Bacon Wrapped Jalapeños

These are a favorite to all my family and friends! Even my 3 year old loves to eat them.

Ingredients:
1 8oz package of cream cheese - softened
1lb good sized jalapeños
1lb bacon - not thick cut.
1.2-2c shredded cheese - I usually use cheddar. Pepperjack is pretty good too!

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. I then place a cooling rack on top but you don't have to use a cooling rack.

Steps:
1. Take all your jalapeños and cut them in half length wide.
2. PUT ON GLOVES
3. Use a spoon to clear out all the guts from the jalapeños. Remove gloves.
4. Take your softened cream cheese and place it in a bowl. Add the shredded cheese and mix well.
5. Using a spoon or your hands fill the hole left in each half a jalapeño.
6. Take your lb of NOT THICK bacon and cut in half.
7. Wrap one half piece of bacon around each piece of jalapeño. You can use a whole slice of bacon if your jalapenos are large.
8. Place wrapped jalapeños on the pan or cooling rack.
9. Bake at 425 for around 30-45 minutes or until the bacon is cooked through.

I know they look and smell delicious but allow to cool before enjoying them!

I bring these as appetizers to all kinds of functions and serve them at all my parties! What is your favorite party snack?
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Orgain Organic Protein: Plant Based Protein Powder Review

Today I was able to test out some Orgain Plant Based Protein Powder. It is Gluten Free, Soy Free, Vegan, USDA Organic, and GMO free.

I packed it in my lunchbox for today's breakfast. I find it hard to eat real breakfast in the mornings before work so I always pack a protein drink to enjoy while working to keep me full and to keep me on track with my diet. I usually will scoop out protein for the week ahead into snack sized ziplock bags so they are easy to grab and go. I keep a clean Blender Bottle in my car or lunchbox. I'll post more about my meal planning later on.

I normally will look for a protein powder that has around 100-150 calories per serving with at least 20g of protein. I also like them to have around 5 net carbs or less. The Orgain Vanilla protein powder has 150 calories per serving with 5 net carbs and a total of 21 grams of protein. The protein is plant based. It fits well into the nutrients that I look for in protein powder.

This sample was a 1/2 serving. The package suggested mixing with 4oz of water or unsweetened almond milk. I added 4oz of water and a couple of ice cubes to my Blender Bottle and then added the protein from the packet on top. I expected the protein powder to be white since it was vanilla but it had a bit of a brown color to it. I shook it up for about 10 seconds which is what I usually do with my protein powders. The Orgain protein powder did not seem to mix as well as my favorite. I shook it for another 10 seconds or so and it seemed to mix much better. A few extra seconds of shaking time isn't a big deal but I do like my protein to mix well so its not chunky at the bottom. The shake got pretty foamy so I had to let it settle for a few minutes before drinking it. The color of the protein shake was also a little brown which to me is a little off putting.

 

Upon my first sip of this protein shake it was pretty earthy tasting and a bit chalky. You could definitely tell that the protein comes from plant based items. I am not even sure that chalky is the right way to describe it. It kind of coats the mouth and leaves a little bit of film. The vanilla flavor was not too strong. I do not think that I would purchase this protein powder on my own but for someone who is vegan it would probably be a good choice. It was not terrible tasting but definitely not as delicious as some of the other protein powders I have tried.

If you are interested in trying it... you can find a COUPON HERE.

It is also available on vitacost.com. If you are a new member you can get $10 off $30 by CLICKING HERE.

I received this sample for free for sampling purposes but all the opinions are my own.

My Must Have Foods List

I think that it is important to every person's weight journey to make sure to have items on hand to eat to avoid slipping up and eating something you may regret later.

This is a list of foods I keep on hand so I can avoid grabbing something I prefer to keep out of my diet to maximize my weight loss.

Snacks:
Cheese Sticks - I buy all kinds, cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack.
Pork Rinds - yes they are not "healthy" but they have no carbs and lots of crunch.
Cottage Cheese
Low Carb Yogurt - my favorite is Danon Light and Fit
Nuts - remember they are HIGH calorie. I like peanuts, cashews, and almonds the most.
Babybel Cheeses
Lowest Carb beef jerky you can find! I make my own.

