Nik's Divas Proudly Present: Spagilli!

While I was in Las Vegas my divas were playing with their food.

Apparently the story goes like this. My dear friend Katey bravely agreed to stay with them while I was away and one evening they decided to make Zar's famous chili (Zar = Zariyah = La Petite Diva), which is very similar to my Turkey/TVP Chili, but with a few extra "special" ingredients.

But they found they were missing a few ingredients, namely canned tomatoes. So they decided to use spaghetti sauce. The outcome was actually quite good. They saved me a bowl!

So you all know me. My brain immediately began working on how to carry this recipe to the next level. I thought on it and proposed to the divas the recipe you see here! It's a Southwest/Italian fusion that works on so many levels.

Nik's Divas Present: Spagilli

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large green pepper, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 lb. lean ground meat (we used lowfat turkey)
• 2 Italian sausage links (we used spicy but sweet would work too)
• 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 can of white beans (we used canellini)
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• OPTIONAL: 1/4 tsp ground chipotle pepper (THE MYSTERY INGREDIENT FROM FACEBOOK!) and 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (Just trust and read on, Foodies. Trust and read on!)
• Greek yogurt and either a Mexican or Italian blend cheese (your choice!) for toppers

Directions:

For me it all started with these babies. Much as I love chopping veggies (it's quite cathartic), I was running really late the evening I made this. I keep these in the freezer for those kind of nights when you just need to get dinner on the table! I set a pan over medium heat and sprayed with nonstick and let it get HOT then added these in (along with my garlic) and let them cook about 7-ish minutes.

I then added my ground turkey into the mix and my Italian sausage. Now this is where fusion cooking gets fun. The spices in Italian sausage lent a definite "spaghetti sauce flavor" to the deal, which is why it gor really fun when I added:

BEANS! I chose black beans and cannelini beans for color variation (keeping in mind I was about to dump a bunch of spaghetti sauce in there). But any beans you like should work fine!

Then it was time to spice it up! The divas and I like our food "Oooh, hurt me!" hot. So I added a generous dose of ground chipotle pepper. I get mine from Ye Olde Amish (Amish market) but you can find it in lots of grocery stores, usually where the specialty spices are kept. The amount of heat is directly commensurate to the amount you add and when you add it. Add a little at the end of cooking and you get a very slight kick that isn't too bad. Add a generous dose while you are cooking (cuz heat + spices = more intense flavor) and...ZOO-WEE MAMA! You have some hot stuff on your hands! If you don't like any kick in your food, skip it altogether but I will say chipotle lends not only spicyness but also a very rich, smoky flavor to any dish.

Now don't freak on me about the cocoa. Many chili recipes use it. As do recipes for mole sauce (which has so many damn spices I might need to take out a loan to try to make it!). I decided to add it to this dish anticipating that the spaghetti sauce would give the whole thing a certain "tang" that would lean too heavily on the Italian side. Remember, fusion is about fusing! So the cocoa powder calms the tang down. But your chili will NOT taste like chocolate. I repeat, your chili will not taste like chocolate!

I also added a lot of very uninteresting (in comparison) spices at this point like my chili powder, cumin, coriander and a bit of salt and pepper, along with a pinch of cayenne (cuz we are gluttons for punishment). Notice that all the spices I'm manually adding lend to the Southwest/Mexican part of the fusion. That's because the sausage and spaghetti sauce are bringing the Italian spices. 

Finally I added:

This stuff! I chose garlic and herb because I personally really like garlic. So I cooked the veggies with fresh garlic and paired all that with garlic/herb sauce. I dropped my heat down to low and allowed this all to simmer for about 20 minutes and the result is what you see up above. I personally ate mine with a bit of shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Verdict: YUM! It has a really yummy combo of flavors going on. The Italian Sausage actually shines in this dish, even against the contrasting spices. When I make it in the future I think I'll add a packet of Splenda to help offset the tang even more. But we live, we learn. The cocoa not only calmed down the tang, but it also made the "sauce" of the spagilli rich and velvety and deepened that read color just a shade. 

The divas reactions? La Petite Diva "It's not the same as mine and Miss Katey's but I really like it!" La Grande Diva: "It's different. I sorta like it." (Look, she ate a full bowl of it which, in her world, is an endorsement!)

