Breakfast with a Hottie. Dinner with Ducks

Having a nice weekend so far. Hope everyone is too. I hit the Farmer's Market this morning to pick up a few things. On the list for sure were strawberries and blueberries so I could make a batch of my Red, White & Blueberry Strawberry Cannoli. I also got some zucchini (gonna grill those tomorrow), some Mexican squash (a casserole this week), white peaches (soooo sweet, might grill them but they might not make it to the grill before they get eaten), yellow onions, a huge red onion (chopping up and roasting it tomorrow), not pictured 3 beautiful artichokes and 4 corn I forgot in the car.

I stopped for coffee at Starbucks and made goo-goo eyes at the most gorgeous male specimen I have ever seen. Seriously. Crystal blue eyes. Brown, shiny, rock star locks. Killer smile. I left my laptop open to my web stuff so he could read it. So if you did... email me or I'll be back next Saturday, same time, same bat channel ;)

After hottie rock star left, I did too. I ran a bunch of errands. Post office, bank, Costco (cheapest price on my Silk soy milk and hothouse cucumbers), came home and knocked a couple of things off my to do list then this evening I decided to bring dinner to the lake near my house.

It was a beautiful day today, sunny, breezy, 70's. Lawn chair, reading material, and my super cool bento box dinner...

Pink Box (top left): Shelly's Pizza Bean Salad V2
Green Box (top right): Cherries
Blue Box (bottom left): Just the Cheese Crunchy Cheese - Grilled Cheese flavor
Orange Box (bottom right): Shelly's Red, White & Blueberry Strawberry Cannoli

Made a yummy variation on my original Pizza Bean Salad based on what I had on hand...

Shelly's Pizza Bean Salad Version 2

2 (15 oz.) cans Cannelini Beans (White Kidney Beans), drained & rinsed
1/3 cup Pepperoni, chopped (I used mini slices)
2 Mozzarella Cheesesticks, chopped (I had some fresh mozzarella to use up)
1/4 cup Olive Tapenade (find in deli department/olive bar or make it)
1 Cucumber, sliced
3 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
2 Tablespoons Pesto Sauce (storebought or homemade)
1 Tablespoon Fresh Basil, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Fruity Vinegar (Champagne, Citrus, etc.)

Mix all ingredients together.

The many duck friends that came to check out my bento dinner...



Wishing you all a safe & relaxing Memorial weekend. Thank you to the men & woman serving our country, past and present, for your (and your families) sacrifices.

Cool Product Alert: Herbal Coffee

Had to share this new find: Teeccino Herbal Coffee.

I was at a local store (Baron's Marketplace for my local pals) yesterday where they were sampling this. "Oooh coffee" I said out loud and the sample lady quickly corrected me... "it's not coffee it's herbal coffee."

What the heck is herbal coffee?!

According to the brochure it's "a delicious blend of herbs, grains, fruits and nuts that are roasted and ground to brew and taste just like coffee. Just like there is no milk in soy milk, no tea in herbal tea, there's no coffee in herbal coffee."

Verdict: It is delicious. In the store I tried the Chocolaté Maya Dark Roast. Soooo good. My favorite thus far. I brought home 4 packets. Vanilla Nut (is also yummy, but I prefer a darker roast) I am ordering more of that Chocolaté for sure. Now... I won't be giving up my coffee (you know how I love it so) but this makes a very nice change, an especially great evening, caffeine free option. My fellow 3 AM Twitter pals know I need to curb the caffeine at night.

I wanted to share the find with you guys because I know some post weight loss surgery are told no caffeine or worse no coffee at all from your nutritionists and/or bariatric surgeons. This would be a great alternative. Besides being caffeine free, it's free of acidity, gluten, and sugar. So for those of your denied caffeine or coffee and jonesing for your morning cup o' Joe I'd print out the info and share it with your medical posse to see if you get the green light.

The product comes in ground form for use in regular coffee pots and these super convenient "Tee-bags." You make it like tea... boiling water (I just used hot water from my Keurig), steep 3-5 minutes, dunk the bag a few times to get the good stuff out, add milk and sugar free sweetener, if desired.

It comes in a ton of flavors.

