"Realgood Pizza Co" Cauliflower crust Pizza

I wasn't planning a blog post / review when I started
this, so I didn't take a picture before I opened the box.

So let me start by saying no one asked me for this review, no one is paying me for this review, and most likely no one will want this review...but I feel like writing it anyway.

So today, I was craving pizza. I hadn't figured out what I was making for supper and I had already planned to run by the grocery store on the way home from the office. I am trying to cook at home more (have cooked 16 out of the last 18 days!) so I went to the store planning to get ingredients to make homemade pizza.   I was also diagnosed Type 2 diabetic in Oct, so I'm trying to stick with a low carbs lifestyle.  I don't like the word diet because a diet has always ended up being short-term in my life. I am making a lifestyle change, and going with the motto of that I am "Eating to Live, Not Living to Eat".

Now I'm not a college student anymore, so I'm not an expert on pizza. But I do like pizza, and when I want pizza, I want good pizza.  I rarely buy frozen pizzas, because when I want pizza I either pay a "professional" or I make homemade pizza. Since Oct, I have been "adjusting the diet" that when I wanted pizza, I would do a Boat Load of Meats on a Thin & Crispy crust. I would then only allow myself to eat the crust on every other piece.  The thin crust is carbs, but so thin that it's much less carbs than other choices.  I haven't tried homemade pizza since the diagnosis.

So back to homemade pizza for supper...My first stop was my local Kroger. Now, I admit I am a lover of the Kroger Click! service, but today I wasn't prepared ahead enough to order online, plus I needed to see my options since I had decided to try my first cauliflower crust pizza attempt!  I had seen recipes, but my Facebook Friends said there was an Cauliflower crust option at Kroger so decided I would start there.

I gathered some pizza sauce, some pepperoni and diced ham...some mushrooms, 2 types of cheese.  I knew what other ingredients I had at home and was really looking forward to this homemade pizza.

I get to the frozen food section where I'm told I can find this cauliflower pizza crust.  All I can find is cauliflower frozen pizzas, meaning they already have the toppings.  There some empty shelves, so it is possible that Kroger were out of the just crust, since they are calling for more snow and people hear snow and go into "we must run to the grocery store and buy a month's worth of groceries".  So frozen pizza, cauliflower crust...choices are: Veggie or Cheese.  Now if you noticed the list of toppings I had gathered, you know I'm a meat eater. I like my veggies, but I like some meat on the pizza as well.  After examining my options, I decide to put back the pizza sauce, cheese, and mushrooms and just 'doctor' the veggie pizza.

Let's take a side trip about 'doctoring pizza' for a second.  I am the daughter of the King of Doctoring Frozen Pizza.  My dad used to go to the store and I am pretty sure he brought the cheapest frozen pizza they had...I'm talking so no-name brand the store didn't want to claim it!  Then he would bring it home and "doctor it". I have had Hot Dog pizza. I have had Sloopy Jo Pizza. I have had corn and green beans on a pizza.  If it was leftover in the fridge and he thought it would work, it went on the pizza.  Honestly, until I had a friend over and she commented on "Hot Dog & Corn Pizza", I thought everyone ate hot dogs and corn on their pizzas!

I get home, preheat the oven and add pepperoni, diced ham and a bit more cheese to my Veggie Cauliflower Crust Pizza.  Bake for 16 minutes. Check it, looks good...The directions say let it rest for 1 minute.  The first thing I notice when I cut it is the lack of sauce. It doesn't seem to have any runny sauce pooling up as I slice the pieces.  Oh and I cut it in half then in lines...more like cheese bread than pizza slices (that's important later on...)  I take the first bite...First impression is..."Lisa, you're eating to live, not living to eat. Some changes are necessary to live to see Grandchildren".  I plow through the the first piece, and by the end I'm thinking "I wish I had kept the jar of pizza sauce in the cart to dip this in."  The flavor isn't bad.  Now it's not my Boat Loads of Meats from my local Mom & Pops place, but it's not bad...if you like dry pizza.  For the next piece, since I started out with 2 on my plate...I end up tearing it apart with my fork looking for the sauce.  I never found it.  So anyone want 3/4 of a pizza?!  Stop by, it's untouched.