Now you might ask "If it's spagilli, where's the spaghetti?" Good question! I've learned after years of wasting money and food that my children just aren't that passionate about pasta. So I always make pasta sauce without pasta. BUT for your family, I will say that spagilli goes great over a regular (not thin) spaghetti. You can make it whole wheat to add health value. I'd even say this could work with fetuccine (chili-cine?). 

BF Review: Oscar Meyer Sandwich Combos

You know how some people sleep on flights? Others play on their laptops or read a book. I do magazines. Food magazines. Lots and lots of food magazines.


That’s most often where I get inspiration for the things on this blog. I look at that food and I wonder what I could do to make it healthier/lower cal/more WLS-friendly.

Anyhoo, it was in a food magazine (I think Food Network Magazine) that I read about today’s review subject: Oscar Meyer Sandwich Combos. I was on my way to Michigan to see Pam (yes, I will be referencing that visit for a time to come, thankyouverymuch) and I saw the ad and thought they looked pretty nifty. Got to Michigan and mentioned them to Pam. We tried but could not find them in the local grocery stores there.

When I came home, I was in the store with the kiddos who were begging for Lunchables. When I went to the section where they are stored, I saw them! Of course I wanted to review them, but I know that many of us aren’t inclined toward sandwiches and, even if we are, can scarcely complete everything in this lunch kit. So I wanted to approach this from the standpoint of being a better choice for the whole fam.

So naturally, I had to swindle the divas into trying them with me.

First, let’s go over the basics. There are two types of Sandwich Combos (that I’ve seen): turkey/cheddar and ham/Swiss. Both appear to come with the following: 2 oz. of meat, 1 oz. slice of cheese, a whole-wheat sandwich thin, a packet of mustard (Grey Poupon no less), a 1 oz. bag of Wheat Thins and a 4 oz. chocolate Jell-O Mousse Temptations cup. The front of the box tells me it’s 390 calories (in the “real” world those are damn good stats for lunch) and the back tells me there is 19g of protein (I’ll forgive them that since I’m not officially reviewing it for us).

For me, this is almost the perfect-sized lunch. For you, maybe not so much. So let’s move on to what the divas thought.

First off, they were pretty jazzed about this experiment. Usually their engagement in my blog experiments has them trying veggies they either don’t like or are downright afraid of, so this one was a welcome treat.

Each of the sandwich components are individually wrapped and were easy to open (this is especially important to La Petite Diva, who always has trouble opening packaging for some reason). The amount of meat seemed generous, although I did actually measure it on my handy-dandy portable food scale (doesn’t everyone have one?) and it is, in fact, 2 oz. of meat.

It was all very fresh smelling and tasting. I’d never thought to put Grey Poupon on my sandwich before (I usually don’t buy it because I am the cheapest person alive). It was pretty tasty. (Mental note: pick up some Grey Poupon) I did eat the whole thing. That was a mistake. Although I COULD eat the whole thing, there is a difference between could and should and I KNOW you know what I mean.

S’anyway. The divas also munched theirs down. I was particularly interested in whether this kit satisfied them. They, like me, are hearty eaters. They both reported feeling satisfied by the kit. Their only feedback was that they wished there was something to drink.

“You know what woulda been perfect mom?” La Grande Diva offered up. “If there was a bottled water and a Crystal Light stick in there.” Indeed! For us post-ops, the absence of water actually makes it a perfect little kit, but like I said it’s a bit much for us. It was even a bit much for me. I ate mine at noon and didn’t eat again until 5, even after about 40 oz. of liquid later in the afternoon. The kit also satisfied the divas for quite a good while.

The other addition I’d make, if the world were perfect, would be to have some fresh fruit in there. Some apple slices, a cutie Clementine, something. But to me that’s easy to insert into a child’s lunch if you want it in there. And the price of this thing isn’t outrageously more than the unit price of a lunch I’d pack for them (keeping in mind that I’m sort of a food snob with regards to my children).

School is out for the summer, but I definitely think these are a good thing to check out in general, especially if you ever find yourself on the go and hear the ominous, "Moooooooom (how do kids manage to make that one word seventeen syllables?) I'm hunnnnngry!!!!"

Yeah. For the STFU value alone it's worth every penny. Just sayin'.

Verdict: Diva says Divine!

BF Kid Zone: Strawberry "Tall" Cake Stack-ups



As Bariatric Foodie forges into the future (wow, that was a lot of “f’s”), you’re going to hear me talk more about eating healthy as a whole family. Why? Well, several reasons.