Mediterranean flavors: Almond Amaretto, Vanilla Nut, Hazelnut, Java, Original, Mocha, and Chocolate Mint.

Maya flavors: Caffé / French Roast, Chocolaté (my favorite so far), and Chai.

Boutique flavors: French Vanilla, Pumpkin Spice, Caramel Nut, Chocolate Raspberry, and Southern Pecan.

Looks like you can get a sampler pack of the "Tee Bags" from their website. I'm excited to try them all.

Where to find locally? Here's a store locator. Type in your zip code to find stores near you.

Happy National Cherry Dessert Day!

In honor of National Cherry Dessert Day. Seriously, it is... Google it ;) I made Cherry Crumble for dessert.


Shelly's Cherry Crumble

1 cup Cherries, fresh or frozen, defrosted are fine
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Torani Syrup (any flavor, I used SF Vanilla)
Optional: 1 teaspoon Jello Instant Pudding Mix, dry

Mix together and divide equally into ramekins like this or into a small Pyrex dish for a large one. I prefer portioning them. If you want you can sprinkle a little dry SF Jello pudding mix on the fruit to make a thicker sauce from the juices that expel during cooking.

Topping
1/3 cup Quick Oats, dry
1/8 cup Sliced Almonds
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 Tablespoons Erythritol
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Torani Syrup (any flavor, I used SF Almond)
1 Tablespoon Butter

Using a fork (or fingers) work the mixture till it resembles crumbs. Sprinkle over fruit mixture. Bake 30 minutes at 350. Cool and refrigerate.

You can eat them warm or cold topped with Sugar Free Whipped Cream, Sweetened Ricotta or Greek Yogurt (makes a great breakfast and boosts the protein content), or topped with Protein Ice Cream (Mmmm Black Cherry Protein Ice Cream would be yum on this). I sat on the patio and ate mine chilled with Sugar Free Whipped Cream on top.

I changed up the topping a bit from my normal topping because I wanted to use a bag of Erythritol I had on hand and I was missing a few of my normal ingredients. Erythritol is a sugar substitute but unlike a lot of the other sugar substitutes it doesn't normally cause the gastric effects that some other sugar subs are known to. It resembles sugar in consistency and taste but has a caloric value near zero, it's derived from corn. It doesn't brown or caramelize like sugar but it seems like a neat baking ingredient. I'll mess with it some more and let you know my final verdict but so far, so good. I could barely lift my fork to eat it though. I used this pruning tool doohickey today to cut down palm tree fronds. My arms feel like a wobbly bowl of my Fluff Stuff which, by the way, would have been another yummy dessert to celebrate National Cherry Dessert Day.

Pay it forward

I've mentioned the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) before on the blog. Well... the OAC needs your help! They are participating in a Facebook contest for non-profit organizations (sponsored by Vivint) the grand prize, going to the non-profit who receives the most overall votes is $250,000!




Phase 1 of the contest is taking place right now till June 11. At that time, the top 20 nonprofits from each region (there are 5 different regions, the OAC is part of the Eastern region) will advance to Phase 2. The top 20 non-profits from each region will be announced on June 14 and then voting will resume. As of today, the OAC is close but not yet in the top 20 :(

I'm hoping WE CAN CHANGE THAT...

VOTE for the Obesity Action Coalition by clicking HERE.

You basically you need to LIKE the Vivint (sponsoring the contest) page then endorse the Obesity Action Coalition for their chance at the dough.

You can vote for one charity, once a day, every day. Doesn't cost a thing, just a moment of your time.

Then you can choose to let your pals know to vote for it too which I hope you'll do. More people voting is a good thing.

I'm assuming if you are reading my blog you or someone you love is affected by obesity. The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) does GOOD THINGS for our community (education, nationwide advocacy, support group information, helping people who have been denied surgery, etc.) They are the good guys, fighting the good fight for us and those we ❤

Please give them your vote in this contest and please consider becoming a member of the OAC.

Here's the 411 on that (doing good and you get a great magazine too) You can make a difference in the cause of obesity. The greater our membership, the stronger our voice!

Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable. ~African Proverb

Added: As someone who won a social media based contest FOREVER THANKFUL for that memory I can tell you I felt the power of this community when it works for a common cause. Please consider helping the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) win this. Vote each day (easy & free) We can make a difference.