I'm not a fan of wasting food. Normally my lunches at the office are leftovers. But I'm not sure I'm going to put this pizza in the fridge for tomorrow. If I used the Movie scale, it would be a Thumbs Down or Rotten Tomato from me!

So going forward I will get a recipe for a cauliflower crust and try to make my own, complete with sauce and my toppings.  I also know I can try a crust-less pizza, so that will be another attempt.  If all that fails, I am not deleting my local favorite from my phone directory!

Social Media - Not a magic pill for every business!

Bare with me a moment. I just need to get something off my chest

I haven't had an overwhelming desire to write an ebook or blog, but I always seem to end up writing when people annoy me... Today I have encountered 3 different people in Facebook Business groups asking for advice because January is slow, "how do we get the phone to ring?" It's a common problem for a lot of businesses, because frankly everyone spends too much over the holidays so they try to recover in January. I see it in my business, and I see it in my clients businesses especially.

Anyway...for each one of these people asking, they got 20+ people trying to sell them on their social media marketing package/plan. No offense to Social Media Marketers if you happen to be reading this, I provide that service as well, but let's face some truths here!

Social Media is not the right solutions to every business problem. I will even repeat that...Social Media is not the right solution to every business problem.

When my bathtub stopped draining, and I was told I needed a plumber. I didn't wait until I happened to find a plumber updating his Facebook Page. I texted a friend who has lived in this area longer than me, and said "hey, know any plumbers you trust?" Then I texted a friend who is a local Realtor, and I said "hey, who is the plumber you trust? Not a single one of them, answered with "Oh I saw a Facebook Ad for XYZ Plumber on my news feed!" Shocking, right?

The Realtor builds a networking by trusting referrals from other Realtors. If you are new to the business and don't have that trust yet, then get your face and business name in front of the Realtors! The Realtor groups I know have weekly or monthly meetings for everyone under that Broker, and you know what...a good plumber will find out when that meeting is and spend a few bucks and PERSONALLY drop off donuts and coffee or a tray of cookies from the local bakery to the Realtor office DURING the meeting. Guess what? That plumber just got his name and face in front of a group of Realtors! Hmm, think they might remember his name when that next home inspector says "the kitchen sink is leaking slightly"? It depends - were they good donuts or the cheapie ones from Wal-mart? Was the cookies day olds and dried out? Spring for the good ones! :)

OH and my 2nd bit of annoyance from the people "selling" the people on their social media package....Not everyone who comes to ask for advice wants to be sold! Frankly, if I get desperate enough that I'm posting on Facebook "Hey, My phone isn't ringing...how do I make it ring?" I am likely more worried about paying my rent / mortgage or groceries to feed Little Johnny, than I am about buying your product! I know you are trying to make your own phone ring, and I get that. I am trying to get clients too, but seriously - build a relationship!

We buy from people we Know, Like, Trust and Respect. Get out of behind your keyboard and go meet someone for coffee, build a referral network, and please to God don't immediately start PMing the person telling them why your product or package is better than everyone else's! Seriously people!?!?

Now don't get me wrong, I think plumbers should have a Facebook Business Page and I think they should be active on it. Business Page being the key word there too...don't get me started on the people promoting their business via their Personal Page...that's a blog rant for another day. But Service industry companies, I'm sorry, but social media is not your magic pill to make the phone ring. It just isn't...

By the way, I'm using Plumber because I recently had to hire one...this is true for Water damage, restoration companies, Electricians, contractors, auto repairs, Realtors, etc...not just plumbers.

*steps off her soap box and goes to bed* Night all!

Ireland!

Final thoughts for the Ireland trip. I am glad that I invited Dawn, Chris and Steven to join me on this adventure. I woke this morning wondering how the trip would have gone without them there, and I don't think that I would have had as much fun. I would have found another person to tag along with, I am sure, but I would have also found myself alone more and I don't explore as much, when alone. I never would have ventured into Dinley and made the long down then uphill walk. I would have not tried different drinks or sampled as many foods.

