How has your cooking changed?

I don't know about you, but I was a pretty darned good cook before WLS, but I think I must be related to Paula Deen somehow because everything I made before was slathered in butter, cream, gravies, cheese, etc... I have to tell you that during the first year, my cooking really suffered, but I have changed some of the types of things I make and I have also learned to compensate so that I still enjoy making such decadent things as creamy, macaroni and cheese and enjoy them without guilt. 

Some of my inspirations have been

CookingLight.com

Splenda.com

Devin Alexander

Ellie Krieger

Sandra Lee... Cooking Light

Soooo.... Do you have inspirations that have helped you learn to enjoy eating now in a way that helps you maintain your weight loss? If so, please share.

I love to cook. I always have and I guess I always will. Now as long as it comes out of the crock pot it's a family favorite. I love the recipe site called cooks.com we share about 20 magazine subscriptions here in the office so we're always swapping and copying recipes. Cooking light has become a go to favorite of everyones as well as Taste of Home.

Paula Deen was on the other day and I was watching her wrap bacon around slices of leftover macaroni and cheese roll it in flour , dip it in egg then roll it in bread crumbs before deep fat frying it. OMG!!! It looked horrible. David was drooling over the TV screen but honestly to me it looked horrible. So not only have my cooking techniques changed but so have my taste buds (Thankfully).

- Iris

Hi Iris,

I'll check out the Cook.com site. I have to say that to an extent my tastes have changed, but I still love a creamy macaroni and cheese dish and so many other things that I used to love. That said, I've been able to restructure many recipes that have allowed me to enjoy them and maintain my weight. 

I also love the Crock Pot and am always looking for another way to leverage that wonderful tool.

That would have sounded delicious to me a yr ago but you are right.  It sounds horrible now.  I can't imagine how bad I would cramp up from all of that fat.  It even sounds like it tastes bad. 

OMG!  That sounds like it would make me sick to my stomach jus****ching her do that!  There's also a commercial that makes me sick...you know the one where the man is looking for something to eat in the fridge and he takes out a stick of butter and almost takes a bite before noticing that his family is watching him.  I think it's a popcorn commercial but I gag every time!  lol  Funny how we change, isn't it?

I have never cared to cook but I used to do it because it was expected.  Now though, both boys are out of the house.  By the time I get home from my part time job and then the gym it is 8 pm or later.  I don't cook that late.  Sometimes I will have a very light dinner but most of the time I grab(earlier in the evening)  a protein bar for dinner.  I have been trying to have a dinner for lunch but I have to admit, I don't get in many veggies.  Yesterday I had a small grilled chicken breast for lunch.    My days are so packed full.  My poor husband eats cereal a lot.  He could cook and I could come home to a nice cooked meal but that seems to not happen.  Weekends I try to cook and I do get cooking light mag.  I also like the crock pot.  I need to plan out my weeks better I guess. 

As I mentioned before, I have always liked to cook and have been pretty good at it, but I have to admit that during the first year post op, I hardly cooked at all. It wasn't until the last year or so that I started really rediscovering cooking. 

I think you should do whatever works well for you. If you don't have a focus on cooking, it's not a big deal. Just be sure you are fueling your body well... It's something I'm struggling with myself these days.

Cooking and fine foods is my complete passion.
I will admit soon after surgery I lost that passion but glad to see it has returned and I find it great fun to redo old favorires and experince new ways of cooking.
Barb, you are spot on about cookinglight.com it is a favorite site of mine.
I love watching all the streaming cooking shows and I am a big fan of Chef Ramsey.
He can talk really bad to his students and I dont agree with that but I do respect his complete passion for cooking and presentation.
                                                           Annie

I've never watched Chef Ramsey, but I'll bet Ben would enjoy him.

See you soon.

I don't think my cooking style has changed a whole lot.  I like to cook but my husband would always try to take over and during the years that I was working on my National Boards and a masters degree, he would do the cooking while I was working on my papers.  We did a lot of chicken nuggets or easy stuff (spagetti, etc.).  We have, as a general rule, been "healthy" cooks - we don't fry things (because I don't like the way it makes my house and clothes smell) so we bake and grill a lot.  We don't do a lot of desserts other than ice cream which we all love!  I do like crockpot recipes but that still takes time to get together and so I don't seem to get that done before I leave for school.  I also don't do well just throwing things together.  I have to follow a recipe.  And the recipe can't have many ingredients or my brain can'g process it.  We live in an area where you can find anything out of the ordinary.  I've asked for my local Food Lion to stock greek yogurt for a year and they have yet to get it in. 

The two recipes that I have gotten from here that I love and try to make as often as possible are 1) the chicken taco crockpot stuff - not sure of the real name but I LOVE this stuff.  The family's not as crazy over it but that way I get to take it school with me! and 2) the chicken/corn chowder that was posted somewhere a couple of weeks ago.  It's easy and warm and quick!  Will probably make this tomorrow night and the taco stuff Saturday!