Christmas Morning Breakfast Ideas

~~posted by Jen

Nik's Southwestern Scramble

In my family we have a tradition of waking up early on Christmas morning, opening gifts, and then enjoying a nice breakfast together as a family. I know that is pretty common in most families. You want a delicious meal for your family that won't blow YOUR plan, but how to do that without lots of work and mess?

We've got your back! Nik and I love coming up with tasty weekend morning breakfast treats, so we already have quite a few you can refer to that are both easy to make and something that everyone will love for the perfect Christmas morning spread.

You can set up a "Parfait Bar" with the ingredients for my Daybreak Protein Parfait and let everyone help themselves. Put some pretty glasses at one end, then each ingredient in a separate bowl so people can make them however they like.

Put a platter of fresh fruit alongside the parfait bar, with a thermos of coffee and a carafe of something cold to drink. I like to mix the Diet V8 Fusion Juice with a little bit of Diet Sprite or Club Soda for a refreshing alternative to Fruit Juice. If you're early out and not cleared for carbonated drinks, you can serve it without the "fizzy mix-in." A big pitcher of Crystal Light Sunrise is a good replacement for Orange Juice.

Now let's talk about the main dish. Depending on what your family prefers, we have a few tasty choices. SOS is always a breakfast favorite, served on toast. It's also delicious on grits if your family likes grits.

Creamed Chipped Beef AKA "SOS"

Vegetarians in the crowd who don't eat eggs? Nik's Vegetarian Breakfast Tostada is a delicious alternative for the non-carnivores who also happen to not eat eggs. (I know there is an official term for that, but I can't think of it at this moment.)

If your family is into eggs and you have a big crowd to feed, I'd say one of my Frittatas or Nik's Southwestern Scramble would be just the ticket. You can double any of the recipes to feed more than 8 people. For a smaller crowd, Nik's Egg Rosettes are delicious and festive.

If you need to get food out quickly, then I wouldn't suggest making these as the main dish for a big crowd of mostly non-ops, because you can only make them in batches of 12 or so. For larger groups, they are perfect side "bites" and everyone always raves over them. Protein Latkes make a delicious accompaniment to any of these main dishes.



Bananas Foster French Toast



More into sweet things? How about Stuffed French Toast is a good one, as is the Bananas Foster French Toast. If you're making this for a large crowd, I wouldn't waste a whole loaf of P-28 bread feeding non-ops. (But then I am cheap like that.) Substitute your favorite multigrain bread and it works just as well.

If you need a "grab and go" type breakfast that everyone can eat on the way to Grandma's house, make up a big batch of "Egg Nik-Muffins" and you're good to go! We hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas morning together. Merry Christmas and a very Happy and Healthy New Year!

Poll Results: Coconut Macaroons and Covert Baking

~by Nikki

I asked. You voted! And I am going to pass off my sugar free coconut macaroons to my non-op family and friends!

But I think you guys let me off a bit easy. Because I didn’t really have to write up a post since we already have these cookies on the blog.

So…to assuage my deep sense of guilt over this, I wanted to go into a subject that is near and dear to my heart – covert cooking. Or, in this case, covert baking.

What is it? And why do it?

I define covert baking as baking a traditionally unhealthy treat using healthier ingredients and (here’s the defining part) giving them away as if they were the original version.

Why do it? Well, for me it’s cathartic. Non-ops put me through a lot of changes on a daily basis and doing this is my way of “sticking it to them” in a constructive manner. I mean imagine it, your aunt who insists on making dishes you can’t eat for EVERY family gathering. You are handing her an uber-healthy cookie and smiling sweetly as she walks away. Then the pinnacle of the experience is months later when she openly shows her disdain for healthy substitutes and you go, “but you raved about my sugar free cookies that I gave you for Christmas…” (Bat eyes sweetly and smile. It’s priceless people…it really is…).

It’s a way of getting back without being mean. I mean, really? What is mean about giving someone healthy food? It’s sort of a “kill them with kindness” deal.

