Meatloaf, (s)mashed potatoes, and roasted red beets

was our dinner to end the week. This week was a busier than other weeks; I feel like - until now - I never had a minute to relax body and mind. Just like I was speeding the entire week. So I asked Ron what he wanted for dinner and he chose meatloaf. Today I used 5% ground beef and also mixed a little ground pork in. The result was a leaner - I usually buy 10% - but also drier meatloaf. It was good, but as Ron said "not one of your bests"...but the potatoes turned out great. Here is the link to the post linking to that recipe http://galactopdx.blogspot.com/2012/03/meatloaf-perfect-smashed-potatoes-and.html?m=1.

Ok - time to relax for a little bit....

Thursday Night Dinner at a Brew Pub

the Hedgehouse in SE Portland to be exact. The weather has been crazy - pouring rain by the bucket, hail, drizzle and by late afternoon sunshine. Yes, there was sunshine when wie arrived at the Hedgehouse and wie decided to sit outside. We were actually the only outdoor guests. I guess nobody else trusted the weather. And...we did not get rained on. The girls got to play outside before dinner - Avocado Bacon Tomato Sandwich with chips - was served, and we also ate outside. And the drinks? Well, you know when in a brewery one must drink beer - that is also true for my girlies and that is why they each got to enjoy a root beer...

Here is the info about the Hedgehouse -> http://www.newoldlompoc.com/hedgehouse_home.html

Stuffed Red Peppers

with rice and....yup, mixed baby green salad.

A first - great things come from our family meat pack, right?! It makes me come up with different things to cook.  Yay -  I have to say that this was actually pretty quick and easy to make. It will certainly be served again in our little house in Portland :)

You need for three peppers

- 3 peppers, top cut off, and seeded. -> take stems off the tops, and finely dice the tops
- 1 onion diced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- salt, pepper, paprika, and dash of herbs de provence
- splash of olive oil
- 1 small can of diced tomatoes
- 1/4 C Tofutti sour cream
- 2 T Dijon mustard
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 egg
- 1/4 C bread crumbs - I use Trader Joe's or other milk, whey, lactose free crumbs
- ketchup
     Sauce
1. Heat splash of olive oil in pan.  Add
2. 1/2 of the diced onion, and salt. Sautee until onion is soft, then
3. Add garlic, herbs, paprika, and diced pepper tops. Sautee for a couple of minutes, next
4. Add can of diced tomatoes, and bring mixture to a slow boil stirring frequently
5. Add Tofutti sour "cream", and 1 T of Dijon mustard. Remove from flame. Adjust salt & pepper.
    Filling
6. Mix ground beef with 1 T of Dijon mustard, egg, salt, pepper, paprika, herbs and bread crumbs
7. Fill the peppers with the beef mixture
    Baking - Preheat oven to 360F (180C)
8. Pour the Sauce in the bottom of a shallow baking dish large enough to hold all peppers
9. Place/stand the stuffed peppers into the baking dish. Put a dollop of ketchup on top of the meat
    filling
10. Bake for about 45 minutes

Vegan Creamy Asparagus Soup + a Fun Concert

This, my friends, is post number 900. Hard to believe, but it is true :)

In any case it is a double post day, since I did not post yesterday.

Yesterday, we all had tickets to see a concert by a German A Capella group by the name of Vocaldente.  It was their first as well as their only show in Portland and it was amazing.  All of us loved it - both girls were amazed and got autographs at the end of the show -> http://www.vocaldente.org/en/

Before the concert we ate dinner - no, not out - at home.  I made Vegan Creamy Asparagus Soup; adapted from -> http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/creamy_asparagus_soup/

