Basic Pizza Dough

Pizza is one of the easiest and tastiest foods to make on a whim or when you only have a few ingredients on hand. It's perfect with just a few toppings and I couldn't resist making myself one over the weekend.

For the pizza dough:

1 c warm water
1 package active dry yeast
2 1/2 to 3 c all-purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

Combine the water, yeast, and 1 1/2 cups of the flour in a large bowl. Mix well. Add the oil, salt, and remaining flour. With large wooden spoon or your hands mix the ingredients together until the dough holds its shape. You may need a bit less flour, so add the last half gradually.Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. If the dough becomes sticky, sprinkle a bit more flour over it.Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled 2-quart bowl. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let the dough rest until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. Divide the dough into 4 parts and keep other parts covered until ready for use.

Preheat oven to 400*F. Spread dough out on pizza pan or on a pizza stone and pre-bake for about 8 minutes. (**Cooks note: This is my preferred method to ensure a super crispy crust. You don't have to do this and you can easily top the dough and stick it in the oven from this point!)

For the sauce, I simply diced Roma tomato's and garlic and onion. I sauteed these together for a few minutes on the stove and topped my pizza with the sauce. Fresh basil from the garden and some thin slices of fresh mozzarella and a pizza is born!

Bake on 400*F for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Dinosaur Kale with Garlic and Tomato

I found this type of kale at the farmer's market and couldn't wait to try it. I love greens of any sort, but kale is my favorite.



2 good bunches Dinosaur Kale, rough chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
4 oz canned diced tomato's, drained

Preheat 3 tbsp olive oil over med-high heat in a large pan. Add all of the kale and cook for about 3 minutes, moving the greens around in the pan to encourage wilting. Apply a liberal amount of salt and to the kale and toss the garlic into the pan. Continue cooking kale about 5 minutes or until greens are wilted but still firm and crunchy (**Cooks note: You can cook this to your preferred doneness. I like my kale al dente with a bit of a bite) Add tomato's and stir to combine ingredients. Cook one more minute to heat tomato's and meld flavors.

Risotto Cakes

I had leftover risotto and wanted to make use of it instead of picking at it every time I open the refrigerator over the next few days, per my usual routine.

These are simple and I ate them with a poached egg on top for Sunday breakfast. I also love putting a risotto cake on top of a great green salad with some tomato's and goat cheese.

For the cakes:

1 cup leftover risotto

2 tbsp butter

1 egg, beaten

salt and pepper

(Cooks note: you could also stick a bit of buffalo mozzarella inside each cake for a cheesy surprise)

Combine egg, salt and pepper and risotto together until mixed well.

Meanwhile, heat butter over medium heat in a frying pan.

Form risotto into cakes and fry for about 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crisp. Serve immediately.

Basil Risotto

The smell of basil reminds me of my mother's garden, which is by far the prettiest city garden in Baltimore. This risotto was great served under grilled fish.

1 c Arborio rice
2 tbsp pure olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
1/2 c dry white wine
3 c chicken stock
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp heavy cream
good size handful fresh basil chiffonade ( cut into long thin strips)

Using a large skillet with a heavy bottom, heat the olive oil over low heat and saute until translucent. Add the Arborio rice, stir to coat with the olive oil, and saute with the onions to toast each grain of rice, about 7 minutes.
Once the rice is lightly toasted, add the white wine slowly, stirring. (If you don't use wine, just proceed forward)After the rice has absorbed the white wine and the skillet is nearly dry, add 1 cup stock, stirring occasionally, and cook over very low heat until the stock is absorbed.
Continue adding the stock, 1 cup at a time, until all the stock has been absorbed. Once the rice has been added to the pan, the entire cooking process will take about 20 minutes. After all of the liquid has been added and the rice is chewy yet fully cooked, with a creamy texture, add the butter, Parmesan, basil and heavy cream. Stir to combine all the ingredients and serve immediately.

