Apple-Cinnamon Protein Muffins

You know what's hard? Living in a house with non-ops who have no qualms about eating stuff that would kill me.

Now granted, I love to bake so occasionally I'll bake them a cake or make some biscuits for breakfast but it's rare (a fact that is much complained about in my house...but when I say moderation, I mean moderation!).

But the game has changed, Foodies. Those kids that were so little when I started this blog are now teenagers. One has her own source of income. I believe in letting them make some decisions for themselves so while I can pout all I want to about junk they buy, so long as it's not all day, every day, I pretty much let it go (those with teenagers can attest that choosing one's battles at this point is essential!)

Why do I tell you this? Because I ramble a lot. Because their latest junk acquisition (in this instance huge blueberry muffins...with the large-granule sugar on top!) prompted me to take action. I can't eat that kind of stuff. Either I'll dump or I will have a bad blood sugar drop. It's taken nearly 7 years, but even my food addicted brain doesn't want either to happen so I try to avoid stuff like that.

Instead, I whipped out my copy of "The Bariatric Foodie Breakfast Book" and made these instead. Now this is a slight departure from the recipe in the book (I played with my food!), but the book has a bunch of protein muffin recipes. Way better choices than the sugar-topped muffins (or at least I'll keep telling myself that...).

Nik's Apple Cinnamon Protein Muffins

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 c. oat flour (I'll explain that in a minute)
• 1/2 c. soy flour (almond flour works too if you don't want to do soy but it will affect the protein count)
• 1/2 c. vanilla protein powder of your choosing (I used this)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Wet Ingredients

• 1 very large apple (I used a Honeycrisp but any large, sweet baking apple will do), grated
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• Sweetener of your choice equivalent to 1.25 c. sugar (I use Splenda which measures 1:1 with sugar, be sure to check your favorite sweetener! Btw, the Bariatric Foodie Breakfast Book also includes a complete conversion chart for all the major kinds of sugar substitutes.)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/4 c. milk 

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

If you have oat flour on hand, great. If not, it's easy to make. Put a cup of quick oats in a blender and whiz until flour happens! Put that in a bowl and add the rest of the dry ingredients and then whisk them together. 

In another bowl combine your grated apple with the rest of the wet ingredients and stir to combine. 

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix. It will seem as if there's not enough wet stuff there but just keep mixing. It will all coat, I promise!

After it's all coated, it should be pretty thick. Add the milk and then stir. That loosens it up a little bit (it'll be about the consistency of cooked oatmeal). 

Fill lined cupcake tins (fill them 3/4 of the way). This recipe yielded 16 regular sized muffins for me. You can also do mini-muffins. If you do, report back on how many you get! (Note: yes, they freeze beautifully, just wrap them tightly). 

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a fork comes out clean (or in my case the fork came out with a crumb and not liquid). Allow to cool. You can top them with just about anything. I like either whipped Greek yogurt cream cheese on top or a smear of peanut butter. Nom, nom, nom!

As is the custom, here are the outtake photos of the muffins.

True Fact: I actually am pretty obsessed with the swirliness of things like peanut butter in photos!

This one was good...but I wasn't sure if I was going to present the muffins with the PB so...yeah.

I reduced the size of this one so you can't see, but the photo is not in focus. Plus the glass bowl was way too close to the muffin! #FoodBloggerNeuroses

Now a funny thing happened with these muffins. I set them to cool with four set aside with a note that they were to be photo'd for the blog (in food blogging households effective communication is essential!). The next morning, four of my 16 muffins were gone. The next morning another four. The next morning another four. How 'bout that?

Anyhoo...for more protein muffin recipes than you can shake a spatula at, check out The Bariatric Foodie Breakfast Book, available in hardcopy and Kindle on Amazon

Crustless Pizza Casserole

You know what's really empowering, Foodies?

Making something the way you like it, just because that's how you  like it. Not the way the kids like it or your spouse likes it, but just the way you want it.

I had an epiphany recently. I've spent a lot of my post-op career catering to everyone's preferences in my crusade to get my kids and family to eat healthier. In the process I did several things:

1. I stopped even thinking about what I like the best and why.
2. I put my children under the delusion that they live in a 24-hour diner, complete with a short-order cook.
3. I got a case of "food burn-out."

What's food burn-out? You all have experienced it, I'm sure. It's when you just get tired of thinking about, prepping, and cooking food. So you don't. Instead you eat things that are convenient (and sometimes not healthy). Or worse, you fall back on take-out a lot.

As for me, I fell back on my default foods (stuff I could eat anytime like cottage cheese and Greek yogurt) and let the kids go crazy with take-out. Bad mom!

What I've learned from this is that even when it comes to cooking my needs are important too. So I vow to make more meals the way I like them!

Which is what brings us to this pizza casserole. There are several reasons why my daughters probably won't touch it. For Diva, the Elder, it contains three vegetables that are on her "no fly" list (I've tried to get her to embrace more veggies...she's 16 so at this point trickery doesn't work anymore!). For Diva, the Younger,  (13) she  now eats a pescetarian diet and so the ground meat is no-go. But me? I love it! So here goes.

Nik's Pizza Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2 c. whatever veggies you like, diced (I used onions, yellow bell peppers, and zucchini)
• 1 clove garlic, minced (or 1 tsp. already minced garlic)
• 1 lb. Italian-style ground meat (I used turkey)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1.5 c. your favorite pizza or spaghetti sauce
• 1.5 c. shredded pizza blend or Italian-blend cheese (or mozzarella if you like to keep it simple)
• Toppings: I used one serving of turkey pepperoni (17 slices) and 1/4 c. sliced olives, but add anything you like on top of pizza!

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Set a skillet over medium-high heat and let it get hot (2-3 minutes) before adding nonstick cooking spray (or 1 tbsp. of oil if you like that better). Add veggies and saute for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add garlic and saute an additional minute or so.

