FistFullaRoux

Season cornmeal, then fry shucked oysters. Make a dipping sauce of 1 part mayo to 1 part ketchup, add worchershire and tabasco. Or use a commercially prepared "cocktail sauce". The blue cheese dressing is a good idea for dipping too. Put more pepper in the cornmeal for a kind of Buffalo Oysters sort of thing. Fries on the side.

Crackers (saltines, please) and milk was a staple for me growing up in South Louisiana. Had it maybe once a week. My grandfather was big into that. Also cornbread and milk. With some good strawberry or fig preserves... I'm making it for breakfast tomorrow. I suddenly feel the need to.

I have eaten leftover plain rice as a cereal the next morning. Heat gently, add sugar and cinnamon, add milk. I have however developed an addiction to sugar on popcorn (instead of salt, but with salted butter). -drool-

tryska: The info my doc gave my wife stated that she would not be released from the hospital until she could tolerate pureed food. Theyare starting to introduce food much more quickly now, and she will be up and walking immediately after the anesthesia wears off. She should be up to 1 mile of walking by week 2. This doctor has performed something like 1500 of these surgeries, and every one of his patients that we have spoken to were "back to normal" in less than a month, with only 2 exceptions. One was in a car wreck 3 weeks post op, and the other had already had 5 or 6 abdominal surgeries. The rest were just eating less, and really chewing food well. The 4 week limit is when you can introduce beef (other than ground) like steak or roasts. And we've already been stocking up on bottled water. We've done babyfood tastings, since she will pretty much be using those for snacks when she wants something more solid than the shakes. We've found a couple that fit the bill, and we bought 3 enormous bottles of Centrum from Sam's that she tolerates well. And the only eggs I can get her to eat are in egg drop soup. She says they don't taste like eggs, so I'll be perfecting my recipe, or buying it by the quart from the Chinese restaraunt she likes.

I actually prefer red beans done with turkey smoked sausage, but that's me. Don't forget the bay leaves, and you can actually do red beans without the trinity. I've left out the celery, and used less bell pepper. I got (I think) better results. Chicken broth or plain water works as cooking liquid, but use the low sodium. The crock pot is the best way to go. I would suggest, however, that if you use the turkey sausage variation, that you not add it at the beginning. The sausage swells up, turns gray, and floats. Unpleasant. Drop them in there for the last 1-2 hours, and cheat at the beginning with (cover your ears, Mayhaw) 1 tsp Liquid Smoke per pound of beans. A little goes a long way. Much less fat in this version, no pork products (not sure if it's kosher), but you can use any smoked meat for flavoring. Smoked turkey legs work in a pinch as well. Here's where the argument starts: rice. I only use long grain rice. Specifically Mahatma (made in my hometown). Never ever ever ever use Uncle Ben's perverted rice for this. The rice should be rinsed well 3 times before cooking, and only be seasoned while cooking with salt and a splash of plain ol white vinegar. It should be perfectly cooked. I invested in a rice cooker years ago, but occasionally have done it on the stove. The directions on the bag for stovetop cooking use a little too much water. Use a heavy saucepan, follow the directions, but hold about 1/4 cup of water out. It should be ever so slightly dry (to hold only the sauce) and not at all crunchy. This rice is also perfect for gumbos, ettoufees, and jambos.

Not too nosy. A legitimate question. I know that she has tried a number of different "diet plans" over the years. Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, working out, Sugar Busters, etc... She weighs 320 pounds. She does not always make the best nutritional decisions. Since we've been together, she uses far less butter in the mashed potatoes, for example. So that part is getting better. We're more active now, but she has still put on 30 pounds since we got married (that's 10 pounds per year). She's been big all of her life, and at 35, thinking about starting a family, something has to be done. As far as options presented, there really wasn't another one. Her blood pressure is getting iffy, she has sleep apnea and other respiratory issues, she's having musculo-skeletal problems, and she falls down a lot. It's time. She's tried to do it on her own, I've tried to help her, but it's not working. It is not the easy way out. We both realize that. A lot can go wrong. It's not reversible. It is a major lifestyle change. That's why I'm trying to turn to the folks around here who know and care about food so I can try to provide her with the most options within the requirements of her new digestive system. I know that if she is faced with eating a limited number of things for the rest of her life, she will lose her mind. I'm just trying to be prepared. And I'm not far from needing the surgery myself. I'm hoping that the evening meals we share together are going to become healthier, and I'll drop a few as well. The stomach can and does stretch post op. It is possible to defeat the surgery. It's 1.5 to 2 oz at the time of surgery, but at about the 1 year mark, it has expanded to around 3, where it tends to stay, unless you try to stretch it more. I know my stomach handles something along the lines of 10-16 oz, depending on the day. You are talking about 1/8th of that size. Even if she were to eat 8 meals a day of the same food I do, it would only be equal to one of mine.

