Category: WLS

Bariatric Surgery - My Story · casseroles · Cauliflower Rice · Chicken · Recipes · Uncategorized · WLS

Spinach Chicken Cauliflower Rice

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The other night I wanted a casserole.  Something savory, comforting but without mushroom soup or rice.  We had cauliflower rice and frozen spinach…add wine and chicken – done.  Casserole.

Two bags of riced cauliflower (one was savory herb, the other was plain), 1 package of frozen spinach, defrosted, and drained.Mixed together (fluffed).Season chicken thighs with ground mustard, chives, celery seed, parsley, salt and pepper.Place chicken thighs on top of the spinach and cauliflower mixture.  Add a cup of white wine around the edge.Bake at 350 degrees until chicken is cooked through, and add crispy onions.Bake for another 5-8 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.My plate.  The flavor was nice, and comforting.  I will say it need a fat.  Next time I will add a couple of teaspoons of butter or additional olive oil.  But it satisfied my craving for comfort food.  David missed the mushroom soup…but he did enjoy it.

Blessings.

Bariatric Surgery - My Story · dips · Recipes · Uncategorized · WLS

Parmesan Spread

jachancellorLeave a comment

David found this recipe online (where?), and we wanted to give it a try.

1/3 cup olive oil
150 grams of grated Parmesan cheese (one container)
1/4 white wine
And any other thing you may want to add…

We added black pepper and Herbs De Provence and more wine.It needed something a little extra – so we added about a tablespoon of lemon juice.

Add in ideas:  black pepper, lemon juice, chopped dried figs, chopped dates, finely chopped chives, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, dried herbs, or chopped sun dried tomatoes.

Combine the cheese, olive oil, and wine in a jar or bowl.  Stir gently until it all comes together, then press the mixture down a bit to make a flat surface.  It will keep like this, drizzled with a layer of olive oil for a few weeks refrigerated.  Bring to room temperature before serving.

To serve the cheese spread, scoop out a bit into a separate smaller bowl or plate, and stir in or sprinkle with any add-ins at this point.  Serve with crackers, toasts or crudites; spread on sandwiches, layer in tarts; spoon into soups.

We just had some on a Trixit.  Yummy.

 

Goals · Quotes · Random Stuff · Random Thoughts · Uncategorized · WLS

Persistence

jachancellor1 Comment

Grit…

Persistence…

“Just because I am tired, doesn’t mean I am going to give up.”

Blessings!

Bariatric Surgery - My Story · Brussels Sprouts · Recipes · roasted · Uncategorized · WLS

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

jachancellorLeave a comment

I love these.  Roasting the Brussels Sprouts brings a nutty flavor, and gives it a different texture (not gummy but crisp) especially when you add bacon. I trimmed up the ends, and cut them in half.  Added about one tablespoon of olive oil, and salt and pepper.  Baked at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.  Chopped bacon slices (about 4), and sprinkled those on the sprouts as well. Turned or tossed once to keep from over cooking on one side.I served these with the London Broil.  Roasting really adds a sweetness to the sprouts, and bacon is always a good addition to vegetables.

Blessings!

Bariatric Surgery - My Story · BBQ · Hurricane · London Broil · Recipes · Uncategorized · WLS

London Broil

jachancellorLeave a comment
We got a London Broil for buy one/get one at Winn Dixie the other day.  We decided to have it on Friday evening.
I was off due to Hurricane Irma, and thought it would be a good idea to marinate the London Broil.  So I found this recipe at the Food Network, and modified to the ingredients I had on hand.
  • 4 large garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup dry red wine
  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • top-round London broil
Chop the garlic add salt.  Blend together with all other ingredients and place in a large Ziploc.
Marinate steak, chilled, turning occasionally, at least 4 hours and up to 24.
Bring steak to room temperature before grilling.  Remove steak from marinade, letting excess drip off, and grill on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals, 7 to 9 minutes on each side for medium-rare.   Let rest on a cutting board or in a dish for at least 10 minutes.
When cutting, hold a knife at a 45-degree angle, cut steak across grain into thin slices.
 David’s plate.
While I can’t eat as much as I would like of the steak, having a couple of thin slices is perfect for me and my sleeve.  I don’t eat red meat often, so this is a true treat.
So far we are still out of harms way with the Hurricane.  Praying for those in its path.
Blessings.
Bariatric Surgery - My Story · football · Pimento Cheese · Recipes · Uncategorized · WLS

Pimento Cheese

jachancellor2 Comments

Yes, pimento cheese.  Football season begs for pimento cheese.  At least in my house.  I used to make it a lot.  And, then stopped.

