Diva Taunia's Backstage Pass Official Blog

"LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX..."

Tomorrow night on The Backstage Pass Radio Program: "Let's Talk About Sex."  I think it's an important topic that's related to weight loss surgery and our bodies pre and post-surgery.  The pros, the cons, the good, the bad, the ugly...(Hey, someone has to talk about it!)

I am hoping to start interesting and engaging discussion about it in a very open, honest, and adult way (meaning, I don't want things to be getting randy or offensive).  I'd love some suggestions for discussion points that fall within this theme.  Feel free to post your suggestions here as a comment, or if you'd prefer to remain more anonymous, you can email them to radio@divataunia.com.

If anyone is brave enough to call in tomorrow night, the show starts at 7:00pm EST, and the call-in # is (347) 857-2052.  You can absolutely remain anonymous if you want.

Thanks for your suggestions, much appreciated!

Cheers,

BARIATRIC TV - FO' SHIZZLE!

I love that they say I have an empire...that cracks me up! Tell that to my credit card companies! lol Thanks, BTV, you guys rock! (my segment is on around 6:19)

DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE on the radio show tonight!

Also featuring our first WLS Lovely live interview:  Amy Swayne / wdsdarlin!

DIVA GLAM! TUTORIAL: Easy Day-To-Night Smokey Eyes

NEW MUSIC VIDEO: ♥I'VE GOT A CRUSH ON YOU♥

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Wilmington singer hosts Valentine's Day show - Wilmington, MA - Wilmington Advocate

Wilmington singer hosts Valentine's Day show - Wilmington, MA - Wilmington Advocate

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DIVA TAUNIA'S SUPER-DUPER VALENTINE'S GIVEAWAY!

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CLICK THE HEART LOGO FOR ENTRY RULES, PRIZES, SPONSORS, AND MORE INFORMATION!  CONTEST RUNS FROM 1/25 thru 2/08.  GOOD LUCK!

CLICK HERE FOR CONTEST INFORMATION PAGE

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DIVA RECIPE # 3: Ham-Apple-Cheddary Quiche - YUM

I'm not going to lie:  this was was a WINNER!  OMG, I know etiquette requires us to refrain from boasting how awesome it tastes we are when cooking something for others, but seriously?  This is going to rock your world.  I mean  QUICHE, for cripes sake!  This how protein SHOULD be happening, yo!

Ok, so I'm going to post the recipe below with nutritional deets, and I'd love it if you post in the comment section if you've made it.  Seems very protein/wls friendly for the most part.  What do you think?  Hmmm?  Oh, that's right, no talking with your mouth full...

(Makes 10 pouch-friendly servings.  Feel free to omit the ham if you'd like.  The flavor is all about the apples and cheddar!)

INGREDIENTS:

1. 10 medium sized eggs - whisked in a bowl (the same as you'd do for scrambled egg)
2. About 1/2 cup of diced ham (more or less to taste)
3. 1 large fuji apple - skin removed, cut in half, cored, and then into half-apple slices
4. 1 small onion - minced
5. 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar
6. 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
7. 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
8. 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
9. Dash of salt and pepper to taste
10. Cooking spray for the casserole dish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. After the apples have been sliced lay them out (fanning) on the bottom of the greased dish.
3. Take minced onions and sprinkle along the casserole on top of the eggs
4. Do the same thing with the ham - making sure it's evenly distributed
5. Put about 1/2 of the cup on cheddar - sprinkled over the basic casserole ingredients
6. In the bowl with the mixed eggs, whisk in nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper
7. Pour egg mixture over the apple layers - use all of it
8. With the other half cup of cheddar, use that to create a cheese crust on the top of the eggs - sprinkle across the top.
9. Please casserole dish in the over for approx 25-30 (check for when the cheese is golden brown on top)

Note:  The quiche will shrink away from the edges of the dish after it's come out of the oven, so don't panic!

