While I was away at Fitbloggin' last weekend we hit the 10,000 friends mark on The World According to Eggface Facebook page! To say thank you for taking this journey to better health with me and for always sharing the blog and Facebook page with your pals. I'm doing a HUGE GIVEAWAY!
Sharing this ride with all of you and never feeling alone is AWESOME! Thank you!
The Prize: A Nike Gym Bag Hit the gym, pool, or dance class in style and it's jam packed with some of my post weight loss surgery bariatric favorites...
Celebrate Vitamins Calcium Plus 500 (Chewable Berries and Cream) 90 ct.
Celebrate Vitamins Multivitamin (Chewable Pineapple Strawberry) 60 ct.
Celebrate Vitamins 30mg Iron + C (Chewable Grape) 30 ct.
3 single serving packets of Celebrate Vitamins ENS in Vanilla Cake Batter, Chocolate Milk, and Strawberry flavors (each delicious shake contains a high potency multivitamin, 500 mg of calcium citrate, 4 g of fiber, and 25 g of whey isolate protein in each serving)
5 single serving sticks of Celebrate Vitamins Multivitamin and Calcium Drink Mix (Cranberry Grape flavor)
1 30 ct. Box Calcet Lemon Cream 500mg Calcium Citrate Creamy Bites
1 tub of CLICK Espresso Protein (Mocha Flavor)
2 single serving packs of Syntrax Chocolate Truffle and Vanilla Bean Torte Protein Powder
1 Oh Yeah Ready-to-Drink Vanilla Creme Shake
3 Quest Protein Bars (Wild Berry, Apple Pie, Vanilla Almond flavors)
2 Premier Titan High Protein Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
2 Sample Packs of PB2 Peanut Butter Thins
Chike Nutrition 6 packet Protein Variety Pack (1 of each flavor: Chocolate Bliss, Very Vanilla, Strawberry Burst, Banana Magic, Orange Creme and High Protein Iced Coffee)
1 Mini Sampler Set of Sugar Free Torani Syrups (4 - 150 ml mini bottles in SF Caramel, SF Raspberry, SF Vanilla, and SF Hazelnut)
Big Train 5 packet Fit Frappe Protein Variety Pack (1 of each flavor: Chocolate, Espresso, Mocha, Vanilla, Vanilla Latte)
Big Train Reusable Tumbler Cup
1 Blue 28 oz. Blender Bottle Shaker
How to Enter: Like The World According to Eggface on Facebook. Come back here and LEAVE A COMMENT (include a name and an email addy) on this blog posting. Scroll down to # of comments to leave yours. Do not leave on Facebook (they have rules about it.)
Contest periods ends: Sunday October 7th, midnight (Pacific time)
Monday, October 8th I'll draw a name using a random number generator and announce the winner here on the blog! I will also email the winner at the address posted. You'll have one week (7 days) to respond to my email or another winner will be chosen. Remember winners MUST be a Facebook friend of The World According to Eggface. One ENTRY per person. Blog comments are moderated so there may be a slight delay (up to a few hours) in seeing your comment/entry post. Giveaway is open to anyone in the United States (48 contiguous, Alaska & Hawaii.)
***Want extra chances to win?*** Do anything listed below and let me know in your comment what you did! For up to four more entries per person!!
* Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway: Hey everyone enter the @Eggface BIG 10,000 Giveaway http://tinyurl.com/8jm7tc4
* Share this giveaway with your pals on Facebook or some other social networking or support group forum you frequent.
If you are a blogger:
* Blog about this giveaway and include the link to the contest (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
* Place my super snazzy badge on your site.
Want to learn more about the GREAT products featured in this prize pack? Click on the links above or check out Celebrate Vitamins, Chike Nutrition, Torani, Blender Bottles, Nike, Big Train, Premier Protein, Oh Yeah Nutrition, Quest Nutrition, Click and Syntrax Products on Facebook and tell 'em The World According to Eggface sent you!
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Friday Five
A weekly round-up of tidbits, tips, ideas, news articles, random cool things from the weight loss surgery world...
1. The countdown (27 days) has begun to the Obesity Action Coalition "Your Weight Matters" Conference. I hope to meet some of you in Dallas. It's going to be a great time. The best of the best speakers and presenters, fitness classes, lots of making of new friends, a Halloween Party (I've been making my costume, it's a secret), Sunday we'll be doing the Walk from Obesity (if you'd like to donate a buck or 2 that would be AWESOME!), I understand the hotel is beautiful, it's Texas so we'll be boot scooting and eating some BBQ (high protein.) There's still time to get in on the fun.
2. During one of the breaks between educational sessions at Fitbloggin' one of the sponsors Eggland's Best Eggs provided us with these super cool Hard Boiled Eggs on a stick with little bottles of Tabasco Sauce, we could just grab and take to our next session. I loved this idea and just had to recreate it.
I sprinkled a few things on the plate for dipping (Bagel Spice and some Sea Salt) along with my baby Tabasco bottle and my Mum and I had them for a protein packed snack.
3. Some articles I read this week that were worth checking out:
New Anti-Obesity Ads Blaming Overweight Parents Spark Criticism - How about some solutions versus shame & blame?!
Stigmatizing obesity undercuts effectiveness of public health campaigns - Stats prove shame doesn't work
Some solutions: The STOP Obesity Alliance and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation released a new online guide that prepares parents for tough conversations with their kids about weight and health. Rather than focusing on finding the root of obesity or laying blame, "Weigh In: Talking to Your Children About Weight and Health" offers practical information for how to responsibly and compassionately respond to real-world scenarios.
