Thin-Crust Crispy Pizza

I've found a new favorite way of making pizza.  I use the recipe from these delish Cheesy Garlic Bread Sticks, and the method of cooking it on parchment on a pizza stone in a screamin' hot oven.  (Well.... the hottest my oven gets is 450 F, so I just went with it.... lol.)  The pizza dough is so simple; maybe you could use any dough. 

The tricks to get it nice and crisp:  Preheat your pizza stone and oven at least 30 minutes before baking.  Crank oven to at least 425-450 degrees F, or a little hotter.  Roll out dough as thin as you can get it.  Use a piece of parchment for every pizza, so you can make the pizzas on the paper on the counter and just slide each one onto your hot pizza stone when ready to bake.  Don't overload on toppings.  Use bread flour.  (Although I've made this when I've ran out of bread flour, and it is still good!  So don't let not having bread flour stop you from making this recipe.)

Lately, I've made those Cheesy Garlic Bread Sticks so often (for company, etc) that I realized that a pizza made that same way would be awesome, and it is (if I don't say so myself, lol!).  I've now made pizza this way about 3-4 times in the last month.  The pizzas are so small (to fit in my tiny oven) and thin though, that I end up doubling the recipe below to feed my fam, and then we'll have a few pieces left over.  So that's 4 small-ish pizzas.  I'll make some veggie, with red onions, peppers, olives, etc, and some just cheese and pepperoni (sometimes olives) for the kids. 

Thin-Crust Crispy Pizza
adapted from here, via Lauren's Latest
makes two 14-16 inch pizzas

Dough:

1 cup warm water

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey (or sugar)
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
3 cups bread flour (give or take 1/2 cup…depending on humidity)

Pizza Sauce

Toppings like mozzarella & Parm cheese, red onions, red peppers, olives, pepperoni

1. In a large mixing bowl, preferably that of a stand mixer, stir yeast and honey or sugar into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam. Pour in salt, oil and half the flour and mix. Once that flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it it doesn’t stick to your hands.

2. Once you reach this stage, turn the mixer on high to knead for about a few minutes, adding bits of more flour if needed. The dough should be smooth and easy to work with. And the bowl should be clean. Lightly grease the bowl & the dough so it doesn’t dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise 1-2 hours.

3.  During the last 30 minutes or rising time, preheat your oven to 425-450 F or the hottest it will go.  Before turning on the oven, place your pizza stone inside.  (An upside down cookie sheet is supposed to work in place of a pizza stone, but I've never tried it....) 

4.  Tear off two pieces of parchment paper that fit your cookie sheet.  Divide dough in half, and roll/stretch each piece of dough thinly over each piece of parchment.  I try to go to the edges of the parchment, getting the dough as thin as I can. 

5.  Spread each raw pizza with your favorite pizza sauce, and then a layer of cheese, and then any toppings you want.  Make sure to use a lighter hand with the toppings so the pizza doesn't get weighed down and soggy under them.  What is shown in the photos above was a perfect amount. 

6.  Bake pizzas one at a time for 9-12 minutes in the hot oven.  Do this by carefully removing the hot pizza stone from the oven and setting it on hot pads.  Working quickly, slide one pizza, complete with the parchment, onto the hot stone and place the whole thing in the oven and shut the door.  When pizza is done, crust and cheese will be browned and golden. 

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Flower Petal Cake

This is the cake my daughter wanted for her birthday this year.  I saw it on my friend's blog and it looked so cool, I pinned it on Pinterest for later.  Definitely go to her blog to check her cake out, especially the step-by-step photos and techniques.  I was trying to get everything done for my daughter's big party, and was in no frame of mind to take any step-by-step photos.  It was bad enough that my store was totally out of powdered sugar and I had to use what I had in the house, which was just barely enough.  I was thinking I would run out of frosting, but luckily I didn't. 

My daughter wanted a chocolate cake, so I looked on "The Best of" on Mel's Kitchen Cafe to find her fave chocolate cake, because I really like and trust her recipes.  This one turned out very moist and chocolaty, and I love that it uses buttermilk. 

