Wednesday Anniversary Cabin Dinner is...

...a late dinner of Pasta Bolognese, without - can you belive it - salad, but with a garden fresh tomato. That's all for today, because this mothership is tired As we alreday visited the dentist this morning with both girls. Mia Rose, who will never go to bed without brushing her teeth had a couple of cavaties :( and Alena had her back teeth sealed. Laughing gas, along with watching "Tangled" helles Mia Rosie to be a stellar patient :). They both actually loved it!!! I wish that I was that excited to go see my dentist...and yes, I know, I must stop procastinating....I am so excited that the girlies have no fear of the dentist, so they will hopefully never procastinate that visit like I do...

Ok - good night all :)

Last Tuesday of Summer Break and we had...

> ...ice cream at Mio Gelato in downtown Portland. Now who says that kids with Hpgakactosemia cannot go to an ice cream shop for delicious dairy free ice "cream"? Well, they must not have been to Mio Gelato in Portland! Today there were six different kinds of Sorbetto. Kiwi, Grapefruit, cantalope, pineapple, peach, and orange. Yummy!!! The girls tried grapefruit and pineapple. Now which One do you think they chose? Yup, you are right pineapple :)
>

Tuesday Night Dinner = Corn Chowder...

...many foods spell summer to me. BBQ, corn on the cob, tomatoes, ratatouille, and corn chowder. Sweet, thick, corn chowder. Packed with sweet corn, and red peppers. At the end of summer the corn is just sweet enough. Delicious!!!

To make the corn chowder, I first sauteed a chopped, sweet onion, then added the chopped, red bell pepper along with a couple of pinches of salt. I added fresh corn kernel from three ears of corn, then added vegetable broth (Pacific Foods Brand). Next I added three red potatoes (unpeeled) cut in little pieces, and then simmered the soup for 30 minutes. Then I added about a 1/4 cup of polenta and about a 1/2 cup of plain soy milk. Added more salt, and pepper to taste. Turned out great! I added cayenne pepper to my own bowl, and loved it :)

Oh, and yes, there was a salad of baby greens, and sweet, orange cherry tomatoes served along as a side dish.

Monday Night Dinner...

...homemade gnocchi, with sweet Walla Walla onions, garlic, tomatoes, homegrown basil, and Parmesiano Regiano; big bowl of salad - red leaf, carrots, and sweet Walla Walla onion with homemade vinaigrette.

We all like gnocchi and to me there is just something wonderful about preparing them. Boil the potatoes, mash them, add the salt, the flour then my favorite part put it all together into a smooth dough using my hands. Then I cut the dough in three parts, roll it, and finally cut it into individual gnocchi. To me it is such a deep connection to make this dish for my family. I know. It sounds a little wild, but do you know what I mean? It is like a piece of my heart and soul is added to each individual gnocchi... Alright, alright, it's a little out there - what can I say, it is getting late, and - sadly - the last week of our wonderful summer is here...

Sunday Night Dinner is...

...yes, our poor kids had to eat pizza again ;) Good thing they both love it! - After out super active Saturday we spent the entire day in our neighborhood. Bike ride to the playground, and then a nice walk to the pizzeria for dinner with friends. And you know what to me is one of the best things about this weekend? We did not use the car either yesterday, nor today! Yup, that is really exciting to me...

Have a great week! - Oh, and I almost forgot to mention - we went to Pizzicato tonight. Delicious pizza http://www.pizzicatopizza.com/

Saturday Night Dinner on a hot August Day...

...we cooked out! Steak, and corn off the girl with a delicious big, green salad. And, both girls loved the streak even Akena who generally prefers beans...

Another active, fun August Saturday...

