This week I made something I have never made before and loved it - homemade pizza. Was it ever yummy and had me wondering, “Why haven’t I done this before?”

Here is a list of what is needed to make the pizza I made:

1 box Jiffy pizza crust mix (or any mix will do. Jiffy’s mix was only 40 cents)
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup pizza sauce (more or less depending on whether you like pizza sauce)
About 20 slices of pepperoni
1/2 cup sausage

Prepare the pizza dough as per the directions on the box. Once you have your dough prepared and laid out onto your baking sheet, use a ladle to place the pizza sauce on the pizza and spread it around. Next add your toppings and then cheese. Or if you prefer your pepperoni crisp, add it after the cheese. Then bake per directions on the pizza crust box. Here is how mine turned out:

While buying all the ingredients didn’t save me money when compared to a frozen pizza, I do have enough to make a second pizza, making it cheaper than both frozen pizzas and take out. All I need is another 40 cent box of pizza crust. So not only was it a delicious meal and have fun in the kitchen, it’s a way to save money, too.

I found this simple recipe for Sugared Pita Chips and had to try it since it sounded yummy. All you need is:

Flat pita bread
Can of non-stick spray
1 tablespoon sugar

Split and cut pita bread into 8 wedges. Place on a baking sheet.

Next sprinkle with sugar.

Heat oven to 350 degrees and back for 15-18 minutes or until pita chips begin to brown. For my oven this was more like 10 minutes.

These were a nice treat especially while they were still warm. Once they were cool, I found them to be a little hard for my taste. Fast to make and fast to clean up. Definitely a nice little treat to make even with the kids.

Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, is fast approaching, which means it’s time to enjoy King cakes while you can. King cakes are like big cinnamom rolls but with icing on them in colors purple, green, and yellow. Inside each king cake is a small, plastic baby. If you find the baby, then you are obligated to buy the king cake next year. Can’t find a king cake near you or just wanting to make your own? Then here is a recipe. Enjoy!

King Cake
For cake and filling:
1 box (16 ounces) Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix, prepared according to directions on box
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/3 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
For icing:
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
1 cup granulated sugar (large crystals)
3 or 4 drops of purple, green or yellow food coloring.
Preheat oven to 375F.
Cream the butter, sugar and cinnamon together until soft enough to spread easily.
To make the dough, follow directions on the Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix package. Instead of forming rolls, turn half the dough onto a floured surface, and roll into a 2-foot-by-1- foot rectangle. Spread half the butter and filling mixture on top of dough.
Beginning at the wide edge, roll the dough toward you into a long cigar shape approximately 2 inches in diameter. Do the same with the second half of the dough. Place dough roll seam-side down on a well-greased baking sheet. Curve each roll, pinching the ends together to make an oval ring. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes or until doubled in size.
Bake at 375F for 15 to 20 minutes or until a straw inserted into the dough comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool.
To prepare the glaze, combine sugar, lemon juice and water, mixing until smooth. Slowly add more water by the teaspoon until it spreads as easily as a thin icing.
Place 1/3 cup sugar in each of three small jars with lids. Add three drops of food coloring to each. Cover with lid and shake until color is evenly distributed throughout the large sugar crystals. Add food coloring, drop by drop until desired shade is achieved.
Coat the cake top with glaze. Sprinkle colored sugars in 2- to 3-inch alternating rows of purple, green and yellow. Cut and serve.

I actually did some holiday baking last night. This year I want to make goodie tins for family and friends. One item I want to include is dipped pretzels, but since I have never attempted to do this, I experimented some last night. I also had on hand some Reynolds parchment paper which I’ve been itching to try. I will also use it later this week when I bake cookies, which will mean less clean up for me.

I did enjoy using the parchment paper instead of wax paper. It was just so much easier to work with because it stayed in place and didn’t curl up. It was a breeze to work with and worked really well. For the dipped pretzels, all I need was the parchment paper, pretzels, white chocolate, a microwavable bowl(not pictured), a spoon(not pictured), and two forks.

I broke off a few pieces of the white chocolate and placed in the bowl. I set the microwave for 90 seconds and then checked the progress. I then placed it in there for another 30-45 seconds, stirring the chocolate to get it smooth. I then placed the pretzels in the bowl, using the fork to flip them over and then to hoist them out of the bowl.