Proof it's working: From the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) facebook page: "We went from #26 yesterday to #16 today! We couldn't have done this without your help! Don't forget voting continues until June 11 and you can vote daily!" YOU GUYS ROCK!

Healthy Desserts: Red White and Blue Strawberry Cannoli

My Red, White & Blue Strawberry Cannoli will be on the menu this Memorial Day weekend. I've got to pick up some big strawberries and a basket of blueberries from the Farmer's Market this Saturday.

The plan is to BBQ (still deciding between shrimp packets or some steak (pending supermarket sale papers), sit outside and enjoy the weeds garden, and eat these yummy cannoli...


Shelly's Red, White & Blue Strawberry Cannoli

12 Large Red Ripe Strawberries, washed & cored
12 Blueberries
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Torani Syrup (I used SF Vanilla)
dash of Cinnamon

Optional toppings (for days other than Memorial Day or the 4th of July)
Toasted or untoasted Unsweetened Coconut
Grated Sugar Free Chocolate
Chopped Nuts (Chopped Pistachios, Pecans, or Hazelnuts are great)
Protein Powder (Coffee is great for this)
Non Fat Dry Milk
Powdered Peanut Butter

Wash and core strawberries. Leaving a hollow in the berry. Set aside.

Mix ricotta, SF syrup and cinnamon together till well combined. Spoon mixture into a snack size Ziploc bag. Seal.

Cut end off and pipe mixture into hollowed strawberries. Place a fresh blueberry on each end.

Post-ops beware... you better hide a few of these suckers or make a double (or triple) batch because they will get gobbled up by non-ops before you can get to the dish.


Whatcha got planned for the weekend?

Healthy Breakfast Recipe: Pistachio Pancake Morning

Good Morning! Any morning that starts with pancakes is a Good Morning. My breakfast protein packed, low carb pancakes.

Shelly's Ricotta Cheese Pistachio Pancakes

1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese (I used whole milk ricotta)
1 Egg
3 Tablespoons Multigrain Pancake Mix
1 Tablespoon Sugar-Free Pistachio Pudding Mix, dry
Optional: Sugar-Free Maple Syrup nuked

Whiz in mini food processor. Spray pan with non-stick spray. Cook on low till golden, flip, pat flat a bit. Cook till done. Nuke SF Maple Syrup for 25 seconds. Serve each pancake with a drizzle of warmed SF syrup. Makes 8 silver dollar size or 6 bigger ones, like those pictured.

Warm SF Jam (Mmmmm maybe apricot on these pistachio pancakes for a Middle Eastern vibe) or defrosted, frozen fruit would be yummy on top too or for dessert... a dollop of Pistachio Protein Ice Cream. Nom nom nom. They can stay in the fridge for several days and reheat or surprisingly yummy cold too.

These are so soft and tender for newer Bariatric Surgery post-ops too.

More Eggface pancake and crepe recipes.

Cool Product Alert: Goat Cheese

Packed up my super cool bento box and stared at the ocean yesterday. It is my zen zone and someplace I go to press my personal reset button. I need to do it more, just an hour or two staring at crashing waves (cute surfers are a bonus) and I feel soooo much better. Free therapy.

My view...

My delicious protein packed picnic...

Pink Box (top left): Shrimp with Lemon and (in the little blue box) Cocktail Sauce
Green Box (top right): Sliced Cucumbers (smeared the goat cheese on these)
Blue Box (bottom left): Trader Joe's Goat Cheese Medallion and (in green silicon cup) Almonds
Orange Box (bottom right): Baby Carrots

I use regular cocktail sauce. If you dump easily there are some Sugar Free options out there. I just use the regular old stuff in moderation. No slathering. A dab will do ya.

I spotted the little goat cheese medallions on my last trip to Trader Joe's. Similar to those little mini bries I love and blogged about awhile back. Each individually wrapped medallion is 1 oz. a perfect size for us post weight loss surgery people – 70 calories, 5 grams protein each. If you haven't had goat cheese before. Don't be afraid. It's delicious. Cream cheese like in texture. Mild and yummy.