...whoa what a fun day we spent today. This picture shows the girls as we left for our weekend adventure walk, excursion - may I say without ever using our car - through Portland. We walked to the bus stop, and on the way we watched the junior Mt. Tabor soapbox races. Next we took the bus downtown, and walked to the Saturday Farmer's Market. Then we took the streetcar, to the Max to get to the fantastic Oregon Zoo from which we took the zoo train go the Portland Rosegarden Playground. We walked the back trail from the Rosegarden to the playground, and after an hour of play took the zoo train back to the Oregon Zoo. We then took the Max back across the river to Southeast Portland, took the bus back, walked a couple of blocks and were back home. Now, we are all exhausted....happy Sunday!

Friday Night Dinner - Kids and Parents Night Out...

...who-hoo tonight was Kids Night Out at the Playground Gym -> http://www.theplaygroundgym.com/. Let me tell you, the entire family was quite excited. There is lot's to do, trapeze, monkey bars, tree house, etc. plus the kids get to eat pizza and to top it off they also get to see a movie. Very fun, so they say...the pizza we brought along today was sausage & olives, and of course no cheese, from Oasis Cafe on Hawthorne -> http://oasispizza.com/

We also got to have fun and went to have some delicious Sushi at Bamboo Sushi -> http://www.bamboosushipdx.com/. Let me assure you, the rolls were just as delicious as they look. And yes, it is quite nice to have an adult dinner every so often, yes, I do admit to that. And honestly, I am certain that both girlies also enjoy the evening away fro their parental units ;). - Have a great weekend!

California Firm Recalls Chicken Products Due To An Undeclared Whey/Milk

California Firm Recalls Chicken Products Due To An Undeclared Allergen

Please click on link for details on this recall!

Thursday...lazy, fun day and...

...no dinner picture?! Yes, it is true. No dinner picture but a lovely picture from our late morning/early afternoon snack. Oh, what a beautiful, and warm August day it was here today in Portland. The perfect day to take long walks, and go play on the playground. And that is exactly what we did. The girls and I took a nice walk through our neighborhood to playground #1, played hard, and ate the Cliff Kids Z Bar as a snack along with plent of water. Then we walked off to playground #2. The original plan was to walk from playground #2 to Por que No? Taqueria for a late lunch, but you know what? I forgot my wallet at home....

So we walked back home, jumped in the kiddie pool at our friends home, and then walked with our friends back down the hill to Por que No? - Rice & Beans without the dairy, guacamole and chips, and cevice for the mothership. As always it was delicious and we ate so late, that it was also our dinner :)

So what, you may ask, is the point of this post? The point is, that we live ordinary lives. Our kids are healthy, active kids. They climb on the play structures, run, eat "normal" snacks, and eat out. The girls are having fun being kids and are in no way limited by their dietary restrictions, or their metabolic disorder. It is part of our lives, but that's all.

The sky is the only limit we all have. Go grab for the stars :)

Mia Rosie said...

..."Mama, milk is allergic to me!" when we were shopping the other day. I think, that is a good way to put it ;) There is no doubt, that both of our girls always ask, and understand that milk is not a "safe" food for them. Makes this Mama proud...thank you for reading!

August Wednesday Night Dinner - Risotto...

...and you Know what day Wednesday is? The day of the downtown Portland Farmer's Market and the day when we get the most wonderful mushrooms. So today's dinner was Mushroom Risotto made with Shitake mushrooms, and served along a beutiful Green salad with carrotts as well as fresh cucumber. And yes, I added Parmesiano Regiano at the end, and also served Parmesiano Regiano on the table. It was delicious and the entire family enjoyed today's dinner. - Yay!

Tuesday Night Dinner - soup...

...Yes, you read right soup on a warm August day! Sweet onions, carrots, leak, and baby potatoes - all together in one pot. Add some tarragon, salt, pepper, and a dash of Balsamic vinegar. That was it - I liked it a lot the rest of the family however filled up on the olive ciabatta, pepper turkey, and Emmenthaler :)

A lovely lazy warm August Day....

...we did not do anything eventfull. Both Girls had piano lessons, and then we went to Order Mia Rosies' new passport - unbelivable, but her current one will expire this fall - time is really running...The next stop was to get school supplies followed by an afternoon snack of pretzels, hummus, and peach in our backyard. Oh, and yes - Mia Rose did wear the princess dress all day!