First, because I don’t think that we go into WLS with the intentions of only changing ourselves. While we know and understand that we can’t make others eat more healthfully, we hope. Second, the whole premise of this blog is to enjoy our food lives and part of that enjoyment is sharing meals with others!

For me, those others are my daughters, Annikki and Zariyah (collectively known as “the divas”). Up to now, I haven’t used their names much, mostly because kids Google and I wasn’t sure how they felt about the whole world knowing their mom was a Bariatric diva! Just the other day, they both professed undying pride for what I am doing with Bariatric Foodie and gave me the blessing to share their names with all of you ($10 bucks to the person who can correctly write out the phonetic pronunciation of their names).

S’anyway…how does this all relate to today’s post? Well, this is one of those instances where I went on a mission to find something good for my kiddos. They like dessert. What kid doesn’t? But between school, grandparents, neighbors and their own pocket cash, at the end of the day they’ve consumed WAY more sugar than I want them to. I’m trying in earnest to teach them about moderation but my kids are truly like everyone else’s. They don’t have any interest in learning about balance when it comes to treats.

You might also remember I have a rule about treats in my house. Being a single mom I can have this rule where some of you married folks can’t. In my house, if I can’t have it, neither can they.

Which brings me around to the dessert my lovely little diva is holding. We had a movie night. It was the same night I made that gargantuan whole-wheat lasagna. Later on that evening I served this for dessert. It isn’t a recipe so much as it is a collection of stuff that is well put together. At any rate, here it is:

Nik’s Strawberry “Tall” Cake Stack-ups
(sorry the picture wasn't better. I didn't realize it was so washy until I uploaded it!)
Ingredients

1/6 of a sugar-free angel food cake (I got mine from Super Wal-Mart)
3 heaping tablespoons of whipped cream
3 large, ripe strawberries, sliced
1 tablespoon sugar free strawberry preserves

Directions:

Microwave your strawberry preserves for about 15 seconds or until it turns to liquid.

Cut your cake into two pieces. Set one piece in the bottom of a dessert bowl. Top with about one teaspoon of the warm strawberry preserves.

Top the preserves with whipped cream and then the sliced strawberries. Repeat.

Top it all off with one last dollop of whipped cream for good measure.

Believe it or not, this dessert is not even 150 calories and my kids felt like they hit the jackpot!

So yes, it is possible to recruit your family into the church of healthy eating! Stick with me and I’ll show you more ways to bring your family to the light…

For even more great dessert ideas click here or if you are REALLY brave... here!

Four Cheese Mashed Cauliflower

(Programming Note: If you like this, or any other BF recipe, an easy way to let me know - so I can keep more recipes like it coming - is by clicking one of the "reaction" boxes at the end of the post!)

You ever clean out your refrigerator and find small blocks of random cheese (that's still good) that you forgot you had? Or is that just me?

That happened to me the other day. Here's what I did with it.

Nik's Four Cheese Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets (or two bags frozen florets)

2-4 oz. of three different kinds of cheese (So 6-8 oz. cheese total. You're using a few ounces of each KIND of cheese. I used leftover asiago, monterey jack and sharp cheddar)

1 egg, beaten

6 oz. container Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons light butter spread (I used Blue Bonnet Light), melted

1/4 c. whole wheat bread crumbs (NOTE: Since I first made this recipe I have started nixing the bread crumbs and just letting the cheese brown on top. Even less carbs this way!)

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Dashes of: onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper and paprika

Directions

Boil cauliflower florets until tender, drain and mash (see here for good directions on doing that).

Mix in cheeses, yogurt and whatever spices you like, except the paprika (keep the cauliflower in the pot when you do this). Stir thoroughly then mix in the egg.

Transfer mixture over to a 13 x 9 casserole dish.

In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and "butter."

Spread evenly over cauliflower mixture and top with a dash or two of paprika.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until top is nicely browned.

And for those wondering, "will kids really eat this stuff?" I offer the following evidence. The photo above was taken straight out of the oven. Check out the state of the dish not five minutes after that (and I had not yet had a portion).

Need I say more? But if you want to sell them even more on the idea of cheesy mashed cauliflower, check out my uber-cute cheesy mashed cauliflower cups.



<<< Yesterday's (INSANELY popular) post: Mexican Egg Casserole

BF Kid Zone: Warm Pocket Sandwiches

Someone call the Food CSI. That one on the left looks MURDERED!!!