Freddie Combs, 540 Pounds, Shocks & Amazes Judges on X Factor - Amazing message to never give up.
Lady Gaga responds to weight critics - talks about dealing with body image issues all her life.
4. Speaking of Body Image... Today I received a lovely Thank You note from The Ricki Lake Show producers for appearing on the show...
It was not easy to share that part of my journey on TV but nothing but positive has come from it, especially the lovely messages of support and messages from those of you that feel the same way. We're in this together. Works in progress. If you watched the show they took my photo out on the streets of Los Angeles and these are the kind things people said. I AM TRYING TO BELIEVE...
Oh and the guy who said "Beautiful Body" needs to call me ;)
5. While I was in Baltimore we hit 5 digits on The World According to Eggface Facebook page!
As promised, we're going to celebrate with a BIG 10,000 Giveaway beginning this Sunday. Thank you for always shouting out the blog and Facebook to your pals. Sharing this ride with all of you, never feeling alone is AWESOME! Wait till you see this GIVEAWAY!
1. The countdown (27 days) has begun to the Obesity Action Coalition "Your Weight Matters" Conference. I hope to meet some of you in Dallas. It's going to be a great time. The best of the best speakers and presenters, fitness classes, lots of making of new friends, a Halloween Party (I've been making my costume, it's a secret), Sunday we'll be doing the Walk from Obesity (if you'd like to donate a buck or 2 that would be AWESOME!), I understand the hotel is beautiful, it's Texas so we'll be boot scooting and eating some BBQ (high protein.) There's still time to get in on the fun.
2. During one of the breaks between educational sessions at Fitbloggin' one of the sponsors Eggland's Best Eggs provided us with these super cool Hard Boiled Eggs on a stick with little bottles of Tabasco Sauce, we could just grab and take to our next session. I loved this idea and just had to recreate it.
I sprinkled a few things on the plate for dipping (Bagel Spice and some Sea Salt) along with my baby Tabasco bottle and my Mum and I had them for a protein packed snack.
3. Some articles I read this week that were worth checking out:
New Anti-Obesity Ads Blaming Overweight Parents Spark Criticism - How about some solutions versus shame & blame?!
Stigmatizing obesity undercuts effectiveness of public health campaigns - Stats prove shame doesn't work
Some solutions: The STOP Obesity Alliance and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation released a new online guide that prepares parents for tough conversations with their kids about weight and health. Rather than focusing on finding the root of obesity or laying blame, "Weigh In: Talking to Your Children About Weight and Health" offers practical information for how to responsibly and compassionately respond to real-world scenarios.
Freddie Combs, 540 Pounds, Shocks & Amazes Judges on X Factor - Amazing message to never give up.
Lady Gaga responds to weight critics - talks about dealing with body image issues all her life.
4. Speaking of Body Image... Today I received a lovely Thank You note from The Ricki Lake Show producers for appearing on the show...
It was not easy to share that part of my journey on TV but nothing but positive has come from it, especially the lovely messages of support and messages from those of you that feel the same way. We're in this together. Works in progress. If you watched the show they took my photo out on the streets of Los Angeles and these are the kind things people said. I AM TRYING TO BELIEVE...
Oh and the guy who said "Beautiful Body" needs to call me ;)
5. While I was in Baltimore we hit 5 digits on The World According to Eggface Facebook page!
As promised, we're going to celebrate with a BIG 10,000 Giveaway beginning this Sunday. Thank you for always shouting out the blog and Facebook to your pals. Sharing this ride with all of you, never feeling alone is AWESOME! Wait till you see this GIVEAWAY!
Quinoa Bites
For years I've been asked about Quinoa. Do you have any recipes for it? What's your favorite dish using it? Truth be told. I hated Quinoa. Hate. HAAATE. I knew all the health benefits: protein, high in iron, magnesium, anti-inflammatory benefits BUT the taste, grassy, it's like something you feed farm animals. I could never understand how people loved it so much. I tried it in salads, stews, as a hot breakfast cereal type thing, stuffed in peppers, ground into a flour. You name it, I tried it and HATED it every time, till now.
This weekend at Fitbloggin' I tried it in a breakfast frittata and while I did not hate it, I did not love it. I did think though that I might be able to adapt it into one of my Bites (crustless quiches) and with a few changes and additions I might finally have a quinoa recipe I love. Voila! I love these little suckers...
Shelly's Quinoa Bites
5 eggs, beaten
1 cup cooked* Quinoa, cooled
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup Roasted Red Pepper, diced
2 cups fresh Baby Spinach leaves
1/4 cup 4 Cheese Italian Blend Cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper
* How to Cook Quinoa: 1 cup broth to 1/2 cup Quinoa grain (rinse it it cold water and drain.) I used boxed mushroom broth to keep the dish vegetarian and Meatless Monday useable but chicken broth would be great too. Bring broth to a boil (do not over boil). Add quinoa grain. Bring back to boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Cooked quinoa will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 350. Add 1 cup of the cooked quinoa to the beaten eggs and set aside.
Saute onion till golden. Add spinach. It looks like a lot of spinach but it cooks down. Cook till spinach is wilted. Add chopped red pepper (I used jarred) and mix together. Set aside to cool.
When cool add to egg mixture and mix in all remaining ingredients. Spoon into lightly greased (Pam non-stick spray works great for this) mini muffin tin.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350. Let them cool a few moments they pull away and pop right out. Makes 24. These are great for breakfast on the go, on a brunch buffet, lunch or dinner with a little green salad or with a cup of chili, or party appetizers. They heat up great the next day (toaster oven, regular oven, microwave.)
