chocolate chip that I will post later this week.

You may notice I've suggested some modifications to Malia's recipe. You are welcome to make the original recipe or use my suggestions. Either way, it's good!

Malia's Peaches & Cream Protein Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:

• 1.5 c. quick oats
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/3 c. no-calorie sweetener (Malia used Ideal Brown Sugar Substitute)
• 2 scoops protein powder (Any powder, any size scoop, doesn't matter. Malia used this. I would use this.)
• 1.5 c. milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 bag frozen peaches (Or the equivalent of one frozen peach, sliced. But my suggestion would be to instead drain 1-2 no-sugar added cups of diced peaches and use those instead.)
• 1 oz. cream cheese, cubed (Malia didn't specify but I suggest Neufchatel cheese, or 1/3 less fat cream cheese)

Streusel topping:

• 3/4 c. Ideal Brown Sugar substitute
• 3/4 c. flour (see my note below)
• 1 tbsp. water
• 1.5 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1.4 c. butter, softened

Nik Note: Much as I loved me some Streusel back inna day, I'd probably skip the topping. I'm not opposed to indulgence (have you read this blog???) but I am opposed to blood sugar crashes. For those with reactive hypoglycemia (which is becoming increasingly common with post-ops) the topping with the oatmeal and the fruit might be problematic. But, as always, use your best judgment! If anyone is willing to experiment with streusel using Atkins mix, I might be willing to provide said Atkins Mix...leave a comment if you're interested. Just sayin'.

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350.

In a bowl, mix together oats, salt, sweetener and protein powder.

Add milk, then cubed cream cheese, then the peaches and mix well. 

Pour into a casserole dish (8 x 8 shown here) and bake for 12-15 minutes or until set and edges are browned. 

Cool completely before cutting. When refrigerated, these turn into great breakfast bars or you can pop them into the microwave for 15 seconds or so to warm them up. Malia likes to eat hers on the go!

Other Protein Baked Oatmeal recipes:

• Nutty Apple 
• Fall Harvest
• Cinnamon Raisin

Nik's Recipe for Goals that Succeed

Today I have a recipe of a different sort.

So the 2013 Bariatric Foodie Pledge is coming. Need info? Click that link and read all about it. I’ll wait.

You good? Ok, lovely!

You ever make a goal and it didn’t quite work? Were you left wondering why? I know I have been. But did you know there is actually a “recipe” for effective goals?

Many of you may have already heard of S.M.A.R.T. goals but I wanted to go over the concept so we’re all on the same page. I’d LOVE to see lots of SMART goals during the Pledge because that means you’re making goals in a way that sets you up for success!

S.M.A.R.T. goals are:

Specific: Which, of course, is the opposite of vague. So:

Bad = “I will eat better.”

Good = “I will eat a protein forward diet with plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates.”

Measure-able: Because unless you draw a finish line for your goal, how do you know if you’ve crossed it?

Bad = “I pledge to eat less carbs and more protein.”

Good = “I pledge to eat less than Xgrams of carbs per day and more than Xgrams of protein”

Achievable: This is where most New Years Resolutions go wrong. Too lofty.

Bad = I want to weigh 75 lbs.

Good = I want to reach a healthy weight according to the Body Mass Index.

Realistic: This one often confuses people. I am a big believer in long vs. short range goals. Long range goals are made up of a bunch of short range goals. When looking at your short range goals, it can be bad to bite off more than you know you can chew, so:

Bad = I want to run a marathon this summer (when you’ve never run before).

Good = I want to complete the couch to 5k program and jog my first 5k by this summer.

Timely: Open-ended goals are goals that stand a very high chance of never getting achieved. Make yourself accountable to the goal by either setting a due or benchmark dates.

Bad = I’m going to lose these last five pounds someday.

Good = I want to lose this last five pounds within the next four months.

The examples I gave are exaggerations, of course, but there are many ways you can incorporate the SMART goal mentality in your personal goals and to your pledges. By following this simple template you do more than just make goals you can achieve — with each small goal, you build momentum to take on bolder goals. Before you know it you’re doing things you never thought you could do!

So…start thinking about it. What might some of your SMART goals be for the Bariatric Foodie Pledge?

