Friday, March 22, 2013

Extreme Soup Disasters

Let me start from the beginning...at the grocery store.  A couple of the soups I'd planned on making this weekend called for half & half or milk.  So I headed for the skim milk, and my mom paused by the almond milk.  There was an unsweetened vanilla variety whose nutritional facts kinda blew skim out of the water, so we decided, what the hell.  I bought half a gallon of each (skim & almond).  

Later when we got home, I made a protein shake for lunch (mixed with water, as yesterday was my last day of clear liquids).  Mom decided to test out the almond milk with her shake, and took a sip of it plain before mixing.  She said it tasted like nothing, although her taste buds might have been affected by the mineral-y after-taste from the multivitamin chew she'd just had.  Eh...I don't know.  I said that if it didn't taste like anything and was healthier, I'd just use it in the soups instead of skim, which I do like for drinking.  

Fast forward to last night, when I decided to make tomato basil parmesan soup.  It's reeeeally delicious and smooth, and sort of tastes like a lovely pasta in a WLS-friendly format.  

See?  Everything was going just fine!


When it got to the milk portion, I measured out the almond milk and stuck my finger in to taste it...mostly tasted like nothing.  Maybe a hint of...I don't know, I didn't really taste anything.  I added it to the soup and finished everything up...time to taste.

OH SWEET JESUS!!! WHAT THE F**K IS THIS EVIL CREATION?????  It was sooooo disgusting.  I guess, while you can't really taste the vanilla when you just sip it, it sure as hell comes out when you add a bunch of it to a soup.  UGH.  *shudder*

Yes.........I have a tendency to be dramatic.  

So anyway, lesson learned, I guess.  A complete and total waste of food, money and time, all of which really bum me out.  Nevertheless, I got up this morning determined to make an EDIBLE soup today.  And that soup is roasted cauliflower and sharp cheddar.  I made it for lunch and it was amazing!  Thank god.  

Sautee onion, garlic and fresh thyme...



Simmer covered for 20 minutes with some chicken or veggie broth and cauliflower that I roasted in the oven...



Blend everything until it's super smooth and creamy, then add some reduced fat cheddar and some skim milk...enough to get it to the desired consistency.  



Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

So anyway, those are my soup adventures of the last 2 days.  The only other noteworthy item is my new panda slippers.  So cute!  I wanted to get in the car and drive last night, so I went to Walgreen's, where most of my stupid, impulsive purchases are made.  Last night was no exception.  I got new nail clippers, 2 shades of nail polish (even though BF's mom just gifted me like 9 new bottles!) 2 candles (Glade's new "Garden Sunshine" = heavenly) and THESE:

"We'll hug your feet while you work in the kitchen!!"

Okay, I believe that's all for now.  If I get bored later and post yet again...sorry.

-Mon

11 comments:

  1. I am helpless again nail polish. Yes, I already have four bottles of blue polish, but this one is SLIGHTLY brighter than the others, and therefore it must be mine.

    I have tried almond milk repeatedly, and I just cannot get onboard. Which is fine, since dairy has more protein anyway.

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  2. Welcome to the banded family!!

    I am so jealous of your cooking ability.

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  3. I love to buy random things in Walgreens. My bff and I go in to different Walgreens every time we go out of town or on vacation :)

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    1. I do the same thing! I have NO CLUE why, since they're all exactly the same...

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  4. Lol! :-) I really enjoy your blog. :-)

    I use almond milk in protein shakes, because I think it is creamier and sweeter - and I liked it with PB2 when my surgeon gave us that...still need to buy some of that, too. (A powdered peanut butter that I haven't read the info on, but is supposedly high in good stuff, low in bad stuff. ;-D).

    But like Kay said, the skim milk has more protein too. Like you are planning to do, I use them in different types of things/for different reasons! :-) I may not need both long term, and pick just one...but since I'll be on liquids soon, I figure variety is good. I don't have to do shakes with water like you did, I will start on milk/almond milk shakes right away post op - it's interesting the different rules we all get.

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    1. Yeah, it's delicious in shakes & smoothies! One of my favorite smoothies ever uses peanut butter, banana, spinach, almond milk & greek yogurt. I use SO MUCH spinach but all I can taste is peanut butter & banana :)

      Regarding the rules...I know! It's crazy the different stuff we all hear. My surgeon told me never to drink out of a straw, but I've talked to lots of people who have had their bands for a while now and have never heard of that "rule." I decided to go ahead and use straws when it's convenient, but be careful not to sip too fast (which I think is what he's worried about)

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    2. The green smoothie sounds great!

      My surgeon has the straw rule too, and I was making a big joke of it at my house, because it is in this 30 page handout she gives us, and the picture on the front of that section is AN ANIMATED DRINK CUP WITH A STRAW IN IT! lol Here is what it says though, "Drinking through a straw can overfill your pouch with liquid and air. If the pouch gets full very quickly, you may experience nausea, vomiting, and pain." And yes, that is right after the advice to "sip liquids very slowly". So I guess if it's working for you, and you drink slowly...whatever! :-) Probably falls under the category of different things are problems for different people.

      My booklet also had in about three places NO CAFFEINE and you can bet I negotiated out of THAT rule! Once I got permission for a mug of coffee each morning, I was not about to tease her about her dancing animated drink cup WITH A STRAW IN IT. ;-D (Caffeine was about a) dehydration and b) hard on the stomach post surgery...so I MAY have to hold off on it my first few days post op, but that is big motivation to get drinking fluids again, for me, lol!)

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  5. I am so glad to hear that someone else hates almond milk too. I have also tried soy milk and rice milk and those two have been total disasters as well.

    The cauliflower soup looks amazing. I will be trying that! And you just keep on posting as much as you want. I'm loving every one. You're an amazing writer!

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  6. Mon that is great to know about the Almond milk. I have never cooked with it only used it in shakes. We have a few lactose sensitive peeps in my home. Do you have a cheese broccoli recipe in there somewhere :) Love that soup! So glad your blogging! Great job! Keep it up!

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  7. Boo, almond milk destroying tomato basil parmesan nirvana.

    Yay, roasted caulflower creamy magic!

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