BunnyLove

costco has a great chipotle Greek yogurt dip that tastes amazing! I get falafel chips from Trader Joe's to dip into it, because they taste great, aren't as bad nutritionally as other chips, and they have Protein. When you're in the mushy stage, you can use the dip on Beans with salsa for a hit of flavor with extra protein. I haven't seen it anywhere else and am out of it so I can't give a name right now, but if you have a Costco membership, you'll find it with the guacamole and other dips.

I posted this originally in response to a question about ice cream, then decided it really should be here. It's an ice cream substitute that's good for those who can have whole fruits. All it takes is a food processor, but an ice cream maker would be great to give it a better consistency. 2-3 large, very ripe/black bananas Good-quality cocoa to-taste 1 teaspoon vanilla Sweetener to-taste (optional) Leave the bananas until they're very black but not rotten, to ensure that they're as sweet as possible. Peel them, cut them into 3-4 pieces each, place on a cookie sheet and freeze solid. Add the frozen bananas to the food processor 1/2 at a time, blending until they're completely creamed. Add the vanilla and 1-1/2 tablespoons cocoa, blending until thoroughly mixed. Taste, then add more cocoa and/or sweetener as needed. It should have a consistency similar to soft-serve ice cream. If you add it to an ice cream maker and process per the machine's instructions, it should become airier and creamier as it's processed. Either way, it's an excellent dessert that's full of Vitamins and you don't have to tell anyone how good for you it is! Here's the rough nutrition information. It's based on 1/2 cup of mashed banana and a tablespoon of cocoa. Calories: 112 Fat: 1.1 grams Saturated fat: .6 grams Carbs: 28.6 grams Fiber: 4.7 grams Sugar: 13.9 grams Protein: 2.3 grams

Yes, it's like a pizza. I like it because it gives me the taste of a cheeseburger without all the bread. If I take a bit or two of anything bread-like I'm too full for "real" food so I can't risk it, but burgers are hand food for me, and a crisp tortilla fills the bill very nicely. I'll try to remember the pics next time, but if you go to http://www.dennys.com/#/menu/menu-3 and look at their cheese Burger Flatbread, you'll see the inspiration. It tasted good but, when you look at their nutrition information, it's scary when you compare nutrition information: my version has 5 grams less fat, almost 3 grams less saturated fat, 3.6 grams more fiber, and 13 grams more Protein.

I've been making this lately whenever anyone has had a bug or has just needed some really good Soup. The wontons are small and tasty, the broth is gently spiced, and it's faster (and cheaper!) than take-out. This recipe is good for two servings for me. 1/2 C cooked, chopped chicken, white and/or dark meat - this is a great reason to keep 1/4 to 1/2 cup portions of your leftovers in the freezer. 1 can chicken broth (I use concentrated refrigerated stock, but it's roughly equal to a can) 8 frozen mini cilantro-chicken wontons - you can get these from costco or Trader Joe's You can either use dehydrated vegetable flakes or, if you have a variety of fresh vegetables and want to grate them in, add what you like. Use a tablespoon if you use the dehydrated kind. The following are all to your taste: Ginger, chopped or paste Garlic, chopped or paste Scallions, chopped Cilantro, chopped or paste Black sesame oil Sesame seeds Soy sauce OR Bragg's liquid Aminos (the Bragg's tastes almost exactly like soy and is healthier) Bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan, add the chicken, wontons and vegetables, and reduce to a simmer. Add the remaining ingredients except the scallions and black sesame oil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in a teaspoon of the oil, and serve with the scallions sprinkled on top.

