Thursday night - guess whose plate is this?

Diced bacon, homegrown arugula, red onion, and pasta with sliced avocado. Next to the plate calcium and a glass of OJ. Now whose plate is it? :)

Thursday morning breakfast and lunch for camp

Fruit salad, toast - once with turkey, and a slice of Emmenthaler :) - At the same time I also made Alena's lunch for camp today. She is eating a pepper turkey sandwich, fruit salad, Z Bar - along a banana and - dare I admit - some Tortilla chips :)

Wednesday night dinner - roast potatoes, asparagus, sun dried tomatoes, with Jarlsberg

...delicious - served with a nice big salad of baby greens and tomatoes. First time I used Jarlsberg and it worked wonderfully :) Alena loved it as it did not contain any meat :)

Recall: Risvold’s Salads Inc undeclared MIlK, Sunflower Seeds, Sesame, and Soy in Seafood Salad and Seafood Pasta Salad

This was just released.  Please click on link for detaols.

Risvold's Salads Inc ISSUES ALLERGY ALERT ON UNDECLARED allergens in Seafood Salad and Seafood Pasta Salad

06/28/2011 06:55 PM EDT

Risvold's Salads Inc of Gardena, CA is recalling seafood salad and seafood pasta salad, because it may contain undeclared milk, sunflower, sesame and soy. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk, sunflower, sesame and soy run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. 

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Tuesday night - no dinner photo...

...really none - zip - nilch but there is a reason. More of our friends are moving back to Germany so tonight we were at another good bye party. The partybwas at Prost which is like a Biergarten. Fun - lot's of different adult beverages and of course also beverages fr the youngans:) The girls had so much fun playing, and running around with their friends :) and yes, there was also food to be had. It was sausage for the girlies and Currywurst for me. Here is the link to Prost in Portland http://prostportland.com/.
Fun!

See Mia Rose run on the beach at the Oregon Coast...

Great appointment at the Metabolic Clinic and more cheese

Here is picture of the ladies riding the tram at OHSU after our appointment at the clinic today. For some reason going to the appointment always gets me a little down. No reason for it - it just does and it is only before the appointment. Now I look back at silly old me...in any case. We had a fantastic appointment. Both girls have levels, and there are no issues. They are both doing fantastic making both parents proud. It proves to us that our approach to Galactosemia works for our children and us as a family. It is there but not a constant thought or worry. I guess one could also say that we do not fret over it!
Now back to the appointment. The girls look great and the levels are controlled. We also met with our dietitian who is so supportive. We are now expanding our cheeses to Norwegian Arlsberg, and Tilsiter. Whoo-hoo and maybe, just maybe there may also be a domestic Cheddar in our future :) Is that not fantastic news?!

Monday night dinner - again?!

...yes, it's Sockeye Salmon again. I could not pass up the fantastic sale price of the salmon plus ocean fish are supposed to be good for you :) This time I baked the salmon in the oven alongside the baby roast potatoes. The salad today is a baby green salad with nectarine in a homemade lemon dressing, oh, and the yellow thing is the lemon wedge I served each person :)

The other thing about salmon is that it is just such a quick and easy dinner to make. Heat the oven to 425 clean baby potatoes, cut them in half and toss in olive oil. Bake for around 30 minutes, season salmon and put in oven along side the potatoes. Cooking time of the salmon depends on the thickness, and size of the salmon. This one took about 15 minutes. Perfect and easy exactly what I needed on this funky Monday. Most of the day I have been feeling out of sorts. That is probably due to our yearly appointment at the metabolic clinic tomorrow. Do not get me wrong, I am not worried about the appointment but in a strange way it still gets to me a wee bit. I wonder why?! The human mind is a complicated matter...have a good night.

Sisters..

Alena reading to Mia Rosie this afternoon :)

Sunday night dinner...

