In which making a pizza almost becomes a full time job

For the last few years, I have worked hard researching and experimenting and cooking as I have attempted to get our family to the point where we eat only real food (ie: food that does not come in a box). That's been great training for me. For example, over those years, I have successfully rid the house of high fructose corn syrup. Now I must take it a step further and rid the house of cane sugar. Additionally, there have been various times when I have "gone gluten-free" just to give it a try, so I am already familiar with various ways to cook without the forbidden grains and flours. Now I'm taking it a step further by cooking without many of the acceptable gluten-free starches like tapioca and potato starch and flours like rice and sorghum flour.

This is still a big, giant challenge for me, though.

Thank goodness for Pinterest and Google!

For lunch today, my sous chef and I made pizza...with a cauliflower crust. The original recipe comes from The Detoxinista. Although I don't know how to do one of those fancy-schmancy recipe cards you can print from my blog, the recipe is available at the end of this post sans all the interruptions of my scattered brain.

1. First, you need your ingredients: cauliflower, soft goat cheese, salt, an egg, and oregano. You will need the following equipment: a food processor, a large saucepan, a fine mesh strainer, a finely woven dish towel, a large bowl, parchment paper, and a baking sheet.

2. Go to the store to get goat cheese. (Note to self: read the recipe all the way through at least the day before preparation.) The recipe calls for soft goat cheese. I didn't want to use cream cheese. I didn't have any homemade cream cheese. And I knew that regular cheese would not hold the crust together, which I could only assume was the purpose of the soft goat cheese. I have never purchased goat cheese because I'm not particularly fond of it, so naturally it took way longer at the store to find it than I anticipated.

3. Break off florets of cauliflower and place in food processor. Pulse the food processor until the cauliflower resembles rice. Trust me. It really will resemble rice after a few pulses!

4. Meanwhile, if you were really organized, you would have been boiling about an inch of water in the bottom of the large saucepan I mentioned. Of course, if you are not that organized, it's not too long of a wait. Just don't watch the pot, right?

5. Anyway, after the water starts boiling, scrape all of your cauliflower "rice" into the boiling water and boil for 4-5 minutes.

6. Now strain your "rice" in the mesh strainer. Then put your strained "rice" in your finely woven dish towel.

7. Wring out the water.

8. Totally burn yourself. Don your dishwashing gloves and give the "rice" another wring. Get it as dry as possible.

9. Place dry "rice" in a large bowl.

10. Realize that in your attempt at prudence, you didn't process nearly enough cauliflower for this project.

11. Take the rest of the head of cauliflower and repeat steps #4, 5, 6, 7, and 9.

12. Beat your egg.

13. Place the beaten egg, the goat cheese, the oregano, and the salt in the cauliflower.

14. Mix together very well.

15. Place parchment paper on the baking sheet.

16. Spread the cauliflower mixture out on the baking sheet. If you happened to pop over to the Detoxinista's site, you'll see how nicely she patted hers out. Hers even has a nice lip at the edge of the crust. I was going for the artisan look, plus I have a cuter assistant.

17. Bake at 400. Oh, right...you should have preheated your oven to 400. Bake at 400 for 35-40 minutes.

18. Top your pizza with the desired toppings.

19. Pop back in the oven until the toppings are warmed through.

20. Enjoy!

I make my pizza sauce by first sauteeing a bunch of veggies in a saucepan. Once they are soft, I add diced tomatoes. I take the immersion blender to these because my three older kids won't eat something they suspect might have a vegetable in it, and lumpy vegetables is a dead giveaway. After I blend until smooth, I add tomato sauce. Then in goes oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and a bay leaf or two. Normally, I would then add a swirl of molasses to combat the acidity of the sauce. Since molasses has sugar, today I left it out which resulted in less than perfect but still pretty good pizza sauce. (Once I can procure some Yacon Syrup, I hear it is an acceptable substitute for molasses.)

For Audrey's and my cauliflower pizza, I added the pizza sauce and lots of veggies. Thankfully, she is my one kid who will eat anything, so vegetable lumps don't scare her away at all. I then sprinkled a bit of cheese on top. With a Candida diet, you are supposed to omit milk because lactose is a sugar; however, I am allowing her to have Kerrygold cheese and butter. Kerrygold is from grass-fed cows. As with most cow's milk cheeses (I think), it has no sugar. (Surprisingly, the goat cheese has 1g of sugar.)

