Christmas Edition!

My favorite Christmas present!  (Don't judge with the "fof," as Owen calls it.  It was late in the evening and it allowed us to stick around the party a little longer!)

Well, no Christmas recipes, just Christmas pictures!  Although I have a yummy Peppermint Oreo Truffle recipe that I need to post.  I just haven't taken the picture yet and I've been fighting off Jeremy as he wants to finish them.  I finally had to hide them in the freezer in the garage!

Owen LOVED opening presents!  LOVED.  Look at his excitement!  It was so cute!  Please also note his Lions t-shirt - I think they made it to the playoffs because of how cute he looked :)

One of the best Christmas surprises we received this year was our new nephew Hudson!  He was born on Christmas morning!  Owen and Grandma had some bonding time over Skype!

So, besides loving to open presents, Owen went nuts for Christmas lights!  And Grandpa was a sport and took him for several walks around the block to check out "Sansa" (O hasn't quite gotten the "t" into Santa, but any time you say Santa Owen responds with "ho, ho, ho") and the lights.  It was a bit cold so we layered him up!  But that didn't stop him from saying and signing, "mo, mo!"  Seriously, I am obsessed with this kid!!

The cold weather (actually, today it was in the 60s, but let's pretend it is actually winter in Kansas) inspired some delish tomato soup!  I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen - if you haven't checked out this website, why not??  She makes delightful food.  This tomato soup recipe is like french onion in that you get a deliciously soggy bite of toast with sharp cheddar with every bite.  Amazing!

Roasted Tomato Soup with Broiled Cheddar

Soup Ingredients

3 pounds plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise  (I can never find plum tomatoes, so I normally use Roma)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large or 4 small cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon (or more to taste) dried crushed red pepper
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Cheddar Lid Ingredients
4 1-inch slices from a large loaf of rye bread, whole wheat sourdough or bread of your choice (or 16 1-inch slices from a baguette), toasted until hard and lightly buttered on one side
1 tablespoon grated raw onion
1 cup coarsely grated cheddar (or more to taste

Soup Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap garlic cloves in a tight foil packet. Place tomatoes, cut side up, on large baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper (SK used 1 full teaspoon of Kosher salt). Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil. Add foil packet of garlic to tray. Roast until tomatoes are brown and tender (garlic will be very tender), about 1 hour. Cool slightly.


Unwrap garlic packet and peel cloves. Transfer cloves, tomatoes and any accumulated juices to a blender or food processor and pulse machine on and off until tomatoes are a chunky puree. Transfer tomatoes to medium pot and add thyme, crushed red pepper and stock and bring to a boil Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and adjust seasonings to taste.

Cheddar Lid Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Arrange four ovenproof soup bowls, crocks or large mugs on a large, foil-lined baking sheet. (I have adorable soup bowls from Crate & Barrel - I just wish they were a teeny tiny bit bigger!)  Stir grated onion into the warm soup.  Float toast slice(s) in each bowl, buttered side up and divide grated cheese generously over top. (If you’re using a wide bowl, you might find that you want more cheese to create a thick, broiled lid.) Bake soups on tray for 15 to 20 minutes, until cheese on top is bubbling and brown at the edges. If you’d like it even more bronzed on top, preheat your broiler and finish soups for a minute or two under it. Serve immediately.  (Be careful, the bowls are so hot and so is the soup!  So maybe not *immediately*.)

We've hired someone to clear the driveway...

He removed his mittens specifically to play with his new shovel.

So, do you think this violates any child labor laws in Kansas??  We had our first real snow this season and O took full advantage (and so did I) of being outside!  Why is there such a difference playing in the frigid windy weather versus the snow?The picture above was taken when daddy got home and introduce O to his new snow shovel.  It would be an understatement to say he loved it.

His first steps in the crunchy snow - he motored all over!

We played for quite a while in the backyard: we marched all around, played on the fort, made snow angels and snowballs, and finally he was worn out!

This was right before he headed down the snowy slide!  He got stuck a few times, but enjoyed it none the less!

