"Shake it Up!" Protein Shake Tasting!

~~by Nikki

Nik Shaking It Up! at Dr. Von Reuden's office

Ok, we don’t usually do this but…I’m feeling kind of...saucy...today...

All my MD/VA/PA/DC peeps. We’re planning a Pouch Party™ for you! A protein shake tasting to be precise.

Now if you’ve never experienced a Pouch Party™ protein shake tasting, let me go into a little detail about what happens.

First and foremost, we make protein shakes. But not just any protein shakes. We make the tastiest, most indulgent recipes we can to give you a glimpse of what is possible for your home protein shake experiences.

And for this protein shake party…we’re even doing protein ice cream. Like I said, we don’t usually do this, but I’m going to share some of the menu with you (shhh...don't tell Jen!).

At the “Shake it Up” shake tasting we’re going to be blending:

• our Protein Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa with a tutorial for those are a bit shaky at making piping hot protein drinks
• a rich, delicious Bananas Foster protein shake. It’s so good you have to remind yourself that it’s good for you!
• TWO kinds of protein ice cream. One I’ll keep as a surprise but I’ll tell you that one flavor is Mint Chocolate Chip.

…And we’ve got a special Valentine’s Day themed protein drink PLUS a yummy baked protein treat to share.

All that and we’ll answer your questions about anything and everything protein…and you know us. There’s going to be games and prizes and laughter! (Mostly at me swooning over protein shakes).

So if you haven’t bought your ticket yet, mosey on over to the right hand menu and order yours! Here's the essential details about the party for your easy reference:

Pouch Party™ Presents: Shake it Up! Protein Shake Tasting

January 29, 2011

2 – 4 p.m.

Christ Lutheran Church, 701 S. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21230

BF Top 5: Favorite Finds of 2010

~~posted by Jen

Happy 2011! The Year of the Pouch Party™ Animal! Nikki and I are SO excited to get this year kicked off with all of you, we just KNOW it's going to be awesome. As always, thank you all for reading and supporting us, and for helping us to grow our vision. You are very much appreciated!!

All year long, we've been finding cool new WLS-friendly products and reviewing them here for you. We do that primatily so if you're curious about them you'll already have our take, and some recipe ideas, before you spend your hard-earned money on them. This past year, we came across some pretty awesome WLS-friendly finds! Y'all know how we love a Top 5 list, so here are our Top 5 Favorite Finds of 2010!


#1 Atkins Baking Mix. We were CarbQuik devotees for the longest time, but this newer formulation of Atkins Mix has got CarbQuik beat! No aftertaste, plus the added bonus of lower carbs AND more protein. I reviewed it awhile back, and we have several recipes (Jen's Corn Pudding and Nik's Sweet Potato Pancakes to name a couple) that use it already posted. You can expect lots more in 2011!



#2 Any Whey Unflavored Protein Powder We love love LOVE this stuff! You can add it to virtually ANYTHING! No smell, no funky taste, it blends right in AND gives a protein boost. What more could you ask of a product? Our good friend Kris H even mixes it into her Crystal Light!



#3 Vanilla Latte Click Even though Nik and I are both devotees of the Mocha, we both found lots of ways we REALLY enjoyed the Vanilla Latte flavor of Click. The funny thing? Most of our coffee-holic WLS friends actually prefer the Vanilla to the Mocha! Go figure!

#4 Decaf Instant Espresso Powder This stuff is perfect for the Click lover on a budget! You can add a few teaspoonfuls with your chocolate protein powder and make a scrumptious "Faux Click" that even a certified Click Head like me could not discern from the real thing. Nik LOVES to blind taste-test me on stuff.








#5 P-28 bread Bread with protein? What more do I need to even say? Y'all know I am in love with this stuff! Nik is still on the fence about it, although she says the more she uses it the more she's starting to like it. (I think her main issue is that it's so filling, she likes to feel like she ate a decent amount for her pouch to be that full. 1/2 a slice of bread kinda ticks her off, but don't tell her I said that!!)

We're going to be re-categorizing the recipes on the blog pretty soon, so all the recipes that we use a specific product in will be tagged for that particular product. If you haven't already voted in the poll, don't forget to vote on how YOU would like to see the recipes organized. Here's to a safe, healthy, and happy New Year!

BF Reader Request: Banana-Caramel Cannoli Parfait

~by Nikki



Someone please tell me why it is that I can perfectly assemble a 4 oz. parfait but the damn Mocha Forrest Trifle eluded me???

That's quite a name, innit?

This started as a recipe make-over request from my Mary B. at OH (and who also lives in the same state as me...she's super cool and has done fabulously in her journey!). She saw the Rachel Ray version and thought it could use some snazzing up. I get so honored when folks send stuff our way to remix. It says, to me, that you like what we're doing and think we can make your favorite recipes into something wonderful for you to enjoy post-op!

