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Crystal Light Mocktails will help get those liquids in

Crystal Light Margraita Mocktails Flavor

Crystal Light Margraita Mocktails FlavorHave you seen the New Crystal Light Mocktails that are out on the market? I am so excited for these to change things up and help with getting in my liquids, especially with the warmer weather coming.

Last night on Celebrity Apprentice they featured these Crystal Light Mocktails and it was my first time hearing about them. Talk about great marketing huh? I was intrigued for sure. On the show each team had to create a party atmosphere for their task introducing the two newest dink mix flavors which are Pomtini and Peach Bellini.

I have to say both of those flavors sounded so good that I became very thirsty watching them being served up on TV. If it was not 10 o’clock at night I would have run out to the store to get some to try. My water was so unappealing to me watching last nights episode. They are on my shopping list now, just sayin’

These new low calorie mocktails that are alcohol free are perfect for us Gastric Bypass Postopers – don’t ya think? A great way to change things up.

Check out all the flavors that are available :

  • Mojito
  • Appletini
  • Margarita
  • Pomtini
  • Peach Bellini

These sound like a great new fancy way to help me get all my liquids in. The only difference with these is that I will make sure to have a fancy glass to drink them out of just so I can feel extra special – lol. Oh an of course I will be sure to add in a Paper Umbrella Too !!

I have read that these taste the best over a lot of ice, which sounds perfect for the hot days coming up quickly. In addition to that they are also great frozen – just mix some up and add it into a Ice Pop Mold, freeze and you have a tasty ice cold treat to cool you off this summer. Or maybe mix it up with crushed ice for another refreshing treat.

You can also create your own drinks using these drink mixes as a base and add in things like SF Ginger-ale, Seltzer, Club Soda, Fresh fruits, Mint Leaves etc… YUM !!!

I will update this post when I get my hands on some of these new flavors and make some of my own creations – I am very excited about them.

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My Chocolate Protein Iced Coffee Drink concoction

Chocolate Protein Iced Coffee

Chocolate Protein Iced CoffeePrior to my Gastric Bypass Surgery I was a BIG Coffee drinker and I am still enjoying a daily cup now. Today I decided to concoct an Iced Coffee Drink and add in some protein to make it even more worth my while. I thought it came out pretty tasty so I had to share.

Before indulging in Coffee make sure to check with your surgeon that it is allowed on your plan. I asked mine before I left the hospital if I was allowed and he said if you want a cup have a cup. I was like, OK. BUT It was not until a few weeks or so after the surgery that I started enjoying a morning cup every day and even with that I only drink about 1/2 of it.

Prior to surgery I drank coffee all day long. In the colder months I drink it hot and in the warmer months I like it cold. And nothing made me happier than a Starbucks Mocha Frappachino treat, which is not a good idea after surgery.

Today I was craving a cold coffee and decided to get in the kitchen like a mad scientist and see what I could whip up. I think it came out pretty good, not excatly the consistency I was hoping for – but I will work on that. It was yummy enough to share though so I thought I would do just that.

Here is what I used in my concoction:

Oh and as far as measurements I did not really go by any – I said I was a mad scientist didn’t I? *add evil laugh here*

  • Some Brewed Coffee
  • a little Skim Milk
  • a Scoop of Chocolate Protein Powder
  • Scooper of Sugar Free Vanilla Ice Cream
  • a Squirt of Sugar Free Hershey Syrup
  • a Handful of Ice Cubes
  • a pinch of dragon scales – nah just kidding

I added all of that in my Magic Bullet Blender, blended it up and my concoction was born.

So I had a nice full Magic Bullet Mug of goodness that not only tasted good, but would give me a caffeine high, add to my liquid intake and give me more then 29+ grams of protein ( I would probably know the exact amount if I measured, my bad) How cool is that? The only thing missing was my straw – since us Gastric Bypass patients are not suppose to use one I had to skip it.

I think it tasted really good – next time I would like it to have more crushed ice to be thicker.

