Pickle Pizza

  Pizza Crust for one pizza.  You can find my current favorite pizza crust recipe here.


Now the good part.  :)

Toppings:
1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce
1/2 lb. ground sausage, cooked and drained
Black Olives, sliced
1/2 Onion, sliced
Pepperoni
Baby Dill Pickles, cubed (make sure the cubes are nice and chunky, don't use sliced pickles, they HAVE TO BE CUBES. :)
Shredded cheese.  I like a combination of Mozzarella and Cheddar. 

And that's it.  Layer it all on.  Bake it according to the directions for your crust.  Enjoy.

You've gotta admit... once you've tried pickles on your pizza, you wonder why Pizza Hut hasn't started selling them this way, yet.  If you don't believe me ask Stephanie.   I asked her "Do you think this recipe is good enough to post on my blog?"  She answered "uh huh" immediately, no hesitation.  And she had to say "uh huh" because she had pizza in her mouth and couldn't use real words. :) And then she posed for a picture.  See how she's enjoying it? 

Chicken Pesto Pizza

Ingredients:
Pizza Crust for one pizza 
Feel free to use your favorite pizza crust recipe, or frozen bread dough or Boboli... or whatever.  I'm still searching for the perfect pizza crust, but I have to say, this one was REALLY good for a non-yeast crust. 
Here's the recipe I used:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil.

Mix the dry ingredients first (I also added a pinch of brown sugar here because I was in the mood for a sweeter crust.  It doesn't take much, a tsp. is fine.  And the tiny bit of sweet really contrasts nicely with the saltiness...)  Then combine the water and oil and mix it all together.  I used my hands to knead it into a ball and then rolled it out right onto the baking stone.  You might need a tad bit more water.  But don't overdo it.  Just a sprinkle at a time until it's the right consistency and it sticks together. 

Toppings

• 1 Chicken Breast, cubed and cooked
• 3/4 Cup Pesto (I grew a huge basil plant last summer and Mom made a bunch of pesto from it.  I still have some in my freezer. :) )
• 1/2 Onion, sliced
• 5 Mushrooms, sliced 
• 3/4 Cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 2 Roma Tomatoes, sliced.

Spread pizza crust with pesto sauce.  Then layer the ingredients in whatever order you like.  I suggest finishing up with cheese and then tomato.  Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes.


SO yummy.  :)

To Die For Blueberry Muffins

   And they're not even kidding...

RECIPE courtesy of my lovely friend KRISTA of the IDD Blog.

My Kind of Science

This is chemistry, right???

See, you mix all these things together and you get a CHEMICAL REACTION.

Like I said.  This is my kind of science.  The kind where you get to eat blueberry muffins at the end.

Blueberry Muffin recipe courtesy of Krista at The IDD Blog

Cinnamon Lime Chicken

This is one of my favorite ways to eat chicken! I love it!  It's so light!



Chicken (however you like it, I generally use the boneless skinless chicken breasts)

Juice of 2 limes

1/2 cup vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 jalepeno, diced

1 garlic clove, diced

2 Tblsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. black pepper

dash of nutmeg





Marinade chicken in rest of ingredients at least a couple of hours, overnight is best.  Don't underestimate the power of the lime-cinnamon combination.  And don't mince on the pepper and jalepeno.  Actually, I never even measure so I'm just guesstimating on all these measurements... :)

Awesome Find!

Have you seen this website?

COPYKAT RECIPES

They have some awesome recipes all based on famous restaurant selections.

Check it out!

Strawberry Shortcake

Not this one:

This one:


now that we have that clear....


I'm sick of winter. Really. So, I have an idea!!! let's pretend it's summer! who's with me?

ok! great!! get out your fork, 'cause I'm making Strawberry Shortcake.



1/3 cup butter flavored Crisco
2 C. Flour
2 Tbsp. Sugar
3 Tsp. Baking Powder
1 Tsp. Salt
3/4 C. Milk

Strawberries
1 Tbsp. sugar

Whipped cream

Wash your strawberries

Chop up strawberries, sprinkle sugar over them and put them in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve.

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Use a pastry blender to cut in the crisco until the mixture is crumbly. Add milk and stir. Roll dough out on floured surface. Cut into biscuit rounds. I use a jar ring or the top of a glass. NOTE: if you place your shortcakes close together on the baking sheet they will rise better.

Bake @ 450 for 20 minutes. Cool, cut in half and serve with strawberries and whipped cream! YUM!!!

Dinner

Hi, my name is Rebecca...I like to take pictures of my food...
all together: "Hi Rebecca"

I also like to sneak around in my sister's room looking for the camera while the girl's are sleeping...

I love color, everywhere, even in my food...

This is Tomatoes, Olives, Cilantro and cubed Mozzarella
(of course I chopped it all up on my lime green cutting board)

I put it all in some Pasta with Sausage and Shrimp, squeezed a Lime over it and dusted it with Parmesan...
because you can never have too much cheese on your pasta

Saturday Morning Pancakes

Saturday Morning means pancakes.... as you can see the recipe has been quadrupled for the times when we fed 11 people with this recipe.

Perfect Morning Light


Perfect Pancakes

Creamy Coffee

Cranberry Chicken Roll-ups

3 chicken breasts, thawed
1/4 cup cranberries
1/2 onion
dab of butter
2 tbsp walnuts chopped
1 slice bacon, crumbled
3 slices Mozzarella cheese
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp. fruit jelly





Pound chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness. Saute onion in butter, add cranberries, cinnamon, mustard and jelly. Spoon cranberry mixture into center of the chicken breasts, sprinkle 1/2 of the walnuts and bacon on top of cranberries. Roll up chicken and place seam side down in baking dish. Top with a slice of mozzerella cheese and sprinkle with remaining walnut and bacon mixture.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Good with Rice Pilaf.

Double Chocolate Dream Cookies

Double Chocolate Dream Cookies
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips


Beat shortening, brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Beat in eggs about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.

Combine flour, cocoa, soda and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to shortening mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets, flatten slightly. Bake in pre-heated 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until puffed. Let stand 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 4 1/2 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Chip Scones

4 cups flour
3 Tblsp sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 cup cold butter (no substitutes)
1 egg, separated 1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
additional sugar

In a bowl combine the first five ingredients; cut in butter until crumbly. In a bowl, whisk egg yolk and milk. Add to dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in chocolate chips. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 10 times. Divide dough in half. Pat each portion into a 7 inch circle; cut into 8 wedges. Separate wedges and place on greased baking sheets.
Beat egg white and brush over dough. Sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake @ 425 for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.


Serve with Spiced Butter:
1/2 cup butter softened.
3 tblsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Combine all ingredients. Beat until smooth. Serve with warm scones

Mozarella Meat Rolls

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 egg
3/4 cup cracker crumbs (or croutons or whatever you have.. I used crushed Doritos....)
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce (or spaghetti sauce, or salsa, or anything tomato based, actually)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. oregano
at this point I suggest adding whatever spices you like. I like Spike. red pepper flakes are good too.... whatever you want
2 cups shredded mozzarella (mozz is really the best, but cheddar works, too)
1/2 cup brown sugar


Combine beef, egg, cracker crumbs, onions, half of the tomato sauce and oregano. Shape on waxed paper (or aluminum foil) into a 10x12 inch rectangle. or something like that... :-) (like a jellyroll) Sprinkle cheese on and roll up into a 10 inch long roll and place in a greased bread pan. (remove the foil or waxed paper or whatever you used.) Pour 1/2 cup brown sugar into the remaining tomato sauce, then pour all over the top of the meat. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour, 15 min.