Homemade Pizza Dough and Chicken Fajita Pizza

 

I made chicken fajita pizza for dinner last night and it was so good -  so good I forgot to take a picture of it! 

I normally make it in a 12x18 pan but since we have just a wee little oven in this cottage I had to split it into 2 10x15 cookie sheets (which I had to wrestle and wriggle in and out but hey it worked ~smile~) and it made a crispy thin crust instead of the thicker one I usually make so a happy discovery! 

I have been making this for years and it is a family favorite  - so much so that I have not made a different pizza in a very long time. 

The dough recipe is a quick and easy no fail one and as I just discovered you can make a regular crust on a bigger pan or thin crust on 2 smaller pans.  I find it easier to use cookie sheets than round pizza pans but it would work well on those too. To roll out the dough in the pan I use one of these...

 

It works so well! You just plop the dough on the pan and roll it right on there. The clean up is super easy too as there is no big awkward rolling pin to wash.  Well maybe your rolling pin is more manageable than mine - When I was 16 my Mum bought me a GIANT heavy wooden rolling pin when we were in Disneyworld and said if my future husband (who I was dating at the time ~smile~) ever got out of hand I could use it on him! hahahahaha! Fortunately for Mark he has never had to get the rolling pin treatment - this thing could take him right out! It works amazing for baking but it is a pain to wash as it is SO big.

When I need a lightly floured surface for kneading dough or rolling out pie crust etc. I wipe the counter with a warm wet cloth and cover it right away with 2 long pieces of plastic wrap. The moisture anchors the wrap to the counter and it will not slide or move at all. Then I can sprinkle on the flour and when done clean up is a snap because I can just gather up the wrap and take all the mess with it. Voila! Clean counter!

Ok I got carried away there! Now on with the recipes....

Homemade Pizza Dough 

3 cups flour

1 tbsp. yeast

1 tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. salt 

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup +2 tbsp. very warm water

Put water in a bowl and dissolve sugar in it. Sprinkle yeast on top and allow to proof. (Leave it for 5-10 minutes)

Stir in oil. 

Mix salt and flour and add that gradually to yeast mixture.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes until you have a nice ball that springs back a bit when you press your fingers into it. 

Put it in a oiled bowl turning to coat the top and cover with a damp cloth and place in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled. 

I usually rise my bread dough etc. in an oven I have preheated to it's lowest setting. Just make sure you turn it off before you put the dough in if not you will end up with slightly baked dough on the top....don't ask how I know that.~smile~

When doubled put dough right on the pan and roll out or cut in half for 2 smaller pans.

Bake it for 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees for a large pizza. Reduce time for 2 small pizzas I went for 5 minutes but this oven will differ from most I am sure. The idea is just to precook it a bit before making the pizza, just until the edges are lightly browned.

Create whatever pizza you would like and cook as per that recipe or 18 - 20 minutes for a large pizza until cheese is melted and crust is browned on the bottom. Lessen time for smaller pizzas.

Chicken Fajita Pizza

Pizza Crust

Cooked Chicken (However much you like I use one chicken breast)

1/2 cup sliced onion

1/2 cup diced green pepper

3 mince garlic cloves

1 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 cup salsa or enough to cover the pizza crust - This is the pizza sauce

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese or whatever kind you like.

 

If you are using a different crust than above prebake just until edges are lightly browned at 400 degrees.

Saute veggies and chicken with seasonings.

Spread salsa on the crust, top with half the cheese, chicken mixture and remaining cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and pizza crust is golden brown. (smaller pizzas may take less time)

Enjoy!

So yummy! Totally worth making, then making again and again. *wink*

Happy Wednesday!

Blessings,

Liisa

 

 

Chilly Morning and Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Muffins

 

It was a chilly morning in the old cottage this morning! I had to break out the wooly socks. It is quite the ensemble with my skirt. ~smile~

Thankfully I had a nice warm Bible time buddy....

Piggy loves to curl up on my lap while I do my morning devotions. Currently I am reading in Numbers and in John. I recently started reading one chapter in the Old Testament and one in the New each morning. I use a pen and paper and write down any thoughts that come to me while reading and how the verses apply to me and how I can apply them in my life. I am really enjoying this way of doing it and get a lot out of it this way. 

After Bible time I got busy making some muffins for Ladies Bible Study this afternoon. Since it was a chilly morning it put me in the mood to make some Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Muffins.

My recipe for them is actually one called Breakfast Oatmeal muffins. It is meant to use up leftover oatmeal but I make fresh oatmeal just for this recipe. I use the instant packets but you could use any kind of oatmeal. I usually buy the mixed box of Quaker Oatmeal so it has Maple Brown Sugar, Apples and Cinnamon and a spice one I think. All make yummy muffins but when I was at Wal-Mart I saw this...

