PB&B Greek Yogurt

Disclaimer: Blue Diamond provided almonds for use in this blog post. The opinions stated in this blog post are the unbiased opinions of its author. 

I'll let you in on a little secret if you promise not to shame me for it.

Part of why I like to work out is because I like workout recovery food.

There, I said it!

I do heavy weightlifting (I've been lifting since I had surgery 6.5 years ago) and one day was speaking to my trainer and asked what's a good thing to eat after a heavy lifting session. She advised me that something with some good carbs, protein and some fat is the best combo and suggested some lowfat yogurt with some fruit.

You don't have to tell me twice!

So this particular day I had three things going on:

1. I had an abundance of blueberries (I'd visited the Reading Terminal Market in Philly and everything was a dollar at this one stall, including pints of blueberries. Needless to say, I went a little overboard!)
2. I had a strong peanut butter craving.
3. I'd just done a REALLY strenuous lift session (new routine and I bumped my weights up).

This post-workout mini-meal was the result. Now I usually don't eat before I go to my lifting class (it's at 5:45 a.m. and I don't care how agreeable my pouch is, it's not accepting food that early!) so it's essential I get something good in me once I get home. This was fast, easy and yummy! I call it a PB&B for peanut butter and blueberries, of course. In my former life I loved blueberry jam on a peanut butter sandwich, so I decided to play with my food and see if the flavor could work in a yogurt set-up.

NOTE: In the end I decided not to use the actual blueberries. (Stay tuned because I found another yummy use for them!)

Nik's PB&B Greek Yogurt

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. container unflavored Greek yogurt (I use 0%)
• No-calorie sweetener, to taste
• 1 tbsp. peanut butter powder (as you can see above I used PB Fit)
• 1/2 serving Blue Diamond Blueberry Almonds (the above is a whole serving because the half serving looked sparse in the picture!)

Directions:


In a bowl, mix together yogurt, sweetener and peanut butter powder.

Top with almonds.

And CRUNCH!

Simple as that.

Blue Diamond offers a variety of flavored almonds that you can use in a variety of ways. I must admit I was skeptical about the blueberry almonds (I'm skeptical about almost any kind of blueberry-flavored anything), but I really did enjoy them. They were lightly sweet and crunchy. A nice offset to my peanut butter yogurt.

Now, if you'll excuse me I'm going to use my current post-workout endorphin high to knock out some laundry.


Keep playing with your food!



Jen's "Buffalo Wing" Cheese Ball

~~posted by Jen

Dig in!

Earlier this week Nik shared her scrumptious Buffalo Chicken Salad. I too, am a hardcore devotee of Shari's original Buffalo Chicken dip. That stuff definitely helped me get real food in when I was early out.

My ex-husband Ken LOVES LOVES LOVES buffalo wings. I am not kidding. So I created this dish for him to snack on when watching football, and he says it's "the bomb." That was one of his Christmas gifts from me, along with his DVD Snack Basket. I'm not even a big fan of actual buffalo wings, but I love this cheeseball.


Jen's Buffalo Wing Cheeseball
(makes 2 cheese balls or logs, whichever shape you prefer)
Ingredients:

For the cheese ball:

16 oz. Neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese), softened

1/4 cup Greek Yogurt

2 stalks celery diced fine, I chopped mine in my Ninja (note: Celery is optional, and only recommended if you are a year out or more. Celery is very stringy and can bother newer pouches! Some plans even prohibit it for life so check yours before using it. You can substitute celery salt or dried celery leaves for the same flavor profile.)

1 can chicken breast meat, drained and shredded fine with a fork

1 package bleu cheese crumbles

1/2 packet Ranch dip mix (I used Hidden Valley)

2 tsp Hot Sauce (I used Frank's Hot Sauce, or Tabasco would work. I don't like spicy, if you do, feel free to add more.)

2 scoops Any Whey Unflavored Protein Powder

For the coating:

1c. slivered almonds

2 tbsp Ranch dip mix

Directions:

In a bowl, combine cheese and yogurt and beat with a hand mixer until just blended. Add protein powder and dip mix powder and beat again until fully incorporated. 

Stir in the chicken, bleu cheese crumbles, and celery until well mixed. 

Lay out a large piece of waxed paper and, using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, scrape half of cheese 

mixture onto it. Roll it into a log (or ball, your choice) and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Repeat the process with remaining half of the mixture. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Nuts and Dip Mix waiting for the cheese to drop!