Add the ground meat, breaking it up with a spatula and mixing in the vegetables. Cook until meat is done through. Drain meat of any excess fluid with a colander.

Turn stove heat to medium-low and add sauce, stirring to fully combine. Simmer about 5-7 minutes or until sauce turns a deeper shade of red. Your mixture should be saucy but not soupy. Ultimately the veggies will continue releasing water as they cook so you don't want your sauce to have too much liquid. If there seems to be a lot, drain some of it off before doing the next step.

Transfer mixture to a casserole dish (this is an 8 x 8) and spread to make sure it's an even layer. Now comes the fun part. Toppings! I love pepperoni and black olives on pizza so that's what I topped mine with, along with the shredded cheese.

I baked mine for about 20 minutes, long enough for the cheese to melt, brown just a bit and for the pepperonis to become slightly crispy. Technically it's ready when the cheese is melted so let it go as long as you want until it's the way you like it!

No need to let this casserole cool. The ooey-gooey factor is part of the joy of it!

This will be my lunches for the week. Meanwhile the kids are eating...something...(shrugs).

Easy Breakfast: Spinach & Eggs

I think I've said before, I'm a visual eater. And unlike when I first started this blog, I'm sort of a lazy cook now. These days I LOVE meals that don't take long to make. This is a quick throw-together IF you are the sort of person who preps veggies weekly (I am!).

Spinach & Eggs (and a few other things)

Ingredients:

• Red pepper strips (I cut up peppers each week and stow them away for easy access)
• Sliced onion (I used a regular yellow onion)
• Sliced mushrooms
• Spinach (I used about 1.5 c. since it cooks down but go with your instinct on the amount)
• 1 small clove garlic, minced (or 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. already minced garlic)
• Nonstick cooking spray (or olive oil, about a teaspoon is enough)
• salt, pepper, Paremesan cheese
• 1 egg (I used a large, again go with what's right for you!)

Directions:

Spray a pan down with nonstick cooking spray and set it over medium heat. If you're using olive oil put the pan on the heat and let it get hot before adding oil. 

Add peppers and onions and sautee 2-ish minutes or until they are softened. Add mushrooms and sautee an additional minute followed by the spinach and any seasonings you are using.

I like to just toss the spinach with a pair of tongs until it's soft, but not completely limp. Transfer to a plate.

In the same pan, cook an egg any way you like it (obviously I like mine sunny-side up!). Place egg atop veggie mixture and sprinkle with Paremesan cheese. NOM!

Throwback Thursday: Nik Takes the Hunger Challenge

So...three years ago this summer I decided to do something a little radical. Now to understand why I did this you have to know a few things about me:

1. By day I work as a writer for a non-profit that deals with global hunger (among other things).
2. My mother had just died.
3. My kids live with their father during the summer and so I was all alone (this was before I acquired my Bassett Hound, who now ensures I never truly feel alone!)

I decided to take the Hunger Challenge. That link gives you an example of a Hunger Challenge but the basic gist is that I spent five days eating on $1.25/day, which is about the amount of money people living in extreme poverty around the world have to feed their entire families, not just theirselves.

It was an interesting exercise to say the least. I was 4 years post-op at the time so I wasn't that concerned about physical implications (that is to say, don't try this at home, kids!) and I learned a lot about what hunger really is.

If you want you can peruse my daily videos as I went through the challenge. Some of them are long-ish, but all of them share the insight from what I was actually going through at the time. 

Day One

Day Two

Day Three

Day Four

Day Five (sorta...)

Single Serve Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower

Yesterday I posted the above picture on Facebook of my beautiful little lunch: about 2.5 oz. grilled salmon, along with a spear of brocolli (both leftover from a trip to TGI Friday's) along with a side of cheesy mashed cauliflower I made that morning.

Since I only wanted it that day, I made a single serving. I know some of you either live alone or have family who won't touch veggies with a ten-foot pole, so I though this recipe might be useful to you as well.

Nik's Single Serve Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower
Makes about 1/2 c. (ish) of mashed cauliflower. Divide that into as many portions as you see fit!

Ingredients:

• 4-6 frozen cauliflower florets 
• 1/4 c. (ish) of water
• 1 wedge of Laughing Cow Light spreadable cheese (any flavor you like - I use Garlic & Herb)
• 1 tbsp. shredded cheese of your choice
• 1 heaping tsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place florets and water in a bowl. Microwave on high for about 2 minutes. This should leave your florets pretty soft. If not, keep microwaving in 15 second increments until they are!

Drain the water and mash the florets (this can be done with a sturdy fork although for me any excuse to use my potato masher is a good one!).

While the florets are still hot, mix in your cheeses (Laughing Cow, shredded and parmesan), along with your salt and pepper. Mix in well.

I personally like to add parsely to the top (I'm a visual eater) but that's not necessary. If it's not hot enough for you, pop it back in the microwave about 30 seconds to reheat it through. 

Enjoy!

The 2014 Bariatric Foodie "Play With My Food" Recipe Contest Cookbook (Free Download!)

So...yesterday we say what happens when Nik gets "trigger finger." For those of you who follow BF on Facebook and Twitter, this cookbook was the "surprise" I'd been alluding to since last weekend. (So there will be no surprise tomorrow...sorry!) I really and truly did not mean to publish it until tomorrow, but hey...stuff happens.

In the end I'm glad I did because it gave me a glimpse into how easy/hard it is for you all to download things from various sources! I think I've got the bugs worked out (think being the operative word here). We shall see!

Anyhoo...let's try this again, shall we?  I'm happy to present the 2014 recipe contest cookbook, which looks WORLD'S better than the 2013 cookbook (shout out to my chief branding consultant, Pam Tremble).

What the heck is the "Play With My Food" recipe contest?