This icing technique is not hard; just a little time-consuming.  You first frost the sides of the cake with a crumb layer of frosting (to set all the crumbs in.... my cake had a TON of crumbs get caught in the frosting.)  Do the top too, and after it sets, add a thicker layer.  Then you make 4 different colors of frosting.  My daughter wanted one row white, so I only made three colors.  I over-estimated the amount of food coloring and made all the frosting too dark, but oh well. 

You make a row of really fat dots of frosting, about 1 inch, with each color, going up in a row.  (A Wilton 12 tip is perfect.... luckily I have four.)  Then, using a small angled frosting spatula, swipe each dot to the side.  Just go to Domestic Creativity to see what I mean. 

Buttermilk Chocolate Cake
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

1 ¼ cups unsweetened cocoa powder

2 ½ cups all purpose flour

2 ½ cups sugar

2 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

1 ¼ teaspoons salt

2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk

1 ¼ cups warm water

1 ¼ cups buttermilk

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, making sure the baking rack is in the middle of the oven. Use two 8 or 9-inch round cake pans. Prepare your cake pans by cutting out a piece of wax paper to line the bottom of the pan.  Grease the pans, place the wax paper in the bottom of the pan and lightly grease again.  Dust the pans with flour, tapping out excess.  Set the pans aside.

2.  Using a fine mesh strainer, sift together the cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add the eggs, yolk, warm water, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Mix on low speed (with a handheld mixer or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer) until smooth.

3.  Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake the cakes for about 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Do not overbake! Remove the pans from the oven and set the pans on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Gently run a thin knife around the edges of the pans and unmold the cakes, removing the parchment paper liners from the bottom of the cakes. Let them cool completely, top sides ups, on a wire rack.

4.  Trim the tops of the cake layers with a long serrated knife to make them level. Frost as desired.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Mini Taco Cups

These little things are so good and easy.  Four-inch rounds, cut from tortillas, are nestled into lightly greased muffin cups, filled with a spiced beef and tomato sauce mixture, topped with cheese, and baked until the tortilla crisps a little bit.  Then, top with your favorite toppings.  Most of the kids really love these and were excited about them.  They are very tasty! 

We've had them twice now.  The first time, I only made 12, since I thought the beef wouldn't go far enough to make more than that (as stated in the original recipe).  We needed a little more than that, so next time (last night), I opened a can of refried beans and placed a small spoonful on the bottom of each little cup, before adding the meat mixture.  I had already thought of using beans somehow, when I went to the original recipe and noticed it was stated as a note above the recipe- you could add beans to stretch it out more.  I hadn't noticed that note the first time.  I really loved it with the beans, too.  With the beans, (I used 1/2 can), I made 18 good-sized cups. 

I didn't take photos last night, but we had them with homemade Pico de Gallo, and they were SO good and so beautiful with the Pico!  I should have taken pics, but I was too hungry/tired to do so.  I highly recommend serving them with pico or another type of homemade salsa, though.  Maybe I'll take pics another time and add them here.

For me, it was hard, for some reason, to cut out the tortillas with my cookie cutter.  (I used the largest one from this set; love this set.)  I had to have my husband do it, with his big strong arm muscles.  I was just too dainty, I guess.  If you don't own a cookie cutter like that, or anything in a 4-inch circle suitable for using as a cookie cutter, you can use kitchen shears to cut the tortillas into circles.

PS:  I left out the salt; tomato sauce and cheese provided plenty.  Add salt to taste, if you must.   And, I used whole wheat tortillas.

Mini Taco Cups
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

4-5 large 10-inch flour tortillas, white or wheat (6-7 tortillas if using 8-inch)

1 pound lean ground beef or turkey

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1-2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese (or a combination)

1/2 can refried beans, optional

Taco toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, olives, avocado, salsa, etc.

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2.  Lightly grease one and a half muffin tins.  Cut 4-inch circles (using a cookie cutter or a round shape, like a lid, you can cut around with a knife or kitchen shears) from the tortillas.  You'll need 16-18 (if using beans + meat.  Less (12-14) if just using meat).  Microwave the cut tortillas for about 10-15 seconds until pliable.  Nestle one tortilla in each muffin tin, pressing the tortilla into the bottom and corners of the tin.  Set aside.

