| Halloween Treats You Can Eat!
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Greetings!
Greetings Neighbors and Happy Halloween to You! Have you picked up on the news reports the last few weeks? Americans are expected to spend $2 Billion on candy this year for Halloween treats. According to big box stores customers have been stocking up for nearly 5 weeks now and will return again to replenish their candy supplies before the little costumed door knockers come calling on Saturday night. In spite of tough economic times consumers are spending nearly 7% more on candy this year than last. Some speculate that in tough times of economically driven sacrifice a little indulgence in sweet treats is much deserved.
It is no wonder we are confounded by so much temptation. Nobody wants to feel left-out of the Halloween hoopla but we know the consequences of a candy fest can be catastrophic for us. Today in this special edition of the You Have Arrived email newsletter I present several treats you can feel good about enjoying! We had gastric surgery to become healthy so that we could embrace life to the fullest -- not sit on the sidelines. Making small changes in how we celebrate goes a long way making those dreams of living a reality. I wish you the best in the coming days -- may all your haunting be happy!!
Happy Halloween!
Kaye BaileyPS-- Please read my article about sugar free candy to avoid the discomfort that it may cause: Holiday Sugar Free Candy
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Devilishly Delicious Desserts
Pumpkin Gelatin Tarts
Ingredients:
1 (4-Serving Size) package orange gelatin, sugar free
2 tablespoons splenda
1 cup boiling water
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup pumpkin puree, canned
1 (8-ounce) package non-fat vanilla yogurt
1 1/2 scoop unflavored whey protein powder (optional)
1 (6-count) package Mini 3-inch ready crust graham cracker tart shells
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
Directions: In a medium bowl stir together the gelatin and splenda. Add the boiling water and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Set in refrigerator to chill. In a medium bowl whisk together the pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin puree, non-fat vanilla yogurt and protein powder. Gently fold in chilled gelatin mixture and mix well. Divide pumpkin gelatin evenly among tart crusts and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Keep covered and chilled until serving. For a festive Halloween presentation use the pecans to create jack-o-lantern faces on tartlets or decoratively garnish with orange zest.
Airy Almond Cookies
Almonds and a hint of vanilla make a light delicious cookie.
Ingredients
Cooking spray
3 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole almonds, toasted and finely chopped
Directions:
Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray and preheat oven to 250F .
Beat egg whites with an electric mixer in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Add in the salt; gradually beat in the sugar, then the vanilla. Continue to beat until the egg whites are stiff but not dry. Gently fold in the almonds.
Drop the batter one teaspoonful at a time onto the baking sheets; lift the spoon as you drop to create a peak in the center. Work quickly so batter does not spread. There should be 40 cookies when properly measured.
Bake until the cookies are lightly browned and hard to the touch on top, about 20-30 minutes. Gently remove cookies from baking sheets and place on a wire rack to cool. One cookie is a serving and contains 16 calories; 4g carbohydrate (3.6g sugar).
Mocha Brownies
Ingredients:
2/3 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup Cocoa Powder, unsweetened
1 tsp instant coffee granules
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup white all purpose flour
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp grated orange peel
1/2 cup powdered sugar (optional)
Directions:
Spray a 8x8x2-inch baking pan, with cooking spray set aside. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan, stir in cocoa powder and coffee crystals. Remove the mixture from heat and stir in granulated sugar. Add eggs one at a time, stirring to combine after each. Beat lightly by hand until the ingredients are combined then stir in flour. Fold in chocolate pieces, and grated orange peel. Spread the mixture into prepared pan, and bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven. Cool in pan on a wire rack, and sift powdered sugar over the top if desired. Cut into 24 bars to serve. One serving is 115 calories and contains 13 carbohydrates and 6g sugar. Splenda heat-stable sugar substitute may be used in place of sugar following package directions.
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It's a GREAT week for the 5DPT
You Can Do this!
When I was looking at the calendar today I found myself feeling sorry for those who were starting the 5 Day Pouch Test this week because come Monday we celebrate Halloween - the most candy-happy day of the year. But a friend, who is doing the 5DPT this week said this is the most perfect week of the year for the plan. She told me, "I know that by Day 5 I will have my pouch back and I will have the mental strength and energy to make healthy choices when everyone around me is on a candy feast." What a great way to look at things! And I know she will do just fine. And so will the many others who are tending their little pouches this week.
Join others this week on the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood 5 Day Pouch Test message board - You never need to do it alone.
To all of you doing the 5DPT this week please stay strong! You have the power and you have the knowledge to make smart choices. You deserve to treat your body well and that's the best goody you can put in your Halloween bag!
Serve up the famous 5DPT Pumpkin-Sausage Soup this week!
Have a Happy & Guilt Free Halloween! Enjoy the journey. And remember: You Can Do This!
Pumpkin carved & photographed by Kim Stover.
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Paprika & Red Pepper Soup
with Pistachio Puree
A good choice for Trick -or- Treat Night!
