I love to make homemade pizza, but I am not a big fan of all of the pizza crusts / dough out there. So, I like to make my own. This recipe is so easy and fast and crisps up very nicely. You can make it thick or thin, whichever you like.
Homemade Pizza Dough
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup warm water (more or less) I start out with about 3/4 and add more if I need it
Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add oil and 3/4 cup of the warm water. Mix until it forms a ball. Dough should be easy to handle. If it is too stiff add more water. The dough should not be sticky at all, but very easy to pick up and handle. Dump dough onto a floured surface and knead with your hands for 2 or 3 minutes.
Spray your pan with cooking spray so that the dough spreads easily. Roll out with a rolling pin and I pre-bake mine for about 3 or 4 minutes at 400 degrees. Then remove from the oven and add my toppings. Finish baking until cheese is bubbly - another 15 to 20 minutes.
Enjoy!
OK an easy one this morning. How about some Fluffy Scrambled Eggs. Do your scrambled eggs come out light or hard? Here is a quick way to have scrambled eggs that are scrumptious!
Fluffiest Scrambled Eggs
2 - 3 large eggs
3 Tbsp. evaporated milk
1 tsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
2 Tbsp. real butter
In a bowl, beat eggs with evaporated milk, salt and pepper. In a small skillet, heat the butter to hot and bubbly. Immediately pour in the eggs and the key is to let the egg sit until they are starting to cook. Don't start stirring immediately or they will be too soft and not thick and fluffy. Once they start to set up in the pan, start folding them over with a soft-sided spatula. Don't just stir them....fold them. Your eggs will be big and fluffy!
This may sound like one easy recipe, but give it a try. The evaporated milk gives them a richer flavor than regular milk does.
Enjoy your Holiday weekend....I'm sure I will have some great turkey leftover recipes coming soon!
Debi
These wonderful little appetizers are great to take for a pitch-in or to use as a snack before your Holiday meal. The Pesto gives them that little kick and makes them so flavorful.
Ham and Turkey Roll Ups
12 large flour tortillas
1/4 lb. deli ham (I use Honey Ham)
1/4 lb. deli turkey
1 jar Pesto (or homemade)
1 small tub softened cream cheese
Lay out 2 tortillas side by side. On one tortilla spread about 2 Tbsp. Pesto and then layer either the ham or the turkey (or a combination of both). On the other tortilla, spread about 2 Tbsp. cream cheese. Place the two tortillas on top of each other and start to roll them up tightly. Refrigerate for approximately 1 hour. Remove and slice into thin rounds. Place into a sealed container until ready to serve.
Repeat the process until all 12 tortillas have been used and/or all of the meat has been used. You can also use deli roast beef or any other deli meat you prefer.
Enjoy!
Ohh, these little creatures are scrumptious! I started out making these a cake then decided, nah! I'll just do them in a muffin pan...and boy am I glad I did. They are so moist. You will love these and they are easy!
Upside Down Raspberry Muffins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
12 heaping Tbsp. Raspberry Jam
1 cup sugar
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick real butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. hazelnut or vanilla flavoring
1 cup evaporated milk
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons of water
1/2 tsp. hazelnut or vanilla flavoring
4 Tbsp. crushed mixed nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.)
Spray large muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir well to combine. In a separate bowl, mix sugar, softened butter, eggs, evaporated milk and flavoring. Beat well with a hand mixer or fork until smooth.
Place about 2 Tablespoons of batter into the bottom of each section of the prepared pan. Top with 1 heaping Tbsp. of quality Raspberry Jam. Cover with the remaining batter. Batter will come almost to the top, but that's ok because they will rise up and a little over forming a little edge around the bottom. (This depends on how deep your muffin pans are. Fill them to within 1/4" of the top.
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until they are starting to brown on top. While they are baking, mix your glaze. Remove from the pan onto a cooling rack and remember that they will be flipped upside down so that the Raspberry is on the top. Drizzle with the glaze. Garnish with crushed nuts. I used a combination of almonds and walnuts, but you can use whatever nuts you like.
Enjoy!
I wanted something different last night, so I threw together a sauce and baked this chicken. It was fabulous. The blend of garlic and sweetness made for an extraordinary flavor. Give it a try.
