New Blog Site

I'm not sure if anyone still reads this regularly, but if so...

I moved my blog over here:
Desiring Discernment

Please follow me there instead. I plan on blogging more often and have already added new posts.

Maternal PKU: Weeks 1-8

This is part of a series of posts related to Maternal PKU. These will be post-dated since pregnancy made me a bit behind on my blogging. I am not a medical expert and this is my experience only. Pre-pregnancy I was already on Kuvan for about five years with a tolerance of 30 grams protein/day. (Pre-Kuvan my tolerance was about 500 mg phe/day or 10grams of protein)

~Positive Test!~
The entire time my husband and I were trying to get pregnant, we sent in blood levels every other week. Then one Saturday in early December, we saw a positive test. We were officially having a baby! After the joy and excitement, I started to freak out a little. Thanksgiving was only a week earlier and I was fairly certain I had done some "cheating". We took a level the day after we found out I was pregnant, and it was 2.5 mg/dl. I was safe (granted, I didn't know that until almost two weeks later because the results took forever to get back!).

First thing Monday morning, I e-mailed my geneticist and called my OBGYN.

The geneticist was apparently out of the country when I tried to contact her, so it was over a week before I heard back. As soon as I did, she scheduled an appointment with me the next day (at about week 5). At the appointment, we went over my levels, she requested weekly levels instead of very other week, she ordered another Amino Acid panel, and we discussed having follow up appointments every other month. We also discuss morning sickness and the important of keeping my formula down. At this point, I had no issues yet, but she suggested we discuss it with the OBGYN and make him aware.

We had already told my OBGYN about PKU and he had basic information about Maternal PKU. We scheduled an appointment with the OBGYN at what would be 6 weeks. For the most part, it was just a typical appointment anyone pregnant would have. We were already able to hear our babies heartbeat!
He went ahead and prescribed Ondansetron (Zofran) just in case I needed it for morning sickness later on. The only  other PKU-related issue was discussing and confirming that the OBGYN and the geneticist were communicating with each other.

~Morning Sickness~
A week later the Zofran became an essential part of life. Morning sickness is a deceitful name. I was sick all day long. I started taking Zofran and the second it wore off, I would feel sick again.

In hindsight, I learned a few things. First, the prenatal vitamins I was on made me sick. I switched brands a few months later and felt better. Than I switched back to the past vitamin and was sick immediately. I guess I had never noticed before how often I would get sick within about 30 minutes of taking them. It may not be a bad idea to try different brands if you are having problems.
The second thing is that formula almost always made me feel sick and the Kuvan did as well. This made it very difficult to keep food down. I learned to time the formulas well- to be sure to take my formula at least an hour after taking the medicine or an hour before it wore off, or else the formula would be lost! (This continued from Week 7 until Week 19). and I learned to avoid certain foods (tomato sauce on anything for example), and managed to keep formula and food down most of the time even if I still felt ill. It was a long journey!

Levels (mg/dl)

Week 2- 2.1

Week 4- 2.5 (Positive Test)

Week 5- 4.1

Week 6- 7.7 (no idea what happened there?)

Week 7- 5.1 (morning sickness started)

Week 8 - 4.6

Maternal PKU: Pre-Pregnancy & Kuvan

This is the first in a series of posts related to Maternal PKU. These will be post-dated since pregnancy made me a bit behind on my blogging. I am not a medical expert and this is my experience only. Pre-pregnancy I was already on Kuvan for about five years with a tolerance of 30 grams protein/day. (Pre-Kuvan my tolerance was about 500 mg phe/day or 10grams of protein)

~Pre-Pregnancy~
If your reading this, you may already know that one of the most important things for any PKUer before getting pregnant is to have levels under control. We knew we wanted to start trying to have children sometime around August (2013), so we talked to my geneticist and dietitian months before that. On Kuvan my levels were under control for the most part, but they ranged from about 3-8mg/dl (a little to high for pregnancy).