Ireland was a dream of mine since I was roughly 11 yrs old, and this trip lived up to the hype. Sure, I would do things differently - booked in a way to allow more time at places and considered upgrading my seat for traveling to - but the bottom line is it was a trip of a lifetime for me. I hope the first of many to come.

The landscape of Ireland was beautiful and fresh. It was the type that you have to see to believe, photos do not do it justice. You can clearly see that tourism makes up the main industry there, because the shops were full tinkles and tourist stuff, but they didn't have the flashing lights and billboards of "home". I love that they protect their nature so much, ruins can't be touched or torn down, stone walls cannot be removed. Here we would destroy these in the name of progress, this is why we don't have beautiful things.

All in all, it was a wonderful trip and now, I am ready to book my next...

Life changes

My sister keep saying I should write a blog...I find that writing helps me when I'm dealing with emotional stuff within my life.  However, when I wrote out a bucket list recently, I added "write a blog regularly" to the list.  I used to write fiction stories, and even had a couple published in an online magazine. I love the characters, story line and making the stories come to life. But at the same time, I found that I can't write fiction unless the characters speak to me.  They tell me their stories, then I just write it down.

However, when life is busy, crazy and insane...like all the time...I found that I write about real life. So that's what this blog is about...real life.  It's a 40-something, single Mom, going through life.

So 9 days ago...I was told "I feel a lump in your breast".  Then within the same doctor visit, I hear "you have Type 2 Diabetes".  It's fun to get that One Two Punch...but it didn't stop there.  She also informed me that the bruise on my leg (from a fall in the river during the Labor Day Tubing trip) should have healed by now.

Yay...1 - 2 - 3...Wanna hit me with anything else there, Doc?!?

So the bruise is a small muscle knot. The doctor suggested I partner with a massage therapist who will help work out the knot.  I have also been massaging it myself every evening.  Not a big deal at all.

One down...Next came the Mammogram and an Ultrasound.  The lump she thought she found was nothing, and I'm back to routine mammograms every year, unless something else changes.

Now for the biggie -- Type 2 Diabetes.  It's a family tradition, I guess.  My grandmother, who I never met as she passed before my birth, and then my father both had diabetes.  Throw in a couple aunts and Yay! it's a family of bad insulin producing organs.

As of that day, I have been on a strict low-carb lifestyle change. This isn't a diet to me, this is a survival lifestyle. I have read, asked questions, and talked with friends. I know nurses who have given advice. I have talked to friends who have diabetes. The only bottom line I have found is -- everyone has an opinion or suggestion to give.

Now, it's time to filter out the good advice. I test, adjust, change and move forward as needed. I haven't opened a "box" for over a week! No processed foods; in fact, the major majority of my foods this past week has had no labels at all! 

So this week in review...

Low-carb taco salad - basically my family's favorite taco salad only eaten without any chips or burrito shell.  Extra yummy and enough left over for the next day's lunch.

Salmon and veggies - Pan seared salmon, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and peppers.

Tonight, I baked pork chops, while making a salad. It's for tomorrow's lunch! Yum

Going forward...My kiddo asked for chili, so I will have to make a low-carb option. Unfortunately, my kiddo is used to chili having macaroni noodles within it.  They might have to learn to deal with it on the side.

But that will wait for 2 weeks, because in less than 2 days, I leave for Ireland! But before then, it's bed time.  Good night.

A Breakthrough - Follow up to A NWMS (Noblesville West Middle School) Mom - the last 6 days...

A few minutes ago I read a thread where someone asked (paraphrasing) "what can we do for the boy's family?".  As I read the comments I had a break through, which I posted in that thread, but I had so many people read my blog over the last 2 days, I need to make it here and hope that everyone who read the original will keep reading.

