Erin L'amoureux de Coop

White Wine Marinated Portabella Mushroom Burger

2013-06-18T21:08:00.000-05:00

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

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

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

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

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

1 tsp. thyme

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

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

1 "hamburger" bun of your choice/phe allowance

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

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

PAN:

1. Set burner on medium heat and melt butter.

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

Mushroom with thyme, cooked and almost ready

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

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

Add cheese when only a little liquid is left

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

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

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

Our Mushroom "Farm"

2013-03-06T22:16:00.000-06:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

First harvest, very large fresh mushrooms

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

Swimsuit Shopping

2013-02-26T18:54:00.001-06:00

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

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

See the example of the modest shorts style in the center

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

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

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

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

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

Cambrooke's Swirl Caramel (updated)

2013-01-20T14:24:00.000-06:00

A PKU Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

Looks just like pudding...yum

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

Children's Museum

2012-11-17T14:02:00.000-06:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Cheese-Itz"

2012-08-07T15:50:00.002-05:00

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

Recipe:

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

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

1 1/2t. baking powder

salt to taste

1/3c. butter flavored Crisco

1/4 c. water

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

"Dough" looks like this

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

Roll out very thin

Cut with a pizza or pastry cutter.

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

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

Finished Crackers

50g of crackers = 17.5mg/PHE

TIPS

If they are too chewy, roll thinner next time

If they burn they are too thin.

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

CaminoPro COMPLETE Fruit

2012-08-07T15:13:00.001-05:00

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

Fruit Bar in the Car- great for on the go

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

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

chunky texture things- eww :(

My own backyard

2012-07-16T11:37:00.000-05:00

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

Enjoy the pictures.

Crape Myrtle - light pink

Rose of Sharon Close up

Rose of Sharon tree

Crape Myrtle - darker pink

Red roses...they smell great too

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

CaminoPro COMPLETE Peanut Butter Bar

2012-07-11T17:21:00.004-05:00

A PKU Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Looks like a "normal" protein bar packaging

a bit dry inside, but good overall

New York City Trip

2012-06-20T11:00:00.000-05:00

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

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

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

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

NYC Parks - Free and Low-Cost Events

Spicy Enchiladas

2012-06-19T11:02:00.002-05:00

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

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

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

4-5 sliced large white mushrooms

1 T. chopped cilantro

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

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

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

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

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

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

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

Homemade Pizza Crust

2012-06-17T23:19:00.000-05:00

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

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

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

Ready to bake the second time

Done!

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

Mail SPAM?

2012-05-30T18:09:00.001-05:00

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

Same stuff in each one, as always.

Saving money

2012-05-15T11:38:00.000-05:00

Living on a budget, it seems natural to try to clip coupons. And I have clipped a few, but I honestly will never be "that person" who has a ton. We like the brands we do and save when we can, but it's not our primary means of saving.

A few things I have found that are wonderful for saving a few dollars:

Coke Code- Already used :)

Photos- online printing, photobooks and photo gifts are free for us. Why? You know those points on your coke bottle lids or cases? Save them...they add up fast. It may seem like a hassle, but once you sign up online, you can choose to enter via text message. I just text a code when I have one- that's all there is to it. They have tons of free photo options. They also have free magazine subscriptions, MP3 downloads and gift cards for other random stuff (we just used $20 worth of free gift cards at macaroni grill last week). Some of it is junk or "overpriced" as far as points go, but most of it is a great deal. Yes, it takes time but the photos we buy with our points are things we already want but don't want to spend our limited extra money on.

Bed, Bath, and Beyond Coupons

These things never really expire

Expiration dates? What are those? For some reason no one seems to care when these expire. I learned long ago to save the coupons I get every month in the mail. I've saved them for years. I rarely shopped there before this year, but now between our own wedding and buying wedding gifts, we've used tons of them and saved about $200. We had a lot of gift cards after our wedding which seems like a big enough savings- but when you save 20% off each item and spend $500 in gift cards, you get a lot more items. In addition, every single wedding present we have purchased for others has used one of these. It allows us the freedom to pick a gift in a slightly higher price range without spending the extra money. And the recipient has no idea - unless they read this blog! I keep them in a file folder and always have a couple in my car just in case.

