I'm Baaacckk!

Muah ha ha ha! At this insistence of my sister  (<3 you Ashley) I have returned! I promise to try and catch everyone up on my WLS progress and all of the other exciting happenings of my uneventful life. One of my favorite times of year is fastly approaching and I must plan my Halloween costume! I have something in the works and will definatly post pictures. Anyone else out there thinking of dressing up and if so...what are you going to be?

Listening to: Smell of Desire by Enigma

Quote of the day: This Halloween the most popular mask is the Arnold Schwarzenegger mask.  And the best part?  With a mouth full of candy you will sound just like him.  ~Conan O'Brien

8 month surgiversary

At the demands of my sister (I love you, Ash) I have returned breifly to post! I have been busy working at the new job (which I am enjoying) and on the weekends I am having fun with the family. It has been hard for me to find time to update properly.

I regret to say that my weight loss has officially stalled.  * sigh*  I will continue to loose it's just that my body is adjusting. At least I hope. I am sure that next month I will have lost some more. Yes, it is slightly depressing. However on a more exciting note.....my family has joined the local YMCA. I started the Zumba class and I love it! It makes me feel like I am somewhat co-ordintaed. (Notice that I said "feel".)  Either way, it gives me a good workout trying to keep up with the skinny young girls.  :)


My hair loss has slowed down dramatically (thank goodness) and I cut my hair so that the new growth doesnt look so odd. My hair looks frizzy and like broom-straw but hey, its hair! LOL
Here is an updated photo of my progress.

7 month Surgiversary

It has been a long but wonderful 7 months since my surgery. I have lost about 90 pounds and I am excited and looking forward to hitting the 100 mark! I have a follow up appointment with my surgeon this week and I will be talking to him about an issue I am having. You see, I am pretty sure I have developed an umbilical hernia. I'm hoping it's something that doesn't have to be fixed soon. I'd like to at least save up some sick & vacation time at work first. If I have my wish it will be fixed when my tummy tuck and breast lift are done! (I am definatly counting my chickens before they hatch!)

I have included 2 quick photos to document my journey! :O)

Photos courtesy of Nathan (age 9). Stick around I will be letting you all know how my follow-up appointment goes!

Quote of the day: Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. ~Thomas Jefferson

Listening to: "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N Roses

Spicy Cheddar-Onion Sliders

Surprise! As you can tell I have been on the ball cooking! Yesterday I showed you how to make my version of Mexican Restaurant salsa and today we're making sliders (aka miniature burgers). Get ready cause here we go!




Start with 2 lbs of lean ground beef. Mix in a package of dry onion soup mix, 8-10 dashes of Worshchestershire sauce, and about 6 dashes of hot sauce. Mix well and you will have something similar to what I have below.

Lay this out on foil or plastic wrap on your counter. Form into a square and cut into equal pieces.

I have 15 rolls (buns) so I will be making 15 sliders. Therefore I divided the meat into 16 (mostly) even sections.

Now patty them out with the little dent in the middle. (this helps them from swelling while they cook).  The next step is easy.

Fry up the patties (or grill them if your weather permits).

Throw some Cheddar cheese on there. Let it get gooey! This is what they should look like when done. (umm.. duh, who hasn't eaten a hamburger?) Sorry, bear with me!

Saute some onion rings in a little butter then put them aside.


Now for the secret spicy sauce: (muah ha ha ha ha!)

You will need equal parts mayonnaise and ketchup (I used 1/4 cup of each). Throw in 1/4 tsp seasoning salt and 1/4 tsp of Cayenne pepper. Mix well.

I guess it's not to secret anymore huh? Oh well.


Now get out your slider rolls.

This is what I use. You can use whatever floats your boat.
These do not come halved, so do that first.

Butter them well.

Whatever you have, be it dinner rolls or not.... butter them.

Then put them under the broiler for a few minutes to toast.


Now you should be ready to start the assembly line.


First put the bottom buns. (duh) then follow with the burger, then onions and then sauce.

Just like so! Now top it off with the top of the bun.

Make sure these stay warm so that they will be yummy and cheesy when you eat them. Trust me. They're good.




Oh yeah....one more thing before I go..............



GO PACKERS!

Superbowl Preparations

Let me start by saying that we (meaning the Otero family) are not really American football fans. No, we like the other type of football. I hear you now asking "What? You mean that there is another type of football?" Yes, I am afraid so, but not to worry, tomorrow we WILL be celebrating and watching the Superbowl like the millions of crazed fans that do this every year. We are watching it this year (for the first time, believe it or not) in memory of one of those crazed fans. To make a long story short, the son of a very dear friend of mine passed away recently and he was a fan of the GB Packers. I know he has a much better seat to view the game than we do. So this year we are watching the game in his honor.