Monday Night Summer Dinner - off the grill...

...roasted corn on the cob, rosemary infused portabella mushroom, grilled zucchini, roasted orange peppers and sweet onion medley, and finally rosemary/garlic chicken skewers. Along Side we served BBQ sauce, and a thick balsamico Sauce - delicious :). Mia Rosie is our meat lover and the skewers are one of her favorites. Even Alena - who perfers beans over meat - loved the chicken today. Just in Case you are wondering, there was an ear of corn for each family member, and no, I actually did not make a salad tonight. Can you belive that?! ;)

Have a great evening all!

Recall Paleteria La Superoconut issues allergy alert undeclared Milk, Walnuts, and Coconut in Popsicles

Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts Paleteria La Super Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Walnuts, Milk and Coconut in Their Nut, Esquimal , and Pina Colada Ice Cream Popsicles

Our Sunday Urban Portland Adventure..

...on this wonderful sunny 90 degree day we started out with a leisurely walk, past beautiful summer bloom to the bus stop...

Sunday Urban Adventure - Part II...

...we too the bus to downtown Portland and then walked to the Portland Art Museum. Alena had visited the Art Museum with the Metro Arts Camp walker this summer. Ever since she wanted to go back - and today was finally the day! I was so impressed how enthralled Alena is by the art work. Very cool :) Mia Rosie lost interest pretty quickly - this particular exhibit kept her interest :)...

Sunday Urban Adventure - Part III

...next item on the agenda was a ride with the Portland Jamison Fountain for the girls to cool off. Oh, and if you like really hard on this picture you see Mia Rose on the left hand edge of this picture...

Sunday Urban Adveture - Part IV

...cooling off at Jamison Square Fountain...

Sunday Urban Adventure - Part V

...an "ice cream" treat for the ladies. Admittedly the options were not that great from the ice cream vendor. He did however sell these rainbow snow cones which the girls liked. On second thought we probably should have just gotten fresh snow cones from the cornet stand. Oh well, next time - the girls still had a treat and liked it :)

Sunday Urban Adventure - Dinner - Part VI

...next item on the agenda was a walk from Jamison Square Fountain to Bridgeport Brewing Company. We like to get there every so often. They do have plenty of food options for the girls - there are even a couple of vegan main dishes - great atmosphere, food, and adult beverages. Today both girls ordered the "Pizza Hot Dog" with French Fries. When ordering Alena made sure to mention "no cheese or dairy for me please!" - which confused the waiter a little bit as the Pizza Hot Dog does not come with any cheese :)

I think the picture of Mia Rosie eating her dinner shows that she (and Alena) enjoyed the meal. All I say is "clean plate"...

Sunday Urban Adventure - Final - Part VII

...after dinner we joy rode the Portland Streetcar through NW 23rd past Good Samaritan Hospital - where both girls were born - back to downtown. Took a short walk through downtown to catch the bus back to SE Portland.

A leisurely walk back home - and both girlies are now soundly asleep. -What a fun summer day complete with art, water, treats, fries, and loads of fun. Now who says you cannot have all of those things when living with Galactosemia?

The Christie Cookie Company Issues Allergy Alert On Undeclared Eggs, Soy Lecithin, Wheat and Milk On The Lables Of the following gift tins

Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts The Christie Cookie Company Issues Allergy Alert On Undeclared Eggs, Soy Lecithin, Wheat and Milk On The Lables Of the following gift tins

Saturday Night Dinner - al fresco in the Mt. Hood National Forest...

...you see our ladies happily eating with their friends, rejuvenating their batteries after the walk?! They are busy eating, talking, laughing and all the food they are eating is "safe" food for our girls. Dairy free salami, french bread, hot dogs, lentil soup, nectarines, watermelon, and juice boxes. What could be more perfect on a hot day?!