...another pasta of last resort :) - We got back home late from our weekend break at the fantastic Oregon coast. A weekend filled with sun, sand, and fun :)

Getting home late means that I make sort of "pasta of last resort". This one was Spaghetti topped with garlic, capers, sun dried tomatoes, italian herbs, all sautéed in olive oil and drizzled with lemon juice. Mia Rose is a huge fan of the sun dried tomatoes and capers while Alena will search anywhere for capers. Just like their Mama! Have great week!

Sunday lunch after...

...a fun morning playing at the beach. Yummy hot dogs and tortilla chips. The buns are whole wheat from Trader Joe's - the "regular" buns contain milk - and the hot dogs are the chicken ones also from Trader Joe's. The girls were happy with their lunch :)

Saturday night dinner is...

....BBQ because we are...guess where?!

Dinner tonight...

...we are at Burgerville and the girls are enjoying a hamburger kids meal - so glad Burgerville is in Oregon....

Thursday night dinner...

>

> ...homemade gnocchi - with spinach - with panchetta, tomato, and spinach along mixed baby greens with nectarine. Oh, and the stuff in the back is grated Parmesiano Regiano :)- The meal was a hit with both girlies - whoo-hoo :)))
>

Wednesday Dinner - Bridgeport Happy Hour..,

Yes, it is true the for of us went to Happy Hour! One of the best one in town, great food menu and let's not forget the adult beverages ;) - The girls ad - surprise, surprise - pizza with pepperoni -> of course no cheese, French Fries - that was Mia Rosie's idea - and a nice salad. Along with that beers for everyone...of course root beer for the ladies and the adult version for the parents :) - Here is to life! Cheers!!!

New York Firm Recalls Pork Egg Rolls Due To Undeclared MILK, Soy, and Egg

Please click on link for details

New York Firm Recalls Pork Egg Rolls Due To Misbranding and Undeclared Allergens
Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:17:37 -0500

Chef One, Corp., a Brooklyn, N.Y., establishment is recalling approximately 36 pounds of pork egg rolls because the product is misbranded and contains undeclared allergens. The product was prepared using soy, milk and egg, known allergens which were not declared on the label.

Tuesday Night dinner - planked Sockeye Salmon, oven roasted potatoes, sauteed spinach, and salad

Tonight we had one of our dear friends over for dinner. She will be moving to Europe for a couple of years, so what better food to serve in the Pacific Northwest than delicious salmon?! I got a beautiful deep orange piece of sockeye. We soaked the Alder plank in water, and then Ron put the planked salmon on the grill. It turned out amazing :) Oven roasted baby potatoes, sauteed fresh spinach with lemon juice, and salad along side...Quite the meal and certainly not our usual weeknight meal but special occasion call for special meals.

Safe travels to my friend whom we all will miss greatly :( As I write this she is reading a book to our girls...

The end of first grade - Where did the school year go?

> Wow - School is out for the summer. Where did the year go - it just flew by. It was a fast ride. Quite stormy at the start, some bumps along the way, but it was the most amazing, fantastic ride. Yes, I absolutely mean that - our neighborhood School is amazing. I have turned 180 degrees. From being the mother that did not want her child to go to the large school to safe at just that school. I was so worried when coming out of our "safe" small private school, where there were only treats allowed when everyone could enjoy them, that Alena would feel left out, not be protected, etc. Silly me! Where did I come from :)
>
> I endend up packing lunch every day. I could have worked with the district on determining which foods are safe, but truth be said packing your own is so much healthier :) Alena was OK - there was an Aide close by to help in anyone needed anything. Alena knows not to eat foods from other classmates, and the Aide also made sure that there was no sharing. For treats, we kept popsickles in a freezer, and her teacher made sure to get her one. At Halloween we brought in the treats for everyone and it turned out fantastic. Not once did we have to worry that she would be left out, felt left out, or anything else.
>
> School in itself was not easy and in retrospect, I think we would have done things differently and started her in the neighborhood school in Kindergarten. Therefore things were harder for her, it took the teachers a while to get to know Alena and her learning style. And yes, Alena does have an Individualized Education Plan; she does receive speech therapy, and reading help. All of that is great, and no, I am not that saying that this is because of Galactosemia. A bunch of kids receive services, and my wonderful husband also received services in elementary school. - So she works hard and does not stick her head in the sand - She is so eager to learn t is amazing. The sky is the limit - She can do anything she wants to do. There are no limitations!!!
>
> Now it is time to say thank you to Alena's first grade teacher extraordinare Mrs. Parr. Thank you so much for caring, and being amazing. Alena loves you :)
>
> Have a great summer everyone and remember the glass is always half full!!!
>