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal!!! Who can resist Pumpkin Spice anything when fall is just coming on ~Smile~ So that is what I used today and it was a big hit! It takes 2 packets for this recipe so I will be able to make 4 batches of muffins from this box. I plan to use the rest as part of my annual Thankful for You gifts this year.

I will post about it when I make the gifts up but every year I make some little gifts for the people who serve in our church, neighbours and anyone else I am thankful for. One year I crocheted pumpkins for every one, I have given homemade caramel corn, candy corn I colored orange, pumpkin loaves and muffin mix, to name a few. This year I will give pumpkin muffins and these pumpkin spice oatmeal muffins - likely 3 of each in a cute package. I have some ideas for decorating them which I cannot wait to share!

This recipe is so quick and easy and makes really moist and wonderfully sweet muffins.

Here is the recipe -

Pumpkin Spice (Or other flavor *wink*) Oatmeal Muffins

 1 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs lightly beaten

1 cup prepared oatmeal (2 pkts. prepared as per instructions on the pkt.)

1 tsp. vanilla

In a large bowl combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda.

In another bowl combine oil, eggs, oatmeal and vanilla.

Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. The batter will be thin.

Spoon into 12 paper lined cups.

Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes or until they test done.

Yield - 1 dozen.

 

 The rest of the day I caught up on some chores, had Bible study and made chicken fajita pizzas for dinner. I will share that recipe tomorrow - God willing ~smile~

Now I best get busy and get my evening routine over with so I can relax with my hubby.

Happy Tuesday!

Blessings,

Liisa

Moving Adventures

 

Well, it is not the next day! Life has a way of disrupting the best laid plans. ~smile~ 

It was a really nice weekend though. I was especially encouraged by our Church service on Sunday. We are blessed with a really wonderful pastor and his messages always have a way of getting a hold of you and drawing you closer to God. Even to hear him pray just inspires you. God is working through Him to be sure.

Anyway! On with the adventure. We sold our house and then had a month to move. We were kind of in shock to say the least. 😲 The first thing we did was to arrange a storage unit. so at least we would have somewhere to put all the boxes we were packing while we tried to figure out our next move. There was only one available and we got it.

To add to our fun the only condition of the sale was to have the bats that were found in the attic during the home inspection and their "gifts" professionally removed before the closing date.  We foolishly thought that would not be a problem. HA! The first guy we called no longer did our area. The second was the most pompous and rude man I have ever spoken with and he wanted a minimum of $10,000 to remove the bats then the fee for clean up on top of that - thousands more! After that we called so many more companies only to hear that we were out of their area. 

Finally after A LOT of prayer my hubby Mark found a man who grew up near our town and though it was out of his area he agreed to come because he liked to "look after his own". Praise the Lord! He was not sure if he would be able to do the clean up - he said it would depend on how big a job it was. My hubby called around to restoration companies one of which said it would be minimum $7000 just for cleanup!

After having a look it turned out that the bat guy could do the whole job. A huge answer to prayer again. But another obstacle was in the way....he had called around for a boom lift when we first contacted him and he got laughed at. He was told he would have had to reserve one months earlier. He decided to try again in case there was a cancellation and much to his surprise and the rental man's there was one and it could be delivered to our house by noon. Later Bat Guy told us he would have walked away if he couldn't have gotten one because sealing the house would have been just too hard without it. God is so good!!!

So many big answers to prayer - what a huge relief! The price to do the whole entire job was less than just the clean up estimates of the other companies. Wow!

Meanwhile we were trying to find a place to live. We do have our house up North but we need to remain down south for my hubby's work for a while before we finally move up there full time. 

The only trouble is there are virtually NO places to rent. No houses, no apartments, not even a shed. When places come up they are gone instantly since on kijiji there are at least 15 home wanted ads for every one home available.

We heard from a friend about an apartment in a town 30 minutes away. I went to look at it and it had been partially renovated and they did a great job. However it was over a store on the main street, the door was off the back parking lot. The toilet had a big bug floating in it along with about 6 months of filth. It had 2 bedrooms but neither had a window. In fact there were only 2 windows in the whole apartment and they only had small square windows at the bottom that actually opened. If there was ever a fire you would never be able to escape out them. So that was off the list!

Now we were facing the possibility of using hubby's vacation days to go up north for a week then back and stay in a hotel for a week. Back and forth until we are able to move fully. Not a great option especially since we called about a weekly rate at the motel near by and the price made that a no go.

2 weeks to go now and no other option on the horizon! Yikes! Then one of the guys who works with Mark came to talk with him and said that his sister had a cottage in a subdivision by the lake and she just got called back in to work and would not be needing it. She was willing to rent it. Wow!