Now let’s go over what covert baking does not mean:

1. It does not mean sugar-free (necessarily). There are plenty of substitutes for sugar. You can use honey, agave nectar, or Stevia. All are acceptable substitutes for sucrose. If you don’t understand anything I just said, check out our “Sugar Shock” series for the low down.
2. It does not mean high protein (necessarily). Yes, I know it would be icing on the cake to slip someone a protein enhanced dish but think of this…protein powder ain’t cheap and do you really want to waste it on someone who won’t appreciate it?
3. It is not meant to re-invent the wheel. That is to say, here on BF we do a lot of re-imagining food, especially when we can’t have it in the exact form we had it before. In covert baking, that would sort of defeat the point. Your goal is to make it look, act, smell and taste like the original as closely as possible.

Some tips on covert baking:

1. Embellishment. Make things look pretty and they taste that much better.
2. Like I said, don’t go overboard. Just make a few sensible swaps that don’t drastically affect the taste and texture of what you are making.
3. This is not for you! So while you can taste test…remember the point is to give it away!
4. Discretion! It’s hard to contain yourself as you give away your treats, I know. But the fun is in keeping it to yourself until just the right moment. Recognize that this moment may never arrive and you might just have to giggle behind people’s backs about this forever, k?

In the very near future I’ll give some tips about covert cooking. It’s a similar endeavor but there are some challenges specific to covert cooking that we’ll cover.

As for the cookies…I’ll report back on how they were received. They already have the post-op seal of approval from my good friend Pam, who received some as a gift this past summer. So I’m sure they’ll get rave reviews among my loved ones. Especially my stepdad…who delighted in frying bacon and stinking up the whole house when I was only four days post-op! Take THAT stepdaddy! ;)

Holiday Party Post-op WLS Style

~~posted by Jen

Submitted by our pal Christine S, she made Nik's pumpkin roll cake. 

'Tis the season! Lots of shopping, busy schedules, running hither and yon trying to get it all done. Sound familiar? Of course at some point in the next few weeks, you're expected to have some guests over to your house for drinks and nibbles, or something of the sort.

Holiday entertaining does NOT have to be stressful. So quit freaking out, take a deep breath, and let's make a plan here! I (humbly) consider myself pretty good at throwing together a slamming party in a hurry, for very little cash and effort. I've had years of practice!

I love love love having people over, even if I don't have two nickels to rub together, as my Granny would say. You can set out a delicious and WLS-friendly appetizer buffet, make a big bowl of WLS-friendly punch or Hot Mulled Cider Mocktail, put some good music on, and it's a holiday party!

Here's your Bariatric Foodie menu for a WLS-friendly Holiday Party that will have your friends and family begging for more! Best of all, they won't even know it's healthy!

Dips and Spreads:
Jen's Cuban Sandwich Spread
Creamy Crab Dip
Curried Chicken Salad
Jane's Spicy Jalapeno Dip

Creamy Crab Dip

Appetizers/Finger Foods:
Spinach Balls
Nik's Magic Meatballs
Tilapia Stuffed Mushrooms
Thai Chicken Skewers

Spinach Balls

Desserts:
Nik's protein cheesecake
Jen's chocolate trifle
Nik's pumpkin roll cake
Nik's cheesecake cheeseball with fruit slices

Protein Cheesecake Cheeseball

Drinks:
Hot Mulled Cider
Nik's Sugar Free Egg Nog
Witches' Brew Punch (call it Happy Holidays Punch)
Nik's Citrus Green Tea
Nik's ideas for Flavored Waters

Hot Mulled Cider

So there's your menu, all you need now is to light a few candles, turn on the Christmas tree, and light the fireplace. Don't have a fireplace? Put a Yule Log DVD in the DVD player and it will put one on your tv screen.

Now all that's left is to set up some tunes on the stereo. Here are a few of my personal favorite Holiday albums that are excellent in the background of a party. (Yes, I have eccentric taste in music, thanks for noticing.)