My other three kids had their pizzas on whole wheat and flax pita bread (not homemade). One might ask if I don't care about my other three kids. I do. Obviously. I am not forcing them to comply with our new diet 100% for a number of reasons. First and most importantly, they are not currently the ones with the big health crisis. My number one goal right now is to get Audrey better. Secondly, we've already spent at least one of the children's college funds on food this week. It is especially expensive during this learning curve because I am messing up a lot of what I am making or I'm following recipes that weren't good in the first place. Once I've made it around that learning curve and perhaps down the road a bit, I can include the other kids in my experiments more often. And, last, my three older kids, while supportive of Audrey, are not shy about voicing their opinion about food. So, if I were to present them with a cauliflower pizza, this might elicit a less than favorable comment from them before the first bite is even taken. I want Audrey to try the food without bias from her older siblings.

Anyway, I have digressed on quite a tangent as I am wont to do. I suppose you'd like to know the verdict. Was this cauliflower pizza that took me forever and a day to make worth it? And the answer is definitely! Obviously, it will come together a lot quicker next time, so certainly we will make it again. Audrey really liked it, and so did I.

So here's the recipe in short. And, really, I will teach myself how to do a printable recipe card someday. Someday...when making a pizza doesn't take me all day long!

INGREDIENTS
4 c. raw cauliflower rice (I used a whole head of cauliflower)
1 egg, beaten
1/3 c. soft goat cheese
1 t. dried oregano
pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS
1. Place florets of cauliflower in food processor and pulse until cauliflower resembles rice.

2. Place riced cauliflower in about an inch of boiling water. Boil for 4-5 minutes.

3. Drain cauliflower in fine mesh strainer. Then place cauliflower in finely woven dish towel and wring all water out of cauliflower.

4. Place in large bowl and add beaten egg, goat cheese, oregano, and salt. Mix well.

5. Spread on parchment paper on baking tray.

6. Bake at 400 for 35-40 minutes.

7. Remove, add desired toppings, and place back in oven to cook until cheese is melted.

Fighting the Bad Guys

I've decided to pick up my blogging pen once again, only this time I am going to be joined by my eight-year-old. I told her I was going to add a cooking blog to our family blog. I asked her if she would like to be my sous chef, my food critic, and my fellow blogger. She replied, "Ummm...I don't really know what you're talking about, but sure!" I think she'll catch on.

I want her to be involved because we have started a rather challenging diet in an attempt to heal her little belly. The doctors call it Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS) - every four weeks or so she spends 4-5 days hanging over a bucket. In my search for answers, I had a lengthy discussion with a friend whose daughter experienced the same symptoms and whose doctor offered the same diagnosis. Like me, she wasn't satisfied when the doctor said, "There's not much you can do but get through each episode." So she sought answers and finally found them through another doctor who told her that her daughter had an overgrowth of yeast (sometimes called Candida) and needed to be on a gluten and sugar-free diet. My friend's daughter has been CVS-free for 8 years now.

I explained it to Audrey this way:

Your tummy has good guys and bad guys in it. The good guys help you fight disease and stay healthy. They are also supposed to stay numerous enough to keep the bad guys from taking over.

The bad guys like to eat sugar. So when you eat lots of sugar, the bad guys start to grow and multiply and TAKE OVER! (And you know that we - you and me - have a sweet tooth, right? So even though I homemake most treats, they're still sugary.)

(The dots are sugar. Duh. We're getting really scientific here.)

Once the bad guys take over, you start to feel bad. Different people feel bad in different ways. For you, your body gets mad about all the bad guys, and you throw up a lot.

So what we have to do is stop feeding the bad guys. In addition, we need to take what are called probiotics because those will help the good guys grow and multiply and then THEY can take over!

And so that is how we came to the conclusion that Audrey needs to be on a gluten and sugar-free diet. And really, I've adopted more of a primal/paleo approach because I think all of the starches and weird flours of the gluten-free diet are as bad or worse than a standard diet.

I hope and pray this is the answer. "Mainstream" doctors will not admit this is a problem. They will tell you not to believe all of the hocus pocus a naturopath will tell you. Well, a week of vomiting every few weeks is no way to live, and all the mainstream doctor is telling me is that we have to "get through each episode", so I have no choice but to listen to a naturopath (or, rather, a friend who did listen to an alternative medicine doctor). I did contact a lady on a CVS forum who sent me a list of specialists in the country. Though there are only a handful, there is one in Boston and one in New York, so it would be feasible to make an appointment with them. However, I was a bit discouraged because the lady told me that, with medication, her grandson went from having episodes every 4-6 weeks to only having them every 4-6 months. She called that a miracle. That's no miracle to me; that's still a week of vomiting two or three times a year.