I also found Mocha Espresso Protein Drink that I am going to buy and try and maybe I can create my own Mocha Frappachino at home with all the benefits. They also make a Vanilla Latte flavor, but I am a Mocha girl.

I give this drink a thumbs up for my afternoon rev up.

If you have your own concoction that you think I should try Contact Me and share the recipe.

Now let me run while I am still caffeinated and clean my house, mop the floors, wash the dogs, do the laundry, clean the closets…Yeah right, NOT !! It sounded good though.

UPDATE: My new simple version I love – Skim Milk – about 16 – 20 ounces, 1 scoop of Chocolate Protein Powder, squirt or two of SF Chocolate Syrup and Coffee over Ice. YUM

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Delicious Salisbury Steak Recipe

Salisbury Steak

Salisbury SteakThis Salisbury Steak Recipe is a great source of protein and full of flavor. Hubby made this one for dinner and it was so delicious that I had to share the recipe.

My hubby has been doing a lot of the cooking since my Gastric Bypass Surgery and when he asked what I wanted this week – I said Salisbury Steak. I was craving a nice meat dish. So he cooked some up and it was A-MAZING !!!

The meat is high in protein and all in all it was not bad in the calorie and fat department either. If you are looking for a rich and yummy recipe to try then I say this is the one. It is a family pleaser, trust me.

Here is what you will need for this recipe:

  • 1 1/2 Pounds Ground Beef (hubby used the extra lean)
  • 1 Egg
  • 3 Tbsp of crushed Ritz Crackers or any Buttery Cracker (hubby used the Ritz)
  • 2 Tbsp of finely Chopped Onion
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Poultry Seasoning
  • 2 (4 ounce) Cans of Sliced Mushrooms with the juice
  • 3 Tbsp Butter (you can sub Low Fat Butter – hubby did not)
  • 3 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
  • 3 Cups Milk (you can sub Low Fat Milk – hubby did not)
  • 3 Beef Bouillon Cubes

In a medium sized bowl mix together the Ground Beef, Egg, Cracker Crumbs, Onion, Salt, Pepper and Poultry Seasoning using your hands (you can always get the kids to do this – lol). Then shape that into 6 patties about 1 inch thick.

Next fry the patties in a large frying pan over med-high heat for about 3-4 minutes per side or just until browned. Drain off any excess grease/fat and set aside the patties on a dish.

Next melt the Butter in the frying pan and then add in the Mushrooms. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the Flour and mix until blended. Stir in the Milk and Beef Bouillon Cubes. Continue cooking and stirring over medium heat until it is smooth and starts to thicken up. Then return the patties to the gravy and cook over low heat uncovered for about 10 minutes while stirring occasionally.

That is it – how EASY is that?

Keep in mind this makes a lot of gravy so you can serve it over pasta – maybe even the Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta I spoke about in a prior post. Or you can have some mashed potatoes on the side like we did.

This recipe will make 6 Servings.

Nutritional Value Per Serving

  • Calories: 296
  • Total Fat: 18.6g
  • Cholesterol: 106mg
  • Sodium: 951mg
  • Total Carbs: 12.6g
  • Dietary Fiber: 1.2g
  • Protein: 19.4g

That is not so bad at all I think and that is with making no adjustments such as using Low Fat Milk and Butter etc…. Hubby also used the Extra Lean Ground Beef so that probably brought down the Total Fat for us to. Considering that I could not eat a whole serving I was good with that and sooo worth it.

That is my plate with my portion in the photo above. DO NOTE – that is a salad sized plate and I only had 1/2 of a Salisbury Steak. IT killed me that I could not eat more of it – my head wanted to, but my pouch said “NO”. That portion of Mashed Potatoes is nothing compared to what I would eat prior to surgery – you have no idea. I was still very satisfied.

The kids absolutely loved it too and it is another recipe that makes it into my special “Do Over” Recipe book.

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Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta with Turkey Sausage

Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta

Ronzoni Healthy Harvest PastaLast night I made myself some Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta with Turkey Sausage. Nothing fancy, but it was my first time having the Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta.

