Sticky…Gooey…Nutty

Some days…!  Some days are just a bit tricky.  Everyone is out of sync and the “machine” has to be rethreaded again and again and again.  This is not to say that the day is a tragedy.  Just a whole lot of short burst of wonderful intermittent with consistent set backs and struggles.  Just one of those days that each mother knows … oh so well…!  All day, from breakfast to bedtime we threaded and rethreaded the machine…trying new things and beginning again from a new angle.  Several fresh starts brought us outside where the fall air, open spaces, and natures goodness everywhere have proven magical time and time again.  It didn’t save the day for us this day…but it saved many many moments!! 

We worked on cleaning up the garden for fall which was bittersweet actually.  It’s hard not to feel a bit sad toppling such enormous sunflowers and pulling down all those twisty bean plants.  The birds have been feasting on the seeds from the huge sunflower heads but the few (thousand) that weren’t eaten we pulled out and spread out in the “long grass” at the edge of the yard.  We felt a bit like The Lupin Lady…though the little miss decided we should be called the sunflower girls.  With any luck there will be a stand of gorgeous sunny blooms next summer. 

Nature adventures out of doors and a bit of nature brought back in always does so much good.  No matter how many times the process must be repeated! 

Baking is one of our other trusted refreshers.  Ha!  What began as an attempt to make something healthy and delicious (granola bars) for my husband to eat while he’s traveling in the next few days ended up in a sticky gooey nutty mess.  Despite the unorganized, unintentional stickiness it is filled with nutty goodness and all sorts of wholesome bits.  Very much like our day.           

Pizza Rolls

With the coming of Autumn and the darker evenings we have returned to our beloved “pizza and a movie night” Fridays.  The summer months brought pizza-and-play-outside nights.  Which we also loved!  The Planet Earth movies have been crossing our screen bit by bit, opening up little minds (and big minds!) to the wonders of the earth.  Talk about launching points!!! 

In the kitchen I have jumped back into the infinite goodness that is pizza, with a quite a few more tricks to try.  The first was a raving success!  Pizza rolls!  I made my usual crust and topped it with sauce, a blend of several cheeses, peppers, chives, parsely, basil, and pepperoni and then rolled the dough up like a cinnamon roll log.  I sliced into ~1 1/2” sections and placed them on a greased pizza sheet.  They baked for about the same time as a “normal” pizza ~12-15 minutes.  They were amazing!  Truly!  Definitely something we’ll be making again!  (My sister shared this idea with me…she is the cinnamon roll queen,so I think it might be an original idea…!) 

moments…

Many around the blogging community take fridays to post a moment from their week, caught on a camera, that they want to savor and remember. It is a beautiful sentiment really. I have found that, for me, this practice has evolved over time to cause me to look back on my week of images, moments, and adventures. Where did we start, what did we pass through, what happened, what did we love, what did we create, what did we learn?

These images so very very clearly capture what so much of this week has been…and what faces us in the coming weeks as well!

96 bottles made it through my hands and have been tucked away for winter. But that’s counting the little itty bitty jelly jars too…so don’t think I’m too crazy!

Peaches sliced and halfed canned in a very light syrup (20% sugar)

Tomato soup using this recipe.

Tomato juice.

Stewed tomaotes.

Peach jam using this same process and recipe…but with peaches!

Ground peaches frozen and ready to be made into jam when I am ready! There is, after all, only so much control that you can give a bushel (or four!) of peaches over your life!!!

Eating Like Kings

In this season of abundance we have been finding great joy in seeing just how much we can base each meal in food grown here in our own earth. It has been an experiment of wonderful satisfaction and fulfillment…not to mention excellent nutrition! And we have been eating like kings! The kind of kings that grow, pick, and prepare their own food…but kings nonetheless!

Each day we venture out into the garden to tend and harvest. In this late August time it is becoming quite the jungle. More than once a little one has found themselves hopelessly trapped by the prickly vines of an extremely overzealous squash patch. (Check out that squash craziness below!)

As I plan my meals for the day my mental calculations are not of what I have in the cupboards to work with…but what I have ripe in the garden to work with…and we go from there. (During the school year I like to plan out my meals for the week, but in the summertime I find us living much more day to day…it is a refreshing break, and makes us all the more ready for the weekly meal plans that come back in the fall!) With the overwhelming abundance in the garden right now there is no end to the delicious meal possibilities. Lately we have been thoroughly enjoying a meal of corn on the cob, swiss chard salad, and tomato and pesto sandwiches. We are not vegetarians, though we eat very little meat, and this one of our favorite all-veggie meals of the summer.