Sometimes bad things happen to good food.

Even mine. Especially mine. Which is why this recipe underwent my self-imposed three test batches before I even thought about presenting it to you. And yet...something went wrong. As you can see, one of my pocket sandwiches is gorgeous - slightly browned on the outside, cheese bubbling up out of the vent slits, warm and tasty-looking.

The other? Is not. And rather than hide that fact from you guys, I figured I'd go into a bit more detail about what I think went wrong and how you can avoid it!

First the recipe:

Nik's Warm Pocket Sandwiches
(with a 1/2 batch of dough, as prescribed below, it makes 2 non-op sized sandwiches, about 3-4 "us" sized ones)

Ingredients:

1/2 batch of Nik's Carbquik pie crust (note: Atkins Baking Mix works just fine in place of Carbquikin this recipe if that's what you have)

For the pocket on the right I used: shredded low-sodium, low-fat deli ham + 1/2 c. shredded white American cheese

For the pocket on the left I used: about 7 turkey pepperoni, 1/4 c. low-sugar spaghetti sauce and 1/2 c. pizza blend cheese

Optional: A few sprays of low or no-cal butter spray

Directions:

Cut your dough into two pieces. On a floured surface, roll your dough out into a large rectangular shape. (Mistake #1: I let the dough sit out too long so it kept tearing and I kept re-working it into a ball. I'd stashed the other half of the dough ball back in the fridge. In hindsight, I should have put that one in the fridge for a few minutes as well. Then I proceeded to over flour the dough to prevent it from sticking)

Do you see the cracks around the edges??? That never bodes well with dough. Never.

In the middle of your dough, place whatever filling you are going to use. Recommended order: cheese, meat/veggies, sauce, more cheese). Make sure to leave a good amount of the perimeter of the dough untouched so you can fold it properly. (Mistake #2: I put the filling way too close to the edge of the dough and I got a bit heavy handed with the sauce).

I was still holding onto hope at this point...



Wet your fingertips and run them along the permeter of the dough. Fold the top and the bottom of the dough over and then roll it from right to left (as if you were rolling a burrito or wrap). Wet your fingertips again and pinch the sides of the dough closed and fold them over. (Since my dough was way too warm and too dry, I had cracks in it from the onset).

Bake at 350 for about 12-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown (again, I did this in the toaster ove). Allow to cool before serving.

Ok, so a few observations:

1. This is a recipe I've made a gajillion times but only when I have extra dough. While it is cool to say you know how to make your own "Hot Pocket," the availability of Lean Pockets in the store makes the "from scratch" method a bit less appealing. Your mileage may vary.
2. One appeal of making these yourself is that the stats are way better on them (no, I'm not giving you the stats...but nice try). If you use Carbquik there is TONS of fiber, with Atkins Baking Mix there's a good deal of protein. If you use a lower-calorie baking spread instead of butter in the dough, you cut down on the fat considerably.
3. Although my pepperoni pizza sandwich was not aesthetically pleasing, La Petite Diva (who got this for dinner) said it tasted amazing. I took a bite. I would have to agree ;)

But in general you want your sandwich to look like this one:

Peeps...please note this is the non-op sized one. For me, I'd make this about half the size



I wish I had a shot of the open sandwich that turned out well but La Grande Diva, in all her pre-pubescent splendor, fell asleep early yesterday evening while I was cooking and didn't awaken until this morning (after much threatening). When I get that shot, I'll add it. Until then, play with your food! And if you come up with something good, PLEASE...send it my way! I love to see what you're cooking.

BF Family Style: Nik's Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap



We've begun to post kid-friendly recipes, but not very many things geared toward the whole family.

My family is my kids and I, but I realize some of you have hungry spouses who want to eat well too. My kids and I used to be McDonald’s fanatics before surgery (I stopped being one when I read “Fast Food Nation,” the divas stopped by force…i.e. me). Nowadays, both budget and health concerns keep us from eating out much anymore.

I already posted my answer to the limited edition McDonald’s “Mac Wrap” and that’s a favorite in our family. Here’s another.

