Hello everyone -- I'm 13 days post-op and I'm going to a holiday party this weekend. This will be my first real social outing since when i started my pre-op diet.

Can anyone recommend a good appetizer I can make that would be mushie stage friendly?

I know I could do hummus but I'd like something more interesting.

How about a Protein based dip like Bean dip or buffalo chicken dip...lots of protein and yummy! Serve with crackers and/or veggie sticks but of course you would just eat the dip alone.

Here are some recipes for mushie versions of both my suggestions:

Bean Dip

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  
• 1 cup sour cream
  
• 2 (16 ounce) cans refried Beans
  
• 1/2 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
  
• 5 drops hot pepper sauce
  
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
  
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
  
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, blend the cream cheese and sour cream. Mix in the refried beans, taco seasoning, hot pepper sauce, parsley, green onions, 1/2 the Cheddar cheese and 1/2 the Monterey Jack cheese. Transfer the mixture to an 8x12 inch baking dish. Top with remaining Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses.

Bake in the preheated oven 20 to 30 minutes, until cheese is slightly browned.

Spicy Buffalo Chicken Dip

• 2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained
  
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  
• 1 cup Ranch dressing
  
• 3/4 cup pepper sauce, such as Franks® Red Hot®
  
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
  
• 1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces
  
• 1 (8 ounce) box chicken-flavored crackers or club crackers
  

Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on Low setting until hot and bubbly.

I don't have the recipe with me, but if you google it I'm sure you could find it. Try a salmon mousse. It's delicious. It's very high in protein and low in calorie. It's wonderful on a whole wheat cracker. It's smoothe and easy to go down, as well as very pretty on a holiday table.

a while back I had posted a recipe for smoked salmon spread - it's very good and well received by non-banded friends and family as well. I have included it below - I now even up the salmon amount to 12-16 ounces for increased Protein.

Smoked Salmon Spread

This is great to eat as a snack or small meal depending on restriction with some veggies, a couple reduced fat crackers, pretzels or how you would eat any tuna or crab salad.

Blend the following in a cuisinart until smooth:

- 8 oz reduced fat cream cheese

- 8 oz nonfat plain greek yogurt

- 1 tsp lemon pepper (mine is a gourmet blend that has salt & garlic in it - you can add a little of these to add flavor)

Add & Pulse till well blended:

- 8 oz Smoked Salmon, chopped (I used 1/2 a 1lb pkg smoked sockeye salmon from costco - the kind used for lox, not the drier kind

- 1 sm sweet onion, diced (red works just fine)

- fresh dill (couple sprigs) if you have it - I have used a good squeeze of a tube of dill (produce herb section) when my store was out of fresh

This obviously makes a lot - about 3.5 c, but I'll serve it as a dip for guests or take some to work. You could also easily 1/2 it I just like to get rid of containers and use things up.

Nutrition:

7 - 1/2 c. servings

188 cal. 19 g. protein

10 - 1/3 c. servings

132 cal. 13 g. protein

I ate 1/3 c. tonight with .5 oz (12) snyder's of hanover butter pretzel snaps (the pretzel squares) which only added 60 cal. and 1.5 g protein. This is just about the same cal and protein of a high protein chocolate slim fast shake.

Last suggestion / note:

This is the consistency of a spread/ dip. You could use the entire 1 lb package of salmon without adjusting the other ingredients (more of a tuna salad consistency) which would change the nutrition to:

1/2 cup serving - 219 cal. 25 g. protein