I am joining my sweet little girl on this journey. It wouldn't be fair for her to go it alone, plus I suspect most of my health problems stem from too many bad guys in my gut. The rest of the family, by default, is adapting as well, though I also don't think it would be fair to enforce it 100% with them. For her part, my baby girl is an absolute champ. She has accepted her new way of eating without a single complaint. I hope blogging her journey will make it more enjoyable for her so she doesn't get discouraged.

Birthday Week

I'm calendarly challenged. My "baby" boy's birthday was back in May. My "baby" girl's birthday was two days ago. Last night we had a birthday party for my boy. I know. Not great planning, but that's just how it worked out.

Jacob's birthday happened the fall the day after we moved into our new house, so it wasn't real good timing for a birthday party. And this year is the boys' year for parties, so we put it on hold. So far on hold that Audrey's birthday snuck up on us too. It wasn't her year to have a party, but we did let her choose a dinner location. I'm sure it's not hard to believe she chose Chuck E. Cheese.

Nothing like dinner with a creepy puppet, right? 

At least she got to meet the real Charles Edward Cheese.

(That's what I call him; we're pretty tight, you see.)

 

Turns out our friends ending up joining us. And they brought gifts too...something that is definitely NOT supposed to happen at a not-party. It really looked like a real party to me. Shhh....don't tell anyone!

 

But at home, Audrey did get a not-party birthday cake, so I guess that made up for the real party not-party. I don't think she was complaining about the not-party cake, though.

 

Jacob had his real party party two days later. He invited a couple of friends over for the night. They rough housed like boys are supposed to do, enjoyed an Angry Birds pizza courtesy of his dad,

 

wolfed down an Angry Birds cake (and, yes, I realize my cake decorating techniques have seen better days),

(and notice the redneck "birthday candle")

 

rough housed some more, watched a movie, rough housed some more, and then built a gigantic tent in the boys' room.

 

I think his party was worth waiting for.

 

It was a busy two-for-one birthday week, but I think the two birthday kids had a good time. As for me, it's time to refresh and try to more competently plan future birthdays.



DOZ Camp

Psalm 150:4a ~ Praise Him with the tambourine and dancing.

Audrey went to camp last week. Tambourine camp. It's not as weird as it sounds. She went to a camp for Daughters of Zion, a group to which she was introduced last year at homeschool guilds. She loved it so much and couldn't wait for camp. The focus of camp was on worship, and the kids learned different ways to worship: with tambourines, dance, streamers.

On the evening of the last day, the kids did a recital to show off all that they had learned. It was a fun hour of worship.

To keep the boys busy during the girls' camp, a PE teacher from a local Christian school volunteered his time to supervise a week of sports. The boys had a wonderful time playing soccer, capture the flag, street hockey, and ultimate frisbee. Because the camp took place quite a distance from our house, I whittled away the 2 1/2 hours of camp acquainting myself with a new part of town, running errands, walking a mall, and chatting with Facebook friends on my phone. It was always a welcome part of the day to stop wandering and return to pick up two tired, sweaty boys and one happy girl.

Her Precious Heart

Bedtime for Audrey is still very much a routine. She does not go to sleep without her bedtime prayer. And that prayer must contain two requests: that she not be scared and that she have good dreams, not bad.

Last night, I was taken by surprise when, after my prayer, she asked, "Mommy, what does 'asking Jesus into your heart' mean?"

I explained it to her after which she asked, "How do I ask Jesus into my heart?"

Of course I explained that to her as well. It's a hard concept to understand having Somebody in your little heart! After I put it into six-year-old terms, I asked her if she understood and wanted to ask Jesus into her heart.

She smiled and nodded.

And she prayed a prayer along with me admitting she, like all of us, is a sinner; asking for forgiveness; and asking Jesus to be Lord of her life.

We talked a bit about what it means to have Jesus as Lord of your life.

And I walked out of the room with my heart VERY full.

Pool Party!!

It was a tough call for her to make. A pool party or a gymnastics party? Ultimately, she chose the pool, which I think is a winning choice since it appeals to more guests. And guests? I am feeling very blessed that my sweet little girl had 13 kids with whom to celebrate; I have had fleeting worries that, since we are new up here, there wouldn't be any party guests.

I think they all had a good time at the YMCA pool. We started in the pool where the kids had 45 minutes to splash around and play various pool games.