Monday Night Dinner - Baked Mustard breaded chicken with Rice and salad

This is Ron's favorite meal :) It is delicious and quick. For the breading I use Panko crumbs from Trader Joe's or Ian brand. I posted the recipe before - I think - please let me know if you want me to repost :)

Have a great rest of the evening :)

Look what we found at the store...Dark Chocolate Wafer Bars

Which kid - and adult - does not love chocolate? I do, Alena does - Ron and Mia Rosie like it but not quite as much :) We found these delicious wafer bars - two to a Package the perfect treat for my girlies :). Here is the link to their website www.oqbellfoods.com

Sunday night dinner - risotto with asparagus and side of - surprise - mixed green salad

What a fun Sunday we had :) we ended the it with a dinner of yummy, filling risotto with asparagus. I love risotto and certainly would have no problem making it more often :) It is quick, easy, and satisfying. So here s the recipe I use for the basic risotto. The parmesanio is optional, and a variety of veggies can be added.

1/2 large onion chopped - or 1 smaller onion
2 cups of risotto rice i.e.: Arborio
4 cups of chicken or veggie broth (I like Pacific Foods brand)
2 TB of Olive Oil
1-2 TB of Earth Balance
3/4 C of dry white wine
1 bunch of asparagus
1/2 C grated Parmesiano Regiano

- warm olive oil in the pot
- warm broth in separate pot
- sauté onion until soft - add salt
- add rice until translucent
- add wine - when evaporated add
- 2 cups of broth
- stir rice and broth frequently add more broth as needed
- chop asparagus into smaller pieces and sauté until done
- when all broth is absorbed - and rice is soft, add Earth Balance, as well as 1/4 cup of grated Parmesiano Regiano (if using)
- add asparagus - stir it carefully together
- add more salt and pepper to taste
- serve with additional Parmesiano Regiano for each person to add to taste

Enjoy!

Saturday meal...

...I will call this one "Pasta of last resort". Another rainy day here in the great Northwest and none of us felt like leaving the house - can you believe it? - it is true :) So I used all we had left in the house - ok there are still a couple of tuna cans, dried beans, flour...Pasta, some asparagus, garbanzo beans, garlic, olives, capers, and parmesiano regiano. Oh, yes and a lemon. The picture shows the result and believe it or not, but it turned out great :)))

What do you think, Alena's favorite part was?

Have a great Saturday night all :)

Lazy, rainy Saturday after noon calls for Apple Strudel and whipped "cream"...

...it is another rainy day in Portland and the four of us are enjoying a wonderful lazy day :) A perfect day for Appel Strudel - which was in freezer. And no, I did not make it myself but bought at Tader Joe's. The Appel Strudel is dairy free, delicious, and imported from Germany. Two things are delicious with Apple Strudel. Vanilla Ice Cream and/or whipped cream. In the past the only whip-able cream I found in Pdx was Soya Too! Whip in the spray can. However, I finally found the packaged whip cream. Delicious :) I added a packet of "Whip Ir" & "Vanilla Sugar", beat it and....whoo-hoo delicious whipped cream. Yum!!! Both girls loved it. Amazing stuff :). Here is the link - just in case... http://www.soyatoo.de/us/?home

RECALL - Undeclared MILK protein in Multi Formula High in Vitamins A, D, E & K (Chocolate Mint Truffle)

Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts Bariatric Advantage (Division of Catalina Lifesciences) Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Milk Protein in Chewable Multi Formula High in Vitamins A, D, E & K (Chocolate Mint Truffle)

Friday night after camping dinner...