The carbs are kind of secondary. It's not Adkins. It is a high protein to bulk ratio, and a low fat/cholesterol per serving idea. For example, an 8 oz prime rib steak (BTW, she can't have steak until about week 4) has: 690 calories - 37 grams of protein - 160 mg of cholesterol - 60 grams of fat 8 oz of grilled plain chicken breast has: 240 calories - 40 grams protein - 120 mg cholesterol - 2 grams of fat An 8 oz protein shake has: (rough estimates, depending on what it is mixed with and the concentration used) this is for the EAS Myoplex as referenced above 200 calories - 35 grams of protein - 12 mg cholesterol - 1 gram of fat The stomach will be able to hold about 2 ounces after the surgery. It will take 4 servings to get 8 ounces of anything in. A steak, while providing similar amounts of protein, is far less healthy than a shake. The chicken is better, but still not as good. Not only that, but waiting 45 minutes to 1 hour before you can take the next serving means that the steak and chicken will frankly be... icky. The shake can rest in the fridge, and be just fine. The point being, that in a few months, as the weight is falling off, she is going to be eating the same way I do, just in far smaller portions. The protein will have to be eaten first, since she will fill up far quicker. Casseroles are out, beacuse you can't bulk up on carbs, you get no value from the food. The protein levels have to stay high, because of the way the plumbing is rearranged. Fewer nutrients are going to be absorbed, so the above average (or "normal") protein requirements. Also add a multivitamin or two per day. Without the higher levels of protein, the body will start eating the good stuff that you want to keep, like bones and muscle. It can have all the fat it wants. It takes more calories to burn fat than sugar (which carbs turn into). But that, like I said is secondary. you want to preserve the muscle tissue, and not have the body trying to burn that instead of fat. Visions of my old organic chemistry textbook running through my head. I'm looking for protein sources that can be prepared in small batches. If it has carbs or fat in it, it's OK. At this point, I'm just trying to find options other than the 6 or 7 flavors of chicken breast that she will eat.

I just can't get as worked up as you about this. When I've seen something particularly galling, I'll bolt, but I don't contact the manager. Find out who the district or regional manager is, and get ahold of that person. It's like the new Arby's commercial with the animated oven mitt trying to enforce a dress code. It's completely out of place. I guess it is all in your expectations. I'll settle for getting it mostly right, and not sweat the small stuff. If a burger jockey cuts me off midsentence, my faith in the human race will survive. I'm a big believer in non-verbal clues. Most people do get it. Try this next time. Take a deep breath through clenched teeth, and glare at them. Your blood pressure goes down, and the non-handicapped do get the point. If they don't, they obviously are handicapped, and you go over it with them again with a song in your heart. Don't let it get to you. If the Wendy's doesn't give you an ulcer, this will...

Project, No offense, but I think you are off the mark here. I've worked the drive thru at McDinkels, and you have to remember a few things. The voice quality you hear at the order sign is the same thing I heard in the headphones. Add traffic noise and an engine running 2 feet from where you are, and it makes it very difficult to hear clearly. I would rather ask again than put the order together wrong. Throw in an unfamiliar accent, and it was just better in the long run to have them pull up to the window to get their order. Were they rude to interrupt you? Sure. A case could be made for that. Did I have to use suggestive selling? Yes. Although this was pre supersizing, they still wanted me to sell large fries instead of small. And a manager could put on a set of headphones and monitor me at any time. So I did it. Many times, in order to satisfy the company line of "No customer should wait more than xx seconds before being asked for their order" and "Drive thru orders are to be fulfilled in xx seconds", I often greeted customers and took orders while not standing at the register. You would hope it was a simple order, because you were pulling drinks for the 3 cars in front of you, and checking the fries to see how much longer they would be. If it was a simple order, I knew the total without ringing it up, and could punch it in on my next trip by the register. If it was a no xx or xx with extra xx, I'd have to get to the register, and verify it with the customer. If someone else asked me a question while all this was happening, a complex order just floats away, and you have to try to reconstruct it when you get back to the register. And this whole thread reminds me of the George Carlin "AND A LARGE ORANGE DRINK" routine.

