Eggface 2015 - The Blog Year in Review

A look back at some of my favorite blog posts, healthy recipes and menus, ideas and tips from the past year. My 9th year post weight loss surgery.

January: Happy New Year from Snowy Temecula! (We had snow and not just a dusting, honest to goodness real snow)


February: Oscar Eats: Top Hat Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders (they went on to win Wolfgang Puck's Contest)

Oscars

March: Post Weight Loss Surgery Menus: A day in my pouch (a particularly yummy day) and Easy, Elegant, Healthy and DELICIOUS Easter Dinner

Egg Roll Bites

April: All About the Avocado and Post Weight Loss Surgery Menus: A day in my pouch


May: Cha-cha-cha Chia Jam (I LOVE this stuff) and a great honor the blog was named one of Healthline's Best Obesity Health Blogs of the Year

Eggface Chia Jam

June: 9 years and Stuffed Squash Spaceships

Weight Loss Surgery Patient Advocate

July: Friday Five and Beach Day Snacks


August: 15 Protein Packed & Portable Snacks (or Lunch) and That's a wrap #YWM2015 The Your Weight Matters Convention

Obesity Conference

September: Life After Weight Loss Surgery Q & A - Couldn't you just try exercise and dieting? and Flavors of Fall: Pumpkin Spice Protein Muffins


October: Healthy Travel Tips: Keeping Your Health On Track While Traveling and Life After Weight Loss Surgery Q & A - Long Term Success, Newbie Advice?

Pureed Weight Loss Surgery Menus

November: Post Weight Loss Surgery Menus: A day in my pouch and Thanksgiving Leftovers Transformed: Lazy Chili Rellano Casserole


December: Super Easy Appetizers and Merry Christmas

Eggface Weight Loss Surgery Healthy Holiday Recipes

Past Blog Year in Reviews:

2014 Blasts from the Past
2013 Blasts from the Past
2012 Blasts from the Past
2011 Blasts from the Past
2010 Blasts from the Past

I am thankful to be on this road with all of you! Happy New Year! May our 2016 be filled with good health and lots of laughter.

Celebrate a Healthy New Year Giveaway

When you sign on the dotted line for weight loss surgery it comes with some non-negotiable, lifelong rules that must be followed, one of which is taking vitamins and mineral supplementation faithfully. So many post-operative issues and complications can be avoided if we just make sure to take our vitamins every day.

Not all vitamins are created equal. Celebrate Bariatric Supplements are developed specifically with bariatric surgery patients altered guts in mind, they understand our unique post-op nutritional needs and they design quality (and super yummy) products to meet those needs like these new Essential 2 in 1 vitamins.
From Celebrate's web site: The Essential Multi 2 in 1 is a unique multivitamin that contains all of the essential vitamins coupled with calcium citrate. This is the only bariatric combination chewable that uses only calcium citrate (the recommended form of calcium for WLS patients) but does NOT include iron, so you will not have to worry about iron-calcium interaction.
We're starting a new year so if you are having surgery in the new year, are a new post-op just beginning this wild ride, or a post-op that wants to try something yummy and new (Mmmm Protein 20 shakes) this healthy start prize pack is something you'll want to get in on... and tell a friend... maybe they will share :)

*Thanks to my friends at Celebrate Vitamins for partnering with me on this giveaway. 

It's Giveaway Time!



The Prize: a Nike Workout (or Carry-on) bag filled with all the essentials you will need for a healthy start to 2016 including:

1 huge bottle of Celebrate Vitamins Essential Multi 2 in 1 Chewable Multivitamin & Calcium (Mango), 120 ct.
1 bottle Celebrate Vitamins Iron + C, Chewable (Grape) 30 ct.
1 bag Celebrate Vitamins Protein 20 Powder (Caramel Vanilla Swirl) More about Protein 20
1 bag Celebrate Vitamins Protein 20 Powder (Iced Decaf Coffee)
28 oz. Blender Bottle Shaker
7 day Vitamin Organizer
Eggface Reusable Lunch Bag with a Slim Ice Pack
Eggface "Remember Why You Started" Healthy Reminder Bracelet
Plus a sample of Celebrate's other flavor of Essential Multi 2 in 1: Orange-Pineapple

How to Enter: LEAVE A COMMENT on this blog posting (be sure to include a name and some email address where I can contact you if you are the winner) Scroll down to # of comments/post a comment below to leave yours. That's it, easy peasy.

