What's on your Monday Menu, RNYers?

Morning guys!

I had a whole post typed out and then I managed to delete it. I felt kinda crappy when I woke up this morning but I feel a bit better now. After developing a low grade fever this weekend and also my guts not cooperating even though I've plied them with miralax and colace daily....I wisely put in a call to my surgeon's nurse this morning. She wants me to try milk-of-magnesia to see if that helps....and I'm already on Antibiotics to address the fever/infection. My incisions look pretty good, the port one is ugly but it is what it is. Hopefully they will be calling me later to let me know when I need to come in for a recheck - I was scheduled for the 2week post-op group but since I haven't had my RNY yet it seems silly to start that whole process when I'll just have to repeat it in few months anyways.

The worst thing thus far has been the frigging ITCHING. A cold compress helps but holy moly. I know part of it is nerves and healing, but I think also it's my allergies to adhesives. This morning I took one of the bandages off and the skin where the adhesive was sticking is just raw We're now experimenting with different kinds of tape...I'm trying one that says its meant for infants/elderly.

QOTD: There are several things I want to do post WLS - I want to try zip lining, and parasailing. I also want to go to Disney World and for once not have to worry about whether or not I'll fit on the rides. I also want to go horseback riding again - I grew up having a horse and competing in various hunter/jumper shows. While I don't want to show again I would love to be able to ride regularly.

Menu:

My appetite is still crap - it's like the part of my stomach that tells my brain that I'm hungry is taking a nap.

B: Coffee w/SF Creamer & Miralax, Cottage Cheese w/Peaches

S: TBD

L: Leftover Ricotta Bake

S: TBD

D: White Chicken Chili

Have a great day guys!

Hope you get to feeling like yourself soon, you are a trooper for sure!

I had surgery two days before you. I have not felt hungry since I had surgery. Make sure to be close to home when you take the Milk of Magnesia. I was instructed to take it two days after my surgery, only took half an adult dose and I was in the bathroom about an hour after taking it.

Happy spring! Well, for us down here in the South spring started in January & Feb. March, April & May is our rain season.

QOTD: I really don't have a bucket list except seeing the aurora borealis one day. My husband was stationed in Alaska while in the Army (before we ere married) and saw them all the time so he promises to take me back to see them. There is plenty I want to do now though like own a horse, buy a kayak, ziplining, parasailing, maybe even skydiving, hiking/camping at all the state & national parks.

My menu is still boring due to my gall bladder issues.

Good morning everyone!

Made some more jerky yesterday and this time I used turkey and chicken, they were both really good. Kept myself busy on the weekend and I need to do the same again today. My emotions have been challenging my focus and I need to keep my brain busy and talk myself through it all.

QOTD I already have a long list and it continues to grow. One day I will go to Hawaii and when I do I plan on doing a bunch of adventure type activities; zip-line, tubing, hiking a volcano etc. Back in my everyday life some of the things I want to do are to play more sports, attend more concerts and events, and just generally be more confident to try new things.

B- coffee w/ 1/2 chocolate premier

L- leftover turkey breast

D- shrimp and zoodles

S- leftover ribs (1oz), homemade turkey jerky, 1/2 chocolate premier in coffees

Totals 568 cals, 97g protein, 9g carbs

Have a great Monday!

Christine

Hi Christine!

Do you use thinly sliced chicken, or ground? I ask because I raise my own chickens and this past fall I had all the drumsticks ground so I have plenty of my own ground chicken, but I'm not sure what to do with it :)

I also hunt each fall and usually have all but the best cuts ground for easy use. I try to stick to venison for all our red meat meals.

So the bottom line is that I have lean ground meat that I would love to use in some more creative ways!

I'm new to the world of homemade jerky and so far I have only used thin slices of beef, turkey and chicken. I have been tempted to try ground meats but I was waiting to feel like I had a better handle on the process first. On my first couple attempts I struggled to find the appropriate drying time but I think I've got it now.

My BF hunts as well and we have some ground venison in the freezer too but not the amount you have by the sounds of it. I would start with the chicken and see how it goes. For me there was a learning curve but I'm glad I kept trying because the results have already improved dramatically.

One thing I have learned is that leaner cuts are preferable when you're doing sliced jerky so I'm not sure how the fattier ground meats would work. There are a few other people on this board with more jerky making experience than I so maybe one of them can give you more information.

Good luck!

THANKS everyone!

My venison is very lean - they seem to carry their fat in the belly, and I generally shoot bucks which run leaner in our area. (fun fact, I shoot bucks because they aren't part of the family groups like does, so I don't have to imagine the "sisters" looking for the missing doe - I've been hunting for forty years and I still cry!)

My ground chicken (legs only) is lean too - what I originally that was fat is actually the ground up tendons and things so I've been using olive oil to cook it.

I like to raise heritage "heavy layers" old style laying hens that weigh more than commercial layers. Then I can use the males for meat. Unfortunately, the processing plant I take them to won't debone breasts or just grind up the dark meat unless the birds are the meat kind that are probably much easier to butcher - but kinda gross to raise because they grow very quickly and are not healthy birds. I finally got to the point where I decided to cave in and raise some last year because having to thaw out a whole bird, then cut it up or debone it for recipes was getting freaking OLD. I raised my meat birds out on pasture but they're so lazy they still get pretty fat, and grow too quickly for their legs.

We accidentally ended up with a few meat birds one year... it was honestly sad to see how quickly they grow, get fat, and can't move...

I can't do those anymore.

So, they make these 'guns' that you can feed ground meat into and then you spat it out and make ground jerky... I can't do it because it reminds me of this ground beef jerky my dad used to get me when I was little... but maybe it would taste better now.

The key to good jerky is good marinade/seasonings... imho.

I've used ground turkey and chicken to make meatballs, mini meatloaves, and zucchini lasagna. You could also add it to the ricotta bake recipe (eggface?) that is always going around :)

Meg~