My geneticist wanted levels every other week before we started trying to ensure I could keep them in range. For my clinic, acceptable range was seen as 2-6mg/dl. (I have heard some clinics prefer no more than 4mg/dl). Since I was already under control with my levels, it didn't take long to ensure I didn't have levels over 6mg/dl. She also had me start taking pre-natal vitamins at this point and ran a complete amino-acid panel. She sent us with some information to give to my OBGYN and requested we fill him in on PKU so that he is ready when the time comes. When I had a couple months of good levels, we felt comfortable trying.

Kuvan or Not to Kuvan?

~Kuvan~
As far as the decision to stay on Kuvan goes, this was a difficult choice. As I mentioned above, I had already been on Kuvan for five years. Pre-Kuvan I was rarely able to keep my levels consistently low (8-14mg/dl was the normal level). After five years of not eating any low-protein foods, I could not imagine trying to go back. My husband and I met a few years into my Kuvan use, and he didn't even know what life before Kuvan was like for me. We moved to a new town once we were married, so literally no one in my everyday life knew what my "real" PKU diet would look like. I knew I would have my husband and friends' support if I wanted to try to stop taking Kuvan, but I wasn't sure if it was the best choice.

My husband and I both attended the National PKU Alliance conference in 2012 to learn as much as we could about Maternal PKU. Although there was not a lot of published information, we were able to meet with people who had successful PKU pregnancies. We were able to actually ask questions to doctors who had done Kuvan Maternal PKU studies. We were connected with the Maternal PKU Facebook page (a must for any Maternal PKU lady in my opinion). Through that, I was actually able to interact and ask questions with some of those ladies who were otherwise anonymous parts of those studies. Bottom line is we decided the risks of Kuvan were low, and the risks of no Kuvan for me personally were high.

Marsala Chicken and Mushroom Casserole

This recipe has been moved to my new blog. Click here for the recipe. Sorry for any confusion. 

yum!

Marsala Mushroom Casserole

This recipe has been moved to my new blog. Click here for the recipe. Sorry for confusion.

White Wine Marinated Portabella Mushroom Burger

So I must confess, the mushroom burger recipe I posted a while back has had many views, but I got lazy...I made an easier one. I still really like that recipe. But let's face it...when your friends are grilling burgers, the last thing you want to bring is a messy/falling apart mushroom patty or spend a long time prepping. I gave in to the world of portabella mushroom burgers. 

I knew they were easier, but I just hadn't enjoyed the texture in the past. Every time I tried them, they were too chewy rubbery. But after a friend attempted to marinate one in some Italian dressing for me, I got an idea. (The Italian dressing marinate was great, don't get me wrong...but my idea fits my taste buds perfectly).

White Wine Marinated Portabella Mushroom Burger with (imitation) Swiss Cheese

1 portabella mushroom (try to find one the same width as the bun you will use)

1/2 cup white wine (cooking wine is fine)

1 tsp. thyme

1/2 T. butter (just enough to "grease" the pan)

Imitation Swiss Cheese Slice (I use one of the kinds you can buy at Walmart, but any cheese will work).

1 "hamburger" bun of your choice/phe allowance

PREP: Remove mushroom stem and wash mushroom well. Place mushroom in a plastic Ziploc bag with the 1/2c. of white wine and the thyme. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.

GRILLING: Bring to the grill and place on the grill just like anyone else would place their burger. I can't help with timing, because it all depends on the grill. If you are worried about the white wine dripping, you may place the mushroom on foil before placing it on the grill. I always hand it to the men in my life and let them do the grilling! Sorry, not much help there. The real point is that I can throw all the prep stuff into a bag in about 5 minutes and bring it to a friend's house. 

PAN:

1. Set burner on medium heat and melt butter.

2. Add mushroom from bag (save "juice" in the bag). Allow mushroom to cook in the butter, a few minutes each side. Flip as needed.

Mushroom with thyme, cooked and almost ready

3. When the pan starts to get dry, add the "juice" from the bag. Allow mushroom to simmer in the white wine until liquid is ALMOST gone.

