We make our own pizza about once a week, usually on Friday nights. I've been through a lot of recipes - some using the bread machine, some that need to sit overnight, some that use my kitchen-aid mixer, but this is our new favorite pizza dough recipe. And to make it even better, it comes with directions to freeze it, and doesn't take any special equipment.
Quick Mix Pizza Dough
1c. water
2T olive oil
3-3 1/2c. flour
1 pkg. (2 1/4t.) active dry yeast
1t. sugar
1/2t. salt
Recipe yields 2 medium or large crusts, depending on thickness.
Cooking day instructions
Heat water and olive oil to 120 degrees. In bowl, combine 1 ½ cups flour with yeast, sugar, and salt. Add warm water and mix with electric mixer for 3 minutes. Stir in 1 ½ cups additional flour by hand to form a soft dough. Knead on a floured surface for 10 minutes, adding rest of flour as needed. Dough should be smooth and elastic but not sticky. Shape into a ball and place in greased bowl. Cover with damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place about 45 minutes or until doubled in size. Punch down and divide in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and freeze in freezer bag.
Serving day instructions
Thaw completely. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll out pizza dough directly onto pizza pan or baking stone. Prick crust with fork, then parbake in oven for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven, add toppings, and return to over to continue baking for 10-15 minutes more until done. (I usually parbake for about 8 minutes, and bake for about 10.)
ONE day of Potty Training
EIGHT pairs of panties
TWO rolls of toilet paper
TWO rolls of paper towels
ONE HALF GALLON chocolate milk
COUNTLESS amounts of water and hand soap
TOO MANY TO COUNT readings of “The Princess & The Pea”
TWO phone calls to celebrate our success
TWO gold stars
FOUR M&Ms (one for each hand)
= ONE very long, very hot shower for a very sore, very tired, very pregnant Momma
TWO rolls of toilet paper
TWO rolls of paper towels
ONE HALF GALLON chocolate milk
COUNTLESS amounts of water and hand soap
TOO MANY TO COUNT readings of “The Princess & The Pea”
TWO phone calls to celebrate our success
TWO gold stars
FOUR M&Ms (one for each hand)
= ONE very long, very hot shower for a very sore, very tired, very pregnant Momma
Potty Training Bootcamp
Other than going in the potty once, way back in June, Bug’s potty training has been pretty much non-existent.
We’ve had a little potty in the house, and I try to encourage it when I think of it, but we haven’t had any really consistent work with it. I blame the move, and my own lack of motivation from being tired and pregnant.
I recently realized, however, that if I don’t get her potty trained soon, then I’m going to have two in diapers, which I’d really like to avoid… And with only 9 weeks left to the arrival of Baby Awesome, and Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years all in there, that doesn’t leave much time for potty training.
So a few weeks ago, I began reading all the potty training materials I could get my hands on. I’ve decided to meld together a few different “techniques” and pretty much go no-holds-barred for the next three to four days and see what happens.
And I have absolutely NO IDEA what I’m doing.
With everything I've read they all start with, “Is your child ready?” This question irks me. Physically and mentally she is definitely ready. But, the “is she ready?” questions never address items like, “Does your child adamantly refuse to do anything that you suggest, no matter what it is, just because you suggest it?” I’m sure if it did, the answer would be, “then she’s not ready.”
I’m not willing to accept this, because I’m pretty sure she’s going to refuse to do anything I suggest for pretty much the rest of her life because she is my daughter, and even to this day I tend to be like that with my own mother. (Sorry mom, it’s just a reaction, I can’t control it.)
So here’s my plan for Potty Training Bootcamp:
I’d love all the help, wise words, etc. I can get!
We’ve had a little potty in the house, and I try to encourage it when I think of it, but we haven’t had any really consistent work with it. I blame the move, and my own lack of motivation from being tired and pregnant.
