Favorite Homemade Pizza Recipe

It's been awhile, but I just had to share this homemade pizza recipe that I came across on Jen Hatmaker's blog.  I've tried lots of pizza recipes and many have failed me for one reason or another.  I'm just not good with dough.  But this recipe I loved.  and you have to make the sauce....such yummy, sweet sauce.  Makes the recipe my favorite!

So without further ado, here's the homemade pizza recipe that you must make!  I promise you won't regret it.

Homemade Pizza by Jen Hatmaker  (see pictures and the recipe below on her blog)

Dough (2-3 hours before you are ready to make the pizza)

(It is so worth it to make your own dough. This is so easy, even a caveman can do it in his electric mixer.)

1 tsp active yeast (or half of a package)
1 tsp sugar
4 C flour
1 tsp sea salt
1/3 C olive oil
1 T honey

Sprinkle yeast in 1 1/2 cups of warm water with a tsp of sugar. Let it proof and bubble while you do the rest.

In your electric mixer (or a bowl), put in flour and salt and mix on low. While still mixing, drizzle in the olive oil until incorporated. Stir the yeast water and drizzle into the dough mixture while mixing on low. Add the honey. Let your mixer knead for around 4-5 minutes, or you can obviously do this by hand. (The fatal dough flaw: undermixing. If you knead it long enough, it will become pliable and smooth. Not enough and it is sticky and crumbly.) Drizzle a bit of olive oil in a clean bowl, put the ball of dough in and coat it all around, and cover the bowl with a damp towel for 2-3 hours to let it rise. I usually keep this near my stove where it is warm.

This whole thing takes 10 minutes. 

House Sauce (1 hour before Pizza Time)

You know how much I abhor being dramatic (sarcasm font), but this sauce is LIFE. I make this once a week. I'll include the doubled recipe quantities, because if you aren't doubling your House Sauce to freeze for next time, I guess you just hate yourself.

1/2 C extra-virgin olive oil
1 T red pepper flakes
6-8 cloves chopped fresh garlic
28 oz can organic tomato puree*
15 oz can organic crushed tomatoes*
Some balsamic vinegar (I don't know...3 T?)
Sugar (this is to taste...I probably use 1/4 cup)
S&P

* First, a word about the tomatoes. I use Muir Glen, and there is really nothing you can ever say to make me change my mind. DO NOT GET SOME JANKY TOMATO SAUCE FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF. I am so serious. This sauce is only as good as the 'maters. Cento is a 2nd place brand if my store punks out on the Muir Glen. Fresh, homegrown peeled tomatoes are the Prom Queen of this recipe in the summer obvs, but how many of us are going to boil and peel 20 tomatoes when we could open a can? We are already making our own dough. Good lord, what do you want from us??

On low heat (LOW! If you burn that garlic, there is no point in living), put in the olive oil, red pepper flakes, and chopped garlic for 3-4 minutes until it starts to smell like Jesus' corner of heaven. Add everything else and - this is my least favorite part - whisk until all that oil is incorporated. This takes longer than I am happy about. I usually have to switch to left-handed whisking to get through it. #thestruggleisreal

Taste and adjust (I usually like more sugar than the average bear), but remember that this develops after cooking. Keep the heat low, cover, and let it bubble and simmer for at least an hour. Taste, taste, taste. A good home cook should be very familiar with Scorched Tongue Syndrome because evidently we cannot wait 10 seconds for our spoonful to cool.

Note: If you like your sauce a little thicker, make a quick slurry of 2 T of cornstarch whisked into a bit of water and stir it in at the end. It will thicken up the whole pot like magic.

Pancakes...yum.

We love pancakes.  Often we make them on Sunday nights.  The kids love them with mini chocolate chips in them.  We do that mainly for special occasions, like birthdays.

Our favorite recipe is from the Favorite Family Foods blog.  "Buttermilk Pancakes"
They are fluffy and delish and way better than a boxed mix, yet just as easy to make.

I highly recommend this recipe.

