A new kind of pizza

I wanted to make pizza the other night, but as I pulled out my flour canister, I discovered I didn't have the 3 cups I needed to make my regular dough. So, I scrambled to find a recipe with what I had on hand, and came up with this one. It's super easy, and tastes great!

Great Food Blog

Take a look at this food blog:

Smitten Kitchen

This site is seriously wonderful! I have already spent way-t00-much time looking at all the fabulous photos, reading the funny posts, and drooling over the yummy recipes. You will find recipes for everything on this blog!

Chili - it's what's for dinner

I have been wanting to make a nice big pot of chili for about a week now. My husband and I both love to eat it, especially with a batch of buttery corn bread fresh from the oven! Never mind that it's nearly summer and not that cool anymore, we will still eat it. Plus, I can freeze most of it and get a lot more meals out it later.

I spent the evening doing all the prep work and putting everything in the crock pot, where it will simmer all day tomorrow. Then, all I have to do is make the corn bread and dinner is served - well, almost...I'll probably make hot dogs for my toddler, but that's super quick, too.

For the recipe, click here. It comes from my friend AMG. Yummy!

Some of my favorite things

Strawberry jam...I found strawberries for a really good price today at the produce market I frequent.  I bought a 1-lb box for eating, and 3-pint sized baskets for making jam.  I just made one batch of strawberry freezer jam, and I have enough left over to make another batch (just need to get more pectin).  It's setting right now, and will be ready to eat by tomorrow night.  Yummy! 

Homemade hummous...we could live off of this stuff, really!  My mother in law shared her super-easy, delicious recipe with me years ago, and I've been making it ever since.  We had some tonight with a package of syrian bread from the same market mentioned above. Mmmm....!   And, since I love sharing my food with others, here's the recipe:

Cindy's Hummous Dip

1 can garbanzo beans (save the liquid)

1/4 cup tahini sauce

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 garlic clove, crushed

Olive oil and parsley, for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Add the reserved bean liquid to desired consistency.  Add lemon juice and garlic to your taste. Garnish with olive oil and parsley, if desired.  Store in fridge.  

Sausage Quiche

Another yummy recipe! (Thanks to my friend AMG who inspired me to take pictures of my food as I am cooking along...!)

I made this yummy sausage quiche a few weeks ago for a mom's group I've been going to at church. The recipe says it makes two 9" round pans, but I got one 8" square dish and another that was nearly twice that size, but oval shaped. It was perfect - I made the big one to take to my group, and the small one for my hubby to have at home. Everyone loved it! My husband couldn't stop raving about it, and the ladies all wanted the recipe. So, I made it again this past week. But this time I made the small square pan and a large 13x9 pan as well. Here it is all mixed together the night before:
(notice my handy Pampered Chef Mix 'N Scraper...love it!)

And here is the final product just out of the oven:
This is a good recipe to prep the night before, because you have to brown the sausage and grate a bunch of cheese. I used pork sausage, but I bet chicken or turkey sausage would be great, too, and cut out a little bit of the fat. Here's the recipe - it's so delicious!


Sausage Quiche
Beat together in a large mixing bowl:
12 eggs
2 cups (16 oz) small curd cottage cheese
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup flour
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 teaspoon baking powder


Add:
1 pound bulk mild pork sausage, browned
¼ pound bulk hot pork sausage, browned

Other tasty add-ins: Onion, tomato, mushroom, green chilies, green/red sweet peppers, leftover baked potatoes, etc.

Pour mixture into 2 greased 9-inch round baking dishes and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (if desired). Bake at 375 for 33-38 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Homemade Brownies

Want to come over for a glass of milk and a brownie?

Several months ago, I tried a Martha Stewart recipe for homemade brownies...it was supposed to be quick, easy, and come out tasting oh-so-yummy. After one bite, my hubby said, "what's wrong with these?"... and I knew I wouldn't be making those again! I didn't really like them either. We gave up on trying homemade recipes and decided to only make the boxed kind of brownie mixes.

Recently, my friend Meredith posted a recipe for her homemade brownies. They looked easy, and I decided to try them last night. Here's the picture:

These brownies are so delicious! They are fudgy and moist, just the way they should be. And, they are at least an inch thick. This recipe was easy and quick, and the brownies are delicious. My hubby loves them, too! Try them when you get a chance - here's the recipe:

Brownies
2/3 c butter
1 1/2 c sugar
1/4 c water
2 c milk chocolate chips
2 c semisweet chocolate chips
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

• In a heavy saucepan bring butter, sugar and water to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
• Stir in the milk chocolate chips until melted, cool slightly. [Note: The richer and smoother the chocolate, the fudgier the brownies are. I made this with some leftover premium fondue chocolate and they were the fudgiest brownies ever!]
• Beat in vanilla.
• In a mixing bowl beat eggs. Gradually add chocolate mixture.
• Add dry ingredients. Stir in semisweet chocolate chips.
• Spread into a greased 13x9x2" baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Cool on wire rack.
• Cut into bars. (Hint: For straight cuts, use a plastic knife.)

My note: I used all semi-sweet chips, and they were great. I want to try them with dark chocolate, too.