Red Beans and friends: More Southern favorites

The next option for the Red Beans and Turkey Tasso (see recipe) is as a side-dish or part of a dinner ensemble as opposed to the one-bowl entrée. Because it's very moist and soupy, this dish makes a lot, but freezes very well. It was thawed gently and paired with other items. 

Tonight, Papa Bear has returned from a road trip and we are adding some more carb options and protein options more fitting a big guy who’s not 5’5” like his princess of a wife (yeah, that’s me; don’t make me come over there!).

Cornbread is often paired with red beans so I made a sweet, buttery cornbread. I put a dab of Steen’s Syrup in the cornbread thinking of my grandmother Cecilia’s tradition of serving us cornbread and milk with cool, thick Steen’s drizzled on top.

Going all the way “Southern,” we finished off the meal with homemade fried chicken. Papa Bear will not go to bed hungry and he knows that he was thoroughly missed last week.

Bonus: There will be cornbread and milk in the morning!

Adventures in Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice, like many things in life, involves options and alternatives. They may bore or excite you, but as Kecia Maynor Pauley once said "if you feel squirrelly, jump! I choose to jump.

The point of this series (yes, I'm going to drag this out into a bonafide saga) is to look at the cooking methods, ingredients and traditions. This can be a healthy dish or it can be decadent as candied bacon fat with maple crystals (Jennifer, you know who you are). The secondary point of this series is to provide a haven for all those people on social media tired of politics, reality shows and bathroom debates. LET US EMBRACE THE HUMBLE BEAN!!!

Look forward to soaking vs. no soaking, slow-cooking vs. simmering on stove, and the various types of accompaniments like bacon, sausage, tasso, andouille or straight vegetarian. I want to hear from you and I will embrace and give stage to your RB&R traditions and cooking methods.

The recipe will start as a fairly healthy, low-fat alternative paired with turkey tasso and brown rice. If you try this out, please know if won't short you on taste and boldness. It's full of protein, fiber and a good source of complex carbohydrates. It's intended to be diabetes-friendly, but it's a great one-dish meal or a side dish served with Southern favorites like fried chicken, cornbread or catfish.

Red Beans and Turkey Tasso

Ingredients:

1 (1-pound) package dried red kidney beans
4 Quarts (16 cups) of water to start
2 Cups of chopped vegetable seasoning mix*
2 – 8 oz Packages of Savoie’s Turkey Tasso
2 Teaspoons each of dried thyme, salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic powder
Optional seasonings, to taste, after cooking: Hot sauce, Creole seasoning, salt and pepper.
4 cups whole grain brown rice, cooked (1/2 to cup serving portion)

*Or individual chopped seasoning items:

1 large onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup chopped parsley

4 celery stalks, chopped

1-3 cloves garlic, minced

Cooking Directions:

1. Rinse and sort beans. Soak beans in container full of water and 1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar for 2 to 4 hours changing out the water half way through the soaking process if possible. Soaking is optional and different methods maybe preferred. Unsoaked beans will require slightly longer simmering times
2. Place beans in a large stew pot and cover with about 4 quarts of water or add water so that mixture is a ratio of 1 part beans to 2 parts water. Add dried thyme, salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic powder
3. Bring the beans to a rolling boil, then lower heat, and simmer for 1 hour. Stir often, (so that beans don't stick to bottom of pot) and add water as needed. 
4. Dice the turkey tasso or cut into thin strips. Sauté the tasso with the diced vegetables and a dash of olive oil until tender. Add tasso and sautéed vegetables to the beans. Water should still cover all.
5. Cover and continue to simmer for 1-2 hours until beans reach desired softness adding more water for a soupier consistency.
6. Serve 1 cup of cooked beans with ½ cup of brown rice.
   
   
   Makes 8-10 servings depending on how soupy beans are made

Nutritional Facts Links

This stuff is THE BOMB!

• Red Beans: http://www.camelliabrand.com/products/red-kidney-beans/
• Whole Grain Brown Rice: https://www.unclebens.com/products/whole-grain-brown-rice/natural-whole-grain-brown-rice
• Turkey Tasso: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/savoies-turkey-tasso-229441972?v2=false
• Fresh Cut Creole Seasoning Mix: http://www.shopwell.com/guidrys-seasoning-fresh-cuts-creole/seasonings/p/4173900100

So, whatcha got?

Baby Shower for Jessica and Sara: Registry!