Honey Garlic Chicken
2 Tbsp. honey
6 cloves of minced garlic
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Basil
1 Tbsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
3 Tbsp. melted real butter
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup Miracle Whip
4 Tbsp. water
Mix all ingredients above
4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, split in half long-ways. I use a cast iron skillet, but any baking pan will do. Spray bottom of pan with cooking spray and then place chicken breasts on the pan. Using a basting brush, brush the mixture above onto the chicken, flip and coat the other side.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, flip, baste again and bake another 15 minutes on the other side. Flip1 more time and finish baking another 10 minutes.
Chicken should be browning and juicy!
Enjoy!
Beef must be the way to a man's heart because my man loves Beef! These Beef tips are so good, hearty and filling. And pretty easy to make. Cutting them into cubes before you cook also speeds up the cooking time. Put them into the crockpot and they are ready when you get home from work.
Beef Tips in the Crock Pot
1 large Round Steak, cut into small cubes
1 small white onion, sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 small can mushrooms (optional)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 can beef broth
1 cup of water
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. rosemary
Put all ingredients into the crock pot and put the lid on. Turn it on low and cook for 6 hours, or turn it on high and cook for approximately 4 hours.
During the last few minutes of cooking, remove about 3 cups of the broth to a sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. In a small cup with 1/2 cup of water, beat in 2 heaping Tbsp. of cornstarch. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the broth and stir constantly until it thickens (which won't take long). Pour back into the crockpot. Turn off and serve!
I serve these with mashed potatoes, of course!
Enjoy!
This candy is similar to a brittle, but not quite as crunchy. It is between a fudge and a brittle consistency. You can use any type of nuts, but Walnuts are my favorite.
Walnut Crunch Candy
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 stick real butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla flavoring
1 cups finely chopped walnuts
Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper, spray with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large sauce pan, mix sugar, evaporated milk, whole milk, vinegar, butter and salt into pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes. Stir in the 1 cup of chopped walnuts and cook for another 5 minutes.
Pour immediately onto the waxed paper, spreading it out as thinly as you can. This will harden very quickly, so you must be fast!
Cool completely for about 2 hours, break into chunks and eat!
Enjoy!
A Crock-Pot is a wondrous thing! The lid on mine even locks so it keeps all those juices in. This Crock Pot Chili Mac is so easy and cooks on high in about 4 hours or on low in about 6 hours.
Crock Pot Cheesy Chili Mac
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 15.5 oz. can Petite Diced Tomatoes
1 15 oz. can Rotel Tomatoes with Green Chilies
1 cup hot water
1 tsp. Italian Seasonings
1 cup uncooked macaroni
2" section of Velveeta Cheese
1 15.5 oz. can navy beans (optional)
Brown the ground beef with the onion in a skillet. Drain well and add to the Crock Pot. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Do not add the macaroni yet.
Cook time: on High for a quicker meal - 3 hours
on Low if you will be gone all day - 5 to 7 hours
Add macaroni and cook another hour. Be sure to test the macaroni before serving to make sure it is done. If not cook additional time.
Enjoy!
Good morning everyone, well I survived vacation, but I sure missed cooking. We visited the Washington, DC Metro area. I was invited to participate in Dachtoberfest and to be a speaker. We had a great time and then stayed the following week for some R&R (vacation).
I wanted to give a review of a wonderful diner we ate at in Frederick Maryland.
The Double T Diner - Frederick, MD
I have to say, we stopped at the Double T on a fluke. We were heading to another restaurant beside the Double T, and the line long was outside waiting to get in. I said to my husband, "Oh, let's just try this little place." So, we did and I have to tell you it was fabulous!
To start, let me tell you about the atmosphere. The Double T is all shiny and silver on the outside and looks like the old fashioned diners of the 50s. I loved that! However, when we walked inside, it was huge, yet homey! I was really surprised. It had the lunch counter and then plenty of seating.
We were seated immediately and within moments our waitress, Tina, came over to our table. Tina was great! She was prompt and attentive. In fact, all of the other waitresses within the establishment were fun... They truly seemed to enjoy their work.
There was a table next to us with a family of 5. Their waitress was a hoot! She was giving one fellow a hard time because he ordered the "Mile High Meatloaf." I will tell you, that meatloaf was the biggest meatloaf I had ever seen....she was telling him he probably couldn't eat it, and we joined right in with the fun coaxing him on....of course he did finish it...but I would say he was one full man!