In this heat the swiss chard needs to be picked quite young before it “bolts” and turns bitter (and yucky!). Though the most common way to eat swiss chard is cooked in some way we find we love it best fresh in a salad. For this salad I tore up the swiss chard in bite size pieces, added chopped cucumbers and tomatoes and a bit basil on top. (I believe that I am in serious danger of becoming hopelessly addicted to basil…it simply intoxicatingly fragrant and savory…oh sweet basil!) I served the salad in a favorite pie plate with poppy seed dressing. This poppy seed dressing is one I discovered and tried on a whim earlier this summer. It’s genius. Absolutely delicious and super easy to make.

Poppy Seed Dressing

Mix together in a blender:

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon onion (grated)

Add the following ingredients while the blender is running:

1 cup vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

Makes about 2 cups.

Tomato sandwiches are something I look forward to all year….thoroughly enjoy all during tomato season…then look forward to again the following year! Don’t be alarmed if you are a bit apprehensive of a tomato sandwich. My own husband hadn’t tried one (I think mainly out of bewilderment and fear!) until this summer. He eats them all the time now!

This is a sandwich that is definitely open to interpretation and personal variations…but this is how we like them. Lightly toast two slices of homemade bread….like this one. (You don’t have to use homemade bread but if you’re choosing a store bread be sure it has some substance…this sandwich will not work with a “wonder bread” type loaf.) So… on one of your lightly toasted bread slices spread a bit of mayonnaise and on the other a layer of fresh basil pesto. Place a ~3/4 inch slice of tomato on the bread, sprinkle with salt, cover with the other slice of bread, and enjoy! I love it when the tomatoes get so huge that the slice extends past the edges of the bread! Tomato season is heavenly! Pesto on the tomato sandwiches is a new development this year as we tried pesto on just about anything it is just so delicious. (Previously we just spread mayo on both slices of bread.)

Fresh pesto can be made with a very wide variety of greens and nuts. Though fresh basil and pine nuts is the most common, I also love mint and almonds. And to be honest I most often use walnuts in place of pine nuts in basil pesto as it is what I commonly have on hand. Pesto is very much a “to taste” sort of recipe and can be adjusted in infinite ways to suite your tastes. This is the basic recipe that I use. I actually don’t have a food processor so use a blender…which is much harder and more tedious. I dream of food processor pesto making!

Pesto

2 cups basil (or any green…packed)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup nuts (chopped very fine if you’re using a blender!)

3 medium garlic cloves

salt & pepper to taste

Combine basis and pine nuts in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts pulse them a few times on their own before adding the basil.) Add the garlic and pulse a few more times.

Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Makes approx. 1 cup.

***

Though I love so many times of year and what the bring…I do believe that I love this “harvest” season best of all. Today’s harvest season adventure…picking a wild abundance of tomatoes and canning them up as juice, soup, and stewed tomatoes. Ah…the joys of the earth.

Relish

Cucumbers have arrived in all their glory and a quite a bit of relishing has been happening around here!  Relishing in the fresh crunchy goodness…relishing in the endless tasty salads and snacks…relishing in all the relish!!!  Batches have been stored away for use throughout the coming months (most likely years…there’s a lot!), and one special batch bottled up in funky little jars have been tucked away for holiday gifts.  Though the thought of mountains of snow, crisp cold air, and bare trees is hardly imaginable in the hazy heat, and abundant growth of late summer it is still oh so lovely to tuck things away in preparation.  What could be more lovely than a jar full of summers bounty to give to those we love in the depths of winters cold.  The squat little jars, a cheery bit of ribbon, and a little holiday note….and mouthwatering cucumber relish.  Ahhh…I do love Christmas!

In canning and preserving I rely heavily on the Ball Blue Book.  In fact…if I’m not reading directly from it step by step as I go…it’s just because I’ve already memorized their instructions!!!  It is so reassuring to have a resource that you know will just what you need each time you need it!  I have used their cucumber relish recipe for years and absolutely love it!  For the batch pictured I was out of sweet red peppers, but had an abundance of green bell peppers so used those.  Very very delicious!  I have included the relish recipe from the Ball Blue Book, with my own tips of course!)