Click HERE for Gift Registry!

Mercy, Mercy, Mercy at White Light Night

"Mercy Mercy Mercy" by Josef Zawinul sets the tone at the Baton Rouge favorite White Light Night 2014. Orlando Henry on keyboards, Richard Bewley on guitar, Katharsus St. Arthur on drums, Miguel Hernandez on guitar performed this favorite on November 21, 2014. Video shot and recorded by Ruth Laney.

An introduction to croquettes: Spencer style

Cecilia wandered into some area of the ‘Net discussing croquettes and she told me about them and suggested we make them for dinner. I should know better than to take menu-planning advice from a sixth-grader, but I thought it would be an interesting adventure.

First problem was to find a variation she would eat. She eats chicken and potatoes so we went that basic route for her Chicken and Potato Croquettes. See at right from JustAPinch.com.

That takes care of baby, but daddy has a wildly adventurous palette and he likes spicy, savory seafood dishes. For the adults, I decided to go the smoky, seafood route. I had a little smoked salmon in the fridge, but at $12 a pound, I wanted to save it for a bagel breakfast. I decided to use a can of cheap salmon and add liquid smoke to recreate the “taste” of smoked salmon. I discovered the joys of smoked gouda when I brought fancy sandwich fixings as a birthday present for Scott. (DON’T JUDGE – Boar’s head roast beef is roses and lace in dude language.)

Salmon-Smoked Gouda Croquettes

1 cup of mashed potatoes
1 can of salmon (well, chopped with fork)
½ cup of grated smoked Gouda (I chopped it into tiny pieces)
2 eggs
½ diced onions
1 cup of Italian bread crumbs
2 TBS of lime juice
1 TBS of liquid smoke (optional)
1 handful of chopped, fresh Cilantro
Season to taste – salt, pepper, garlic powder

1. In a medium bowl, beat one egg. Add (COLD) potatoes and combine well. Mix salmon, cheese, onions, lime juice, cilantro, liquid smoke and seasonings well. Fold into cold potato mixture.
2. Roll the potato-salmon mixture into balls, a little bigger than golf ball size. If you're working with warm mashed potatoes, chill the balls. If you pulled your potatoes out of the refrigerator to make this, carry on.
3. Get three bowls and place them side by side. In the first bowl, put 4 Tbsp. flour. In the middle bowl, 1 beaten egg. (If this runs out before you're done, beat another egg.) In the third bowl place 1 c. bread crumbs.
4. In a large skillet, heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil over medium high heat.
5. Roll the potato balls in the flour and shake off the excess. Dip into egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs. Place in the oil to brown. Roll them around so all sides get golden brown and crispy.
6. (Note: I skipped this step and cooked them completed in the oil.) Once browned on all sides, transfer to an oven-safe dish and place in 300°F oven to keep warm while you finish the rest of the croquettes.
7. (Note: I skipped this step – I hate gravy!) Once all the croquettes have been browned, stir 1/4 c. flour into the remaining oil. Stir in chicken stock to make a gravy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the gravy with the balls for dipping.

My variation for the adults in the house is above.  It’s a smoky, potato, cheese and fish treasure doubled rolled in flour and bread crumbs. I didn't have time for a side dishes or a dipping gravy. I think a pasta Alfredo or sauteed spinach would be nice next time. Cecilia had hers with Mac and Cheese and her father ate his share off a plate with his fingers – refined like wine that one!

Fishers' 'Net delivers church business tools

Effective communication tools are crucial for organizations seeking to become “fishers of men.” Empowering churches and non-profits with the right tackle box is the mission of the Fishers’ ‘Net, a business plan vying for one of the Mission Main Street Grants.

Spencer Media Solutions and Online Bayou are partnering to develop the Fishers’ ‘Net, a full-service Web portal offering Web hosting, email communications, marketing tools, print services and e-commerce solutions.

We would like to build a Web alliance of churches across the globe to ‘Net-fellowship and share communication best practices and business solutions. Through Online Bayou, organizations can use self-service products like Web hosting, email accounts or blogging. Offline services customized for churches and faith-based groups include bulletins, newsletter services and advertising/media buying.

The most ambitious venture will develop an e-tithe system that will allow organizations to use the ease of e-commerce to collect tithes, fees and donations.

Please click HERE to vote for the Fishers’ ‘Net and then share the link with others from now until Oct. 17 when the voting ends.

