Post Weight Loss Surgery Menus: A day in my pouch

A day in my pouch is a series of blog posts to show what a typical daily menu looks like in my post weight loss surgery world. My first healthy and delicious menu of the New Year...

Breakfast: New Year's Day tradition at my house is to make breakfast and watch the Rose Parade. One New Year I'd love to go up to Pasadena (it's not too far) and check out the floats up close, they stay on display for a few days after. My favorite this year was the Miracle Gro float... if you watched it, it was the one with the Mission. Crazy cool details. I would have loved to take a real world look. Ty Pennington of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Diner Revival, Trading Spaces (remember that show) was riding on it. Anyway... it's on the Bucket List.

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For the first breakfast of the New Year I made Cinnamon Churro Ricotta Pancakes that we topped with some cooked apple (cut up a couple of apples, squirt or 2 of Sugar Free Caramel Torani Syrup, dash of Apple Pie Spice, cooked till soft but still holding shape)

More Eggface Pancakes

Lunch: I reheated a few of these Green Chili and Cheese Bites (Crustless Quiches) from our New Year's Eve party (and by party I mean curled up on the couch watching Ryan Seacrest.) These are my current fav of my bites. I love the gooey cheese middles when you pull them apart. They are sort of jalapeno popper -ish. Yummy.

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Shelly's Green Chili and Cheese Stuffed Bites

2 Green Onions, diced
1 can (4 oz.) Mild Green Chilies, diced
1/2 cup Monterey Jack, shredded
5 eggs
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper
12 small Fresh Mozzarella Balls, cut in half

Preheat oven to 350. Wash and deseed chilies. Dice. I prefer to buy whole chilies and dice them myself (less seeds.) Beat eggs and add all ingredients except the mozzarella balls.

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Spoon into a greased (Pam works great) mini muffin tin. Add a half of a mozzarella ball to each.

Bariatric Surgery Weight Loss Fitness Health Low Carb Food Recipes Cooking Blog Menus

Bake for 30 minutes at 350. Allow to cool slightly and they will pop right out. Makes 24. They reheat great in a toaster oven (preferred) or microwave.

Bariatric Surgery Weight Loss Fitness Health Low Carb Food Recipes Cooking Blog Menus

Dinner: I was supposed to go out to dinner but I'm still feeling cruddy. I finally caved in and went to the doctor and I'm on day 4 of a Z-pack. Hoping they kick in soon... they take longer post weight loss surgery (I'm gathering an absorption/RNY thing.) I've got a trip (our annual Obesity Action Strategic Planning Meeting and a tour of the Your Weight Matters National Convention YWM2016 hotel) next week and this crud has to be gone. If you follow me on Twitter and Instagram. I'll be tweeting and posting some pictures and fun stuff from my travel adventure and the meeting.

So Plan B for dinner... I had a cabbage and some mild Italian sausage links (both lucky foods for the New Year) I decided to make a sort of stuffed cabbage on the fly with what I had on hand... it turned out really delicious. Ohhh speaking of luck... Eggface 2016 Raisin Toss Final Tally 10/12 (not bad)

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Shelly's Quinoa and Sausage Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

1 (10 oz) package Path of Life brand Quinoa & Kale
2-3 Mild Italian Sausage Links, removed from casing
2 Tablespoon Parmesan Cheese
6 Cabbage Leaves, cooked
1 cup Marinara Sauce
1/4-1/2 cup Shredded Italian Blend Cheese

Cook a head of cabbage (boil in salted water) and set aside 6 of the largest leaves (use the rest for another meal.) Prepare the Path of Life brand Quinoa & Kale (nuke 4 minutes, any flavor would do. Cook's Note: If you can't find this product some cooked quinoa, a handful of cooked spinach and seasonings of your choice would be an alternative, about 2 cups total) while that cooks remove the sausage from it's casing and brown. I combined the cooked quinoa and sausage, added 2 Tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.

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I filled 6 of the biggest cabbage leaves with the mixture and folded them into little burrito-like packages. Spoon 1/2 cup of sauce into a Pyrex baking dish. I used my favorite Rao's straight from the jar.

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Place cabbage roll bundles side by side on top of sauce.

Bariatric Surgery Weight Loss Fitness Health Low Carb Food Recipes Cooking Blog Menus

Top the cabbage rolls with the remaining 1/2 cup of sauce and shredded cheese.

Bariatric Surgery Weight Loss Fitness Health Low Carb Food Recipes Cooking Blog Menus

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes till bubbly and cheese is slightly golden.

Bariatric Surgery Weight Loss Fitness Health Low Carb Food Recipes Cooking Blog Menus

More Eggface Healthy Italian Recipes

Snacks: Too much coffee and a couple of Quest Protein Bar Cookies (my favorite S'mores with Pecans and limited edition Pumpkin Pie)

Bariatric Surgery Weight Loss Fitness Health Low Carb Food Recipes Cooking Blog Menus

More Days in my Pouch