Each bag contains 6 medallions/$3.79 a bag. I will definitely be adding these to my Pantry Essentials List. Looking forward to making a goat cheese tortilla pizza one day this week and stuffing cherry tomatoes with it this summer when the tomatoes from my garden are in full swing.

More Eggface Bento Box meal ideas

Listening to: Good Life by One Republic. Perfect timing.

Post Weight Loss Surgery Menus: A day in my pouch

Yesterday the day got away from me and I never did post my Monday's yummy bento box lunch like I said I would. So I guess I'll just make it a "day in my pouch" post now and share my whole day. This was Monday in my post weight loss surgery eating world...

Breakfast: I made a batch of Protein Mini Muffins. Almond & Orange. I ate 1 after my Orange Vanilla Banana Protein Shake (minus the banana, I was all out) Sat & ate breakfast next to my rose tree. I thought it was dead for awhile. It was looking all sick and so I gave it a little new soil and some used coffee grounds (free at Starbucks) and check it out now...

Shelly's Mini Almond Orange Protein Muffins

1 Egg, beaten
3 Tablespoons Milk
2 Tablespoons Sugar Free Almond Torani Syrup
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
3 Tablespoons Multigrain Pancake Mix
2 Tablespoons Almond Meal
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Orange Marmalade
1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
Pinch salt
a few sliced Almonds for the top

In a measuring cup mix egg, milk, syrup, marmalade and oil (applesauce or cottage cheese can sub for oil but 1 T divided between 12 muffins is really not a lot) and combine thoroughly. In a separate bowl, mix pancake mix, almond meal, protein powder and salt. Tip dry into wet and stir till combined. Pour into a non stick mini muffin pan that has been sprayed with Pam.

Optional: Place a few sliced almonds on top of each muffin. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, until knife inserted comes out clean. Makes 12.

Lunch: Stayed outside most of the day breathing fresh air and doing yard work. This was my protein packed super cool bento box lunch.

Pink Box (top left): Caprese Salad (Fresh Mozzarella, Tomatoes, Basil, drizzle of Pesto)
Orange Box (top right): Shelly's Pesto Yogurt Dip (for Chicken)
Blue Box (bottom left): Roast Chicken
Green Box (bottom right): Shelly's Almond Orange Protein Muffin

Dinner: This is my new favorite way to eat shrimp! The next town over from where I live is "The Avocado Capital of the World" so we can score avocados pretty cheap. Next time you see them on sale... make this. It's sooooo good.

Shelly's Guacamole Shrimp Cocktail

1 Avocado, mashed
1/4 cup Fresh Salsa (refrigerated section), drained
squeeze of Lime
a few leaves of Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup Cotija Cheese, crumbled
Cooked Shrimp

Mix all ingredients together and use protein packed shrimp (a 4 oz. serving of shrimp = 23 grams of protein) as dippers instead of greasy, carby chips. Makes enough for 2 of the size pictured. I love my cactus margarita glasses for this.

Snacks: A bag of Crunchy Cheese and oodles of coffee including a Starbuck's. For those wondering my typical Starbucks order is: Sugar Free Cinnamon Dolce Soy Latte, No Whip, No Foam, Extra Hot. I sometimes switch it up and get SF Vanilla or if the line is short I'll have them do 1/2 SF Cinnamon Dolce & 1/2 SF Caramel.

A tasty day. Hope everyone is having a GREAT week!

I'm back...

Back from Las Vegas. I attended the Weight Loss Surgery Foundation of America's (WLSFA) Mother of All Meet & Greets. Over 300 weight loss surgery patients, advocates, pals, gathered together. Made some new friends & caught up with old ones. Fun and informative weekend... well with the exception the casino smoke that gave me a migraine and caused me to miss the big dance the last night :( I had a killer dress too. Ah well. Next time. Here are three of my favorite pics. I'll post some more as I get them I never take pictures at these things and need to go borrow them from my pals...