 

Cucumber Relish                                                            Yield: about 6 pints

2 quarts chopped cucumbers (about 8 medium cukes!)

2 cups chopped sweet green peppers (about 4)

2 cups chopped sweet red peppers (about 4)

1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)

1 Tablespoon turmeric

1/2 cup salt

4 quarts cold water, divided

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 quart vinegar

2 sticks cinnamon

1 Tablespoon mustard seed

2 teaspoons whole allspice

2 teaspoons whole cloves

*I put all the vegetables through the meat grinder which cuts down on the chopping time significantly, and makes a great texture.*

Combine vegetables in a large bowl; sprinkle with turmeric.  Dissolve salt in 2 quarts cold water and pour over vegetables; let stand 3 to 4 hours.  Drain; cover vegetables with 2 quarts cold water and let stand 1 hour.  Drain thoroughly.  Combine sugar and vinegar in a large saucepot.  Tie spices in a spice bag; add to sugar mixture.  Bring to a boil; pour over vegetables.  Cover; let stand 12 to 18 hours.  Bring vegetables to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until hot throughout.  Pack hot relish into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Remove air bubbles.  Adjust two piece caps.  Process 10 minutes in a boiling water or steam canner. 

Enjoy!

How to Can Green Beans

In the summer our meals are largely dictated by what is currently flowing out of the garden.  Spring brought luscious salad after salad, and asparagus in all a never-ending variety of yumminess.  Berry season, starting with strawberries, then blueberries and raspberries and soon blackberries induced pretty much constant grazing…and seriously delicious desserts, muffins, and breakfasts.  The heat of summer is bringing cucumbers and green beans and oh-so-many zucchini and summer squash.  In fact last night at dinner the little miss held up a cucumber slice and stated simply…”it seems like we are always eating cucumbers when we are eating”…!  It is busy and lots of work….but so fantastically delicious!  And before you know it we’ll be on to the next round of produce…tomatoes, corn, peppers, eggplants…oh my!

The other night we were snapping and preparing to can an immense load of green beans at the same time as making dinner.  With the bean production filling up the kitchen island we served dinner off the side counter to be taken outside to eat.  When I told the little miss that dinner was ready she looked around the kitchen island where she was intensely focused on her bean snapping technique and her face fell in the most adorable way.  With a voice of complete sadness and worry she said “…but Mama … is there only green beans for supper?” Her concern was so absolutely endearing.  Though in fact she is happy to eat green beans in insurmountable proportions all day long she was delighted to discover that dinner (of more than just green beans) had been prepared undetected.  Poor girl!  Just wait till tomato season when it really does seem like all we will ever eat is tomatoes! 

Canning green beans is really a snap!  They are wonderful to have on hand and you will love the taste difference between what you can yourself versus grocery store canned beans.  If you don’t have a patch of your own find a local farm, farm market, or grocery store that carries local produce.  The benefit of purchasing beans is having control over the influx of produce…unlike those of us who are completely at the mercy of the timing of the garden.  When they’re ready in the garden they’re ready…and if they aren’t picked and processed they’re lost.  Which is tragic. 

How to Can Green Beans:

1.  Wash you green beans in cold water.

2.  Snap them (with your hands) into pieces removing the stem.  I like to snap them into ~2” pieces which usually means into thirds.  You can snap them any size you like…or even leave them whole.  

3.  Fill your mason jars with beans leaving 1” head space.  (Head space is the amount of space between the beans and the top edge of the jar.)  Thump the bottom of the jar on your hand a few times to settle the beans…add more if you to fill the jar higher.

4.  Pour 1 teaspoon salt over each full jar of beans.

5.  Boil ~4 quarts of water.

6.  Prepare you lids by setting them in very hot water.

7.  Pour boiling water into the mason jar covering the beans and leaving only ~1/2” headspace.  Immediately wipe the top edge of the jar with a clean cloth or napkin to ensure a good seal, place the lid on top and attach the ring. 

8.  Place the jar into the pressure canner which should be filled with 1 1/2” of water and repeat the process with the next jar. 

9.  When all jars are in the pressure canner process the beans at 10 lbs. pressure for 25 minutes.

10.  Let the jars sit in the canner for a bit before removing to allow them to cool off slowly.  Too drastic of a change in temperature too quickly will cause the jar to crack and burst.  Which is a huge tragedy and very messy.  Let the jars cool in and then out of the canner in a draft free place.