Nik's 5-Year Surgery Anniversary

My anniversary was actually yesterday but I was sick and I forgot. Well...I didn't exactly forget so much as I didn't realize yesterday was the 8th. ANYWAY.

As is my custom I thought I'd tap out a few thoughts about my experience as a post-op so far.This year I decided to do so without pictures. Just thoughts.

It has been my experience that the further out from surgery I get, the more like a non-op I become. But interestingly, I am never quite exactly like them. I'm no stranger to that "place in the middle" of two states of being. And I think the difference between 5-year post-op Nikki and, say, 1-year post-op Nikki is that I actually try to learn from my experiences and use them to my benefit.

For instance, I know I'm capable of eating a great assortment of unhealthy foods. And I'm not going to lie - I have at times! Sometimes it's a head issue, sometimes a craving, more often than not it was what I call "bariatric adolescence," or, me testing the boundaries. And the food went down fine. But that doesn't mean my surgery isn't still working.

No...my body has a threshold and once I cross it, there is hell to pay for bad food decisions. Thankfully, I don't go into that mode often. It's so strange, this new life compared to my old life. Food-wise, my body actually craves what's good for it. Don't get me wrong, I will always have a deep and enduring love of buffalo wings but they don't quite rule me the way they used to.

Which brings me to something for which I am extremely thankful. They say time is the healer of all wounds. I think it's true. When I first started this journey I was badly damaged. And I medicated with food. The absence of that ability to medicate (in my early months I had restriction on crack), drove me to deep depression. In short, it pissed me off that I could not eat my feelings. It pissed me off that I could no longer zone out on food. It pissed me off that I had taken away what I perceived as the one drama-free source of pleasure in my life.

Those of you who've been reading the blog know I went through a LOT of stuff this year. Even before my mother died (which was gut-wrenching enough in and of itself) I was facing foreclosure on my home and a host of financial problems. It was time to let go of a lot of notions I had about my life and take responsibility for what was. I am proud to say I'm in a better place financially now but I'm even prouder to say that after short-selling my home (which was a long and arduous process that would require at least two more blog posts!), losing my mom, moving and sending my divas away for the summer...during all that...I did not binge, although I had the physical ability to. I did not descend into a pit of crappy eating, although my body would have let me, at least for a time.

You might ask how I coped? I have found a wonderful coping mechanism in walking and jogging. For those of you hesitant to start a fitness program that sounds like a crock, I know. But the thing I've discovered about running is this: it's hard. Not just for big people but for everyone. Some people run faster or more slowly than others but in general running is not easy. Which makes it an ideal way for me to cope with stress because my mind is so focused on...um...not dying...that it allows my brain some breathing space to sort things out.

So that's how I've been coping. One day at a time. One step at a time.

This is the time when many long-term post-ops disappear from the scene of the WLS world. And that makes sense to me. We do this not to be different all our lives, but to have a shot at that elusive concept of normalcy (I'm convinced it's a myth!). I point this out to say that I'm not ready to do that yet. Not just because of Bariatric Foodie, but because I stand before you today, just as I was five years ago, a food addict. I am powerless over my addiction to food and I truly believe only a power greater than myself can restore me to sanity.

What that means in my life is that I don't believe I will ever be capable of making great health decisions by default. These days I do so by habit. This is why I stress the importance of healthy routines and habitual behavior. Eating well isn't first nature to me, but through habitually doing so over the last 5 years (most of the time) it has become second nature. And loving myself isn't first nature to me but by opening myself up to love and by practicing acts of self-love it has become second nature.

Long story short...you guys are stuck with me for the forseeable future. My journey is not over. And in the process of becoming who I am today, five years after going under the knife to have RNY gastric bypass, I realize that my journey does NOT begin or end with a number on the scale. I'm not exactly sure where the finish line is or if there even is one. But I continue to walk forward, happy with the progress I've made so far, hungry to see how far I can take this.

And I want you all with me on this walk! I started Bariatric Foodie because I wanted to be a part of a community of people taking control of their relationship with food, themselves and the world around them. The world doesn't change just because we have surgery, so I wanted to be a part of a community that helps each other cope and form survival strategies. What this blog has grown into is more than I could have ever imagined.

THANK YOU.