In a rectangular bowl or plate, combine the coating ingredients until mixed well. Drop the first cheese log/ball into the coating mix and roll it around until all sides are completely covered. Repeat with the second log. If you're planning to serve right away, transfer to your serving platter. Otherwise wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge. They're good for up to a week as long as kept refrigerated. 

The completed cheese log 

I serve this with Wheat Thins or those new Flatbread Thins Olive Oil and Sea Salt crackers. You could use pita chips or veggie dippers as well.

YUM!

Of course, I blame Nikki for my newfound love of cheeseballs. It all started with the curry. So this combines my love of the flavors associated with buffalo wings and the snackability of a cheese ball. THIS is what we mean when we say Play With Your Food™!

Think of a flavor combination that you enjoy, and remix it with healthier, more WLS-friendly ingredients. Snap a pic and send us your creations! Rock on, Pouch Party™ Nation!

Buffalo Chicken Salad

~by Nikki

Shown on a lightly salted rice cake, this chicken salad gets me over my "wing night" cravings!



We often tell you all to play with your food. Well, I thought I’d show you how I take our own advice!

This recipe was originally posted by my friend Shari (who someday will have her own awesome website with all her wonderful recipes). When I play with recipes, they tend to be hers. She shares my affinity for getting a lot of food for not a lot of calories and a freakishly large amount of protein. We are kindred spirits that way.

Anyhoo…I changed this up a bit to make the prep time a little quicker.

Nik’s Buffalo Chicken Salad
(my spin on Shari’s Buffalo Chicken Dip)

Ingredients:
1 large can chicken breast meat
1 tbsp light mayo (surprisingly, Wal-Mart brand seems to have the best stats)
2 tbsp 0% unflavored Greek yogurt
1 tbsp bleu cheese dressing (you can do light if you want…I don’t)
2 tbsp Frank’s Red Hot buffalo wing sauce
Diced onions
A dash of onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper

Optional: very finely diced celery if you are a year out or more. Celery is very stringy and can bother newer pouches! Some plans even prohibit it for life so check yours before using it.

Instructions:

In a bowl, fork shred your chicken chunks (they come out of the can HUGE) and mix them with the onions and celery, if you are using it.

In another bowl, mix together all wet ingredients. Taste test and adjust as necessary. I usually find myself adding more of the wing sauce if it’s just for me. The divas are content with the two tablespoons.

Mix your dressing into the chicken and coat it well. Chill for a bit before serving to let the flavors “get acquainted.”

I served mine on a lightly salted rice cake (from Aldi!). This also goes well on a multi-grain wrap or simply by itself for a nummy treat!

If you don’t like cold chicken salads, you can also do this as a hot one by nuking it for a few seconds after you’ve mixed everything together.

Here are some other great chicken salad options:

Nik's Angelic Eggs (featuring chicken salad)
Nik's Curried Chicken Salad

And stay tuned...later this week Jen is going to do a recipe remix with the buffalo chicken theme that will knock your socks off!

Jen's "Moroccan" Curried Cheese Log

Ready to slice!

~posted by Jen

I was never much of a Curry fan, mainly because I don't like spicy foods. In fact, I had never really given it an honest try until our Holiday Preview this past November. Nik made her Curried Cheeseball as one of the appetizer demos, and when the party ended there was a small bit left that I got to take back to the hotel with me.

Let me tell y'all, that thing was GOOD. I could have (and...er...did) eaten it right by itself! I called her the next morning to tell her she'd made a Curry Convert out of me, which of course she thought was hysterical. So, I've been making Curried Cheeseball in some way shape or form ever since. 

Ingredients

Y'all know what I love most about the idea of a cheeseball? It's just like a trifle or a frittata, it's one of those "blank canvas" type of recipes. You can make it a million different ways and it never tastes like you're eating the same thing twice. I dig that! 

Kitchen shear work best on the apricots, but you can also use a VERY sharp knife.

This recipe is my twist on Nik's original (sorry, it was an exclusive recipe for people who attended the Preview or who ordered the Portable Preview only). I’ve made it a few times with different variations, and this one is both mine and the boys' favorite thus far. It's really easy to make, you can add protein to it, plus it makes an elegant but simple appetizer. Perfect to pass around or put on the buffet table for your family dinner.

Any Whey and the chopped fruits

You could even make a "Cheeseball Sampler" (I won't tell you that I sometimes do this on Sundays for football game snacks). On a pretty platter, put this one, Nik's Cheese Cake Cheeseball, and one made from whatever variation YOU come up with, along with some dippers (crackers, carrot sticks, celery, apple slices, possibilities are endless) and a spreader for each cheeseball. 

Dried fruit is high in natural sugar, so go easy the first time you try this. If you know fruit sugar makes you dump, consider omitting the fruit and using nuts instead.