3.  In a large nonstick skillet, cook the ground beef or turkey and pepper over medium heat, breaking up the meat into small pieces, until cooked through 5-8 minutes.  Drain any excess grease.  Stir in the chili powder, cumin and tomato sauce.  Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes.

4.  If using refried beans, place a spoonful of beans in the bottom of each cup.  Scoop a spoonful of meat and sauce into each tortilla cup (on top of beans, if using).  Top with a sprinkle of cheese.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until the tortillas are lightly golden around the edge and the filling is hot and bubbly.  Carefully remove the cups from the muffin tin and serve with any taco toppings of your choice.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Biscoff (Speculoos) Ice Cream

We've really been enjoying Biscoff spread lately.  I first bought some in the States last summer, but we didn't even open it until this last January, when we visited Germany and some friends of ours gave us another jar.  When we got home, we opened the first jar and it was so good, it didn't last long, and then we had to open the second jar (which didn't last long either).  Now, I have to buy it online, because of course, they do not sell it here.  I wanted to make ice cream out of it just once; it's too expensive to do this often.  This ice cream is so good though!  One thing I was able to find here were the actual Biscoff cookies, which I chopped up and added to the ice cream. 

I just used this Nutella Gelato recipe as the base; I've used the same recipe for Peanut Butter ice cream too, with great results.  It's a great, basic recipe.  It's Gelato-style because it contains more milk than cream.

Biscoff (Speculoos) Ice Cream
adapted from here

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar, divided
pinch salt
4 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup Biscoff or Speculoos Spread
Biscoff cookies, chopped (10-15)

1.  In a saucepan combine the milk, cream, and 1/4 cup sugar over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whip the egg yolks with the remaining sugar using an electric mixer until the eggs have become thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. (A Kitchenaid is handy for this). Pour 1/2 cup of the warm milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture and whisk.  Add this mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 3 to 7 minutes.
3. Place a strainer over a medium bowl and pour the warm custard mixture through the strainer. Stir in the vanilla and Biscoff spread until it dissolves. Chill mixture completely before pouring into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions to freeze. Transfer into a freezer-safe container until hardened, mixing in the chopped Biscoff cookies.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Chicken, Bacon & Avocado Sandwich

This sandwich is delicious and easy.  We had it a while ago and I need to make it again!  This recipe uses chicken cooked on the stove in olive oil, but you could easily grill chicken for this, or even better; use leftover, cold grilled chicken!  If you use chicken tenders, no need to pound them; just slice them in half before cooking (to make them thinner).  Most of the kids loved this meal.  The picky one just ate the sandwich ingredients separately. 

Chicken, Bacon & Avocado Sandwich
adapted from Buns in My Oven

1- 1.5 pounds (about) boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders
salt, pepper, and garlic salt
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 avocado
8 slices bacon, fried crisp
1/2 red onion
1/4 cup mayo, or to taste
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
4-5 kaiser rolls

1.  Begin by pounding the chicken breasts to about 1/4 of an inch thick.  If using tenders, simply slice them in half, length-wise, to make them thinner.  Season on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Heat oil in a large skillet and add chicken. Flip chicken after about 3-5 minutes and continue cooking for 5 minutes more or until chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a plate, slice chicken into small pieces and place in the fridge to chill.

2.  When the chicken is cold, slice the avocado and red onion into thin slices. Mix together the mayo and mustard and spread on one side of the kaiser roll. Layer the chicken, bacon, avocado, and onion on the roll. Enjoy!

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Breakfast Week: Maple & Brown Sugar Slow Cooker Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Here's another slow cooker steel-cut oatmeal recipe, and another idea for mid-week breakfast!  I took the "formula" of one cup oats, 4 cups liquid, plus any sweeteners/spices, and cooked this in my slow cooker on Low for 5 hours, getting inspiration from Mel's Kitchen Cafe again.  I actually think this may be my fave oatmeal out of the other 6 similar recipes I've made.  I used one can of evaporated milk, and just water for the rest of the liquid.  This makes it extra creamy.  You can try reduced-fat evap. milk if you want to cut down on fat/calories.  Since I liked this one so much, and so did my daughter and husband, this was gone in one morning.  Maybe it's time to start doubling the batch!