I had something similar to this while travelling. It wasn't the greatest choice on the menu, but I knew I'd eat only a small amount, and my husband enjoyed it, too. It gave me an opportunity to play around with this at home, and to recreate it as something lower in fat. Sauce 2 T low-fat mayonnaise 2-1/2 t ketchup 1/2 t pickle relish 1/2 t yellow mustard Tortilla 2 taco-size low-carb tortillas 1/2 pound lean ground beef, chicken, turkey, or a mixture 1/2 C low-fat shredded cheese (I like a combination of mozzarella and cheddar) Seasonings to taste Toppings 1 C shredded lettuce 1 chopped tomato 1/4 C chopped onion (optional) Pickle chips (optional) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Stir together the ingredients for the sauce and set aside. Cook the ground meat in a pan until done. I usually add a bit of Water to help break it down into smaller pieces. Drain any fat, then add seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic, etc.) to taste. While the meat is cooking, grill the tortillas on both sides in a dry pan until they begin to brown and puff up. Set aside on a cookie sheet until the meat is done. Spread the sauce on the tortillas evenly, followed by the meat. Sprinkle the cheese, being careful not to let it get too close to the edge. Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown. Serve hot with the desired toppings. Serves two (or four if you're sleeved) as a very filling meal, but can be doubled, tripled, etc. Totals - Whole Recipe / Per Tortilla Calories: 416.5 / 208.3 Total Fat: 15.9 / 8.0 Saturated Fat: 5.4 / 2.7 Carbs: 30.4 / 15.2 Fiber: 10.2 / 5.1 Sugar: 9.4 / 4.7 Protein: 46.1 / 23.1 These totals are based on the following specific items: Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise, La Tortilla Factory Low-Carb Tortillas, 95% lean ground beef, and Mt. Olive dill pickle chips. They also add in all the toppings. Your mileage may vary.

Drat! This sounds really good, but I was hoping it was a recipe for the poke salad my grandfather used to make. Poke is a poisonous plant unless it's prepared right, but it's really delicious. There are two stalks growing wild in my yard right now and my mouth has been watering, but no one seems to know a truly safe way to make it! Sashimi is one of my favorite things in the world, and I love sea vegetables, so I'll definitely try this. Thank heaven sashimi-grade fish is easy to find where I live.

Here's another that's good for those who can have whole fruits. All it takes is a food processor, but an ice cream maker would be great to give it a better consistency. 2-3 large, very ripe/black bananas Good-quality cocoa to-taste 1 teaspoon vanilla Sweetener to-taste (optional) Leave the bananas until they're very black but not rotten, to ensure that they're as sweet as possible. Peel and freeze them. Add the frozen bananas to the food processor 1/2 at a time, blending until they're completely creamed. Add the vanilla and 1-1/2 tablespoons cocoa, blending until thoroughly mixed. Taste, then add more cocoa and/or sweetener as needed. It should have a consistency similar to soft-serve ice cream. If you add it to an ice cream maker and process per the machine's instructions, it should become airier and creamier as it's processed. Either way, it's an excellent dessert that's full of Vitamins and you don't have to tell anyone how good for you it is!

I've been scoped a lot and have had throat biopsies, and generally have my throat put through a lot of nonsense at least once a year (totally unrelated to my sleeve). Orajel makes a maximum-strength toothache swab that I sometimes use on my throat with good effect. Chloraseptic Max spray is really good, too - just open your throat as much as possible before you spray, then gargle thoroughly before spitting it out. Ask your surgeon before using either, but these are things I always keep on hand, and they really help me. I used the spray a lot after my sleeve surgery and the berry flavor was one thing that didn't make me feel ill.

Here are a few more tips I've found useful: 1. Love chocolate? Want to add more a stronger chocolate hit to bottled chocolate drinks? Black cocoa is the best thing I've ever used and, while it's expensive compared to other cocoas, you use less than half for the same intensity of flavor. You can buy it online at King Arthur Flour (http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/black-cocoa-12-oz) for $9.95 for 12 oz. plus shipping. I keep small, sealable plastic test-tube filled with it for easy portability (an old 12-tab Tylenol container would work) and just shake a bit into the Protein drink, close it up and give it a good shake. Delicious! 2. Make very strong chai tea using 6 teabags or the equivalent (Stash is my favorite brand, but there are lots of good ones out there), two cups of Water, and maybe through in a stick or two of cinnamon along with a couple of cloves or star anise to intensify the flavor as it steeps. Let it cool, then fill ice cube trays. Add one or two to your vanilla Protein shakes in place of regular ice cubes. You can also get the water bottle ice cube makers, and put one of the cylinders into a bottled vanilla Protein Drink. This could be good in caramel, chocolate, banana, pumpkin, or any other flavor that can handle strong spice and strikes your fancy.