“Buttermilk” Pancakes1 1/2 c. milk
3 TB. vinegar
2 c. flour
1/4 c. white sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp.  baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/4 c. butter, melted
cooking spray
Combine the milk with the vinegar in a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to “sour”. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the egg and butter into the “soured” milk.  Pour this over the flour mixture and mix just till lumps are gone. Heat your griddle to about 350*, spray with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto griddle, cook till bubbles appear on surface. Flip with spatula and cook till light brown on the other side.  Serve warm with butter or syrup OR whatever you like! Serves 4-6. Enjoy!

Recipe from the cookbook “Tried and True”.

Snow Days

We had a few snow days here recently, which is unusual for this area for the snow to stick and stay on the ground.  Joe & Isaac had several days off of school due to the snow staying on the ground a day or two.  It was amazing to see how an inch of snow really causes a lot of problems in areas like this where there are a lot of hills, etc and they don't have snow removal equipment or salt trucks to deice the roads.  The first snow day was unexpected.  The weather forecast said it would hit east of us and we wouldn't get any accumulation.  By 10am snow was sticking to the ground and schools started panicking and letting the kids out immediately.  So imagine, all area schools releasing the kids early so buses are now on the road along with lots of parents and others that are frantically trying to get home.  But the roads have an inch of snow on the ground now and everyone is sliding because it's slick.  I had to go up Lookout Mountain to get Seth from MDO.  I got about a mile from the school and my van wouldn't go up the slick hill.  I tried several different streets and my van wheels just spun trying to get up the hills.  So I parked in a driveway and started walking.  Thankfully a mom in a suburban picked me up and helped me get Seth, then brought me back to the van and we safely made it back down Lookout Mountain thankfully.  We passed a lot of cars that were struggling to get up.  The roads weren't salted at all and they were quite slick.  We had friends that live in our subdivision calling me and telling me that there was no way to get in since the entrance is a large hill and it was too slick.  So there were a ton of cars parking on the side of the road and people were walking to their homes.  We passed a several cars that had gotten into accidents on the way home and I often felt the wheels of the van slipping and sliding.  We made it to the church parking lot just a block from our subdivision.  Me, Seth & Anna Claire (friend's kid that carpools with us) started walking with all of our bags.  Then a nice lady gave us a ride to the subdivision entrance.  We then started the big hike up the hill and to Anna Claire's house.  I'm thankful my friend Paula was watching Abby so I didn't have to carry her too.  That would have been quite a challenge.  This sounds eventful, but there are a lot of crazy stories of buses getting stuck and accidents causing people to sleep in their cars overnight.  People walking miles to get to their houses due to the icy roads.  A lady even had a baby in her car in Atlanta.  Stories of people bringing food and drinks to those who were stranded in their cars on the highway.  It was amazing to hear how people helped each other out during that time.  I'm thankful we made it home safely and by late afternoon/early evening Joe was able to drive into the back of our subdivision since some neighbors put salt all over the back entrance and the snow and ice was melted by then.  We then enjoyed a couple snow days spent sledding on the street and in the back yard.  2 weeks later we had some more snow and this time it was predicted and we were home already.  It was thick, heavy stuff just perfect for making a snow man.  But not the best for sledding.  Now it feels like Spring and I'm ready to start seeing the flowers and trees blossoming.
Here are some pictures from our fun snow days.

 My awesome neighbor :)

 Snow Cream!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is one of my favorite soup recipes.  I got it from Amy's Ailments and I'm always nervous she might delete her recipe blog, so to make sure I don't lose this recipe I'm posting it here.

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

• 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped
• 1 1/2 T. olive oil
• 2 T. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 2 T. chili powder
• 5 14.5 oz. cans chicken broth
• 3 c. frozen corn kernels
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 c. chopped onion
• 2 1/2 T. lemon juice
• 3 c. chunky salsa
• tortilla chips and shredded mexican blend cheese for garnish

Place chicken and onion in a large pot and sauté until chicken is cooked through and onion becomes transparent.  Add cumin and chili powder, then remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce burner to low and simmer for 30 more minutes.