One thing I've been doing lately, to make our morning oatmeal even healthier, is to make it easier to add mix-ins like chia seeds (good source of Omega-3's and fiber) and ground flax seeds.  I used two clean spice containers and filled each with either chia or flax, then labeled them.  I took the shaker top out, because they are too big to fit through.  This makes it easy to just shake out some onto our oatmeal each day, and it's a good way for me to remember to use this stuff.

Maple & Brown Sugar Slow Cooker Steel-Cut Oatmeal
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe and other sources

1 cup steel cut oats

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk, plus enough water to bring liquid to 4 cups

1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or homemade)

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1.  Lightly coat the inside of a small (2-3 quart) slow cooker with cooking spray. Combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker and stir. Cook for 4-5 hours on low. Stir thoroughly before serving with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.

2.  If not serving immediately, cool and refrigerate, covered.  In the mornings, place portions in micro-wave safe bowls and microwave for 3-5 minutes, or until hot.  Serve with dairy or almond milk, fresh fruit and/or frozen berries, and flax and chia seeds, if desired, and a dash of extra cinnamon.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Breakfast Week: Muffins (Two Recipes: Blueberry & Lemon-Poppy Seed)

Once in a while in our quest to change up breakfast, I'll make some muffins one night and we'll eat them the next morning, warmed up briefly in the microwave.  We'll eat these with some fruit, a protein source, and some juice or milk.  I don't make muffins often so it's been fun to try some new recipes.

Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins
adapted from Joy of Baking
Makes 12 Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour (can use one cup ww pastry)
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
zest of one fresh lemon (yellow part only)
1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (not non-fat)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees (205 C).  Place rack in center of oven.  Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or spray each muffin cup with non-stick spray.

2.  In a bowl, whisk the flour with the poppy seeds, salt, and baking soda.  In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Scrap down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Beat in the lemon, yogurt or sour cream, and vanilla until well blended.  Stir in the flour mixture just until moistened.  Do not overmix.  Spoon or scoop the batter into the muffin cups using two spoons or an ice cream or cookie scoop. 

3.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.  Remove muffins from pan and place on a large serving platter.

4.  Lemon Glaze:  Place the sugar in a small bowl and stir in lemon juice.  While muffins are still warm, drizzle the tops with the glaze. 

5.  To serve for breakfast:  Let cool completely and then cover.  Next morning, warm up individual muffins for 15-30 seconds or until warm. 

Blueberry Muffins
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Lemon-Sugar Topping:

1/3 cup sugar

zest from one fresh lemon

Muffins:

2 cups frozen blueberries (or 2 cups fresh), divided

1 cup sugar + 1 teaspoon, divided

2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour (can use some ww pastry)

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly

1/4 cup oil (vegetable, sunflower or canola)

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1.  For the topping, stir together sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl and set aside.  (You can work it with your fingers to make it really fragrant.)

2.  For the muffins, place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Bring one cup blueberries and 1 teaspoon sugar to simmer in a very small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, mashing berries with a spoon several times and stirring frequently, until the berries have broken down and the mixture is thickened and reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and cool to room temperature, about 10 to 15 minutes.

3.  Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Toss the remaining 1 cup berries in with the flour mixture. Whisk remaining 1 cup sugar and eggs together in a medium bowl until thick, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in the butter and oil until combined. Whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla until combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold egg mixture into flour mixture until just moistened. The batter will be lumpy with a few dry spots of flour – don’t overmix or the muffins won't be as tender.

4.  Using ice cream scoop or large spoon, fill the muffin cups until they are about 3/4 full. Spoon a teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into the center of each mound of batter. Using a skewer (or a chopstick), gently swirl the berry filling into the batter using a figure eight motion. Sprinkle lemon sugar evenly over the muffins.