This is a simple yet stunning dish to bring if you need to an appetizer for a potluck or work party. I usually make them 2 at the time, because to me it gets better as it's in the fridge, so my recipe makes 2 cheese logs. (I roll mine into logs, makes them easier to slice and serve.) But you do what makes you happy! Play with your food, people! 

Here's how it's done:

Jen’s Moroccan Cheese Log

Cheese Log Ingredients:

16 oz. Neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese), softened

1/4 cup Greek Yogurt
2 scoops Any Whey unflavored protein powder

1 tbsp Curry Powder (I used McCormick, it's pretty mild--start with 1tbsp and adjust to your taste) 

1/8 cup dried cherries 

1/8 cup golden raisins 

1/8 cup dried apricots, cut into pieces with kitchen shears

Coating Ingredients:

1 c. chopped walnuts

1 1/2 tbsp Curry Powder

1 tsp salt

Directions:

In a bowl, combine cheese and yogurt and beat with a hand mixer until just blended. Add protein powder and curry powder and beat again until fully incorporated. Stir in the fruit pieces until well mixed. 

Lay out a large piece of waxed paper and, using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, scrape half of cheese 

mixture onto it. Roll it into a log and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Repeat the process with remaining half of the mixture. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Hitting the waxed paper, ready to chill!

In a rectangular bowl or plate, combine the coating ingredients until mixed well. Drop the first cheese log into the coating mix and roll it around until all sides are completely covered. Repeat with the second log. If you're planning to serve right away, transfer to your serving platter. Otherwise wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge. They're good for up to a week as long as kept refrigerated. 

This is after chilling overnight, about to take a dip in the curry and walnut mixture.

Coating Mixture

To me, they taste better if you make them the day before you want to serve so the flavors have time to "marry." I serve them with Wheat Thins or those new Flatbread Thins Olive Oil and Sea Salt crackers. You could use pita chips or veggie dippers as well. 

Dig In!

Nik's Snappy Spinach & Bacon Dip

~by Nikki



This year I actually made time to attend my support group's annual Christmas party (not to be confused with the Bariatric Reunion that just occurred a few weeks ago). We'd all been invited to bring a WLS-friendly goodie to share. I offered to bring two. Damn over-achiever in me! (I'll post the other side dish another day)

Spinach dip isn't new (although I did take some inspiration from Jen's Spinach & Bacon Pie for my flavoring). But I always saw room for improvement in this thing. And not just adding Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. There's room to really amp this thing up! So I played with it and played with it and here's what I came up with!

Nik's Snappy Spinach & Bacon Dip

Ingredients:

Large acorn squash or pumpkin, hollowed (for serving...hey...it's better than a bread bowl)
8 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese (Neufchatel cheese)
1 c. unflavored Greek yogurt
1 pkg. dry ranch dip
2 scoops Any Whey unflavored protein powder
6 slices pre-cooked bacon
1 can of spinach (or package frozen spinach, thawed)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Optional: I add a few extra shakes of garlic powder...just cuz I like garlic. Your choice though)

Directions:

In a bowl, cream together cream cheese, Greek yogurt, dry ranch mix and protein powder.

Check out my Old Skool Sunbeam mixer...I heart this thing and am keeping it forever!!!

Strain thawed spinach using a colander and heavy duty paper towels. Add to the cheese mixture, along with bacon pieces. Mix very well. In the interest of the new post-ops I'd probably be interacting with, I sorta obliterated mine.



Hollow out your gourd (this is a good thing to do the day before). Scoop out the innards and then sprinkle the insides with salt. Place on a rack and let it drain into a bowl overnight. The next day you'll have an ocean of water and a relatively dry gourd. Remember to wipe out the excess salt!

Once you've done all that and your dip is ready, spoon  the mixture into your pumpkin or gourd and refrigerate for an hour or so before serving.

Now here is the one and ONLY Martha Stewart-esque tip I know. See how the outer skin of the squash (in this case an acorn squash) is sort of matte looking? Well glossing it up is easy! Just give your squash a mayo bath!

Just take a paper towel and put some mayo on it and rub down the outside of your gourd...

And then it comes out all shiny and purdy like so:

For the 99.9% of you that have more common sense than me...yes you can do this before putting the dip into the gourd!

Now folks always ask me what I use as dippers for these things. Well, I am a carrot fanatic, so that's my usual choice. I also put out whole-wheat crackers for my support group peeps (cuz we ain't afraid of no [complex] carbs!). But you can also set out other veggie crudites (some favorites: red bell pepper strips, celery, cauliflower, raw broccoli).