To serve, crush tortilla chips into bottom of bowl, pour soup over top, and then sprinkle with cheese and more crushed tortilla chips.  Serves 10-12.

I wanted my soup a little thicker, so I dissolved 3 heaping T. cornstarch in a little cold water (like making gravy from drippings) and slowly stirred it into soup that I had brought back up to a boil.  Don’t do this until soup is done and you know the end consistency.  Also, start by adding half the cornstarch mixture, check consistency, and add more if you’d like.

NOTE: This would work well in a crock pot.  Throw raw, uncut chicken breasts into crock pot and cover with remaining ingredients.  Leave on low while you’re at work and then when you get home take the chicken breasts out, shred, and add  back in.

Valentine's...

I had a fun photo session with the boys for their Valentine's for school.  School got cancelled due to snow so they'll be handing their Valentine's out next Wednesday after school is back in session from Winter Break.  Hopefully I can keep them from eating all the treats before then :)
They are handing out "Pop Rocks" candy along with these cards...

Joe & I exchanged cards and some chocolate goodies for each other. I also made yummy cookies for all of us to enjoy.  I'm sick with a bad head cold, so that was the extent of our Valentine's Day.  Joe took the boys to a basketball game and after he got home, we watched a movie together.  Which was just what  I needed since I wasn't feeling the greatest.  

Hope you all had a wonderful day celebrating Love.  

May you experience the true love that only comes from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

Mommy plays Santa for a night

I felt like Santa last night as I put gifts under the tree and in the kids’ stockings after they went to bed.  I decided that we’d open presents this morning since we’ll be out of town for Christmas.  So we did our “Christmas” this morning.  I got up early, baked cinnamon rolls, and then the kids started getting up.  I loved seeing their faces as they saw the tree.  What a delight it must have been for those who were there at the first Christmas when baby Jesus was born.  Can you imagine!  Going to visit him in the stable and seeing him in the manger!  I get all tingly feeling when I think about it.  Our Saviour came down to this earth as a man so he might live here for awhile and then eventually sacrifice himself for us like no other could.  He separated himself from His Father and became flesh for us!  I’m so thankful for all that he did for us and has accomplished.  May we especially remember the true reason of why we celebrate Christmas at this time of year and always.
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Our tree and gifts all ready to go last night:

Some of the ornaments close up

Southwest Potato Corn Chowder

I took this recipe from Pillsbury.com. I double the recipe since it said it was for only 2 servings. It is quite filling and very delicious. It also freezes great.  I made 4 batches of this recently and it was a great thing to give to friends who just needed a break from cooking or were sick, etc.  This tastes quite yummy with a good loaf of homemade bread (I love good bread…if only I new how to bake good bread).

Here is the recipe for 2 servings:

INGREDIENTS

3 unpeeled medium red potatoes (3/4 lb), cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 1/2 cups Progresso® chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)

3/4 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Pinch ground red pepper (cayenne) - (I omitted this since I don't like things very spicey)

3/4 cup frozen corn

2 tablespoons chopped roasted red bell pepper (from a jar), well drained

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese (2 oz)

1/3 cup Greek Fat Free plain yogurt (from a 6-oz container)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 medium green onions, finely chopped (2 tablespoons)

2 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled

DIRECTIONS

• 1In 2-quart saucepan, place potatoes. Add water just to cover. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover and boil gently (simmer) about 15 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain. Reserve 1/2 cup potatoes; return remaining potatoes to saucepan. In small bowl, mash reserved potatoes with fork.
• 2Stir reserved mashed potatoes back into remaining potatoes in saucepan, along with broth, sugar, garlic salt, pepper, ground red pepper, corn and roasted red bell pepper. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 3In small bowl, stir flour into milk with whisk until well mixed; stir into potato mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens and boils. Stir in cheese until melted. Remove from heat; stir in yogurt, cilantro and green onions. Serve topped with bacon and, if desired, additional green onions.

For a healthier topping to use instead of the bacon, top off bowls of steaming chowder with seasoned croutons or fish-shaped crackers.

You can substitute fresh red bell pepper instead of the roasted red bell pepper.