Nik’s Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap

(this yields enough for at least two “you-sized” + three non-op sized individual portions)

Ingredients:

2-3 oz. grilled chicken bites (I use the Fit & Active brand from Aldi, Costco also has a brand called “Naked Nuggets” or you could just use 1 pound of chicken breast tenderloins cut into one-inch pieces)

8 slices of turkey bacon

1 c. Shredded cheddar cheese (1/4 c. for each wrap)

Four whole wheat wraps (I also use the Fit & Active which have the same stats as the more pricey Flatout wraps)

8 tbsp Light Ranch dressing (I used Fit & Active also but prefer Hidden Valley, 2 tbsp for each wrap)

Optional:

Shredded Lettuce
Tomato slices
Red onion slivers

Directions:

If you are making these from the pre-cooked grilled chicken nuggets, all you need to do is throw them in a sprayed pan to warm them through. If making from raw chicken, cook thoroughly and sprinkle both sides lightly with salt and pepper. If you have a grill pan, that works well.

While doing this, cook up your turkey bacon to your desired level of crispness.

Nuke the wrap for about 10 seconds just to make it more pliable then sprinkle the cheese over the entire wrap.

I got all wrapped up in this yummy dish! (/end corniness)

Add chicken, bacon and any garnishes you like and top with the ranch dressing.

Fold the top and bottom of your wrap then fold the sides over and slice in half.

Yummmmmmmm...

I served this to my youngest daughter with apple slices and peanut butter dip.

Nik’s Ridiculously Simple Peanut Butter Dip
2 heaping tbsp unflavored 0% Greek yogurt
2 tsp peanut flour (PB2 or Trader Joe’s brand)
2 packets of Splenda (or 1 tsp out of the bag)

Mix in a container and serve!

You could also serve this with a side of my zucchini fries. Just sayin...
This is a lunch I feel good about serving to my kids and you can feel good serving it to your family. Some notes: yes, you can use regular bacon if that is what your heart desires. For some freakish reason, both me and the divas like turkey bacon better. If you use pork bacon, I’d suggest, for convenience, using the pre-made kind and just nuking it to get it crispy.

Also, in these kinds of posts I often get questions about how much of this I can actually eat. I can eat about half a wrap with no garnishes on it. I usually opt to just make it for the divas and have a bite of theirs. I’m weird like that :)

BF Kid Zone: Easy Cheesy Noodles!

~~By Nikki

Served on our quasi-Asian inspired plates with chopsticks. The girls usually abandon the sticks after about 3 minutes though!

Parents: raise your hand if you've ever found yourself in this situation. You had the day from hell at work, you pick up the kids and they are cranky and hungry. They drive you NUTS on the way home and by the time you get to your house you would much rather take a nose-dive into a tub full of bubbles than see to their hungry bellies.

If you've not experienced this yet...I envy you. Happens to me at least once a week.

That's why I keep an arsenal of super-quick and kid-friendly meals at my disposal for just such occasions. The recipe I'm sharing today is not "me" friendly (meaning not-WLS friendly) but it is a good choice for your kids and gets you in and out of the kitchen in about 15 minutes.

So here's how it goes down.



RAMEN! Not as evil as you might think. The thing I find evil about these super cheap soup packets are these guys:

The spice packets. They've got about a cabillion milligrams of sodium that you don't want your kids consuming. Trust me, there isn't enough water in the world to make those packets healthier. So I throw them out. And what I'm left with is a very versatile little noodle.

Nik's Easy Cheesy Noodle Bowl (for kids!)
(makes 3 "ok appetite" kid portions, 2 "hearty appetite" portions)

Ingredients:

2 packets of Ramen (doesn't matter what flavor since we're not using the spice packet)
1/2 c. frozen chopped broccoli (the kind that looks like a brick and costs like $1)
1/2 c. shredded cheese (whatever kind you like, I had Mexican blend on hand so that's what I used)
4 slices of pre-cooked bacon
Any other small chopped veggies you think you can get away with (something red might be nice like a red pepper)
1/8 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp each of onion powder and garlic powder
A pinch of ground black pepper

Directions:

Get a pot of water boiling and to it add the salt. When it comes to a simmer, add the Ramen noodles and broccoli pieces. Boil for three minutes and then drain and return to the pot. If you are using other veggies that aren't frozen, add them into the mixture after you've drained the noodles.

While the noodles are boiling, microwave your pre-cooked bacon for 1 minute or until crispy. Then blot the excess oil off of them with a paper towel. Chop into bacon bits.

Add your bacon bits, other seasonings and cheese and stir well. If the noodles seem sticky, add a splash of milk to loosen them up. Serve in bowls while hot!