This dip was a hit at the party! I only have a little bit of it left. It was a great time with some really good food. If I can convince my support group peeps to do it, I'd like to share the recipe to some of their party favorites that they brought. Stay tuned.

This is my GORGEOUS friend Quiana (who...I believe...is 6 years post-op RNY) partaking of the spinach dip. 

Jen's Mushroom and Smoked Cheddar Frittata

~~posted by Jen

It's a freezing cold winter morning here in central New Jersey, and I am warming up with a Clicktastic Salted Caramel Cocoa before I make a nice breakfast for the boys and myself. Since two of them are pretty picky and the third is a vegetarian, it's not always easy finding something we ALL like and can agree on.

That's why when I happen upon something all three like and that meets my nutritional needs as a post-op WLS patient, I will make it a cabillionty-seven different ways. My frittata is no exception. They all three love it, any way I change it up, and it has lots of pouch-friendly protein that works perfectly for me as well.

Best of all, I don't have to make a different meal for every person in the house. That is a winner in my book, any way you look at it. If you're a frequent reader, then you may have seen my original frittata awhile back, or I've also shared the Spinach & Bacon Pie with y'all. As often as I make this, it was kinda funny to me that the boys' favorite was the one I recently shared during Leftovers Week, Sweet Potato Frittata!

All four of us love love love, did I mention LOVE?? mushrooms. So of course, I had to make a mushroom frittata! That's what we're having for breakfast later this morning. Quick, easy, and delicious. It reheats well and is very easy on the pouch.

My secret? Adding Greek yogurt to the egg mixture. I don't know exactly what it does, aside from add protein and creaminess to the eggs, all I do know is that my pouch likes eggs re-heated now as long as they contain Greek yogurt.

Several newer post-ops who had issues with eggs in the past have told me that since they followed my method for the frittata eggs, they have been able to enjoy scrambled eggs again. Sounds a bit wonky, maybe, but it works!

Here's how it's done:

Jen's Mushroom and Smoked Cheddar Frittata


Ingredients:
6 large eggs
1/4 cup Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup milk (whatever fat percentage you use)
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium sweet onion (I used Vidalia) chopped into small pieces
1/2 stick I Can't Believe It's Not Butter 
1 1/2 cup grated smoked Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp Herbs de Provence (you can substitute 2 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp dried sage, and 1/2 tsp dried rosemary if you don't have the Herbs de Provence)




Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, yogurt, and seasonings with a whisk. Beat well until thoroughly combined, you don't want lumps of yogurt in your eggs. Mix half of each kind of cheese into the egg mixture and set aside the remaining cheese.

Preheat a non-stick oven safe skillet, add the butter substitute and olive oil. Let the butter melt, then add the onions and cook them until soft and translucent. Once the onions start to brown, stir in the mushrooms and cover so it can saute together for a couple minutes until the mushrooms are tender.


Pour in the egg mixture. Using a rubber spatula, slowly stir the egg mixture and veggies until thoroughly combined.  You want the eggs to be about 2/3 done but still in a solid mass (think omelet) and not in pieces like scrambled eggs.


Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the top of the eggs.  Remove the skillet from the stove top and place it in the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is thoroughly melted.  Let it cool slightly before cutting it into wedges, that gives the eggs extra time to set up so it comes out in one piece.  Makes 8 pie-slice sized servings.  

This is a great breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Sometimes I serve a cup of soup or salad on the side for the boys. If there is any leftover, which there rarely is, I freeze it in individual slices so I can pull it out as a quick protein meal for myself. Perfect for lunch to take to work!

Nik's Protein Cheesecake Cheeseball

~by Nikki

First, forgive me for my lack of process pictures. In general I’ve been working on snapping pictures as I go along making a dish, but this one didn’t get “the treatment.” Why? Well, because I didn’t originally plan to post this!

Long story short…remember how I said I went to my annual bariatric reunion on Sunday? Well my surgeon’s office has been a BIG support to Pouch Party™ and, in fact, has a party scheduled for early January as a part of its “Back on Track” month. At the reunion, a staff member from my surgeon’s office reminded me that yesterday was support group and that it’d be a GREAT time to hand out fliers for the next party. (Cue panic on my part as I’d not yet made any fliers for the party!) Then a fellow post-op who heard about Bariatric Foodie asked, “will you be bringing something yummy to group?”

Initially I answered no but my brain chews on stuff like that. I wanted to bring a sample of something, as I always do when I announce a party at a support group, but I simply didn’t have time to make anything complicated. The theme of the support group that night was holiday eating. So I thought, and I thought and I thought…then my head hurt. Then I thought some more and this recipe came to mind!

