Contest: Free Band-Friendly Eats!

Edited to add contest deadline: 7 pm Central Time August 19, 2008.

Edited again to add:  please post your reply here on the lap-band forum (instead of sending me a PM) because I want everybody to be able to see your replies - they will be so inspiring!  thanks!

Those of you who visit the OH Main WLS forum know Beth (Melting Mama), an amazing, smart, funny woman who frequently reviews food products.  She often runs contests and gives away food treats to the winners.  So I kind of got this idea from her.  But this contest is just for bandsters.

My husband and I have a 4-acre property covered with fruit trees that have finally, after 9 years' nurturing, started to yield big time.  For the past 4 days, I have been canning all kinds of goodies from those wonderful trees, and now I have more STUFF than we could ever use in 10 years.

So I am giving away:

1 - 1 qt jar (big!) apple butter (apples & spices - no sugar or Splenda added, but SO sweet & delicious)

1 - 1 qt jar (big!) plum sauce (plums, onion, garlic, Splenda/sugar blend, vinegar, ginger, mustard, cinnamon, and cloves)

1- 1 qt jar (big!) Asiam plum chutney (plums, onion, raisins, ginger, Splenda/brown sugar blend, Splenda/sugar blend, vinegar, hoisin sauce, mustard seed, salt)

You can use all three to baste chicken or pork (in the oven or on the grill).  The chutney would be good just served alongside chicken or pork.  And the apple butter is good on toast (make sure it's whole grain) or mixed in oatmeal or yogurt.

I'm a great cook (modest, too), and I'm paying for the shipping & handling, and these suckers are heavy, so this is a great opportunity!  This stuff was not produced in an FDA-approved kitchen, but I assure you I am meticulous when it comes to kitchen cleanliness and hygiene.

To win one of these (tell me which one you want when you reply), answer this question:

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR BIGGEST DREAM-COME-TRUE AS A RESULT OF LOSING WEIGHT WITH YOUR LAP-BAND?

The deadline for this contest is 7pm Central Time, Tuesday, August 19, 2008.

Good luck!

Jean

My dream come true will be when I am no longer actively diabetic.  My mother and my father both died before they were 60 years old.  My mom from diabetes and my dad from a kidney disease.  I want to live long and prosper and have grandchildren and be happy.

Theresa

I would love to try the chutney.  Never had it before.

Plum Sauce
My biggest dream-come-true would be my health.  To not have to depend on 5 twice a day meds everyday for my diabetes, and to give my heart that already has two stents a chance to work normally.  My husband, my kids, and my grandkids deserve me being healthy as much as I deserve it.  That would be my dream come true.  Cindy

My dream come true would be to spend another 25-30 years healthy and happy with my husband, since I waited for him until I was 42. Heck, why not go for 42 more! 84 wouldn't be bad, as long as I have my health and my mind! I want to be able to go for motorcycle and boat rides with him, without worrying if my weight will cause problems. I want to be able to dance the night away and not have my knees and muscles go nuts. I want to be able to get up and use the voice God gave me and sing my heart out without wondering how many people care more about my weight than my voice....Is that enough, Jean?

My biggest dream come true as a result of losing weight with my lap-band would be to finally regain my self-confidence, but most importantly my self worth. I really do not care what people think of me, however I am my biggest critic. I would love to only have positive things to say to myself regarding my weight when I look in the mirror. One of my biggest failures in life was gaining the weight and having absolutely no self control. To be able to have control again means the world to me. It will help me feel well rounded. I can have control over all aspects in life, including my weight! How great will that be......
I want to enjoy myself again and be proud that I can overcome my emotional eating habits....so far so good!

I never tried any of what you listed, but apple butter sounds good! Thanks!

Jacqueline Bogacz

To know that for the first time since dieting at the age of 11 that I have the best chance at keeping the weight off due to the band and to never hear my Dad's negative comments on my weight or what I am eating again.

Unfortunately, I had to delete this message due to privacy concerns.

I first want to say that this is such a creative idea, Jean!  My lap-band has saved my life (literally) and I don't think I would be here if I hadn't have had the surgery.  I have PCOS which is an endocrine disorder and the leading cause of infertility.  My endocrinologist told me over and over that one way to ease the symptoms and to lower my numbers would be to lose weight.  It took me 4 years to listen to that advice and finally do something about my weight.  I am down over 100 pounds now and feeling great.  I still have a while to go, but I am confident I will get there.  My dream is that losing this weight will allow me to have a baby.  I always told myself that I would never get pregnant if I was still overweight and unhealthly.  I also didn't think I was going to be able to get pregnant because of the PCOS.  I now have hope because so many of the symptoms of the PCOS have been eliminated as a result of my weight loss.  When I go to see my endocrinologist, I look at the walls and walls of baby pictures from the women he has helped get pregnant.  I hope that one day, my dream of becoming a mother will come true and my baby's picture will be up on those walls.

~Sara

**Apple butter**

I would want the apple butter!  sounds yummy!

my dream come true with the lapband - would be to lose 100 more pounds - maybe 115lbs.  Be able to run and play and catch! with my son.  Not worry about is there enough space between things to fit through.  Become more self confident!  Attract a good man - not one that will lie steal and cheat.  Basically - my dream is to get a real life and to become a role model to my family, my colleagues and other WLS people.  I want to be an inspiration and be the one the center coordinator points to in preop support groups as a success!

I think that my biggest dream come true would be to have someone love all of me, not in spite of the weight... and to have toe curling sex without worrying about what my body looks like. *sigh*  would be wonderful. :)

*hugs*

Smilin'

They all sound so delicious.. but I've never had apple butter, so I think that is the one I would choose. :)