ACA: An Ouch of Birthday Prevention

Protect the Pride!

Today’s my birthday and seeking a health plan is my gift to myself and my family. Just by posting  experiences, we all get vilified or assigned to one side or the other, but as a parent and a provider, I can’t be less than responsible to my family or myself. I didn’t plan to register with an exchange until January, but I decided to give it a try – almost as a joke – while watching the Daily Show and listening to all the Massive Glitch of the Century stories.

So, I started at a little after 10 p.m. and registered in about 18 minutes. I had some questions about small business vs. family coverage so I started an online chat with “Jonathan” while I filled out the application, watched TV and listened to see if my little one was settled in for bed or secretly researching science experiments in her room.

I asked questions for about 20 minutes and decided the best route to pursue. I finished the application, took notes and screen shots and, of course, watched the Colbert Report. I was discussing the process on social media and answered a few questions. A little after 11 p.m., it was over and I had a pdf of my Letter of Eligibility and instructions on next steps which included choosing from my top 12 plans and starting to pay premiums in early 2014. Start to finish, it took an hour. I am sharing my experiences in hopes that it will help or encourage someone else.

I lost my job a year and a half ago and I was terrified about providing for my family and what would happen if we got sick, needed a doctor or had an accident while I was on unemployment benefits. Free-lance and consulting opportunities opened up and I stopped unemployment early and my husband and I started working for ourselves. We had lots of flexibility, good bosses, but no healthcare benefits.

We took a big financial blow, but we are getting back on our feet. Health insurance for us won’t be free and it will be far from cheap. I might even argue with the “affordable,” but I know it will be possible. Despite being self-employed with pre-existing conditions, we can find what we can afford and get it.

I am a firm believer that families like us will make the sacrifices that will save money across the system. By encouraging preventative health, each subscriber’s healthcare costs are reduced over the long haul. Maybe we can prevent a cancer instead of treating a cancer. By keeping blood sugar levels stable with low-cost meds and lifestyle, we might prevent kidney disease or multiple amputations.

Working families that purchase plans will not get hand-outs, but it will be an important step in being responsible and proactive. If my little girl lands in the ER with a life-threatening injury, someone will pay the costs. My premiums will ensure that I can do my share if that ever happens.

I’m going to enter an exchange and budget my finances while trying to keep myself and my family healthy. It’s not a political statement or my support for the first black U.S. president. It’s my job.

Roasted Peppers Simone

 

Roasted Peppers Simone

Ingredients:

• 4 large Italian Bull Horn Peppers

• 2 cups baby spinach

• 1 tablespoons Smart Balance

• 3-4 tablespoons of Tuscan goat cheese spread

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°F

Cut a cap off the tops of peppers, and scoop out seeds, taking care not to break or tear the pepper.

In frying pan, sauté the spinach and Smart Balance. When the spinach is wilted, add goat cheese and mix over low heat until well-combined.

Using a small spoon, stuff the spinach-cheese mixture into the peppers (pressing down with the handle of the spoon to completely fill) to 1/2 inch from the top.

You can press a small piece of bread into the pepper to keep the cheese filling from melting out during cooking, but I didn’t do this and as you can see, my cheese melted out. We still ate it. J

Place the caps back on each pepper. I had some skewers and Cecilia was helping so we skewered them.

Lay the peppers in a lightly greased or nonstick baking pan and roast for 20 minutes or until they soften.

Added note: Scott took the skins off and Cecilia had no part of the spinach. It’s all good!

Shrimp & Grits: One name several identities

Shrimp & Grits at Drago's in Greater New Orleans.

The Food Network version features lemon-
pepper shrimp.

Whether in a fine New Orleans restaurant, a cool trendy sports bar or my own kitchen, my favorite dish is Shrimp and Grits. Diversity and presence of culture are two hallmarks of Louisiana cuisine. This dish is the diva of diversity because it can be breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner, but it also can be a different animal on each plating. When I ordered it in a Baton Rouge surfer bar, it was a dangerous, spicy journey, but in my own kitchen it's a creamy, hearty comfort food highlighting everything but spicy heat.

At home, I often take the opportunity to add vegetables like sautéed spinach.

Baseball great Lou Brock brings dual spiritual, physical health message

Awareness event is faith-based response to diabetes epidemic

When Lou Brock played Major League Baseball, stealing was one of his specialties. Now that the stolen bases record-holder has retired, he helps people restore the health and hope that has been taken from them. Brock, a minister and motivational speaker, will be the featured speaker Wednesday, April 24 at Higher Ground Outreach Church in Baton Rouge.