...black beans and rice. Basmati rice, a can of Trader Joe's Cuban Rice, and a can of black beans. I added a small can of diced green chiles, salt pepper, some cider vinegar, and a tad of Tofutti. Would have liked to add some onion too, but none where found in this household which is completely unacceptable :) Oh, and Alena of course loved it :)))

Camping dessert...

...roasted marshmallows, and s'mores off the fire pit :). Trader Joe's Graham Crackers, dark chocolate, and marshmallows melted to perfection. Yummy :)

Thursday night camping dinner - the famous...

...baked beans and hot dogs. Both ladies love it. Alena is the absolute bean love while Ma Rosie favors the hot dogs. However both ladies cleaned their plates :)

we were...

...cabin camping :)

Thursday night dinner...

...another surprise - do you want to know? Do you really want know? OK - stay tuned :)

Happy Day to all :)

Oh no, my girls faces turned green...

...what did I feed them?! Thankfully it's just eye make-up :)))

Wednesday Night dinner is...

...left over "eat-your veggies" soup, rustic bread, and a side of Emmenthaler. And do you see what's there in the background? Can you believe it? Yes, it is sun :)))

Indiana Firm Recalls Burgoo Soup Due to Misbranding and an Undeclared Milk Protein

Product contains Sodium Caseinate a milk protein according to recall notice

Indiana Firm Recalls Burgoo Soup Due to Misbranding and an Undeclared Allergen
Wed, 15 Jun 2011 18:12:52 -0500

Big B Distributors, Inc., an Evansville, Ind., establishment is recalling approximately 5,160 pounds of burgoo soup because it is misbranded and contains an undeclared allergen.

Mia Rosie's last day at Childswork

See my smiling baby? She is all grown up. Where did the school year go? This picture shows Ma Rose with her beloved teachers Coutney and Patty. It is so bitter-sweet that Mia Rose's preschool time is almost over and that our time at Childswork has come to an end.

Wow - we started at Childswork when Alena was not quite 4. I remember how full of worry I was. Full of what if's and questioning whether our child would be excluded, feel wired, ingest milk, etc. It proved to be a fantastic learning experience for all of us. I learned to trust. And yes, teachers are careful, caring, and find options to include eveyone. For treats Popsicles instead of ice cream were served at events, for PJ Day there was either a special batter - in Alena's class - just for her, or - even better - pancake batter that was safe for all kids in the class. And yes, there was an "accident" - after the first six weeks Alena did eat some regular yoghurt. The teacher called me she was frantic - but you what? It was Ok, Alena did not show any effect. She did not eat a lot, but stii - I was worried but it was OK. So these are the lessons I learned at Preschool for myself, and my mothering :) To relax a little, trust others, and most of all empower my children.

It is sad - however it is great to move on to the next big part of this journey :) -Mia Rosie only spent one year at Childswork but what great experience she had :) The best preschool teachers anyone could wish for; imaginative play, art, flat Mia Rose and more :) You just wait until you see the fantastic pillow she made.

Have a great day :)

Late Wednesday morning breakfast...

...with plain crescent rolls and rolls stuffed with ham & Emmenthaler (Schinkenhoernle), fruit salad - peaches, banana, lemon juice, and our own chocolate mint - choice of cereal, and OJ/Chocolate Soy milk for my girlies

Even if it's raining this breakfast surely lifted our spirits on this rainy June day :)

Tuesday night dinner is yet to be named...

....I will name it the "eat your veggies soup" - and the kids loved it. Yay!!! No meat, just little meatballs which both girlies like a lot :) So you wonder what is in this soup - alright here is the list: onions, carrots, red chard, spinach, zucchini, potato, and tomatoes - I admit canned. Added to that some little star pasta - Stelline - and meatballs. Seasoned it with salt, pepper, and herbs de provence. Served along with crusty bread! Perfect for a -still - cool night. And yes, you are correct no salad today :)

Monday Night dinner is fast, easy, and it is...