A beautiful hot August day...

...it was today and we took the chance to go n another excursion to cool off, as the temperatures actually did reach 90 today in beautiful Portland. Do you know where we went? It is a little over an our drive from our house, the perfect place to go for a walk, swim, picnic, and also camping trip...We went to Trillium Lake which is right past Government Camp in the Mt. Hood National Forest. It is beautiful and a great place to cool off :). We went with friends, and the first item on the agenda was to walk - or dare we call it a mini hike - around Trillium Lake. It 2 miles to walk around the lake, and so scenic. Parts of the walk is on boardwalks over marshland leaving lots of room for imagination to search for fairies. After the walk the girls took a dip in the lake to cool off. This is a picture of Alena and her friend "holding" Mt. Hood.

Oh, how I love where we live...

Our Graduate...

...Mia Rose in anticipation of the graduation ceremony. Wow - I cannot believe that she will be starting Kindergarten. My sweet baby girls...oh, and please do not tell Mia Rose that I just called her a "baby". Have a great weekend!

Friday Night Dinner - Yes, it is true..

...all I made was this salad, a Vinaigrette, and I admit to cooking/serving plain pasta at a later Time. Why only a salad you may ask? Well, because we were at a big Potluck Party for Mia Rosies' graduation from preschool. Yes, it is true we now have a Kindergartener :)

In any case, the big event was held right here in SE Portland at a wonderful park and playground. So our kids were way too busy playing and had no interest in food. Because there are so many dietary issues - no gluten, no nuts, no milk, etc. everybody had labeled the allergens, or ingredients on the bowl, tray, etc. I just love how everybody is so aware of dietary issues :) There was plenty of foods, the girls could have eaten but they were just too busy playing on a hot summer day! Alena however did eat some guacamole and chips and both drank plenty of lemonade :)

Thursday Night Dinner - we ate at...

...New Season's Market. Ron is going out today and we decided to eat at the store on our way home. We all love soup and both girls were very happy about that decision :) There are always three soups, full declaration of the ingredients, and at least one "safe" soup. Today there were three and Alena was in luck as one of them was also vegetarian. So it was white bean soup for Alena, Indian style chicken and rice soup for Mia Rose, and a salad for me. Here is Mia Rose eating my salad...

I feel so lucky about leaving in Portland, having such a greatnlocal store right down the Street for us, and - in this context - most of all for all the wonderful Galactosemia safe foods we can get almost anywhere. Tofutti at the Bagel Shop? Vegan Pancakes, vegan cupcakes, vegan butter, etc.? It is all no Problem here in SE Portland - and probably no where here in our beautiful city in the Pacific Northwest...

Wednesday Dinner - Maitake, Polenta, and Green Beans...

...it was the Day of the downtown Farmer's Market today and I bought the most beautiful Maitake Mushroom :) We all love mushrooms - and it is a quick, delicious meal. I served it along with smooth, satisfying Polenta, and garden fresh green beans. And yes, there was also Parmesiano Regiano, to add calcium in one part and the other is of course taste :) Without the cheese, this meal JS completly vegan. Alena, was very happy about the meatless meal tonight...

Here is how I made it
1. Maitake Mushroom
- Heat up a splash of Olive Oil
- Add 1/2 chopped sweet onion, sautee until soft
- Add 1-2 chopped cloves of garlic and toss in for a Minute
- toss the Maitake into mouth Size pieces and add to pan. Stir it up and cover.
- When soft, remove cover and sautee until golden - Add salt and pepper to Taste

2. Green Beans
- Cut the beans diagonal
- Cook them in boiling salt water for about 2 minutes
- Heat up a splash of Olive Oil
- Chop 1/2 sweet onion and add to Olive Oil
- Sautee until onions are soft
- Add blanched Green beans add Salt and toss in Pan
- Cover and sautee until green beans are soft to individual taste :)

Look what I found on the Farmer's Market...

...for dinner tonight. Isn't it lovely? I wish the scent could be published as well...so delicious!