I have planned out a menu of Superbowl snacks that are (for the most part) WLS friendly. I'm going to share one with you so that you can enjoy it too.

Many people ask me about Mexican restaurant salsa. There are 2 main ways to make it: 1. involves using all fresh ingredients (time consuming)  2. involves using some canned ingredients (quick & easy). They are both good and the end result is the same. Here is my version. I think you'll like it.

First let me show you the participants:

You will need a large can of whole tomatoes, 2 cans of Rotel (or equivalent), cilantro, 1/2 large onion, 1 lime, 1 jalapeno, sugar, salt, and cumin (not pictured). Forgive me and my being frugal, but I try to buy store brand to save a penny or two.

First of all, get out your food processor (or blender).

Roughly chop up your half an onion, like so.

Then chop up about a cup of cilantro. Leave it kinda leafy.

Chop the jalapeno too. (I didn't take pictures of this. I don't like to handle anything after chopping peppers.)

Open the cans of tomatoes and Rotel and pour them, juice and all, into the fp. Throw in the onion, jalapenos, and cilantro.

Now add 1/4 tsp of each of the following: sugar, salt, and cumin.


Now pulse the fp a few times.

Pulse it again.

And again. Until its the right consistency.

I personally do NOT like chunks in my salsa. I like it to have an even consistency.

This (for me) is just right.



This makes alot of salsa. Cut it in half if you want just enough for a few people.  Make this ahead of time so that the flavors have time to love on each other. It will keep for several days in the fridge. I'm telling you now though, it's so good,  it won't be around long enough to go bad.

Fix some for your family and friends and they will love you.


You're welcome! :O)


Stay tuned tomorrow for something REALLY special!

F is for...

F is for FOOD!

Many overweight people have a very unhealthy relationship with food. Food, over the years, has evolved from the necessity that it once was. It has become a source of comfort as well. Just think about it.

Holidays
Sports events (Superbowl)
Weddings
Birthdays
Funerals
Church events
Sickness

Do I need to continue? Most every celebration includes food.

WLS patients have to learn how to change the relationship that they had previously with food. Essentially you are forced to change. You can not eat a bag of chips when you feel bad. You can only have a handful or else you'll throw up the rest. You can't have a half pint of ice cream either (you're lucky if you can eat it at all). Umm hello dumping syndrome . WLS makes you face the head issues that caused you to develop the unhealthy relationship with food to begin with. Now do you see why it's not an "easy way out"?
I believe that my issues with food will be a life-long battle (as with any addiction). I also believe that learning about and facing the issues is an essential part to being successful.

Tacos de Lengua (Tongue Tacos)

Yes, you read that right.

Tongue.

Bear with me people.

I promise it tastes just like roast beef. Really!

Many countries because of poverty (mainly) use all of the edible parts of an animal when it is killed. In Mexico the tongue is eaten (as well as other unmentionable parts).

My first time eating tongue tacos was when Luis and I were dating. He had prepared tongue before and offered it to me, but I never wanted to try it due to it looking weird. He never seemed offended...just determined. One day while we were out we stopped by a taqueria (place where tacos are made) and bought us a few for lunch. Luis ordered them and brought them out to the car to-go. I ate them (not knowing they were tongue) and really enjoyed them. When I finished Luis just grinned at me and asked how I liked the tacos. I said they were good. He then told me that they were made from cow's tongue. I have since prepared tongue at home and now enjoy occaisionally a tongue taco. Here is my recipe.


Take one fresh cow tongue.

Sorry, not quite THAT fresh.

That's better. One cow tongue (fresh or frozen) whatever floats your boat. Put it in a pot with a little beef broth and with a bay leaf and salt to season. Boil it for an hour or two.

Remove it from the pot when it is thoroughly cooked and looks like this. (yummy huh?)

Get yourself two of these primative-looking tools.

With the forks and maybe a knife (if needed) pull off the outer layer of skin and gristle on the tongue. See the yummy roast-beef looking meat under there?

This is what it should look like when you're done peeling it. Now shred it up with the forks.

This is what you'll have when you're finished. The meat is edible now but is very soft in texture ( like boiled meat tends to be). Put it in a pan with a little bit of olive oil. Fry it until it begins to get crispy on the edges. Salt it if needed.

Now for the rest of the cast of charecters:

Wash, then chop the cilantro and onion together. Slice the lime into wedges

Heat some corn tortillas and pile some meat into it.

Top off the taco with a little cilantro and onion, a squeeze of lime and a dash of salt. Enjoy!