11.  Remove the rings, rinse off your jars, and  store away for those long cold green bean free months! 

*Most canning can be done in a water-bath or steam canner.  (Because most canning is done with acidic foods and products.  These methods are very simple.  Some vegetables which are low in acid, such as corn, green beans, squash, okra, etc require pressure canning at the right pressure and for the right amount of time in order to kill the bacteria that can cause botulism food poisoning.  While this is a frightening thought…if you follow directions carefully with your canning you can rest assured that your food will be safe and delicious!

Gad Zukes!

A wild abundance of green is bursting from the garden bringing produce and healthy goodness to the table…and freezer…and canning shelves.

Zucchinis by the armful make it into our kitchen each day.  They are washed sliced and (…the coveted job!) cranked though the meat grinder. (Which oddly enough is never used for meat!)  Packed away in in the freezer they are ready for long winter months filled with zucchini goodness! 

 

One of my favorite ways to enjoy this bit of summer yumminess (aside from sliced and sautéed in a bit of olive oil) is in Chocolate Zucchini Cake.  I know!!!  Chocolate and zucchini in the same recipe…sign me up! 

 

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour

1/2 cup toasted wheat germ

1/2 cup cocoa

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon each salt and cinnamon

3/4 cup butter softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

2 cups coarsely grated unpeeled zucchini (2 large)

1/2 cup milk

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup raisins

Mix dries.  Mix wets.  Mix together.  Pour into greased 9” x 13” pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean.

So yummy! 

Storing Cherries!

I’m quite confident that you will be hearing me say this as each new produce season comes upon us…but I do so love cherry season!  Cherries are one of the many fruits that my father-in-law works with and we enjoy the bounty that he shares with us immensely.  Although it is shocking how many cherries one Robinson (big or little) can eat at one sitting we have to process some of them for the winter months.  Sweet cherries are divine eaten fresh, and that is by far our favorite way to enjoy them.  We have also had great success dehydrating them.  Just slice – pit – lay flat on the dehydrator – and let it do its work!  Dehydrated cherries are great to use with (or in place of) raisins in cookies, granolas, etc.  Yummy yummy!  One of the easiest and fastest ways to process cherries is by canning them.  Everyone has their own method and style of canning…here’s my cherry canning strategy!

1.  Wash cherries in cold water removing stems and leaves.  (I leave the pits in.  Cuts the canning time down incredibly and the are super easy to remove as you eat and enjoy them!)

2.  Place washed cherries in clean sterilized quart jars leaving at least 1/2” head space.  (Head space is the amount of space between the top of the fruit and the rim of the jar)

3.  Make a boiling hot syrup.  (I use a super light syrup of 6 cups water to 1 cup sugar.)

4.  Pour the syrup over the cherries.

5.  Adjust two piece caps.  (Lids should be sitting in hot water to soften the rubber seal.)  Be careful not to tighten the rings too tight.

6.  Process 25 minutes in a water bath or steam canner.  (I highly recommend a steam canner…much less water, meaning much energy used to heat it up and keep it hot.  So worth it!)

7.  Remove from canner and let cool slowly away from drafts. (Too much of a temperature change too fast can cause the jars to break…a huge mess…and quite depressing!)

8.  Wash jars to remove any stickiness…label…and store away for those cold dark cherriless days of winter! 

These are a favorite!  The kidlings would eat themselves purple on canned cherries if not kept in check! 

 

Strawberries

This is one of my favorite sights:

You might ask why a bowl of green strawberry tops evokes any kind of feeling at all…let alone a highly positive and satisfying one.  You see…a bowl of strawberry heads chopped off of their lovely little berry bodies means only one thing…that somewhere…very close… something lovely and very yummy is happening!  Baked into a pie…jammed into jam…or simply popped into a mouth, strawberries are such a divine way to welcome in the season of bounty. 

The patch in our yard, though doing well, doesn’t satisfy the appetites of the littles and the needs of strawberry shortcake and pies.  Berries for jams and freezing have to be picked elsewhere.  Which we don’t mind at all!  We had a wonderful adventure to our favorite local U-Pick berry farm this week.  The little man cub saw enough tractors and over-sized trucks to fill any going-on-2 year old with complete glee!  The three of us really have the perfect situation for picking berries.  With two littles completely absorbed by the immensity of the berry patch, the infinite berries to find and eat, and the fascinating “big farm life” happening all around them, I could fill our flat just about the time that they were “done”.  Good things can still happen even after children are “done”, but oh is it so much more fun for everyone if we are all happily on the same page! 