Following the pool fun, the kids were led to the gym for game time. Audrey chose Minnows & Sharks and Duck, Duck, Goose and was promptly appointed a shark.




After the kids were worn out running around the gym,it was time for the PARTY! Audrey had to wait a bit for her favorite part so we could have pizza. THEN she got to have cake.




Of course, the presents were what she really wanted to get to, and she wasted no time tearing into them.


Her friends were terribly creative and knew exactly what delights her sweet little Princess heart...Polly Pockets, crafts, books. Our dining room currently looks like a Michael's craft store, and since we got home from the party, she has kept herself busy NON-STOP with her new Polly's, her Play-Doh, and one craft after the other!

The Birthday Girl

She is...

sweet,


full of life,


fun,


adorable,


just a little bit mischievous,


beautiful,


absolutely PRECIOUS.




And today is her birthday! What a blessing that she has brought joy to our lives for SIX years!

Although the festivities will continue on Saturday when she celebrates with friends, today she enjoyed some birthday fun at home with her family. She woke up to find a couple of presents waiting on the counter for her.


She wasted no time!


More Polly Pockets. Not what she needs but what she wanted. That's what birthdays are all about anyway, right?


And the sweetest part? Her big sister playing Pollys with her.


Of course her birthday treat at her birthday lunch at Chili's was pretty sweet too.


The rest of the day held some special birthday girl events: a little girl time at the nail salon, an afternoon movie featuring a birthday gift movie, and lots of time to play with new toys.

I hope she felt loved...because we sure do love her!

Little Gymnast

"Mommy," she said as we left her next-to-last gymnastics class of the season, "at first I thought gymnastics was just doing cartwheels. But gymnastics is a lot more funner than I thought!"

She has truly had a wonderful time in her gymnastics class. This season ended with a little awards ceremony




and an ice cream party.


It wasn't lost on Audrey that some of the girls got a medal, while she only got a ribbon. She asked me about it. I told her that those girls got a medal because they were in gymnastics all year long rather than just one season.


It really wasn't necessary to ask her if she wants to continue with gymnastics; she's got her eye on that medal.

Photo Scavenger Hunt, Vol. VIII

1. Imperfection (with Scripture & a Snapshot)
Because of this:


and this: Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death..."

I am so happy for this: "...but the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord."


And what a comfort to know that, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Because if it was up to me, the way I often live my life, and the many, many times I really mess up, I'd be in big trouble!



2. Shoes
Are these not the cutest shoes EVER?

They are a new acquisition for the Princess' little feet. I have to admit, I looked for a size 8 1/2 too. They are a Payless treasure because, well, when you have to put shoes on 4 pairs of growing feet, you go to Payless, not Stride Rite.

Of course, the shoes look even cuter on sweet little feet.


And those sweet little feet look even more adorable when you see them as part of the cutest five-year-old in the world.


3. Camera Phone
Audrey is still absolutely loving her gymnastics class. With every activity she does, this adorable little grin spreads across her face, and she attacks the activity with enthusiasm. The one thing I do not like about gymnastics class is that parents must stay out of the room and behind the observation glass. I "see" a million adorable, perfect photos during the hour I sit behind that glass. I will wait for a few more sessions to pass, but eventually I will just tell them that I MUST be permitted to spend a few moments capturing my baby's happy, adorable moments. (Have I mentioned adorable yet?) Until then, this iPhone photo will have to do. Keep in mind, it is taken from some distance and from behind the glass. I had a terrible fight with the reflection of some mom wearing a very bright white sweater (doesn't she know she is not supposed to wear white yet??).


4. Chair
We have a lack of interesting chairs in our house - I think because, at least in this children-jumping-on-furniture-and-building-tents-out-of-the-cushions phase of life, we don't invest a whole lot in expensive sofas and couches. In fact, I think the chair with the most personality in our house doesn't even belong to us but to the people who own our rental home. It sits on the porch and has been fairly ignored since we arrived here just in time for Cold. But Thursday our temps struggled up into the low 60s so that I didn't feel like I might die standing outside long enough to snap a photo. I even added a soda bottle to give it a summer-y feel.


5. Camera
Well...this didn't turn out exactly as I saw it in my head. And I have some ideas on how I could improve it, but honestly between homeschooling, cleaning, running an online class, freelance editing, being a single mom while my hubby was on a trip, and caring for 4 children, I just didn't have the time to try to perfect it. So...I hope you'll at least appreciate the idea and the attempt!