4. Turn burner to low and place cheese slice on top of the mushroom. If you have a PKU-friendly non-melting cheese like I use, just leave it there until it is warm and the rest of the liquid is gone. If you are impatient, you can put the mushroom and cheese in the microwave for a few seconds.

Add cheese when only a little liquid is left

5. Place mushroom on bun and add ketchup and/or other exciting things you might want to add.

That's it. Very simple, low prep work. I still enjoy the other recipe, but this one is so easy. The white wine and mushroom and "swiss" taste is great together, and it's simple to bring over to a cook out. I would imagine non-PKU people might enjoy the flavors as well (with real cheese of course). Feel free to pass the recipe along. Enjoy.

Yum! Ignore the non-melty cheese and the bun that is too small. It tasted great.

Our Mushroom "Farm"

If you haven't figured out from my recipe blogs, we eat a lot of mushrooms in our household. I often use them as a low protein substitute for meat. For Christmas this year, my creative and thoughtful father bought us mushroom kits.

For the past few months, we have grown our own white button mushrooms. It was fairly easy to "assemble" (mix the dirt/spores). We water it every now and then and have fresh mushrooms every couple of days. The mushrooms were WHITE...I didn' t know they actually came in real white...but they do. They last a long time since they are much more fresh than store-bought, and they tasted great.

If you want to try this at home, I will warn you- you MUST harvest on a regular basis. We left the kit alone in our guest bedroom for a few days and had 2 lbs. of mushrooms that had grown past the appropriate harvest time. It was sad to toss them, but we still had plenty more left.

Mushrooms grow in a bag inside a box
(sorry the picture is fuzzy)

Our second kit, the portabellas, did not produce much...so far we have 3. But the first kit provided plenty of mushrooms (I can't imagine what we would have done if we had double the mushroom harvest...we already have much more than we need! )

I'm not entirely sure where my father purchased our kit, but there seem to be many available online. For those of you that like mushrooms, they taste so much better and were so easy to grow. We may have to get another kit and start growing year-round.

First harvest, very large fresh mushrooms

I'd love to figure out how to make our own "kits" (aka mix our own spores/dirt/compost) to save money...if anyone reading knows how, feel free to share. Meanwhile, we will stick to the kit!

Swimsuit Shopping

Today I got a catalog in the mail that actually made me want to buy a new swimsuit.
In fact, every time I get this catalog, I want a swimsuit.

After years of struggling trying to find modest swimsuits that didn't look granny-ish, I finally found the brand that works for me. As a youth worker, I need a suit (they hate when act "old" and don't actually get in the pool). And as a church youth worker, I need to make sure my top half is contained. As a 30+ woman, I need to make sure my thighs are contained. :)

 See the example of the modest shorts style in the center

 I promise I'm not being paid to "sell" you these suits, I just felt like Athleta is a secret that almost no one knows about. I need to share.

Not only do they sell modest bottoms (actual short length with a loose fit), they sell bra size tops. Plus they are all actually lined with support (they lift and and have thick lining).They also sell most tops/one pieces in tall sizes, a must have for my tankini tops. If you are one who likes a little more skin to show on your suits, they have those too. But their suits still have the supportive tops and are much better quality. I actually ended up with two tops and two bottoms of the same suit, so I can mix and match.

Now, not all suits are bra-size tops, but many are. Not all the shorts are loose...some are the tight fit style that most places sell. And a few of the prints are kind of...well...let's just say not my style. But they have some great options...just be sure to read the details if you are looking for a particular style.

I was really hesitant to order a swimsuit online, but they have free returns. After spending many hours EVERY summer trying on suits and ending up in tears and frustrated, I decided it wasn't much of a risk. I am so thankful my friend Grete shared the "insider information"with me. My swimsuit shopping has been tear-free ever since. I hope this helps some of you enjoy the same "tear-free" shopping.

P.S. They have other cute stuff, but I have no idea if it's great. Athletic wear for me is rarely needed and is usually a t-shirt and basketball shorts.