I’ve made it a few times and it scored well with the family and is so quick and easy to make. For those of us who, after surgery, want to avoid big indulgent desserts, it’s a neat way to get your cheesecake fix in. And NOBODY can ever tell there’s added protein unless I tell them.

Nik’s Protein Cheesecake Cheese Ball

Cheese Ball Ingredients:

12 oz. Neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese)
1/3 c. 0% unflavored Greek yogurt
2 scoops Any Whey unflavored protein powder
1 c. no-calorie sweetener (I used Splenda)
2 tsp. lemon juice

Coating Ingredients:

1 c. Whole Grain Cheerios
2 tbsp no-calorie sweetener
3 pumps SF Davinci Caramel Syrup

Directions:

In a bowl, combine cheese and yogurt and beat with a hand mixer until just blended.

Add protein powder, Splenda and lemon juice and beat again until fully incorporated.

Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and, using a wooden spoon, scrape cheese mixture onto it.

Wrap it and form it into a ball. Refrigerate 2 hours.

In a mini-chopper or food processor, combine all coating ingredients and pulse until a moist crumb forms.

Once the ball is firm, lay out coating on a plate and drop the ball onto it. Roll until completely coated.

Transfer to a plate and serve with reduced fat graham cracker pieces or fruit.

At support group I served this with half-slices of Macintosh apples. I think that was a good choice. Macintosh apples are fairly starchy but sweeter than a red delicious. One of my group members suggested a Granny Smith. That could work too, although the tartness of the lemon juice in the cheese ball and the tartness of that apple might not play nicely together. But you know what we always say…play with your food!

This is a great thing to bring to your office holiday party as a safe and tasty dish. Stay tuned later this week for the official "BF Survival Guide for Holiday Office Parties" for even more strategies to get through the party season!

To my support group peeps…thanks for giving this recipe a try! From what I could tell it was two thumbs up! I mean…when I walked into the room, I had a cheese ball. When I left the room, I had no cheese ball. So…yeah. I think it was good!


Enjoy.



Leftovers Week: Jen's Pumpkin Caramel Protein Smoothie

~~posted by Jen

So y'all know I've been on a smoothie kick lately with the Yoplait Frozen Smoothies, but those things get expensive after awhile! The cheapest I've found them is $2.79 and the bag only makes 2 smoothies. They ARE delicious and easy, and I'll still keep a couple bags on hand for "shake emergencies" when I'm in a hurry, but I have found a more economical way!

Since it's Leftovers Week and today is all about leftover pumpkin, I decided to make a pumpkin smoothie. I never have actual pumpkin pie leftover long enough to re-create anything with it, like Nik's delicious Chunkin' Pumpkin Protein Ice Cream. However, I somehow always have a random half can or so of leftover pumpkin that I usually toss in a container and freeze to use at a later time. Don't ask me how I always manage this every single year, heaven only knows, but I do!

Frozen Leftover Pumpkin

So here's how I did it:

Jen's Pumpkin Caramel Protein Smoothie

Ingredients:

3 tbsp frozen leftover canned pumpkin (I just cut a piece off the block & cubed it. Sometimes I freeze it in ice cube trays, too.)

2 tbsp 2% Greek Yogurt (also frozen, just put it in ice cube trays this is perfect for smoothies.)

6 oz milk (I used 2%)

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1 tbsp Sugar Free Jello Cheesecake Flavor Instant Pudding Mix (Butterscotch would be good, too)

2 pumps (tbsp)Davinci Caramel Sugar Free Syrup

1 pump (tbsp) Davinci Pumpkin Pie Sugar Free Syrup

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Sugar Free Sweetener of your choice, to taste (I used 2 pkts Splenda)

  

The Ingredients

Directions: 

Add the pumpkin, Greek Yogurt, and milk to your blender cup. Now add in the protein powder, both syrups, pudding mix, pumpkin pie spice, and sweetener. Whiz it up in the blender until the frozen pumpkin and yogurt are completely incorporated. Pour into a glass, sprinkle a bit of pumpkin pie spice on top for decoration, and enjoy! Whippage is optional.

Dessert Week Offering # 8: Jen's Daybreak Protein Parfait

~~posted by Jen

Call it dessert, call it breakfast, I just call it SCRUMPTIOUS!

Happy Black Friday! For those of you who were up and waiting in line at 3 am, bless your hearts! I might be awake at 3 am, but there is NO WAY IN HELL I am getting out of my warm bed to brave the cold, crowds, and craziness that make up Black Friday in Jersey. There have been several near-deaths in the past couple of years here, seriously!