If you love quinoa you will flip for these. If you hate quinoa, I feel ya, give these a try.
More Eggface Bites
This weekend at Fitbloggin' I tried it in a breakfast frittata and while I did not hate it, I did not love it. I did think though that I might be able to adapt it into one of my Bites (crustless quiches) and with a few changes and additions I might finally have a quinoa recipe I love. Voila! I love these little suckers...
Shelly's Quinoa Bites
5 eggs, beaten
1 cup cooked* Quinoa, cooled
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup Roasted Red Pepper, diced
2 cups fresh Baby Spinach leaves
1/4 cup 4 Cheese Italian Blend Cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper
* How to Cook Quinoa: 1 cup broth to 1/2 cup Quinoa grain (rinse it it cold water and drain.) I used boxed mushroom broth to keep the dish vegetarian and Meatless Monday useable but chicken broth would be great too. Bring broth to a boil (do not over boil). Add quinoa grain. Bring back to boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Cooked quinoa will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 350. Add 1 cup of the cooked quinoa to the beaten eggs and set aside.
Saute onion till golden. Add spinach. It looks like a lot of spinach but it cooks down. Cook till spinach is wilted. Add chopped red pepper (I used jarred) and mix together. Set aside to cool.
When cool add to egg mixture and mix in all remaining ingredients. Spoon into lightly greased (Pam non-stick spray works great for this) mini muffin tin.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350. Let them cool a few moments they pull away and pop right out. Makes 24. These are great for breakfast on the go, on a brunch buffet, lunch or dinner with a little green salad or with a cup of chili, or party appetizers. They heat up great the next day (toaster oven, regular oven, microwave.)
If you love quinoa you will flip for these. If you hate quinoa, I feel ya, give these a try.
More Eggface Bites
Fitbloggin' Health and Fitness Conference Recap
I'm back from Fitbloggin'12 in Baltimore, Maryland. What a great weekend! FitBloggin’ is an annual health and fitness conference where hundreds of bloggers and brands from across the country come together to discuss health and fitness related topics and how to utilize social media to help promote overall wellness. This was my first year attending.
I felt proud being the weight loss surgery lifestyle blogger representative and sharing what life is like with rearranged guts. We may have had an initial helping hand with surgical assistance but we're not too different from each other. Life = healthy food choices, moving the body daily and working on the head. Rinse, lather, repeat, FOREVER whether you had surgery or not.
I learned a ton at the educational sessions, made some healthy new pals and connected with some old pals. I love going to conferences like these they are so crammed packed with information, smiles and laughter.
I am thankful to Fitbloggin' for offering the opportunity to Liveblog a session in exchange for a free ticket. I was assigned to live blog a session called, "Drive More Traffic Through SEO" presented by Brandi K. of DietsinReview.com a website I often read. You can read my liveblog notes from her presentation on the Fitbloggin' website if you want to know more about Search Engine Optimization. She shared some awesome, surprisingly easy and free tips. If you blog and you want Google to give you love be sure to read the session notes.
I want to also thank Big Train makers of nom nom nom Fit Frappe for picking up some of the tab for my trip. In exchange my fellow blogging pal Beth and I had the super enjoyable task of sharing our love for their product with the new blogger pals we made. If you haven't tried Fit Frappe you have to try it, it's soooo good.
Made lots of new friends. Here's Mark L. past contestant on The Biggest Loser Season 10. My pal Beth and I shared our Big Train Fit Frappe with him and he shared one of his favorite protein sources with us. Here's Beth and I doing a video review of his Protein Ice Power Shots.
The Food: I ate some delicious food. Lots of protein. I had Maryland crab (of course) in a salad and in a killer soup. I will try and recreate that soup soon. The Fitbloggin' meals provided were great, which is not always the case at these conventions. I was impressed. Moist, flavorful chicken and salmon, lovely salads, hard boiled egg Popsicles at breaks with little bottles of Tabasco sauce (such a cute idea), a celery root soup with chive oil that was the bomb, eggplant tapenade and veggies. Lots of healthy choices for this high protein, low carber.
The Hotel: We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Harbor. If you are going to Baltimore for a convention or family trip I highly recommend it, for location it can't be beat. The hotel staff was lovely and helpful, the convention facilities were great, the rooms are fine, comfortable beds, clean. The only negative was one night we returned late and everything was closed (hotel store, room service, there were no vending machines) so I bit the bullet at grabbed a drink out of the mini bar. I hated paying the $5 but I was dying of thirst. I hated it even more when I realized the slightly funky tasting, thicker than normal drink had expired a few weeks ago. I had them remove the charge and I'm not dead so it's all good.
The City: I had never been to Baltimore (Charm City) funny because as most of you know I grew up on Long Island. I'm a New Yorker born and raised. You'd think I'd have taken a family trip there but nope. We didn't get any daytime sightseeing in but we did walk several miles one night from our hotel in the Inner Harbor through Little Italy and Fell's Point and then took a Water Taxi home. I wrestled a giant crab and kissed a fish.
The Swag: Scored a lot of fun stuff from the awesome Fitbloggin sponsors. Super cool new RealFlex Fusion TR workout shoes from Reebok, Spices from McCormick Seasonings, that new Blender Bottle Sport Mixer, I had to have one of these stuffed eggs (a long lost cousin) from Eggland's Best, some swag sadly I had to pass on to pals... my yoga mat and a huge bottle of Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator (for us stinky exercisers) because I was edging close to the 50 pound weight limit on my luggage. It would be cool if they did more freebie coupons next year on the big stuff for those that have to fly from distances. Despite the stuff I passed on I still have a huge bag of awesome to sample. I'll review a few in the coming weeks.
