Triple Berry Dessert

TRIPLE BERRY DESSERT
I need to add that the berries are blackberry, raspberry and blueberry.


Something I threw together with what I had on hand



INGREDIENTS:



24 oz bag Schwans Triple Berry Blend

1 cup fiber one buttermilk pancake mix

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup Splenda brown sugar blend or 1 cup reg. brown sugar

1 cup milk



Preheat oven to 375 degrees



I sprayed baking dish with butter flavored Pam or you can butter it

Mixed all ingredients together in a bowl and poured into baking dish

and baked for 45 minutes to an hour

Serve with whipped topping or ice cream

Monkey Bread Muffins

 Monkey Bread Muffins Still hot in the pan.

Here they are turned out of the pan with all the gooey goodness dripping over.

The recipe I used this time goes as follows:

1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup white sugar

2 (7.5 ounce) can refrigerated biscuit dough, separated and cut into 4 pieces
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon water

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F. Butter 9 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.


Combine the spices and white sugar in a zip lock baggie; roll the biscuit pieces in the mixture to coat. Divide the coated pieces between the prepared muffin cups.

Combine the brown sugar, butter, and water in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Allow the mixture to boil until the sugar is completely dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon the mixture over the biscuit pieces.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden, and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 8 to 12 minutes. Let sit for a few minutes and then turn out onto a baking sheet.

No, not exactly weight loss surgery friendly, but, the next time I am going to substitute, Splenda for the white sugar and Splenda Brown Sugar Blend for the brown sugar.
Chase wanted a dessert today, so, I found a recipe for this and then played around with it as is usual for me.

Eggface

I haven't been able to blog in awhile.  So busy now that I am raising a 6 yr old grandson.  I need to kick myself in the butt and get back to it. Shelly is helping me. I need to give her a shout out for that and brag about her newest giveaway.
All you have to do is post a comment on her blog adding your name and email addy.

Taste of Torani Holiday Giveaway



The Prize: This totally AWESOME Prize Pack of Torani's Holiday Flavors

1 bottle of Sugar Free Peppermint

1 bottle of Sugar Free Gingerbread

1 bottle of Sugar Free Pumpkin Pie

and the pièce de résistance...

1 bottle of Torani's brand new Sugar Free Salted Caramel.


 Here is a link to her blog:   http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/

Tornado on The Plains

We had a tornado touch down here in my little village on Thursday.  We are ok, we were very lucky. My underpinning was blown away and my water lines were busted, but some in my area were hit much harder. 
The mobile home next to me was blown clear off the foundation and the one behind me had a tree on it.
A few blocks up the road homes were upturned and trees blown clear through others.
The high school football fields were torn up.  Things are sure a mess here.
These are pics of some of the damage to my little mobile home.

Lamb Gyros

I experimented with a new recipe the other night and this is what we had for dinner.

Tzatziki sauce  or cucumber sauce ingredients

Small cucumber, shredded
Bunch fresh mint, leaves finely chopped
 Bunch fresh dill, leaves finely chopped
1 cup Greek-style yogurt, I used Fage
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Lamb meat ingredients for marinating.  I marinated for several hours. I then cooked it in some EVOO in large iron skillet until browned on outside, med rare inside. Served on whole wheat pita bread with sliced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and feta cheese crumbles.
Of course, I skipped the pita bread.  I just ate some of the lamb and veggies with a little feta and the sauce.

2 pounds boneless lamb leg or shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 tablespoons olive oil
 2 tablespoons brandy  ( the brandy I used was some homemade cherry brandy that someone had gifted my husband)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Whisk together all ingredients pour over meat in a ziplock bag and let marinate for up to 24 hrs.  I only did for about 7 hrs, meat was full of flavor.

                             
He kinda overfilled his pita bread, looks messy but he liked it.

Chasey Bug even enjoyed his, well, minus the lettuce and tomatoes that is!

Looky What the UPS man brought me!

My new automatic frozen yogurt-ice cream & sorbet maker.
And it only cost me 31.98 total.
I see homemade protein ice cream in my future.  Now to browse Eggface's blog and borrow a couple of her recipes.  
Here is her link for those of you who

haven't checked her out:
 http://www.theworldaccordingtoeggface.com

Until next time,
Liz

My version of Peach Cobbler.

There is a family get together at my brothers today. I can't attend because I've been sick, but I am sending down one of my peach cobblers anyway.

I had peaches that I had bought and put into the freezer a few months ago.

So this is what I threw together.

Buttered the baking pans with light margarine generously.

I took about 5 qt bags of my peaches, thawed of course.

1 cup of flour, couple tbsp of cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of Splenda and mixed it all together. Then spread it into two baking pans.