Store Apps

Store App

Last and most recent discovery has been the store apps. Not all stores have coupons on their apps, but a few do. I've learned to download the app of any chain store I'm visiting to see what available. Last week I downloaded Joanns fabric app. I save 50% off my $18- a pretty big savings. They took the coupon code right off my phone. It only takes a second to download a store app (I've downloaded some from the parking lot before I walk in) and if it fails to offer coupons, i delete it. But it's defiantly worth the savings!

Mushroom Burgers, minus the soy/eggs

2012-04-02T22:17:00.001-05:00

This is a recipe I created to be meat-free without adding soy/eggs or any other product containing large amounts of protein. I have tried many recipes and most had added stuff I could not eat. All I really wanted was something with mushrooms that looked like a burger and tasted good with ketchup. After much trial and error, here is what I came up with.

Ingredients:
3-5 mushrooms (any kind, but I use white b/c they are cheapest)
1 piece of bread (or about a 1/2 c. bread crumbs)
1 T flour
(you can add any seasoning you would add to real burgers for taste)

Directions:
1. Using my chopper, I chop up my mushrooms and set them aside in a bowl. You may need to chop them separately. If you are a more-legit cook then me and have a food processor, by all means use that.

Chopper...great time saver!

2.Then I take my slice of bread and chop it as well- I always use the heel of the bread so it doesn't go to waste. (PKU NOTE- use your low-protein bread slice to make this lower-PHE) And of course, if you are using bread crumbs already made, skip this step!

3. Add about 1 T flour (or low-PHE flour for PKU readers) and any seasoning if desired. Mix the mushroom and bread in the bowl (I use my clean hands) My mushrooms usually are pretty moist from rinsing earlier, and this moisture and the flour starts to adhere the "burger" together.

4. Once it is mixed well, mush it into the shape of a burger.

5.Use saran wrap to cover a plate and place the "burger" on the plate. Cover the top with the rest of the piece of wrap. Place in freezer for at least 20 minutes, no more than an hour. (If it's more, that just means you have to let it thaw first)

6. Remove "burger" from the freezer and heat in a pan using a small amount butter, oil, white wine, or whatever you might want to add flavor. I prefer a very small amount of vegetable oil (1tsp.) just to keep the burger from sticking to the pan.

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

7. After a couple minutes (time depends on your burner) flip over "burger" -but a word of caution...flip like you would a pancake...make sure you have as much of the "burger" as you can on the spatula to lift and flip or it may break. (No worries it it breaks...it may look less pretty, but tastes the same). Cook the other side for about the same amount of time.

8. Serve on a bun, bread, etc. I like mine with swiss cheese and some ketchup. I'd imagine it would taste great with other condiments as well, I'm just crazy-picky.

My finished product (before condiments)with sandwich bread, but a bun would be ideal.

P.S. Some variations that may fit your needs better

Add a little honey to keep the "burger" together well.

Lightly saute chopped mushrooms beforehand with seasonings and/or sauce, oils, wines to add flavor.

Use spatula to keep "burger" flat while cooking and/or lightly reshape sides if needed.

Place finished "burger" directly on bun - it may start to fall apart if you transfer it from serving plate to bun.

Homemade Bread- The Recipe

2012-03-27T17:48:00.000-05:00

Homemade Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

I have had tons of views on my homemade bread post, but I never shared the recipe. I've been making two loafs every week or so since then- no more store bread for us. At last, I have made the recipe "mine" with the texture an taste we want. So for those searching for a recipe, here it is.
(remember bread can change in different climates/areas...so if you don't live in north Texas you may need to tweak it for yourself)

Ingredients:
2 packs active yeast
1/4 c. warm water (105-115)
1/2 c. molasses
1/4 c. butter
3 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. very warm water (120-130)
5 c. whole wheat flour
2-3 c. all-purpose flour