Thank you for reading this blog. Thank you to those who have been with me since "I" was me/Jen and we were Pouch Party. Thank you for those who just joined us who have no idea what the previous sentence means. Thank you to Facebook Foodies, Twitter Foodies. Thank you to those who participate in the giveaways and discussion topics. For those who have tried my recipes and those who want to try them. Thank you to all of you who are signed up for the email newsletter, always start your Quest, Amazon and Netrition orders on this blog. Thank you to anyone who has ever contacted me for help with your journey or to help me with mine.

You all are a part of me. And I take my responsibility to you quite seriously. So, yep, you're stuck with me. But then, I personally wouldn't have it any other way.

Alethea's Shrimp & Quinoa

Well, folks. It was bound to happen. With two kids in public school, some noxious germ was bound to find its way into my body. My immune system is fighting hard, though!

So while I am down for the count, I thought I'd share some Foodie submissions. I just love it when you guys email me with pictures and recipes about how you are playing with your food!

This week we have two offerings from the Foodie Nation. I'll post the second tomorrow!

Alethea's Shrimp & Quinoa

Here's the back-story she sent me:

Ok, so I set out to make shrimp and polenta from the Bobby Dean show, but it turns out polenta is not that popular in "po-dunk" Ohio so I had to make some adjustments. For the most part it was good but lacking a flavor punch (suggestions welcome, Foodies!). I am going to try it again. My youngest really liked it and he hates everything!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c. diced Canadian bacon
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• One 14 1/2-ounce can petite-cut, no-salt diced tomatoes
• 1/4 c. dry white wine
• 2 tbsp. plain nonfat Greek-style yogurt
• 1 tsp. hot sauce
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 dozen large shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails on
• 3/4 c. uncooked quinoa
• 3 cups hot water
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, for garnish, optional

Directions:

Add the bacon to a nonstick skillet and saute over medium heat until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a plate and set aside. Add the garlic, onions and bell peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, wine, yogurt, hot sauce and salt, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the flavors are blended and the sauce begins to thicken, 6 to 8 minutes. Return the bacon to the skillet. Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp turn bright pink and are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a heavy cast-iron skillet, add your quinoa and allow it to toast for about a minute. Add the hot water and slowly whisk the quinoa and water together. Reduce the heat and simmer about 7-10 minutes, or until the quinoa is fully cooked (Click here for an easy primer on quinoa!). Remove from the heat., 

Serve the shrimp mixture over the quinoa. Sprinkle with the chives if desired.

Nik's Notes:

Alethea noted that it needed a flavor punch. Here are several ways to do that:

• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, while toasting the quinoa if you like a spicy kick
• Play around with the kind of bacon you use. You can use a sweeter smoked bacon if you want a slightly sweet off-set or a smoked bacon. Also, I'd use center-cut bacon. Less fat, more meaty flavor!
• Instead of bacon, try dicing up some turkey smoked sausages and following the recipe the same way
• If sodium isn't an issue, try a can of pre-flavored diced tomatoes. They come in such variations as tomatoes and chiles (in mild, medium or hot), Italian-style and garlic and herb

How would YOU make this dish your own, Foodies?

Nik's Cinnamon Raisin Baked Protein Oatmeal

I have to tell on myself.

This post could have been up two hours ago but I am becoming increasingly persnickety about my photography and was trying to get the perfect shot to represent the lusciousness of what was on that plate. Because it was luscious. Ohhhhh...yes it was...

Nik's Cinnamon Raisin Baked Protein Oatmeal

Ingredients:

• 1.5 c. quick oats
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/3 c. no-calorie sweetener (I used Splenda)
• 1/4 c. Torani Brown Sugar Cinnamon syrup (in the absence of that the same amount of sugar-free pancake syrup + 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon will do)
• Up to 1/2 tsp. extra cinnamon if you are really into cinnamon (I am so I used it)
• 1.5 c. milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 scoops protein powder (Any powder, any size scoop, doesn't matter. I used unflavored Any Whey but vanilla or a cinnamon flavored protein would be nice, just omit the extra cinnamon if you use the latter along with the syrup.)
• 1/3 cup natural raisins (Some raisins have a sugar coating. I think Sun-Maid in general does not so they are a good one to go with.)

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, mix together the oats, salt and sweetener.