Now see...it wasn't so bad, was it?  :O)

D is for...

D is for dining out.

There's nothing more fun than being a fat girl dining out. The waiter/waitress, people you are with, and even the nosy people at the next booth eavesdrop to hear what you order. Then they whisper about it. They analyze it. Order a salad or light meal and they assume you are "dieting again". Order a normal meal and they they smirk about it. Order a large meal and they whisper "no wonder why shes fat". There is no "safe" place to go. Even at Mcdonald's they are expecting you to supersize everything. Once you get your food, people watch how you eat. They watch to see if you eat like a pig, or if you eat slow. The stares are annoying. Even worse though are the comments afterwards. When they take your plate (if you ate everything) the comments is usually "Wow, you must have been hungry." or something else related to the amount that you ate.

I don't mind eating out now. I order what I want and either share or take home leftovers.

C is for...

C is for camera.

Cameras aren't nice to fat people.  There's this whole procedure of turning a certain way so that the quadruple chin only looks like a double or triple chin. You have to pull your clothes out of the fat rolls. You have to suck in your gut and turn a certain way. *sigh*  Then you (as a fat person) are never content with the end result picture. No wonder I was always the one taking photos of everyone else.

B is for...

B is for booth.

Restaurant booths to be specific. I hated going out with the family to certain restaurants. The busy restaurants where you didn't have a choice of a booth or table, you took first available. My luck usually got us stuck in a tiny booth where I spent most of my meal having the Heimlich performed by the table. Sometimes I was lucky to have a table that was so tight my boobs were where my plate should have been. I memorized the restaurants that had tables that weren't bolted to the floor. Why you ask?  So that I could discreetly slide the table out and give me more room, of course!

I love going into any restaurant and not having to worry if I will fit in their booths.

A is for...

Today begins my Elementary ABC's of why I had WLS. It will be a series of posts to remind me of all of the good things in life when you lose weight.

A is for airplane.

Airplane bathrooms. Enough said.

Airplane seat belt extenders. I also had to use seat belt extenders. (Airplane seat belts aren't as long as car seat belts) That was never fun. They don't keep them where they are accessible. NOOOOO..You have to ask a stewardess for one, and she's usually clueless or mean and says " Soandso, Where are the seat belt extenders"? in a loud voice so all other passengers get to turn and gawk at the fat person who doesn't fit in a normal seat belt.

Airplane tray tables. I couldn't lay the tray table down (to eat or for a laptop) because of my belly.

Airplane middle seats. The middle seats are notoriously smaller than the window or aisle seat. Why? Now I don't have to worry.

6 Month Surgiversary

What a journey the past 6 months have been!  I've been seriously working hard on dealing with the head issues. This mind of mine is a very crazy place to be! The weight loss has stalled again but I feel fairly well. I think it might have something to do with the holidays?!?!

 Of course, I'm still dealing with the hair issues.... I have been in a funk recently of feeling kinda sorry for myself so I am going to commit (part of my resolution) to blog more. I am beginning a list of reasons to remind myself of WHY I did this. :O) Stay tuned!

Quote of the day: Don't trade what you want most, for what you want at the moment.
Listening to: Don't Go Away Mad by Motley Crue

Happy New Year! (1:11am 1/1/11)

Yes I am crazy enough to post this! I guess I wanted to be the first to wish you all a Happy New Year at 1:11am on 1/1/11.

Yes I am weird like that.

Yes I have a new picture for a new year!

And yes, I am wearing a wig! Shhhh don't tell anyone!

I finally am in "Onederland". I actually made it today. I was hoping it would be earlier (read by Christmas) but nevertheless, I am glad I have reached one of my goals. Onederland, for those of you do not know, simply means that I am now weighing in the one-hundreds instead of the two-hundreds. It has been 15 years since I have been in Onderland. I had to take a picture to prove it.

(and FYI no I am NOT rounding the number). That's my choice. Now, tomorrow when I wake up it will probably be reading 198 or so. But I wanted it to be this year, and it was by gosh!

My journey thus far has been totally worth it, and I anxiously await all of the wonderful blessings 2011 brings.

I wish you all a Happy New Year and hope that you feel blessed and loved, and have few worries. I hope that your old wounds heal and no new ones form. Remember to forgive yourself and others, weather they deserve it or not. God bless!

Christmas 2010

I have had a very blessed holiday this year, as I hope you all have. I am taking advantage of time off of work with the hubby and little ones to celebrate. I will be back soon for an exciting six-month update! Happy Holidays and have a great time off with your loved ones!

Hello again!