My dinner was nothing fancy at all, but being Italian I enjoy my pasta. A lot of Gastric Bypass post op patients have trouble with it, but this is a Whole Grain Pasta and it is a bit different. This pasta is made with durum whole wheat flour and has three times the amount of fiber as regular pasta. This pasta vs. regular pasta maybe a lot easier to handle.

I had never had it before the surgery because if I was gonna eat pasta I was eating the real stuff. But now being I am changing things up I figured instead of increasing the chances of dumping or other issues I would go this route. I have had other forms of pasta already (such as Pasta Roni, Lo Mein & Rice Noodles) without any issues, but one never knows right?

So I cooked up some Turkey Sausage (gotta have protein ya know) and I also cooked the box of Pasta. I cooked the pasta extra so it was nice and tender. This pasta take a bit longer to get tender than your regular pasta I noticed. Then I just added my pasta to the cooked sausage along with a jar of sauce and was good to go.

I did not tell my kids the pasta was different because I wanted to see if they noticed. My son loved it and my daughter figured out something was off, but she ate it with no complaints. Hubby liked it too – SCORE !!

That is my plate with my portion in the photo above. DO NOTE – that is a salad sized plate and my pasta portion was about a 1/2 cup. I sprinkled some Parmesan Cheese on top of my pasta (more protein). I also made Crab Cakes and had 1/2 of one on the side.

So what did I think of the Pasta? I thought it was very good. It tasted a little different, but it is doable again. I had no issues at all – so I was happy, oh and full !!

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Crustless Spinach, Feta and Onion Quiche Recipe

Crustless Spinach, Feta and Onion

Crustless Spinach, Feta and OnionHere is a simple recipe that is a great source of protein. This Crustless Spinach, Feta and Onion Quiche Recipe is easy to make and tastes delicious.

Last week I was looking for some recipes I could try out and this was one of the ones I found. It has a nice amount of protein and it looked like it would be soft to chew. I am also a BIG fan of Feta Cheese so I was very excited to cook it up. I thought it was very tasty so it was worth the share. So if you are looking for something different give this a try.

Here is what you will need to make it:

  • 1 Medium Onion – Diced
  • 6 ounces Fresh Baby Spinach (I used regular Spinach and chopped it up and removed stems)
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 2 Large Egg Whites
  • 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • Pinch of Cayenne Pepper (I did not add this to mine, but next time I will)
  • 1 1/3 Cups of Skim Milk
  • 1/2 Cup Feta Cheese

Preheat your oven to 400

Grease a 10 inch or so Pie/Quiche Pan – I used a Cake Pan

Next gather all your ingredients. I also chopped up my spinach since I did not buy the Baby Spinach – I also cut off the stems.

In a frying pan cook your diced Onions in a bit of Olive Oil (or Cooking Spray) until they are soft. Then add in your Fresh Spinach and cook until just wilted – this will happen fast. When that is done take it off the heat and set aside to cool for a few.

In a Large Mixing Bowl. whisk together Eggs, Flour, Baking Powder and Salt. If adding in a pinch of Cayenne Pepper you can do that now as well. Next whisk in the Milk and then you can stir in your Onion Spinach mixture.

Then just pour that into your Pie Pan, or in my case Cake Pan – lol. Then take your Feta Cheese and crumble it all over the top.

Bake your Quiche in the oven for about 25 minutes or until set and the outer edge is golden brown.

Let is set for about 5 minutes and then cut it and eat !!

Enjoy !!!

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Tomato Bean Soup Recipe

Tomato Bean Soup

Tomato Bean SoupMy sister made me this delicious Tomato Bean Soup last week which was worth the share. It is a great source of protein from all the beans and it was extremely tasty !!

First let me start off by saying that I have such a great sister who happens to love to cook when she has the time. Last week when I was complaining about eating the pureed foods she decided to make me this soup. While it was not pureed when I ate it – it could have been if I wanted it to be. I decided to eat it as is because all the ingredients in it were cooked to where they were extremely soft.