...pasta and a big bowl of salad :). The girls like to eat the pasta plain with just olive oil and Parmesiano Regiano; while we prefer to eat pasta with tomato sauce. This is probably the only meal where I make exceptions for the girlies. All other meals we all eat the same, but as both are not so crazy about sauce they certainly can eat there first serving plain. But seconds, they are with tomato sauce :)

Happy Monday evening to all.

Sunday night dinner out at...

Pho Van in SE Portland. Not the best picture as for some reason I did not remember to take the picture as soon the food got to the table. Sorry :( but it was delicious and both girls loved sharing their dish of rice, and grilled pork skewers along with a glass of mango juice :)

Not a Saturday night dinner photo but Sunday morning breakfast picture...

...yes, we had dinner yesterday but you know what I did not take the picture. We were invited for a "Good Bye" Party for friends who are moving back to Germany. Yet another dry - but chilly - day in Portland. So it was a BBQ with hamburgers, hot dogs and so much more. I brought a couple of ice cream treats along for the girls; there still was plenty to eat for them on the dessert side. Two types of jello, and fruit salads. Yum :) - I am so impressed by my two girlies how they identify the foods they cannot eat, and always ask whether the items they choose are OK for them. Neither girl is upset if there is a yummy looking cake which they cannot eat. They maybe a bit disappointment but neither dwells on it. Both, Alena and Mia Rose are always happy with the treats they get instead. It makes me very happy because it proves to me that our approach dealing with CG works for our family :)

Oh, so you ask what did you make for Sunday morning breakfast? All you can see is an empty plate, OJ, and Earth Balance. What do you think we had?

Happy Sunday all :)

Mia Rose sings "You are my sunshine"

It's Friday Kid's Night Out...

...and the girls made their own pizza :) whoo-hoo for Friday night!!!

Alena sings Twinkle, Twinkle...

Thusday Night Dinner = Al Fresco

whoo-hoo no rain today :) wonderful, we decided to have our own first barbecue of the season. Grilled asparagus, and mushrooms, along chicken skewers. With it we ate brown rice pilaf ith toasted almonds, and bits of dried bing cherries. Now what did I forget to mention? Yes, right the obligatory salad. A meal is not complete without it :)

Wednesday Dinner - It's Taco time :)

> Guacamole, tomatoes, refried beans, Tofutti sour cream, and beef. Always a Hit :) Alena loves the beans and Mia Rose the beef. Both love the guacamole and remaining fixings. Now, here is a question for you. Whose hand do you see?

Tuesday, June 7th 2011 Dinner - Soup's on...

...one of the great things about making mashed potatoes are the leftovers :) Today I used the left over potatoes from last night to make yummy potato soup. I added a bunch of carrots - pssst do not tell my husband :) - warmed some slices of sausage in the soup, and served it with a dollop of "sour cream" - Tofutti. As a side we had nice crusty bread, and the salad de jour -> tomato.

Have a great evening everybody.

Tuesday morning breakfast was...

...a great success :) Or what do you think? Plates are completly cleaned, drinks are finished whoo-hoo. Now can you guess what it was? Well, I know there is a box in the picture :) Blueberry toaster waffles with maple syrup and a Side of fresh mango for each lady. The drinks were the usual. Chocolate soy milk for pumpkin I and calcium fortified OJ for pumpkin II. Ready for a new Day :)

Monday Night Dinner - Bratwurst, Broccoli "trees", mashed potatoes, and...

...can you guess it? Yup, Mixed baby salad with hazelnuts and dried cherries.
A total hit - both girls finished a sausage each, the trees, salad and most of their potatoes. Whoo-Hoo - a good start into the Week

Sunday Dinner - June 5th, 2011 at a friend's house...

