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?