melting mama

I have!

Every flavor of the new achievONE waiting for the MM taste test.   You may recall I tried the product before it was finalized.  Did. Not. Enjoy.  I was not aware it came in so many flavors.  So, the tasting begins tomorrow.

Thanks to Gastric Bypass Supplements for sending some along.

At least

...the new PCP is a doll.  She's a sweet older woman, totally different bedside manner than any other doc I have met.  She's got a heavy accent, her medical school was in Bulgaria.  I think she may be a fit for us.  I just got a physical, but she was the first to respond non-negatively (I could just say positively, but that isn't it either) to my quick history.  She was intrigued, and liked that I was gathering information about others in my situation.

When pressing my belly for the "does this hurt?" she said, "there's quite a bit of flesh on the belly!"  I would say so. 

All was normal today, but it always is.  I will go back for a fasting blood work at some point, I need to have my iron situation checked again.

Nothing was accomplished today - but they're getting my records and at least I will HAVE a PCP.  That is, until she tells me I am faking seizures.

How could she?

How could she do anything wrong?

Bariatric Advantage Calcium Citrate Chewy Bite Chocolate Flavored

 

If you are a skimmer, and do not read:  Here is the man review.  I handed Mr. MM one of these chewy bites yesterday and would not divulge what they were.  I said,

"Eat this, give me your immediate reaction and review." 

"I'm not touching this unless you tell me what it is, you're poisoning me aren't you?"

"Trust me."  *giggle*

"I know, I know!  I know EXACTLY what it tastes like!"  He stops, looking at the ceiling and taking entirely too long with the chew.

"You know the edge of a pan of brownies?  JUST. LIKE. THAT.  Then, a little bit of crumbly stuff left in your mouth, not a lot, just enough for me to notice.  Now, WHAT am I eating?"

"Wait, would you be willing to eat these everyday for a supplement?  You think you could follow through with them?"

"Yeah, they're good."  He cracks a joke about him + brownies.

Click here to order.

Hiss.

I have a long awaited appointment for a new PCP today, I have zero luck in finding one, and the specialists always ask - "Who's your primary care doctor?"  Um. 

I am just hoping the man gets home in time to take me.  We have a sick kid home today, I'm going to have to drag her butt there too, maybe they can chill in the car or drive around while they wait for me.

I sort of dread any more appointments, because our new health insurer does not seem to PAY.  I still have an outstanding balance for my last iron infusion.  $2400.00  This never happened before with BCBS, no long-term outstanding bills, they always covered things.  I am sure I will get all sorts of referrals out today and blood work, again.  I also loathe giving my 'history' to new doctors - it's almost like I want NOT tell them ANYTHING and let someone figure me out for once.  I feel like the moment I mention anything - I am not taken seriously.

Grr.

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

I am currently headed to the freezer to see if I have any ground chicken.  Following recipe is a good swap when you crave something like this:

  -MM

Source:  Dani Spies

Spicy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Ingredients
1 pound ground white meat chicken
1/2 small onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1 tsp of smoked Paprika
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup hot sauce (I use Wing-Time)

Garnishes:Blue Cheese Dressing
A couple of handfuls celery sticks
A couple of handfuls carrot sticks

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, onion, garlic, parsley, paprika and cayenne.  Season with salt and black pepper. 

Take about two tablespoons of meat mixture and roll between the palms of your hand to form a meatball about the size of a golf ball.

Place meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray.  Pop them in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until they are cooked through.

While the meatballs are baking, heat the hot sauce in a  large skillet.  Toss the baked meatballs in the hot sauce to coat.

Serve the meatballs with celery and carrot sticks and blue cheese dressing.

Makes 16 meatballs.

Nutritional Analysis

Four Meatballs:  Calories: 184; Total Fat: 6.5g; Saturated Fat: 0.5g; Cholesterol: 75mg; Sodium: 333mg; Carbohydrate: 5g; Dietary Fiber: 0.8g; Sugars: 1.4g; Protein: 29.2g

Dip in THIS!

Rich & Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing (without the fat!)

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tsp minced shallot
1 tbsp. of red wine vinegar
1 tsp. of Worchestire
2/3 cup of plain no fat Greek yogurt
2 tbsp of crumbled blue cheese
1 tbsp of skim milk
Salt and pepper

Directions

Combine all ingredients and enjoy!