My estimate* nutritional count:

Diced Ham:   140 cal, 4g fat, 11g protein
Eggs:  700 cal, 40g fat,. 60 g protein (for all 10 eggs)
Onion:  32 cal, 0g fat, 1g protein
Shredded Cheddar Cheese:  330 cal, 27g fat, 21g protein

Diving by 10 servings in total, each serving works out to be:

Calories: 120.2
Fat: 7.1
Protein: 9.3

(* I'm not a medical professional AT ALL, so I'm just giving you my best estimates here.  But as always, check my lousy math, and check with the pro's, yo.  lol)   Enjoy - great for a breakfast or brunch and has a nice sweetness to it!

GET ANGRY, GET PISSED, FIGHT BACK!

DIVA RECIPE # 2: SPICY VEGGIE-RAVIOLI SOUP!

In my quest to eat healthier, cook more, and create WLS-friendly* but yummy dishes, I decided to do a little play on an old cold-weather stand by:  vegetable soup. So here is my # 2 recipe for 2010:  Spicy Veggie-Ravioli** Soup!  I like the spicy, so you can add or subtract spices as you like...but this is HELLA good!  Nice and warm for a cold day, but the ravioli gives you enough to keep the tummy satisfied for a good while. 

Note:  as a former vegetable hater (now lover), I like my veggies cut up really small/diced.  It makes them more appealing to me, probably because I'm a nutcase.  But hey, if you don't love veggies, it may be worth a try to get your veggie-pallette going, you know?  This is a REALLY tasty way to get loads of veggies and nutrients in.

Go fire-up the crockpot and try this out:

Veggie Ingredients:

• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 large celery stalk, diced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 roasted red pepper (I like some black char on my peppers, yo)
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• 1 cup of frozen corn
• 1 tblsp of minced garlic  (this goes in at the very, very end - garlic burns easily!)

Spices/Oil Ingredients:

• 1 tblsp of Montreal Steak Seasoning (yes, this appears in just about every soup I make!)
• 1/2 tblsp of Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 tblsp of Cajun Seasoning
• 1/4 tblsp of Chili Powder
• 1/2 tblsp of oregano
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 tblsp of olive oil for the pan

Other Ingredients:

• 2 large containers of chicken stock/broth (veggie stock/broth would also work great here)
• 16 small frozen cheese ravioli
• I also had a very small piece of cornbread with this, b/c I always need bread with soup.  Some habits die hard, lovelies.

Directions:

1. Warm olive oil in pan, then add all diced and frozen veggies (except garlic!) to the pan to sautee' for about 20-25 minutes on medium heat - or until veggies start to look clear.   Add garlic in for the last couple of minutes to avoid burning it.  (You just want it warmed with the other veggies.)  Season the veggies with salt and pepper - not too much, about a good pinch or two of each.
2. Pour stock into crock pot and turn on low. 
3. Add all spice ingredients to stock and stir. Remember, I like-ah the spicy, so you may want to cut back a bit on the spices if you or your tummy/pouch doesn't agree with spicy.
4. After veggies are done sautee-ing, transfer them to the stock in the crock pot.
5. Let this cook on low for the afternoon - the longer it sits, the more the spices intermingle and do their awesome-thang.
6. About 30 minutes before eating, add frozen ravioli to the crock pot.  After 30 minutes, serve and enjoy!

This makes about 8 pouch-friendly servings (for a gal who's almost two years post-op).  Each serving should have 2-3 ravioli in the soup, depending on if you can handle pasta or not.

*Disclaimer #1:  Always check with your nutritionist/dietician/doctor about what you should and should-not eat if you are a WLS peep.  I'm not any of those things - just a diva who likes to cook.  And eat.  :)

**Disclaimer #2:  If you take the ravioli out, this becomes a pretty kick-ass veggie soup all on it's own.  I put the ravioli in there for a touch of protein and substance, but a lot of lovelies can't handle the pasta...so use it at your own discretion.

My nutritional estimates (per serving - based on the labels I have):  approximately 120 calories, 5 grams of fat, and 6 grams of protein in each serving.  This does not include the small piece of cornbread I have pictured or any other bread.  Come on, yo!  Enjoy.  :)