I love how bright blue his eyes are in his blue snow gear!  He worked up quite the appetite after our little snow day and I made him this:

He goes back and forth with eating veggies.  The only sure way to get him to eat them is to incorporate them into a dish.  He not only gobbled this up, but stood on his stool, in between my arms, as I chopped the peppers and rosemary and kept stuffing chopped peppers in his mouth.  I refuse to have a picky eater!!!

Orzo with Rainbow Veggies

Adapted from "Cooking for Baby"
Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

Salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup orzo
1 Tbsp EVOO
1tsp minced rosemary (yay, my rosemary plant is still thriving - in the basement no less!)
1/2 cup diced red and yellow bell peppers (I used orange instead of yellow, obvi)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 tsp fresh lemon juice (oh how I wish I lived in CA where I would have my very own lemon tree and wouldn't be forced to pay up to $.50 for a lemon.)

Instructions

• Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add a large pinch of salt and the orzo.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 10 minutes, or according to package directions.  Drain.
• In a frying pan, over medium heat, heat the EVOO.  Add rosemary and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add bell peppers and peas and saute until tender, about 3 minutes.
• Add orzo to the pan and toss with veggies.  Sprinkle with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bon Appetite for your little ones!

Giving the Beef a Break

Oh my, these boys melt my heart every time!  Aren't they just the cutest?  My mom bought them little knives at Sur la Table (don't worry, they are for kids and are more blunt than a spoon!) so they can help her cook!  They had a ball chopping lettuce and mushrooms - and Owen also enjoyed snacking on the mushrooms.  My little herbivore.  Love that kid!  Anyfood, the little men like helping in the kitchen.  While adorable, it can take 5x longer to get a meal done!

My latest Weeknight Gourmet meal involved lamb.  I am NOT a lamby fan.  At all.  J loves the little sheep.  It tends to be too gamey for me, so I leave it to J to order it from a restaurant as I will not cook it.  However, a friend of ours from DC raved about Ina's lamb kabobs.  Like 3 years ago.  And I finally looked it up - partly because I wanted to give it another shot, and partly because I'm beefed out.  Holy cow (haha), have I been missing out!!!!  This little lamby was DELISH!!!  Maybe it was because I marinated it for 2 days, or maybe because it was cooked perfectly by the Jman.  Either way, I am a convert.

Lamb Kabobs

Barefoot Contessa at Home - Serves 8-12 (I modified it for 2)

Ingredients

4 pounds top round lamb (I had some issues procuring some top round lamb.  I ended up with lamb stew meat which was perfect as it was already cubed.)
2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 to 5 cloves)
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1/2 cup mild olive oil
1/2 cup dry red wine
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Kosher salt
4 small red onions
4 pints cherry tomatoes
Skewers


Directions

Cut the lamb in 1 1/2-inch cubes. You should have about 40 cubes. Combine the garlic, rosemary, thyme, olive oil, red wine, vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a medium bowl. Add the lamb cubes, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight or for up to 2 days. Toss occasionally.

Heat a charcoal grill with coals. Spread the coals in 1 tight layer on the grill.  (We followed our Weber gas grill directions for lamb and it was perfect!)

Cut the red onions in quarters and separate each quarter into 3 or 4 sections. Loosely thread 3 or 4 pieces of lamb alternately with sections of onion on skewers. Sprinkle both sides of the lamb with salt and pepper. Next place 4 or 5 cherry tomatoes on skewers, threading them through the stem of the tomato. Rub the tomatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

First, place the lamb skewers on the hot grill and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, turning 2 or 3 times, until the lamb is medium rare. Approximately 5 minutes before the lamb is done, place the tomato skewers on the grill, turning once, until seared on the outside but still firm inside.

We ate it with Zov's rice pilaf - TO DIE FOR.  I will share this recipe later as I am currently sitting in my hotel bed in Denver and don't have my cookbook with me :)

Bon Appetit!

Thanksgiving AAR

In the Army, when you host an event, field exercise, organization day, etc., you are required (or maybe it was just me?) to draft an AAR: After Action Report.  I have found the AAR to be particularly useful in my everyday life as well.  Specifically when it comes to cooking and trips home! 