Brock was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at age 60. He now works with Novo Nordisk, an international pharmaceutical company, to promote awareness and encourage tight, proactive management of diabetes.

Area family medicine physician, Dr. Rani Whitfield will introduce Brock and provide some background into the diabetes epidemic gripping the country. He will discuss prevention, diagnosis and risk factors that can increase a person’s chances of developing diabetes.

Both Brock and Whitfield are products of Southern University in Baton Rouge. Brock, a native of El Dorado, Ark., grew up on a share cropping cotton plantation in Collinston, La. He started Southern on an academic scholarship and later tried out and made the baseball team. His star began to rise on the Southern diamond and continued to shine as he stole bases and captured records. His 20-year professional career spanned three years with the Chicago Cubs and 17 years with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Whitfield, a board certified family physician and sports medicine specialist, has become known as "Tha Hip Hop Doc" or "H2D" to many in Baton Rouge and across the country. Whitfield is an impassioned advocate for increasing the awareness of health-related issues, including HIV/AIDS, obesity, cardiovascular disease and substance abuse.

Higher Ground Outreach Church, led by Bishop Rickey and Pastor Lesia Washington, is located at 3730 N. Sherwood Forest in Baton Rouge. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. on April 24.

For more information or media inquiries, contact Spencer Media Solutions, info@spencermedia.biz.

Blood pressuring lowering Shrimp and Grits

I’m going to take a load off and lower my blood pressure (Scott says this is needed, but that means I’m quite angry) and write about one of my favorite topics: Shrimp and Grits.

There are some variations to how we prepare it, so I will add a few optional ingredients and steps.

Shrimp and Grits

Ingredients:

1 pound large gulf shrimp
3 Tbsp. Smart Balance
                Or olive oil, vegetable oil, margarine, etc.
2 tsp. roast minced garlic
1 cup finely chopped onions
Chopped parsley or cilantro ( fresh is best, but dried ok)
Hot sauce
                Cajun Power Garlic Sauce, Louisiana Hot Sauce, etc.
½ can Cambell’s Cream of Shrimp Soup
¼ cup of milk
Optional sautéed ingredients: spinach or mushrooms
Cayenne or black pepper, if ya got the stones!

Grits: Pot of creamy grits, corn grits or a firm bed of grits allowed to cool and set in pan

Instructions:

Melt Smart Balance or heat oil in sauce pan. Add onions and minced garlic until onions are slightly wilted. Add hot sauce or Cajun Power and continue stirring.

Add thawed or fresh shrimp along with cilantro and/or parsley and sauté, stir shrimp until they just become pink. If sautéed spinach or mushrooms are being used, add those now.  Adjust the heat to your particular taste.

Pour in ½ can of soup and a little milk to help it mix in. Bring to near boiling or at least bubbling.

Serve with grits or corn grits or on a bed of set grits that have cooled and gotten firm.

 

The Spencer Baby is 10!

We started referring to her as “The Spencer Baby” at Woman’s Hospital because the radiology department called her that for weeks before she was born. Cecilia was our fifth baby and three of her siblings were born early at Woman’s. It’s easier to call the high-risk ones “Last name-Baby” in case they don’t make it, but The Spencer Baby was more of a worthy opponent or a frustrating chore because she was our first to approach full term and she was big, bold and HATED invitro monitoring.

They took turns tricking each other into landing the chore – The Spencer Baby is waiting in Room 4!

She was almost 9 pounds, transverse and breached – yeah, ouch – and when monitored, she turned and twisted away and once just “kicked” at the probe so all the radiologist saw was a big foot pressed against the screen. I would say that’s a good sign, right?

She was born one week before my own birthday. The first time I saw her was from a bed in ICU. They told me I couldn’t hold her alone because I was on too much medication and hooked to too many monitors. OK, I said, take them all off and point me to the hallway. Her father walked into ICU and was wondering why I was in the hall, clinging to the side of the wall. I looked at him, turned my head to the side, smirked a little and said “Tell them to bring me my baby.”

She’s been my motivation and muse every since. I know I’m one of those “old mommies,” but children need all we can give them and I put a lot into my health, career and life because Cece needed me. Along the way, she became the source of endless blessings. “I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging bread.”