Cambrooke's Swirl Caramel (updated)

A PKU Review

Swirl! My sampled arrived in the mail a few weeks ago. I actually tried this at the PKU conference this summer in a "secret taste test", so it wasn't new to me. But having it in the comfort of my own home was new. I was excited.

The taste test I did at the conference included 3 flavors, and none of them tasted like formula. I must admit that of the flavors, the caramel was the one I like the least. It reminded me of butterscotch pudding...not bad at all, but not a pudding flavor I ever pick. I'm excited for the chocolate flavor to come out someday soon.

Once again, Cambrooke managed to created a product that does not taste like formula. It is very rich (too rich for a morning formula for sure!). It is also messy. I made mine in my normal shaker cup with 3 oz. of water. I actually ended up stirring it after shaking because it still had some power-looking texture. I ate as much as I could scrape of the sides, but I felt like I wasted a lot of it. It stuck to the sides and was difficult to clean up. I even searched online to see how Cambrooke suggested making it, and they actually used the same exact cup I did. They just didn't zoom in on the mess made inside the cup.

I don't know that shelf life would allow this, but I would LOVE if swirl came in "snack pack" size cups premixed. I'm all about tasty formula, but as an adult with a full time job, if it's not convenient and easy to make, then it is not practical for life. I don't mind the cutesy official name "Kick'n'It Karamel", but I am very glad they didn't put that on the actual package...and I hope they don't add it. It's never fun to have people think you are snacking on/drinking/eating kiddie food.

With my second pack, I'm going to try the Swirl mixed as a "smoothie". I am sure it will taste great, and I'll update more later.

UPDATE:
I mixed the second pack with 8oz. of water and it was a nice texture. It tasted the same (good, but butterscotch-like) but was less messy since the liquid did not stick to the cup. I wouldn't mind this as a formula choice, but it is a bit rich. If they come out with the chocolate flavor, I would really like to have this as an evening "dessert" formula, since it really does taste like a sweet flavored shake/smoothie.

Looks just like pudding...yum

It stick to the side of the cup & needs to be scraped out :(

Children's Museum

It's been forever since I blogged, mostly due to the blessing of a teaching job this year. There are tons of things I could update on...and I will as time permits. But for some reason, the first thing I wanted to share with the world is what a great experience we had at the Austin Children's Museum.

We took our niece and nephew there about a month ago with low expectations. Honestly, we were just trying to fill time while babysitting them.

Before we even entered the museum rooms, the kids were given an opportunity to participate in a woodworking project. By kids I mean both of them and tons of others, some barely old enough to walk. The staff members helped the kids measure, saw, drill and assemble a wood frame. The craft was nothing fancy, but it was amazing to see the kids challenged to attempt a project with power tools normally not for kids. My niece especially was so proud and excited to show her father that she could use power tools.

In case you are freaking out, the younger kids only held a hand or two on the tools while the staff members worked. But it made her feel like a "big kid" and was so much better than some of the cheesy paper/glue/glitter type girly crafts she was used to.

The rest of the museum was great too. It was educational if you cared to read the information with the kids, and entertaining either way. It was so much better than killing time with a movie!

We probably won't go back again due to the fact we don't live in Austin, but it really encouraged me to find challenging projects and activities for the kids when we babysit next time. It's so easy to pop in a movie or play a video game, but so much more rewarding to see then learn and create. I'm excited to see what we can come up with next time - I'm thinking sewing, but maybe even another project with the power tools.

"Cheese-Itz"

Now that I'm trying to get my levels down, I am desperate for snacks I can munch on without guilt. Cheez-Its are my favorite temptation...so we found a recipe for low-phe "cheese" crackers. I haven't made them in many years and couldn't find all the same products as in our original recipe...but it still worked well. 

Recipe:

1 1/2c. Low-Pro Baking Flour (I used Country Sunrise or LoProfin)

1/2c. cheese sauce mix (I used country sunrise)

1 1/2t. baking powder

salt to taste

1/3c. butter flavored Crisco

1/4 c. water

Mix dry ingredients. Cut crisco in mixer or food processor until it is crumbly. Add water and mix until moistened. Divide dough in half keeping unused portion covered. 

