Pizza

I had a craving for pizza last night.

I was thinking I would make something wonderful for Katie's Super Foods carnival,

but I wanted pizza.

So, I made pizza.

Then I realized how many Super Foods I had used.

It was yummy and it worked to share!

Enjoy!

Pizza

1 pizza crust

Top with a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, spread all over and to the edges.

Sprinkle dried oregano on top

Add 6 thinly sliced organic Roma tomatoes all over

Add 1/2-3/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers

Add 1/2 of a red onion, thinly sliced

Add 1/3 cup diced artichoke hearts

Add 4 cloves minced garlic

Top with 1 - 1 1/2 cups grated cheese

Bake at 450 degrees - 20-30 minutes

Cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing

This post is part of October Fest of Super Foods at Kitchen Stewardship

Baked Oatmeal

Baked Oatmeal

(this is adapted from THIS recipe at Money-saving Mom!)

3 cups oats

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

2 TB flax meal

2 eggs

1 cup honey (or other sweetener)

1/2 cup applesauce

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

(can substitute butter or other oils for the applesauce & coconut oil to equal about 3/4 cup)

1/2 cup yogurt

1/2 cup whole milk

1 tsp vinegar

Throughly mix all ingredients and pour into a greased 9" square baking dish. Drizzle top with molasses if you would like! Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Serve hot the way it is or top with butter, jam, maple syrup.........

(I have also made this in muffin tins and that worked nicely. It also doubles well, bake in a 9x13 pan. Stores well for leftovers or morning snacks!)

This post is part of Pennywise Platter at Nourishing Traditions

and

October Fest of Super Foods at Kitchen Stewardship

just my thoughts

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Colossians 3:12-17 ESV

I have to admit........ quiet times are hard with 3 little ones. :-) I am sure I am not the only one who could say this. Oftentimes, I open my Bible and just read something........ a Psalm, a Proverb, a chapter from the Epistles....... then sometimes I just keep coming back to something I read last week. I have been mulling this passage above over for the last week. I guess it's hitting home and has some stuff for me to work on cause I keep coming back to it and re-reading it! It's pretty simple really, nothing challenging in the language - it means what it says......

Patience - it's a challenge with small children. So often I feel like I am repeating myself ALL. DAY. LONG.

Peace - in today's economy it's easy to get sucked into worrying about where the rent money will come from and how many tanks of gas will that work truck use this week, but God is in control and He gives peace, He will supply all our needs.

Thankfulness - when the day is getting long it helps to just focus on the good for awhile, turn on some praise music and just let the kids play. When the baby girl gets up AGAIN. in the middle of the night. AGAIN. and AGAIN and just wants to be held. I try to not resent the lack of sleep, but rather be thankful. Be thankful we are in a warm house, comfortable rocking chair and she is healthy - so many are sitting in hospital rooms holding their sick babies, just wishing they could be home and be complaining about night wakings!

So - read thru the passage - what can you work on this week?

Chicken Soup

We have been fighting a cold around here this week. So, last night I decided a pot of chicken soup was in order! I looked at some recipes I had and then ended up just making my own. :-) It turned out pretty yummy I think!

Chicken Soup

40-64 oz chicken broth (see note at bottom of directions) *

1 large potato, diced

1 red onion, diced

3 carrots, diced

10 cloves garlic, minced

3 tsp sea salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 1/2 tsp oregano

2 chicken breasts

(I used uncooked, cut into large chunks, but diced or already cooked and cut small would work as well!)

Put everything into the saucepan and bring to a boil.

Turn down and let simmer till chicken and vegetables are cooked.

(I then took the large chunks of chicken out and diced into small bits and returned to the pot, call me crazy but I HATE cutting raw chicken and would much rather spend the time cutting it smaller after it's cooked! You could skip this step if you just diced the chicken to begin with!)

I let it simmer a couple more hours till I was ready to serve it, but really once the chicken is cooked and the vegetables soft - you can serve anytime. I ended up adding another maybe 3 cups of broth about halfway thru the afternoon cause I thought it needed more. If you served when it was first done, you probably wouldn't need to do this!

Serve hot with homemade bread!

Serves 4-6

I loved the little kick that the cayenne pepper and lots of garlic gave. I like spicy soup!

And it was just as good for lunch today.

*(I used half homemade and half organic Pacific Chicken Broth cause that's what I had! I ran out of my homemade stash and was waiting to make more this week 'cause Katie teased us and hinted she had some good ideas on getting the stock to gel and I decided to wait and see what she was doing before I made my next batch! Which she did :-) Thanks!)

This post is part of Pennywise Platter at Nourishing Gourmet and

October Fest at Kitchen Stewardship.

"Classico" Cream Sauce

Another one of our favorite "stand-by's" is the Classico cream sauces. Kieran loves them, I love the convenience. But they can get expensive :-) And I've been trying to make my own. Here's what I have come up with so far. It's pretty good I think, I have used with both breakfast gravy and cut back on the garlic and dinner with pasta and added more veggies. I have also made this up in the morning and put into a jar and kept in fridge till dinnertime and just warmed up on the stove and then poured over pasta. If it gets too thick, just mix in a little more milk!

Cream Sauce

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 butter

Saute in a saucepan till butter is melted and garlic is soft

Add

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

(these can be adjusted to taste!)

In a separate bowl or cup

Mix 4 TB cornstarch or flour with 1 c. cold milk - stir till cornstarch/flour is completely mixed in.

Add 1 cup cream

Mix into butter and garlic

Stir constantly till thickens to a sauce consistency.

(I have also doubled the milk and cream and left the butter and garlic amounts alone and it turned out good!)

~Add 1/4-1/2 cup of chopped roasted red peppers and serve over pasta

~Omit garlic or reduce amount and add a pound of breakfast sausage and serve over biscuits

~Add sauteed veggies of your choice and chopped chicken and serve over pasta

Make your own version!

"Refried" Beans

Spicy Refried Beans

(that I don't actually re-fry!)

2 1/2 cups pinto beans, soaked 12-24 hours

Strain water and replace with fresh water- enough to fully cover beans plus an inch or two

Add spices:

1 onion, minced

8 garlic cloves, minced

4 TB cumin

4 TB chili powder

1 TB sea salt

1/2 TB black pepper

1/2 TB cayenne pepper

Mix well with beans and water - Bring to a boil, then cover and turn down to simmer.

Simmer 6-8 hours - replace water as needed

I usually take the lid off the last hour or two and let the water cook down till the remaining water is enough to just mix in and smush with the beans. And I usually cook till the beans pretty much are mushable with a potato masher or firm spoon.

Mash/Smush/Blend beans to a pasty consistency - leave chunky if you like it that way!

If you would like additional seasoning you can add salsa at this point.

Or serve with a warm tortilla and cheese.

I enjoy adding Chipotle Tabasco Sauce to mine :-)

This is also a great crockpot recipe - after soaking put the beans and spices in the crockpot and let it cook. You typically do not have to replace water using this method, but it is also hard to cook off the water too :-) BUT, it works great when you aren't going to be home and the beans are ready to cook! Depending on your crockpot and whether you use high or low settings, it should take anywhere from 4-12 hours in the crockpot. I have also left them cook overnight....... :-)

The beans also freeze well. I will often cook up a large batch and then freeze some and use some during the week.

This post is part of Pennywise Platter over at Nourishing Gourmet!

As well as part of October Fest Carnival of Super Foods at Kitchen Stewardship!

Soap nuts

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