I then placed the coated pretzels onto the parchment paper and waited for the coating to harden. Once some time had passed, it was very easy to lift the pretzels off the parchment paper.

I will be using the cookie swap tips from Reynolds soon enough as I have a cookie swap coming up soon. Who knows, I might be inspired enough to host one next year.

I found a yummy recipe for crockpot lasagna and can’t wait to try it. Lasagna is one of those intimidating dishes because it contains a lot of ingredients and there are many steps in preparing it. For these reasons I usually just buy my lasagna already prepared.

To cook it in the crockpot is bound to be simpler than making it the traditional way, so I’m willing to give it a try.

Have you ever thought about just selling everything and taking to the road? The dream of many is to explore this country of ours in an RV. Many are already living that dream including the folks behind the RV Cooking Show. The first episode covers how to make guaucamole the Tuscon, Arizona way.

Technorati Tags: RV cooking, RV cooking show

When I worked at the local television station, it seems we were always planning potluck meals. It worked out especially great for us that worked evenings to not have to trample into town for food. The TV station was located a good 10 miles from anywhere.

One of the anchors made taco soup for one potluck dinner. It was really good, so another anchor had asked her for the recipe. She obliged and gave it to her. Well, a few months pass and some organization is putting together a local cookbook and asked the local celebrity anchors to contribute a recipe or two. The anchor is received the taco soup recipe submitted that one and another recipe to the cause. The anchor is who had given her the taco soup recipe was a little miffed that she turned in a recipe given to her as her own. Not only had she turned it in but to a cookbook that the first anchor might have even submitted the same recipe to.

In hindsight, it’s kind of funny to think about it. Although I’m sure the taco soup recipe original holder is still livid and shocked by the other anchor’s actions.

This taco soup recipe isn’t that taco soup recipe, although it is pretty close to it.
Read more… »

Sundays are a great day to do some crockpot cooking. My Mom’s group has a new recipe each Sunday just for the crockpot. It gave me the idea of posting one of my own crockpot recipes right here each week.

Crockpot cooking is so easy and wonderfully delicious. Just toss those ingredients into the crockpot, turn it on, and then sit back to enjoy the day while dinner takes care of itself. Sundays at my Mom’s usually means roast and potatoes will be on the menu. There is nothing easier than cooking a roast in a crockpot.

Rub the roast with your favorite seasonings. We’re so fancy around here that we use both salt and pepper with a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Next place the roast in the crockpot. Cut up a few potatoes to toss in there with it. Add some water. Turn on crockpot and let cook. If you turn on high then the roast will likely be done in about 6-8 hours. If it’s a lower setting, then it will be much longer.

Then enjoy a tender roast with potatoes. I love roast cooked in the crockpot since it comes out so tender and juicy.

Technorati Tags: crockpot cooking

I love it when we have Taco Night. It means mealtime will be a breeze. Here is how we make tacos:

1 lb. ground beef
1 package of taco seasoning
1 package of soft tortillas or hard tacos (or both!)
Salsa
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Grated Mexican cheese blend

First I brown the beef, then drain. Add the taco seasoning and about 1/3 cup of water. Let it simmer to all the water is gone. Next I place the soft tacos in the microwave and cover with a damp paper towel. Set the microwave for about 35 seconds. To prepare the hard tacos, I preheat the over to 350 degrees; place the shells on a baking sheet and into the oven. I usually pull them out in 5-10 minutes.

I cut up the tomatoes and shred the lettuce. I buy the cheese already grated. Voila! I’m done and in record time. Tacos are always a hit around our house.

It’s going to be a long summer since it is just the beginning of June, and I can’t wait to see the next season of Desperate Housewives. While at my parent’s house, I was reading a Woman’s Day magazine back from December. As I was flipping through I noticed a blurb for the Desperate Housewives cookbook.

Intrigued, I read more. I’m such a huge fan of this show. I even have the Desperate Housewives trivia game. I couldn’t believe a cookbook was out for months and I didn’t know about it. As I was reading about the Desperate Housewives cookbook, it sounds like an interesting cooking with Wisteria Lane flair. Recipes reflect the character’s personalities.
From Bree’s prime and proper recipes to Susan’s easy Mac and cheese, each recipe has that housewives spin on it.

Maybe the cookbook will help to fill that Desperate Housewife fix until the new season.