I fell in love with these mini trampolines from JumpSport Fitness they are so much fun and seriously they are one kick ass workout. I watched an hour long trainer led session and the sweat was dripping from people. I am so getting one. I need the one with the safety handle at first. I'm a little wobbly and I think the bar will help me feel more secure. I'm thinking with practice one day I will not need it but I used to twist my ankle and fall a lot before I lost weight and I think I still have a bit of a fear. If you are looking for a fun workout this is it. I mean hello?! It's a trampoline! I felt like Tom Hanks in that scene in "Big."
Next year's Fitbloggin'13 event will take place in Portland, Oregon from June 27th-30th. My birthday is the 28th so plan to come celebrate with me. If you are like me and are documenting your weight loss journey with a blog you won't want to miss it!
New Fitbloggin' pals please connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest. Would love to keep in touch!
I felt proud being the weight loss surgery lifestyle blogger representative and sharing what life is like with rearranged guts. We may have had an initial helping hand with surgical assistance but we're not too different from each other. Life = healthy food choices, moving the body daily and working on the head. Rinse, lather, repeat, FOREVER whether you had surgery or not.
I learned a ton at the educational sessions, made some healthy new pals and connected with some old pals. I love going to conferences like these they are so crammed packed with information, smiles and laughter.
I am thankful to Fitbloggin' for offering the opportunity to Liveblog a session in exchange for a free ticket. I was assigned to live blog a session called, "Drive More Traffic Through SEO" presented by Brandi K. of DietsinReview.com a website I often read. You can read my liveblog notes from her presentation on the Fitbloggin' website if you want to know more about Search Engine Optimization. She shared some awesome, surprisingly easy and free tips. If you blog and you want Google to give you love be sure to read the session notes.
I want to also thank Big Train makers of nom nom nom Fit Frappe for picking up some of the tab for my trip. In exchange my fellow blogging pal Beth and I had the super enjoyable task of sharing our love for their product with the new blogger pals we made. If you haven't tried Fit Frappe you have to try it, it's soooo good.
Made lots of new friends. Here's Mark L. past contestant on The Biggest Loser Season 10. My pal Beth and I shared our Big Train Fit Frappe with him and he shared one of his favorite protein sources with us. Here's Beth and I doing a video review of his Protein Ice Power Shots.
The Food: I ate some delicious food. Lots of protein. I had Maryland crab (of course) in a salad and in a killer soup. I will try and recreate that soup soon. The Fitbloggin' meals provided were great, which is not always the case at these conventions. I was impressed. Moist, flavorful chicken and salmon, lovely salads, hard boiled egg Popsicles at breaks with little bottles of Tabasco sauce (such a cute idea), a celery root soup with chive oil that was the bomb, eggplant tapenade and veggies. Lots of healthy choices for this high protein, low carber.
The Hotel: We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Harbor. If you are going to Baltimore for a convention or family trip I highly recommend it, for location it can't be beat. The hotel staff was lovely and helpful, the convention facilities were great, the rooms are fine, comfortable beds, clean. The only negative was one night we returned late and everything was closed (hotel store, room service, there were no vending machines) so I bit the bullet at grabbed a drink out of the mini bar. I hated paying the $5 but I was dying of thirst. I hated it even more when I realized the slightly funky tasting, thicker than normal drink had expired a few weeks ago. I had them remove the charge and I'm not dead so it's all good.
The City: I had never been to Baltimore (Charm City) funny because as most of you know I grew up on Long Island. I'm a New Yorker born and raised. You'd think I'd have taken a family trip there but nope. We didn't get any daytime sightseeing in but we did walk several miles one night from our hotel in the Inner Harbor through Little Italy and Fell's Point and then took a Water Taxi home. I wrestled a giant crab and kissed a fish.
The Swag: Scored a lot of fun stuff from the awesome Fitbloggin sponsors. Super cool new RealFlex Fusion TR workout shoes from Reebok, Spices from McCormick Seasonings, that new Blender Bottle Sport Mixer, I had to have one of these stuffed eggs (a long lost cousin) from Eggland's Best, some swag sadly I had to pass on to pals... my yoga mat and a huge bottle of Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator (for us stinky exercisers) because I was edging close to the 50 pound weight limit on my luggage. It would be cool if they did more freebie coupons next year on the big stuff for those that have to fly from distances. Despite the stuff I passed on I still have a huge bag of awesome to sample. I'll review a few in the coming weeks.
I fell in love with these mini trampolines from JumpSport Fitness they are so much fun and seriously they are one kick ass workout. I watched an hour long trainer led session and the sweat was dripping from people. I am so getting one. I need the one with the safety handle at first. I'm a little wobbly and I think the bar will help me feel more secure. I'm thinking with practice one day I will not need it but I used to twist my ankle and fall a lot before I lost weight and I think I still have a bit of a fear. If you are looking for a fun workout this is it. I mean hello?! It's a trampoline! I felt like Tom Hanks in that scene in "Big."
Next year's Fitbloggin'13 event will take place in Portland, Oregon from June 27th-30th. My birthday is the 28th so plan to come celebrate with me. If you are like me and are documenting your weight loss journey with a blog you won't want to miss it!
New Fitbloggin' pals please connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest. Would love to keep in touch!
A day in my pouch
My yesterday in post weight loss surgery eating.
Breakfast: These are soooo good. A great start to the day. The leftovers reheat well 20 seconds in the microwave. I filled mine with a dollop of SF Torani sweetened ricotta cheese and topped it with a drizzle of Sugar Free Strawberry Sauce (SF Jam nuked a few seconds would be great too.)