5.  Bake until the top of the muffins are golden and just firm, 15-18 minutes. Cool muffins in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving, or, to serve for breakfast: Let cool completely and then cover. Next morning, warm up individual muffins for 15-30 seconds or until warm.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com **

Breakfast Week: Yogurt Parfait

This one is a no-brainer, but I think still worth putting on here, in case someone needs a reminder of this idea for breakfast.  Everyone but one child loves this breakfast, and it's quick, easy and pretty nutritious.  I always have homemade granola on hand.  You can try "The Granola", NY Times Olive Oil Granola, Coconut Oil Granola, or this No-Oil Granola.  Make your granola ahead of time, like on the weekend, so you have it ready to go for busy school or work mornings. 

Right now, we're using frozen berries in our parfaits instead of fresh fruit.  They are so easy to just grab out of the freezer and throw in there.  They start thawing pretty fast, too.  They are also readily available (most of the time, where I live, anyway!), and pretty inexpensive compared to fresh. 

A note about yogurt: don't be afraid to use whole-milk, full-fat yogurt.  It's not scary, I promise.  In the States, one can get good tasting fat free Greek yogurts, which would be fine, but they don't even seem to make fat free yogurt in Europe.  The yogurt here is delicious, and I've been eating it for years with no ill effects.  :)  Plus, any fat free varieties tend to have way more sugar, to make up for the fact that they're losing flavor from fat.  Just promise me you won't use Yoplait!  Lol!  (I have a personal vendetta against Yoplait yogurts.  They gross me out.)  If you want to be virtuous, you can use plain yogurt, but we usually use honey or blackberry Greek yogurt.  Other good flavors are raspberry and vanilla bean. 

(The yogurt in the US used to be seriously lacking, but I've noticed in my last 2 visits that they have some awesome yogurts now!  Greek, full fat, exciting new flavors, etc.  I'm happy about Stateside yogurt now.  Finally, they have something besides crappy ol' Yoplait. :) )

Yogurt Parfait
by What a Dish!

For each serving:
1 single-serve container favorite yogurt
granola; however much you want
frozen berries to taste (blueberries & raspberries are good)

1.  Use a fun decorative container like a wine glass, pretty mason jar, or glass bowl.  We use wine glasses.  In the bottom of your glass, place half of the yogurt, followed with a layer of granola, followed by a layer of berries.  I like to do one layer raspberries; one layer blueberries.  Serve.  :)

PS:  I know this isn't really a recipe, more of a method, but I never measure this and there's no reason for you to, either! ;)

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com **

Breakfast Week: Homemade Maple-Honey Syrup

I have my own recipe for homemade maple syrup, which I make quite often, but I was intrigued by this Mel's Kitchen Cafe recipe using honey.  It also makes a lot more than my tiny recipe.  I actually cut this in half and it still makes a ton!  I still love real maple syrup, but with us eating more hot breakfasts requiring syrup, I can't keep up with buying it all the time- that stuff is expensive! 

Besides cutting the recipe in half, I added a touch more water.  I just had imitation maple extract on hand, not pure maple extract, and I would add more next time (like at least one tablespoon).  Maybe the pure stuff is stronger- mine could have used more maple flavor.

Enjoy this with pancakes and waffles.  :)  Or drizzle some over oatmeal. 

Homemade Maple-Honey Syrup
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

2 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon maple extract (add more to taste, if desired)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1.  In a large pot, combine the sugars, honey and water. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to low so the mixture gently simmers. Cover the pot and simmer the mixture for 15 minutes.  (I only had about 5-7 minutes to simmer and it was fine.)

2.  Remove from the heat and add the maple and vanilla extracts.  If storing in the fridge for later, let cool completely before pouring into containers and refrigerating.  This will store up to two months, covered, in the refrigerator.  (Recipe above is a half-version of the original... double for even more syrup.)