So background: Each fall I do a recipe contest called the Bariatric Foodie "Play With My Food" recipe contest. Why? Because you all cook awesome stuff and you should share it! So I pick a theme and invite folks to submit a recipe. Fellow Foodies serve as judges. This year's theme was "Play With Your Food - All Day Long!" Foodies were invited to submit recipes in one of five categories:

1. Breakfast
2. Lunch
3. Dinner
4. Dessert
5. Snacks

Download the cookbook!

Each of the categories above had a winning recipe and all winners received a prize, but all recipes are published in this FREE e-book (did I mention that it's free?).

Download the Free Cookbook

IMPORTANT: I decided to ditch my shopping cart. It was giving too many folks problems. The above link is to a version of the cookbook housed on my Google Drive. You should be able to both view and download it from there. To download it, you'd go to the icon of the downward arrow with a line underneath that looks like this:

You'll also see an icon that looks like three dots in a vertical line. If you click that, "Download" is one of the options. From my both my iPhone and my Android-based tablet, this let me open the document and from there I had some options on saving it (for example, on Apple products you can save it to iBooks).  Your mileage may vary, which is why you should keep reading if you're using a mobile device!

Mobile Phone & Tablet Users

You can download this e-book to your mobile phone or tablet the same way but keep in mind that your phone or tablet may or may not have the appropriate app to actually open it. If that's the case you should get a message (either from Google or your phone) asking you how you'd like to open the document. Here's the important part to note:

What happens after you click that button, I have no control over! 

If you have trouble, leave a blog comment and I can try to help but I'm not a mobile tech expert (I'm not an any tech expert!) so I may not be much help.

Bottom line...and I say this with love...if you are tech challenged (like me!) wait until you can open this from a laptop or desktop computer and save it there. 

I hope you enjoy this cookbook! It was written by Foodies, for Foodies, so feel free to share the download link far and wide!

Low-Carb Ramekin Shepherd's Pie

So...St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow. And some of you already have your corned beef and cabbage cooking. Yum!

Here's another idea to throw onto the heap. I love cooking with ramekins. It's so fun! You can make a perfect portion (by purchasing the ramekin size that suits you), it's easy to ditch starches (like pie crust in this instance) and they are just darn cute, don't you agree? (TIP: For another St. Patrick's Day ramekin idea, check out my Reuben Ramekins!) 

I love Shepherd's Pie. And I even love it without any modifications! In moderation I have absolutely no problem eating the full fledged version. But since I also want to enjoy a piece of Soda Bread with this meal, I gotta make a swap somewhere. (Why? Because Nik's blood sugar will sink like an anvil if I have more than one source of starch at a sitting!) This swap I can live with as a weeknight meal. I'm more inclined to use a more traditional recipe for weekends.

Here's how it goes.

Nik's (Version of) Lil Baby Shepherd's Pies

(Makes about 4 six ounce ramekins)

***For Shepherd's Pie purists, please read the recipe notes!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 of a yellow onion, finely diced
• 1/2 lb. lean ground meat (I used turkey)
• 8 oz. can peas and carrots, drained
• 1/2 bag frozen cauliflower florets (or about 2 c. fresh ones)
• 4 oz. (or approximately half a can) low-fat, low-sodium Cream of Mushroom soup
• 2-3 Laughing Cow style cheese wedges (any flavor)
• 1/3 c. shredded cheese for topping
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Put a small pot of water on to boil.

Set a skillet over medium heat and let it get hot. Spray it with nonstick cooking spray and add onions. Sautee about 2 minutes.

Add ground meat, browning and mixing in the onions until meat is fully cooked. Drain if necessary. Your pot of water should be boiling so drop cauliflower florets into it.

Add peas and carrots and stir. Then add soup and stir. If soup doesn't sufficiently coat the meat mixture, add about 1/4 c. milk. Allow the mixture to warm through then set aside.

When cauliflower florets are tender (about 4-5 minutes after returning them to a boil), drain and mash them (I use a basic potato masher). Add the Laughing Cow wedges while the florets are still hot. Mix with spoon until mixture becomes a mash (won't look exactly like mashed potatoes but will bond together and won't look like grated cauliflower anymore either).

Place your ramekins on a baking sheet. Ladle in about 1/4 c. meat/veggie mixture. Top with about 1/4 c. of the cauliflower mixture and top with a sprinkle of shredded cheese.

Bake ramekins for about 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and, if you like, browned.

A few notes:

• If you are a Shepherd's Pie purist perhaps the soup shortcut just won't do. That's fine! Use whatever you like to make the gravy for the pie. Play with your food! (And if you come up with something good, let us know!)
• If you are a Shepherd's Pie purist you might also prefer a potato topping. Don't let me stand in your way!
• Every time I use canned soup in a recipe I seem to get scoffs from folks. I will say this. I have low blood pressure and therefore have been advised against a low-sodium diet. I know that's not the case for many of you. Use your best discretion with regards to canned soups. There are great low-sodium varieties out there!
• Finally, if a 6 oz. ramekin is too much for you, feel free to make them smaller! They freeze beautifully when you wrap them properly and are a great, comforting meal to reheat!

Here are a few other photos of this delicious dish!

The addition of parsely in food pictures can make a real difference to the visual appeal in my honest opinion. Check out this dish before I added parsely. Doesn't it look more appealing with it? 

The Winner of the 2015 Bariatric Foodie Pledge Grand Prize

I know you all so well. Want to know how well I know you? I know that most of you are going to scroll right past the next few paragraphs. It's ok. I understand. But come back afterward!

I just wanted to extend my personal thanks and congratulations to everyone who participated in the 2015 Bariatric Foodie Pledge. No matter how many weeks you participated, you did a good thing for yourself by making healthy goals and holding yourself accountable!

For that reason, I hope you'll check your inboxes because I've sent a little token of my thanks to everyone who signed up for Bariatric Foodie Pledge reminders. If you don't see the email, check your spam folder and if it's still not there, email me at bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com and I can send it to you.