Shelly's Protein Crepes
2 Eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Soy Milk (I use Silk Vanilla)
1/4 cup minus 1 Tablespoon Water
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Torani Syrup (I used SF Vanilla)
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
1/2 cup Spelt Flour
1/4 cup Protein Powder (I used Chike Strawberry Burst)
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
dash of Salt
Blend all ingredients on low till thoroughly combined. Pour into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for a half-hour.
Spray a non-stick 8 to 10 inch crepe pan with Pam. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan and twirl it around to spread the batter in a thin circle.
Cook till top appears dry and flip. Cook a minute or so on other side. Repeat till all batter is used. While you are making them you can keep them warm in a low oven 200 degrees or nuke for 20 seconds before serving. Makes 8-10 crepes depending on size of pan.
Yes, you can use a fry pan but crepe pans with their shallow sides make the process so much easier. They are under $15 usually.
Lunch: It was so hot yesterday. I made it over to Costco to get a few things and decided to pick up one their pre-cooked shrimp trays (refrigerated section) for lunch. I had a few shrimp, a dollop of cocktail sauce and a cheesestick.
Dinner: Salmon in a foil packet. Frozen Salmon filet, half a small zucchini sliced, a handful of baby cherry tomatoes I picked up at the Farmer's Market, 1 diced green onion, a teaspoon of olive oil, salt, pepper, herbs or seasoning of your choice, this time I used oregano. Wrap tight. BBQ covered for 25 minutes from frozen, 15 from fresh. No peeking. Perfection every time.
I didn't want to heat up the house and these foil packet dinners work out great. A complete meal, no standing in front of the stove or turning on the oven and not a whole lot of clean-up. I have some leftover salmon from this I'll be turning into salmon salad and eating today for lunch. Packet dinner leftovers also make great tortilla pizza toppings the next day or the start of tasty egg bites (crustless quiches.)
Snacks: About 10 Frozen Protein Drops popped throughout the day to cool off. I love these suckers. I pop them in my mouth but they are also great in protein shakes instead of ice.
It was 102.9°F (the day before we hit 108°F) and to make matters worse the nearby-ish Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton was doing live ammo maneuvers and set something on fire and the smoke drifted to my town. Cough.
More days in my pouch
Breakfast: These are soooo good. A great start to the day. The leftovers reheat well 20 seconds in the microwave. I filled mine with a dollop of SF Torani sweetened ricotta cheese and topped it with a drizzle of Sugar Free Strawberry Sauce (SF Jam nuked a few seconds would be great too.)
Shelly's Protein Crepes
2 Eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Soy Milk (I use Silk Vanilla)
1/4 cup minus 1 Tablespoon Water
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Torani Syrup (I used SF Vanilla)
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
1/2 cup Spelt Flour
1/4 cup Protein Powder (I used Chike Strawberry Burst)
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
dash of Salt
Blend all ingredients on low till thoroughly combined. Pour into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for a half-hour.
Spray a non-stick 8 to 10 inch crepe pan with Pam. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan and twirl it around to spread the batter in a thin circle.
Cook till top appears dry and flip. Cook a minute or so on other side. Repeat till all batter is used. While you are making them you can keep them warm in a low oven 200 degrees or nuke for 20 seconds before serving. Makes 8-10 crepes depending on size of pan.
Yes, you can use a fry pan but crepe pans with their shallow sides make the process so much easier. They are under $15 usually.
Lunch: It was so hot yesterday. I made it over to Costco to get a few things and decided to pick up one their pre-cooked shrimp trays (refrigerated section) for lunch. I had a few shrimp, a dollop of cocktail sauce and a cheesestick.
Dinner: Salmon in a foil packet. Frozen Salmon filet, half a small zucchini sliced, a handful of baby cherry tomatoes I picked up at the Farmer's Market, 1 diced green onion, a teaspoon of olive oil, salt, pepper, herbs or seasoning of your choice, this time I used oregano. Wrap tight. BBQ covered for 25 minutes from frozen, 15 from fresh. No peeking. Perfection every time.
I didn't want to heat up the house and these foil packet dinners work out great. A complete meal, no standing in front of the stove or turning on the oven and not a whole lot of clean-up. I have some leftover salmon from this I'll be turning into salmon salad and eating today for lunch. Packet dinner leftovers also make great tortilla pizza toppings the next day or the start of tasty egg bites (crustless quiches.)
Snacks: About 10 Frozen Protein Drops popped throughout the day to cool off. I love these suckers. I pop them in my mouth but they are also great in protein shakes instead of ice.
It was 102.9°F (the day before we hit 108°F) and to make matters worse the nearby-ish Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton was doing live ammo maneuvers and set something on fire and the smoke drifted to my town. Cough.
More days in my pouch
Friday Five
A weekly round-up of tidbits, tips, ideas, news articles, random cool things...
1. Last week on The World According to Eggface Facebook Page I asked, "If you could give one piece of advice to someone considering weight loss surgery, what would you tell them?" Head over to check out the AWESOME answers and great tips readers posted and add yours. Feel free to share the post to friends thinking about weight loss surgery and new post-op pals.
We are edging closer and closer to the 10,000 followers mark on Facebook. You know there will be a celebration GIVEAWAY for sure!
2. Have you seen these? Foster Farms Fully Cooked Chicken Strips (refrigerated meat section) I tossed them in my shopping cart the other day. Toss on a salad or eat as is dipped in my High Protein Feta Dip or Avocado Dip. On days you don't feel like cooking or you need a quick protein source on the go these get my vote.