It is familiar work, kneeling in damp straw searching beneath green leaves for brilliant bursts of red.  My hands have been at this work for as long as I can remember.  Knife in hand I hull and slice berry after berry, my mind in the studio, or in a book, or creating an imaginary tale for a little one, as the work of the hands needs no attention.  It is comforting to do something with your hands that is so familiar it is a part of you.  It is work that binds the past and the present.  It is work that has built the foundation of our very souls.  It is work…but it is joy as well. 

Remind me of these sentiments when produce to be processed is coming in by the bushel load day after day after day will you please!!!!!

The berries picked the other day at the farm have been turned into yummy jam.  The first canning of the season!  I use a very simple jam recipe.  Simple is good. 

Strawberry Jam

4 : 3 ratio berries to sugar.

So if you had 4 cups of berries you would use 3 cups of sugar…12 cups berries 8 cups berries…etc.  I actually use this same recipe for all my jam whichever fruit I am using.  Cook over med – high heat stirring constantly.  Never fear…if something comes up and you have to leave the stove just turn it off, cover it up, and start it up again as many times as you need before it “jams”. 

I tried something new with our strawberry jam this year and have been thrilled with the results.  Instead of slicing the berries for the jam I simply cut off the tops and put them through the meat grinder at the widest setting.  My hope was to avoid the huge berry globs that happen with strawberry jam…but keep the juicy yumminess!  Huge success!  Not only does it make a fantastic consistancy for the jam but it cuts the job of preparing the berries for jamming down to almost nothing!  And…as jam making is mostly done over the stove and is off limits for my kidlings this is one more (very fun for them!) jam job they can help with!  Win for all! 

 

What bit of yumminess are the strawberries in your kitchen being transformed into? 

Nauvoo Bread

There is not much better than fresh baked bread.  Well…maybe fresh baked bread with fresh strawberry jam…or maybe fresh baked bread with fresh raspberry jam…or…!  Soon…very soon!!!  I love to bake bread.  There is something so fulfilling about working the dough, forming loaves, and baking something so truly good for my family. 

I have had my share (and then some!) of disasters while baking bread.  Different recipes, different flours, different ingredients, have sometimes yielded bricks, crumbly messes precariously held together by crust, tasteless chewy blah, and every sort of undesirable bread  you could imagine.  These disasters sort of take the fun out of making bread…it’s no fun to work hard to bake something that is not fun to eat! 

I’ve gathered a few solid recipes over the years that have proved their worth!  Largely eliminating grand catastrophes.  This one is one of my absolute favorites.  I have been making it as white bread…but you could definitely experiment with whole wheat and white flour combinations.  Let me know how it works for you! 

The recipe is called Nauvoo Bread.  Nauvoo, the Hebrew Navu means “to be beautiful”, which is a lovely name for a truly lovely bread.  But I believe that this bread recipe was actually named after the city of Nauvoo, IL which is also truly beautiful.  At any rate…enjoy the recipe!  I wish I  could send over the yummy smells it is filling our house with, or even invite you in for a slice! 

Nauvoo Bread 

5 cups hot water

1/2 cups potato flakes

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup powdered milk

1 1/2 tablespoons salt

1/2 cup oil or shortening

2 tablespoons yeast

10 – 14 cups flour

Combine hot water, shortening, potato flakes, powdered milk, sugar.  Stir to dissolve shortening.  When temperature is tepid add yeast.  Mix in 5 cups of flour and the salt, stir to a smooth sponge.  Add flour to make a smooth and elastic dough.  Let rise until double, about 45 minutes, punch down and let rise again.  Shape into loaves, let rise.  Bake in 35o degree oven for about 35 minutes.  Remove from pans and let cool!  Makes 4 loaves. 

We store a lot of non-perishable foods in case of emergencies and this is a great recipe for rotating these items when they are reaching expiration dates.  This is in fact the only  way I like to eat the many pounds of potato flakes we have stored!!! 

Now to join the littles outside.  It is just to beautiful out to be inside baking past first thing in the morning! 

