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Category: summer

quick and easy pizza dough

quick and easy pizza dough

I found this recipe on cooks.com last night, and John and I were both surprised at how good it was. It also was quite easy, with no “rise time” for the dough. I think we spent a total of 1/2 an hour in the kitchen (not including baking time, of course) starting with defrosting the tomato sauce and cooking the chicken and ending with washing the prep dishes.
It was the perfect meal for a warm evening.

dough:
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 c. warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 1/2 c. flour
cornmeal

topping:
Jar of pizza sauce or make your own
Grated Mozzarella (about 8 oz.)
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. oregano
Any other topping you prefer – pepperoni, mushrooms, sausage, onions, etc. We used chicken, bacon and pineapple.

Dissolve yeast in warm water.
Stir in remaining dough ingredients; beat vigorously, about 20 strokes.
Allow dough to rest (about 5 minutes). That’s all the time it needs. Really.

Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Prepare topping/sauce.
Divide dough in half.
On lightly greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal, pat each half into a 10 inch circle. (Continue to flour fingers when patting dough into circles.) You may want to prepare the second pizza while the first is baking, allowing less time for the center of the second to “poof”.
Spread sauce on each circle. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and oregano. Arrange your choice of topping on top and sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until crust is brown and filling is hot and bubbly.
Makes 2 pizzas.

these are days to remember

these are days to remember

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.
-john lubbock
Recently my days have been full of …… rest. At the ends of them I feel so unaccomplished, so lazy, idle and behind. But at the end of each one my dear and encouraging husband reminds me that I have been busy – God and I have been making a baby. It is far more important that anything else I could be doing!
Happy Birthday Darling!!!

Happy Birthday Darling!!!

the brand new birthday banner (very fresh, as in, made today …)

breakfast in bed

I am thoroughly convinced that I have been blessed with the best husband in the world. Really. He has come home and cooked dinner when I haven’t been feeling well, sent me off to take a bath, and then asked if there was anything else he could do for me. He patiently waits at the doorway of the women’s dressing room, and doesn’t mention it if “nothing works”. He makes sure to tell me he thinks I’m beautiful, especially when I am feeling particularly “un-beautiful”. I could go on and on, but I need to get the cake frosted. So I’ll get to the point. Today is John’s birthday, and I am terribly grateful for (and in love with) him.

Happy birthday, Baby. I love you.

yesterday

yesterday

The herbs that John bought for me in the beginning of May were starting to crowd the tomato, so I split them up.

And because we were just about out of bread, and I really didn’t feel like asking John to go out again, I made some. Rosemary Raisin.

6 to 6 1/2 cups flour
2 pkg. (1 1/2 tbsp) active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups milk
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp butter (I used olive oil)
2 tsp salt
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups dark or golden raisins
4 tsp dried crushed rosemary
1 egg white
1 tbsp milk

In a large mixing bowl combine 3 cups of flour and the yeast; set aside.
In a medium saucepan heat and stir together the 2 1/2 cups milk, the sugar, butter, and salt until warm and butter almost melts. Add milk mixture to the flour mixture, stir. Add egg yolk, stir until combined.
Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping the bowl. Beat on high for 3 minutes more. Sprinkle with raisins and rosemary. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 to 60 minutes.
Punch down the dough. Divide dough in half. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Lightly grease two loaf pans; shape each half of the dough into a ball and place in prepared pans. Cover and let rise until nearly double, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375. For the glaze, combine the egg white with the remaining milk; brush lightly over the surface of the dough.
Bake about 40 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Cover loosely with foil to prevent over browning during the last ten minutes of baking, if necessary. Remove from pans immediately.

For dinner John barbecued some steak which he had marinated with a bit of balsamic vinegar and a shake of seasoned salt (one of the best simple marinades we’ve done yet), and I defrosted some peas in the microwave and topped them with blu cheese. A simple, yet extremely delicious and satisfying meal.

birthday joys

birthday joys

The family sent a package for my birthday … and I opened it this morning.
It had 22 little packages inside – all numbered – and I am still opening them!

favorites

favorites

I love the smell of early mornings when summer is changing to fall. I love the way the air smells before the sun comes up. It is crisp and wet, it invites you to come outside and revel in it.
Mmmmmm!