Each package contains 2 servings. 110 calories per 3 oz. serving, 22 grams of protein, 1 g. carbs, 1 g. sugar. Comes in Plain, Southwest and Honey Roasted.
3. Some articles I read this week that were worth checking out:
Are we fighting obesity or obese people?
Older, Heavy Kids Take in Less Calories
School gardens teach lesson in fighting childhood obesity
I wanted to remind everyone that the Obesity Action Coalition and Obesity Prevention, Policy and Management's FREE 14 part webinar series (running throughout 2012 and 2013) on the complexity of obesity is available online. Last night was webinar 5. It was a great one on Community Planning and it's role in obesity. Super informative, my favorite so far. Within 3 days of the webinar they put the whole thing online so you can listen at your leisure. Don't miss them and for the uneducated people in your life that say things like to solve obesity you "just need to get off the couch" or "shut your mouth" make sure they tune in.
4. Next week I'm off to Fitbloggin'12 in Baltimore. The FitBloggin’ Conference is a conference for anyone who blogs about fitness, wellness, good food and a healthy lifestyle regardless of where they are in their journey. Bloggers from across the country come together to discuss a variety of health and fitness related topics and how to utilize social media to help foster health and wellness. I will be liveblogging a session in exchange for a free ticket in and am thankful to Big Train (makers of nom nom nom Fit FrappĂ©) for helping offset some of my travel costs. I'm really looking forward to the event (all except the long flight) and seeing Charm City for the first time. I'll be tweeting and so will my pal Beth (aka Melting Mama) so follow our adventures...
Eggface Twitter
Melting Mama Twitter
Fitbloggin Twitter
5. Next month I'll be in Dallas. I hope you will JOIN ME at the Obesity Action Coalition Your Weight Matters Inaugural Conference. It's going to be a GREAT event. The speakers and sessions are excellent. If you are interested in obesity, health, wellness, advocacy issues this is one not to be missed. It's so close to Halloween we'll be dressing up. That Sunday after the conference ends it's the Dallas Walk from Obesity and I'll be walking well since it's Texas I'll guess I'll be moseying. I'm getting close to my personal fundraising goal. Come walk with me or if you can't... can you donate a buck or two. I'll mosey for both of us.
xo Thank you, thank you, thank you to my blog reading ✩ rock star pals ✩ who have donated so far: Jill H. Franna T. Barbara H. Erica G. Lester G. Julie B. Mary C. Susan S. Kelly Q. Laura J. Dana K. Peggy E. Rebecca C. Donna T. Coleen K. Linda P. Mandi V. Rae T. Andrea H. Catheryn E. Lynnda S. xo
1. Last week on The World According to Eggface Facebook Page I asked, "If you could give one piece of advice to someone considering weight loss surgery, what would you tell them?" Head over to check out the AWESOME answers and great tips readers posted and add yours. Feel free to share the post to friends thinking about weight loss surgery and new post-op pals.
We are edging closer and closer to the 10,000 followers mark on Facebook. You know there will be a celebration GIVEAWAY for sure!
2. Have you seen these? Foster Farms Fully Cooked Chicken Strips (refrigerated meat section) I tossed them in my shopping cart the other day. Toss on a salad or eat as is dipped in my High Protein Feta Dip or Avocado Dip. On days you don't feel like cooking or you need a quick protein source on the go these get my vote.
Each package contains 2 servings. 110 calories per 3 oz. serving, 22 grams of protein, 1 g. carbs, 1 g. sugar. Comes in Plain, Southwest and Honey Roasted.
3. Some articles I read this week that were worth checking out:
Are we fighting obesity or obese people?
Older, Heavy Kids Take in Less Calories
School gardens teach lesson in fighting childhood obesity
I wanted to remind everyone that the Obesity Action Coalition and Obesity Prevention, Policy and Management's FREE 14 part webinar series (running throughout 2012 and 2013) on the complexity of obesity is available online. Last night was webinar 5. It was a great one on Community Planning and it's role in obesity. Super informative, my favorite so far. Within 3 days of the webinar they put the whole thing online so you can listen at your leisure. Don't miss them and for the uneducated people in your life that say things like to solve obesity you "just need to get off the couch" or "shut your mouth" make sure they tune in.
4. Next week I'm off to Fitbloggin'12 in Baltimore. The FitBloggin’ Conference is a conference for anyone who blogs about fitness, wellness, good food and a healthy lifestyle regardless of where they are in their journey. Bloggers from across the country come together to discuss a variety of health and fitness related topics and how to utilize social media to help foster health and wellness. I will be liveblogging a session in exchange for a free ticket in and am thankful to Big Train (makers of nom nom nom Fit FrappĂ©) for helping offset some of my travel costs. I'm really looking forward to the event (all except the long flight) and seeing Charm City for the first time. I'll be tweeting and so will my pal Beth (aka Melting Mama) so follow our adventures...