I slept right through this, even though most of y'all were somewhere waiting in line and got to see it first hand.

I did find this great article on Yahoo Finance, "Seven Black Friday Deals Worth Buying Now" so I thought I'd share it with y'all. As for me, I'm doing a very very VERY scaled down Christmas this year (nieces and nephews, if you're reading this, Aunt Jenny is b-r-o-k-e BROKE this year. Sorry!) so my shopping will be quite limited.

I'm scoping out some good online deals and will share a Top 5 with y'all later this weekend. In the meantime, I made dessert for breakfast and wanted to tell you all about it! This works for newbies cleared for purees right up through all the other stages. It's quick, easy, and delicious. Best of all, lots of protein and yumminess all rolled into one dish!

Here's how it's done:

Jen's Daybreak Protein Parfait


Ingredients:
1 Atkins Daybreak Protein Bar (I used Fruit Crumble flavor)
1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup Sugar Free Preserves (strawberry or raspberry) OR if you're further out, fresh fruit of your choice (I used strawberries)
1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
3 packets Splenda (adjust to your sweetness preference)
2 pumps (tablespoons) Davinci Sugar Free Raspberry syrup
2 tbsp Fit 'N Active low sugar granola or Kashi Go Lean Cereal(optional--for garnish and some crunch)


Directions:
Chop the protein bar into pieces in your mini chopper. In a mixing bowl, whisk the protein powder into the Greek yogurt until thoroughly combined and mixture is smooth. Add the fruit/preserves, Splenda, and Raspberry Syrup then whisk again, mixing well. ****NOTE: If you're using the preserves instead of the fruit, you may not need the Splenda or Davinci for extra sweetness. If mixture seems too thick, add a small splash of milk to thin it out, based on how thick you prefer your yogurt.****


Layer the protein bar crumbles, and Greek yogurt mixture in a parfait glass, then top with the granola. Continue layering until the glass is full or you run out of components, whichever happens first. This was a perfect sized meal for me at over 2 years out, your mileage may vary. For earlier outs, I would say halve this recipe and omit the granola if you aren't cleared for it yet.


This is a light and delicious sweet start (or ending) to a hectic day. You'll need a protein boost to prepare for all that shopping! Enjoy!

Score! Wegman's has these single serve Brown Cow plain Greek yogurt for 99 cents! Perfect size for parfaits.

Dessert Week Offering # 5: Nik's "Portion Control" Cheesecakes

(Warning: this is a long post. Go get a cup of coffee or tea and come back...I'll wait...)

Cheesecake. It is a wonderful thing and I don’t think anybody…not one single person…should be deprived of it.

But cheesecake is kind of hard to work into our daily plans, isn’t it? It’s richness makes it filling but, in and of itself, it doesn’t have sufficient protein to count as a “meal.”

Well, what if that weren’t so? What if you had a way to eat a controlled portion of cheesecake that gives you a decent amount of protein and fiber? Would you embrace cheesecake then?

(“Sign me up!”)

You may have already seen my recipe for banana cheesecake. Yummy though it is, I always have a bit of a portion control problem on my hands with that thing. Namely, I want to eat the whole darn thing! Unfortunately (fortunately?) my pouch doesn’t put me on lockdown until I’ve had a good bit of it. So…this started as an experiment in portion control.

Four lil' cheesecakes, reporting for duty! Pay no attention to the cracks...we'll talk about them in a minute.

So I put them in 4 ounce ramekins. Worked like a charm! Even figured out how to make just four—one for me, one for each of the divas and one for my lunch the next day. But then, as I got to making these lil’ things more and more, I realized there is an opportunity here for something WONDERFUL. Customization!

I’m giving you the basic recipe for my cheesecake and then I’ll give you tips on how to add a little variety.

Nik’s Basic Cheesecake Recipe
(makes 4 servings)

1 – 8 oz. package Neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese)
4 oz. unflavored non-fat Greek yogurt
1 egg
½ - ¾ c. Splenda (depending on your sweetness tolerance and what you are adding to it)
1 tsp lemon juice
2 scoops unflavored protein (these days I use BiPro USA unflavored whey)

Optional: 1/4 c. sugar-free syrup of your choice. I recommend starting out with something like sugar-free caramel.

(“That’s it?”) Yes, that’s it!

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.

Mix cream cheese, yogurt, protein powder, syrup and Splenda well. Add in egg and lemon juice and mix again. To mix, you can use a handmixer in a bowl. I used my Magic Bullet. Much easier clean-up!

