~by Nikki BBQ’s can be a prelude to disaster y’all! But they don’t have to be. You can survive the family barbecue this Labor Day! Aside from strategy, though, you have to make some decisions for yourself before the event. What to bring, what you’ll eat that others bring. And, more importantly, what you WON’T. Here’s what yours truly WON’T …

I will admit that I find 99.9% of the food at McDonald’s objectionable. Even before surgery. Their burgers…ehnnn…they’re ok. Their fries are good, but of course they are a slippery slope for me. Salads? Chick-Fil-A is better. Desserts…let’s not go there, k? The exception is (was?) the limited time offering of the Mac Wrap. Now I wasn’t a Big Mac …

I am personally not a huge cole slaw fan. Sure, every once in a while the mood hits me to have some, but I could easily go without it. But I know many folks love themselves some coleslaw at the family barbecue! But most commercial brands of Coleslaw dressing are LOADED with sugar and don’t have much protein. In this …

~~posted by Jen So usually I eat a salad with some protein on top for lunch or dinner, but one of my favorite “go to” snacks is veggie sticks with Greek Yogurt Ranch dip.  Let’s face it, you can only eat so much meat and cheese before you start craving “vegabulls”.  Yesterday afternoon I made myself the little crudite snack …

~~posted by Jen I have a deep and abiding love for dips of any kind. I’m not quite sure where that comes from, but it has certainly served me well during my WLS journey, especially early out. The best thing about dips and spreads is you can totally make them up as you go along and they rarely come out …

There was a time, not so long ago, that I was very opposed to protein bars. Because I only tended to see protein bars at 7-Eleven and Wal-Mart, I had the idea that they were all carb heavy and no better for you than a candy bar. I’m here to admit—before you, the world-wide web and God—that I was wrong. …

Hey friends. Sorry for the lag time between posts. Pouch Party(TM) seems to have been DISCOVERED (hence the fact that I have been ordered…erm, instructed to use the damn trademark symbol whenever referencing it). I’ll post a rundown of booked parties next week so that folks don’t miss out on the fun and, as always, if you want Pouch Party(TM) …

~~by Jen You know how you have these “food memories” that get stuck in your head and you start obsessing about them?  Like a favorite casserole your Momma made when you were a child, or your Aunt’s practically famous chicken salad?  I was having one of those moments last week, and it got me thinking. Let me explain…My paternal grandparents …

I dunno how it happened…but it did. Maybe you over-cooked. Maybe the family wasn’t feeling your WLS friendly dish. Maybe, like me, you get sick of eating the same thing very, very fast. But here we are. With an abundance of chicken meat. I know…I know…starving children in third world countries…the voice of your mother going “finish your plate!!!” You …

I have noticed that since I committed to doing meatless Fridays in Lent that I have been eating a LOT more fish/seafood. Interesting. One of my favorite things to make when I don’t want to fuss in the kitchen is tuna burgers. They come together easily (seriously…they take like 5 minutes to mix up a batch), are simple to cook …