Tuesday Night Dinner- the all American...

....Hamburger off the grill with sweet onions, tomato, avocado, mustard, ketchup, and mayo; oven fries and the obligatory mixed salad with our one (I am not kidding - we had one!) homegrown tomato. Let's just say it was a great dinner for a Tuesday :)

Monday Night Dinner - Soup...

...Tortilla soup, with avocado, lime, and a side salad with the most amazingly, sweet orange cherry tomatoes. I first sautéed a sweet onion, then added a couple of chopped garlic cloves, cumin, chili, some cilantro and then added chicken broth. Brought it to a boil and let it simmer for 15 minutes or so. Then I added a small can of tomatoes, fresh corn (I cut the kernels of a couple of ears), and a can (drained) of black beans. Warmed it up, added some more spices, and salt. Yummy - served with avocado, and lime wedges. Oh, and I totally forgot - I cut 12 tortillas in strips and fried them until crispy. Added some tortillas to the bottom of each soup bowl, and also topped them with it. I know, that it probably comes to a big surprise to all that Alena's favorite part of the soup were the black beans :)

Have a great evening all!

Recall of Summer Sausage by Minnesota Co. - undeclared Whey & Soy

Minnesota Firm Recalls Summer Sausage Products Due To Misbranding And An Undeclared Alergen

Click on link above for details!

Sunday meal(s) and excursion...

...it has been nice and dry in Portland this August, but we have not had any really hot days. Today we woke up to cloudy skies and we decided to go on a day trip to our - see previous post :) - mystery location. It is kind of a drive so we brought along a picknick and also the camping stove. We took our lunch break at a wayside/interpretative center which also had a fantastic playground. Whoo-Hoo - happy kids, and happy parents.

For the picknick we brought along a couple of cans of lentil soup, which Alena - our legume/bean fan - loved, quinoa corn salad, roasted veggie salad, bread, salami, and cookies for dessert. Safe salami besides Coppa is a pretty hard find, however New Seasons carries a Venetian Brand Genoa Salami which is lactose free!!! Yay - and it is delicious :) slicet super thin yummy! The cookies we brought were the Newman's Own, Dairy & Wheat free O's - everyones favorite -> http://www.newmansownorganics.com/food_newman-os.html#

Oh, and yes there was also dinner. We got home late so pasta of last resort it was. Pasta with sauteed sweet onion, fresh green beans from our garden served with plenty of grated Parmesiano Regiano. Simple, plain, and good!

See where we went today...

...Do you know where this is? The clouds make it a little harder to Identity the location...let me just say that it was windy and quite chilly...

Saturday Night Dinner - Salmon for...

...the adults and grilled hot dogs with french fries and salad for the ladies. Yes, you got it right! We had dinner guests tonight and Ron made the most delicious planked Salmon on the BBQ. Today we served delicious Pacific Coho Salmon to our guests in our little house here in Portand, Oregon. Along side I made - proven to be delicious :) - oven roasted baby potatoes with rosemary, and a nice salad of mixed greens. Hemp Vanilla Bean ice cream for the ladies, and a choice of "Cherry Garcia" for our guests :) - An overall successful Saturday night for all

Here is the link to the Hemp ice cream. It is delicious, and creamy -> http://livingharvest.com/products/ice-cream - Enjoy!!!

Friday Night Dinner...

...no,no, no not syrup or snow cones :) There was an end of the year party at Mia Rosie's school today and both girls were invited to the big party. Pizza, cake, popcorn and movies...whoo-hoo. How fun! And - this is just how amazing Mia Rosie's school is - there was cheeseless, vegan pizza just for our girls and one of the directors who is vegan :) Plus, the chef also made a vegan cake for our girls. And yes, the other kids were eating cheese pizza and cake with cream cheese frosting.

Have a great weekend!

What does this blog have to do with Galactosemia?

