Healthy Cauliflower Crust Pizza!

OK, I've attempted this pizza before and it was a complete disaster... I mean, it was pretty good, but now that I've successfully made this deliciousness, I'll call the other one a disaster.

Here is the yummy goodness from tonight.

Lately, I've been in the kitchen a lot, experimenting with new recipes and trying to make most of our meals from scratch.

I'm pretty sure I saw cauliflower crust pizza on Pinterest before, so that's where I got the idea.

I love cauliflower. Love, love, love it! But even the first pizza I made tasted like cauliflower alone. Kinda not something you want to eat for a whole meal.

Anyway, this recipe is awesome and I'd reccommend it to anyone everyone! I found it yesterday while telling my friend Tish about the crust and decided to give it another try. I'm not sure how to post her site on here yet... So this is the only way I know how. Just wanna give the credit where it's due!http://www.eatingbirdfood.com/2012/09/healthy-pizza-with-a-cauliflower-crust/

I'll post pictures of her descriptions, then post some pictures of my own with some brief descriptions.

I pretty much used a whole head of cauliflower, but maybe I just picked a small one at the store? Anyway, I grated it with a cheese grater since we don't have a processor and it worked just fine. Then cooked it in a pan for about eight minutes until it was translucent.You'd be amazed at the amount of water that's in cauliflower! Make sure you don't add anything in when cooking. Just start on low heat, then up to medium.

Oh, and just a little side note... Last time I put it in the microwave to cook for about eight minutes. It cooked fine, but was much more watery. I think that's part of the reason why it fell apart so bad.

Then I beat an egg, added a teaspoon of oregano, a teaspoon of basil, one minced garlic clove, and one cup of shredded pizza cheese mix, and added it to the cooked cauliflower.
Last time I used mozzarella, but I decided to give this blend of cheese a try and it was great! I tried to find something organic, but couldn't. So this cheese will do! I also forgot to get the cup of cheese in the picture. Oops!

I also forgot to get a picture of the crust after I put it on the pan. :( Super easy though. Just press your cauliflower/cheese mixture into a circle about 1/4 of an inch think. Then bake at 400 degrees. The recipie I followed said to bake for 25-30 minutes, but really, ours only took 15-20. Maybe it wasn't think enough? It also stuck to the pan around the edges of the crust, and was a little moist in the middle. Next time I'll need to make the edges thicker and middle thinner.

We got this awesome stone for a wedding gift and have yet to use it. I thought tonight would be the perfect night to try it out! Yeah! Little did I know you have to "season" it several times before using. Guess I'll have to look into that some more so I know how to make it last! Anyway, can't wait to use it!

While the crust was baking, I cut up some veggies for the toppings. We chose muchrooms, spinach, artichoke hearts, and pepperoni. Be sure you don't pile on too many toppings or it'll be too heavy and your crust will crumble. I also sautéed the mushrooms and artichoke hearts in extra virgin olive oil since they only cook on top of the pizza for a short time.

I also sprinkled a teeny tiny bit of shredded cheese and feta cheese over the toppings, too. Mostly for presentation since the crust had cheese in it already.

Here is a picture of everything we used. Well, I guess I forgot the spinach.. Really trying to go as natural and organic as we can. But for now, these items will do!

So the crust comes out, sauce and toppings go on, and pizza goes back in to broil for a few minutes. I only broiled it for two minutes and it was perfect!

And viola! Healthy cauliflower crust pizza!

Sorry some of the pictures came out bad. It was pretty late when we made this. Everything always looks better with the sun coming through the window!

As if you can't tell already, I''m so proud of my pizza! Mostly that it worked. And tasted UH-mazing!

I really thought I'd still be hungry after eating a few sclices since they were pretty small, but it was surprisingly filling. Yeah!

Before any toppings, a slice of crust alone (when divided into 8 slices) only has 50 calories, 2 carbs, and has 5 grams of protein! Wow. Can you say "pizza every night!" Ha, ha.

Last time, my crust completely fell apart.... I'm convinced it's because I microwaved it, and didn't add an egg to the mixture. It was still a little moist, don't get me wrong, but not near as bad! At least I was able to eat it like a doughy piece of pizza!

It also seemed greasy (see my finger? ew..) But that's because cauliflower is so moist, and I think it also had to do with the pesto we used.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with my pizza and am looking forward to having it again. And again. And again... :)

Meet Haley!

I've been meaning to write a post about our foster dog for three weeks now! She met a new family Saturday that applied to adopt her, so I'm sure we'll see her go soon.