Proteins:
Lunchmeat - my favorite is Kirkland Lean Ham
Chicken Breast Tenders - these are about 1-2oz per piece. I buy frozen.
Chicken Thighs - more moist than the tenders, for long cook times. I buy frozen.
Eggs
Frozen Shrimp
Protein Supplements - my favorites here: Protein Drinks

Vegetables:
Asparagus
Bell Peppers
Onion
Zucchini
Mushrooms

Grains:
Mission Low Carb Tortillas - see post here: Tortilla Showdown
Trader Joes Soy and Flax Seed Chips

Condiments:
Mustard
Mayo - I use regular, lower calorie is an option.
Kosher Dill Pickles
Yogurt based salad dressings
Skinny Cow Cheese Wedges
Peanut Butter - I use both creamy and chunky.
Sugar free jelly.

Other:
Sugar Free pudding cups or pudding mixes.
Sugar Free popsicles.

You may notice that there is one big food group missing from my list... That food group is fruit. I do not regularly eat fruits. I do have them on occasion as a dessert. A chopped up banana with some melted PB and whipped cream is one of my favorite desserts. I was taught by my bypass surgeon early on that fruits are my new desserts and I have mostly stuck to that.

I will continue to add to this list! Check back!

My Favorite Protein Drinks

There are soooo many protein shakes out there it is hard (AND EXPENSIVE) to try them all.  I have bought several brands and some are definitely better than others. I will share a few of my favorites in this post.

When I started my journey to lose weight one of my biggest problems was that I did not regularly eat breakfast. When you skip breakfast your body assumes you're not going to eat.  It was and still is really hard for me to actually eat food in the morning for a number of reasons. I don't have time to cook a real breakfast in the morning and many of the on the go or quick options such as instant oatmeal, bagels, toaster waffles, etc. were too high in carbs and would not keep me full until my morning snack. I found that adding a protein shake in the morning for breakfast was the easiest way for me to stay fuller longer and to keep my metabolism moving in the mornings.

I'll start with my absolute favorite. This brand comes in both HUGE tubs and individual packets. I first tried some of the individual packets before buying a large tub.  It tried several flavors before deciding on my favorite. I purchased the individual serving sizes at a Vitamin Shoppe. The brand is Syntrax and I buy the Nectar variety. My absolute favorite is the Caribbean Cooler and it has about 100 calories per serving with 23g of protein. It has ZERO carbs per serving which was perfect for my low carb diet. It mixes well with just water and still tastes amazing.  I would say that it tastes just like a pina colada and its especially delicious on a hot day. 

My second favorite flavor of the Syntrax is Vanilla Bean Torte. I add this to some coffee that has cooled just a little bit and add some SUGAR FREE creamer. It tastes really yummy and I get my protein in with some caffeine.

I now buy my Syntrax from Vitacost. For new members you can receive a $10 off $30 coupon by clicking here... $10 off $30 Coupon
You can also earn money back by going through Ebates! Click below to join!
Another brand that doesn't taste quite as good is Premier Protein. I buy these because they come pre-mixed and are easy for me to leave a couple in my trunk or to throw in my bag for a busy day. I like the vanilla flavor the most. It can also be added to coffee.  There is no need to mix which is nice. It is a little chalky, but for the ease it adds to my life it is totally tolerable. I tend to purchase the big packs at Costco. They have a long shelf life and I like to have them on hand.  I do not care for the strawberry flavor of Premier. It reminds me of Amoxicillan and while I do like the flavor of Amoxicillian, I do not like drinking a whole container of it! They have 30g of protein per shake and about 1 carb. 160 calories per shake.

These so far are the brands that I use most often. I will likely continue trying others. I still drink 1-2 protein drinks a day to help meet my protein goals.

Which protein shakes have you tried? Good or bad?

 

 

165 down, 20 to go

In August of 2015 I had RNY Gastric Bypass. I've lost a total of about 165lbs.

Starting in January of 2015 I begun seeing my bypass surgeon. I was given a diet plan to follow and was told to follow it for 6 months. Every month I'd had to come in to be weighed.

My starting weight was 367.5lbs.

I began walking everyday and measuring distance with my fitbit.

I started eating very low carb and keeping my calories under 1500 per day.

My normal day pre-surgery:

Breakfast-
Coffee with sugar free creamer
Protein drink with less than 10 carbs per serving and at least 20g of protein. Preferably whey isolate.

Snack-
Cheese sticks or cottage cheese or low carb yogurt or nuts

Lunch-
4oz lean protein
4-8oz of veggies
Usually some salsa or something to dip my neat in.

Or lunch meat and cheese and a veggie.

Afternoon snack-
Same variety as morning.

Dinner-
4oz lean protein
4 to 8oz veggie
Something to dip in.

Evening snack-
If I still felt hungry I'd have some fruit or some peanut butter before bed. Fruit became a dessert for me.

My doctors were very impressed at my final weigh in. I lost about half of my weight before surgery.

Watch out for future posts about my journey.