When Tina brought our food, which was within moments, it was fabulous. I ordered the Coconut Shrimp and expected to get maybe 5 or 6 shrimp for the low price, but I had over a dozen shrimp! My husband ordered the Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy and said it was fabulous!
They also have some fantastic looking desserts. We purchased a huge Chocolate Éclair and the next day we ate it in our hotel room. Oh, my gosh it was decadent!
So, a should out to the Double T Diner in Frederick, Maryland. If you are ever in the area, I encourage you to give them a try!
A Special shout out to TINA who was Fabulous!
Fresh Corn off the cob is fantastic. This recipe is the best recipe I have ever found to freeze corn off the cob. If you like fresh corn, you'll love this recipe.
Freezing Corn
24 ears of corn
Water for boiling (about a gallon more or less)
2 quarts of water
1/4 cup of sugar
2 tsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
Wash and prepare corn for cooking. In a Very Large pan, bring about a gallon of water to a boil. Drop about 6 ears of the corn into the water and bring back up to a boil. Once boiling, boil for about 5 minutes and immediately transfer into a sink filled with ice water. This will shock the corn and stop the cooking process. Repeat with the rest of the corn. Be sure to bring the water back up to a boil before you put the next batch of corn into the pan.
Once the corn cools where you can handle it, using a knife, cut the corn off of the cob. Dip out enough corn to fill a baggie (thick storage type) to almost full. Pour about 1/8 cup of the mixture below into the baggie of corn and seal tightly. Freeze immediately.
Mix: 2 quart of water, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1 Tbsp. ground pepper and 2 tsp. salt in a bowl or pitcher. Shake or stir to mix.
By using this recipe, when you are ready to cook the corn, all you have to do is place it into a sauce pan and add 2 Tbsp. butter and cook for about 10 minutes. The corn will be sweet and fresh and fabulous every time!
You can also use this recipe for freezing corn on the cob. Cut the corn in half and instead of taking it off the cob, place the 1/2 ears of corn into a large baggie and add about 1/4 cup of the water mixture and then freeze.
Enjoy corn all year long!
Try a different kick from the same-ole, same-ole Nachos with chips. I baked the waffle fries so they are much healthier. It's a nice change!
Waffle Fry Nachos
1/2 to 1 whole pkg. Waffle Fry Potatoes - frozen (depending on how many you are feeding)
2" to 3" thick chunk of Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes
3 Tbsp. your favorite salsa (I use my homemade fresh salsa see earlier post)
1/4 cup of milk
1/2 tsp. cayenne or hot sauce
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 small onion, finely diced
1 tsp. ground pepper
2 to 3 cups finely shredded lettuce
2 green onions, finely diced for garnish
Sour Cream for garnish
Place frozen Waffle Fry potatoes into preheated oven and bake according to package directions. You can deep fry these for a crunchier potato, but they aren't as healthy!
Brown ground beef and onion in deep skillet. Drain grease.
While ground beef is cooking, into a deep sauce pan add: 2" to 3" thick chunk of Velveeta cheese cut into cubes, 1/4 cup of milk, 3 Tbsp. of salsa, 1/2 tsp. of cayenne or hot sauce and ground pepper. Heat over low heat, stirring often until cheese is completely melted.
Once the ground beef is drained, add it back into the pan (off the heat) and then pour in the Cheese mixture and mix well together.
To pull together: Place waffle fries on a plate and top with the hamburger/cheese mixture. Add shredded lettuce and sour cream on top for garnish. Can sprinkle with green onions and additional salsa also.
HINT: The cheese mixture is also a great dip for parties, snacking, etc.
Enjoy!
This chicken noodle soup is much heartier than most brothy types of soups. It has rich Cream of Chicken soup in it. It gives it such a rich, full flavor. You will love it!
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. real butter
2 cans chicken broth
1 can of water
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
4 baby carrots, finely diced
1 stalk of celery, finely diced
2 Tbsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. dill
1/2 pkg. Wide Noodles
Chop up chicken into bite sized pieces. In a dutch-oven (deep pan), melt the butter and sauté the chicken breasts until just done. (about 10 minutes). Add in diced carrots, diced celery, both cans of chicken broth and the can of water. Boil for 15 minutes or until carrots start to get fork tender.
Add pepper and dill and stir in. Add in the can of Cream of Chicken soup and stir well to mix completely. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium. Add the noodles and cook another 10 or 12 minutes until the noodles are done. Stir often to make sure they do not stick.
Serve and Enjoy!