Music Suggestions:
 Harry Connick, Jr--When My Heart Finds Christmas



Harry Connick, Jr--Harry For The Holidays

Bing Crosby--Christmas Classics

Etta James--12 Songs of Christmas

Martina McBride--White Christmas

Glee Cast--The Music, The Christmas Album

 Various Artists--Now That's What I Call A Country Christmas

 Taylor Swift--Holiday Collection/ Sounds of the Season

 Louis Armstrong & Friends--The Christmas Collection



Ella Fitzgerald--Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas


There you have it, a simple yet fabulous holiday party all on one page! So call your friends, set out some snacks, and relax and enjoy your guests!

BF Crafty Corner: Thanksgiving Decorating Ideas Part 1

~~posted by Jen  


"Hello, my name is Jen, and I am addicted to seasonal decorating. I hit rock bottom when I had a temper tantrum at Christmas Tree Shoppe in Freehold, NJ because they only had 5 matching placemats for my tablescape and I needed 6."

Yes, I admit it. No shame here. I love for my house and yard to be decorated for every season or holiday. There is a very good reason my neighbors used to call me the Martha Stewart of Cliffwood Beach! Sadly, I don't live in Cliffwood Beach anymore.

What I am calling home these days is not "my" house, but in my inimitable fashion, I have stepped up to the challenge of making it mine. Not that the actual homeowners are always on board with that plan, but fear is a powerful motivator in small doses. Especially when it's coated in a sweetly irresistible accent. Not that I ever use that to my advantage or anything ***eyelash flutter***.

ANYWAY...since I know many of you share my love of making things look pretty, we decided to add a new feature called "Crafty Corner" to share holiday decorating ideas. We typically show some easy ideas at our regional Pouch Party™ events, like the Holiday Preview we just did in Baltimore. So it only made sense to share a few with you here on the blog as well!

My decorating budget is considerably less than what it once was, but I still like to make things look nice. It's important to me and, most of all, it makes me HAPPY! So I put together a few simple and inexpensive ideas for centerpieces for your Thanksgiving table.

If your Thanksgiving set up is anything like mine typically is, there will be several tables with food in addition to the main dining table. I like to place a small decorative item on each table, with the main centerpiece on the larger table where we'll actually be eating.

The cheaply chic crafter's best friend is a trifle bowl. It's more cost effective to get the set of several, that way you have plenty for both decorations AND delicious desserts like my Chocolate Trifle. I promise we will share many, many ways to utilize said trifle bowls in the future! Hey, maybe I should write a book....1001 things to do with a trifle bowl. No? Just a thought.

S'anyway, here's a pretty and simple idea using things you most likely already have or that are easy to find.
Layer small pine cones, baby pumpkins (real or plastic), and some autumn-colored flowers in a trifle bowl until it's full to the top.

Shown here on a cornucopia table runner ($5 from Dollar General) with plastic pumpkin topiaries on each side ($2 at Michael's). This entire set up cost $18 including the trifle bowl.

This looks very pretty on your table AND doesn't cost a fortune! Don't have a trifle bowl? No problem! Use the same items in a gold or brown basket. Bonus with the gold one, you can use it for Christmas also.

Basket was on clearance at Michael's for $3, so this whole set up cost $12 and looks quite elegant.

Now a couple of ideas for the actual buffet tables, or maybe even at individual place settings if you have a more intimate gathering for dinner. I love the challenge of finding things I already have in the house and re-purposing them for holiday decorations. These vintage green glass ice cream dishes have been in my cupboard just gathering dust, but they make a beautiful autumn votive holder with a green or gold candle burning in it. I placed a couple of the small items around it just to dress it up a bit.

The votives are great if you want to make sure your guests can see each other clearly over the centerpieces. You could also do a grouping of these together to make a larger "centerpiece."

Much like we tell you to play with your food and come up with your own twists on our recipes, mix it up and get creative with the things you already have to make something pretty and impressive. Tomorrow we'll share a few more ideas for quick and inexpensive decor.