Friday morning, when we, the parents of the NWMS students, received that phone call that stopped our breathe and hearts...where the words "Active Shooter" rang out. If you heard the sirens, saw the police racing to the scene...whatever your story is - Take a Breathe, this will hit hard...it did for me -

The boy's parents received that same call.

They saw the same scene. They felt the same heart stopping panic and fear.

They worried that their son was injured. They held their phone as a lifeline wanting the call/text saying "I am safe".  

Not a single parent ever have the first thought of "Oh My God, MY child did this." 

Take a moment and let that sink in...they are parents just like you and me. They feared for their child. 

I was able to breathe each time I saw "I am safe" come up on my phone. I was able to breathe better, with each report that my son was safe and had located one of his friends.  I had the chance to hug my child until he begged me to let him breathe, and then do it again.

To the parents of this boy, I don't know you. I don't know your son. I don't know the whys or hows, and I likely never will.  But I feel for you. I forgive you. Tell me how I can support you, because you're a hurting parent just like me.

A NWMS (Noblesville West Middle School) Mom - the last 6 days...

I considered writing this before now, but then talked myself out of it.  I don't have the same story as so many of the Mothers from last Friday. My story is different, my emotions were different...but as I sit here at my desk struggling to work because my mind still goes back to Friday...the text messages, school messenger calls, etc.  So, here's the thoughts that I can't escape.

I left Wednesday, May 23, 2018 to travel to Michigan so that Thursday morning, I could travel to Pennsylvania with a client for 5 days on business. Thursday, after a long drive, we arrived, set up and went to sleep ready for the event to begin.  Friday, we headed to a local diner for breakfast and spend some free time before the event begins at noon. 

My phone rings...it's a client and friend who knew I was out of town.  His call was short..."Is your Son at the Middle School in Noblesville?" Yes..."The one on Hague Road?"  Yes? "You need to get to a TV".  I hung up because the Schools Automatic Line was ringing in...I was out of my seat heading out of the diner as soon as I heard the words "Active Shooter".  I don't even know what the rest of the message was...my brain shut down after those 2 words.  The others at the table said I gasped as I ran from the table. 

For the ones who knows me well, they know I have an abnormal attachment to my cellphone. Almost 15 years ago I lost my Dad.  It was one time my phone was powered off when they tried to reach me, and since then I get anxious whenever my phone gets a low charge or not in my hand. I have slowly started being able to leave my phone nearby, in my purse, case closed on the table...

As I leaned against the brick wall of the diner and the school call ends, I see these texts:

Son: I love you guys

Son: I am safe.

Group Text from my 14-yr old son at the NWMS to his Dad, older sister and myself.  

I typed back to him "Stay safe. I love you". I don't remember typing the words, but my phone shows I did. I remember my client touching my shoulder and telling me to breathe. He kept touching my shoulder telling me to breathe, while I cried and hyperventilated. At some point, I got out the words of what was happening. I can't tell you what I said; I can't tell you what he said, if anything. I remember holding my phone like a lifeline, my only connection to my baby. I can tell you tears ran down my cheeks, just as they are as I write this.  I can tell you I was hating myself for not being in Noblesville IN at that given moment, for having a "job", for leaving town, for earning a living. I can tell you my phone wasn't coming out of my hand again in those moments. By this point, my clients were working out a rough plan to get me back to Indiana, since my car was in Michigan, if needed...but I didn't even know that at the time. They were awesome though this.

About this time, my niece, Annie who is a teacher in Ohio, texts me, asking if this is J's school and if he's OK.  I sent a brief group text out to my siblings, nephews and niece...and I tried to just breathe.

My son was able to keep texting with his Dad, sister and I, plus the school messenger system called again. He kept telling us details, and that he was safe. He texted often that he was safe, I'm guessing he needed to keep reminding his Mom of that fact.  Good thing, because I had already thought I could hitch a ride down I-80 as I heard semi after semi pass nearby.  I hadn't heard my client plan to get me home if needed.

As they started to evacuate my son, he called.  I learned later my daughter was on the call too, but I didn't realize that. I just heard his voice. I was crying again, but this time more with relief than panic. This voice had never sounded so good in my ears. I needed that phone call.  He was on the bus headed to the High School.