Eggface Twitter
Melting Mama Twitter
Fitbloggin Twitter
5. Next month I'll be in Dallas. I hope you will JOIN ME at the Obesity Action Coalition Your Weight Matters Inaugural Conference. It's going to be a GREAT event. The speakers and sessions are excellent. If you are interested in obesity, health, wellness, advocacy issues this is one not to be missed. It's so close to Halloween we'll be dressing up. That Sunday after the conference ends it's the Dallas Walk from Obesity and I'll be walking well since it's Texas I'll guess I'll be moseying. I'm getting close to my personal fundraising goal. Come walk with me or if you can't... can you donate a buck or two. I'll mosey for both of us.
xo Thank you, thank you, thank you to my blog reading ✩ rock star pals ✩ who have donated so far: Jill H. Franna T. Barbara H. Erica G. Lester G. Julie B. Mary C. Susan S. Kelly Q. Laura J. Dana K. Peggy E. Rebecca C. Donna T. Coleen K. Linda P. Mandi V. Rae T. Andrea H. Catheryn E. Lynnda S. xo
The Ricki Lake Show Wrap-up
The episode of The Ricki Lake Show I was on aired on Monday. You guys are AMAZING. I watched the show, took a walk and disconnected a bit from the world and I came back to amazing love ♥ in my inbox, on my Facebook page and Twitter. Thank you for that and thank you for being "my peeps who get it." I am blessed to have crossed life paths with you all.
Clip from the show:
The full episode is not available online as of yet :( Bummer because there is another segment. I'll post the link if that ever changes. Maybe a few messages might help ;)
More about my appearance:
Eggface on TV
The Ricki Lake Show Taping Day
The Ricki Lake Show Premiere (commercial)
My Before Pants Coin Purse (seen on the show)
Clip from the show:
The full episode is not available online as of yet :( Bummer because there is another segment. I'll post the link if that ever changes. Maybe a few messages might help ;)
More about my appearance:
Eggface on TV
The Ricki Lake Show Taping Day
The Ricki Lake Show Premiere (commercial)
My Before Pants Coin Purse (seen on the show)
My Before Pants Coin Purse
Here's the coin purse that was seen on The Ricki Lake Show. It was made from my pre-op size 28 pants. The coin purse is always with me. It reminds me how far I've come and that using the coins inside it to buy a Hostess Apple Pie at 400 calories a pop from the vending machine (a pre weight loss surgery favorite) is probably not the best choice for me.
My Pansy Coin Purse - seen on the Ricki Lake Show
You need:
4" Zipper (JoAnn's, Fabric Stores)
Old Pair of Jeans (or whatever)
Sewing Machine (or you can sew them by hand)
You need a piece of material 5 1/2 x 9 inches this allows for a 1/4 inch seam using a 4" zipper.
Before I cut them up I took a picture in my old jeans as inspiration for the days when I don't want to exercise or want to eat something I probably shouldn't.
You need:
4" Zipper (JoAnn's, Fabric Stores)
Old Pair of Jeans (or whatever)
Sewing Machine (or you can sew them by hand)
You need a piece of material 5 1/2 x 9 inches this allows for a 1/4 inch seam using a 4" zipper.
Before I cut them up I took a picture in my old jeans as inspiration for the days when I don't want to exercise or want to eat something I probably shouldn't.
"Remember Why You Started" ~Michelle "Shelly" Vicari
Post Weight Loss Surgery Menus: A day in my pouch
My yesterday in post weight loss surgery eating. It was a quite the international tour... a visit to Japan, a little Italy on the menu. Who says eating after bariatric surgery is boring?! Send 'em over ;)
Breakfast: When cherries were super cheap last month I bought a ton, spent a few hours pitting them and had cherry-red stained fingers for a day but sitting on the patio as the sun rose drinking this cherry yumminess was worth it.
Shelly's Cherry Vanilla Protein Shake
1 cup Milk
1 scoop of Vanilla Protein
1/4 cup Frozen Cherries
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Vanilla Torani Syrup
You can use any milk. I'm a soy girl post weight loss surgery. I used Big Train Fit Frappe Vanilla in this but any vanilla protein will work. Whiz in blender.
Tip: Frozen fruit instead of ice in your protein shake gives you a frosty shake without watering it down and the bonus of some added nutrients. Buy fruit at the peak of season, cheap. Prepare and freeze. Pitting cherries is a great task for a whippersnapper that "doesn't have anything to do."
Lunch: The last of last week's Farmer's Market avocados were ripe so I made my deconstructed California Roll Salad. You guys know I don't do rice (by choice) post weight loss surgery so this is my sushi fix. At Japanese restaurants, I just order sashimi or ask at your restaurant for a cucumber roll those are great.
Shelly's California Roll Salad
8 oz. Crab Meat (Imitation Flake or Real)
1 Cucumber, diced
1 Avocado, diced
1 Green Onion, sliced on the bias
Shelly's Wasabi Yogurt Dressing
2 oz. Greek Yogurt (plain, 2%)
1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise (you can omit)
3/4 teaspoon Wasabi Powder or paste (found near soy sauce)
squeeze of Lime Juice
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Mix crab, cucumber and avocado together. Mix dressing ingredients together till well combined. Spoon over salad. Sprinkle with green onions and a dash of Bagel Spice (or sesame seeds if you don't have) for some crunch. I used flake imitation crab aka surimi (it's a bit higher in carbs but cheaper on the pocketbook) than the real deal. Surimi is usually made from Alaskan Pollock and typically what they use in California Rolls. This is also great over a bed of baby spinach leaves and makes it go further if you have a few guests. This serves about 4.
Dinner: I made Cauliflower Pie. So good and gives me my Italian food fix without those useless pasta carbs. I topped my pie with jarred Marinara sauce and a little fresh mozzarella and broiled it till bubbly.
Shelly's Cauliflower Pie
1 head of Cauliflower, cooked and mashed
1 Yellow Onion, chopped
3 Eggs, beaten
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated (divided use)
1 Tablespoon Oregano
1 Tablespoon Fresh Basil, chopped
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper
Topping
Marinara Sauce (I love Rao's jarred - worth every penny)
Sliced Cheese (Mozzarella, Provolone, a good melter)
Break up cauliflower florets (my cauliflower was medium to large but the recipe is forgiving and slight size variations won't matter) and cook in salted water till fork tender. Drain. Mash. Saute onion till golden. Mix remaining ingredients together (hold back 1 Tablespoon of the Parmesan.)