Sugar Free Jellied Cranberry Sauce

~~posted by Jen

Yesterday I posted the Comprehensive Thanksgiving Recipe tips along with my Whole Berry version of Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce. I know some people are purists and don't like actual berries in their sauce, so this is the Sugar Free Jellied version.

My camera is still MIA, it's somewhere here in the remodelling mania. Hopefully I will find it since Dessert Week starts tomorrow and I need to take pics of my scrumptious creations! We'll still be sharing more Turkey Day tips, decorating and centerpiece ideas, along with the desserts, right up until the big day. No need to stress over your holiday cooking, we've got you covered!

Don't stress about those leftovers, either! Because all week NEXT week is Leftovers Week, we'll show you how to turn those turkey day leftovers into deliciously different meals that fit your plan AND please the fam!

Nik will kick us off tomorrow morning with something sweet and delicious that will perfectly complement your Thanksgiving meal. In the meantime, here's how to make the Jellied style Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce. Enjoy!




Pic Totally Jacked From Google


Jen's Sugar Free Jellied Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup 100 percent Cranberry juice (NOT Cocktail, use the Light or No Sugar Added)

1 cup Splenda

1 pound fresh Cranberries

1 (0.3 ounce)box sugar free Orange Jello gelatin(you could use strawberry or raspberry, not aware of a cranberry flavored one. The orange is a nice complement to the Cranberry)

Directions:

Wash the cranberries, remove any stems, and discard any soft or wrinkled berries.

Combine the cranberry juice and Splenda in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cranberries and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the mixture thickens.

Do not cook for more than 15 minutes as the pectin in the berries will start to break down and the sauce will not set as well. Remove from the heat, whisk in the box of Jello, and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Note: If you are early out, or don't want any actual berries in your sauce, strain the mixture through a sieve before whisking in the Jello.

Carefully spoon the cranberry sauce into a 3 cup mold. Place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours and up to overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator, overturn the mold and slide out the sauce. Slice and serve.

BF Survival Guide: Thanksgiving Dinner (after weight loss surgery)

~by Nikki

Well Turkey Day is just a week away and we know that some of you are freaking out a little bit, especially if you are a new post-op.

Thanksgiving is a holiday for counting our blessings, enjoying our family...and sharing an outrageously large and over-caloric meal. It's the American way and no amount of self-help talk can get us around that.

But you know what we say here at BF...always, always, always have a strategy.

To that effect, we've compiled this collection of tips to get you up to, and through, the day without going crazy, falling completely off the wagon or depriving yourself of the wonderful foods Thanksgiving has to offer.

Turkey Day Tip #1:  "He (or She) who makes the meal, determines the meal content"

...but that does NOT mean you have to go around advertising your first annual healthy Thanksgiving dinner. We know you are excited about all the wonderful and healthy recipes and cooking methods you've learned (and we hope you learned a good deal of them here), but the fastest way to turn a non-op off is to advertise that something is healthy. For whatever reason it translates in their minds as bland and flavorless.

What to do instead? Make your wonderful, healthy dishes with yummy ingredients. Don't stray too far away from the Thanksgiving paradigm though. Just make the dishes you always made but make a few smart substitutions: use low-sodium fat-free chicken broth for your stuffing and in your gravy, use 100% whole wheat bread for your stuffing, make your own no-sugar added cranberry sauce (Jen is going to post her fabulous recipe later this week), do a no-sugar added pumpkin or apple pie.

But here is the key: put it on the table (or buffet...or counter...or whatever you use to serve) and then walk away! Say nothing. Let people enjoy the food. We always feel we need to "warn" people that something is healthy, but why? Unless there is a real reason to let someone know (say, they are allergic to sugar substitutes), what they don't know won't hurt them.

Turkey Day Tip #2: At the family dinner, learn the "Rules of Three's"

 What are the rules of three's? There are two from our perspective (thought we were gonna say there were three rules, didn't ya???): The "three bite rule" and the "three minute" rule.