I quit jobs because they were not best for Cecilia and took jobs that sounded “like fun” to Cecilia. Basically, she was the barometer that the Lord has used to guide me from newspapers to Web development to higher education to PR to consulting to “whatever I do now” as I work for Spencer Media Solutions. Got to admit, this job is “great” for Cecilia.

I’m 10 years older, but more than 100 pounds lighter and a non-medication-maintained diabetic and problems with hypertension and back and knee pain are a thing of the past. I didn’t want to be the skinny mom. I wanted to be the productive, ALIVE mom when my daughter walked across the stage to accept her Ph.D. – I figured I would have to tie her shoe strings at least.

I know I’ve become older, wiser and stronger because everything in my life was geared to being the best, the healthiest or the most industrious mother this child could have. God is blessing her through me and vice versa.

We have been blessed with the most tremendous village and I’m thankful to you for being a part of it.

Happy Birthday, Cecilia Grace Spencer …The Spencer Baby is rolling in the double digits!

Seizing control: 10 tips to help manage diabetes

The following tips come from the Food and Health Communications service and look at 10 ways to take control of your health and diabetes. It's very easy to be overwhelmed by all the advice and directives. Instead of trying to solve all your problems "today," it might be more affective to educate yourself each day and make the baby steps toward health and wellness.

• A scaled-down approach. Control your weight if you are overweight. Type 2 diabetes linked to obesity often disappears if the obesity is corrected.
• Exercise your rights to a healthy you. Participate in regular physical activity. Regular physical activity improves fitness and quality of life and decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease. It also helps with weight control. In Type 2 diabetes, regular physical activity helps to improve blood glucose control and possibly decrease the need for insulin or oral medications.  
• Understand and limit saturated fat. Watch the amount of saturated fat, trans-fat and cholesterol you consume, as they tend to raise blood cholesterol levels. Foods to watch out for include fatty meats, fried foods, high fat dairy products, bakery goods and margarine. Choose lean cuts of meat and limit yourself to 3-ounce portions twice a day. Eat less red meat and more skinless poultry and fish. Use beans as your main dish instead of meat.
• Daily doses of fiber. Increase your intake of fiber. Fiber comes from plants and may help to lower blood glucose and levels of fats in the blood. Foods high in fiber include bran cereals, cooked beans and peas, whole-grain bread, fruits and vegetables.
• Wholesome, healthy foods. Eat more whole grains, fruits and vegetables as opposed to refined foods. Not only do whole foods contain fiber, but they also contain numerous plant chemicals, or phytochemicals, which appear to be beneficial for health.
• Work on the balancing act. Eat regular, well-balanced meals with snacks as needed. This will help to improve your blood glucose levels and reduce overeating. A well-balanced meal consists of about 1/4 protein foods and 3/4 carbohydrate foods.
• Remember, "free" can carry a price. Understand that “sugar-free” doesn’t mean carbohydrate-free or calorie-free. “Sugar-free” foods are often sweetened with fructose or sugar alcohols (xylitol, mannitol, sorbitol). These sweeteners may have a  smaller effect on your blood glucose levels than table sugar, and they are okay to use in moderate amounts. But foods containing fructose or the sugar alcohols will still contain calories. Even foods sweetened with artificial sweeteners (such as sugar-free pudding) still have calories and are not “free” foods.
• Understand the need to understand carbs. Know the carbohydrate content of the foods you eat. Carbohydrates occur naturally in milk and fruit, and are also found in pasta, bread, rice, dried beans and peas, and starchy vegetables such as potatoes, corn or green peas. Depending on the type, carbohydrates can cause a spike in blood sugar levels, or keep levels more steady. This means that while there is a carbohydrate limit for diabetics, it is also important to make wise choices about the type of carbohydrate consumed.
• Be an informed drinker. Use alcohol in moderation. If your blood glucose levels are in good control and alcohol is consumed with foods containing carbohydrate, one drink a day is acceptable. However, it is important to monitor your blood glucose to know how you react to alcohol since alcohol can lead to hypoglycemia.
• Knowledge is power. Know where to go for reliable information. The following organizations offer credible information for consumers with diabetes: 

• American Dietetic Association: www.eatright.org
• American Diabetes Association: www.diabetes.org
• National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases: www.niddk.nih.gov

So, how did my great-grandmother die?