In another bowl combine syrup, cinnamon, milk, eggs and protein powder and mix with a whisk until thoroughly combined (there should be no protein powder lumps).

Pour liquid mixture into the oat mixture and stir well. 

Finally, stir in raisins and mix through.

Spray down a square casserole dish (I used an 8x8) and empty mixture into it. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until oatmeal is set and the edges are slightly brown.

Cool thoroughly before cutting.

Now you may be wondering what that is on top. Well...this tasted very "Cinnabon-ish" to me so I had to make a topping. BONUS RECIPE!

Nik's Cream Cheese Topping (Individual Serving)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tbsp. Neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese)
• 1 tsp no-calorie sweetener
• A "splick" of cinnamon (don't ask me how much a splick is...it's a splick)
• 2 tsp. milk

Directions:

Nuke cream cheese in the microwave about 30 seconds. 

Add remainder of ingredients and stir with a fork until smooth. Enjoy!

So this makes THREE protein baked oatmeal varieties: Fall Harvest, Nutty Apple and this. Which flavor should I take on next?

Nik's Flourless Coconut Macaroons

There's a lot to be learned from non-op cooking, Foodies. In the midst of my non-op holiday baking I came across a completely flourless coconut macaroon recipe. It took me a week or two after what I call "cookie-palooza" (prep for my big Christmas party when I make hundreds and hundreds of cookies) to want to even think about a cookie again but this afternoon I got a hankering.

You all might know I already have a coconut macaroon recipe that uses Carbquik. But I am excited and fascinated by flourless cookies so I wanted to give this a whirl. The results were pretty damn yummy!

Just as a reminder here are my personal rules about cookies:

• I do not make cookies unless I have others around to share them with
• I do not make large batches of cookies (this recipe yields about six of them, more if you make them smaller)
• I stay accountable with cookies (hence posting here and being brutally honest about what I ate)

Now you can choose to add protein to your cookies. I don't. I believe there's room in my meal plan for the occasional indulgence, so long as it's a responsible one. But you do what makes YOU most comfortable, k?

Nik's Flourless Coconut Macaroons

(Makes six-ish)

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg white
• 3/4 c. no-calorie sweetener (I use Splenda. If you don't make sure to use the amount that measures against 3/4 c. sugar)
• 1.5 c. unsweetened coconut (I get mine from the Amish but you can also order it online)
• 1 tsp coconut extract (or for this one I actually used a tablespoon of sugar-free toasted coconut syrup)
• 1/4 c. sugar-free chocolate chips (I get mine at Wal-Mart. Hershey makes them.)

Directions

(Sorry...it didn't occur to me that this should be a blog post until after I saw how well they turned out so no process pics!)

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, whip your egg white until it is good and frothy, about 3 minutes.

Add in a quarter cup of sweetener at a time, whipping them into the egg whites after each addition. The egg white mixture should get stiffer as you add more sweetener. Add extract and whip again.

Gently fold in your coconuts using a baking spatula. I always end up getting asked what gently folding is. Basically it is just as it sounds. You are ever-so-gently folding the mixture into itself so that you don't deflate the egg whites. GENTLY!

Once the coconut is completely incorporated into the egg white mixture, add chocolate chips and stir in.

On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, drop heaping tablespoons-full of the mixture. It will not hold together. That's fine. Just drop it in a little heap and make sure the heap is all touching each other It'll work out. Trust me!

Bake about 10 minutes or until cookie is set and edges are browned. Remove from oven and cool on a rack before eating!

How many calories are these? I'm not telling! Most of you know why. Like I said, cookies will never be diet food, but we improve where we can, right?

BF Tutorial: How to Make Your Own Protein Shake Kits

So as you all have heard ad nauseum I've been selling Bariatric Foodie Protein Shake Sample Kits. I hope you guys liked this year's flavors! And if you haven't tried them yet, they are still for sale and are actually on sale on the "Shop BF!" page.

But did you also know you can make your own protein shake kits? It's not hard at all. And despite the length of this post and the number of accompanying pictures it doesn't actually take that long, especially when only making a few days worth.

Now you might ask yourself why you might WANT to do this? Well...