Directions:
1. Dissolve yeast in warm water using small bowl, set aside
2. In mixer bowl, combine butter, molasses, salt, and very warm water (hint- pour water into 1/4c measuring cup you used for the molasses to rinse out the molasses that is stuck). Let cool for about 5 minutes
3. Beat in first 3 c. of whole wheat flour on low speed for 3 min. Scrape sides to mix well.
4. Best in remaining whole wheat flour and the dissolved yeast.
5. With a wood spoon, add as much of the all-purpose flour as you can (save about 1/2 cup or more for kneading)
6. Place dough on flat surface and knead the rest of the flour in for 5-10 minutes.
7. Grease a bowl and place dough in bowl to rise. Cover with plastic wrap and then a towel. Place bowl in warm place like the oven (do not turn the oven on!)
8.Let rise 45 minutes or until double in size.
9. Once it rises, split the dough in two equal parts (I use a gram scale and weigh them, but you can estimate). Roll each part into a 8 inx18ish rectangle. Roll the rectangle into a "loaf" shape pinching the dough with each roll (for no air bubbles). You can roll it all the way from one end to the other, but I like to roll both ends and meet in the center. Pinch at the end. This page had great tips.
10. Place bread loafs in greased pans and cover with plastic wrap and towel again. Let rise 45 minutes or until double.
11. Heat oven to 375.
12.Bake for 30 minutes. Then turn the oven down to 350 and keep baking about 10 more minutes (or less). The bread will sound hallow when you tap it if it is done.
13. Put on cooling rack and let cool for at least an hour.
14. Enjoy.

Web Design

2012-03-26T15:56:00.001-05:00

Yet another blog fast, but this time it was due to spring break followed by amazing weather. Weather is still amazing, but blogging must happen sometime.

So as a quick blog for today, just wanted to share my first ever full website design for a fundraiser benefiting a child advocacy center in Texas. I have always wanted to try web design, but never had anything "real" to design. Yes, I used iWeb, but I did not use a template and added some HTML code for some stuff. Someday, maybe I can own a real design program an even make money managing sites, but for now, I think this is a good start!

See the site here: www.runforthechildrentx.org

DIY Aviation Decor

2012-03-02T16:12:00.000-06:00

I've been meaning to try a few pinterest crafts for our office decor and I finally tried out the "met.engaged.married" maps and I sort of cheated. We have an aviation theme in our office, so I used some high resolution digital files and just cropped them to the right size for our frames. My hubbie loved them because he loves all airplane related stuff. They took about 10 minutes total...a super-easy project that added a custom touch to our office. The best part...you can find the maps on the FAA website for free!

Then I stumbled across a pinterest aviation theme idea with the phonetic alphabet ...and made my own version. It is my first-even attempt at graphic art for our own personal decor (I've made cards,stationary, t-shirt designs, websites, but I've never attempted "art" for the wall). I used our office colors (blue and orange) and printed it on a full sheet of paper (using boderless printing).

The print I designed on Photoshop

The finished products are not that exciting in the photo (I didn't want to hang them up yet and the glare from the glass was a pain). I may update with a photo later if I can capture then glare free, but even with the glare, it looks like "real" art. Not bad for a Monday night project.

Finished frames that need to be hung someday

Italian Bread

2012-02-29T14:09:00.000-06:00

Last night, I made a pasta dish and I knew I needed some great bread to go with it. We have been enjoying our homemade wheat bread every day and somehow buying store bread didn't seem good enough. So, I decided to continue to conquer my fear of baking bread and tackle an Italian bread from scratch. It took a bit longer to make then the sandwich bread, but it was good. I even made some garlic butter to go along with it. I highly recommend it to anyone.