This is one of maybe four ways I can convince the divas to eat broccoli. They devour this! And it's a win-win. I get in and out of the kitchen (and closer to letting Calgon take me away) and they get a delicious dinner that I can feel good about giving them.

BF Kid Zone (part deux): Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower Cups

~by Nikki



I feel like I've deceived you peeps. The way I talk about my divas, you'd think they were these little culinary adventurers, ready to take on every new veggie and protein source with an open mind and an empty stomach.

No. Sometimes when I propose (or make) new dishes they, like you, look at me like I am flippin' crazy.

And sometimes they like what I make (like the chicken nuggets I posted yesterday), sometimes they don't. They are not inherent vegetable fans. I get them their veggies employing a combination of trickery, magic and bullying. But no...my kids aren't very different from your kids. The only difference (maybe...cuz I don't know your kids) is that if they don't eat what I cook, they have few other choices. So they usually err on the side of eating what I cook.

Anyhoo...one thing they did like (color me surprised) is cheesy mashed cauliflower. I like the stuff too. You can't go wrong with it! Well over Thanksgiving, my cousin made her mac 'n cheese, but she made it in super cute cupcake cups. She's been trying hard to support me in my new lifestyle so she thought making them this way would encourage portion control across the family.

Well...I don't know that it worked out that way. I saw some folks working on their fifth and sixth cup. But I thought it was a cute idea and I know my divas love good food presentation! So I tinkered with it and came up with a recipe that was a hit!

Nik's "007" Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower Cups
(I call them that because I went "covert" and snuck some other veggies in there)

Ingredients

1 medium head of cauliflower (or you could go all "semi-homemade" and get a bag of froze florets)
6 slices of turkey bacon, chopped
1 small onion, diced
1/2 yellow squah, finely diced
1/2 zucchini, finely diced
1 c. sharp shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. mild shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion salt
Black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Excuse my clutter. I have that kind of kitchen :)



Step One: First, pre-heat your oven for 350. Next, bring a pot of water to boil and add your cauliflower florets. Cook until tender. They'll usually turn slightly yellowish in color when they are done. Meanwhile, in a pan, cook bacon until nearly crispy, then add onions, zucchini and yellow squash and sautee until vegetables are tender.



Step Two: Mash them cauliflowers! Pulverize them! Go ahead...take out your frustations from your husband/wife/teenager/newborn/boss/uncle/mom/dad...it's cathartic!



Step Three: Mix veggie mixture and cauliflower until well blended.

Step Four: Line a baking sheet with cupcake cup liners (my advice from experience...get the foil ones or some heavy paper ones. I'll tell you why in a minute). Fill them half-way with veggie mixture, then sprinkle them with cheese.

Step Five: Fill them the rest of the way up with veggie mixture and top with more cheese.

Step Six: Bake them at 350 for 30 minutes.

Observations:

First off, there was no doubt about the taste. The kids liked it and barely noticed the veggies. When we taste tested them, both girls wanted a second cup (see...that's the tricky part...do you give it to them peeps? Do you?)

I think you should use a heavier duty cupcake cup, though, because if you want to serve this hot (and you do) a flimsy cup will tear on you and you'll be wondering if you're eating cauliflower or cupcake cup paper. Foil ones work fine. I even saw Christmasy foil ones for folks who are into that.

At any rate, I felt a BIG sense of accomplishment. I got my kids to willingly eat vegetables. Do you know how big that is???

For you all, play around with this one. Maybe you don't like squash. That's fine. I could see a mixture of cauliflower and chopped brocolli working well. Or bell peppers. Or a million other things. If you come up with something good, hit us up. We'd love to hear (and see) all about it! Play with your food!



Chick-Fil-A Swap: Kid AND WLS-friendly Chicken Nuggets

~by Nikki

When having weight loss surgery, many of us are concerned about how our kids will react to our new lifestyles. We tend to indulge children with cookies, cake, candy and snacks - things we won't be able to eat anymore. Will we be able to handle it? Will our kids resent us if we try to change their eating too?

I understand. I have two girls, as you all probably know, and when I decided to have weight loss surgery, in a way, they decided to do it too. I can't afford to make several different meals a night, so they eat what I eat. We have one default dinner choice - grilled chicken Caesar salad (only because it takes like 5 minutes to make and I ALWAYS have the ingredients on hand).

But most of the time it isn't necessary to do a huge overhaul of what your kids eat. More often you just need to take a look at how you make the things they already like.