The "three bite rule" - This is geared toward moderation. When facing a room full of food you think you can't have, one of three things is bound to happen. Either you will a) get really moody because you feel resentful b) your obvious longing for the food will make everyone else uncomfortable eating it or c) you'll set yourself up to think you are "cheating" which usually results in over-indulgence. Instead, re-write that story! You can have whatever you want from the dinner table. Eat a bit of protein first and then with the more carby stuff, allow yourself approximately three bites of it. Want some pumpkin pie? Three bites. Want that homemade mac 'n cheese? Three bites!

Newbies: if you don't know what you dump on yet (or even if you dump) go straight to the next rule.

Or better yet, make sure there are desserts you can eat! Like my drool-worthy cheesecake, Jen's fabulous chocolate trifle, or if you really want to get daring you can attempt my protein pumpkin roll cake! Or click here for lots more dessert ideas!

The "three minute rule" - This rule can be a pain in the butt. But it's saved me from getting sick so many times I can't even tell you. If there is something served where you don't know if you will dump, take a bite. Chew it, swallow it. Then wait three minutes. That's long enough to let your pouch (or sleeve, or stomach or whatever you call your anatomy) have its reaction. If nothing happens, proceed with caution. Eat slowly and chew well. If you feel even the slightest bit icky, pass on the rest of the dish. It's not worth taking the risk!

Turkey Day Tip #3: It's not called Thanks-GIVING for nothing

I don't know about you but leftovers bug the hell outta me. I don't like them because I never eat them all. And unlike many of you, my day job involves being in the realities of hungry children (and adults) in Africa. So mentally? I can't deal with throwing away a lot of food. To this effect I have a tip and I have some good news.

First the tip. If you are hosting the dinner, give away as much food as you can! Make it easy for people to take food home. I always buy those styrofoam "take out" containers from my local restaurant supply store. They look like this:

Pssst...clicking the link will take you to where you can order some for yourself!

They are a godsend. People see those and they think, "yeah...I can take something home..." And then you don't have to worry about it. If you are attending a family potluck, bring your dishes in aluminum pans from the grocery store...and quietly leave them there! Yes, that kinda sucks on your hosts but hey...you've given them a yummy treat to enjoy and really? Thanksgiving is a battlefield for us and it's every stomach for themselves!

Now for the good news! Next week Bariatric Foodie will have its first ever dessert week. (That's not the good news relevant to this post but it is good news!) But the week after Thanksgiving will be leftovers week! So if you do get stuck with leftovers, we're going to show you how to remix them into totally yummy dishes that can be eaten now OR frozen for later use.

Turkey Day Tip #4: Put down the fork and talk to somebody!

This is the standard issue advice, we know, but it really does ring true. It's not all about food. You will be with family and friends, many of whom will want to compliment you on how great you look! In preparation for the day do the following (and I am serious here folks). Look in the mirror and practice saying "thank you" in a sincere way. Do it over and over and over. Why? Because most of us only half believe the compliments we get are true. In our minds we haven't lost enough, are losing too slow or just generally aren't doing that great. But it's sort of rude to disclaimer someone's compliment. So practice saying thank you so that it feels natural when you say it many, many times on Thanksgiving.

And if you've kept your surgery private, also practice your "alibi." What should that be? We can't say. We do find, however, that a version of the truth that leaves out that crucial detail works. For example: Aunt Martha says, "you look GREAT! How'd you lose all that weight?" You say, "I've made a lot of changes to how I eat and I'm more active. I'm so flattered you noticed!" See? Simple.

Turkey Day Tip #5: DON'T starve yourself to get to the big event

That never ends well. Your pouch will be pissy and you'll likely not get to really enjoy your food. Instead, relax! Eat a little, talk a little, laugh a LOT! That's an order!

These are just a few of the great tips we have to share about Thanksgiving but we feel like they are the most crucial. If you want to get more tips leading up to the big day, make sure you become our fan on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. We'll be posting many more tips along with great recipes!

And look for an uber-yummy dessert protein shake recipe later on today!