You may have asked yourself that question and I tell you that it has everything to do with Galactosemia. It is also our life story on how we deal with Galactosemia. This is our story...

Our first child Alena was born on a rainy November afternoon, in Portland, Oregon. It was the Saturday before Thanksgiving and everything was smooth sailing. In the hospital I saw a brochure that talked about Newborn screening and metabolic disorders. I had never heard about the test, nor even thought about metabolic disorders. I showed the brochure to my husband. Vividly I remember him smiling, and saying what are the chances...come on now. There is nothing to worry about. - For those of you who do not know me, I tend to worry - a lot. In any case, when we were ready to leave the hospital - all packed up, Alena already in her car seat I remembered that little brochure. I asked the nurse whether her heel had been pricked, she double checked and you know what?! It had been forgotten - no problem. We took her out of the car seat for the test and off we went.

We took our baby home. She was a fussy eater - threw up a lot. We kept records of how little she ate. The Friday after Thanksgiving Day we went to see our pediatrician. Something was wrong. Alena was unable to keep any food down. She was dry heaving. - our pediatrician saw us and had a gut feeling that something significantly was wrong. She sent us to the hospital and that is where we were that Friday evening, on Thanksgiving weekend. That is what saved our child! She was immediately whisked away for a spinal tap. The infectious disease physician met with us and started her right away on three different types of antibiotics. Wow - we were stunned, shocked, and in absolute disbelief. Our daughter was diagnosed with what? Classic Galactosemia? We had no idea - the only thing we knew at that time was that she was at risk of developing E.Coli Meningitis...our pediatrician told us to not search the Internet - which Ron still did. By morning Alena had a seizure, the culture grew, and it was confirmed that she had E.Coli Meningitis. Here was our beautiful baby girl on her one week birthday in the Pediatric I.C.U. It was the most scary time in my life! Writing this post puts me back in the same mood and I swallow back tears. There she lay - my little girls - with I.V.'s coming out of her, a catheter, she needed blood platelets...we did not know whether she would survive. I never left her bed side. It what at this time, exactly at this time that Ron and I decided that if our precious baby survived that dealing with Classic Galactosemia would be NO BIG DEAL and we make it manageable. This is what it is manageable and NO BIG DEAL!!! Compared to the other option, even dealing with potential complications is a BREEZE. One can certainly differ with me, however this is my opinion and how we deal with this disorder.

Now back to our story - eventually I also did some online research and one of the most important things to me was to find pictures of older kids living with Galactosemia, and understand what kids with Galactosemia eat. I really did not find much. Things I did find were simply quite frightening - which is why our pediatrician told us to stay off the Internet! So this is the basis of my little Blog. Yes, a diagnosis of Classic Galactosemia is scary, but it is manageable. A diagnosis then gives a couple of options. Stick the head in the sand, become a victim, thrive on things that are not possible; take the bull by the horns, run, dance with it and embrace it. Learn about it, stay positive, and empower. So this is our story, and what this Blog is about. The sky is the only limitation!!!

Recall of Unilever 24-Count Boxes of Popsicle® Sugar Free Orange, Cherry and Grape Flavor Due to Undeclared Milk

Click on link fot details about this recall.

Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts Unilever United States, Inc. Issues Allergy Alert for Mislabeled 24-Count Boxes of Popsicle® Sugar Free Orange, Cherry and Grape Flavor Due to Undeclared Milk

Thursday Night Dinner...

...do I dare admit that we went out - again - on this beautiful summer evening?! Yes, I am :) - we went with friends to the Hedgehouse in SE Portland. Good food, safe food, great adult beverages, outside seating, and a nice area with plenty of grass for the kids to play. Our kids ate the usual P.A.B.S.T. without the "P" :) which makes it an Avocado, Bacon, Sandwich, and Tomato (the"P" stands for Provolone) - while their very good friend ate Mac&Cheese. And yes, Alena ate her sandwich while sitting next to her friend on the bench. They both know not to share! Now who says you cannot go out to eat when following the Galactosemic diet?! It is no problem...