I then used about 2 cups of self rising flour, 1/2 cup of Splenda and 2 tbsp more cinnamon and blended it together with a cup and a half of lowfat buttermilk until it became like a pancake batter consistency and drizzled it over both pans of the peach mixture.

Baked in oven preheated to 425 for about 60 minutes.

It's not purty, but its good!

Shavona and Austin

My daughter Shavona and her youngest son Austin.

Chase's mommy sent us some new pictures the other day of her and his little brother Austin. This is hanging in Chase's room so that he can see them every day.

The problem is, he won't sleep in his own room,,LOL

It was such a great picture that I just had to share.

Chase has begun Kindergarten

Buzz Lightyear back pack and all! Now I should have more free time and can get back to my blogging.

I'm tellin' ya, life is sure different with a 5 year old to look after!
I've been running around like a chicken with its head cut off all summer, trying to keep him occupied. I thought at almost 52 years old that I was through with this phase of my life. But, I love my grand babies, so it's all good!

Peaches

16 pints of peaches fresh from the canner. Only half bushel to go after sharing with Dad and the kids. Maybe peach pie filling???

Canning Green Beans

My ex husband gave me some green beans from his garden, so I did a little canning today. 8 pints canned up pretty and about a quart stored in the freezer.

I will get more beans this weekend and can up some more.

I canned him some pickled corn in exchange for some of his garden harvest last weekend.

I have a bushel of peaches sitting on my kitchen table. Those are next on my list for the canning pots.

I know I've neglected this blog again. Sorry all who have been complaining to me. It's not intentional. My life is just a lot more hectic these days. My 5 yr old grandson will be living with me for at least a year. It gets a little rough to get things done sometimes. I've been busy keeping him occupied.

What the heck is Perfect?

So many changes in my life this past year.

I had my 10 month gastric bypass check up on Friday. Dr Price says I am an excellent patient and that everything looks perfect. I can't help but wonder, What the heck is perfect?

I know I am somewhat of a worrywart. I want things to be normal but I know they never will be. But then what is normal?

See how my mind works? LOL

I know I am not the brightest bulb in the lamp sometimes. I would just like to feel secure once in awhile.

I make lots of stupid choices and make lots of dumb mistakes. But I am me and that's all I know how to be.

I am just amazed that I have any sanity left after the last year and a half. Or do I?

Neglect

Bradley, Chase, Richard and Jordan after the movie.

Wow, May 15Th since I last blogged. Sorry all, life got in the way. I finally got some of my back pay and got a car. It seems my life has been behind the wheel ever since.

I went to Alabama to visit my daughter and grandsons, Chase and Austin. I brought Chase home with me for a few months, perhaps longer. So life with a 5 year old is definitely different than living alone. Especially at the ripe old age of 51!

I have been trying to make it a fun trip for him and boy am I exhausted!

The picture above is from one of our outings, picnic at the park and then a trip to the movies to watch Marmaduke.

We took Brenda and her grandson along and of course my oldest monkey butt Jordan too!

Aaron James is now 1 yr old!

My little monkey boy turned 1 yr old on the 13th, but we had his party today.

This is the Spiderman cake that Aunty Jammie made just for him.

Aaron wouldn't make the big mess that we were hoping for! Granny had to dig his hand in the cake for him.

Before and After Photo's

So, my son took the new picture of me today. As of Monday I am down 147 pounds.
He now says that I have chicken legs. LOL
I still have a few more to lose, but, until I look at these pics side by side, I don't really see it. I guess I still have the fat brain.

Almost Sugar Free Chocolate "Dream" Dessert

I had to make those boys dessert to go with dinner last night, so this is what I conjured up. It is not totally sugar free as I did not have anything but dream whip on hand. But, it is not high in sugar.
It is basically a Dream Pie, I used a dream whip recipe as a basis.

It isn't the prettiest dessert that I have ever made, but it is the taste that counts, right? I got no complaints from my taste testers.

How to make your sugar free cookie crust: (recipe courtesy of bariatriceating.com)

One package chocolate sugar free cookies (example: Murrays)
2 tablespoons melted butter

Crush cookies in a sealed bag using a rolling pin, wine bottle, or heavy saucepan. Pour into a bowl, and add two tablespoons of melted butter. Use real butter as margarine spreads contain water and make a mushy crust while we want firm and crunchy. Mix crumbs until evenly moistened and firmly press into a glass or metal pie plate. Use the bottom of a small measuring cup to press the crumbs firmly and evenly on the bottom and up the sides. (I save aluminum pie pans to reuse. Hey, its my frugal side!)
Makes 1 pie crust.