You could try the Cajun delicacy know as coushe coushe (not to be confused with cous cous) - It's named after the sound your spoon makes when preparing to eat it... It's for breakfast, but you could do it anytime. It is similar to polenta, but the baking powder and the technique come up with a different texture that may work. It's sort of like crumbled up cornbread. cooking oil 2 cups cornmeal 1 tsp salt and sugar 1 tsp baking powder 2 cups milk 1 tbls melted butter Cover the bottom of a heavy saucepan with cooking oil and allow to heat. Add the cornmeal and saute for 30 seconds to 1 min, or to taste. Mix the remaining ingredients together, and add to pan. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cover tightly. Stir frequently, paying attention to the corners. Simmer for 20 minutes. This gets you a toasted cornmeal mush (for lack of a better term) that can be used for sweet or savory applications. Treat it like cereal and add milk and sugar or fruit preserves for breakfast. Add less milk and bacon and chives (check for seasoning) for a savory side dish.

Chin up, dear heart. Have yet another cup of tea, and find something on the tube to distract you. Or find a game on the 'net. I found that reading just makes me feel worse when I'm miserable (the whole head hanging down thing), so just find something mindless and space out. And medicate properly. I have other things that make me feel better, but they are unrelated to food, so I will plead the 5th... edited for typos

Miso sounds great, but how do I get it? I'm in Birmingham, Alabama. Options are limited. The grits, however, I can get. And hell, how do I make it? We both like Chinese and Thai, but I can't get her near a Japanese place. Maybe I can tell her it's a different kind of Chinese... Secondly, I can see the "logic" behind craving sharper flavors. If you are eating smaller portions, you want the same sort of flavor punch that you would get from a bigger portion. Highly flavored foods satisfy you more. It's not so much the "richness" that people talk about when they say they only need a small serving of something. It's the intense flavors. My opinion, at least. It's how the haute cuisine places get by with serving a small dollop of food and having people satisfied with it. Finally, would this site and this forum be the place to do this blog, or should I put it up somewhere else and point folks to it?

This is one of the better blogs/sites I've seen The guy is a stand-up comedian (really), and it makes for interestig reading. As far as baby food, he recommends Gerber Blueberry Buckle. Lots of links on that site as well. As far as the baby food nutritionally, it's only supposed to be for a little while. Some doctors are even saying, now, that the pureed food isn't completely necessary. Most people can tolerate a little more than they originally thought. Remember, this surgery is relatively new, and new stuff is being learned all the time. My wife is supposed to be on solid food (well-chewed of course) on the 2nd day. Steak is out for a couple of months, but she should be able to eat just about anything else at about 7 days post-op. I find this inceredible, but there it is. The protein shakes and stuff are to provide the necessary protein (and them some) without adding 1500 calories to the diet, and requiring digestion of 32 ounces of food. It needs to be delivered in more compact form, as not to over extend the freshly operated upon internal organs. It's as close as we can get to a protein pill.

Then there's always the perennial favorite, hash. I do a slightly different version, though... First I had the break myself of the habit of just putting the pot in the fridge. I bag up all of the leftovers in Ziplocks and date them. Then, if they aren't used by the next day, it goes into the freezer. Much less waste this way and they last longer. I don't bother saving pasta, though. When you have a few serving of meat (sausage, pork, beef - not really good with chicken or turkey) in a brown or wine sauce (avoid tomatoes or high acidity), saute onions in a saucepan, add meat servings with sauces, add potatoes and stock/broth/water to cover. Bring to boil and simmer until potatoes are done. Taste and reseason if neccesary - remember you have sauces mingling in there already.