Here is the link to the Hedgehouse -> http://www.newoldlompoc.com/hedgehouse_home.html
Just in case :)

Wednesday Night Dinner...

....the camping dinner Fajitas this time - for the first time ever - at home. Quite the dinner success - whoo-hoo. Along side we had homemade guacamole, Tofutti sour cream, additional sliced avocado, and tomatoes. An easy, delicious, and fun dinner on a summer weeknight. Now talking about weeknight, I am so tired tonight and get our girlies to bed :) In the background I hear Alena reading a book to Mia Rosie. Oh, how very sweet...

Have a good night, all!

Birthday Dessert...

...What is a Birthday without dessert? We walked to Pix after dinner. Delicious desserts, most of them are however not Galactosemia "safe"; the good news however isnthat there are always a couple vegan options. Either sorbet, fruit pate, lollipops, gum, or some chocolates. So there is always something to be found for our girlies as well :) - Usually both ladies choose ice cream (sorbet) but today - can you believe it? - both of them opted for a fruit pate skewer. Pineapple, cassis - and yes, it was a hit!

Just in case you would like to try them here is the link http://www.pixpatisserie.com/

Tuesday = Birthday Dinner Night...

...happy birthday to my husband!!! Alena started the day by playing "Happy Birthday" on the piano to Ron, and we ended it by going out for a celebratory dinner. The girls however were a little bit confused, why we did not have a party tonight ;) In any case, Ron chose Pok Pok which is a restaurant serving Southeast Asian Streetfood. It is amazing and the majority of the items are "safe" for the girls to eat. Amazing Vietnamese Chicken Wings, sticky rice, Northern Thai Herbal Salad, Corn in coconut cream, and Kaho Soi Kai - Northern Thai mild curry noodle soup. And drinking vinegar for the girls; raspberry for Alena and honey for Mia Rose.

Just in case here is the link for this amazing restaurant(s) http://www.pokpokpdx.com/

Look at my girl climbing the walls :)

...circus classes are paying off :)

Monday Night Dinner...all Oregon

homemade Gnocchi. Almost the last of our bounty from the Farmer's Market last Saturday. All Oregon grown: potatoes out of which I made the Gnocchi, tomatoes, sweet onion, garlic shoots, and - even better than just Oregon grown :) - homegrown green beans. Some panchetta, flour milled at Bob's Red Mill in Oregon, some salt, pepper, olive oil, and the fabolous gift of calcium Paresiano Regiano. Delicious end to a good start into the week :)

Sunday Night Dinner...

...I have named this Pasta a la Oregon :) Pasta, sauteed sweet Oregon onion, carrots, zucchini, garlic shoots, tomatoes, homegrown basil and (not from Oregon) a scoop of capers. Perfect dish to use some of the produce we got on the Farmer's Market yesterday; and a wonderful close to great Sunday spent picking blueberries :)

Fun at the Farmer's Market and we found...

...a new - to us - most amazing baker offering all vegan goodies. Oh, and also gluten free. Yes, you read right another all vegan amazing bakery offering desserts. Do you see that. Ig smile on Alena's face?! Yup, it is because she loved her cupcake just that much :))) Alena has such a sweet tooth. Unlike her sister she is a huge chocolate lover. Can you believe that Mia Rosie did not want a cupcake? All she wanted was a honey stick :))) - OK and before we found the baker, the girls had sausages and before that we got a 1/2 flat of delicious Oregon berries. 3 pints of blueberries, 2 pints of blackberries, and 1 pint of strawberries. So Mia Rose was full - no, we did not eat the entire 1/2 flat at the market :)))

Oh, how I love the Farmer's Market. Easy, breezy summer day - music, children dancing, singing, running...

Btw - here is the info to Petunia Pastries & Pies, they are also on Facebook -> http://www.petuniaspiesandpastries.com/index2.php

Saturday Night Dinner.