Dessert Filling:
2 boxes sugar free chocolate fudge pudding mix (Jello)
2 envelopes whipped topping mix (Dream Whip)
2-3/4 cups cold skim milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 scoop of chocolate protein powder (can be omitted, but I felt better about having a piece with it in there. I also skipped the crust on my portion and just had the filling. My life as a bariatric patient,,,,LOL)

I just put it all in the blender, mixed it up and poured into the shell.
Refrigerated for about 4 hours and topped with sugar free dessert topping. (Sugar Free Cool Whip)

Chicken & Black Beans

I got this recipe from bariatriceating.com. I just added a few of my own touches for a healthy throw together meal for myself and two of my son's tonight.

It got a thumbs up from them.

Chicken & Black Beans

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 chicken breasts, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
One 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup Salsa
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Splenda
One 14-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
Shredded cheese, sour cream, olives

In a large saucepan, sauté the chicken, onion, and garlic in the olive oil until chicken is cooked through. Add remaining ingredients and let simmer for 10-15 minutes until thickened. Serve with cheese and sour cream, and sliced olives. (For your family, roll up in flour tortillas and top with cheese. Place under the broiler until cheese is bubbly. Add a spoonful of sour cream and sprinkle with diced tomatoes or avocados.)

Makes 6 servings. (bariatric patient servings not men with healthy appetite servings! I doubled the recipe for them)
Per Serving: Calories 164; Protein 13 g; Fat 6 g; Carbs 11 g; Sugar 1 g; Sodium 265 mg

I added 2 cups of instant brown rice to the mix and did not drain the tomatoes. I just let the rice cook in the juices. I also used a hot salsa to give it more flavor.

The rice is not included in the stats above. I was just trying to make it more filling for my boys!

Spicy Brown Mustard Chicken Tenders

I once saw a recipe for spicy brown mustard coated chicken breasts.
Of course when I went to find it again, I couldn't. So tonight I came up with my own version. If I step on any ones toes here, it is totally unintended. I just don't know who to give the credit to for the original.

With my surgery eating plan, chicken is one of my main protein sources. But, it is so hard cooking for one. I buy and freeze my meats into individual portions. When I decide what I want that night I just thaw and prepare. Of course, it is also a lot cheaper to buy family packs too. So, my freezer is usually stocked.

I have also found that these new Steamfresh fresh frozen veggies are a good choice for me. I don't have to worry about fresh vegetables going to waste before I can use them. Tonight I used the lightly sauced broccoli with cheese sauce. A one cup serving has 2 grams of fat of which only 1 is saturated fat, 60 calories plus 2 grams of protein. So, I don't even feel bad because of the cheese sauce.
There is about 3 servings per bag. So, I have my veggies ready to just heat and eat for a snack or lunch tomorrow too.

Here is how I made the chicken tenders.

I took a non stick baking pan sprayed it with cooking spray.
I used 2 tenders, which equaled approx. 4 ounces. I coated them in about a tablespoon of the spicy brown mustard, and then dredged them in seasoned bread crumbs. I melted about a half tablespoon of butter and the juice from half a lemon and drizzled it onto both sides of the chicken and then re dredged them in the breadcrumbs. I baked at 350* for 30 minutes turning them over at the halfway mark.

I can't promise that my numbers are correct, but this is what I got from a calorie calculator.

1 Serving
Calories 254.4
Total Fat 6.7 g
Saturated Fat 3.2
Total Carbohydrate 19.9 g
Dietary Fiber 1.4 g
Sugars 1.8 g
Protein 23.7 g

That makes my dinner at about 315 calories, 8.7 g of fat,(yeah, a little higher than my usual 6 g.) and 25.7 g of protein.

It may not be right but I can live with it. It tastes good too, and that's a plus for me these days.

A BIG Reminder

I ran across this picture last night.

This was taken 2 yrs ago this month at a gathering that I put together with my husband for his 1962 high school graduating class. It was the first time they had gotten together in all those years.

I remember I was exhausted when this was taken. Now that I am looking back, I can certainly see why. This was my highest weight, a whopping 350 something pounds!

Every once in a while I feel like I am not making any progress. I still feel huge sometimes. Like I had the surgery for nothing.

Finding this picture kinda puts me in a different frame of mind. I look at it and compare it to some of the newer ones. Now I can see how big I really was.

Perhaps I should have a wall size poster made of this. That's what they do on The Biggest Loser. Hang it on my wall to remind me daily of just how far I have come after all.

Jovie and Granny Hanging Out

Today I got to babysit Jovie Lynn for a few hours. It is also her 4 month birthday. I just love her little squeals!