This Thanksgiving was quite possibly the best Thanksgiving yet!  Not only did we spend it at my Aunt Wink and Uncle Mikey's house, but friends from Fort Lewis were able to join us!  My dear friend Jenn and her family recently moved to California from Hawaii and didn't have Thanksgiving plans.  My auntie immediately said to bring them!  I haven't seen Jenn since Jeremy and I got married 3 1/2 years ago!  Since then we've both moved twice and had babies!  So fun to meet her little one Hannah!

It was so fun to see my aunties and cousins.  My Auntie Val and Cousin Tori finally got to meet Owen who was quite the Turkey.

Every year, my sissy makes the very best apple pie I have EVER consumed.  And this year was no different.  Except for the fact that I helped peel the apples and then promptly clogged my parents' plumbing thus requiring a plumber on Thanksgiving Eve at 9 PM.  SWEET.  You MUST try this pie, it is AMAZING!!!!!!

Autumn Apple Pie

Ingredients

Pastry for single crust 9" pie

3/4 to 1 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind (optional)

6 cups sliced, pared tart cooking apples, 1/4" thick (Em always uses Granny Smith)

Topping

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 cup grated Cheddar Cheese (The secret ingredient!!  Amazing!!)

Instructions

1.  Prepare pastry and line a heatproof pie dish.

2.  Mix together sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and grated lemon rind.  Add to prepared apples, tossing lightly to combine.

3.  Fill pastry with apple pie filling. 

4.  Prepare topping by cutting butter into dry ingredients until crumbly.  Stir in cheese.  Sprinkle evenly over apple filling.

5.  Bake at 425* for 50 to 55 minutes.  Cover topping with aluminum foil during last 10 minutes of baking to prevent over browning.

Serve with real whipped cream - Bon Appetit!

Fall, FINALLY!

I've been WAITING for yoga pants and sweatshirt weather and it is finally here!  Oh wait, no it isn't.  This finicky flip-flop weather is making KA-RAZY.  Last week the high (according to my car) was 49*, the next day it was 70* and by Monday, 78* - WHAT?  At least I've not put away my flips and shorts.

Anyhow, when it was actually fall-like last week, I made pumpkin scones - so delish!  I added dark cherries (from TJ's) instead of white chocolate chips and pecans.  I honestly believe they are magic scones as it turned Owen's frown upside down the morning I made them.  He was being a bit of a pill and rejecting all food (except for bananas of course) until I offered a pumpkin scone.  Maybe it was the sugar, but I am going to believe it was the pumpkin that soothed his little spirit!

Pumpkin Scones

From my dear friend Angela

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup solid packed pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional:
1/3 cup chopped white chocolate
1/4 cup chopped pecans
**I skipped these two and added 1/2 cup dried cherries.  For some bizzaro reason I just don't like chocolate for breakfast.  I know, crazy, right?

Instructions

Mix flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.  Cut butter into small pieces and cut into flour.  Mixture should look like course crumbs.  In a separate bowl mix together the pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla.  Add to flour mixture and mix until the dough comes together (don't over-mix).  Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead gently 3-4 times (until it comes together), and then shape/pat dough into a circle about 1 1/2 inches thick.  Slice in half and then cut each half into 3 equal pie-shaped wedges.  Alternatively, roll out and cut with a biscuit cutter.  Brush with egg glaze (1 egg beaten with 1 T mil), and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake on cookie sheet at #75* for 20 minutes.

On top of the delish pumpkin scones, we went to the most ghetto pumpkin patch! 

There was a crazy creepy petting zoo with piggies, chickens, turkeys, goats and calves.  The piggies were certainly aggressive.

The turkeys were just about as big as O - I invited them to dinner but they declined...

Owen was not fooled by the saddle sitting on a bale of hay instead of a horse...

"I think I'll take this one.  I can carry it all by myself!"

Jeremy was hesitant to put O on the tetanus tractor...

Little Man is about 2.5 feet! 

Everybody Loves Meatballs!

So I've been making my own baby food, which is easy peasy - and so much cheaper!  But now that O has graduated to chunkier food, I sometimes struggle with what to feed him.  And every day is a new adventure: what he loved on Monday, he most assuredly WILL NOT love on Tuesday.  So making enough for several servings can totally backfire on me.  Thus the black beans and chicken that I busted out on Friday have been languishing in my fridge and will most likely form the base of my salad for lunch!