She was so super sweet and we ended up renting from her. It is fully furnished which was perfect for us as my sister was going to take most of our furniture when we moved up North finally so she was able to take it sooner. Everything is included in rent even the internet. What a blessing to not have to worry about connection costs or anything. God really provided just what we needed at the last minute! She is very flexible and ok wether it is 2 months or 6 we are here.

Then the move.... I feel like I should insert some sinister movie music here. LOL! 

Praise the Lord Mark had gotten a trailer for our four wheeler several months ago and we were able to do all the moving with that and the box of our truck. It was just deciding what was going to the cottage, what was going up North and what was going to the storage unit. Whew! What a job! In 20 years you can certainly FILL a house!

We fully moved 2 days before closing and the day before we went back to clean. It took a surprising amount of time to clean an empty house but it was worth it the new owners let us know how pleased they were.~smile~  I had left them a package with all the manuals and receipts for the appliances, decorating samples and info., take out menus for a place we recommend, a letter with info. about the house and town - just things I thought they might like to know or would find helpful. I also left a welcome home card and a loaf of Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake.

One last hurdle. Piggy. Our very fat, very spoiled, very skittish cat. The last car ride I took her on ( to the vet) her eyes shook back and forth so much so that the vet thought she had a spinal cord injury!

Poor little thing. So this time I thought I would get her some sedative. After a phone consultation with the vet and emails with pictures I was able to get some medicine to sedate her and help with car sickness and dizziness. Only one problem - she knew it was in the food and would not eat it....at least all at once.

                                                                Yeah....Not happy!
 

 So we ended up with a slightly dopey and unhappy cat for the ride. *sigh*

 

So after ALL of that we are here in the cottage at last! 

It took some getting used to life in the cottage as we have to get up earlier so Mark can drive 20 minutes to meet the friend he rides with to work but I am able to drive him and keep the truck if I need it which is a blessing. Also it is strange living in a house full of things that are not yours. We are living out of boxes, totes and suitcases but it is temporary. ~smile~ Life is good, Piggy has adjusted after hiding for several days and I am finding the things I thought I knew where I had packed them but was wrong. ~smile~ God is so good and has been with us through it all!

I guess that is more than enough for today.

Happy Monday!

Blessings,

Liisa

A Whole Lot of Changes!

 

Wow! What a whirlwind the last several months have been!! 

Covid 19 brought alot of changes for everyone and in the midst of all that we decided to renovate our house. It is a big 150 year old 2 story house. We had been debating the pros and cons of selling when the virus hit so we decided to go ahead and do some renos we knew we would need to get done. 

We redid the spare bedroom which turned into a bigger job than we thought. When we took off the wallpaper we discovered why the previous owners had decided on wall paper. The lathe and plaster was cracked all over. My hubby has become and expert at fixing it now! He did such a great job and the walls were so smooth they looked like new drywall. We painted it a really pretty neutral called birch bark that seemed to make the room glow. I cannot find it online to show it here but we bought it at Canadian Tire.

Next was removing the carpet that had been in the house since we bought it 20 years ago. It was upstairs and in the granny flat. I know it was WELL over due! We chose to go with vinyl plank flooring. Upstairs we went with one called evening shadows....

                                                         

                                                                                                            Since we were doing this with selling the house in mind we went with a popular modern choice. It was not my favorite as I prefer a more traditional country look. In the apartment we went for a variegated wood tone and new carpet on the stairs completed the flooring.

That done we had someone come and do all the trim upstairs and we painted all the doors and window frames etc.

 We called the real estate lady we met with in January just to see how the market was doing with the virus etc. She said it was a great time time to sell as prices were crazy since there were not many houses available and so many people looking. She came to check out the flooring and said "So then you are ready to put it on the market?"  We said we guess so! We never imagined how quickly everything would go. 

Next thing we knew she was there to stage the house - which by the way was amazing! There was no fee for it and she transformed the house! It did not even look like our place. Then it hit the market. We had 14 showings in 2 days and within 4 days of it being on the market we had 4 offers all over asking and the house was sold.

It was a shock! It all happened so fast! God was truly in it. Our house was sold to a pastor and his wife. They are super sweet and we were able to meet with them and talk about the house history etc. over ice cream after they bought it. ~smile~

We could not have hoped for better people to buy our home. That helped soften the blow of leaving after so many years. I still had a bit of a cry as I cleaned it for the last time and relived memories. My hubby gave me a big hug and reminded me that my memories do not live in that house. I have a wonderful husband.

One more shock in store they needed the house by September 1st! So we had less than a month to move!

More on those adventures tomorrow!

Happy Friday!

Blessings,

Liisa

 

                                        

Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing

Today I made Chicken Caesar Salad for dinner. I make the dressing, it is my aunt's recipe and super good so I thought I would post the recipe here.