Cran-Raspberry Granita

Granita is frozen dessert of sugar, water, and flavorings from Sicily. My husband and I love ice treats and the granita has really been making a comeback this year as a popular desert. I've seen recipe's that use vodka, but I didn't use any.

4 cups cranberry juice

1 c sugar

1/4 c fresh lime juice

1/4 c raspberry syrup

Whisk the cranberry juice and sugar in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves. Pour the cranberry mixture into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Cool completely. Whisk in the syrup and lime juice. Freeze until the granita becomes slushy, about 2 hours. Using fork, stir to blend. Continue freezing the granita until frozen, stirring and scraping the fork across the granita like a rake, every hour or so to form crystals, at least 5 hours or overnight

Oven Roasted Broccoli

My friend Sara made this during a girls weekend last year and it's become my most favorite way to eat broccoli.....and just couldn't be easier.

2 cups broccoli, florets only

good quality olive oil

4 cloves of garlic finely chopped

coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

Line baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lay broccoli on sheet, toss with remainder ingredients. Roast on 400*F oven for about 20 minutes or until cooked and a bit crispy. Make sure you shake florets around every 5-7 minutes while cooking.

Beef Tacos

Tacos are a quick meal for a weeknight and can be ready in very little time. Some nights, even I don't feel like devoting a lot of time or energy to cooking.

I made my taco shells out of corn tortillas. I usually use store prepared, but I love these because they aren't as hard and crisp as the store version. These are more crispy and chewy at the same time.

To make your own shells:
Heat an inch of oil over medium heat in a skillet.
Carefully add half of the tortilla (folded into a taco shape) and fry until golden (you will need to hold up the tortilla half the entire time.). Using tongs, carefully flip the tortilla to fry the other side until golden (continue holding the free edge to maintain the shape). Remove from skillet and balance the shell (Tepee style) on a paper towel until set. Repeat until you've got as many as you need.

For the filling:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 small onion finely diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp each, cumin, coriander, chili powder and paprika
1 tbsp chili paste
2 cups beef broth

Heat large pan over med-high heat and brown ground beef completely. Drain and return to the pan, adding the onion and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add the powdered spices and paste and continue cooking for another 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan using the beef broth and simmer on low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Serve in taco shells and top with toppings of your choice. Pictured with iceberg lettuce, fresh tomato's, extra sharp Cheddar and sour cream.

Calling all Food Bloggers!

I am now a proud member of the Foodie Blogroll. If you happen to find your way here, please leave me a comment!

Grilled Zucchini

Welcome to the easiest concept known. Since the grill has arrived in my backyard, I've been cooking everything I possibly can on it.

So, when I make an entree on it, I tend to grill the veggies that I'm serving with dinner.

For the Zucchini:

3 large zucchini (or as much to serve your needs); cut lengthwise

good quality olive oil

sea salt, coarse

freshly ground black pepper

pinch of zest from a lemon

Drizzle olive oil over zucchini and liberally apply salt, pepper and zest. Grill over direct heat for about 5 minutes, turning once. Keep an eye on your zucchini and remove as soon as they are fork tender.

Grazie!

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who voted for me in the Culinate Grill Contest.

It was a complete honor and thrill to be nominated and end up in the Top 5!

Balsamic Barbecue Glaze

I've had a love affair with balsamic vinegar as long as I can remember. I decided to use the balsamic in lieu of another form of vinegar when making an easy barbecue sauce. By reducing the vinegar, the sauce is tangy, sweet and the perfect consistency.

1 c balsamic vinegar

3/4 c ketchup

1/3 c brown sugar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Combine all ingredients into a sauce pan and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Allow sauce to reduce until it sticks to the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes. ***Cooks note: This recipe yields about 1/3rd less the amount of sauce then at the beginning of cooking.***

Pictured and enjoyed painted on chicken breasts cooked on the grill.

It's Voting Time Again!

If you didn't get an email (check!).... Culinate.com is allowing those of you who have voted for me to vote again! Please do me the favor of clicking on another vote for me!

Use the "Send Me To Napa" voting button for easy voting!