My sister's daughter Alexis Cecilia
and my daughter Cecilia Grace

It’s not unusual for second-graders to break into a breathless string of questions at any given time. This morning, Cecilia wanted to know everything about my Mammy. Cecilia, 8, is the namesake of Cecilia Brooks, my grandmother.

I could easily go on and on about her because I’ve always been impressed with my grandmother's strength, her faith and her strong sense of family. I told Cecilia that I am only taking care of one child, but my grandmother raised eight children and one was not hers, but she loved and took care of her just like she was her own.

Life was hard for share croppers, but she made yummy treats and meals by hand. I had to mention the luscious cornbread topped with Steen Syrup because Cecilia is fond of homemade cornbread (no boxes, please).

Mammy made all the food from scratch and made clothes and quilts by hand. “If your great-grandmother Cecilia wanted to cook chicken for lunch, she went out into the yard and picked out one, swung it around by the neck and then boiled it and took the feathers off before cooking lunch,” I explained.

“She did?” Cecilia squealed like I was describing a famous folk hero.

“She was such an awesome person that your great-grandfather Lucious, even though he was her husband, never called her ‘Cecilia,’” I said. “He called her Miss Tela because he loved and respected her so much.”

“So, how did my great-grandmother die?”

It hit me like a ton of bricks because it’s heavy breakfast conversation and it made me see the sobering facts about life, death and poverty that a little girl’s memories will easily omit decades later.

“She had a bad heart,” I said. “She was sick for a long, long time. One day she said a massive stroke and a little while after that, she died.”

Cecilia skipped off to class when the car stopped to the front of her school and didn’t seem shattered, but I had to pause to think about the harsh realities of living with heart disease almost four decades ago. My grandmother had a pacemaker in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.  Pacemakers were fragile, troublesome devices back then and her zipper-like scar always seemed evident sticking out from the top of her simple, homemade house dresses. She worked really hard, but she always seemed tired and in pain. I never heard a complaint, but that scar just seemed like it was attached to a great deal of suffering.

The last few years of her life were spent in the big city with us so when the stroke dealt the final blow, she was attached to a respirator in the same hospital where my mother and godmother worked. I spent a lot of time in that hospital and near the end, I found myself alone with my dying grandmother as the machines hummed and hissed forcing her lungs to breathe and her heart to pump. I believed God worked miracles so I closed my eyes and spoke the most earnest prayer a little girl could muster. I even imagined the excitement on the faces of the rest of the family when they returned to see her awake and talking.

I opened my eyes and she remained still except for the forced movement of the respirator. I kept my disappointment to myself so the humming and hissing machine wouldn’t mock me.

'Dr. Cece' and her Nanny Kathy,
a super sister and awesome nurse.

In the dark of the night the day before the Christmas Eve of my tenth year, my big sister Kathy and I sat alone by the light of the Christmas tree crying after the phone call came from my parents saying even the humming-hissing machine couldn’t force her tired heart to work any more.

When scarred by the tragedies of life, we can become victims of the memories or we can be moved to action. My sister Kathy and her first-born son became nurses. They care for the sick and urge preventative health measures.

I’ve had some health scares before and after bringing home Cecilia, my first surviving baby after four losses. Getting healthy and protecting my heart has meant changing lifestyles, eating right and losing more than 130 pounds since the year Cecilia was born.

Raising awareness and research funds, my Cecilia and I will walk on March 26 in the Heart Walk. “Dr. Rani” says every step we take extends our life and both Cecilia and I believe in the small steps to a long life.

If you would like to join us on March 26, click HERE to join Team H2D. Your support of our efforts will also be greatly appreciated. The banner below will take you to the donation page for my “Little Cecilia,” but it is in honor of the fight started by her great-grandmother Cecilia. This battle is definitely not over.

Perspective: Riding Through the Storm

Create Your Own!

I spent most of yesterday in a storm -- literally. I'm at the ObesityHelp convention in Lexington after nearly an entire day watching grounded planes and seeing storm clouds go by. I found this journey so symbolic of my weight loss journey (and my life) that I didn't mind the delays, wet baggage and lack of sleep.

After a nearly two-hour delay in Baton Rouge, we headed out for Houston knowing that there was a monster storm hovering over most of southeast Texas. The storm was so big and dangerous, that the air traffic navigators were sending the planes on an "S" curve around it. This took nearly two more hours in the air. At maximum flying height, I discovered what it means to be taken out of a storm and allowed to ride side-by-side with it and view its beauty and force at the same time.