So the smoke... OMG It was hideous. I didn't notice it in some of the new hotels on the strip with higher ceilings but this hotel was old and I'm sure the ventilation system wasn't the best. FYI: I hear they are changing hotel next year thank goodness. Most of Friday was spent sightseeing on the Strip. Must see: the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, it's absolutely beautiful, loved all the great window shopping (too rich for my pocketbook but fun to look) but the minute I spent anytime in our hotel I felt ill... burning eyes, burning chest, nauseous. When I woke up Saturday AM I had a migraine from hell, throughout the day I took 6 Tylenol and 1/2 a Vicodin and nothing touched it. I made it through the day's events but I passed on Saturday's evening festivities and crashed in my room (sorry I didn't get to say goodbye.) Thank goodness I always make sure my purse or carry-on bag has a stash of protein to tide me over till I can eat. It came in handy that night.

Snack-sized Ziploc with Almonds & Peanuts, sometimes I bring Kay's Natural Cereal Mini Bags (sadly I was all out), a few SF Hard Candies, Just the Cheese Crunchy Cheese - Grilled Cheese flavor, a couple of protein bars - Oh Yeah Peanut Butter & Caramel Bar and a Supreme Caramel Nut Chocolate Bar, my CLICK Blender Bottle Shaker with 2 Packets of Vanilla Latte CLICK Espresso Protein and my current addiction: Altoids Smalls Sugar Free Cinnamon Mints.

I am spending today breathing in as much fresh air as possible to counteract the nastiness that filled my body this weekend. I just made a yummy, protein packed bento box lunch. I'll snap a pic of it in a bit and post it. It's a gorgeous day. Hope you are having a nice one.

More Post WLS Travel Tips

P.S. If you are wondering what the rest of the contents of the bag are. Check out my post over at What's in your bag?

Bentos and Bathrooms

Spent another day trapped in the house watching plumbers hack apart our bathroom. The tile was removed, floor jack hammered, damaged pipe and offending tree removed, new pipe installed, new cement. Now we are waiting on the tile man to replace the floor. Once that is set, the fixture can be replaced and hopefully all will be resolved by Thursday. To the tune of $3,000.

If my upcoming Vegas trip wasn't already paid for I would have had to cancel. I'm going still (plane, hotel & event tix are all non-refundable) but will be on a tight budget that will last all summer long :( I'm going to use the contents of my pantry down to the very last can and plan fun & free things to do, lots of bento box picnics and beach days. Speaking of picnics, I made the most of being trapped, I packed lunch in my super cool bento box and set myself outside on the patio all day.

Pink Box (top left): Turkey, Avocado, Swiss Melted Roll-up
Orange Box (top right): Refried Beans with Cheese and Salsa
Blue Box (bottom left): Just the Cheese Crunchy Cheese - White Cheddar flavor
Green Box (bottom right): Sliced Strawberries with a squirt of Sugar Free Vanilla Torani

Looking forward to tonight. It's Prom Night on Glee. I'm making snacks of course ;)

Carnitas Leftovers: Fiesta, Forever.

I've been eating a lot of Mexican-ish meals lately. Our yummy Cinco de Mayo leftovers turned into this great soup.


I sauteed 1 zucchini, took the leftovers (about 3 cups of Carnitas meat & juices), dumped them in a pot with 1 (15 oz.) can of Chicken Broth, a 1/2 cup of fresh Salsa, a Tablespoon of chopped fresh Cilantro, and a few twists of Black Pepper to make a quickie Carnitas Soup. You may have to adjust the broth amount depending on how much of each leftover you have. I topped each serving with crumbled Cotija Cheese. Soooo good.

Saturday I hit the Farmer's Market in the AM, got some great stuff: artichokes, strawberries, avocados, but came home to all hell breaking loose at my house. I've been having plumbing issues for months. We call someone, it gets fixed and then a few weeks later it's having issues again. We have 2 bathrooms and only one was having problems. Saturday the other one started. Plumbers again. $$. This time we got to the "root" of the problem... literally. When the toilet was removed in the master bath a flipping tree or something was down there. Greaaaaat. $$$$. It had progressed so much that it started to effect the other bathroom. Not quite sure how the 3 plumbers that had come to my house in the past did not figure it out earlier but whatever, it's hopefully getting resolved now. So today, Mother's Day, Mum and I are watching as the tile in the master bath gets jack-hammered up, new pipes, tile, etc. etc. = a hellaciously expensive mess.

I made us a quick breakfast before all the guys came. A sort of Mexican Breakfast Bowl. In fact, let's just call it that...