I'd also like to thank our sponsors one more time! Starting from week one, thank you CLICK Espresso Protein. Thanks to our week two sponsors BariMelts and Squeak Cheeks. For week three, I thank Celebrate Vitamins and BiProUSA. For week four, thanks to Quest Nutrition and Torani. And of course thanks to Livliga Home and Nutri-Ninja for providing bonus prizes for the grand prize!

You'll remember that the grand prize consists of items from each of these sponsors.

The Grand Prize Winner

The grand prize winner was randomly selected from the grand prize contestants who completed Grand Prize Check-In last weekend. All entries were verified (and all were done correctly - thank you!). The list of contestants was then sent to the winner of the 2014 Bariatric Foodie Pledge - Ronnie Sommerville Hasty - who drew the winner and sent that winner's name to me (Thanks, Ronnie!).

Please join me in congratulating the 2015 Bariatric Foodie Pledge Grand Prize winner:

Kim Tres.!!!

Kim is a long-time Foodie who currently lives in Qatar (I will humble myself and admit that, yes, I did have to Wikipedia Qatar). She's participated in past Bariatric Foodie pledges but this is her first time winning anything! Kim says she was proud that this year was the first that she was able to pledge and check-in all four weeks.

Her pledges:

• Week One: Walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes/4 days each week.
• Week Two: Same as week one!
• Week Three: To remember to take her midday calcium supplement.
• Week Four: Eat breakfast every day during the week.

When asked what she got out of participating in the Bariatric Foodie Pledge, here's what she had to say:

"At more than three and a half years out, I think I’d forgotten how disciplined I was when I started this journey. The Pledge helped me realize that I need to stay disciplined and remove some of the bad habits that have crept in so I can STAY healthy. 

My biggest need is for exercise and my proudest moment was walking 19,500 steps in one day this past week. I NEVER thought I could, much less would, do that. Thanks for giving me a good, swift kick in the butt, Pledge! I’m soooooo glad I did it!"

Congratulations once again, Kim! And thank you for claiming your prize! 

A few reminders for the Foodie Nation:

• Check your e-mail if you signed up for Pledge reminders. I've sent you a token of my thanks and congratulations!
• As you can see, Bariatric Foodie contests truly are open to Foodies worldwide! This is made possible through your orders of Quest Bars or to Amazon or Netrition through this site. If you'd like to contribute to the cause, use the right menu to order Quest Bars (through the ad), or to order on Amazon or Netrition (through the search boxes). Thank you!
• I can't give too much away, but I'm already hard at work on a Summer Challenge. I hope it'll make a "big splash" this summer! (hint, hint)

Thanks once again to everyone who participated and keep playing with your food!!!

Bariatric Foodie Grand Prize Check-In

Four weeks. Four pledges. Four check-ins. Five last tasks. And here we are at the Grand Prize Check-In for the Bariatric Foodie Pledge!

I don't need to remind our grand prize pledgers what's at stake here. Our grand prize winner will receive every prize from every weekly drawing from the entire Pledge (from CLICK Espresso Protein, BariMelts, Squeaky Cheeks, Celebrate Vitamins, BiPro USA, Quest Nutrition and Torani) PLUS four bonus prizes from Livliga Home, Ninja Kitchen and Bariatric Foodie.

Here's how to do Grand Prize Check-In

This probably goes without saying but I'm going to say it anyway. Please don't enter this drawing if you are not a grand prize pledger! If you don't know if you are one, you're probably not but here's the grand prize pledger list just the same.

Grand Prize Pledgers:

1. Fill out ALL items on this form. You should have been collecting the information you needed to turn in so it's at easy reach. If you didn't, get it before check-in closes tomorrow at noon EST!
2. Press Submit. You may get a confirmation message. You may not. At this stage, you know the deal on that one. One note though: Since this is a longer than normal form, you may have to scroll up after pressing submit to see the confirmation message.
3. Make sure your entry went through by visiting the entry list. ONLY your name will be visible on this list. If you see your name, I got your entire entry. The rest is hidden for your privacy.

IMPORTANT: Please submit your entry when you have time to do it carefully. While I will be around to monitor grand prize check in, I will not alter or edit your entry for you. If you are at a device that allows you to see the confirmation page after you press "submit" you'll notice that I have enabled you to edit your entry, should you need to, by clicking the "edit entry" link.

What Happens Next?

• Sunday, March 8, 12 p.m. EST - Grand Prize Check-in Closes. No submissions will be taken after this time.
• Tuesday, March 10 - The Bariatric Foodie Pledge Grand Prize Winner will be announced!

Good luck, Grand Prize Pledgers. And congrats on making it this far in the Bariatric Foodie Pledge! 

The Bariatric Foodie Pledge Grand Prize Competition

Looking for where to report for the "Level Up" Challenge?

I goofed! In editing the instructions I took out the part where I said the day to report back is THURSDAY, March 5. Look for the post on Facebook and Twitter THURSDAY. My apologies for any inconvenience!

Before we get to the Grand Prize Competition, I just want to congratulate EVERYONE who took part in this year's Pledge. You all worked on your goals, you reflected on your process and you held yourselves accountable. You are all STARS in my book!

But there can only be one grand prize winner. And it will be one of the people in the following grand prize pledger list.

Take Me to The Grand Prize Pledger List!

A word about this list. It is final. You might remember I asked folks to:

1. Check the Standing list each week and get back to me in a timely manner with corrections.
2. Check the check-in list this week (especially if you hoped to compete for the grand prize) and email me before the check-in period closed.

If you are missing something, it's probably because one of those things did not happen. If you'd like to see what you're missing, here is the final standings list for the entire 2015 Bariatric Foodie Pledge, but again, the above list is final. 

How the Grand Prize Competition Works

To compete for the grand prize, you’ll have to perform a series of tasks over the next week. You must complete ALL tasks in order to be eligible to win the prize. Failure to complete tasks will result in being eliminated from the grand prize competition. In addition, you must complete “grand prize check-in” next weekend, March 7-8 (see below). 