The finished bread

Bread:
1 3/4 cup warm water (105-115)
2 tbs honey
2 packs active yeast
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbs salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp crushed rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
8 cups flour

And to brush on the bread later:
3 tbs butter, melted
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp crushed rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
1 clove garlic

1. Stir warm water, honey and yeast. Let stand 10 min.

2. Stir in eggs, oil, salt, 1 tsp basil, 1 tsp rosemary, 1 tsp thyme and minced garlic.

3. Stir in as much flour as you can then knead the rest in on a lightly floured surface. Shape dough into a ball and let it rise in a lightly greased bowl. (cover and place in in cool oven for about 1-1.5 hours or until double in size)

4. Punch dough down and place on floured surface. Divide into 3 equal parts then divide again into 3 parts (9 parts total) Roll into about 24 inch ropes and braid 3 together. Shape the braid into a spiral loaf (like in the photo) repeat with other ropes for 3 loaves total.

5. Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheet an let rise until double in size (30 min)

6. Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter and mix with 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp crushed rosemary, 1 tsp dried thyme and 1 clove garlic. Brush on loaves.

7. Bake for 30-35 min until loaves sound hollow. Cool on wire rack.

P.S. For the whipped garlic butter, I put 2 sticks of room temperature butter in a blender with 2 cloves minced garlic and 6 tablespoons vegetable oil (added a few tbs at a time). Blend and scrape into a container with a lid...and put in the fridge until ready to serve.

Cheer T-Shirts

2012-02-21T16:35:00.001-06:00

I was on a roll blog-wise for a while, but took a break to work on some free-lance graphic design. I've had a few projects that I'll blog about later, but one is finally complete. I have a connection with a local PeeWee Cheer and I've been able to design some shirts for them. T-Shirts are challenging because the more colors, the more money. I am limited to 2 colors usually.This year they switched colors on me (from black to gold...and I really don't see how it matches the purple) so I wasn't as big a fan of the design, but here are the shirt designs I made the in 2010 and now.

2010 Design - The "G" is the logo for their teams

Original 2012 Design

2012 Design with "new" colors

New (free) Blender

2012-02-16T20:01:00.000-06:00

Living on a budget and being new to the "homemaker" world, it amazes me what things now excite me. Today I met a goal- I saved up tons of stamps from my grocery store (and collected my mother-in-law's as well) and was rewarded with a free blender. Tonight we are making some more homemade ice cream then testing out the blender for some milkshakes. And now to save up for the less exciting electric can opener!

Ice cream

2012-02-03T23:49:00.001-06:00

Our fun ice cream maker doing it's "thing"

We had a lot of left over ice cream from our wedding ice cream bar- 25 half gallon Blue Bell ice creams to be exact. Four months later and many pounds gained, we finally finished them all. Don't worry, we didn't eat it all ourselves- we had lots of help. Amazingly, we did not get tired of ice cream at all. In fact, we went straight to the store to buy more and were shocked with the price - we had not paid for ice cream in so long! Then I remembered we had a great wedding present that had been neglected...an ice cream maker! I did a little recipe research and read some reviews. We settled on Paula Deen's recipe and it was a big hit. It had less eggs than others (some had up to 8 eggs) and we liked that it was simple. It is a bit softer than store ice cream, but the flavor was amazing. We reduced the sugar by about 1/2c., and ended up using 1c. heavy cream and 1c. 2%milk because we don't own whole milk. Then we put it in the freezer after our first sample to allow it to harden more. I highly recommend this recipe! It tasted great with the dark chocolate brownies we made a few nights before.

Ingredients
4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
2 (12-ounce) cans evaporated milk
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Whole milk

Directions
With an electric mixer, cream eggs and sugar. Add evaporated milk, condensed milk, and vanilla. Beat well. Pour into an electric ice cream churn. Add whole milk to fill line. Insert dasher. Pack cooler 1/3 full with ice. Add a layer of rock salt. Repeat layering with ice and salt until full. Note: be careful not to overfill, spilling salt into the churn. When machine starts to labor or shut off, remove the dasher and drain water. Fill with more ice and salt. Cover with a towel and let harden.

You can't tell here, but it's very creamy!

