So I got a photo from the previous dinner outting. This is the Coq Au Vin from the Foundry. My camera loves to add the orange hue to things so I must appologize for that.

I did make it back to the Yard House again last week. Tis the season of the Oktoberfest and Pumkin Ale beers but alas in honor of my father Big Lar, I tried the Wachusett Larry IPA. I actually thought it better then the Racer IPA - I might have a new favorite - even though it was not the same level of bitterness as Big Lar himself (sorry Dad, I love you!).

Tonight, I'm getting myself ready for a cooking demo at my bariatric support group tomorrow night. I am making hommus and Ahka Di Josh (the lentil recipe on this site from many moons ago). Cooking 3 pounds of lentils at one time without a pot larger then 1 gallon is a challenge (but I did not let it boil over!!) Hopefully all goes well during the demos. I haven't dont group cooking in a while, but I am going all out - cheffy hat and coat and everything! I believe my knife is sharp so there is a good chance I won't cut my finger off. The group should be fun though! :) I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow night!

OOOOO my goodness! I have been a terrible blogger! Almost a whole week and nothing! I have been busy in the food sector though don't you worry!

Tuesday night I busted into Davis Square in Sommerville, MA with a great group of high school friends, to the new hot spot, The Foundry. The front window-walls were down, and hipsters and businessmen alike sit at benches facing the street for people watching and a great breeze or at a communal table in the center of the bar. We sat in a booth in the restaurant portion. Tuesday is Coq au Vin night. I ordered it, and it did not disappoint. The chicken was so moist and it just fell off the bone, onto a heaping portion of homemade spaetzle. I have to admit there is nothing quite like spaetzle hanging out in the bottom of a boal, soaking up Coq au Vin braising juice. Carrots, potatoes and pearl onions made you feel better that you at least got a few good vitamins in you :)

Wednesday night I enjoyed a beer on the patio of the sort-of new Yard House in the Dedham Legacy Place Shopping Center. I had a Racer IPA, which might be one of the best IPAs I have tasted. It was bitter and it was hoppy, but it was rich yet light on the tongue at the same time. It was not the first time I had tried this beer. It wowed me the first time and this time I gained much appreciation for it.

Thursday it was off to Fiorella's in Newtonville, MA. I pulled up along side this establishment, with out my windows down, and before I even opened the car door all I could smell was garlic. This was either going to be 'cliche bad Italian' or a little slice of Heaven. Thank goodness it was the later. All the food is made in the entry way to the restaurant and when I say 'in the entry way' I am not exaggerating. You really feel as if you were in someones home at this place. You can hear the saute pans sizzling, and if you listen closely and can recognize it, the drone in the background is boiling water amongst the clanking wine glasses. Tables at this local hot spot are hard to come by after 6pm and if you got the scallops over risotto you would know why. Perfectly browned on the top and bottom, yet not a hint of over-cooked rubberiness in these delicate morsels from the sea. The risotto was not creamy like I was expecting, by more like a flavorful sticky rice with a kick from crushed red pepper. I quite enjoyed this change of pace from the usual risotto consistency which sometimes resembles a breakfast mush. Sauteed asparagus and tomatoes rounded out the gut stuffing dish.

Curried Shrimp Veracruz

Shrimp is an excellent source of protein but buying shrimp can be confusing. Shrimp is usually sold by the number needed to make one pound. For example, “21-25 count” means there will be 21 to 25 shrimp in a pound. Size names, such as “large” or “extra large,” are not standardized units of measurement so you can never be sure how big the shrimp actually are unless you order them by the number per pound. Any kind of farm-raised seafood can damage the surrounding ecosystems if the 'farm' not managed properly. It is possible to buy shrimp that have been raised or caught (even wild caught practices can harm the environment) with sound environmental practices. Look for shrimp certified by an independent agency, such as Wild American Shrimp or Marine Stewardship Council. If you can’t find certified shrimp, choose wild-caught shrimp from North America (as opposed to China) —it’s more likely to be sustainably caught.

·2 teaspoons of olive oil
·1 bay leaf
·1 medium onion , halved and thinly sliced
·2 jalapeño peppers , seeded and very thinly sliced, or to taste
·4 cloves of garlic , minced
·1 pound of peeled, deveined raw shrimp (16-20/pound; see Shopping Tip)
·3 medium tomatoes , diced
·1/4 cup of thinly sliced pitted green olives
·½ teaspoon curry powder
·½ teaspoon dried mint
·1 lime , cut into 4 wedges

1.Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bay leaf and cook for 1 minute. Add onion, jalapeños, curry powder, mint and garlic - cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
2.Stir in shrimp, tomatoes and olives. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, cook 3 to 4 minutes (until shrimp are pink – don’t overcook the shrimp they will get rubbery).
3.Remove the bay leaf. Serve with lime wedges
ENJOY!!!

Help curb the vending machine runs and 'out to lunch' occurances

If you are lucky enough to have a desk (yes I say lucky because up until about 3 weeks ago I had to use a patient tray table for a desk, while one was being 'located' for me - I'm not bitter anymore don't worry! :)), try to stock it with some items for snacking and/or for lunch to keep you from running to the vending machine for a sweet or salty fix or out to the drive through for lunch.

