Pizza dough

I have used 2 pizza dough recipes.  The first one is the Fleischmann's Pizza dough recipe.  It makes the crust a little dense. 

Ingredients:

1-3/4 to 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 envelope Fleischmann's® Pizza Crust Yeast

OR Fleischmann's® RapidRise Yeast

1-1/2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup very warm water (120 to 130°F)*

3 tablespoons oil

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Combine 1 cup flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. 

Add very warm water and oil; mix until well blended, about 1 minute.

Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.  Dough should form a ball and will be slightly sticky. Knead on a floured surface, adding additional flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes.  (If using RapidRise Yeast, let dough rest at this point for 10 minutes.)
***I also add grated cheese and italian seasoning at this point***

Pat dough with floured hands to fill greased pizza pan or baking sheet.  OR roll dough on a floured counter to 12-inch circle; place in greased pizza pan or baking sheet.  Form a rim by pinching the edge of the dough.

Add sauce and toppings

Bake 12-15 mins

I have always used this recipe but recently we had pizza with our amazing friends, the Kozaks.  They made us some pizza dough that was fluffier.  We made it for New Year's Eve and it was a big hit:

-In a large bowl combine 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast and 1/2 tsp brown sugar. 
-Add 1 1/2 cups of very warm water and mix well.  Let sit for about 10 minutes until it looks foamy.
-Add about 3 cups of white flour, 1/2 cup at a time.  You might not even end up using the whole 3 cups...you don't want the dough to be too sticky or too dry, that's the trick.
-In the same bowl with the dough still in it, just coat the edge and bottom of the bowl with olive oil or canola oil and turn the dough ball all around in it so that it is coated with the oil.
-Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rise for about 1 hour.
-Preheat oven to 425.
-Punch the dough down so it is back into a ball.  If it is really sticky just add a little flour until you can work with it.  Just don't let it get to floury and dry.
-Rub a little flour on whatever stone or pan you want to use and put the dough on it. 
-Pat dough with floured hands to fill greased pizza pan or baking sheet.  OR roll dough on a floured counter to 12-inch circle; place in greased pizza pan or baking sheet.  Form a rim by pinching the edge of the dough.
-Add sauce and toppings
-Cook for about 25-27 minutes. 

Spaghetti Pie

I make this recipe in 2 pie plates or 2 square casserole dishes, and then freeze or give one away.  It could also be made in one rectangular pan, or a very large pie plate. 

Cook a box of spaghetti and drain. Add 2 T of olive oil and let cool.  After it has cooled, add 2 eggs and 1/4 cup of grated cheese.  This is the "crust" of the pie.   Add to pie plate or plates. 

Mix 15 oz of ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup of grated cheese, 1 cup of shredded cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon of italian seasoning.  Put this on top of the pasta layer.

Cook 1 lb of ground turkey with 2 cloves of garlic, salt and, pepper.  I usually add diced onion but you could use about 1/2 t. of onion powder instead.  To the meat, add 1 cup of veggie juice and 1 1/2 cups of spaghetti sauce.  I use the veggie juice to make it a little healthier.  If you don't want to use the veggie juice, use 2 cups of spaghetti sauce instead.  Spread on top of the cheese mixture.

Top each pie with about 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. 

When you're ready to eat it, bake at 350 deg for 30 mins.  (Doesn't need to be baked before freezing because everything is already cooked). 

Overnight Refrigerator Oatmeal

I started eating these over the summer and wanted to keep track of some of the combinations that I've tried. 
Here is the blog: http://www.theyummylife.com/Refrigerator_Oatmeal

The basic recipe that I use is 1/4 cup oats, 1/4 cup yogurt, 1/3 cup of milk, 1 tsp of chia seeds, sometimes I add honey
The original recipe recommends plain greek yogurt and vanilla extract.  I prefer to use regular vanilla yogurt. 

Some of the variations that I've tried:

Pineapple coconut: In exchange for regular milk, you can use coconut milk and then add 1/4 cup of crushed pineapple.

I've also used mint chocolate coconut milk and 1/4 cup of chocolate chips. 

Apple cinnamon: Add 1/4 applesauce and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon.  Decrease the milk or it gets too runny.

Banana berry: add 1/2 sliced banana and 1/4 cup of blueberries or mixed berries

Pumpkin Pie: add 1/4 cup pumpkin, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Peach: Add 1/4 cup of canned peaches or very soft peaches.  May need extra liquid. 

Before refrigeration

After refrigeration



Lunch fun

I'm not an extreme lunch packer.  I don't spend countless hours making fun shapes for every one of Bella's lunches.  I do try to do something different once a week.  Here a two of them.  I'll upload more pics once in awhile. 

Bella's beach cupcakes

Here is a picture of Bella's 5th birthday cupcakes.  The "sand", is very fine graham cracker crumbs.  Most recipes for similar cupcakes recommend using brown sugar or organic sugar but I thought they'd be too sweet.