"Dough" looks like this

Roll out to 1/8' thick or less (thin is better) between 2 pieces of wax paper ( I used saran wrap in the picture...it doesn't work as well- I ended up rolling it out directly on the pan). 

Roll out very thin

Cut with a pizza or pastry cutter.

 You should try to make better lines than I did :)

 Pierce each with a fork or toothpick. Bake on 500 for 4-5 minutes. Let cool and enjoy. Repeat with second half of the dough. They will store well in ziplock bags...but mine never last long so I can't tell you how long they stay fresh.

Finished Crackers

50g of crackers = 17.5mg/PHE

TIPS

If they are too chewy, roll thinner next time

If they burn they are too thin. 

Be conservative on the salt until you find the best amount that works for you.  You can always shake salt in the bag after they are done to add more...it won't stick as well but it taste the same.

CaminoPro COMPLETE Fruit

First of all, let me say that since my last review of the Peanut Butter flavored bars, I've decided I love them. Cambrooke is brilliant. If you didn't see my edit on that review, the "fresh" bars (not mailed in 100+ temps) were creamy and amazing. I'll have to wait until temp drops to order more.

Fruit Bar in the Car- great for on the go

That being said, I was not a fan of the fruit frenzy bars. I saved this one for a road trip to the city. I figured it would be great for a formula on the go. And it was very convenient. The flavor was good...it tasted like some sort of cereal bar with white chocolate coating.

However, I slightly overreacted to the texture. No one told me it had crunchy somethings inside. I'm not entirely sure what it was (fruit? nuts?) I am sure many people will like this bar...for the record I just don't do textures well. If you like fruit flavor you will probably like this bar. But personally, I'll stick with the peanut butter :)

chunky texture things- eww :(

My own backyard

One of my favorite things about a house in a small-town neighborhood is that we have REAL trees. I loved the city, but most my friends who lived in houses had only a few trees in their yard if any, and most trees were not even 10 ft tall. Our yard has huge trees and a few smaller trees. We loved this when we bought the house last summer. This summer, now that there is no insane drought, we learned how great our trees really are...all our smaller trees are flowering trees and we even have some rose bushes. I love going out to our back yard and seeing all these beautiful flowers! We truly are blessed.

Enjoy the pictures.

Crape Myrtle - light pink

Rose of Sharon Close up

Rose of Sharon tree

Crape Myrtle - darker pink

Red roses...they smell great too

Pink roses too- my hubby picked this one for me :)

CaminoPro COMPLETE Peanut Butter Bar

A PKU Review

One of the things I hate most is trying a new PKU product. If the product tastes bad, its not a problem. The biggest issue I have is in the loss of hope that a product will work for me...especially if it promises to help my lifestyle.  I travel often and nothing is more challenging then getting calories and formula I need. Formula is hard to drink while on-the-go. I have tried PKU protein (and amino acid) bars before, and they were disgusting. I've actually never made it through an entire bar before now. I spent a lot of money on trying new "edible formula" type products and hated them all. I very distinctly remember almost choking in front of a bunch of people at a children's hospital while trying an "amazing" chocolate protein bar like a crunch bar about 20 years ago (it was nasty  - tasted like fake chocolate mixed with formula powder and Rice Krispies....and I still can't eat a Crunch bar without thinking of them). And about 6 years ago, I tried some fruit flavored bars and could barely chew off one bite and the rest expired in my fridge untouched.

The only reason I was brave enough to try these bars was that they were FREE SAMPLES. It couldn't hurt. My main formula is BetterMilk, and its the best I've ever tasted, but it still has a bit of an aftertaste. It's really hard to claim no aftertaste and convince me...I've been told products have "no aftertaste" for years, and its all been lies...UNTIL NOW!