• Is the only shake you like the special shake you make at home with your syrups?
• Do you find yourself wanting an indulgence during your work day?
• Do you ever find yourself in a pinch needing a quickie meal on the go?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, a shake kit can be a great solution! And I'm going to show you how with a little preparation and a lot of creativity you can take nearly ANY shake on the go with you.

Here are the supplies you'll need

• A Food Saver machine or another kind of vacuum sealer, if you have one (these things are worth their weight in GOLD after surgery when you never seem to finish anything you cook!). If you don't have one, you can certainly use snack sized baggies to just make dry packet shake kits.
• Food Saver bags (I used the rolls that are 11 in. x 16 ft.) 
• A craft cutter (or a good pair of scissors, a ruler and a good deal of determination)
• The dry components of your favorite protein shake recipe (Need ideas? Here are a bunch of them!), which could include (but is in no way limited to):
• Protein powder (here's the kind I use in the pictures below)
• Powdered nonfat milk
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Dry pudding mix
• Instant coffee, etc.
• A plastic container (I find the kind deli meat comes in works nicely)
• A clean piece of white paper and some tape
• Your favorite sugar-free syrup (here's a good starter set if you've never tried them before), although you can certainly make shake kits without syrups (and I'll tell you in a minute why you might want to consider that)
• A clip (A bobby pin works...I'll explain in a minute!)
• Glue dots
• A marker or a label of some kind

Step One: Cutting your bags

Syrup bags

Lay your bag roll upright (so the 11 inches is going vertically) and cut out 2 inch strips. Each of these strips will become two syrup bags.

Use your Food Saver machine to seal the the two open 11 inch. sides of your bag.

Use your craft cutter, to cut the strip in half (5.5 inches each).

Now you have two syrup bags. Repeat as many times as you  need to get the number of syrup bags you need to make your desired number of packets.

Dry Packet Bags

Using your craft cutter, with your bags upright again (11 inches going vertically), cut strips that are 4 inches. Each of these strips will make 2 dry packet bags.

Use your Food Saver machine to seal the two open 11 in. sides of your bag.

Use your craft cutter to cut the strip in half (5.5 inches each). Now you have two dry packet bags!

Step Two: Filling the Dry Packet bags

Assemble the dry ingredients to whatever shake you'd like your kit to make. 

Stand your dry packet bags up in your plastic container, open side up.

Use a clean piece of white paper and tape to make a funnel (sorry, I forgot to photo this part!) and empty one serving of each of your desired ingredients into each bag (so if you are adding dry milk, it'd be 1/4 c. per bag, protein powder would be 1 scoop per bag and so on.).

You may need to tap the bag down a bit to get the powder to go all the way down into it before sealing the remaining edge with your Food Saver Machine.

And there you have it - dry powder packets!

Step Three: Filling the Syrup Bags

Now personally I find this part a bit of a pain in the butt. You could just as easily go to the dollar store and get a clear plastic cosmetic bottle and fill it with syrup. BUT, if you are feeling crafty, here's how I made the syrup bags.

Fill each syrup bag 3/4 of the way full with your desired syrup. If you have a mini-funnel that probably works well. I simply open the bag and pour straight in.

You'll need a clip of some kind to keep the syrup from spilling when you seal the remaining edge. I find a jumbo (never been used!) bobby pin works great.

Seal the remaining edge using your Food Saver machine (mine has a gutter to catch any liquid that manages to escape but so long as you don't overfill the bag, it should be fine).

Those who dealt with my first shake kit batch mishap might understand why I tend to double seal :)

Step Four: Putting it All Together

So if you do decide to do syrup packets (and there is merit in them...they look way impressive) you'll want to affix the syrup packet to the dry packet to make it all easy to transport. To do this, use super strength glue dots (they are like $2 for a gamillion of them at the craft store). Finish it off with a cute label (if you are REALLY feeling crafty) or simply use a marker to label it.

...and there you have it. Shake kits! The idea for the BF Shake Kits came from me actually doing this for myself once weekly. I have a cooking day (where I cook my lunches for work for the week) and I'll also make up shake kits (I usually make two weeks worth at a time so I am making an even number). It takes about 30 minutes to make two weeks worth and I have grab and go shakes!

So like I said, this is a good activity for a rainy or snowy day or as you prepare for your week ahead.

I'm thinking a "shake packet" contest might be in our near future. I bet you guys have some great ideas. Stay tuned!