BetterMilk Fudgsicles

2012-02-01T11:15:00.000-06:00

A PKU post
After my horrible experience with the hot chocolate formula, I was hesitant to try any other recipes. But I reasoned with myself and decided if I like my formula really cold, what could be better than in Fudgsicle form. I had fun taking pictures this time and was actually excited to try them- until they were frozen and ready. Then I started making excuses, tons of them. Finally, only because my husband would get tired of seeing them in the freezer, I gave in. The flavor was pretty good, but the after taste still lingered a bit.

I decided that I don't want to sip my formula slowly or eat my formula in any recipe type form- I just like to get it over with fast. I also like it to taste the same everyday. So I won't be venturing out toward any more recipes. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't at least try a few. Maybe you aren't as picky as me!

Ingredients

It looked like "normal" pudding

Don't use this popsicle-maker set - it didn't work well. I had to use a spoon!

DIY Seasoning Mixes /Spices

2012-01-31T15:58:00.000-06:00

A few months ago, I had the beginnings of a good idea. I found a great recipe that needed garlic salt. I had both salt and garlic powder. But no garlic salt. I wasn't about to run to the store and get some. I knew I could make my own, so with some quick googling I found the ratios. The ratios provided a bit more than I needed, so I decided to just save the extra in one of those fancy spice rack jars that had been empty for years.

A few days later I was making burritos and finishing of a packet of taco seasoning and thought the same thing. It smelled like a combo of all the spices I already had. I found a "recipe" for the seasoning via pinterest, and it was exactly the same. And then, of course, why not make some cinnamon sugar topping just because.

I've been using each for months and finally decided to put labels on them. (My husband didn't know what is what and I'm not sure he liked my "open and smell" technique to tell them apart from some other spices I had unlabeled. I whipped up some labels on address labels via Photoshop/Microsoft word, and now they are complete.

Ratios/Recipes are below. And yes I need to make more garlic salt and cinnamon sugar. And just a little confession or two....I don't measure my taco seasoning in the beef - I just shake til it looks/smells good. And I gave the "normal" cinnamon sugar ratio, but I totally just go by taste - lots of sampling needed that way. I think I prefer a bit more cinnamon then it suggests. Hope they work for you. Let me know any other ideas for spice/seasoning mixes if you have any. (Always needing a great Italian one).

Finally a great use for my spice rack set's empty jars

TACO SEASONING

1/4 cup chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 to 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp paprika
2 tbsp ground cumin
3 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Use about 2-3 tablespoons in place of the packet taco seasoning.

GARLIC SALT

3 parts salt

1 part garlic powder

(for example, 3 tablespoons salt and 1 tablespoon garlic powder)

CINNAMON SUGAR

1/4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Mexican Rice Recipe

2012-01-30T21:19:00.000-06:00

Best Mexican Rice Recipe

I have no idea who Lynn is...I found her via Pinterest. All I know is that she has the BEST recipe for Mexican Rice I have ever found. My hubbie signed me up to make rice for a meeting we were having and he didn't know my fear of making rice. I've always messed up on rice and avoided making it for him until that point. For some reason, it was the one thing I couldn't ever get right.

But then I found this recipe. It is easier than a boxed rice from the grocery store and it's been a hit every time I have made it. I actually started using enchilada sauce instead of tomato sauce the past few times because that is what I had on hand (usually make it with some yummy enchiladas - I'll post the recipe for those later) Both methods create amazing rice. Every time I've made it for guest, I've been asked for the recipe. So, Lynn, whomever you are, I'm sharing your recipe with the world. Hope you don't mind...it needs to be shared!

Mexican Rice

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup uncooked long-grain rice

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 cup tomato sauce (or Enchilada sauce)

2 cups chicken broth

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and cumin. Stir in tomato (or enchilada) sauce and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.

That is all there is to it. And this is my own photo, not hers. Hopefully you can see how tasty it looks.

Tagging this as a PKU recipe as well because it's not that high in protein, and I'm sure you can even make the same recipe with low-pro rice substitute. (I haven't tried it, but in theory it would taste great!)