 Richly satisfying, this luscious-looking soup made with red bell peppers gets a touch of heat from Thai chile. For an extra-nutty flavor, puree an additional 1/4 cup shelled pistachios with 1/4 cup water and serve the soup with a dollop of this pistachio puree on top. This soup is a good choice to off-set sweet indulgences. It would also work well on of the 5 Day Pouch Test. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 small onion, diced 2 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, stemmed, seeded and diced 1-2 fresh green Thai or serrano chiles, stemmed and coarsely chopped 2 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/2 cup unsalted shelled pistachios 2 cups vegetable broth or water 1 cup nonfat buttermilk 2 tablespoons whipping cream 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro or basil Directions:Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell peppers and chile to taste. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables release some of their juices and the onion is lightly brown around the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle the vegetables with paprika, salt and cardamom and cook, stirring, until the spices are very fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add pistachios and broth (or water). Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are fork-tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the heat; let cool 5 minutes. Transfer the soup to a blender (in batches if necessary) and puree until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Return the soup to the pan. Whisk buttermilk and cream in a bowl; stir into the soup. Gently warm over low heat. Serve sprinkled with cilantro (or basil). Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. 4 servings, 1 cup each. Per serving: 246 calories; 7g protein; 17g fat (3g saturated); 18g carbohydrate; 575mg sodium, 419mg potassium. .
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About Us
The
health content provided by LivingAfterWLS, LLC is intended to inform,
not prescribe, and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice and
care of a qualified health-care professional.
LivingAfterWLS, LLC
Kaye Bailey, Founder
Evanston, Wyoming 82931
LivingAfterWLS, LLC
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Kaye's Thoughts on Sugar
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In general, I personally try to avoid sugar-sweetened food as much as possible. First, I had gastric bypass which means sugar causes me to become sick with "dumping syndrome" when I eat it. More importantly, it can be addictive and ultimately it will cause me to gain weight. Also, the longer I have been able to avoid sweets the less I have a desire for them. As I have become a better cook, however, I have found that sugar is a necessary ingredient in many savory dishes in much the same way that salt is a necessary ingredient. When used in small quantities sugar and salt both enhance the flavor of many other ingredients. That is why you will often see both sugar and salt called for in my Cooking with Kaye recipes.In this special edition newsletter I offer some tasty sugar sweetened treats that I think we WLS Neighbors can enjoy during the sugar-fest this Halloween. In deliberate and controlled fashion we can make intelligent treat choices so we don't feel left out, but we also honor our personal commitment to healthier living with weight loss surgery.
Please honor the portion guidelines for each recipe. And if you prefer use a heat stable sugar substitute in place of the sugar. Keep in mind, these are special occasion recipes, not every day food -- enjoy in moderation.  Last week's LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest presented several articles discussing the role of sugar and sugar substitutes in a healthy diet. Review the newsletter online in our archive:
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Connect!
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For you "old fashioned" Neighbors: Kaye Bailey PO Box 311 Evanston, WY 82931 Because snail mail is swell!
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| Caramel Apples |
Ingredients:
4 medium crisp apples, washed, stems removed
4 popsicle sticks
4 tablespoons Smuckers Sugar Free Caramel Flavored Syrup
4 tablespoons chopped nuts
Wash and dry apples. Line a tray or plate with waxed paper. Carefully insert one stick into the stem end of each apple and use as a handle to hold apple. Spread one tablespoon of the Smuckers syrup on each apple and sprinkle the syrup with chopped nuts. Set on the waxed paper. The syrup will not harden like traditional candy coated caramel apples so these should be made shortly before enjoying. Alternatively, serve apple slices with a bowl of the syrup for dipping.
The sugar free syrup contains sugar alcohol which is known to cause digestive discomfort: gas and bloating. Exercise restraint enjoying a small controlled serving to avoid discomfort.
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Featured Recipe from the Neighborhood:
WLS Berry Cobbler (Clafouti) | |
From Neighbor David Schronce
Full Post Here
Please read my to find out more about me, but one of my passions is cooking. And after loosing 200+ pounds I've learned to make the recipes changes that retain the great taste, but are low in carbs and sugar free like we WLSers need. I wanted my introduction to this forum to be a truly tasty treat, so this is my sugar free adaptation of my dear grandmother's cobbler.
My Grandmother called it "cobbler" but years after her death I learned she was actually making a rustic French country dessert from the Limousin region. With cobbler, the crust is put over the berries - in clafouti (pronounced kla-foo-TEE), the berries are put on top of the crust. Clafouti is a pudding of sorts, with the sweet berries surrounded by a pancake-like batter and baked in a hot oven until the batter has set with nicely browned and slightly puffed edges.
Use whatever berries you have that are fresh and seasonal - or raid the grocer's freezer for your favorite flavors. Today I'm working with blueberries, but raspberries, blackberries, mixed berries - even cranberries - make a delicious treat.
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