Flower pot dessert

We have been thoroughly enjoying the abundant gardening time that has been happening around here.  Bare feet are in and out of gardens all day long.  Toes are dirty, hands are dirty, knees are dirty, faces are dirty, but we are happy.  Oh it is wonderful to work the soil!  And so satisfying to see little bits of green life poke out of the dark earth. 

We did some “planting” in the kitchen recently too!  You may have tried these in your own home.  We have some funky little bowls that are actually flower pots, and made some yummy soil to plant some blooms in.  The concept is easy…any sort of crumbly chocolate goodness for the soil and a fresh picked bloom for the plant!  The possibilities for soil are endless.  We used homemade chocolate pudding and crumbled brownies.  So rich.  So yummy! 

     Sweet indulgence! 

Mexican Pizza

                                      

Just wanted to drop in for a bit this morning and share a recent (successful) pizza experiment for “Pizza and a Movie Night”!

My husband’s father grew up in Colonia Dublan Mexico, and my husband lived in Brazil for 2 years before we met.  These wonderful men have brought some very delicious flavors to our meals.  Beans and rice in all their varieties, and the exciting flavors of latin cuisine influence my meal planning heavily.  They have not crossed over into our pizza making though…until now! 

Although to some it was an adjustment to let go of the “traditional” taste and flavor of “regular” pizza, it was met by the majority with rave reviews!  Enjoy!

Mexican Pizza

1 cup shredded taco cheese blend or Mexican cheese

3/4 cup taco sauce (recipe below)

Pizza Crust

2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro (preferably fresh…but dried works!)

1 1/4 cups corn

12 oz.  cooked fajita style chicken strips (recipe below)

chopped avocado

chopped fresh tomato

Prepare pizza crust and spread in greased or cornmealed pan.  Spread Taco Sauce.  Sprinkle cheese.  Spread corn.  Spread chicken.  Bake at 450 for ~15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden brown.  Remove from oven and sprinkle cilantro, tomaot, and avocado over pizza!  Enjoy! 

Fajita Seasoning Mix

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 Tablespoon salt

1 Tablespoon paprika

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons crushed chicken bouillon cube

1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  Pour into a small glass container, seal tightly and store in a cool, dry place.  Makes the equivalent of 3 packets of commercial or purchased Fajita Seasoning Mix. 

Pour cooked chicken into a sauce pan with its own juices.  (If chicken is dry add ~1/3 cup water).  Add 2-3 Tablespoons of Fajita Seasoning Mix to chicken (to taste) .  Cook on medium to low heat until chicken has completely absorbed the seasoning.  Remove from heat and add to pizza. 

Taco Sauce

1 (8oz.) can tomato sauce

1/3 cup water

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons minced onion

1 Tablespoon white vinegar

1/2 teaspoons garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Place in sauce pan and stir well, simmer at very low temperature for 15-20 minutes.  Remove and cool.  May be kept in the refrigerator for several days. 

Can I tell you how excited I am to try fresh veggie pizzas soon…very soon!

 

A is for Apron

Many call me crazy (for several reasons…), but I love to work in the kitchen with my kidlings!  They learn so much and we have so much fun mixing and working together to create bits of healthy (and sometimes not!) goodness together.  I’ll freely admit that it is messier, longer, crazier, more frustrating at times, and most definitely more difficult than simply working on my own…but it is worth it to me…and they love  it.  There is an infinite source of texture, change, processes, reading, understanding, cause and effects, health, etc. lessons that occur seamlessly and effortlessly with simple family meal preparations.  So worth it!

My two helpers with their faces smushed against the mixer lid as they watch “Mr. Bosch” do this thing!  This is not staged…totally spontaneous..totally constant!!!

My littlest helper is so much fun to work with!  He is very enthusiastic about his role and works very hard at it!  (Enthusiasm in the kitchen…and in everything else…is patterned very well for him by his big sister so it’s really no surprise that he shows it too!)  While there are plenty of little aprons to share from in the drawer he needed his own…created just for him.  I had a lot of fun designing the right apron…bright and cheerful…trucks…easy to put on…pocket…not to long but not too short so it covers him, but he won’t trip on it getting onto the stool…etc.  We are all so happy with the result!

I “winged” it…so I don’t have a real tutorial for you…but hopefully you can see the general shapes from some of these “in progress” shots and my ramblings and figure it out! 