The pictures above show a storm the size of a mountain range. Lightning bolts and dark, rolling clouds put on one heck of a show. I took my camera out because I felt safe. Afterall, I had another persepective of this storm.

For two years, I've been riding in this storm. I get up, I get knocked back down, but I get up again. What some may see as slow weight loss progress, I choose to see as survival and life more abundantly.

The one thing I choose to remember about weighing 350 pounds is that life and death were daily considerations. I was not yet 40, but I had seen numerous surgeries, ICU units and buried babies whose coffins were little more than decorated shoe boxes. Life was good, but not abundant and there was litte hope for a long, happy existence.

Now, two years later, I love my size 18 jeans and fun-loving endurance, but most of all, I love the second chance that the Lord has extended to me.

Being removed from this storm for a moment of majesty, I viewed my progress and pain as a spectator. I see the challenge and I see the struggle, but I know I'm safe -- I'm only riding through the storm.

Jazzed Tuna Casserole: Test Kitchen Series

This is more a discussion about Dreamfields pasta than it is about Tuna Casserole. Many people in a low-carb routine just eliminate pasta completely because of the huge carb load that it carries. I'm hoping to show that the Dreamfields line gives us an opportunity to bring pasta back into our nutritional line ups.

---

Jazzed Tuna Casserole

2.5 cups of cooked macaroni
1 can Cream of Shrimp Soup
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup w/Roasted Garlic
2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 cups frozen peas and carrots
2 -6 oz Cans of Tuna (in water)
¼ Cup Toasted Onion Flakes
2 Tlbs Cilantro
2 Tlbs Parlsey
1 tsp Black Pepper

Boil macaroni and keep fairly firm. Drain and reserve.

In large, deep casserole dish mix soups, vegetables, seasonings and 2/3 of the cheese. Mix well. Drain and flake tuna. Add tuna and drained noodles. Mix well. Smooth top of casserole dish and sprinkle on remaining cheese. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until ‘bubbly.’

This makes 8 servings (it’s a lot -- freeze it.)

*Nutritional summary uses regular pasta: 307 calories; 20 grams of protein and 28 carbs.

**Nutritional summary using Dreamfields pasta: 280 calories, 20 grams of protein and 9 grams of digested carbs.

Click here to see how the carb/digestable carbs work

Sauteed Spinach and Shrimp: Test Kitchen Series

Sautéed Spinach and Shrimp with Feta Crumbles

One 9 oz. bag of Baby Spinach
3 cups of Shrimp
1 cup of Feta Cheese crumbles
Crushed or powdered garlic
Juice of one Lime
2 Tbs of dried Cilantro
Salt, Pepper to taste
Non-stick cooking spray

Spray a deep sauce pan with a non-stick, non fat cooking spray. Add heat and add shrimp stirring often when it becomes hot. Add lime juice, garlic and cilantro to sautéing shrimp and continue to stir. When the shrimp first turn “pink,” add fresh spinach to the pan in thirds or until it all fits. Lower the heat and sauté until the spinach is “just tender,” but not over-cooked. Top each plated serving with 1-2 tablespoons of crumbled feta cheese. Makes four servings.

Nutritional summary: 204 calories, 25 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber and 5 carbohydrates.

Spinach is a great choice for the vegetable you eat “after” you have gotten your protein in. It has high water content, so it does crowd your pouch. It reduces quickly, but is obscenely high in vitamins and nutrients – including *more protein.* It is also a good source of Niacin, and a very good source of dietary fiber, protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc, Copper and Manganese.

The meal shown is served with guacamole and a dab of fat free sour cream, adding 150 more calories, 3 more grams of fiber and about 2 more protein grams. While high in “heart-healthy fats,” the avocado is another power house of nutrients and taste.

This recipe was featured in "New Views," the newsletter of the bariatric support group New U. Thanks to Cindee for taking this picture of me as we went to cheer on our newest OH and New U member Bejai.

Celebration: 100th Band-Aid Post!

I’m shaking the dust off of my blog and celebrating Entry No. 100 in my chronicles of my journey to health and wellness. First, thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the medical professionals, online friends, prayer warriors and supporters who have stuck by me through thick and less-thick for almost two years now.

I’ve gone way, way too long without posting and I think it’s because I wanted so badly to post a new picture on my blog. I will probably never stop cringing when I see pictures of myself. If the camera adds 10 pounds to normal-weight folks, it must add at least 50 to those of us fighting our weight demons. Thanks to my bestest buddt, my bestest hubby and my bestest new angelette Cindee, I have new pictures that I’m not afraid to look at.