Take this dish for example. What kid doesn't love chicken nuggets (for the few of you who raised your hand...sorry!)? But most of us get nuggets a la McDonald's where everything from the chicken to the buns is stuffed to the brim with corn products, their chickens are genetically modified and who knows how they cook those suckers.

Yowsa. It's kind of scary when you think about it. Read Fast Food Nation, people. It's eye opening.

This is a stand-by kid and weight loss surgery friendly meal that my kids like a lot. The good thing about this is that you can play with the recipe to get the way YOUR kids like it. And you can get creative! We've made these using cookie cutters (not in the above...but we've done it) to make shaped nuggets, we've experimented with dipping sauces, the whole nine. Get funky with it!

Nik's Kid and WLS Friendly Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken breasts

1/3 c. unflavored Greek yogurt

2 eggs, beaten

1 canister whole wheat panko bread crumbs (when making just for me, I usually use  2 cups of my beloved Fiber One crumbs -just Fiber One whizzed through the blender - but I've heard back that they give a slightly "sweet" taste...I still love them!)

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Step One (the night before you are to make the nuggets): Place your chicken in a zip-top bag with the Greek yogurt. Make sure to get the chicken nice and coated. Leave it in the fridge overnight. ("But why Nik?") Those same cultures that are so good for your guts are also good for tenderizing meat. I marinate nearly all my chicken in Greek yogurt before cooking. It comes out tender and juicy and I cannot taste the yogurt in the finished product.

Step Two: Pre-heat your oven to 350. Remove chicken from baggie and wrap in plastic wrap. Pound down to an even 1/4 inch thickness (in the below my meat mallet broke so I didn't get it down to where I wanted it. If you like yours thicker, that's fine. Adjust your cooking time up accordingly.)

Step Three: Slice chicken into long strips.

Step Four: Then, cut it into bite-sized pieces (whatever that means for your kids, your mileage may vary).

(By the way...the  hand in the purple sleeve is La Petite Diva...get your kids in the kitchen peeps!)

Step Five: In a bowl, mix about a cup of your panko crumbs (keep them handy...you may have to re-load, which is why I didn't specify an amount. I use a different amount each time I make these!) with parmesan cheese and spices. Then set up a dredging station with your chicken on one end, followed by your egg, your crumb mixture and, finally, a cookie sheet. 

Step Six: Dredge your chicken pieces in the egg and the crumb mixture. For extra crispy nuggets, re-dredge. Line them up on a cookie sheet as you go.

Step Seven: Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. Flip them over and bake another 10-15 minutes. Cool before serving!

Now for the fun part...dip! You can make really cool dips based on what your kids like. Here are some combos we've tried and liked:

Dijon mustard + a bit of honey = honey mustard

Ranch dressing + a bit of BBQ sauce = BBQ ranch

Ranch dressing + juice from adobo peppers = Chipotle ranch

Greek yogurt + dry ranch dressing mix = protein ranch dip

Those are just a few ideas to get you started. Tomorrow I'll give you the recipe to a totally awesome "faux starch" to serve alongside!

Nik's Corndog Bites

~by Nikki



If you’ve read this blog for a while, and have seen my forays with Thai Chicken and Banana Bon-Bons, you know that I have a certain affection for food on a stick.

Well I’d been thinking lately that I need to add to my collection of stick food offerings on the blog and what better way to do that than with the classic: the corn dog!

Now I know what you’re saying. “A corndog?!? A fatty, carby corn dog?!?!” Don’t worry…I’ve got you covered. And I even found a way for newer folks to be able to eat this. So let’s do it!

I made this from the leftover cornbread batter from one of my Holiday Preview offerings. But I’ve made it before. The tricky part, for me, about this is that you don’t need much. So what I’ve started doing is making a batch of cornbread and just leaving out about a fourth of the mix to use for corn dogs. That’s infinitely easier than trying to figure out just the right amount of ingredients to coat five dogs (two for each diva and one for me).

So, whereas yesterday I gave you one shake two ways, today you get an instant recipe remix! (I should stop. I’m spoiling you.)

First up, the cornbread. Totally marriage between “5 Ingredient Fix” and “Semi-Homemade”

Nik’s Low(er) Carb Cornbread

1 pkg. corn muffin mix (I like corn muffin mix better than cornbread but your mileage may vary)
1 c. Atkins baking mix or Carbquik
2 eggs
1/3 c. canola oil
1 c. milk

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour into a well-sprayed baking pan and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until a fork inserted in the center comes out clean.