Here is what she used to make this Soup:

  • 1 Large Onion – Chopped
  • 1 Large Carrot – Chopped
  • 1 Celery Rib – Chopped
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 3 Garlic Cloves – Minced
  • 4 Cups of Chicken Broth (you can also use vegetable broth)
  • 2 tsp Sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • 2 Cans Kidney Beans or Cannellini Beans (my sister used one of each)
  • 1 Can Crushed Tomatoes
  • 3 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese

NOTE: You can add in an additional can of beans to this – which is what we will do next time we make it. Hey the more protein per serving the better right? If you are at the point where you can tolerate Pasta – you can also add some in to the soup as well – 3/4 Cup uncooked pasta would be enough. I also think it would be tasty with some cooked ground turkey too – so many options !!!

In a large pot saute up your Onion, Carrot and Celery in the Olive Oil until tender. Add in Garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Next add in the Broth, Sugar, Italian Seasoning and Red Pepper Flakes. (if adding Pasta add it in now as well). Then add in the Crushed Tomatoes and canned Beans. Bring to a boil and then let simmer uncovered until the beans and vegetables get to your desired likeness. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.

My sister cooked the soup till all the veggies got very soft and the Cannellini Beans broke down a bit and made the soup thicker.

I do not know the exact nutritional info for this – that will all depend on how many cans of beans you use etc.. BUT I do know that it is no less than 10+ grams protein per serving (about 1 Cup).

P.S. – YES that is a Baby Spoon in the bowl – I use the Nuby Baby Spoons when I eat – it helps me from putting too much in my mouth at a time.

Enjoy !!!

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Frozen Protein Shake Pops – an easy way to get more protein in

Frozen Protein Shake

Frozen Protein ShakeAfter Gastric Bypass Surgery it is so important to get in all your protein. Sometimes this can be very hard and most people get sick of drinking the protein shakes all the time, myself included. So it is time to get creative.

I am lucky that at this time I do not mind drinking my protein shakes. The only problem I have is that is takes me forever to finish just 8 ounces. I make sure the first thing I have every day is my protein shake before I have anything else. So my days starts off with 26 grams of protein – not too bad. My doctor requires me to get in 60 grams or more daily.

It does not sound like a lot, but it can be. I had noticed that I have been getting in under that daily and needed to increase it. At night I like to have a sweet dessert – sugar free of course, but sweet. Since I had been eating Sugar Free Ice Pops and Fudge Pops often I thought why not freeze my protein shakes into one and have that instead. So I gave it a try.

My first attempt was in my Zoku Quick Pop Maker – it was a fail. I think because of the no sugar in the protein shake – it did freeze, but it got stuck in the cavity. I was sad by that because the Zuko can freeze them within 3 minutes so no waiting. Oh well – I will save that for some healthy fruit pops this summer.

Lucky for me I also had another Ice Pop Mold in my cabinet to try out. So I mixed up 8 ounces of Chocolate Protein Shake and it turns out that each mold will hold 4 ounces. So I filled up two of them and stuck into the freezer hopeful it would work.

Later that night I took it out of the freezer and tried to pull out my Pop – URGH it was stuck. So I just ran some hot water over the bottom and it slipped right out. Wooo Hoooo !!!

Guess what? It was YUMMY. Best part is that it took me about 15 minutes to eat and one pop is 13 grams of protein.

So if you need help getting in the protein I say FREEZE it for a change of pace. You can even have fun with it and combine flavors in the pop molds – do 1/2 vanilla 1/2 chocolate – maybe make a Neapolitan using Chocolate, Vanilla & Strawberry – you get the idea.

These will definitely be great this summer when it is hot.

There are so many different Ice Pop Molds on the market – mine happen to be the kind with a straw attached called a sipper – so if mine melts I can sip it right out – love that !! If you want to make them right away and you do not have a ice pop mold in the house – do it the old fashioned way – freeze some in a plastic cup and when it is semi frozen stick in a Popsicle stick (or a plastic spoon) and then finish freezing..