Cherry Pie

I love making pies....but I've never made a cherry pie! I found some beautiful fresh cherries at the market and decided to go for it!

Basic Pie Dough:

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour

Fine sea salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus more for greasing

1/3 c ice-cold water

Put the flour and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cold butter cubes and pulse a few times until the mixture begins to become mealy and the butter forms plainly visible pea-size nuggets
Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon salt in the water. With the motor running, pour in the water and let mix, just until the dough pulls together. Do not over-mix the dough. If it appears dry and is not holding together, add a few additional tablespoons of water.

Form the dough into a ball, flatten, and wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Lightly flour a board and a rolling pin and unwrap the dough. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and keep the second piece refrigerated. ***Cooks note: the key is to keep it cold!***

Roll out dough into rounds about 1/8 th of an inch thick. Lay first round into the pie plate and make sure it reaches the edges neatly.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375*F.

For the filling:

2 lbs cherries, pitted

1/2 c sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch

Zest of 1/2 lemon

Fill the pie with filling. Remove second round from refrigerator and roll out to a circle larger than the pie plate (about 1 in overhang). Decorate pie top as you see fit. I used little cherry pie crust cutters, but a few slits in the crust will do. (This allows the pie to cook properly and release steam) Lay top crust on top of filling and seam all edges with a pinch pattern. Bake for about 45 minutes or until crust is brown and juices thicken.

California Dreaming.....

I was just informed that I have been nominated (me...? me??) for a contest at Culinate for a grilling class at the Napa Copia Cooking School! (A total dream come true).

Please click on the link below (or the one to the right) and vote for me! You can vote for me until June 21st.

There are a lot of amazing food bloggers out there in the contest, and I encourage you to take a look at the list.

"Beer Can" Chicken

I've been hearing about this for years now....the phenomenon of cooking a whole chicken sitting on a can of beer. Until recently (how long can I go on about having a grill!) I haven't had the opportunity to try this new concept....until now.

Our good friends gave us a housewarming gift which was a beer can roaster. (I can't find the exact brand they gave, but that one is close) This little piece of grilling equipment, allows you to pour the beer directly into its own compartment so you can use any beer you might have on hand. If you don't have one of these handy items, a regular old beer can will do!

For the chicken:

1, 3-4lb chicken, cleaned and prepared

1 bunch of fresh rosemary

generous amounts of fresh ground black pepper and coarse salt

Prepare chicken by sliding several rosemary springs underneath skin of chicken (breasts and thighs are good locations for this). Heavily salt and pepper skin and massage to ensure good coverage. Pour 1/2 of a beer into compartment on roaster (or you can just drink/dispose half of a can of beer) and place several springs of rosemary inside. Humiliate the chicken by properly fitting the beer can compartment into the cavity (or onto the beer can) of the bird.

Grill using indirect heat (seen above) for @ 1- 1.5 hours or until the chicken reaches the internal temperature of 180*F.

This recipe/method is not only fail safe and easy, but the chicken was AMAZING! No wonder people swear by it. The amount of moisture and flavor from the beer is unbelievable. Run home right now and throw a bird on a beer!

Burgers

There is no denying a good burger. Now that I am a grill owner, I am delighted to eat a grilled burger made with all the love in my burger loving heart.

I once saw Ina Garten make burgers and she talked about sticking a tiny pat of butter inside all of her burgers before she grilled them. She said it made the burgers super moist, perfectly cooked and full of flavor. Nuff said....

For the burger:

1 lb ground beef (4 burgers)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tbsp each, fresh thyme and tarragon

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

coarse salt and fresh pepper to taste

4 small pats of butter

Mix first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Form into patties, adding the butter into the center and making sure it's covered completely by the beef mixture. Grill for about 4 minutes on the first side and 2-3 minutes on the other, or until done to your liking. Serve any way you like it. Picture with Cheddar cheese, mayo, lettuce and tomato.