Makes 6 - 2tbsp. servings

Nutritional Analysis

2 tbsp of dressing: Calories: 30; Total Fat: 1g; Saturated Fat: 0.7g; Cholesterol: 4mg; Sodium: 60mg; Carbohydrate: 2.1g; Dietary Fiber: 0.81g; Sugars: 1.6g; Protein: 3.2g

Vivanno Knock-off from Eggface! The NOMZ!

This recipe is from The World According to Eggface.  If you haven't already, GO SUBSCRIBE TO HER BLOG.  She tempteth us with delightful WLS appropriate foods. 

Shelly's Banana Protein Mochacchino for 2

2 cups Vanilla Soy Milk (you can use ANY milk or milk/water combo. I'm a soy girl)
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Torani Syrup
1 Banana
1 scoop Click Espresso Protein Powder
1 scoop Chocolate Protein Powder
3-4 Ice Cubes

Add liquid, then powders, then additions and blend on high.  Serve it with a squirt of SF Land o Lakes Whipped Cream and a drizzle of Smucker's SF Caramel Syrup.

I smelled pancakes.

I haven't made pancakes in a long time. It's mostly because I love them.  They do not love me. I bought a package of Arrowhead Mills Pancake & Waffle Mix, Multigrain to use for a recipe, which of course I haven't tried, but I made actual pancakes yesterday.   Big deal, right? 

They are better nutritionally than the typical pancake and waffle mix, with whole grains, and about 100 calories for the amount I would eat.   For 2 pancakes, prepared with oil, it's 200 calories.  Just mix, it's 130 for two.

Ingredients: organic whole grain yellow corn flour, organic whole grain wheat flour, organic enriched white flour (flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), buttermilk powder (buttermilk, whey), organic whole grain brown rice flour, baking powder (monocalcium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, corn starch), organic whole grain rye flour, sodium bicarbonate, sea salt.

I would absolutely use this mix again and again. 

The kids, were very excited, "You're making pancakes?!" when they smelled them cooking.    Nobody knew that I was not preparing typical mix.

My seven year old noted the texture difference, they are grainy-er and a bit gritty, but they are full of grains.  Four out of four ate them without complaint with just sugar-free syrup.  I haven't had regular fake maple syrup in the house for years, I can't even imagine!

(210 calories in one serving for just the syrup.  31 sugars, mostly from HFCS.  Nom.  Or 25 calories for sugar-free syrup made with Splenda.)

I tried one yesterday, and reheated one today for my own breakfast. 

Pancakes are super-filling in a post gastric bypass belly, typically not something you're supposed to eat anyway, but I think I will mess around with this mix and make them even healthier for myself and the kids.   (Thinking about what I could sneak in.)  Or I could make these, which I am drooling over right now, but they have to be super-high calorie, kind of kills half the purpose, but still whole grain!

Old lady.

Bachelorette party this afternoon, the photos aren't very appropriate.  (No, no nakey mens, just toys.)  But, I am posting rather, to say I ate a brownie in the shape of a peni, washed it down with beer.  Yum.  That's a good rule following girl.  Though, as everyone continued to party, my SIL and I went home to the babies.  We're old.  LOL.

Back to regularly non-scheduled posting tomorrow.

Chocolate is on the way, woot.

The highly anticipated (I know, right?  Only we could get excited over a supplement.   I was excited to get more Chewy Fish Oils the other day.  WEIRD-O.) BA Chewy Bites are finally in stock and shipping out.

I have not tried them yet, but I have been told they are amazing.  I will review them when I get 'em, and I will let you know either way.  I am a fan of the chocolate calcium products in general, I hope this does pissadoint.  ;) 

Click here to order.

The Bariatric Advantage® Calcium Citrate Chewy Bites have been designed
with the weight loss surgery patient in mind.  They are sugar-free and only
have 15 calories per chew, far below the levels previously found in early
products.  The initial flavor is chocolate and will be followed next by
lemon cream.

Calcium Citrate that tastes like dessert – Wow! After weight loss surgery, many people are required to take a lot of calcium. At Bariatric Advantage, we recognize that providing different flavors and forms of this important nutrient helps assure compliance and makes taking large amounts of calcium much easier. Our Calcium Citrate Chewy Bites deliver 250 mg of elemental calcium as calcium citrate in a delicious chew. They also contain 125 IU of vitamin D3 for healthy absorption. These chews are sugar-free as well, so you don’t have to worry about getting extra carbs while you get the calcium you need. Each chew is individually wrapped so you can take them with you wherever you go.