Take me to the competition instructions!

PLEASE NOTE: Participating in the grand prize competition is optional. You don't have to if you don't want to or your schedule does not permit. You also don't have to notify me if you are not participating. Just simply don't check-in and you'll be auto-eliminated. I hope that makes things easier for folks!

Grand Prize Check-In

Grand prize check-in opens Sunday, March 7 at 12 p.m. EST and closes Sunday, March 8 at 12 p.m. EST. This is when you will affirm that you completed all tasks on the task list and you will submit your final entry into the grand prize drawing. I marked items on the list where you'll be required to give information at check-in. Please make sure you're keeping track! (In fact, just read the document really well...it's the key to winning!)

Like the weekly check-ins, the grand prize check-in will be a form you’ll need to fill out and submit here on the blog. It is your responsibility to find the best device to ensure you can submit your grand prize check-in. For your convenience, the device test is still available at http://bit.ly/BFPledge2015.

Please note that entries will be verified and that you’ll only have one opportunity to enter the drawing. So please make sure you've complete all your tasks before checking in.

This may seem like I'm stating the obvious, but please do not check-in during grand prize week unless your name appears on the grand prize pledger list.

Winner Announcement

After grand prize check-in closes on Sunday, March 8, 12 pm EST, entries will be verified. Please remember that if you have not completed all the tasks you will be automatically eliminated from the competition. 

The actual prize drawing will be done by a person who has not participated in the Bariatric Foodie Pledge. The winner will be selected from all qualified grand prize pledgers (meaning all pledgers with completed their tasks and checked in on time). The winning name will be drawn by a random name generator.

The winner will be notified by email by 7 p.m. EST, Monday, March 9. The winner will be publicly announced by 3 p.m. EST Monday, Tuesday March 10. The winner has until 11:59 p.m. EST, Wednesday, March 11 to claim the grand prize or a new name will be drawn. No exceptions.

Questions?

You may leave them in the comments or you may email me at any time at bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com. Congratulations to the grand prize pledgers and good luck!

Bariatric Foodie Pledge - Week Four Prize Winners!

Before we get to that (don't I say that a lot?) I just wanted to point out that week 4 was the last week of regular pledging for the 2015 Bariatric Foodie Pledge. We've now moved into the "winner takes all" Grand Prize competition which open to folks who pledged and checked-in all four weeks, along with the five people who won the "Second Chance" drawing. It's been a GREAT Pledge this year folks. You all showed up in a big way and I'm so proud of you!

Thanks to Our Week 4 Sponsors

Of course we need to thank our week 4 sponsors, Torani and Quest Nutrition! Our three weekly winners will receive a prize pack from each of them! Be sure to show them some social media love:

• Like Quest Nutrition on Facebook, follow them on Twitter
• Like Torani on Facebook, follow them on Twitter

This Week's Winners 

Without further adieu, congrats to:

• Michelle S. whose week four pledge was to seek out better mind/body balance. Michelle sought out her mind/body balance through exercise and says that worked out great for her. 
• Jamie M. whose pledge was to exercise three times this week for 45 minutes. She says her pledge this week went great and she plans to keep up the physical activity in the future!
• Roberta S. whose pledge was a do-over (she was sick the week before) to walk 30 minutes a day. She said overtime at work made her pledge challenging but she's committed to keep trying!

Congratulations ladies. Here's what you need to do now.

1. I sent you each an email to the address you provided during pledging and check-in. If you got it you can simply respond to it.
2. If you didn't get it, email me your Quest Bar flavor choice (visit their website to see your options), along with your full name, mailing address and phone number (for shipping purposes only) to bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com. (NOTE: Flavor options for Torani are pre-determined but trust me, they are good!)
3. You must claim your prize by 11:59 p.m. EST Wednesday, March 4 or I have to redraw. Please don't make me do that!

Once again congrats to this week's prize winners - and good luck to all the grand prize pledgers!

Bariatric Foodie Pledge Week Four - Time to Check-In!

Week 4 Check-In is now CLOSED. Good luck to all who checked in! 

Remember the instructions for the grand prize competition will be posted tonight at 6 pm EST.

Thanks To Our Sponsors

Special, super, duper Foodie thanks to this week's sponsors - Torani and Quest Nutrition. I personally love and use both of their products and I'm so excited that three of you will get to give them a try. Please remember to show them some love on social media!

• Like Quest Nutrition on Facebook, follow them on Twitter.
• Like Torani on Facebook, follow them on Twitter.

1. bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com!

What Happens Next?

• Sunday: 12 pm EST week four check-ins close. At 6 p.m. EST the grand prize pledger list will be posted along with instructions about the grand prize competition.
• Monday: The week four prize winners will be announced.
• Saturday, March 7: 12 pm EST grand prize check-in opens and remains open until 12 pm EST, Monday, March 9.
• Tuesday, March 10: The grand prize winner of the Bariatric Foodie Pledge will be announced no later than 3 p.m. EST

The 5 Pledgers Getting a "Second Chance" at the Grand Prize are...

Before I make that announcement I want to just say a word of thanks. Or several.

THANK YOU for taking the time, week-to-week, to double check the pledge, check-in and standings lists. I run the Pledge with free technology and checking the lists is the only protection I can give against tech wonkyness.

THANK YOU especially to those people who checked the last standings list to make sure I have you recorded accurately.

THANK YOU to the people who notified me that they were missing things. While that didn't always result your standings changing, everyone handled the information with grace and class. So THANK YOU.

Now, if you've been following along this week we are picking FIVE (5) Pledgers who are only missing one week's worth of pledges and/or check-ins. Those five people will go through to next week's "Winner Takes All" Grand Prize competition. After the names below there's a bit more information about the grand prize competition you may want to read!

Congratulations to:

• Jodi Beggarly
• Cheryl H
• Anne B.  Karen B.***
• Eleni H.
• Leslie D.