I recently realized, however, that if I don’t get her potty trained soon, then I’m going to have two in diapers, which I’d really like to avoid… And with only 9 weeks left to the arrival of Baby Awesome, and Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years all in there, that doesn’t leave much time for potty training.
So a few weeks ago, I began reading all the potty training materials I could get my hands on. I’ve decided to meld together a few different “techniques” and pretty much go no-holds-barred for the next three to four days and see what happens.
And I have absolutely NO IDEA what I’m doing.
With everything I've read they all start with, “Is your child ready?” This question irks me. Physically and mentally she is definitely ready. But, the “is she ready?” questions never address items like, “Does your child adamantly refuse to do anything that you suggest, no matter what it is, just because you suggest it?” I’m sure if it did, the answer would be, “then she’s not ready.”
I’m not willing to accept this, because I’m pretty sure she’s going to refuse to do anything I suggest for pretty much the rest of her life because she is my daughter, and even to this day I tend to be like that with my own mother. (Sorry mom, it’s just a reaction, I can’t control it.)
So here’s my plan for Potty Training Bootcamp:
- We’re going to make a big deal of how it’s her “Big Potty Day!” (we’ve been building this up for the last few days and counting down)
- We’ve been reading potty books before bed for the last few nights
- Her little friend, Maura, who is four, is going to spend the morning with us tomorrow – and hopefully show MissBug how to use the “big potty”
- We’re going to “throw away” all the diapers
- We have new princess panties
- We’re going to spend the next three days in the princess panties and a t-shirt, and stay home
- She picked out her own Dora potty seat, which will be unveiled tomorrow (she’s forgotten about it)
- We have M&Ms for rewards for going in the potty
- We have lots of chocolate milk (not something she gets daily, and her favorite), Capri Suns (extra treat), and salty snacks – to encourage the drinking
- We have a potty chart and stickers
- We get to call Daddy if she goes in the potty
I’d love all the help, wise words, etc. I can get!
Tasty Tuesday - Five Minute Chocolate Cake
This recipe is a horrible, terrible thing to share. Because it really is a chocolate cake in FIVE MINUTES. In the MICROWAVE. And it's delicious.
I have to work very hard not to make one daily.
I got the recipe from our realtor. She was nice enough to leave it on our doorstep this Halloween with a bag of chocolate chips, so the recipe is copied straight from what she gave me... enjoy!
5 Minute Chocolate Cake
4T flour
4T sugar
2T cocoa
1 egg
3T milk
3T oil
4T chocolate chips (this is the only change I'd make, I really think these are optional, and I would at least cut it to 2T)
Splash of Vanilla
1 Large Coffee Mug
Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add chocolate chips and vanilla and mix again.
Put mug in the microwave on saucer and cook for 3 minutes. (Cake may rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed.)
Allow to cool for 3 minutes, then dump out on saucer.
EAT! (This can serve two if so desired.)
Why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because we are now only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!
I have to work very hard not to make one daily.
I got the recipe from our realtor. She was nice enough to leave it on our doorstep this Halloween with a bag of chocolate chips, so the recipe is copied straight from what she gave me... enjoy!
5 Minute Chocolate Cake
4T flour
4T sugar
2T cocoa
1 egg
3T milk
3T oil
4T chocolate chips (this is the only change I'd make, I really think these are optional, and I would at least cut it to 2T)
Splash of Vanilla
1 Large Coffee Mug
Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add chocolate chips and vanilla and mix again.
Put mug in the microwave on saucer and cook for 3 minutes. (Cake may rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed.)
Allow to cool for 3 minutes, then dump out on saucer.
EAT! (This can serve two if so desired.)
Why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because we are now only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!
Happy Halloween!
We spent Halloween at my parent's house. MissBug went trick-or-treating through the neighborhood, and was much better at it by this time than she was at Zoo-Boo.
She did insist on riding on Daddy's shoulders between every house. We didn't go to that many houses, but she insisted on being carried to them.
She was required to walk up to the front doors on her own to get the candy, though.
By the end of the night she was a pro.