The whole "foster a dog" thing is pretty cool. Aaron and I have been talking about getting a puppy/dog for quite some time now. Debating on whether we wanted to get a puppy or full grown, adopt or buy, and what kind of dog.

Although I would never want to get boxer, it has been a good experience and I'm glad we did it. She's a sweet dog, but needs lots of training and attention. Glad we could give her a home instead of her waiting in a dark room until she was adopted.

While having Haley with us the past few weeks, we were able to pretty much decide on exactly what we wanted.

-Small/medium size dog. One that can be mostly indoor with Sophia and I while Aaron is at work.
-Medium/long haired. The short hair is actually harder to clean up. And just not as soft...
-A puppy. We had wanted to skip the puppy stage, but I think it'd be best for Sophia.

Sophia was very curious about Haley first, but never wanted her face to be near hers. Probably because Haley's mouth is gigantic! Ha, ha. I'd be afraid of that, too if I were just a little girl! She does a lot better with her now though, and likes to pet her back and feel her hair. She mostly visits with Haley at her favorite window or when we go on walks. Every time she hears her bark she gasps and lets out a little, high pitched "arf arf" herself. It's pretty much the cutest.

Sammy had Sophia the morning we picked Haley up, so it was just Aaron and I!

On our way home we ran over a screw that went straight through the tire. Boo. So we pulled into a little auto shop to get it fixed or the spare put on. We were pretty close to our house, so Aaron suggested we just walk home, then he'd come back to get the car.

It was great! Haley was able to get out all her energy and we had a nice little day date!

Toddler Bed

The last few months we've been throwing around different ideas about what to do with Sophia's sleeping situation. 

 

Should we buy a king size bed and continue co-sleeping?

New crib? (Ours was bought at a garage sale and is at the end of it's rope.)

Toddler bed?

Buy a twin size bed, and only use the top mattress on the floor for a while?

Crib mattress on floor? 

Embrace the whole montessori-style floor bed/living?

 

Well, we decided to go with the toddler bed. Sophia loved it right away!

 

 

Can you tell our lives are all about Sophia? Ha, ha.

 

Before she actually slept in her bed, we made sure she was able to get on and off the bed without any problems. I would sit by her while she climbed up, and then taught her how to turn around feet first with her belly on the bed to get down. I was really surprised at how quickly she picked it up. Then it became such a game, that she'd go all the way down the hall, then walk back into the room to get on and off the bed. She did this about six times. Back and forth. Wish I would have gotten a video of that!

 

I did get this sweetness though.

 

 

I mean... Isn't she the cutest?

 

Now I know you can see that black cord and we did cover all outlets, and secure the bookshelf (and soon dresser) into the wall. Her room is now completely baby proofed. So baby proofed that my mother can't even get the outlet plugs out. Ha! ;)

 

  

  

The first night went smoother than I ever could have hoped for. I think we heard one little peep out of her around midnight. Other than that, she slept all night, and got herself out of bed in the morning to play.

 The second night Aaron woke me up before going to bed so I could come peak at Sophie. I guess she tried to get out of bed, but decided she was too tired. Ha!


I'm really amazed at how well this toddler bed has worked out. At first I thought we were crazy, and she was too young for this... But really, it has worked out perfectly! She's even started putting herself to sleep, and has started to cut out her night time nursing session. Some days she'll take a nap or go to bed without any problem. Other days, she'll lay in bed a fuss until she falls asleep. And some days, she'll lay in bed, fuss, then decide she's not quite sleepy enough, get up and play for a bit, then back down for a nap a little while later. Yes, I would love to be scheduled, and have tried so hard so many times, with everything in our lives... but we're just not the scheduling-type family. At least not right now, and it's working. :)

Don't get me wrong though, we still have some bedtime issues, but not near as bad as it used to be.

Nap time. Normally, she doesnt sleep with anything in the bed, ever. Except maybe a sheet... but not usually.

I also finally finished Sophia's bedding. Well, almost. I'm planning on adding a little more to the pillow with the blue square in the middle.

Sophia's Birth Story - Part 4 NICU Stay

I think I was discharged a day or two after I had Sophia, but I was able to "room in" another day. When they first told me I would be able to room in with Sophia (keep my things/food in a hospital room, and sleep there at night) I was thrilled. How cool is that?! They made it seem like I'd be able to stay as long as Sophia was in the NICU, but really, I guess it just meant one more day. There is a room for parents to stay in by the nursery that I was told I could stay in if it was available, but when I asked about it, I never really got an answer, and I guess there's a long process to go through before you can start staying there. It was all confusing... So we just made a million trips to and from the hospital those two weeks, spending as much time as we could with Sophia.

The two weeks Sophia was in the NICU were so stressful. I just wanted her to be home.

