There’s a lot to be learned from non-op cooking, Foodies. In the midst of my non-op holiday baking I came across a completely flourless coconut macaroon recipe. It took me a week or two after what I call “cookie-palooza” (prep for my big Christmas party when I make hundreds and hundreds of cookies) to want to even think about a …
Read More »Solid Foods Recipes
Mama Foodie’s “Chicken & Rice” Remixed
When I was little and it snowed outside, my mom would always make us “Chicken & Rice.” Even in the years before she died every so often she’d call me up and say, “Nikki, I made some chicken & rice. Come over and have some.” Here’s my food memory of the dish. Looking back, it usually followed my mom cooking …
Read More »WLS-friendly Cookies: Nik-a-doodles…
I love baking cookies. Mostly because it is the ONLY realm of science I can truly wrap my head around. Having said that, these cookies were challenging! My mission: a higher protein, lower carb cookie recipe that didn’t have 8 million ingredients! My goal was 7-8. I’m going to go through this recipe but also through all the missteps I …
Read More »Dee Dee’s Cheesy Squash & TVP Casserole
I just love it when you guys play with your food and let me know about it. It’s so exciting to see what you’re cooking up. My pal Dee Dee sent this to me to show her first attempt at working with TVP (“What the heck is TVP?”). It looks yummy, vegetarian-friendly (correct me if I’m wrong) and easy to make! …
Read More »Nik’s “Nutty Apple” Protein Baked Oatmeal (or Bars)
There is a phenomenon that us kitchen experimenters know well. It is called the “happy accident.” What you see above is a picture of a happy accident. See…here’s the thing. This recipe started as “apples and peanut butter.” Cuz I love peanut butter (this is well documented) and I have an abundance of apples. But I realized something in the making of …
Read More »BF Top 5: Single-Serving WLS-friendly Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas
One of the biggest worries I’ve heard from post-ops about making WLS-friendly desserts for Thanksgiving is getting stuck with the leftovers if nobody else likes it. It’s a valid concern. Although I’d theorize if we stop TELLING people the dessert is healthy (instead, simply put it on the table and walk away!) we’d find this is not so much a …
Read More »Nikki’s Quickie Salisbury Steak & “Rice”
Ok so can I just say Salisbury steak is REALLY hard to photograph??? It all looks like gravy and mush! This is the story of how these simple turkey burgers became heroes. You see…it was late evening on a weekday. My evening ran late. The kids were hungry (and whiny) and frankly I was already feeling like a bad mom …
Read More »Samantha’s Weight-Loss Surgery Friendly Chicken Divan
Not long ago, I held an informal webinar for a few merciful adventurous Foodies to help me test out new webinar software (more on that in a moment). I called it “Pimp My Recipe” and invited folks to bring recipes they wanted to make WLS-friendly. Now I consider myself a pretty experienced Foodie but there are a few dishes I’ve …
Read More »What do I mean by WLS-friendly Holiday Recipes?
This is my Sweet (and Salty!) Potato Casserole. It was a big hit at both the Baltimore and Pittsburgh Bariatric Foodie Holiday Food Tastings. (If you were at either and agree – holler!) But this casserole is keeping a secret. And no, that secret is not that it has added protein (although it does). Those who are in possession of …
Read More »Sausage Quinoa & Roasted Veggie Soup
This soup is not for the faint at heart. No…this soup is chocked full of nutrients and protein. This soup is soup for people who love their bodies and respect their souls. Yes, it’s that good. I don’t usually brag on my food (lies!) but I made this soup wanting to have some relief against the cold front that hit …
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