Example: Jane Doe jdoe@someemail.com

If you aren't already following Celebrate Vitamins on Facebook be sure to do that and tell them The World According to Eggface sent you. They have fun giveaways on their page. 

Contest Period Ends:
Sunday, January 3rd, midnight (Pacific), sometime Monday, January 4th. 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 provided. You'll have one week (7 days) to respond to my email or another winner will be chosen. One comment entry per person. Blog comments are moderated so there may be a slight delay (up to a few hours, especially at night if I'm sleeping Zzzz) in seeing your comment/entry post. Giveaway is open to anyone in the contiguous United States (48 contiguous, AK & HI) (sorry it's a legal issue: international laws govern giveaways and a money $ thing)

P.S. You'll want to follow my Instagram account because something fun will pop-up there soon!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! I'm trying to muster up the merry despite being sick. I started feeling crummy on Wednesday night (I'm 99% sure it's bronchitis) my Dr's office is closed for the holiday and the nearest urgent care in-network is over 50 miles away (Hey Anthem Blue Cross: what's up with that?!) so I'm doing all the home remedies and hopefully I'll be feeling 100% before the New Year.

Today's plan is to curl up on the couch surrounded by some of my current favorite things (Puffs with Vicks tissues, cake batter flavored Chapstick and eucalyptus oil bubbling away in my oil diffuser), maybe watch a movie and eat yummy leftovers. Thankfully, I took advantage of whatever bursts of energy I had and made a pretty festive spread yesterday and there is plenty for today.

Since I wasn't feeling well, our usual Christmas Eve tradition of the Feast of the Seven Fishes was shy a few fishes but my Guacamole Shrimp Cocktail were especially delicious this year. It was a great year for avocados. Who needs (or would want) chips?!




I also assembled a little tidbit party. Cheeses, cold cuts, nuts, a few dried fruits, olives and veggies (avocado, cucumber, tomatoes). I love these little cheese spreaders with great sayings I found at TJ Maxx the other day (umm they were supposed to be a hostess gift but loved them so much I kept them, close-up pic on my Instagram.)


I made a dip for my roast beef roll-ups (Greek yogurt with a dollop of fresh grated horseradish mixed in) that will clear your sinuses for sure.


I set up a do-it-yourself hot cocoa bar with a few Christmas Quest Protein Bar "Cookies" and my Mini Apple Breakfast Loaves for breakfast this morning.


Hot Cocoa Bar: (left to right): Fit Frappe Spiced Chai, No Sugar Added Swiss Miss Cocoa, NSA Whipped Cream, Toppings: Shredded Unsweetened Coconut, Crushed SF Peppermint, Cinnamon & Nutmeg, Sugar Free Torani Syrups in my bottle holder, Keurig for hot water (or an electric tea pot would work great too)





and now I'm sipping on a SF peppermint hot cocoa with no sugar added homemade whipped cream and wishing you all a lovely day filled with joy and laughter with family and friends and some much needed peace on earth.


Healthy Holidays: Christmas Protein Shakes

Santa Claus has a lot of work to do Christmas Eve trekking across the globe delivering all the well behaved whippersnappers the latest and greatest gadgets. So many stops, so many cookies. May I suggest leaving him one of these holiday themed protein shakes and some protein bar cookies instead.

These festive shakes are delicious and will help Santa stick to his health and fitness goals.


From left to right: Shelly's Award Winning Candy Cane Shake, Shelly's Double Chocolate Mint Protein Shake, Shelly's How the Grinch Stole Christmas Protein Shake, Shelly's Cranberry Protein Shake.

You might make one for yourself too ;)

Another Holiday Treat for the Health Conscience Santa
My 10 Healthy Holiday Tips