They nurses had her on a very strict feeding schedule, and I wanted to be there for every feeding that I could be. Usually, I was there for all from 8:00am-8:00pm. Sometimes we'd make it to the 11:00pm feeding, too.

Feeding Schedule:
5:00am
8:00am
11:00am
2:00pm
5:00pm
8:00pm
11:00pm
2:00am

So during the night, the nurses would feed Sophia, and I would pump at home. I'm so glad we lived so close to Shannon Hospital. Even though I fed her every three hours, it really took much longer. It was such a challenge to keep her awake, and get her to take a bottle. Sometimes it took an hour just for her to eat an ounce or two!

The nurses were great. I feel like every single one of them cared so, so much. No matter how many questions I asked, or help I needed, they were always there. And they were so sweet to Sophia. They made a name tag for her crib, and would leave us little notes when we'd come in.

Before every feeding, I was also pumping to make sure I didn't lose my milk supply. Actually, I guess I was pumping to help my body start producing. It took about a week and a half before it really came in. I'd store it it milk bags at home, then bring it to the hospital each day so they could mix it with formula (formula for extra calories).

I'm just going to take a minute here to vent about how much I hate pumping. I think that's why my whole breastfeeding experience started off so horribly. It wasn't natural, so it hurt like nothing I've ever experienced! Plus, washing a million little pump parts got reeeeeally old, really fast. Thank goodness I had a double electric pump. Although, I wish we would have spent a little more money and bought one that was less complicated, with fewer pieces. And did I mention that we didn't have a dish washer? Putting it all together, pumping for 20-30 minutes, putting milk in freezer bag with date, taking it apart, washing each part, setting out to dry, only to do it all again in another couple of hours. Phew! But, I'm so glad I stuck with it. It's amazing what you'll do for your sweet baby. :) I ended up pumping every day until Sophia was about eight months old. Talk about having an awesome stash of breastmilk built up. Our freezer was stocked full! Bottles if I was away, and used to add to foods once she started eating solids.

Anyway, back to the schedule.

With the amount of time it took to pump, get to the hospital, get Sophia out of her isolette, and drink her bottle, the three hours between feedings quickly disappeared.

When I arrived in the NICU for each feeding, it went a little something like this...

-Wash hands.
-Put new frozen milk in freezer.
-Make bottle (nurses sometimes had it ready, but I got the hang of it and liked to do it myself).
-Change Spohie's pulse oximeter, and occasionally the other sticky monitor things.
-Turn off isolette and get her out.
-Give bottle.
-Change diaper, hold and love on her.
-Back in isolette and turn back on. Turning it on always made me so nervous. Even though I knew what I was doing, I was always afraid I'd put it on the wrong settings.
-Change diaper.

 Sometimes I'd bring the pump, and stay between feedings. Aaron, mom and dad would also come any time they could.

In the middle of the second week, I was able to try nursing Sophia. And hey, I'm just gonna say it.. It was totally weird. And I laughed really hard. Ha ha, makes me laugh thinking about it. I mean, how are you supposed to handle something like that? I hadn't really given breastfeeding much thought, only that I was going to do it, and then there I was, breastfeeding. I probably didn't get that "bonding" experience until she was a few months old. But after we got the hang of it, I fell in love with it all. I'm amazed at the human body and how God designed it to work.

In case you haven't noticed, I'm pretty open about this subject. Trying to help normalize breastfeeding again. ;)

Dr. Herbert, Sophia's periatrician, would check up on her every few days to make sure she was doing OK.



The only real problem she had was trying to keep her body temperature up, so she stayed in an isolette for a while.



She was born on a Friday, and two weeks later on a Friday we got to take her home. Before she got the OK to come home, she had to pass the car seat test. She had to stay in her car seat for an hour without any of her monitors going off.

Cool story about the car seat... Since she was under five pounds, they required us to have a 4-30lbs carseat. Which, no one in San Angelo sells. We hadn't bought one yet because we were pretty sure we're get one at her baby shower. Since she came early, we had no car seat. My mom looked everywhere for one that met the hospitals requirements, and the only one she found was at Target, and was completely hot pink and $80.00. For those of you that know me, hot pink is not my color. Well, now that I have a little girl, I like dressing her in pink things, but a hot pink car seat, for $80.00... boo. So mom kept looking and felt like she was supposed to check at Goodwill. And guess what? That same, exact, car seat from Target, was still in the box, completely packaged, brand new, and only $30.00. God thing? I think so.

 

Sophia passed her test on the first try and we were able to take her home. Finally. :)

 

 

 

Welcome home, little one.