Then I got the phone call saying the high school was on lock-down...The High School where they took my child (and others) to be SAFE!  I got PISSED! I wasn't outside waiting in the sun with the other parents, I was 2 states way, with my phone in my hand as a lifeline again.  My client was doing her best to keep my mind occupied and me busy, but I was PISSED. I knew in my gut that it was a hoax, someone being "funny", but had I gotten my hands on the person, the Momma Bear rage I felt would not have been funny.

Between School phone calls and family text messages, my brain kept going back and focusing on the timestamps of the text messages.  There were 2 minutes between those first 2 text messages. I couldn't stop thinking about those 2 minutes, what happened between, what could have happened. And unfortunately since my brain works in "What ifs" more than I would like...I thought too many times "what if the second message hadn't came?" Even though I knew by that point, that the shooter was taken down, my son was evacuated, I kept tearing up and feeling like my heart was in a vise about those 2 minutes.

At this point, I had not been on Facebook. My phone was my lifeline to my son, I didn't want to see news report or comments on Facebook. I was getting info from my son and the school messenger system. I wanted only to hear from my son, and see the running commendation between my kids and their Dad from inside and outside the HS.  But eventually, I did post on FB and read that other kids were safe. I started looking for posts for all of Scout Family, as well J told me when he found friends. The Scoutmaster and I spoke, so slowly I started breathing better as the morning went on.

Then it became a waiting game until I knew my son was released from the HS and was with his Dad and sister. I was able to hear his voice again once he was with them. He was one of the last ones to be released, but he was safe.

I checked in often over the weekend, more often than I normally would. I am a Scout Mom; I'm used to my son being away to Summer Camp and out of touch with me. I'm used to texting with him and his sister, when we need something, rather than just to "check in with each other". But I checked in a lot over the weekend.

Monday evening as I arrived back to town, I stopped at his Dad's apartment and hugged J until he begged me to let him breathe, then I hugged him some more.  Then I drove by the Middle School, and except for the Police barricades, it looked like a normal holiday, peaceful empty parking lot.  I remember thinking how it looked "normal"...but yet it felt creepy.

Tuesday, we went to empty his locker...now let me explain about my illusions...I had gotten myself to believe the illusion of my mind that J was on the far side of the school building. I couldn't have told you where Mr. Seaman's classroom was, nor where J's 2nd period classroom is located.  But in my mind, I believed there was distance....LOTS of distance.  As we walk to his locker, he points to the classroom he was in...and the storage room where they hid, then he pointed to where Mr. Seaman's classroom is.  IT WAS WAY TOO CLOSE! I thought I was doing pretty well, by that point, but no...next thing I know I have tears again. Suddenly, it's real.  Suddenly, I can't believe that my baby was never really in danger. I felt like I was reliving that phone call and those first few moments all over again.  But this time, my boy was standing beside me.  I was able to see him, touch him, and hug him.  Yes, I hugged him in the middle of the Middle School hallway and he couldn't stop me.

The range of emotions from Friday morning to even today has been extreme.  I have felt anger, fear, panic, love, pride, helplessness, protective, and everything in between.  I am still having moments where I feel guilty for being away from home when this happened. I have moments where I beat myself up for having a career that took me away from my kids at a time when they could be in danger. I have moments where I feel joy that J wasn't hurt. But then a bit of sadness that another Mom wasn't feeling that joy.  I have moments where I feel bad and wonder where we failed the boy who felt bringing guns to school was the right thing to do.  I admit I also  have moments where I wish the boy harm because he made that same decision.  I feel compassion for his parents, knowing they have to be hurting right now, but then I also feel anger wondering how a parent could "let this happen".  

But anyway...to wrap this up. I didn't write this for feedback, to be told "I'm so sorry" or that you're praying for us.  I didn't write this for anyone but myself, honestly.  I wrote this so that maybe my brain would quiet a bit...so I can go back to updating QuickBooks, scheduling appointments, creating reports, and researching bank transactions...instead of wondering what's the latest news, or is the media still outside the school or is my son handling this emotionally.  I wrote this so that I can make sense of what I am feeling, and maybe, just maybe, it will help another Mom or Dad out there feeling the same.