Me putting my ingredients in my Bullet.

Pour the cheesecake filling into the 4 ounce ramekins. Place all ramekins either in a creme brulee set, or if you are poor like me, simply place them in a baking pan. Fill the pan with warm water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

"Look Ma! Po' folk can make cheesecake too!"



Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes or until they are set (how can you tell? Jiggle a ramekin. If it quivers, it's not done yet!). Then turn off your oven, prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon and allow the cheesecakes to cool down with the oven. Remove and cool further on the counter.

("For real,  Nikki, that's it??? Don't play with my emotions!") YES...that's it!

Now let's talk about those cracks. Those are not a result of the ingredients or the methodology. Those are a direct result of...Murphy's Law. I made these this morning and had to take the girls to school. The cakes had about 15 minutes to go. I said to myself "I'll just leave 'em in there. It only takes 5 minutes to get to the school and back..." Famous last words. We all know when we say that there'll be two traffic jams and some construction. There was and it took me 30 minutes to make a trip that should have been five minutes. Hence, they were a bit overcooked. If you cook them the appropriate amount of time that will NOT happen. :)

So let’s talk customization. There's three places, from my perspective, where you can change things up:

• The Filling
• The Crust
• The topper

The Crust

I went crustless with these (in the interest of time) but here are a few ideas

Nik's Beloved Fiber One Crust:
(makes enough for the above recipe)

½ c. Fiber One original cereal
2 tbsp light butter spread
1 tbsp Splenda

Directions:

In a mini-food processor pulse cereal until a crumb mixture forms. Pulse in butter until well mixed.

Press ¼ of mixture into each ramekin and top with cheesecake mix

Whole Wheat Cheerios Crust (more resembles graham cracker in texture):

½ c. whole wheat Cheerios
2 tbsp light butter spread
1 tbsp Splenda

Directions:

Same as Fiber One Crust

The Filling

Here's the REALLY important question: was the non-cocoa mix jealous of the cocoa mix? What do you think?

I did two different fillings. In the basic cheesecake, I put some Davinci sugar-free caramel mix. The others, of course, were chocolate, using cocoa powder. But the possibilities are endless. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (omit the lemon if you do chocolate)
• 2 tbsp of virtually any sugar-free pudding mix
• 2 tbsp decaffeinated instant espresso mixed with 1 tbsp water (to make a paste...this is especially good in conjunction with the cocoa powder but you'd need to bump up the Splenda to 1.25 c. to accommodate the bitterness)

The Toppers

There are two types of toppers, in my opinion. "True" toppers and swirls.

For true toppers, you can simply purchase a can of no-sugar added pie filling of your choice (except pumpkin...I don't see that working out well) and spooning it on top. Cherry and Strawberry work well. Or you can simply use fresh fruit like berries.

The photo at the top of this post is inspired by Jen's Banana Pudding. I topped the chocolate one with some whipped cream, no-calorie chocolate syrup and a wedge of a Thin Mint cookie. Do whatever inspries YOU!



I did not do a swirl but for a swirl you could use:

• No sugar added jelly or preserves (nuked for about 10 seconds to liquify)
• Melted chocolate
• Sugar free caramel syrup (like the kind that goes on a sundae)

To achieve a swirl, you'd pour your cheesecake mixture into your ramekins and then put a dime sized dollop of whatever you are swirling on top of the mixture. Use a butter knife to create a swirl pattern.

 Don't be disheartened if you get minor cracks in your cheesecake (bad decison making notwithstanding). I JUST made my first crack free cheesecake (since I am from Baltimore...insert obligatory "The Wire" joke here...yes, yes...chuckle, chuckle...) and I just so happen to have a picture of it. Lookit:



It was like Christmas morning to see a crack free cheesecake, but keep in mind I've been making them for YEARS!

Any way you slice it, this cheesecake recipe and method is a keeper for us WLS folk! I hope you enjoy it as a part of your holiday feasts.

Jen's Chocolate Trifle

~~posted by Jen


Nikki and I had an amazing time with all our friends who made it out to the Holiday Preview yesterday! It was such a fun time and great to put faces to the names we see online all the time. I love making new friends, and yesterday was no exception.

For those of you who had planned to attend but had last minute things come up, we understand. You were missed, but you'll have lots more chances to party with us in the future!

If you're too far away to party with us on the East coast, you can still order your portable version of the holiday preview! They'll start shipping this week, you get the recipes, 1 sample of each shake we made, and a goody bag. Basically everything but Nik and I in a box shipped to your door!