Any soup, but chicken works well, and any spice that you can take will help shake things loose. You may want to avoid tomatoes or really acidic stuff. Plenty of fluids. Whatever you like, except dairy. As mentioned elsewhere, Gatorade, soda, tea - hot or cold with lots of lemon, or just plain water. My favorite trick when I had to be on the air, sick or not, was to hold a Hall's cough drop in my mouth, and sip hot water. The menthol, steam, and heat really work to clear the head. Be careful on the Tylenol dosages, lots of new information coming out about the dangers of that. Best wishes and feel better soon.

Thanks for the info. We'll keep an eye out for it. No wonder I couldn't find it....

Suzanne F, No luck on finding anything about the book, but we'll keep an eye out for it. Thanks for all of the great suggestions. Keep them coming. I'm gonna need all the help I can get, I think...

Just out of curiosity... If I were to start a thread documenting her progress and listing what we learn and when, would anyone be interested in it? Is this the place for it, from a foodie point of view? There are a number of blogs and diaries out there, but what about the foodie spouse of a WLS patient? Comments?

We've met with the nutritionist and all the other specialists that this doctor requires. Which I do appreciate. I am a foodie. I understand things that my wife does not. She grew up with people who considered 3 "Budget Gourmets", nuked in the microwave to be a meal. How he mom and dad aren't 350 pounds, I'll never know. Food is fuel to her, and she has never really had to make nutritional decisions. She is only now beginning to learn how to read food labels. The nutritionist told her she needed 64 grams of protein a day, but really didn't give (I think) good advice. For example, she recommended the "beans 'n cheese" from Taco Bell as a "good source". Beans are a good source of protein, but not cut with partially hydrogenated whatever oil and a handful of cheese... But this is the one that the doctor recommended, and the only one she will pay attention to. I'm just trying to educate myself so I can help her.

My wife has been scheduled to have gastric bypass surgery on Feb 24. She will need, according to her doctor, 64 grams of protein per day. She will not be able to do that at first, but she should be able to at about 3 weeks. She does not like eggs or peanut butter. She tolerates beans to a certain extent, and she only likes fish that does not taste like fish. Salmon and tuna are out completely. How do I get 64 grams of protein a day for her? Those shakes she is starting to stockpile are freakin expensive. But 8 oz delivers 30 grams of protein. Any scientific data about? FYI, it is the Roux-en-Y procedure. Her current BMI is 44. Also, has anyone else shared a household with someone who has had this done? I'm beginning to get concerned about my dietary habits having to change. I'll have to load up at lunch, because there won't be much dinner. Not that this is a bad thing, as I could stand to lose some weight myself.

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I can't see why it wouldn't work. Bubbles are bubbles, no matter what their source is. Baking soda releases CO2 as well as a soft drink would. Makes sense to me. I don't know about making lemon-lime biscuits, though.

In Cajun French, "un cipre" or "une ciprière" means "bald cypress" or "cypress swamp". I think he was talking about the wood, not the mushroom.

There was this wedding rehearsal dinner that I attended. I don't even want to name the restaurant, because I know this was a fluke. But in the middle of dessert, "If You Wanna Be Happy" by Jimmy Soul began playing. Sample lyrics from the song: If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life, Never make a pretty woman your wife. So for my personal point of view, Get an ugly girl to marry you. I've DJ'ed for over 15 years. I can name that tune in 3 notes. I went diving for a manager, who could not be found. By the time I got back to the table, the bride was fuming, and the groom was about to hurt himself to try to keep from laughing.

my first day on my first job as a bonafied chef I had to make a batch of baking powder biscuits. I will never forget those damn biscuits as long as I live. I always check and recheck and double check the powder jar for the soda jar. That was a bad day. I did that last semester. I was studend-teaching a Baking 101 class. While preparing the Chef's Devil's Food Cake demo, I accidentally measured out baking powder instead of baking soda. She used me as an example. I will never again fall for the recipe known as Lemon Angels (or something similar) whose instructions require you to dissolve 3 tablespoons of flour in 1 cup of lemon juice. Then vigorously mix in 3/4 cup baking soda. The rest of the recipe is of no importance. It was my first day working in a bakery. It's like an initiation. They told me to make a triple batch. There's just enough flour in there to make the bubbles big and sticky. I really didn't see it coming, even though I did pass chemistry in high school. Who says people in pro kitchens have no sense of humor?