Pasta with Sausage and Peas

I was at the farmer's market with friends this Saturday and there is a vendor there selling the best peas I've ever had! This dish has to be a top favorite in the catalog of pasta dishes in my collection. This recipe comes from my great grandmother, Nunzia (whom I never knew, but know well in stories). This is a simple dish, passed down through the generations. The fennel is the key ingredient, in my opinion. It picks up the flavor in the sweet sausage and gives a naturally sweeter taste to the sauce.



For the sauce:
1lb sweet Italian sausage
2 tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tsp
1 bulb of fennel, diced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 32 oz can crushed tomato's
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 c fresh peas
a generous handful of fresh basil


Heat a skillet over med-high heat and add 1 tsp olive oil just to coat the bottom of the pan. Remove sausage from casing and cook until browned. Set aside.


Heat another skillet over med heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil. Add onions, fennel and garlic and saute for 7-10 minutes or until translucent. Add tomato paste and saute another 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, and the can of crushed tomato's. Stir well and cook on low simmer for about 1 hour. Stir occasionally. During the last 5 minutes, add your fresh peas. Top with fresh basil (Some cut, I rip mine for the rustic feel) and serve over cooked pasta.



***Cooks note: I always taste as I go, especially with sauces. If it's still a little tangy, add a swirl of olive oil and let simmer a bit longer. Feel free to use salt and pepper, but do it intermittently and not a huge amount all at once. ***

Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

My mother in law was over for a visit this weekend and since it was raining (for that my garden is ever thankful) we couldn't grill out as planned. I still wanted to serve something that reminds me of summer, so I did a really quick version of shredded BBQ sandwiches. I served these with some homemade coleslaw, sliced tomato's and ice cold lemonade.

1 c chicken stock

1 bottle Mexican beer

4 chicken breasts

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

For the BBQ sauce:

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp Tabasco

2 tbsp grill seasoning

3 tbsp dark brown sugar

4 tbsp tomato paste

Bring water and stock to a simmer in a small to medium skillet and add the chicken breast meat. Gently poach the chicken 10 minutes or until cooked through.

In a hot pan, heat olive oil and garlic and onion and gently saute until chicken is ready to come out of poaching liquids.

Combine the next BBQ sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and reserve.

When the chicken has cooked through, add 2 ladles of the cooking liquid to the bowl, combining with the sauces, spices, brown sugar and tomato paste. Remove chicken from pot, slice it, and using two forks shred to pieces. Add the shredded chicken to the onions and garlic and combine well. Add the BBQ sauce and simmer together 5 to 10 minutes, using extra cooking liquids to make your chicken as saucy as you prefer.

Serve mounded on soft rolls.

Grilled Shrimp with Lemon Herb Orzo

This is a simple and fast recipe that I can't get enough of in the summer. Orzo is a lighter way of fulfilling a pasta craving and its paired best (in my humble opinion) with fresh lemon and light herbs of basil and parsley.

For the shrimp:
1lb peeled and cleaned shrimp (Although I remove the tails before serving I leave them on during grilling for easy handling)

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

salt and pepper

1/8 c olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let marinate for about 20 minutes.

Skewer the shrimp and grill for 3 minutes per side. Set aside and let rest until orzo is complete.

For the orzo:

1 cup orzo

2 qt water

salt for the water

parsley and basil

juice and zest of one lemon

Boil large pot of salted water and add orzo. Cook according to package directions.

Once the orzo is done, drain it and return to pot. Add big handfuls of coarsely chopped parsley and basil, the juice and zest and salt and pepper.

Cook the mixture over very low heat until combined. Continue to season to your tastes.

Remove shrimp from skewers and toss with orzo. Serve immediately.

Grilled Beef and Veggie Kabobs

Not having a real grill within my reach for the last 7 years, I've missed kabobs terribly. I just love the concept of the proportioned pieces and the rainbow of color you can create. The concept of kabobs allows for your own choices and they are great served with a salad or simple side. The fail safe rule here is to go for like sized portions of each ingredient.


For the beef:
1lb good quality tender beef, cubed
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1/2 c Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbsp each: ground coriander, smoked paprika and black pepper



Place all ingredients in a a sealed container and marinate for at least 2 hours.