I used Atkins, but have looked for others online since this proved so good (penne was the only kind in the store) and found a company called Dreamfields that has low-carb Pasta in just about every form. I'm also thinking of trying to make my own using a taste-free Protein powder with a whole-wheat pasta recipe I used to use. You could try pizza crust that way, too, or even crackers or pastries (made with Splenda or another sweetener, of course!). I'm three months out and tolerating everything well, so it's fun to become more adventurous. I'll definitely be posting more recipes as I come up with them.

Pasta is back on the menu! My husband wanted pasta and meatballs the other day, and I wanted more than just the meatballs. I found a package of high-protein/low-carb penne that fit the bill perfectly. This pasta is available as spaghetti, macaroni and more, and even though it's more expensive than regular pasta, you can't eat much when you're sleeved so it evens out. I've begun to use this now for tuna salad, macaroni and cheese, egg salad, etc. The recipe below is one my husband and I both enjoyed. It's very low in fat and carbohydrates, and has over 28 grams of Protein with the pasta I used. Serve with a side salad and it's a whole meal. Shrimp with Tomatoes, Garlic, Chives and Penne Makes 3 full servings or 6-8 sleeve servings 3 oz. dry penne 18 raw shrimp 1 can stewed tomatoes, drained 1 T minced garlic 3 T chopped chives 1 T olive oil 1 t dried oregano 1 T fresh parsley 1 t cayenne (optional) salt and pepper to taste Cook penne per package directions. Clean shrimp and split them down the middle. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium flame. Add the tomatoes and spices and cook until heated through. Add shrimp and cook just until it's pink and thoroughly opaque. Toss pasta and shrimp, and serve.

Use Greek-style yogurt if you don't have cottage cheese. Make PB&J bars by putting down half the peanut butter mixture, spreading down a layer of no-sugar-added jam or jelly, then topping with the second half of the peanut butter mixture. Drizzle with melted sugar-free bittersweet chocolate. If you want to add some salty crunch, spread half the peanut butter mixture, chop up low-carb/high protein pretzels and press them into the mix, then top with the second half of the peanut butter mixture.

You have every reason to be proud of yourself. That big smile on your face says it all! Congratulations, and keep it up - a year from now your "after" pic will really be amazing!

You might want to ask your doctor about Protonix. It's a prescription (there's a generic, don't recall the name), and you can take either one or two pills per day. It's really effective for people with severe GERD, and if nothing else works for you, this may help you find your way back to sleeping in your bed. Seriously, though, if the acid is preventing you from eating your daily allotment of Protein, you need something to get it under control quickly. I love your use of the phrase "test bunny" - your wife will surely appreciate everything you're going through, and you're definitely going to make her journey easier! Good luck, Missileer. This is really worth all the things you go through in the early days.

My family and I eat out a lot and thought that it might be good to start a topic devoted specifically to restaurants with great menu items for those of us with sleeves. This is just the first of what I'm sure will be several posts, since we eat all over New York City. B Bar and Grill 40 E. 4th St. NYC, NY 10003 212-475-2220 (East Village) I had the Tuna Niçoise salad. It was a generous portion of beautifully-seared, very rare tuna better than some I've had in high-end sushi places, served on a bed of fresh, lightly-dressed mixed greens. It was topped with thinly-sliced radishes; crisply-blanched, yet tender, young green beans; lots of perfect capers and olives; along with a small potato, a hard-boiled egg, and quartered grape tomatoes. This is perfect for anyone who's on solids, of course, but it's also great for anyone whose doctor has approved tuna and hard-boiled egg whites, especially since both here are quite soft. I ate half the tuna and a bit of everything else except the potato, and the leftovers made a wonderful lunch today. My husband said his fish and chips were good, and a lot of the other menu items are protein-heavy. Yesterday was our first time at this place, but it certainly won't be our last! What are great places you like to go in your area, or in places where you've traveled, and what menu item really stands out?