(/end sappy moment)

Back to business. So I agree...there was definitely room for this dish to become something great. Before we get into that, though, let me just point out a few things:

1. There was a LOT of sugar in Rachel's version. Hence, a lot of carbs. Now we all know that bananas, in general, are a fairly simple carb. Not evil. Not bad. But they don't always fit in your daily plan. For the above, I opted to use banana cream pudding as opposed to a banana. I also put the banana equivalent in the recipe for those who want to use the fruit.
2. Even though I LOVE Fiber One, any cereal you like with good fiber will do. The key is to crush it in a mini-chopper or food processor until it has a crumb-like consistency.
3. Yes, I use both fat-free whipped cream and sugar-free chocolate chips in my recipe. BUT, I only use one serving of each, per parfait. It does bump up the calories a bit, but the chips lend to the authenticity of a cannoli while the whipped cream makes it feel like a finished parfait. And the banana hearts? I just thought they were cute.

So...without further adieu...here's the recipe!

Nik's Banana Caramel Cannoli Parfait
(makes approximately 3-4 parfaits)

Ingredients

1 c. cottage cheese (I used lowfat)
1/3 c. part-skim ricotta cheese
2 tbsp sugar-free banana cream pudding mix (or one large, very ripe banana)
1 tsp lemon juice
2-3 tbsp no-calorie sweetener (I used Splenda)
3 pumps Davinci sugar-free caramel syrup
1/2 c. Fiber One cereal (or any crushed, high-fiber cereal)
2 scoops Any Whey unflavored protein powder
3 tbsp sugar-free chocolate chips (Hershey's makes them)
3 tbsp fat-free whipped cream

Optional: Banana slices for garnish

Directions:

In a blender or mini-food processor, combine the cottage cheese, ricotta and pudding mix until the cottage cheese curds are all broken. until the curds are broken. Add lemon juice, protein powder and syrup and pulse until well mixed. Mixture may be soft. If so, refrigerate for an hour before assembling parfaits.

No chocolate chips were harmed in the making of this parfait...but a few were devoured!



In a parfait glass, sit a layer of the ricotta/cottage cheese mixture. Top with 1 tablespoon of the crushed cereal. Top that with half a tablespoon of sugar-free chocolate chips. Add another layer of the cheese mixture and cereal and then top with two tablespoons whipped cream and the other half tablespoon of chocolate chips!

If you don't like banana flavor, you can substitute french vanilla pudding and vanilla syrup and make a traditional cannoli. Or you could use any flavor combo that excites you. It's like we always say...play with your food people! And if you make something yummy, send us a picture! We love to see what you're mixing up!

Mmmmm...breakfast!

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!

Cowboy Caviar

~~posted by Jen

Up close with Cowboy Caviar

Happy New Year! We hope you had fun last night and are enjoying your day today with family and friends. Last night was pretty low-key for me since the roads are still bad here. We stayed home, watched some movies, and I set out several appetizers for the boys and I to nibble on while watching the ball drop. Today there are some football and most likely hockey games on, so I am thinking more appetizer type items are on our menu for the day.

I made some food to take over to Ken and Pop and I'm going to drop it off at their house later, along with their Christmas presents, and spend some time with my boys Zeus and Mickey. I don't know about you, but back home in Georgia we always had a traditional New Year's Day meal of collard greens (for money), black-eyed peas (for luck), rice, and cornbread. There may have been some other components, but those are the main ones I remember.

New Year's Eve appetizer feast: Cheese platter, veggie platter with Greek Yogurt Ranch dip, and the Cowboy Caviar 

Since I live in a culturally diverse household these days, no one but me was really down with the whole greens and cornbread idea, so that's yet another reason I am not cooking a big meal today. I did make this awesome dip last night and wanted to share it with you in case you still needed a quick appetizer or just some nibbles to set out for guests coming over later today.

I call this "Cowboy Caviar", but it's basically a bean and veggie salsa. If you Google "Cowboy Caviar" there are quite a few different variations of this dish. My late Momma used to make this with the leftover black-eyed peas we always had on New Year's Day, and I have always loved her version.

It's really easy to make and sits well on the pouch, plus the beans give it a nice kick of protein and fiber. I made a few changes from how Momma originally made it, but that's what she would have wanted me to do!

Here's my version:

Jen's Cowboy Caviar
Ingredients:
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, & diced
1 (10 ounce) can tomatoes with green chiles (I used Ro-Tel)
1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained (or use leftovers if you cooked some)
1 (15 ounce) can whole-kernel corn, drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup mild salsa
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Onion Powder
4 tbsp lime juice
(If you like spicy, you could add some hot sauce or use hot or medium salsa)

Directions:
Wash the pepper, remove the stem, seeds, and core. Slice it into strips, then dice it into small pieces.

Pour each can of beans into a large sieve or colander, then rinse and drain the beans thoroughly before adding them to the mixing bowl. This step is important because it washes the extra starchy canning liquid from the beans, plus it gets those few stragglers that always stick to the bottom of the can.

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and stir until thoroughly combined. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or other seasonings to suit your taste. 

Serve chilled or at room temperature. I usually serve this with tortilla chips or corn chip scoops. This is also a delicious topping for a grilled fish fillet or steak, a very versatile condiment. Much like chili or spaghetti sauce, this gets better and better after a day or so in the fridge. Enjoy! 

Cowboy Caviar on the NYE appetizer buffet, served with Fritos Scoops.