***Cooks note: Soak bamboo sticks in water during the time the meat is in the marinade so they don't burn on the grill. ****


Veggies:
1 zucchini
1 red onion
1 red bell pepper
Several small whole tomato's for the ends of each kabob

Drizzle all with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Assembly:
Go wild and crazy....just stack them up and make sure to not crowd to many items on each stick.

Grill kabobs over hot coals using direct heat method, for about 10-15 minutes depending on how hot your grill is.

Summer Fruit Salsa

Salsa is super easy to assemble and bring to a party or just store in a Tupperware for snacking throughout the week. In the spring/summer months the ripe and fresh fruits available to you (at least in Baltimore) are endless. I got my hands on some beautiful strawberries from the Waverly Farmers Market that were so much better than anything I've seen in the local grocery stores.

Summer Fruit Salsa

1 cup each; small diced:
Strawberries
Pineapple
Mangoes
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 Jalapeño , de-seeded and finely chopped
1 good handful of fresh mint
1 lime juice and zest
1 tsp coarse salt

Mix all ingredients together in a reactive safe bowl and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving to let flavors meld.

****Cooks Note: We had guests over and I made this salsa to top a salmon fillet that had sat in a dry rub of creole inspired seasons. I grilled the salmon and topped with this salsa and served along a garden salad. It was a simple, light and delicious meal. The following day this salsa was fabulous with some blue corn chips and a cold beer.***

(picture to follow)

Almost Three Weeks, no new posts

Well I'm having a camera situation going on and have been unable to post pictures of some of the most fun food I've been making.

I've become a grilling woman, with the new house/backyard/grill combo that has just become a huge change in my cooking experiences.

I just love using the grill and can't wait to share all my new concepts/flavors and recipes.

Stay tuned.... not much longer now!

Swordfish with Salmoriglio Sauce

When the weather turns warm, I turn to citrus. I love keeping a bowl filled with lemons, limes and oranges. Perhaps its my Sicilian ancestors influence or the fact that I adore all three equally.

Salmoriglio is a pungent Italian sauce of olive oil, lemon, garlic, and oregano. You can either apply it to the fish before grilling/broiling/baking or pass it around the table for drizzling over the fish. Freshness is key for this sauce, so prepare it as close to serving time as possible.

**Cooks note: You could use this sauce on other thick bodied white fish, shrimp or chicken. If you are a shellfish kind of person, this would be fantastic drizzled over mussels steamed in white wine.**

For the sauce:

6 tbsp good quality olive oil

1/4 c fresh lemon juice

zest of one lemon

a good handful of Italian parsley and oregano, finely chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped garlic @ 4 cloves

** I had some extra basil lying around and added that into my sauce as well.**

Combine all ingredients, stirring well with a whisk.

Preheat a grill or broiler. Brush both sides of the fillets with some of the Salmoriglio and sprinkle salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides. Grill or broil until the fillets are just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.

Polenta Cakes

Polenta is one of those versatile foods because you can use it as a base for so many different flavors. Much like pasta, it's best when accompanied with flavors from other ingredients (although my grandfather could eat it with Parmesan and butter and be a happy man) and it can be served "messy" or made into cakes or other more firm presentations.


4 cups water or chicken stock
1 cup polenta
2 teaspoons salt

In a heavy medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Stir the polenta and salt into the water, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, stirring from time to time. Cook until the polenta is cooked through and thickens, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Pour the polenta into a lightly oiled, shallow baking dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours and up to 2 days in advance.
Run a knife around the edge of the baking dish and un-mold the polenta onto a cutting board.

You can cut the polenta into squares or I used a circle cookie cutter to make rounds.

At this point you can grill, broil or pan fry the polenta until crisp.

I added some fresh tomato's, basil and grated mozzarella for a Caprice style lunch.