Some suggestions to keep in your drawer:

*Mixed dried fruit or plain raisins - Trader Joe's has just about any kind of dried fruit you can imagine! Banana, apple, prunes, peaches, apricot, dragon fruit, cherries, figs, papaya, pineapple, ginger (ok that's not really a fruit!), strawberries, mango, blueberries, strawberries etc etc - if you don't have a Trader Joe's near you, you can always get dried fruit at the regular supermarket they just won't have aa big a selection
*Nuts - what ever kind you like! Help yourself out and pre-portion them at home if you have time, that way hopefully you won't down the whole canister in one sitting - that would be bad!
*Peanut Butter and Jelly, and Whole wheat crackers - keep a jar of each and a sleeve of crackers - you can make an open faced treat or grab some bread from home in the am and make your lunch at work - now that would give you an extra 5 minutes to sleep in!
*Cereal and Parmalot - keep a box of your favorite cereal and a 6-pack of the juice box sized Parmalot milk (you find it in the baking section) it has been ultra pasteurized so that it does not need refrigeration until after it is opened - so if you get the 6-pack, I think each box is 6oz you will probably use the whole thing in one sitting - no need for a fridge!
*Pouches of tuna - hey you already have crackers and if you get the flavored tunas you have the easiest lunch ever - rip open the pouch, dab on the cracker and chew!
*Variety of granola and/or protein bars (see previous post for a list of ones which are low fat and low sugar - these will be better options then ones loaded with either nutrient)

Stocking up your desk can save you a lot of calories in a day and a lot of cash! Good LUCK!!!

I realized something this week after a patient came into clinic very depressed that she wasn't doing well enough, that she didn't feel like she was getting the support she needed, but, most forefront in her mind, she was depressed about the person she had left behind after her surgery.

We all go through some point in our life when we want to make oneself better - better at our job, as a parent, as a friend, better about taking care of oneself. We get so excited about what lies ahead - the prospects, the thought of dreams accomplished, that it is hard to believe that we would miss the part of oneself that was so unhappy with life and looking for a better shot at it. We anticipate how great life will be with a promotion or when we lose 50 pounds, but just because we worked hard for the promotion or the weight loss doesn't mean that the effort stops there. We must continue to work hard so that we continue to climb the ladder or just so that we don't get knocked off it. If you lose 60 pounds, you will feel great, you will be happier with the way you look, but you will have to monitor yourself hard and work to keep that weight off.

Yesterday, the patient discussed missing that person who didn't have to analyze food, and didn't have to think about exercise. She missed the person who could just eat and eat. This is an common stressor among post-op bariatric patients and/or in the human population in general, mostly because it is not something expected to happen to us when we set out to make a life altering decision. My patient described it as 'burying a friend'. That can be exactly what it feels like - that you have buried your best friend, but I challenged her to look at it a different way. Your best friend is always going to want what is in your best interest. Use that best friend to keep you focused on the journey ahead and pushing forward, the farther you get and more you keep going, the prouder your best friend is going to be of you. Don't let that buried best friend turn you around and head back down the path you just came up on - you can't bring that buried friend back to life, you can only sit at the grave site and mourn the time away.

For your sanity allow yourself to think about where you started, it will only help you to appreciate how far you have come. You made a life altering decision for a reason, don't let yourself get sideswiped into revoking a promise you made to yourself!

Home-made Popsicles

You can make them any flavor you want to - this one sounded fabulous in the Globe Magazine.

Peach, Chamomile & Honey Popsicles

4 ripe yellow/orange peaches
2 ripe white peaches
2 chamomile tea bags
1/4 cup honey
juice from 1/2 a lemon
pinch of Kosher salt

1. Clean, halve, and pit 4 of the peaches (3 yellow and 1 white). Blend (with skin) in a blender until very smooth.
2. Open tea bags. Removed 2 tablespoons of tea and mix with honey and lemon juice.
3. Coarsely chop up remaining peaches and stir into puree.
4. Mix in as little or as much of the honey mixture as you like. Make it a little sweeter then you would like - it will lose some sweetness in the freezer.
5. Pour into popsicle molds or 3 oz Dixie cups. Insert sticks. Freeze.
ENJOY!

For my bariatric patients...

While on a family field trip to Shaw's today, I started snooping around the 'Wild Harvest' isle that they have. I found a few new ideas for protein bars and crackers that fit the less then 5 grams of sugar, less then 5 grams of fat rule post-op.

Hopefully you can find them in your supermarket or closest Shaw's and add them to your repertoire for a little variety!

Bars:
*Larabar (I have had these and they are very sweet! Lots of natural sugar, no added sugar)
*Raw Revolution
*Pure, organic

Crackers:
*Kashi Heart to Heart Whole grain crackers
*Kashi TLC Cheddar Cheese Crackers
*Wild Harvest Organic Stone Ground Wheat Crackers
*Healthy Valley Amaranth Graham Crackers

“Mac” and Cheese

I introduced this veggie to my roommate in WI and it is her favorite thing now! It is great way to get your spaghetti and sauce fix without all the calories of real pasta!

1 large spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise
16 oz of your favorite marinara sauce
1 cup broccoli florets or peas or sautéed mushrooms or mixed vegetables (or all!)
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
½ cup grated Romano cheese or grated Asiago cheese

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake squash, cut side down in a baking dish until fork pierces skin easily, about 35-40 minutes. (or you could nuke it on high for 15 or so minutes)
2. Heat sauce and vegetables in saucepan
3. When squash is cooked, use a fork to scrap out the flesh. It should string out in spaghetti like strands. Mix with sauce. If sauce becomes watery from the squash, simmer for 5-7 minutes until some water evaporates.
4. Mix in ricotta. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Spoon onto plates and top with Romano or Asiago cheese
ENJOY!!!

Strawberry-Almond Smoothie

10 large frozen strawberries (or 1 cup frozen blueberries or mixed berries)
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup silken tofu or fat free plain yogurt
1 teaspoon sugar or Splenda
1 teaspoon vanilla extra

feel free to add some protein powder :)

1. Throw everything in the blender, turn it on - presto!

Enjoy!!