...pizza. Oh what a night...no, just kidding, and no, do not worry I will not start to sing now :) The day kind of got away from us so by the time we checked the clock it was already too late to spend an hour in the kitchen to cook dinner. But it's a Saturday night and we all need a little fun food around :) So my fantastic husband ordered pizza from Oasis on Hawthorne. It is very good - and you could also order the pizza with vegan cheese. Our girls however prefer it cheeseless :)

Just in case here is the link to Oasis Pizza on Hawthorne -> http://oasispizza.com/

Friday Night Dinner is...

...fresh pasta with either olive oil and fresh basil, or homemade sauce bolognese, Parmesiano Regiano, and salad. We also had cheese - Norwegian Jarlsberg for the girlies - and just spent a nice evening at the dinner table...

No Thursday Night Dinner picture because...

...the girls first had an ice cream - popsicle - once they were done at the fountain. There was no way around it. Mia Rose had been to the Farmer's Market earlier this afternoon and everybody had some ice cream, "but" she told me "it was with Milch so I could not have any". It was really just a matter of fact statement from her, but did stung my heart just a little bit. SO, you better belive that I made sure our girlies got an ice cream treat at the park :) There was only one option, but they surely loved it.

Oh, and dinner...well it was my off cooking day, so I decided, and Mia Rosie got to choose. And do you know what she chose? Yup, Burgerville - two Hamburger Kid Meal's with apple juice.

Have a great night!

Cooling off Portland style...

...on a hot August afternoon at a fountain - kids of all ages run through fountains all over town and there are actually also several downtown. Today we went to the Salmon Street Fountain to cool off...and once everybody was cooled off enough the girls got a little treat of...

Mother Daughter breakfast on a beautiful August morning

Alena is not in Camp this week, and Mia Rosies' school is still going on. So Alena and I shared some special time today. We first dropped off Mia Rosie and next we went to Alena's favorite restaurant "Jam on Hawthorne". You probably know that by now anyways, right?!

We all love "Jam" - and the girls can actually eat delicious pancakes outside of our home :). They serve them with syrup, and vegan "butter". Do they not look delicious? They are...just ask Alena she ate both of them...I have said this before, but we really love living in Portland. Not just because of the beauty of this great city, but also because of all the safe food options we find here for the girls. It is wonderful and neither the girls, nor we ever feel restricted by the Galactosemic diet. It all is possible - a positive outlook, and attitude goes a long way....

Maitake mushrooms, vegetable quinoa pilaf, and baby lettuce = Wednesday Dinner

It was another glorious day here in the great Pacific Nortwest and also the day of the downtown Portland Farmer's Market. I love going to the Farmer's Market to get fresh, local produce :) Today I got Maitake mushrooms, delicious zucchini, carrots, red pepper, a bunch of parsley and baby lettuce.

I sauteed the mushrooms with garlic and onion, then added salt pepper, and parsley. The quinoa was cooked in vegetable broth, and I sauteed the onion, garlic, carrot, pepper, and zucchini in a separate Pan. Mixed the veggies with the quinoa when they were done. A perfect meal for a hot summer day!!! The girlies loved it :) By the way, Mia Rosie is a mushroom lover while Alea loved the pilaf. Oh, and I totally forgot to mention the grated Parmesiano Reggiano the ladies had with this meal. Veggies, protein, and calcium all with a perfectly "Safe" meal. And yes, it was also delicious and - vegan - without the cheese.

Have a great evening!

What?! Soup on a Tuesday Night for dinner...

..yes, I kid you not I actually made soup for dinner today on this glorious, hot summer day in Portland, Oregon. Red bean, potato, & arugula soup. Served with baguette, slice of lemon, and Parmesiano Regiano. - The soup was quick to make, and was served on top of a bed of fresh baby arugula :) Now who said, soup was not good on a hot day.

Oh, and who do you think absolutely loved it? Yup, Alena our bean lover...and by the way, if you do not add the cheese it is a completely vegan meal...yay!