Shelly's Mexican Breakfast Bowl

Refried Beans
Scrambled Eggs with fresh Cilantro
Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
Fresh Salsa

Heat the beans and place a dollop in each bowl. I scrambled eggs with fresh, chopped cilantro. Topped the beans with those. Sprinkled cheese and salsa. Eat. Nom. You could spoon the mixture in a tortilla too but I just ate it as is. Nice warm start to the day.

Hope everyone is having a nice Mother's Day! I owe Mum a nice brunch or something but we'll have to wait till all this work is done. I am so lucky to have my Mum. She is my best friend.

The bouquet I made my Mum this morning, roses from our garden...

We've got "The Amazing Race" finale tonight so that will be fun. We both LOVE that show. I'm making snacks.


P.S. Damn blog title... Lionel Ritchie is stuck in my head. Fiesta, Forever. Come on and sing along! Could someone tell me what the heck "Tambo li de say de moi ya. Hey Jambo Jumbo!" means?

Healthy Dinner Recipes: Cinco de Mayo

I love these Carnitas. They are becoming tradition at my house every Cinco de Mayo. They have an interesting beginning: the story. I must admit I think about it every time I make these. Though as I get older (and dare I say it wiser) I realize that there is a positive upside to the end of a relationship, space has now opened in your life for new people, experiences and in this case... super yummy Carnitas.

Dinner was delicious. I turned them into little "tacos" or lettuce wraps.

Butter Lettuce leaves, Crockpot Carnitas, sliced Avocado, a sprinkle of Cotija Cheese, Squeeze of Lime. Delicioso!

Shelly's Crock Pot Carnitas

One 2 to 3 lb. Pork Roast (Boneless Picnic Roast)
1 yellow Onion, sliced
3 cloves of Garlic, sliced
2 Teaspoons Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
A few twists of Black Pepper to taste
1 cup Salsa
1/4 cup Water
Olive Oil

Place pork roast in a stock pot and brown slightly on both sides about 3 minutes a side. Place in crock pot. Saute onions till slightly golden. Add garlic. Cook 1 minute. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and cumin. Pour over roast. Pour salsa (I prefer the fresh, refrigerated section salsa versus jarred but jarred will work too) and water over roast.

Cook on low for 8 hours or until very tender. When done, remove from crock pot, take two forks and pull the pork apart. Pour juices over meat. Top with any of the following sour cream, cilantro, grated cheese, my killer guacamole, black olives, chopped onion, lettuce, chopped tomatoes, squeeze of lime.

Leftover ideas: Leftover Carnitas can be used in an omelette or breakfast hash with eggs, onions and peppers or made into a "taco salad" with lettuce, cheese, black olives, and tomatoes.

I sometimes serve Carnitas with Calabacitas which is a great side but Corn was 4 for $1 so I tossed it on the BBQ and made it Elote style (some people do mayo or I do a little butter, squeeze of lime, sprinkle of Cotija.)

I know some weight loss surgery post-ops aren't allowed corn (I was cleared for everything as tolerated at 8 weeks) so you might want to try the Calabacitas with it.

We ate dessert during American Idol results. I almost forgot to take a picture before gobbling it up. What better way to end a Mexican celebration than with Flan...


Shelly's Flan

2 Tablespoons of Bird's Custard Powder
2 cups Milk
2 Tablespoons Sugar Free Caramel Torani Syrup

Mix powder into a smooth paste with a little of the milk. Heat the remaining milk to almost boiling and pour onto the custard mixture. Return the mix to the pan and heat till thickened (it will bubble). Remove from heat and mix Sugar Free Syrup in. Pour mixture into 4/4-oz ramekins or custard cups. Here's what I use. Chill for at least 2 hours in fridge.

Top chilled custards with Homemade No Sugar Added Whipped Cream and a drizzle of Kahlua Sauce.

Kahlua Sauce

2 Tablespoons Smucker's Sugar Free Caramel Topping
2 Tablespoons Kahlua Coffee Liqueur (yep booze)
Mix together. Drizzle over chilled custard. Serve immediately.