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Breakfast Week: Homemade Oatmeal Pancake Mix

Lately, in our house, we've decided to try to eat less cold cereal for breakfast on the weekdays, and change things up with different breakfast foods.  We actually sat down as a family and came up with a list of ideas of breakfast foods that most of us like.  This week, I want to share some of the recipes we've been making.  Some things don't require recipes, obviously; like toast & eggs, bagels, yogurt & granola.  (I actually hardly ever eat cold cereal, but my kids do.  I always eat yogurt and granola for breakfast!)  :)

One of my children does not like pancakes, so he can have a plain cold cereal on pancake day (like Rice Chex, which he loves).  One thing that we had not been doing well enough before was making sure the kids got a good source of protein at breakfast.  So now, if there isn't a source or protein served, they can grab a spoonful of peanut butter or a handful of cashews.  I also try to limit how much syrup they put on these pancakes; they don't need to start the school day with a ton of sugar.  Most of them like some peanut butter and then a bit of syrup drizzled over.  Serve these pancakes with real maple syrup, my homemade recipe, or this one from Mel's Kitchen Cafe (I will be putting that on the blog later this week). 

This pancake mix (also from Mel's Kitchen Cafe) is so exciting because you make it ahead of time and can store it in the freezer forever.  When you go to make it, you only need 1 cup buttermilk and 1 egg per cup of dry mix.  I made this recipe with all whole grains.  Rolled oats, whole wheat pastry flour, and oat flour.  They are still SO light, fluffy and delicious!  (Try any flour you want!)  For my fam, I usually make two cups at a time.  This makes extra, especially since I have one who doesn't eat them, but I use the extra batter to make little mini pancakes for my baby.  Then I cool those, freeze them (he's still asleep when the big kids are getting ready for school), and can heat them up for him at breakfast or lunch on other days.  I just microwave one or two for 15-30 seconds (until no longer frozen), spread them with a bit of smooth peanut butter, and cut them up.  He loves to eat them, and it's helped him practice using a fork.  :) 

I love this recipe; it makes a huge batch and we're already on our second one after discovering it!

One thing that makes this whole week-day breakfast thing more fun is planning:  we all come up with ideas, together, on what we want to eat.  Then I write down the menu, day by day, on a small magnetic whiteboard stuck to our fridge.  The kids like knowing what meals are coming up next.  We usually do planning on Sundays.  And we know if some days are extra hectic, we always have cold cereal and milk as a back-up.  Sometimes we even plan a "cereal" day for a break. 

One thing that I do to make it go smoother in the morning is to know what I'll be making so I don't even have to think about it.  Sometimes, the night before, I'll even set the breakfast bar with plates, forks, cups, etc., and get out the big griddle and a mixing bowl so things are easier in the morning.  Sometimes we also have to plan to get up a few minutes early, but it hasn't been a problem. 

Homemade Oatmeal Pancake Mix
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

3 1/2 cups rolled (old-fashioned) oats

3 cups whole wheat flour (I use whole wheat pastry)

2 cups oat flour (or just white flour)

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon baking soda

3/4 cup- 1 cup vegetable or canola oil*

1.  Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixer with a paddle (or by hand). Grind the oats in a blender or food processor before adding to the other dry ingredients. (You can choose to use quick oats and skip this step). 

2.  With mixer on slow speed (or gently by hand), drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl (start with 3/4 cup) slowly while the mixer is running. When all the oil has been added, stop the mixer and squeeze a clump of mix in your hand. If it stays together, it is just right. If it is still crumbly, add another tablespoon of oil at a time until the consistency is correct.  (*When I did this, it was way too wet, so I had to add more flour.  To avoid this, only add about 3/4 cup oil at first and see if that is enough.  If is is still too crumbly, add more gradually until it is just right.) 

3.  If mixture is not combining evenly, you may have to put the whole batch through your food processor.  I had to; it wasn't mixing up evenly for some reason.  I had it out anyway to grind up my rolled oats.  When it is right, it should look like the pic above in the red measuring cup. 

4.  Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer.

5.  To make the pancakes: whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1 cup buttermilk (depending on how thick you want your batter), and 1 egg. The mixture may seem thin at first but the oats will soak up the milk as it stands while the griddle preheats. Heat a griddle and drop the batter onto it. When the edges look dry and bubbles come to the surface and don’t break, turn the pancake over to finish cooking on the second side.