*** Turns out that Anne B. had pledged and checked in all three weeks so far. I'm sorry - I'm human! Even I miss things. But that's why it is SO important to check the lists to make sure you are on them. It makes a difference. This week I'll be posting a standings list after check-ins close. PLEASE take a moment to look at it! Please and thank you!

You all are now grand prize pledgers, alongside all the folks who have pledged and checked-in all four weeks! REMEMBER: You must still check in your week 4 goal this weekend to remain eligible to compete. I've emailed the above five people to notify them (at the email address they provided with pledges and check-ins). They don't need to respond or "claim" that spot. They simply need to check in their week 4 goals and then follow the directions for the grand prize competition.

Speaking of...a few tips/pieces of information about the grand prize competition:

1. Information about the grand prize competition goes up the evening of Sunday, March 1. I may have said noon. I reserve the right to do it a bit later to make sure I've got it right. Please note, however, this is a competition not simply a drawing. In that regard...
2. I know reading a bunch of stuff is a drag, but please read everything carefully! Failure to follow the instructions given can eliminate you from the grand prize competition. I try to make every word count, so read it please!
3. If you have any questions at any time, I am here for you! Just like I have been throughout this whole Pledge. I can be reached most quickly via email bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com. Folks who have emailed me can attest I answer very quickly.

With that, good luck with the final few days of your regular pledging and good luck to all the folks who go on to the grand prize competition next week!

The Next Bariatric Foodie Pledge Grand Prize Bonus Item is...

Maaaaaaan, you all just need to know I am not good at keeping secrets and it was not easy keeping this one!

But I had to. So I did. I'm proud of myself.

If you're viewing this on a computer, you'll see the COMPLETE grand prize list on the right menu! On it, you'll see that in addition to winning one of every weekly prize awarded (for my mobile peeps that's prize packs from CLICK Espresso Protein, BariMelts, Squeaky Cheeks, Celebrate Vitamins, BiProUSA, Torani and Quest Nutrition), and in addition to winning a set of Livliga Home dishes, in addition to winning a full-set of Bariatric Foodie books and the book "Slim By Design," by author Brian Wansink, the grand prize winner will also win a Nutri-Ninja blending system!!!!

I'm so excited and I'm not even in the darn running.

About the Nutri-Ninja

You all might remember that I got to experience the power of the Ninja Kitchen System first hand when I attended an annual conference called Fitbloggin (where Nik goes to learn to be a better blogger for YOU!)

There I got to sample a bunch of all-natural fruit and vegetable drink blends made with the Nutri-Ninja, which is a smaller, cup-style blending system with the power of the NINJA! (Ok I will admit maybe I'm having a bit too much fun with this). After the conference I decided to connect with the folks at Ninja to see if I could hook a Foodie up - and they were game!

So what's so special about this blender. Well, several things I'll list here but you can learn even more on their website:

• Nutrient extraction: The powerful blades and motor on this blender are super efficient at breaking down whole foods (fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc.) so that the vitamins are more accessible to your body. (NOTE: Folks with malabsorptive procedures, this applies even to you. Just because you can't absorb all your nutrients doesn't mean the ones you do absorb can't be good!)
• Speed: All that nutrient extraction? Happens in mere seconds!
• Convenience: The Nutri-Ninja cup is portable, making nutrition on the go a snap!

I've been testing out my Nutri-Ninja and will post my review this week (I keep meaning to but I want to use my own pictures and I keep missing the good light) along with some of the yummy things I've created. 

Are you excited about the grand prize competition? I'm glad! If you're read this far I will give you a little head start on the competition. It begins on Sunday, March 1. (That we already knew.) Those competing for the prize will actually have to DO stuff in order to win. I've asked several Foodies not competing this year to help decide some of the things to do but I will tell you that everything is...well, do-able. And you should have plenty of time to get it done. 

So that's all I'm saying for now. Good luck to you all with your last Pledge week!

Why Bariatric Foodie Hearts Torani

These are my "most frequently used" flavors. There are more in my kitchen though!

There are three questions I get asked pretty often about sugar-free syrups:

1. What do you use them for?
2. What’s the difference between Torani, Davinci, and other syrups?
3. If I’m gonna try Torani syrups, what flavor should I try first?

Call me ambitious…but I’m going to try to answer all these questions in one (hopefully not too long) blog post!

What do I (Nik) use sugar-free syrups for?

Left: Mocha Toffee Twist Hot Protein Drink, Top: Crustless Pumpkin Cheesecake with Salted Caramel Pecan Topping, Bottom: S'mores Protein Pudding Pie 

The better question is what don’t I use them for. And the answer to that would be very few things! I use them in protein shakes, in yogurt, in pudding, in coffee, in baked stuff, in dessert. They can even be used as an addition to savory sauces! (Sorry I haven’t memorialized those recipes yet but soon!)

Here are a few helpful tips when using sugar-free syrups in general:

• If you are baking using sugar-free syrups, remember that it would be considered a wet ingredient and, thus, you’d need to either adjust your other wet ingredients accordingly OR adjust your cook time (usually longer cook time, possibly lower temperature depending on what it is). In general, the syrups don’t have a big impact on the final texture of a baked product. 
• Be sure to use a flavor that stands out from whatever you are using. So if you are making…say…chocolate protein pudding, a nice Salted Caramel or S’mores flavored syrup would work well with that. Don’t use flavors that blend into each other. You won’t taste them and it will seem like a waste!

What’s the difference between Torani, Davinci and other syrups?

The main difference is their flavor offerings. Davinci makes some flavors that Torani does not (like sugar-free Kahlua and sugar-free Buttered Rum) and Torani makes some flavors Davinci does not (such as my absolute FAVORITE, sugar-free S’mores and sugar-free Salted Caramel). There are many other brands of sugar-free syrups, including those carried at your local Starbucks. There can also be differences in how syrups are sweetened. Both Torani and Davinci are generally sweetened with Sucralose (the main ingredient in Splenda). There are other syrups sweetened with other things such as aspartame, xylitol and stevia. 