Gosh, where do all those chins come from??

If a picture says a thousand words, mine are shouting “YOU AREN’T THERE YET” in a chorus. But I’m not at all depressed about it because of the YET. It also speaks volumes to how far I’ve come.

If you were around in the beginning of the journey, you read that I started near 350 pounds and was not the healthiest bulb in the pack. There are about five certifiable diseases that qualify you for weight loss surgery. I think I had all of them, but one. Let’s see: Diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, degenerative back disease and I have danced with congestive heart failure and pulmonary edema after my sweet princess Cecilia was born.

I’m STILL a big chick, yes, but if you go down the list, I have normal blood sugars, I “should” take one medicine to control my blood pressure (down from 4, but boy, do I get mad/stressed), I don’t sleep with a CPAP machine any more and my back only hurts when I do something stupid. Some other ailments have gotten better. I have improved PCOS symptoms and the masses in my uterus and ovaries that I thought would kill me, for sure, have shrunk or disappeared.

Click here for profile

My faithful readers know that my biggest challenge has been non-lap band related. I am without a doubt, the HERNIA QUEEN. I had a hernia repair, got a staph infection, got the wound opened twice, had a hernia repair, had a hernia repair and this apast January, had a hernia repair. My props and unchanging gratitude go to SupaDoc Karl LeBlanc. (Side note, I’m writing this why traveling through the little town that my beloved SupaDoc was born. Really, this very second! Ok, truth be known, I’m eating Sunday lunch at a seafood restaurant there with my laptop on the table. Golly, people, the computer is clean!)

Anyhoo, (lunch was great, but not at all sinful), I think it's nothing short of a miracle that my bariatric surgeon was also a world renowned hernia specialist. Dude’s like a non-stop shop for "everything Frances." After seven surgeries, if I had an abdominal tattoo, it would read “KARL SCALPED HERE.” As it is, my precious princess thinks every scar or bo-bo means “Dr. DeBlanc” has been around. (What, your 3-year-old doesn't regularly talk about bariatric surgeons?)


Look: Dr. Cece!
My Lap Band device has done everything that it was supposed to. I eat less and it helps with that. When I eat junk, the band isn’t responsible – choice is still up to the patient. In May, we noticed that I had sprung a leak. That’s where the blog left off – “Poof, fill be gone!” Early this month, I got a good size fill to see how much time it would take to be empty again. Well, geez, wouldn’t ya know the leak went away and I was hurting to drink herbal tea at times, none the less, solid protein.

SupaDoc has a new fellow surgeon who laid claim to the leak clogging up when he did the fill under the watchful eye of his proctor. This master in training is from Alabama and is as cute as hound pup in a magnolia patch. He said, with his best ‘Bama twang, “That's right; I got sticky spit!” (--> a real keeper)

I’m a big advocate of bringing new surgeons into the bariatric field and I surely hope Dr. James Corder III decides to stick around in this field because those of us trapped by obesity’s pain need all the super docs we can get.

That super fill lasted a week and a half before I whimped out and asked for a slight unfill. I lost about 8 pounds during that time, but it wasn’t the prettiest thing in the world.

I’m about 15 pounds away from my milestone of 100 pounds loss. I would like to do it this month or near my two-year “banderversary.” Maybe I won’t make it. I’ve often said I wanted to get to be a “very fit” size 18, after reaching near a Size 32. Well, yesterday, I tried on and purchased some “snug” size 18 jean shorts. I’m in them without pain, but it’s not smooth enough to say I’m a Size 18. So, I guess I need to look at the inches and muscle mass more than the ‘evil scale.’

I’m not only eating, but craving more fresh vegetables than any other time in my life and unlike before, I know corn and potatoes shouldn’t count as vegetables. We shop for fresh veggies near the house and I’m always looking for new ways to experiment with spinach, zucchini, eggplant and avocadoes. (I am an avocado fiend!)

August is going to be a busy month on the Band-aid Blog. I’ve been saving up and I plan to start posting recipes and new healthy food choices starting tomorrow with my “Sauteed Spinach and Shrimp with Feta Crumbles.”

Stick around, check back or just use RSS to stay abreast on my progress and blessings. Thanks for caring and for reading.


When the whole world is new, anything is possible