**Cooks note: You could replace regular old mozzarella sticks with polenta sticks. Cut the polenta into strips and deep fry in oil for a few minutes until crisp and brown. Serve with marinara sauce. ***

Pesto Gnocchi

There are several versions and methods for making gnocchi. Most common are potato gnocchi and ricotta gnocchi. Potato is easier, in my opinion as with ricotta you have to let the cheese drain using a cheesecloth usually over night. Typiclly, gnocchi are rolled off the edge of a fork for the extra grooves (better to catch sauce with) but when I want to make a ton and freeze for later, I tend to go the easier route without any grooves.

For the gnocchi:

4 large russet potatoes (about 2 1/2 lbs), peeled and cut into sixths

1-1/4 c plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 large egg yolks

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Generous pinch freshly ground nutmeg

Freshly ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, place the potatoes and cover with cold salted water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.
Using a ricer, or grate them on the large holes of a box grater....grate/rice the potato's. Place the potatoes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in an even layer (don't pile the riced potatoes into mounds). Set aside to cool.

Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and, using a spatula, gently mix in the flour, yolks, salt, nutmeg, and pepper until just combined and a soft dough is formed. Don't over mix the dough or the gnocchi will be unpleasantly tough and mealy.

On a well-floured work surface, turn out the potato dough, and divide into 6 equal parts. With the palms of both hands gently roll each part into a "rope" 3/4-inch in diameter. Using a sharp knife cut each "rope" on an angle into 3/4-inch-long pieces.

(If you wish to shape the gnocchi: Hold a salad fork in one hand so it rests on the work surface at a 45-degree angle with the tines curving up. Place a piece of the dough at the top of the tines and hold it in place with your free thumb. In one gentle motion, quickly press and roll the dough along the tines. The gnocchi should have a small dent in one side and shallow grooves on the other, perfectly suited for holding a sauce.)

Transfer to a lightly floured baking sheet pan. Store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours before cooking. ***Cooks note: you can freeze them at this stage in a air tight freezer bag. They usually don't last longer than 60 days in my freezer.***

To cook the gnocchi, place in a pot of boiling, salted water. Gnocchi take about 1-3 minutes at most. Remove with a slotted spoon and toss into pesto sauce. Serve immediately.

Basil Pesto:

2 c loosely packed basil leaves

2 tbsp toasted pine nuts

2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan

1/4 tsp minced garlic (about one clove)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 c plus 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

In a food processor, combine the basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, and salt and puree. While the motor is running, drizzle in the oil until incorporated. Season with pepper to taste. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator with a piece of plastic wrap placed right on the surface of the pesto to prevent discoloration, for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Cooking a'la Cardboard Box

We've moved in and mostly settled, but for over two weeks we've been eating easy, non impressive foods.... or carry out (for shame!!!).



Now we've settled, and I'll start documenting more recipes and adventures. I have to get my Internet working (next Tuesday, I've been told I'll have a connection) and things in order before I can formally post again on a regular basis.

I'll post pictures, recipes and ideas as soon as I can.

Fried Cinnasugar Doughnuts

I had some extra store prepared pizza dough from Trader Joe's lying around today and didn't want to make pizza. We've been packing up things all day into cardboard boxes and I just felt the need for a splurge! I'd seen someone make doughnuts at home once, and I just felt inspired.

1 package store prepared pizza dough

equal parts olive and vegetable oil (enough to fill pan two inches deep)

1/2 cup sugar

2 tbsp cinnamon (or to taste)

2 circular cookie cutters, one smaller than the other

Heat oil over medium heat until oil reaches 375*F (you can use a candy thermometer to check). Roll pizza dough out on floured surface until 1 inch thick. Meanwhile, using circle cookie cutters, cut rounds of dough and set aside. (Combine "scraps" of dough and roll out again making more circle rounds) Using the smaller cookie cutter, cut a hole into the rounds to make a doughnut shape. Drop doughnuts into oil and cook, flipping once until golden brown. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Drop immediately into bowl with sugar and cinnamon. Allow to cool a few moments and then enjoy!

Change of Address

Not much cooking being done in my home this week!! My husband and I move into our first house in under two weeks!