Pour into a 8 x 11.5 x 2 (2 qt) Pyrex casserole dish that has been sprayed with Pam non-stick cooking spray. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes and place under the broiler for 5 more minutes to brown.
When done I cut the pie into squares (I get 8-10 squares from the pie.) You can eat it as is but I top each square with a Tablespoon of Marinara Sauce and a slice of cheese and it goes back under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Mmmm. We ate it on it's own with a little sprinkle of Parmesan but it would be great with a green salad. Perfect for Meatless Monday or if you have vegetarian pals over for dinner.
Ohhh that yellow Pyrex bowl pictured above is my latest vintage Pyrex find for my ever growing collection. I lucked out the other day. I had a load of stuff to drop off at the thrift store and I thought let me look around and see if they have any books for my Mum. I scored that awesome bowl, a pair of super cute (brand new with the tag) size small (this will never compute from size 28) Calvin Klein denim overalls, and 2 books for my Mum all for $15. I guess the bowl is a pretty uncommon pattern. I had never seen it before.
Snacks: Too much coffee and some veggies and yogurt dip. Greek yogurt, a dash of Greek Seasoning (spice aisle) and sprinkle of salt.
More day in my pouch entries.
Breakfast: When cherries were super cheap last month I bought a ton, spent a few hours pitting them and had cherry-red stained fingers for a day but sitting on the patio as the sun rose drinking this cherry yumminess was worth it.
Shelly's Cherry Vanilla Protein Shake
1 cup Milk
1 scoop of Vanilla Protein
1/4 cup Frozen Cherries
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Vanilla Torani Syrup
You can use any milk. I'm a soy girl post weight loss surgery. I used Big Train Fit Frappe Vanilla in this but any vanilla protein will work. Whiz in blender.
Tip: Frozen fruit instead of ice in your protein shake gives you a frosty shake without watering it down and the bonus of some added nutrients. Buy fruit at the peak of season, cheap. Prepare and freeze. Pitting cherries is a great task for a whippersnapper that "doesn't have anything to do."
Lunch: The last of last week's Farmer's Market avocados were ripe so I made my deconstructed California Roll Salad. You guys know I don't do rice (by choice) post weight loss surgery so this is my sushi fix. At Japanese restaurants, I just order sashimi or ask at your restaurant for a cucumber roll those are great.
Shelly's California Roll Salad
8 oz. Crab Meat (Imitation Flake or Real)
1 Cucumber, diced
1 Avocado, diced
1 Green Onion, sliced on the bias
Shelly's Wasabi Yogurt Dressing
2 oz. Greek Yogurt (plain, 2%)
1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise (you can omit)
3/4 teaspoon Wasabi Powder or paste (found near soy sauce)
squeeze of Lime Juice
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Mix crab, cucumber and avocado together. Mix dressing ingredients together till well combined. Spoon over salad. Sprinkle with green onions and a dash of Bagel Spice (or sesame seeds if you don't have) for some crunch. I used flake imitation crab aka surimi (it's a bit higher in carbs but cheaper on the pocketbook) than the real deal. Surimi is usually made from Alaskan Pollock and typically what they use in California Rolls. This is also great over a bed of baby spinach leaves and makes it go further if you have a few guests. This serves about 4.
Dinner: I made Cauliflower Pie. So good and gives me my Italian food fix without those useless pasta carbs. I topped my pie with jarred Marinara sauce and a little fresh mozzarella and broiled it till bubbly.
Shelly's Cauliflower Pie
1 head of Cauliflower, cooked and mashed
1 Yellow Onion, chopped
3 Eggs, beaten
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated (divided use)
1 Tablespoon Oregano
1 Tablespoon Fresh Basil, chopped
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper
Topping
Marinara Sauce (I love Rao's jarred - worth every penny)
Sliced Cheese (Mozzarella, Provolone, a good melter)
Break up cauliflower florets (my cauliflower was medium to large but the recipe is forgiving and slight size variations won't matter) and cook in salted water till fork tender. Drain. Mash. Saute onion till golden. Mix remaining ingredients together (hold back 1 Tablespoon of the Parmesan.)
Pour into a 8 x 11.5 x 2 (2 qt) Pyrex casserole dish that has been sprayed with Pam non-stick cooking spray. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes and place under the broiler for 5 more minutes to brown.
When done I cut the pie into squares (I get 8-10 squares from the pie.) You can eat it as is but I top each square with a Tablespoon of Marinara Sauce and a slice of cheese and it goes back under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Mmmm. We ate it on it's own with a little sprinkle of Parmesan but it would be great with a green salad. Perfect for Meatless Monday or if you have vegetarian pals over for dinner.
Ohhh that yellow Pyrex bowl pictured above is my latest vintage Pyrex find for my ever growing collection. I lucked out the other day. I had a load of stuff to drop off at the thrift store and I thought let me look around and see if they have any books for my Mum. I scored that awesome bowl, a pair of super cute (brand new with the tag) size small (this will never compute from size 28) Calvin Klein denim overalls, and 2 books for my Mum all for $15. I guess the bowl is a pretty uncommon pattern. I had never seen it before.
Snacks: Too much coffee and some veggies and yogurt dip. Greek yogurt, a dash of Greek Seasoning (spice aisle) and sprinkle of salt.
More day in my pouch entries.