You will need
- Splash of olive oil
- One onion finely chopped
- One bunch of asparagus - remove woodsy ends, dice spears finely
  and reserve the asparagus tips
- One medium sized potato, finely diced
- Three cups of either water and a bouillon cube - I used vegan, OR
   three cups of vegetable, or chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
- One tablespoon of Tofutti Sour Cream
- fresh lemon juice to taste
- Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Gently heat olive oil and add onion with a pinch of salt.  Sautee for about 5 minutes until soft, then
2. Add chopped asparagus and sautee for another couple of minutes until they are bright green.
3. Add the potato, herbs and the water, or broth. Next add the bouillon cube (if you are using water)
4. Bring to a slow simmer and simmer for about 15 - 20 minutes.
5. In a separate pot bring salted water to a boil, to blanche the asparagus tips. Drop them in the hot
    water for about 2  minutes until just soft. When done, remove them from the water and move to a
   dish with ice water.
6. When asparagus and potatoes are soft blend the soup; I use a hand blender
7. When soup has the desired consistency - we like ours thick - take it off the heat. Add Sour "cream";
    add lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

Alena said "this is the best soup ever!" - Mia Rosies verdict was "I love this soup!" - and yes, Ron also liked it a lot...

Girls only weekend

Ron loves to run and every year he goes to Eugene to run a 1/2 Marathon while we stay up here in Portland.  This year was Ron's turn to drive and since we are a one car family we enjoyed lot's of walks.  Good thing that a) it did not rain the entire weekend and b) it was not too hot yet.  The girls and I had lot's of fun.  So glad, we live urban and have so many great places to walk to.

So on Saturday we took a stroll down to Porque No for lunch - then stopped at the pet shop on the way to the playground.  On the way home from the playground we stopped at Stumptown Coffee on Division met this cute dog, while the girls enjoyed a vegan soy hot chocolate, and vegan soy vanilla steamer.  Chocolate for Alena - Vanilla for Mia Rosie....

On Sunday we took a walk down the hill to the food carts on Belmont.  Hot Dogs for the ladies, and an amazing dessert of Coconut Lemon Saffron Sorbet - creamy coconut milk ice "cream" for Alena, and Passionfruit Peppercorn Sorbet for Mia Rose.  That was the most amazing ice "cream" ever.  So good - http://fifty-licks.com/flavors/coconut-lemon-saffron-sorbet Wow - incredibly good!!!

Then on the way back up the hill  we stopped at the playground for some time on the playground before heading back home.  Yay for living in such a great city :)

Oven baked - chicken, potatoes, and asparagus

with mixed green salad. Today I tried out another recipe which I found on Pinterest -> http://www.barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=443 Lemon Chicken Breast. I used split bone and skin on breasts. It turned out good, but think that it will need a little more tweaking for my taste.

Know about Newbornscreening before your baby arrives

This could be one of the most important things to learn before your precious baby arrives.  Don't be like me;  I - lucky beyond belief - learned about newborn screening last minute in the hospital after Alena was born.  The question always rings in my head what if I had not read the brochure? Our story -> http://www.savebabies.org/family-stories_alena_and_mia_rose.html

Yes, newborn screening is protocol in all hospital's but let's face it we are dealing with humans and not robots.  Errors happen, tests get forgotten, so always ask to make sure.  For us, had I not asked more like than not Alena would not have survived. That is the plain truth. But you that it is also true, that I would have never asked had I not known about newborn screening.  As remote as it sounded at that day, and yes I certainly did not know that it would save our daughter's life.  Just that little piece of knowledge saved Alena's life.

And, there are other reasons why it is so important to know about newborn screening before your precious baby arrives.  Did you know that the disorders tested by each state in it's newborn screening test varies?  Some states for 39 different disorders, while others test for 50+ disorders.  Find out now which disorders your state tests http://www.savebabies.org/screening.html It is so important to find out before your baby is here, because it gives you time to determine whether you may want to get additional screening for your newborn.  We did this with Mia Rose - our second daughter - and her test result showing a positive GALT - Classic Galactosemia - was reported by the private lab within a weeks time.  Which was also faster than the state results were reported.  Here is the link to tell you more about additional screening -> http://www.savebabies.org/pregnant_links.html