If I’m gonna try Torani syrups, what flavor should I try first?

Valid question. Many of us don’t have the budget for an unlimited supply (but we can dream…sigh…) so investing in the right bottle is important. Here are a few suggestions (all sugar-free flavors):

• Nik’s All-Time Faves (of the moment): S’Mores, Hazelnut, English Toffee
• If you're #TeamFruity: You might like Orange, Lime or Strawberry
• If you're #TeamVanilla: there’s Vanilla, French Vanilla and Vanilla Bean
• If you're #TeamChocolate: There’s Chocolate but also flavors that enhance chocolate like Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and Peanut Butter flavors!

Bariatric Foodie Pledge Week 3 Winners! (And Grand Prize Standings)

Hey friends! I hope your Pledge Week is getting off to an awesome start. Before I announce the Week 3 winners, I want to post the standings list.

Second Chance Contest

I just wanted to remind you about the "Second Chance Contest." This week all the Pledgers who are only missing one week's worth of pledges and/or check-ins  will be placed into a drawing. I will draw FIVE names of folks from that group who will then go on to the grand prize competition next week (along with the folks already in the competition - those who have pledged/checked in all the weeks). Here are the important things to know:

1. If you've pledged/checked in all the weeks so far (have X's straight across) you are already in the grand prize competition. This does not apply to you. So long as you pledged a week 4 goal and check in this weekend, you are in the grand prize competition!
2. This is for people who are missing (within a single week) one pledge, one check-in or both. I've marked your names on the list with both asterisks and bold type (WARNING: When I tested this on mobile phones sometimes neither showed up if I didn't use Chrome so if all else fails you can try viewing from a desktop computer OR just look at the "X's." If you're only missing "X's" in one week, I've got you down for the drawing!)
3. As always if you feel like I am missing any of your pledges/check-ins please email me. Additionally, if you feel you should be eligible for this drawing but I have you missing more than one of your weeks, please email me before Wednesday at 6 p.m. EST. 

Take me to the Standings List! 

I'll announce the five people who will move on to grand prize week on Thursday afternoon on Facebook and Twitter, but I'll also email the five people to notify them. So watch your inboxes!

Also please let me know sometime this week if I'm missing you for anything before this standings list closes. Once the list closes I can't make changes to it!

Week 3 Winners

Once again, many thanks to Celebrate Vitamins and BiPro USA for sponsoring this week's prizes. Congratulations go out to:

• Eileen P.  whose goal was to continue getting exercise! (Thanks, Eileen for already claiming your prize!)
• Laura M., whose goal was to get 10,000 steps every day last week (Thanks, Laura, for already claiming your prize!)
• Patti R., whose goal was to journal her food and get 64 oz. of fluids daily (I still need to hear from you, Patti! You have until 11:59 p.m. EST Tuesday, February 24 to claim your prize! Email me at bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com - I also emailed you so you can look for that as well.)

Here's a run-down of the rest of this week:

• Thursday: I'll announce the five people from the "missing one week" group who will move on to the grand prize competition.
• Saturday: Week 4 check-ins begin at noon EST.
• Sunday: Week 4 check-ins close at noon EST.
• Sunday evening: The grand prize competition begins for those who qualify to compete (don't worry...you'll have plenty of time to compete so long as you check out the competition at some point between Sunday and Monday.)

Have a great pledge week everyone!

Bariatric Foodie Pledge - Week Four - Time to Pledge!

Just joining us for the first time? Might want to read up on the Pledge before you dive in!

Foodies, we are at Week Four. Can you believe it? You've been pledging goals and being accountable all month. You. Are. AWESOME!

Before we get to pledging, a few IMPORTANT notes about this week.

1. PLEASE be sure to pay particular attention to the standings list for this week (which will go up tomorrow, Monday, February 23rd). It will be particularly important because...
2. As is our customs once the first Pledge in 2011 this week I will draw FIVE names of people who are only missing pledges or check-ins within one pledge week to go on to the grand prize competition. 

I just want to make sure you understand how this works:

• If you pledged/checked in all the weeks so far you are already eligible to compete for the grand prize. This does not apply to you. You're good. Just make sure to pledge/check in this week to stay eligible!
• People who will be entered into this drawing: If you are missing one pledge OR one check in OR both within the same week. (TIP: I'll mark your names on the standings list tomorrow if you are eligible.)
• If you know you already you are only missing things in one week, be sure to check this week's standings list (will be posted tomorrow) to make sure I have you down for everything else. 
• If you are one of the five selected, you still have to pledge/check in for week 4 in order to stay eligible.
• The drawing will happen on Thursday and the names drawn will be posted here on the blog and on Facebook and Twitter. I will also email you to let you know your name has been drawn.

Got it? If not, feel free to email me at bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com or leave a blog comment. 

Onward...

This Week's Sponsors

Once again we have two sponsors this week. As usual, there will be three weekly winners. Read about the prizes up for grabs.

Quest Protein

You all know them. Most of you love them. Quest Nutrition is once again a Bariatric Foodie Pledge Sponsor. Quest encourages you to #CheatClean with products that deliver mega-protein and mega-flavor. Check out their iconic protein bars, protein chips and now protein powders! This week's winners will get a full box of Quest Bars!

Torani Syrups

Another brand I love! Torani Syrups makes a BUNCH of sugar-free syrups to satisfy nearly any taste.(My personal favorite is Sugar-Free S'mores). You can use it in your coffee, protein shakes, even desserts! (More on that later this week). This week's winners will win a prize pack of sugar-free syrups from Torani! Check out their website to browse their selections.

You have until NOON EST tomorrow, Monday February 23 to submit your pledge using the form below. After that pledging will close and you will no longer be able to submit your pledge.