First of all let me apologize to the masses (snicker) for my extended absence. I have been as busy as a bee getting ready for the holidays and working. Currently I am still at the hospital and at the health department as well. Things are working out so far and I hope they continue to go smooth.

I am at a point where I am looking forward to the holidays. I was so worried about making ends meet this Christmas and we have managed to squeeze by and get the kids what they asked for. Next year, I hope, will be much better.

This may sound vain, but here goes... I am losing my hair. Not figuratively, literally! I have been down in the dumps with the amount that I have lost and I am taking all of the supplements that my surgeon recommends. I knew about this (we were forewarned in the pre-op classes) but never expected it would be this bad. I am anxiously awaiting the point where it stops falling out and begins to re-grow. Wanna see? I'm warning you..it's NOT pretty!

I guess I'll just have to learn to wear hats....or wigs.

I promise not to be gone so long again, but I am sure you all know just how busy things get this time of year.
Here's hoping your holidays are bright and you all remember the reason for the season!


Quote of the day:  And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more? ~Dr Seuss

Listening to: All I want for Christmas is you by Mariah Carey

5 Month surgiversary

Well, I have made it to the 5 month mark! I have lost almost 80 pounds. Again for your viewing pleasure (or horror) I have included photos taken by my charming 9 year-old son. Front view and side view of course!

Yeah! I will keep you all posted, but I hope to be in Onederland by Christmas-time! Cheer me on!

Leftovers anyone?

Anyone else have leftover turkey calling your name from the refridgerator? I thought so. This should turn your turkey into something that NO ONE will guess is leftovers!

This is about half of a cold leftover turkey breast. Shred it into pieces.

Put a few tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan. Get it hot. Throw in a pice of onion. I know it sounds weird, but just do it. You wouldn't believe the flavor it gives the oil! Cook it a few minutes until it gets limp then take it out and throw it away. Add the cold turkey to the pan and stir it until heated through. Keep it covered so that it stays moist.

Meanwhile chop up some lettuce. This is a salad mix with spinach and butter lettuces. It's what I had on hand.

The rest of the ingrediants are above (minus the shredded white cheese).  Heat up the beans on the stovetop or in the microwave...whatever floats your boat.

Then start with a tostada and apply the ingrediants in the order that I tell you (yes, this part is important)!

Tostada, beans, turkey, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, and last but not least the secret salsa.....

Put either one of these on top of your tostada. (its my lazy-girl salsa) Then what happens next is pure magic! Check this out.......

Doesn't this look yummy? You will thank me later. Oh yeh...and you're welcome :O)

Happy Thanksgiving!

*Insert Adam Sandler's Thanksgiving song here*

Where do I start? My goodness! I could make a list but it would go on and on! I try to give thanks everyday for the things that I have and just as important the things that I do not have.

My boys and husband are amazing and I love them more every day. Having them in my life makes everything worthwhile. My family (near and extended), my home, my health, my job(s), and all of the little things too. I am thankful for not having excess stress, worries, and problems. I like to think that my life is realatively simple and stress-free for the most part.

I wish for you (my friends and readers) that your blessings are plentiful and that you have everything you need (and a little bit more).

Now I must rest becasue I will be one of the crazies out tonight shopping!

Quote of the day: As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John F Kennedy

Listening to:  "The Thanksgiving Song" by Adam Sandler

The Big News

Sorry for leaving everyone in suspense (snort*laugh) yesterday but I just didn't have time for a decent post.

I would like to take this opportunity to announce that I am now an employee of the health dept.  I started the job today and I believe that I am going to enjoy it. I will be a breastfeeding peer counselor. It is something that I am passionate about. I have been waiting for over 4 months for something to come available at the hospital but I have had no luck. In this tight economy people are holding on to their jobs more than ever. I would love to be able to stay there but feeding my kids is more important to me.

Nicolas started preschool yesterday as well and did wonderfully. I am so proud of him.

I guess this is going to limit my posting somewhat since I won't be at home being lazy anymore. LOL Oh well, I think I will manage. No worries though, I plan on keeping everyone posted on my wls journey more so now than ever.

Four month Surgiversary

Well, today marks me being four months post-op. As of this morning I  have lost a total of 70 pounds in 4 months. I have also lost over half of the hair on my head (but that is another post in itself).

I worked today so my post will be short and sweet.... but I promised photos, didn't I? :O) Of course I did and here they are;

And here I am again:

I decided to put on decent clothes this time (before I was always in old house-clothes) but I didn't pick the most flattering shirt! LOL The horizontal squiggles make me look even wider!

Anyways, thanks for continuing on my journey with me. I appreciate the support that each and everyone of you give me.


Quote of the day: In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure. ~Bill Cosby

Listening to:  Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen