Some new awesome recipes we tried and liked

STUFFED MEATBALLS

2 pound ground beef

1.5 cup plain bread crumbs

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup water

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 egg

3 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoon salt

1.5 teaspoon black pepper

4 sticks of string cheese cut into 5 pieces to make 20 cubes

20 button mushrooms

What To Do:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. 
• In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except mozzarella cheese; mix well.
• Divide mixture into 20 meatballs, then put a cheese cube in each mushroom. Form each meatball around a mushroom, making sure to cover mushroom completely. Place on prepared baking sheet. 
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until no longer pink in center. Serve immediately. We served it with sauce and spaghetti noodles

 INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN MASALA RECIPE

Ingredients:

1lb of boneless chicken, cubed
1 onions, minced
1 can of tomato sauce
1 tbsp of butter
1 tsp of minced garlic
1 tsp of minced ginger
1 tsp of chilli powder
1 tsp of garam masala or chicken masala
1 tsp of tika masala
1 can of coconut milk
1-2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder

How to Make Butter Chicken:

·                     Heat the butter in a pan and add the minced onions. Fry until golden brown
·                     Coat the chicken with the tika masala
·                     Add the ginger, garlic, coriander, chilli powder, turmeric, and salt. Fry for a minute until fragrant
·                     Add the pureed tomato and tomato paste and cook for 3-4 mins until the mixture bubbles uniformly
·                     Thrown in the kasuri methi, milk, and the cubed chicken. Cook covered for 8-10 mins until the chicken is soft. The chicken will let out more water, just check once or twice in between and give the curry a stir. Keep the flame on sim
·                     When the chicken is cooked soft, open the lid and cook for a further minute or two. If the gravy is too thick, add some water at this stage
·                     When done, add the garam masala or chicken masala and the coconut milk. Give it a good stir, but don't boil
·                     Serve with Jasmine Rice.

INDIAN MEATLOAF AND CURRY MASHED POTATOES

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef (or whatever ground meat you want)
4-5 slices of bread (I used whole grain)
1/2 cup of milk to soak bread 
1 Tbs of fresh or dried parsley
1-2Tbs of Garam Masala
1-2 Tbs Tandoori Masala
1/2 tsp of ground turmeric
1/2 Tbs of ground cumin
red chili flakes to taste 
2 eggs
1Tbs of grated ginger
1Tbs of grated garlic 
3 Tbs curry powder
2 large carrots grated (see note) 
1 medium onion minced  (see note) 
2 stalks celery minced (see note)

Directions:

• In a large pan fry the carrots, celery and onions. When the vegetables soften add the ginger and garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Then add the garam masala, tandori masala, cumin, curry powder, turmeric and salt and saute for several more minutes.
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• Cook the water out that the vegetables will give off. The mixture should be dry.   Taste for seasoning (this mixture will be a little strong, but it will balance out once mixed with the meat). Allow the mixture to cool down.  In a separate bowl mix the bread and milk together and crumble. Then add the ground beef, eggs, parsley and some additional salt and pepper.
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• Mix the masala vegetable mixture with the meat mixture.   Free form the meatloaf mixture onto a baking tray. I suggest you cover the baking tray with some foil and spray it with cooking spray or oil first.  Once the meatloaf is formed into a loaf, place in a 400 degree oven for 50-60 minutes until cooked. 
• We made some mashed potatoes on the side that I added some heavy cream to instead of regular milk and I added about 2 Tbs curry powder, use as much or little as you like to taste.

CHICKEN IN GARLIC WINE CREAM SAUCE

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup onion, chopped

3 minced garlic cloves

5 -6 fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 small jar of artichoke hearts, drained

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup white wine

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

1 pint cream ( heavy or light)

salt and pepper

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon parsley

Directions

• Grill the chicken on the George Forman or another grill type top. Set aside.
• Add oil, onion, garlic, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and butter and saute about 4-5 minutes until onions start to become translucent.
• Add wine and Worcestershire sauce and cook an additional 2 minutes.
• Lower heat and add cream, salt, pepper, basil, and parsley.
• Too high of heat will cause the cream to curdle.
• Simmer on low 20-25 minutes until done.
• Serve with fettuccini noodles or another big noodle of your choice.

Is Being Fat The Worst A Person Can Be?

  On my way in to work this morning I was having some pretty bad self esteem issues. I started thinking that I had failed at this weight loss surgery. I started thinking that I am one of those people who has the surgery, loses a bunch of weight and then gains it all back, plus some. But in reality, I have only gained back a small amount and I know I can get it back off.  I started thinking to myself, is being fat the worse thing a person can be? So many people in our society make fat people out to be the worst people alive. What I say to them is, Am I a murderer? NO! Am I a thief? NO! Am I dishonest? NO!
  What I am is Smart! Funny! Kind! Honest! Trustworthy! And many more great and wonderful things!
  What I am is a woman who struggled with weight issues all her life and then had surgery to help with that. I did lost about 130 pounds. My highest weight being 315 and my lowest being 185. I dealt with transfer addictions, and am still dealing with the aftermath of that. While I was drinking I was at my lowest because I wasn't eating, instead I was drinking. Once I stopped drinking I had to fuel my body with food otherwise my blood sugar would drop and I would have major issues. So as of today I have gained back about 30 of the original pounds I had lost. My therapist said that after two years post WLS, the majority of people will gain 10-20% back of their weight and they will have to try to maintain their weight or get off that 10-20% they gained, but they have a harder time getting it back off. She didn't say they couldn't she just said they have a harder time.
  I eat the proper portions. I do have a hard time staying under the calorie limit my doctor wants me to stay under as I do have a blood sugar issue and it tends to drop many times during the day if I am not eating every hour to two hours. I do admit I am not eating the best things for my body, but hey at least I can admit it. I do have a plan to cut down on the bad things and increase the good things. I am also facing a problem with the good things that I can eat. There is a good chunk of vegetables I can't eat. I don't have a problem with any of the meat proteins except fish so the meat protein we eat is usually chicken breast, lean red meat and pork.
  I noticed last night that the weight I am gaining is in my knees and thighs, and a little in my boobs. A little is in my belly area but not too much. My clothes still fit at the size 12/14. I do notice that my pants fit tighter in the leg area than they used to. My thought is that if I have to go up a size in pants to be able to fit my legs for now while I try to get this yucky regain weight off, then so be it. I won't, however, allow myself to have to buy any more than 1 size up.
  I am determined to get this regain weight off. I do feel a lot healthier now that I am not drinking, than when I was drinking. I can still walk better now than when I was over 300 pounds. I am not prediabetic anymore. My only real health issues are vitamin deficiencies and the low blood sugar.


  SO ONCE AGAIN I ASK: IS BEING FAT THE WORST THING A PERSON CAN BE?