I was very surprised that Cambrooke's Camino Pro Complete Peanut Butter Bar actually taste like chocolate and peanut butter. They aren't amazing....they are no candy bar after all, but they are decent tasting. I was a bit worried because steering clear of peanut butter most my life, I'm not a huge fan of peanut butter flavor...but with the chocolate flavor coating, it tastes good (I would actually prefer a higher "chocolate" to "peanut butter" ratio, but I'm pretty sure the "formula" part is in the "peanut butter" stuff and is much needed.)

The inside texture was a bit dry and flaky, but I think mine melted a bit in transport.* It was very soft when it arrived, so I stuck it in the fridge for a day. It is supposed to be a meal substitute at 320 calories per bar. I took it because I was still hungry after dinner, and honestly it didn't fill me then. I skipped my night formula (since it can replace the formula) and went to bed a bit hungry (not that abnormal). I actually woke up very full....so it did do the trick, just a long delay in feeling full. 

(*EDIT - It did melt..I tried a fresh one and it was so much smoother...tastes like a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup...and yes I've cheated and tastes Reeses...guilty)

At 320 calories, I really don't want to add these to my "normal" routine, but I'd love to find a way to order a few each month for convenience when out-and-about during normal life, and I'd love to stock up on them for long trips, especially overseas - these would have been amazing to have in Romania - I found myself useless and depleted so many days during my internship there...this is exactly what I needed then.

I haven't tried the fruit flavor yet...it scares me even more  for some reason. I'm sure it taste great...I'll review later when I'm feeling brave and hungry.

Looks like a "normal" protein bar packaging 

a bit dry inside, but good overall

New York City Trip

New York City is one of my favorite places to visit. This year, we were not planning on going, but we actually had a need to be in Philadelphia and learned it was MUCH cheaper to fly to NYC and take a train...so needless to say we are now spending the first few nights in NYC.

Every time I've been to NYC I've come across all sorts of free things...but I didn't know about any of them ahead of item. One summer I found movies showing in the park and a free Broadway Night concert. One year I was even there for the Olympic Torch parade. All of these were surprises I found once there. This year I decided to plan ahead and realized I can search for many of the events online.
NYC may be known for being expensive, but the summer parks have tons of free events, concerts, kids activities, and more. You can even find a morning yoga group in the parks. And I found free kayaking, fishing, and canoeing as well!

We will probably still try to catch a show and eat at some fun places. (Junior's Cheesecake is a must) but we love the idea of filling in some of the time with free activities. And I can't even imagine how great this would be if we had kids along with us - they have tons of daytime art and kids shows that would help a walk in the park be much more exciting for kids.

This is the best search I've found...you can enter in the dates of your trip and even search for free...or if you want all events (not just free) you can search that as well. I'm not sure how many we will end up trying out, but I'll update when we do to let you know if they were exciting/fun/worth the time. Hope its helpful for those of you wanting to do a trip to NYC without spending tons each day on activities.

NYC Parks - Free and Low-Cost Events

Spicy Enchiladas

   Our new favorite recipe in our household is not one I can take any credit for, but I do want to share it with the world. It's really for Spicy Avocado Chicken Enchiladas. My meat-free version, however is a bit different. The sauce makes enough for one pan of enchiladas (between 6-10, depending on how much you back in there) I usually make half for me, half for my husband. The link is for the chicken avocado version...which is what he gets. Mine is a lower-protein, avocado-free recipe with mushrooms as the filling.
   I make my husbands chicken version using this recipe I found on pinterest, Spicy Avocado Chicken Enchiladas And then my more-PKU friendly recipe is adapted. I make the sauce the same for both of us. ( I just make one recipe). The "insides" are what I change. Here is the PKU-friendly version. I have not added the PHE yet, but I will update later with an amount of PHE.


Ingredients:
For the sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 Serrano pepper, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup medium salsa verde
1/2 cup fat free sour cream

For the enchilada filling*   
This makes enough for half the pan, if you are making this just for the PKU crowd, double the filling ingredients.