I drew out what I wanted and made some measurements.  It’s basically a rectangle from middle of the back up over the shoulders to a little below his waist…a hole for the head…and slit down the back…lined…a casing on both back pieces…ties that go through the casing…and a button!

     

Anything going on the front of the apron goes on before you attach the lining.   Sketch out your truck on the rough fabric shape and pin it down .  Free motion stitch on your lines.  Don’t worry about straight even lines…make it sketchy.  Be careful…this is addicting…you might find yourself stitching sketches on everything! I made a pocket for the “dump” part of the truck by simply stitching only three sides of the shape…easy peasy!  Attach your ties and you’re ready to sew your layers together.

       I might tighten up this button…!  Ta Da!!  Now he can create mayhem in the kitchen in style!!!

Quiet

I added a picture to yesterday’s post of our boy….and wow does he look like his Dad or what!!!

It’s (mostly) cold and wet, grey and dreary outside.  But oh so cozy and quiet (some of the time!) inside.  We’re enjoying the last few days indoors as winter squeezes out it’s last few drops of cold.  Cleaning, sorting, putting away, organizing and purging as we get ready for a season of gardening, outdoor living, harvesting, crafting (every season is for crafting is it not!!), and so much more!  We’ve been thoroughly enjoying the last of 2009’s pears.  Wow those go down fast!!!  Our thoughts are already turning to 2010’s canning and processing…and oh, do we have big plans!!! Whatever the weather where you are I hope your days are happy and productive … full of happy memories from seasons past and hopeful thoughts for the seasons to come! 

Pizza and a Movie Night

I love picking up traditions from other families! Not only does it add another wonderful facet to our family life and rhythm, it also reminds us of the family that shared a bit of their life an rhythm with us…and that is very special indeed. My sister’s family enjoys “pizza and a movie night” each Friday together…and it didn’t take long for us to assume that yummy tradition into our own week. We’re big fans! In fact my daughter often measures the week by how many days until “pizza and a movie night”. And each week on “library day” when we choose a (usually non-fiction) movie to check out she has a big discussion with the librarian about the plans for that week’s yummy night!

Part of what I love about this tradition is that it doesn’t center around a holiday as so many of our most beloved traditions do. It is simply something wonderful, memorable, and fun that we love to do together as a family…again and again and again!

I have been excited by the infinite variations of “pizza.” There are so many exciting recipes I would love try. And can I tell you how anxious I am to pick fresh veggies from the garden for our dish! I know, I know…patience!!! But for now we’ve been having a lot of fun trying different toppings and techniques and getting warmed up to stretch my wings and try some funky, and hopefully delicious, stuff! I think we’ll have to ease everyone into the idea of pizza that isn’t the traditional crust – sauce – cheese – toppings!

But for now…here’s our latest “Pizza and a Movie Night” Pizza!

“Peek-a-Boo” Pizza

(aptly named for the way the yummy goodness peeks through the breading!)

This is more like a technique than a recipe and will work with any crust recipe and topping combination. Here is the crust recipe that is my standard. It is very reliable and tasty! (I added a bit of parsley … in case you’re worried about the flecks of who-knows-what in the dough pictured!)

Pizza Crust

1 1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2 1/2 cup flour

2 tablespoons oil

*A few notes: in regards to flour, I have used (successfully!) every combination imaginable of bread flour, whole wheat flour, and all purpose flour.

Step 1. Make your dough and separate if needed. The above recipe makes one pizza normally…so makes one “Peek-a-Boo” Pizza.

Step 2. Roll out your dough into a rectangle. The same size that you would make for a “normal” pizza. I will say that my rectangle is usually a bit more rectangular…and I really wish I could pin that on the little ones helping…but this time it was all me! Poor wonky little thing…it sure was yummy though!

*Transfer your dough to a greased pizza stone or cookie sheet or cast iron griddle or…! I forgot this step…makes for some tricky improv down the road a step or two!

Step 3. Spread your sauce, cheese, toppings, etc down the middle third (plus a bit) of the dough.

Step 4. Slice the remaining dough with a pizza roller 1 – 1 1/2 inches apart and at an angle.

Step 5. Pull the strips up and over the pizza filling working alternatively from one side to the other. Overlap in the middle.

Step 6. Bake at 450 degrees for approx. 15 minutes (or until cheese is bubbling out from the slits in the dough)

Enjoy!