...what a lovely weekend. It looks like summer has finally arrived in our part of the world. Who does not love summer? Summer - walking barefoot in the grass, bike rides, hanging out in the backyard and of course barbeques. This weekend were invited to a BBQ on both evenings. Saturday, and Sunday which means this mothership did not cook on any day this Weekend :)

OK - we were invited both days. Contrary to the perspective of others neither dinner invitations nor eating out are a big deal just because both girls have Galactosemia. I just make sure that there will be food the ladies can eat :) And you know, if you have read my Blog before, that the only foods we exclude are those actually containing milk, a milk derivative, and milk sugars. So no whey, lactose, casein, and the other usual culprits. We say Yes to everything else. Soy, tomatoes, strawberries, nuts...the sky is the limit :) So now back to our lovely BBQ's. Saturday night chicken, asparagus, portabella mushrooms off the grill. The girl's are not huge fans of chicken so I brought along Hot Dogs and desert (So Delicious) Coconut Milk ice cream. Delicious and so much Fun :)

This is Sunday night BBQ. Doesn't it look amazing? And yes it was amazing :) In any case cedar planked Cooper River Salmon, zucchini, red peppers, and asparagus, and potatoes all of the grill. Along side our friends made two fantastic salads. Tomato/Cucumber, and garden greens with jicima, and mandarins. We all loved it :) BTW- can you see Mia Rosie in the background :) - Have a great start into the week. Remember the sky is the limit and if course, the glass is always half full :)

Summer has (hopefuly) arrived in Portland ...

...first day of summer 2011 fun. Now I just hope that I did not jinx it...

Saturday June 4th 2011 after performance celebration at Jam on Hawthorne...

...Mia Rose chose Jam for her after performance meal. Yummy vegan pancakes, earth balance, syrup and - of douse - bacon. Both girls cleaned their plates...

Mia Rose Do Jump! Performance June 2011

There is Mia Rosie on the trapeze today swinging up high into the air :) She is on the second to last trapeze.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVhdOhSsJ40&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Mia Rose Do Jump! Performance trapeze part 2

Check out our little pumpkin on the trapeze. She is on the trapeze in the middle (second from last) Thank you :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xkfPzIWxFo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Mia Rose is ready for her Do Jump! Performance...

....and it's sunny :)

Friday night past performance dinner...

As Alena performed today she also got to choose dinner. Do you see what she chose? Yup, pizza. Plain ole pepperoni pizza :) Good thing that the Bridgeport Ale House is right around the corner :) Great pizza, and other delicious food items - my favorite is the vegan bowl - as well as great beer. Now that's a great celebration dinner. Oh, and yes there was dessert afterwards at Ben&Jerry's across the street. Both ladies chose lemon sorbet today. Once with chocolate sprinkles and the other without. Now all you have to do is guess who is the chocolate sprinkle lover :)

Alena's Do Jump Performance - part 2 June 2011

This is the short version of the second part of the trapeze performance :) The trapeze is her absolute favorite part...

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDYZCtaspPk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Alena's Do Jump performance - June 2011

Another Do Jump! term has ended. Today we enjoyed Alena's performance. This one shows Alena on the trapeze - she is the girl in front :) - Did you ask about Mia Rosie? Do not worry, she also has an performance coming up and it will be posted tomorrow. Thank you for watching :) Signed by one proud mother :)))

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql-t1RdXlJo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Recall Azar Nut Issues Undeclared Milk in Mountain Trail Mix

Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts Azar Nut Issues Allergen Alert on Undeclared Milk in Mountain Trail Mix

Thursday, June 2nd, 2011 - Spring Rigatoni...

Spring Rigatoni - cream sauce with Asparagus, green onions, lemon zest and Parmesiano Regiano along with the obligatory mixed salad. Salad today has spring greens, tomatoes, and dried bing cherries :)

The cream for the cream sauce is Toffuti sour cream :)

Wednesday Dinner - Schnitzel, French Fries, and Salad a.k.a. SchniPoSa

Schnitzel night :) not many meals are as stereotypical German as that :) - I make it once in a great while especially if it's cold out. The family usually likes it. - I use Panko for the breading. Usually I like to get Ian's brand, but I just bought some Panko at Trader Joe's. Both brands are parve and safe :)