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Olive Garden Salad & Dressing

I think Olive Garden's salad and dressing is one of the best things in their restaurants.  I haven't been to one in years, but the last few times I went, I always got the soup, salad and bread sticks meal.  Of course, there is no OG here (or any other chain restaurants), so when one has a OG salad craving, one has to make it at home.  :)  Recently, I was served this salad at a church ladies' dinner.  I got the recipe from the woman who made it, and looked up a recipe online, too.  The one I found online was pretty much the same as the one I had at the dinner.  I couldn't find those pickled peppers at my store so those had to be left out.  :(  Next time!

Olive Garden Salad & Dressing
adapted from Jamie Cooks It Up! and B.E.

Salad:

2 romaine lettuce hearts (you just want the hearts, they will give you a crisp crunchy texture)

3 Roma tomatoes (I used halved cherry tomatoes; what I had on hand)

1/2 red onion

1/2 cup medium sized olives

1 cup croutons

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated is good)

2-4 pickled Pepperoncini

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon Canola oil

2 Tablespoons corn syrup

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1/2 teaspoon parsley, dried

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1. Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender or small food processor and mix until well combined. 

 

2. Wash and chop your lettuce, tomatoes and red onion. Add your olives, croutons and Parmesan cheese. Toss to combine.

 

3. Pour dressing over the top. Toss to coat and serve immediately.  You may not need all the dressing; can save some for another salad. 

 

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(Vanilla Bean) Fudge Ripple Ice Cream

This recipe is from David Lebovitz's ice cream book.  I made his Vanilla Philadelphia-Style Ice cream and swirled in a half recipe of his fudge ripple sauce.  It was a delicious combo.  I was scared to do the swirl, but I've done it before with this strawberry cheesecake frozen yogurt.  It's not that bad.  PS:  This ice cream is called Philadelphia-Style because of the lack of egg yolks in the recipe.  This recipe is still cooked to dissolve the sugar, though, so it needs to chill thoroughly (like overnight) in the fridge.

(Vanilla Bean) Fudge Ripple Ice Cream
adapted from David Lebovitz

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fudge Ripple, recipe below

1.  Pour 1 cup of the cream into a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan and add the sugar and salt.  Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the saucepan and add the vanilla pod to the pot.  Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved.

2.  Remove from the heat and add the remaining 2 cups liquid (cream and milk) and the vanilla extract. 

3.  Chill thoroughly (overnight is good) in the refrigerator.  When ready to churn, remove the vanilla bean (rinse and save for another use or discard), then freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.  After freezing, layer 1/2 to 1 cup of Fudge Ripple into the freshly churned ice cream.  Do this in layers, and do not swirl around too much or mixture will become muddy.  Fudge recipe below.

Fudge Ripple
adapted from David Lebovitz

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together all ingredients except vanilla.  Whisk until mixture begins to bubble at the edges and comes to a low boil.  Cook for one minute, whisking frequently.  Remove from the heat, stir in vanilla, and cool.  Chill in the fridge before using. 

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Crockpot Corn Chowder

This chowder was easy and I always love a crockpot recipe.  The flavors really improved sitting in the fridge overnight; the first night, it was good, but I thought it could have been more flavorful.  However, my husband loved it right away.  We had this with these Mini Pretzel Sliders. 

This chowder is pureed, but I thought pureeing the corn was kind of weird, so next time, I'd just puree the potatoes, THEN add the frozen corn and let it cook and heat through.  I actually stopped pureeing about halfway through so I still had some chunks.  An immersion blender is the only way to puree soups.  :)

Crockpot Corn Chowder
adapted from Mama Loves Food!
note: I cut this in half; original recipe was HUGE!

3-5 slices bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled
1+ pounds potatoes (approximately 3 medium sized potatoes), NOT peeled, diced in 1/4 inch cubes
4 cups kernel corn (I used frozen)
1/2 medium/large sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
1 cup chopped celery
3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt, or to taste
16 ounces (2 cups) chicken stock
8 ounces (1 cup) half & half (or almond milk + some Greek plain yogurt)
salt & pepper

1.  Combine all ingredients EXCEPT half & half in the slow cooker (I also only put in half of my bacon at first... kept the rest for a garnish.  I also chose to add my corn later).   Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours.