How to Submit Your Pledge

1. Fill out the form below completely. If you don't see the form, that means your device can't read it. Please find a device that can! (Desktop computers and laptops are always a winner.)
2. Press Submit. You may get a confirmation screen after you press submit. If you do, you're good to go. If not, see #3.
3. Check the pledge list. This is the link to the Week 4 pledge list. Check to make sure your name is on there. The list updates every 2-3 minutes, so if you don't see your name right away, check back in a few minutes.

If you have ANY trouble, email me at bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com. 

What Happens Next?

• Monday: 12 p.m. EST Week 4 pledging closes
• Tuesday - Friday: Work hard on your goal. Stay tuned to BF on Facebook and Twitter for special Pledge support discussions and announcements.
• Thursday: I'll announce the FIVE people who won their way into the grand prize competition!
• Saturday: 12 p.m. EST Week 4 check-ins begin. 
• Sunday: 12 p.m. EST Week 4 check-ins close, 6 p.m. The grand prize competition starts! (Don't worry you'll have plenty of time to compete so if you are out, working, working out, whatever, it will be ok. Just check the blog sometime Sunday to get the deets, k? No freaking out!)

Bariatric Foodie Pledge Week Three: Time to Check In!

Check-Ins for Week 3 of the Bariatric Foodie Pledge are CLOSED! Good luck to all who checked in.

The prize drawing will take place tomorrow, Monday, February 23. The winner will be announced that evening.

Thanks to Our Week 3 Prize Sponsors

Thanks to this week's prize sponsors: Celebrate Vitamins and BiPro USA. Make sure to show them lots of love on social media!

• Like Celebrate on Facebook or follow them on Twitter
• Like BiPro USA on Facebook or follow them on Twitter

What Happens Next?

• Sunday: 12 pm EST - Week 3 check-ins close, Week 4 pledging begins.
• Monday: 12 p.m EST - Week 4 pledging closes
• Tuesday - Friday: Remember to work hard on your goal. Stay tuned to BF on Facebook and Twitter for special Pledge support discussions and any updates!
• Saturday 12 p.m. EST: Week 4 check-ins begin!

Five Reasons to "Celebrate" ENS 2 in 1 Protein & Calcium Bars!

So here's something I hear a lot, especially from new-new post-ops: "I just don't know how I'm supposed to get all my vitamins in plus protein. It's too much!"

Although I'm not in that boat anymore (happy dance), I can relate. During the first six months after my surgery I had extreme restriction. I would take my vitamins and they'd actually fill me up. Ugh, it was horrible. I always felt like every time I got one area under control (protein, vitamins, water, exercise) another would fall behind!

Well our friends over at Celebrate Vitamins are trying to make things easier for us by making products that do double duty. This week, as a prize sponsor for the Bariatric Foodie Pledge, Celebrate is offering up a stash of their ENS 2-in-1 Protein and Calcium Bars (btw, here's my official review of the bars). I wanted to know more about these bars, so I had a chat with my buddy over at Celebrate, Shannon Kisha. Here's what she has to say.

Nik: Hey, Shannon! We already know Celebrate for its many vitamin offerings, but many Foodies might not know you provide other products. Can you tell us what else you have to offer?

Shannon: Sure Nik!  We’re definitely known for our bariatric multivitamins, calcium and iron, but what some patients may not know or be familiar with is our combination products.  We offer meal replacements, protein shakes, drink mixes and our newest product: protein bars!  But they’re actually a protein AND calcium bar, which is pretty cool, because it does double duty (I’ll get to that later).

Nik: What made Celebrate decide to make the 2-in-1 protein and calcium bar?  

Shannon: So, like I mentioned, it’s a protein AND calcium bar, not the norm for a protein bar.   We recognized that getting the proper amount of calcium citrate was challenging for patients, so we created several products that combine 2, 3 or 4 different vitamins and supplements (all including calcium) that bariatric patients need to get in daily.  We call this our ENS line, which stands for Essential Nutrient System.  

Currently we have our Celebrate ENS + Protein 4 in 1 Protein Shake (combining a multivitamin, calcium citrate, protein and fiber), Celebrate 3 in 1 Drink Mix (combining a multivitamin, calcium citrate, and fiber), and our ENS 2 in 1 Protein & Calcium Bar.  The idea behind this is to be able to provide the patient with a supplement that has the ability to decrease the amount of pills / doses needed in a day, and always including calcium.  For example:  our ENS 2 in 1 Protein  & Calcium Bar provides 15 grams of protein and 500 mg of calcium citrate.  Your getting an added dose of calcium in daily, which is one less calcium pill, and eating a protein packed snack that will help curb your hunger and cravings and get you closer to your daily recommendations! 

Nik:  So, what's in the bars? Are they sugar-free, gluten-free, etc.?

Shannon: The 2 in 1 Bars are a low calorie, low sugar snack, with only 5 grams of sugar!  They have 15 grams of soy protein isolate and score a 1 on the PDCAAS scale, which means they are a complete protein and provide all of the essential amino acids.  They have 500 mg of calcium citrate, as well as 333 IU of vitamin D3 and 50 mg of magnesium.  We use sugar alcohols and Sucralose to sweeten the bar.  And of course, they’re gluten-free.

Nik: Both the current bars have chocolate in them. Are there new bars coming that have other flavors?

Shannon: Right now we have two delicious flavors; Peanut Butter – Chocolate Crunch and Caramel – Chocolate Crunch!  Yum!  No new flavors yet, but you never know what we might think of next!

Nik: So tell us...which bar is your personal favorite?

Shannon: I’m a peanut butter fanatic! So you know my personal fav is the Peanut Butter – Chocolate Crunch! I love, love, love my peanut butter! Did I mention I like peanut butter?  Haha!

Three of this week's Pledgers will win a prize pack from Celebrate Vitamins that will include a box of ENS 2-in-1 Protein and Calcium bars! So be sure to check them out and, of course, show them love on social media!

• Like Celebrate Vitamins on Facebook
• Follow Celebrate Vitamins on Twitter