If you read this, feel free to leave a comment or not. But do one thing for me...Look at the people in your life: Tell the ones you love, that you love them.  Tell the ones who are hurting, that you're there for them, and most important, listen to them all.  My gut tells me this boy tried to tell someone-his parents, a teacher or a friend-that he was hurting...and now, we are all hurting.

Christmas 2014 Letter

Dearest Family & Friends,                                                                                        Christmas 2014

Once again, it's Christmas letter time. I refuse to say “It seems like I just wrote a Christmas letter yesterday, and now it's time again?”. I really refuse to say that, because that would imply the year went fast, and I'm getting older...and well, that just can't happen!

Every year, I get reports of how much everyone loves receiving our Christmas letter. Our friends and family seem to like my cute stories about how wonderful our children are, because let's face it, everyone brags on their kids during the Annual Christmas letter. It's like an unwritten law or something...”parents must brag on their kids at least once a year, in writing, and then send it to all their family and friends.” Didn't you get that memo??

So this year, I decided to go a little different with the Christmas letter...Here goes...

Chancey still barks at everything and everyone who come within 50 feet of our house. It doesn't matter if she knows the person or not, doesn't matter if there's another dog around. She still must inform the humans in the house that “hey, look, there's someone there.” So don't try to sneak around my house, because the dog is on the job!

Jacob is a head-strong, hyper boy, who likes to run around the house in his underwear and leave a trail of clothes. Luckily, he's only 11 and he keeps this habit limited to our home, so there's still hope he will out grow it before he becomes a teenager. But if you plan to stop by, especially if you have daughters, you might want to give me a heads up otherwise, you might see “Boxer Boy” darting for clothes.

Kalissa is a teenage girl. Do I really need to say more? Oh yeah, a teenage girl with a part time job (read “money to spend”) and the ability to drive (freedom). I'm still waiting for my order of “Drama Be-Gone” to arrive. Apparently it's on backorder with no shipment date available.

How's that for bragging? Now for the highlights from 2014! **drum roll please**

Kalissa became a legal driver, started her Junior year of High School, started reminding me often that in less than 2 years she will be “gone away to college”. (not sure if that's a threat or a promise...jury is still out, depends on the day).

Jacob crossed over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts, which was somewhat bittersweet. He had a wonderful Cub Scout experience with an awesome leader, but the Boy Scout Troop he found to call home is also wonderful. I can see Scouting being a major part of his future development. He started 5^th grade, decided reading isn't the most terrible thing to do, but still would rather play a video game than crack open a book. He also decided this year to give his life to Christ and was baptized on his 11^th birthday.

We got to have another daughter for 3 weeks this year, Lea Dietrich, a High School student from Usingen Germany came to stay with us. She's part of the Noblesville-Usingen Exchange program, which Kalissa is participating. Lea was a wonderful additional to our family. We loved having her here, learning about her culture, seeing our own culture via her eyes. You never really live until you try to explain some American slang phase to a foreign teenager who is looking at you like you have 2 heads! Kalissa is looking forward to spending time with Lea's family this coming June.

In other news, David continues on with Conseco CNO Financial working in their IT dept. I am still at home most of the time with the kids, volunteering at their school and helping out where I can at church. I also started a part-time job in Dec. I am working with a Realtor group as their assistant. I really love the work and learning a new industry! Also, 3 days before Thanksgiving a neighbor's tree fell on our house. Nothing like glass flying and 40mph winds going though your home to make you count your blessings and be grateful that no one was hurt as you celebrate Thanksgiving. The house is being repaired and our family moves forward into 2015 knowing that God is taking care of us.

I hope this Christmas letter finds you and your family healthy, happy and in good cheer. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and the happiest of all New Years.

With love, David, Lisa, Kalissa and Jacob Brown