So please, spread the word tell your pregnant friends, tell your friends who are about to adopt a newborn baby. It is easy to learn more about the newborn screen check out http://www.savebabies.org, and watch this amazing video http://vimeo.com/34898727

The Galactopdx Store...

yes, I added a store to my little Blog.  I added the store as a page->  http://astore.amazon.com/galinpdx-20
You may wonder, why I added it.  The first and to me the most important reason is, that there are many products that we use in our everyday life that are - for us - Galactosemia safe.  When Alena was first diagnosed, I was wondering what will our little baby girl be eating when she gets older?  Will I be able to buy anything read to eat in the store, are there treats we can get in a store?  I think that I am probably not the only mother wondering about these things, so that is why I put this little storefront together.  I also realize, that in Portland we are very lucky and find a lot of these items.  So this is another reason why I put this storefront together.  There are many other products we use, but those are some of the basic items.  Items that are not available through Amazon include Whole Soy Yoghurt, Tofutti cream cheese, and sour cream, ice "cream" treats from Tofutti, So Delicious, Tempt, etc.

And yes,  there is a small percentage that I get from a sale from this storefront. Thank you! I sincerely hope, that you find this storefront useful.  Please note however, that these are the products WE USE. I do not claim that these are appropriate foods for anyone else with Classic Galactosemia. Always check with your dietician, metabolic clinic, and use your own judgment.  When you receive the products always double check the label.

Friday Night Dinner -> Out

and we went to Dick's Kitchen on Belmont in SE Pdx for the first time. Wow - how could it have taken us this long to try out this restaurant? Fantastic burgers, sliders for the kiddos but you know what is the most fantastic thing about this restaurant? All - yes all - buns, and also sides vegan. Whoo-hoo!!! That makes this mother's heart sing; Galactosemia safe bread = burgers with a bun for the girlies :))) And yes, the burgers and buns are amazing...There are two locations in Portland - here is the link http://www.dkportland.com/

Do you know what is next door to Dick's Kitchen? No? I will tell you, St. Cupcake and so you know what that means? Yes, dessert for the girlies...a Big Cookie 'n Cream Vegan Cupcake for Alena, and a small Vanilla with Chocolate Frosting Vegan Cupcake for Mia Rose. Happy girlies and Happy Mama :)))

Pork Coconut Curry Soup

Why pork? Well, we had some frozen pork left from our faboulous frozen Family meat pack so ist was the protein of choice tonight :). Yes, and curry as I was just not - hear hear - in a Schnitzel mood. So I remembered the fantastic Thai Curry Soup we had a few weeks back - originally found on Pinterest - and used that recipe as a base -> http://www.sweetspot.ca/SweetHome/recipes/12231/thai_coconut_curry_soup/

It turned out great - Alena said "Mama, I love this dinner..." Yay :)

You need
- 1 can of coconut milk
- Thai curry paste
- 3/4 - 1 lb of your preferred source of protein i.e. Tofu, pork, chicken, etc. sliced
- 2 stalks of lemongrass. Sliced lengthwise, and cut into 1" or longer pieces
- 1 lime juiced, and zested
- 2 carrots grated
- 1/2" of grated fresh Ginger - or more
- 3-4 C chicken broth
- 1 box - 8 oz - Rice noodles. I used vermicelli
- greens of a bunch of scallions diced
- 1 lime cut into wedges

1. Meld the cream from the coconut in a and mix in app. 2-1/2 T of curry paste. When bubbly
add
2. Protein and sautee for about 5 minutes, then add
3. Coconut water - remainder from can - and the rest of the ingredients except for: Rice noodles,
Scallions, and lime wedges
4. Simmer for about 25 minutes, adjust spices, remove lemongrass. Remove from heat and add
Rice noodles, carefully pushing them underneath the broth.
5. When Rice noodles are soft - about 8 minutes - laddle in soup bowls, sprinkle with scallions
and serve with a lime wedge.

Guten Appetit! Enjoy!