2.  Blend about half the soup using an immersion blender (or just scoop it into your upright blender then return to slow cooker).

3.  Add half & half and corn, if you didn't add before, and continue cooking, uncovered, for about another 15 minutes, until heated through. Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve and enjoy!

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Pizza Bread (Very Easy!)

This is such an easy and delicious dinner.  I saw this on Buns in My Oven, and it sparked memories of my mom making a similar recipe when I was little.  I picked up the ingredients to make it soon, and did so.  It only takes 5-10 minutes to put together and not long to bake.  And it's so good.  I used a loaf of Italian bread and it made a lot, because the loaves I can get here are huge.  So huge I had to cut them in half (length-wise) to fit in my oven, and do this in two batches.  (That's my largest pizza pan pictured below.)

There's not much more I can say about this recipe; if you like pizza, do this, it is SO easy!  I had fun taking pics, so here you go.

Pizza Bread
adapted from Buns in My Oven

1 loaf Italian or French Bread
Pizza Sauce; your favorite
Pepperoni (turkey is good) and other toppings of choice
Cheese- I used sliced Provolone and shredded sharp cheddar

1.  Slice the bread in half length-wise. Spread with pizza sauce (use as much as you like). Top with cheese – I used 6 slices of Provolone on each long side of bread, sprinkled with a bit of sharp shredded cheddar.  Layer on the pepperoni or whatever other toppings you like.

2.  Bake for 5-10 minutes at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and the bread is heated through. Pop under the broiler for just a couple of minutes to get the cheese nice and bubbly, if desired.  My broiler is weird so I don't use it.  Just bake a bit longer.  Cut into slices and serve.

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Brownie Cookie Sandwiches

These cookies were fun to make and delicious to eat.  My kids helped me frost them.  They are dense and chewy.  Each one is a lot of cookie; maybe try making them into mini cookies by using a smaller cookie scoop. 

Brownie Cookie Sandwiches
adapted from Cooking Classy

Brownie Cookies:

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

10 Tbsp butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:

5 oz cream cheese, softened

3 Tbsp butter, softened

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

2 Tbsp cocoa powder

 

1.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, whip together butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in eggs one at a time, mixing until combined after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Transfer dough to an airtight container and chill until firm enough to shape into balls, about an hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees during the last 10 minute of dough chilling.

 

2.  Remove cookie dough from fridge, scoop dough out and shape into balls, about the size of a golf ball (or just use your cookie scoop). Transfer rolled balls to Silpat lined cookie sheets and bake in preheated oven 10 - 11 minutes (transfer dough balls that aren't currently baking to refrigerator to chill until ready to bake). Remove from oven and allow to cool several minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely then spread Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting along bottom side of one cookie, then sandwich to the bottom side of another cookie. Store in an airtight container.

 

3.  For the Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:  In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer on medium speed, whip together cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add in vanilla and powdered sugar, then add in cocoa powder and mix until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute.

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Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

I made this soup when I had a head of cauliflower in the fridge and some shredded cheddar to use up.  I usually roast my cauliflower, but was in the mood for something different.  I mistakenly thought my kids would love this, since they LOVE Broccoli Cheddar Soup, but no.  They were all weirded out by this soup, for some reason.  "It tastes JUST like Broccoli Cheese!"  I said.  But all I got were dubious looks.  I think my daughter might have tried some.  But my husband and I had to eat it, and I ate it for lunch for like 2-3 days after.  But, it is really good.  I think I let it boil too much without stirring, because the flour turned a touch grainy, but I think if you just watch it more carefully than I did, it should be fine.

Cauliflower Cheddar Soup
adapted from Taste of Home

1 medium head cauliflower, broken in florets

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon base

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups milk

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon dried parsley

salt and pepper, to taste

 

1.  In a large saucepan, combine the cauliflower, onion, broth and bouillon. Cover and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender.

 

2.  Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk. Cook and stir until bubbly. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes longer or until thickened. Reduce heat; add cheese and seasonings. Pour into cauliflower mixture. Simmer slowly for 15-20 minutes (do not boil). Yield: 6-8 servings (2 quarts).

 

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