QUICK AND EASY DINNER FOR 6- HOBO STEW

This is one of my throw together fast dinners that the kids enjoy and I don't have to stand over the stove while it's cooking, that way I can get other projects done. Or if it's one of my super busy days where we get home late I can throw this together and everyone gets a full belly and it's good for them. It's even great for a lazy winter evening when it's super cold out.

Ingredients:

1 bottle 64 oz low sodium V8 vegetable juice

(unfortunately I was out of V8 so I substituted 2 10 oz cans of tomato soup)

1 29 oz can tomato sauce

1 pack of unflavored Unjury protein powder

Veggies- You can add as much or as little as you choose. we love alot of them. I prefer to use frozen or fresh veggies. this time I added the frozen soup mix, broccoli (i chopped into smaller bit sized pieces) and northern beans ( just to add more protein).

Meat- I like to add beef or pork. You can use left over meat in the fridge. I chose to use some of the ham left over from our New Year meal yesterday.

Spices- season to your liking with salt and pepper and I also like to add some garlic powder (again use your taste) I use from 1/2 to 1 whole tbsp.

 Directions:

add tomato, sauce, and protein powder to pot on medium-high heat.

add all veggies and let it sit till it starts to boil (string occasionally so that it doesn't stick)

next chop of meat into bite sized pieces and add to pot. reduce heat to medium low add spices cover and let simmer for about 20 mins. stir every so often. after about 20 mins taste and add more season if needed. 

The kids favorite side for soup night are grilled cheeses. for them I put a small amount of light butter in the pan. For myself I spray organic olive oil.. 

***WARNING*** Loose skin ahead!!!

Dec 30th 2013 

Jan. 1st 2014

FIRST OF ALL HAPPY 2014!!!!

Don't you just love how much clothing can cover/hide. I'm now down 139lbs and feel great. I'm going to be honest this post has got the be the hardest for me out of any post ever because this has to be the most personal post I have ever posted. We are going under the clothing (somewhat) and revealing the dirty truth of what it looks like to loose large amounts of weight in a short time. 

O.K. here we go

It's not easy to show others how you really look but I know it's only going to be temporary. It won't be this year (at least I don't think it will be) but I will be scheduling a full body lift so that I will be able to get rid of all my excess skin. I'm also planning on having my breast lift. I have been big all my life. Yes I have gone up and down like a roller coaster but have never been a healthy size. I still remember my 8th grade picture in the college park year book when I was on the yearbook staff. I was 220lbs then. I finally decided if I was going to do this I was going all the way. I don't just want to feel good in my skin I want to feel great about all of me (and I so totally do but still have more to go). So far I have gone from morbidly obese to finally being a healthy weight (I've lost 139lbs so far). I'm proud of myself regardless.

Thighs:

I kinda wish I had taken before pictures to compare with but when you feel huge and ugly you tend to hide from the camera. Even though I have gone from a size 26 jeans to now 9-10 I still have big thighs. I know once I have the lift a lot of  this will be gone and I will actually look like I have a butt..lol. I used to have a huge hunk of meat on the inside of both my knees, Which I still have a little but no where near as much as there used to be.

Belly:

My poor belly has been through the ringer quite a few times. About 16 years ago I had to have surgery which resulted in a long scar starting at the top of my stomach and ending at the very bottom. I've has my gallbladder removed, tubal ligation, and a hernia repair as well as my first gastric bypass done laparoscopicly and then finally I had my gastric bypass repair that resulted in my having to be opened up and leaving me with another huge scar. As of right now my belly is nothing but a scared of hanging mess of loose skin. I will be so happy to have this removed and tighten. Secretly I hope most of my scar can me removed when they do my belly.

Arms:

This is one area that isn't really easy to hide 

with clothing. I've been trying to tone this area but the more I lift weights the bigger the muscle gets but the skin keeps getting saggier underneath my arms.

Neck:

All I can say is gobble gobble gobble!!! lol. This lovely dangily skin actually runs in my family I didn't get this gobble till after I starting loosing weight. My Dr. did give me hope by telling me that it for the most part would be temerary. It looks this way because I lost so much weight so fast. She told me it may take six months but since I'm still young-ish  the collagen in my face/neck will tighten up on it's own. 

 (for the most part).

This is a picture taken today of myself and my 15 yr old son standing in the pants I myself weren't even able to fit back in Jan of 2013 because they were to small. These are the only pair of fat pants I kept as a reminder of where I used to be. I was actually in a 26 when I started but somehow ended up keeping a pair of my 24s. It's mind boggling to look back at the old pictures and compare them with pictures taken today. I hardly look like the same person. I of course see myself as bigger than I am until I see photos side by side but in the mirror I still struggle with grasping the fact that I am so much smaller than I think I am. I do feel healthier, more energetic, and whole lot happier but I guess in time I will be able to accept my lighter self and see myself as I truly am. Till then thank goodness for cameras :)

Baked Crab Rangoons

Baked Crab Rangoons

Ingredients

1/8 tsp garlic salt

1/8 tsp low sodium Worcestershire sauce

1 small green onion

4 oz lump crab

3 oz  lite cream cheese

14  low carb won ton wrappers ( these are found in the fresh produce section of your store)

Directions

Cut up the crab and mix it in with garlic salt, Worcestershire sauce, green onion and softened cream cheese 

Spoon into won tons.

Bake at 425 °F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Baked or Fried Jalapeno Popper Won tons

Baked or Fried Jalapeno Popper Won tons

1 package refrigerated low carb square won ton wrappers

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

3 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Vegetable oil for frying (if you choose to fry them)

Coarse salt

1. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, jalapenos, and cheddar cheese. Arrange wontons in a single layer on a baking sheet.

2. Add 1 teaspoon of the filling to the center of each won ton . Dip your fingers in a bowl of water and run your wet fingers around all edges of each won ton. Fold the won tons over the filling, pinching the edges to seal to make a triangle and removing any air bubbles.

3a. Fry won tons in batches in hot oil until browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with coarse salt. Serve warm.

3b. bake at 425  for 8 mins and them broil for 3-4 mins to get them crispy

Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta

Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta

serves 4, prep 5 min, cook time 30 min

Ingredients

4-8 oz fettuccine or linguine

10 tbsp light butter, divided 

8 oz fresh, sliced mushrooms

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 oz light cream cheese, cut into small pieces

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped 

2/3 cup boiling water (get water from your pot of noodles)

1 lb cooked and devained shrimp 

Directions

Boil and salt ( i only use sea salt) a large pot of water and cook your pasta. 

While your pasta is cooking, cook your shrimp if necessary and reserve. If your shrimp are pre-cooked and frozen, quickly thaw them under running water.

In a large skillet melt 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat and saute mushrooms until soft and brown. Season with salt and pepper.

set aside cooked mushrooms and melt remaining butter in the skillet. Add minced garlic, cream cheese, and herbs.  

Simmer cream cheese mixture until well blended. Get a scoop of boiling pasta water from your noodle pot and mix it in, stirring quickly to smooth out the sauce.

Keep sauce hot and add shrimp and mushrooms, mix well and simmer (stirring often) until everything is hot and thickened, about 10 minutes-you wont ruin this sauce by accidentally boiling it so don’t worry.

Toss sauce with cooked noodles and serve.

** I know some bypass pouches can't handle pasta. I don't eat it very often and when I do I get more of the sauce than I do the actual pasta( I also kinda over cook my pasta) it helps me digest it better and I don't get the big belly feeling.**