Yes, this dessert has booze in it. I use the real deal. You can leave it out I suppose but it's just 2 Tablespoons divided by 4 desserts. Even this lightweight RNYer can't catch a buzz off of that little. I know some Dr's are the never again types when it comes to alcohol and you should always follow your medical posse's plan. So for those of you that have those Dr's "Just say no." Move along now. Nothing to see here. For everyone else... enjoy but just don't eat all 4 in one sitting and then drunk dial me OK.

Post Weight Loss Surgery Menus: A day in my pouch

My post weight loss surgery yesterday in eating...

Someone tell me what happened to spring?! It was 92°F here yesterday. I need to ease into summer. I'm not ready for heat yet. So my menu consisted of cold foods and little to no cook items. I wasn't feeling standing in front of a hot stove.

Breakfast: This is soooo good. Vanilla, brown sugar cinnamon. Mmmm all the yummy flavors of a gooey icing covered cinnamon roll but waaaay better for you. The Classic Cinnabon is 813 calories, 32 g fat, 117 g carbs and 55 g sugar. Yowza! and to think pre-op I'd eat one of those with extra icing and bring one home for later. This is a much better choice...

Shelly's Cinnamon Bun CLICK Latte

1 cup Soy Milk (any milk will do)
2 scoops CLICK Vanilla Latte Espresso Protein Powder
2 Tablespoons Torani Sugar Free Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup
a few Ice Cubes

Whiz in blender till smooth. Top with optional squirt of Sugar Free Whipped Cream and a dash of Cinnamon.

Lunch: I did a little gardening before it got too hot, deheaded roses and made a little bouquet for the kitchen table. I had some computer stuff to do so I filled my super cool bento box and set myself up on the patio with the laptop.

Pink Box (top left): Salami and Provolone
Green Box (top right): Sliced Cucumber
Blue Box (bottom left): Just the Cheese Crunchy Cheese - Grilled Cheese flavor
Orange Box (bottom right): Olives

I make little "sandwiches" with the cucumber slices. Yum.

I did a little more gardening. The tomato plants I planted last month seem to have all taken off. My zucchini and herbs are doing well too. Come July and August I should be swimming in some yummy veggies. I can't wait for those warm from the sun tomatoes and to make those Zucchini Gondolas again.

I came in and assembled this super easy dinner.

Dinner: Foil packet dinners are great when you don't want to heat up the house. I just throw them on the BBQ grill, close the lid (no peeking) and come back 15 minutes later. Clean-up is great too. Score.


Shelly's Herb and Garlic Fish Packet

1 fillet of Cod (any firmer white fish will do: Cod, Halibut, Tilapia, Orange Roughy)
1/2 Zucchini, sliced thin
1 Green Onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 Tablespoon Fresh Basil, chopped
2 cloves of Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Olive Oil or Butter
1 Tablespoon White Wine
squeeze of Lemon
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper
Aluminum foil

Ingredients listed are for one packet multiply it for how many packets you are making. Place all ingredients in the center of a piece of heavy-duty foil (if you are using the $1 store stuff double it) Fold the foil over and seal each packet.

BBQ 15 minutes in covered grill. If the fillet is very thick add 5 minutes. Open packets carefully steam burns are not fun.

Snacks: Oodles of Coffee and a dollop of my Fluff Stuff during American Idol. This time I made Peach Fluff Stuff with peaches canned in natural juice inside. Nom. My favorite is still Black Cherry with Cherries.

I try to post "A day in my pouch" at least once a week to give you a snapshot of *how I eat* post weight loss surgery. Here's some of my past "A day in my pouch" posts.

If you enjoyed this post, I have something fun to share. My pal Nikkie has coordinated a handful of weight loss surgery bloggers and asked them to share their post-op menus today: May 5th. So be sure to pop over to the participating blogs and check out their eats...

Beth at Melting Mama
Pam at Journey to a Healthier Me
Andrea at WLS Vitagarten
Nikkie at Bariatric Foodie
Rob at Former Fat Dudes
and yours truly, Shelly at The World According to Eggface

If you would like to take part in the fun, just blog what you ate today and leave your blog link in the comment section on this post. Not a blogger? Just post your menu (sorry no recipes/copyright issues.)

It's Cinco de Mayo. Lots of tasty things happening here today. I'll post them all manana. Ole'