You can also select the "Deluxe Portable Preview" which is everything listed above plus a first edition of our Protein Shake sample book. This makes an excellent gift for the newer post-ops in your life, or even those of us who consider ourselves "oldies." Who couldn't use some delicious new shake ideas?

We promised to share a select few of the recipes from the party on the blog, and we do our best to keep our promises! You've already seen the one for my Roasted Butternut Squash Soup that we served as a starter.
Here's one of the two desserts we made, my Sugar Free Protein Chocolate Trifle.

Shout out to our Poucher Pal Michael Neese who took this great pic with his super high tech phone. Thanks, Michael! You rock!

Jen's Chocolate Trifle

Ingredients:

1 (18 1/2-ounce) package Sugar Free Devil’s Food cake mix (Pillsbury is the only one I’ve found)
3 (3 1/2-ounce) packages instant Sugar Free Chocolate pudding mix
1 (16-ounce) carton Greek Yogurt
2 (16-ounce) tubs Sugar Free whipped topping (such as Cool Whip)
 ½ cup sugar free chocolate chips (optional, for garnish)
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, lightly toasted (optional)

Directions:
Prepare the cake mix according to package directions and bake in a 13 by 9-inch pan. Let it cool thoroughly, then cut the cake into cubes about the size of walnuts.
Combine the Greek Yogurt, Chocolate pudding mix, and 1 tub of the whipped topping. Whisk together until thoroughly combined.  {Note: If you’re making this for an all post-op WLS crowd, you can add chocolate protein powder if you like. I usually add 2 scoops for a bowl this size.)
To assemble: In a trifle bowl, layer one third of the chocolate cake cubes, pudding mixture, whipped topping, and nuts. Repeat, layering the remaining ingredients, ending with whipped cream and nuts. Sprinkle sugar free chocolate chips over the top to garnish. (Or you could also sprinkle a bit of cocoa powder on top.)

Elvis's Favorite Banana Pudding

~~posted by Jen

As you can imagine, Nik and I are going bananas this week getting everything ready for the Holiday Preview on Saturday. So what more fitting way to pay homage to the chaos than some yummy banana recipes? Nik's Protein Banana Nut Bread is absolutely divine, if you haven't tried it yet, you should!!

On a side note, if you're coming to the Preview and didn't buy your ticket in advance, we can only accept cash or check payments at the door. We're not set up to process credit or debit card payments other than via PayPal.

So if you want to pay by credit or debit card, please do so via PayPal (link is on the right side of this page). You can even do this on the actual day (this Saturday), just MAKE SURE to print out your confirmation and bring it with you to the registration table.

Can't make it to party with us in person? We'll start shipping the Portable Previews next week, so order yours today to ensure delivery before Thanksgiving!

Moving on! I'm sure y'all have all heard at one point or another that Elvis Presley's favorite sandwich was a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich? No? Well, so legend has it, that was it. Apparently he sometimes liked chocolate chips on that very same sandwich.

I personally, in my pre-op life, loved a toasted banana/peanut butter/Nutella (chocolate Hazelnut spread) sandwich, so I could see his point.

That's obviously not a very protein forward or reduced sugar choice for my post-op Weight Loss Surgery life, so y'all know what I had to do. Yep, I had to find a way to make it work! So that is just what I did!

Which leads me to share with you:

Jen's "Elvis's Favorite" Banana Pudding


( This recipe makes 2 servings for me, early outs would omit the bananas and cookies & get 4 servings with the protein powder added. I make them in ramekins.)
Ingredients:
1/2 medium banana sliced
6 oz Greek Yogurt
2 oz Sugar Free whipped topping (such as Cool Whip), plus 2 tablespoons reserved for garnish
1 tbsp Sugar Free Banana Instant Pudding (adjust to taste)
1 tbsp Chocolate PB2
2 packets Splenda (adjust to taste)
1 tbsp Sugar Free Torani Caramel Syrup (or Davinci)
2 tsp Sugar Free Mini Chocolate Chips (optional--garnish)
4 Sugar Free Voortman's Shortbread cookies (optional)
1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder (optional--but recommended for early outs if this will be a "meal")


Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, whipped topping, pudding mix, Chocolate PB2, Splenda, protein powder (if using it), and Sugar Free Caramel syrup.  


Taste the mixture and adjust ratios to your personal preference for sweetness and flavors. (For example, Nik likes more peanut butter flavor than I do, so she uses more PB2.)


Assemble the pudding as follows: Place 1 cookie in the bottom of each ramekin, then 3 slices of banana on top of the cookies. Top with the pudding mixture. Garnish with whipped topping, chocolate chips, a banana slice, and the other cookie if desired.