You can use this for a variety of things: stuffing (let it sit in the oven overnight to get a little stale first), as a side dish. And, of course, you can set aside batter to make corn dogs!

On to the doggies.

Nik’s Corndog Bites

(this is the recipe for one serving. Multiply up as you see fit)
1 fat-free hot dog (I used Oscar Meyer)
¼ c. Nik’s low(er) carb cornbread batter
2 tablespoons flour (as a bariatric food purist, I used Carbquik)
Toothpicks
A zip-top baggie

Directions:

Put your flour in a baggie.

Cut your hot dog into six pieces of equal size and drop them into the baggie and shake. It will come out looking like this:

One by one, spear the pieces of hot dog with a toothpick and shake off the excess flour. Dip them into the cornbread batter and make sure they are well coated. (And, if you are neurotic like me, use a knife to make sure the batter is well distributed). You DO NOT want a ton of batter on this. The batter will puff up and you will have a monstrocity. A thin layer is advised. Here's a pic of my little doggie swimming in the batter:



Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray it down. Place your dogs on it and bake at 350 for about 12 minutes. These puppies cook fast so keep an eye on them. I did mine in the toaster oven.

And of course, I gotta give you the money shot!



Now you can dip these in whatever you want. I’m a ketchup gal. But if you have a good corndog dip recipe (especially a spicy one!),  send it our way!

BF Top 5: Kid-friendly food stuff

~by Nikki

La  Petite Diva (left), La Grande Diva (right)

Do you have kids? I do. Two of them. See above :)

Both of them are gorgeous. Both of them are practical and independent. But both of them weigh just a bit more than they should for their age.

When I made the decision to have weight loss surgery, in many ways, I made decisions on their behalves too. What you see here on BF is what I eat. And what I eat is what they eat. Since my children were still relatively young when I had surgery (6 and 8), I think it’s affected some of their eating habits. They don’t like a lot of pasta. They eat rice in moderation. Soda is truly a treat for them (and one for which they will love you forever if you give it to them). They are notorious label readers (mostly for the purposes of convincing me to buy their preferred food items) and down right experts in what mom can and cannot eat. What can I say? These are my children after all.

I get asked pretty often how I relate to my children regarding food. It occurs to me that part of what I can claim as success is owed to arming myself with good equipment. So here’s some of the things I use to keep my children excited about healthy eating:

A good, sturdy thermos

Why: The sandwich gig gets old sometimes. My kids sometimes like to take chili and other things in their school lunches. With these, I can heat up their chili super hot and it’s still warm by lunch time. Throw in a few whole wheat crackers, a piece of fruit and a sugar-free drink and we’re good to go!

Popsicle molds

Why: You can make all sorts of things with these suckers! I tend to make smoothies into “smoothie pops.” While my youngest likes my protein pops (basically a protein shake poured into the mold), my oldest prefers a non-protein option. So I just mix up some Greek yogurt, Splenda, frozen fruit and a little milk and pour into these molds. It makes a healthy, tasty alternative to ice cream!

Ice Cream Maker

Why: Because sometimes only ice cream will do, frankly. And with this I get to choose what goes into the ice cream. Both my kids seem to enjoy protein ice cream (thank you Eggface!) and it’s something I can share with that. Which makes me very, very happy.

Dipping cups

Why: Find me a kid who isn’t at least intrigued by dip, and I’ll show you a really picky eater! We’ve gotten messages from pouchers who claim their kids won’t eat any dip. We advise them to keep trying. Nearly every kid has “their” dip, be it cheesy, chocolatey, peanut buttery or otherwise. These little cups work great to pack in lunch boxes and for home use.

Water containers

Why: Well, besides the obvious, a good, stylish water container is sort of a status symbol in schools these days. Kids feel cool that they have something that represents their style and you feel good that they aren’t drinking soda all day long.

…and lastly here is a “soon to be incorporated” item

A Bento Box

Why: The compartments help ensure good portion control while providing space for a variety of foods. And they’re just darn cute. I think cuteness matters to little girls. And of course there are styles for "my boys" too. But to them I think it matters more that they can stomp on it and it won't break (mothers of boys...correct me if I'm wrong!).

So that's just a few of the weapons in my "healthy eating for kids" aresenal. Try some of them out. Your kids might just surprise you in how they respond!