Auntie Marjatta's Caesar Salad Dressing

1 cup mayo
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Mix together in a small bowl and that is it.

This is also great as a veggie dip and even a chip dip. ~smile~

Happy Friday!
Blessings,
Liisa

Wednesday's Happenings, Chocolate PB Macaroons and Picadillo!

This morning after devotions I made my hubby a mushroom, pepper and cheese omelet for breakfast.
He then had a business call so I got busy in the kitchen.
First I made Mark's lunch for work then made some Chocolate, Peanut Butter Macaroons. That may have been a mistake since I have had several now. *sigh* I need more will power and less cookies but they were super good!

Here is the recipe for them - quick and easy. Always a good thing!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Macaroons

2 cups sugar

4 tbsp. cocoa

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup margarine

Mix together in a pot. Bring to a boil.

Boil for 1 minute - remove from heat and add-

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 cups oats

Mix well and drop onto wax paper or tin foil.

Let cool. Cookies are sticky for quite a while so leave on counter until they firm up.

Mark and I went for our walk - We drove it the other day to see how long our route was and it turns out to be 2.6k.m. It is a beautiful route and we really enjoy it.

I had my very first on the phone doctor's appt. today. That was a very different experience. I discovered a lump on the side of my neck the other day and was concerned. I had to email pictures of my neck to the doctor's office and a time was arranged for the doctor to call me. It turns out to be a swollen lymphnode  and is nothing to worry about unless it does not go away or gets bigger. I am very grateful first for our medical system that enables us to have free healthcare. Also for the technology that lets me send photos and have a doctor's appt. from home. I was very relieved to not have to go into a doctor's office. We do not have many cases of Covid 19 in our area but still I feel better being able to avoid places like the doctor's office.

This afternoon I sewed a mask for a friend who asked me for one, and cleaned the upstairs of the house, changed the bed, etc.

I made Picadillo for dinner. I love Mexican food. Well as long as it is not too spicy! I love, love, love olives so anything that has them is a big hit for me. My hubby loves this too. Here is a picture - 

We like it on rice but you can serve it on tortillas too. Here is the recipe - 

 

Picadillo

1 tbsp. oil

1 onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 lb. ground beef

1 can tomatoes with chilies(Rotel) drained.

1/4 to 1/2 can spaghetti sauce

1/4 to 1/2 cup sliced olives

1 tsp. cumin

Heat oil in a non stick skillet over medium high  heat. Add onion, pepper, garlic and beef. Cook until beef is done and browned well. 

Add tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, olives and cumin.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low, simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened.

Enjoy!

I went for a walk this evening to drop off the mask, and really enjoyed seeing the rabbits, chickadees, cardinals, blue jays, sparrows, black and grey squirrels, all the flowers and just the incredible beauty God has blessed us with today!

It has been a good day!

Happy Wednesday!

Blessings,

Liisa

Growing Sprouts

I love to grow sprouts at home. I was reluctant to try it at first because a lot of the how to videos I watched made it looked like such a pain but once I tried it I was hooked. So easy! So I thought I would share how I do it and what I use.

 First, the seeds I use Mumm's Sprout Seeds which we buy at a health food store but you can order them online here.

I use a wide mouth 1 litre jar, and some window screen cut into a square big enough to cover the top of the jar with some hanging over.

I start mine in the evening - I place 2 tbsp. of seeds in the jar and add enough water to cover them. I put on the screen and screw on the lid. Place jar on the counter overnight. 

In the morning I pour off the water and turn it upside down on an angle in a bowl or I use a glass loaf pan. I put rubber bands around the bottom of the jar to keep it on the edge of the pan so it does not slide in.

Each day all you have to do is rinse the seeds morning and night draining off the water and setting it back in the pan. 

This is how they look on day 2. You can see that they are just starting to sprout!

Day 3 sprouting a little more.

Day 4 - they are starting to get tiny wee leaves!

This is how they look on the last day - To finish them rinse in the morning as normal and drain them. Place them in the window to green them up. At the end of the day the jar will be full as it can be and the sprouts will be green and have bigger leaves.

Next take the sprouts out of the jar and put them in a medium bowl. Cover with cool water. Press the sprouts under the water and shake them around a bit to loosen the seeds. Spoon off the seeds - they float to the top, drain the water and place the sprouts on a tea towel to dry a bit. 

There is an amazing amount of sprouts that come out of the jar! These ones are the sandwich booster mix. So good but my favourite ones are red clover. 

We eat them on sandwiches, in salads, and sometimes just as they are! ~smile~

That's it! Easy, healthy, yummy!

Happy Wednesday!

Blessings,

Liisa