And she ate a LOT of candy.
The next morning, J got her out of bed, and I laid in bed listening to them on the monitor. It went something like this:
Daddy: "Good morning Bug."
Bug: "Treat!"
Daddy: "No more trick-or-treat, sweetie. Halloween is over."
Bug: "Candy!"
Daddy: "I think we've created a monster."
Pumpkin Carving
The night before Halloween we carved our pumpkins. MissBug has been carrying her “baby pumpkin” around for about a month now. It was going to bed with her, eating meals with us, and pretty much a close family friend.
Surprisingly, cutting Baby Pumpkin open and pulling out his guts didn’t seem to bother her too much. She was slightly grossed out, but not like last year when she shivered and wouldn’t touch the insides.
As soon as J cut the top off, she stuck her little hand in and grabbed a handful and stuck it in her mouth. Gross.
Afterwards, I roasted the pumpkin seeds and we watched Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin.
I’d like to add that J and I were both slightly disappointed in this movie… we hadn’t seen it since we were kids, and we both remembered the Great Pumpkin coming – he doesn’t – but for some reason, we both were just sure that he did.
More Fall Fun
On Thursday before Halloween we celebrated with J's family. Poppy got a hay wagon just for the occassion, so we all got to go on a big hayride. The kiddos also got to pick their own pumpkins that Poppy and Moo-moo grew for them, and decorate halloween cookies.
Zoo-Boo
We did all sorts of fun Halloween activities over the last week. Our fun-filled week kicked off the Sunday before Halloween with a trip to the zoo for "Zoo-Boo."
Miss Bug tried out her costume for the first time too. She was supposed to be a bumble-bee, but with the recent obsession with tu-tus I had to make one of those to go with it... so she was a "Bumble-bee Princess."
And if you asked her, she was just a Princess.
MissBug's very first attempt at trick-or-treating...
Tasty Tuesday - Creamy Chicken & Noodles
For some time now, I've been looking for a recipe for chicken and noodles that's somewhere between soup and dumplings. The kind of thing I remember eating in the school cafeteria - the kind that's almost like gravy, and you can't eat it without mashed potatoes and bread. I have made a lot of recipes that are not any of these things... but Sunday night, I think we may have found the ONE. And to make things even better, it's really simple.
Creamy Chicken & Noodles
1 (26 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
2 cups diced, cooked chicken breast meat
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 (9 ounce) packages frozen egg noodles
In a large pot, mix the cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth, and chicken meat. Season with onion powder, seasoning salt, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil, and stir in the noodles. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
(I added a bay leaf, used about 5 cups chicken broth, and three shredded boneless chicken breasts. I didn’t have any seasoning salt, so I added about 1/4t. salt. I also read in the reviews that it is really important to use the frozen noodles, and not dried for this recipe.)
We served it over buttermilk mashed potatoes with crusty bread. Delicious!
Creamy Chicken & Noodles
1 (26 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
2 cups diced, cooked chicken breast meat
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 (9 ounce) packages frozen egg noodles
In a large pot, mix the cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth, and chicken meat. Season with onion powder, seasoning salt, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil, and stir in the noodles. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
(I added a bay leaf, used about 5 cups chicken broth, and three shredded boneless chicken breasts. I didn’t have any seasoning salt, so I added about 1/4t. salt. I also read in the reviews that it is really important to use the frozen noodles, and not dried for this recipe.)
We served it over buttermilk mashed potatoes with crusty bread. Delicious!
I found the grapes...
I found the grapes under my kitchen sink the other day.
I'm loosing my mind. The baby is killing all my brain cells.
Well actually, if I'm being honest, I found the grapes under the sink at least a month ago. Because I'm loosing my mind I didn't remember to post it until today.
I'm loosing my mind. The baby is killing all my brain cells.
Well actually, if I'm being honest, I found the grapes under the sink at least a month ago. Because I'm loosing my mind I didn't remember to post it until today.
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