4-5 sliced large white mushrooms

1 T. chopped cilantro

1 T. salsa verde
1 small yellow onion, chopped (you will use half for the chicken recipe if making both)

4 oz. low-pro cheddar cheese shreds 
Low-Protein flour tortillas (or regular if you are allowed the PHE, as I am)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Sauce: In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Saute Serrano pepper and garlic, for 1 minute. Stir in flour, constantly stirring, and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the chicken broth, cumin, salt and pepper and bring to a low boil. Once boiling, whisk in the sour cream, salsa verde and cilantro. Remove from heat. 

Filling: In a small frying pan, saute sliced mushrooms in the1 tablespoon salsa verde and 1 tablespoon cilantro. I usually do this on medium heat, stirring until mushrooms have soaked up all of the salsa verde. Set aside for filling.

Assemble: Spray/grease a 9×13 baking dish. Add 3/4 cup sauce to the bottom of the pan. Warm up the tortillas by placing a them on a plate in between a 2 wet paper towels in the microwave for 30 seconds. This makes them softer and easier to roll. Place a spoonful of the mushrooms and onion in the tortilla. Add low protein cheese if using. If you do not have low-protein cheese (or do not like the cheese) you can use a small amount of sour cream instead. Roll the enchilada and place it seam side down in the pan. Repeat until filling is all used. Continue with the steps for the chicken enchiladas if making those. MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHICH SIDE IS WHICH. I always use the end of a pepper or the cilantro stem to mark which side is the chicken and which is low protein. Pour the remaining sauce over all the enchiladas. Place remaining cheese on the correct sides (real cheese on chicken side, low-pro cheese on PKU side). Bake for 15-20 minutes and serve.

Left is the chicken avocado, right (after the pepper) are the mushroom*
*I did top my side with REAL cheese (not low-pro) b/c am allowed the PHE

Homemade Pizza Crust

One of the easiest ways to save money for us has been to not order pizza, but make it ourselves. It's actually pretty cheap and after a few attempts with crusts too thin, we've found the best crust for us. I've made it a few times on a cookie sheet, but I splurged and bought a pizza stone...and it really is great! I recommend one.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
1 package dry yeast
1/2 tsp. warm water (120-130F)
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic- finely chopped
1/2 T rosemary
Oven: 425 F

1. In a large bowl, combine about 1 1/4c. flour, yeast, and salt.  Mix and then add warm water and oil. 
2. Beat on low for 30 seconds and scrape the sides, then beat for 3 minutes on high. 
3. Add garlic and rosemary. Beat in as much of the remaining flour as possible.
4. Put dough on a floured pastry mat (or clean surface) Kneed in more of the flour until it is elastic-like. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise for 10 minutes (you can just let it rise on the mat/counter)
5. Roll out to 15 inch circle. Prick the bottom with a fork. Pinch the edges. Transfer to baking stone or pan. (I actually usually prick the top with a fork, then flip it over on to my stone, and then I pinch the edges. Make sure to prick a lot of spots...this keeps the crust from having bubbles.)
6. Bake crust for 12 minutes. 
7. Spread toppings then bake about 10 minutes more, when cheese is melted and bubbly.

Ready to bake the second time

Done!

The crust is not too thin or thick.
Ignore the missing bite, I was very hungry and impatient.

Mail SPAM?

Today I got 4 of these in the mail...I usually get 2-3 a week, but these all arrived together. This is not the first time I've had 4 at once either. I buy from them once a year only (for Romania supplies) and that is all. Pretty sure the hundreds of magazines they send each year cost almost as much as I spent (it wasn't much) I assume it pays off in the end, but really? How many different covers can you have for the same products featured in different ways? I'm not a marketing genius, but this seems off.

Same stuff in each one, as always.

Saving money

This post on saving money has been moved to my new blog. Click here for the original post, Saving Money Part I.  I also have an updated post with more info and tips that you can find here: Click here for Saving Money Part II. 
Sorry for any confusion!

Mushroom Burgers, minus the soy/eggs

This recipe has been moved to my new blog. Click here for the recipe. Sorry for any confusion!

My burger, after Saran Wrap is removed, right before cooking

7.