Forgot to take pictures of the process, but:

img_1702

2 blocks of cheddar cheese (sharp, mild or medium), coarsely shredded
1 jar of chopped pimentos (or can get whole or sliced and chop them)
1 Tablespoon ground dry mustard (an absolute must have)
Ground pepper to taste
Red chili flakes or Tabasco to taste
Mayonnaise – to taste (about 1/4 cup for a creamy texture)

Mix everything together, and chill for about 30 minutes to let the flavors blend.  Serve with crackers or pita chips or chips.   Eating from a spoon optional.

Blessings.

Bariatric Surgery - My Story · Meal Prep · Uncategorized · weight loss · WLS

Meal Prep

jachancellorLeave a comment

I am not the best at meal prep. 

The past couple of weeks however I have made an effort to cook enough for lunch and dinner to get us through the week. 

Dinner tonight with leftover kraut, brats cooked in cider and boiled potatoes. 

David’s plate. 

Chicken salad with sugared pecans for lunch for the week. 

Trying. Right? 

Blessings!!

Bariatric Surgery - My Story · Cabbage Rolls · Cauliflower Rice · low-carb diet · Recipes · Uncategorized · WLS

Cabbage Rolls

jachancellorLeave a comment

Cabbage Rolls with a modified filling of cauliflower rice…

I remembered why I don’t make these that often (like every ten years or so)! Head of cabbage – core and place in a large pot of boiling water.img_1641-2As the cabbage cooks and the leaves wilt (slightly) remove and place in a ice bath. Brown hamburger (or ground turkey), and remove.  Shred a carrot (for sweetness), and slice of a purple onion (again for sweetness). I cheat and use the packaged rice cauliflower – super easy.  Place in a pan, add the hamburger, onion, carrot, and a teaspoon of garlic.  I also added a bit of ground pepper, paprika, and oregano. Stir, and cook until the onion is translucent.Line your crock pot with the odds and ends of the cabbage.With each cabbage leaf, remove the hard stem.  Place a bit of the filing in each leaf, roll up like a burrito or egg roll.Place in the crock pot on the extra leaves.  Layer until complete (usually two layers).  Place another leaf layer in between the rolls.Again, I cheat (too much homework), and use spaghetti sauce.  I usually just use whatever is on sale.  Pour over the cabbage rolls.  Cook on high for 5-6 hours or until the cabbage is cooked through and everything is tender.img_1656-1David’s plate.  Some of the rolls didn’t stay together.  Oops.  Still tasted good.My plate.  You can not tell the difference from not having rice in these beauties.  They are time consuming to make but so worth it.img_1666So good.

Blessings.

Bariatric Surgery - My Story · Chicken Salad · Cravings · Recipes · Stephen · Uncategorized · WLS

Chicken Salad

jachancellorLeave a comment

I had been craving chicken salad from a local restaurant on Sunday.  Of course they are closed on Sundays.  But, Stephen used to work there, and he was home.  I thought that between the two of us we could figure out the recipe (or close enough) for us to enjoy some chicken salad.

They use boiled chicken breast.  We didn’t have those, but we had some leftover rotisserie chicken and had a large can of chicken breast.  Chopped up both (drained the canned chicken), and placed in a bowl.img_1673img_1672They also serve this salad with sliced red grapes.  We prepped those as well.img_1678They use a food processor, and yes, I have one but didn’t really want to use one.  I had my old food chopper and made good use of it.  This is about one medium sized stalk of celery, minced.img_1675They use a yellow onion, I had purple.  Minced as well and about 1/4 of the onion is all we needed.img_1676About a cup of mayonnaise, and 1/4 cup of lemon juice.  Also, ground black pepper (again, to taste).img_1674img_1679Another topper is sugared pecans.  I always seem to have pecan halves in the freezer (bonus), so I got out about a cup, and placed them in a skillet.  I also added about a tablespoon of white granulated sugar, and about two teaspoons of brown sugar.  Sauteed until melted, and the pecans are crispy.img_1680img_1681My plate with 1/2 cup of chicken salad, and a teaspoon (or a little more of the pecans), some grapes, and 3 crackers.  So yummy.img_1683

Loved that Stephen and I made this, and that I have enough for the week at work.

Blessings.

Bariatric Surgery - My Story · Indulgence · Project Runway · Uncategorized · WLS

Project Runway 

jachancellor2 Comments

I saw the advertisement for the new season of Project Runway Season 16 last night to begin this week.  The show is a definite indulgence for me (and drives David crazy as he doesn’t like it).

I usually love this show just on the basic fashion and sewing competition.  This season however, excites me even more due to the fact that they will be using models in a range of sizes – from a size 2 to a 22!!!!! LOVE THIS.

Even though I have lost weight, I love seeing opportunities for larger women to feel confident in their clothes– joy.  So many clothing companies (in my past) made me feel like I should always wear black, and my arms are four feet long.  More exposure on all types of media to showcase women in all sizes is for the better I think.

What are your television indulgences?  Food?  Housewives (ugh)?

Blessings.