I've discovered that O goes nuts, I mean, SERIOUSLY NUTS, for turkey meatballs.  When he first started gobbling (haha) them down, he only had room in his cheeks, I mean stomach, for two.  Now, he can pack in about five.  I don't know where it fits as he is a skinny little man!  There is one draw back to feeding O meatballs every day: he smells like my dad after eating raw onions.  Seriously, little man had THE WORST breath - so we space it out a bit!

O is rocking a University of Michigan jersey - love it!

The best part about these meatballs are that they are pleasing to my pallet as well!  And Jeremy declared me the "best wife" because I suggested we make meatball subs for the baseball game - who knew he was so easy to please???

Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients:
1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2/3 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 pound ground turkey (preferably 93% lean)

Instructions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, 1/ 1/4 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper with a fork.  Stir int he onion, breadcrumbs, cheese and parsley.  Add the turkey and mix until combined.  Form the mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls.

Bake at 400* for 20 minutes.  This is variable depending on the size of the meatballs.

Say it's your birthday?

It's my birthday too! Every birthday, my dad always, always, always says it's his birthday too.  Always. If it is your birthday, it's Bill's birthday too! Poor Daddy, his birthday falls on December 28th, so his birthday often gets mixed in with Christmas.

Anyfood, for every birthday, celebration, and any occasion requiring a cake, I request or make for myself the Nutmeg Sherry Cake. And if you have ever been around for any of those occasions, you've tried the cake and you know the love! One year, I celebrated my birthday in Texas with Jeremy and my sister baked the Nutmeg Sherry and mailed it! And for my 21st birthday, my mom baked it and sent it up with my sister. Seriously, this is THE CAKE.

Celebrating my 28th birthday in Austin, TX - Hook 'em!

This year was extra special because my man baked the cake!!  He did a PERFECT job, it was divine!!  Thank you for making me feel so special my love!

Nutmeg Sherry Cake

Ingredients
1 package Yellow Cake mix without pudding (I prefer Duncan Hines)
1 (3.5 oz) package of vanilla instant pudding
1 teaspoon nutmeg
4 eggs
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup sherry

Icing
2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons sherry


Instructions
Preheat oven to 350*.  Mix all cake ingredients on medium for one minute.  Then mix on high for five minutes.  Pour batter into a creased 12 cup Bundt pan.  Bake for 40-45 minutes - until a cake tester comes out clean.

For the icing:  mix the powered sugar and sherry until you have a runny icing.  I play with this, sometimes I add milk instead of an extra tablespoon of sherry.

It is delish for breakfast too :)

Thank for the best birthday yet my love!

Monday Night Football

Just kidding.  Do you really think I watch football??  I come from a city with no football team, have only a sister, only girl cousins, went to a Division 2 school where the football stadium (at the time) was smaller than my high school football stadium, and have a father whose fave sport is baseball.  So no, I don't watch football.  The same cannot be said for my significant other.  Alas, he surrendered his rights to Monday Football and watched the season finale (from Netflix) of Dexter whilst feasting on Boeuf Bourguignon.

I could have spent hours upon hours making the "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" version, but that simply was not practical.  I have a toddler and do not have hours and hours to spare.  So I chose the Barefoot version which significantly reduces the time.  Since I've not tasted Julia's, I can't say which is better, but Ina's was DELISH.

Boeuf Bourguignon
Barefoot in Paris ~ serves 6 (enormous servings)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon good olive oil
8 ounces dry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, diced
2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
1/2 cup Cognac
1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir
1 can (2 cups) beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound frozen whole onions
1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced

For Serving
Country bread or Sour Dough, toasted or grilled and rubbed with garlic clove
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

2) Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.  (Refrain from sampling said bacon.)

3) Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides.  (We got stew meat beef from our 1/8 of beef so I did 't have to chop anything.  However, I did pull some of the fat off - what a joke, this dish is LOADED with calories, a few more won't hurt!  The meat cooked much quicker because they were smaller than 1" cubes.) Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.

There was a ton of prep work - I made good use of Owen's nap :)

4) Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. (I didn't stand back far enough and was quite startled by the flare up!  Be careful!)   Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.

5) Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. (At my local grocery store, pearl onions only came in 12 oz. packages - so I had to buy two and measure out another 4 oz.  I thought it was a bit heavy on the onion and could swear Jeremy and I both smelled like onion the next day...)  Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

6) To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley.

Amazing!!  Bon Appetit!

Actually, this is how I was able to get my Boeuf Bourguignon done - Give him a Swiffer and a dog crate and he is fine.

1 Year Later

Last year, over this very weekend, we took Owen on his first road trip!  Owen was so little.  He slept most of the day, made sweet sounds, didn't destroy my house every waking minute, didn't throw food, didn't freak out if I wouldn't let him run around in a crowd of hundreds...Ah, those were the days!  Look how peacefully he slept in the Moby! 

We visited some friends we knew in DC, who also had the fortune of moving to Kansas as well!  We made our way down to the Plaza Art Fair in Kansas City - what a great street fair!  Alas, we were not in the market for art, just the delish food (and margaritas!).  We miss you Matt and Katie!!

Towards the end of the day, it started to rain.  Can you see Owen's little outline under my coat?  Maybe I should see if he still fits under there?

Fast forward one year: look at that mischievous little monster!  He was plotting his escape.  Right after this photo was taken, the little monkey put on quite the show because he wanted to investigate.  Alas, we won.  But did we really??  He cried and was a bear for the next hour and a half.  BUT, he got to try his first Burnt Ends from Jack Stack and the ham out of some Bleu Balls!

 

Blue Balls are these tasty little fried treats - the "donut hole" version of Chicken Cordon Bleu.  I DO NOT LIKE HAM, Sam I AM, but these were delish!  What is not to like: fried goodness, ooey gooey swiss cheese, and some little hunks of meat.  Needless to say, Owen enjoyed this detour from his normal fair of steamed veggies, grilled chicken, and quinoa :)

This year we met up with some friends from the other Washington!  Unfortunately the inebriated fool we asked to take the picture missed the kids in the strollers...So excited the McKees are in town!  Amy and I used to play on a soccer team at Fort Lewis - Will and Andy were our biggest fans!   Welcome to Kansas!

Take a Hike

So around Labor Day the weather FINALLY broke and we definitely have been taking advantage of it!  We took Happy (isn't he so cute smiling up there with daddy??) for a hike on the Konza Prairie, just outside of town.  He LOVED it up there!  He spent most of the time kicking his little legs. And at one point he had a few rocks he was carrying with him in the pack - he is all about objects that fit perfectly in his little paws.

The trail is only about 2.7 miles and wanders through the Flint Hills - it was beautiful!  We saw a herd (is that what you call a bunch of deer?) galloping through the meadow below.  And some wild turkeys gobbling up on the hills.  Can't wait for Thanksgiving!

 There was a huge meadow of sunflowers!  They were beautiful!  The Wild Native Sunflower is the state flower of Kansas - instead of the more well-know sunflower with one giant head at the top of the stalk, this particular sunflower has TONS of flowers per stalk.  Absolutely beautiful!

When I finally gave the little man a lift, he spent some quality time playing with my hair.  It was kind of cute.  I know we have some sass and tantrums in the future, but at this phase it is so hard to see him as only ever being super adorable!

About half way through we took a water break.  Happy was all about daddy's water bottle - didn't drink a drop out of is own.  What is it with kiddos and drinking out of a cup that will drench them?

The surrounding farm land is quite beautiful - and it demonstrates how absolutely different our lives are here in Manhattan compared to Arlington!

Manhappening in the distance - it was quite a beautiful hike.  Can't wait to share it with our visitors!  And yes, people actually come to visit us in Kansas :)

Dinner and Dexter

 

 

Owen was pooped and didn't make it to Dinner with Dexter.  Veerrrryyyyy Disappointing.

I am very confused by this whole new blogger.  I was excited for the picture caption element, but it isn't quite what I thought it would be.  I thought it would be set apart and framed - not so much.  I am so impatient with learning new things on the computer so I usually just skip it and never figure it out...does this sound familiar to any other moms out there??

Anyfood, Jeremy and I have been having dinner dates with "Dexter" for the last three weeks and it is has been AWESOME.  Have you ever seen it?!?  It is SO GOOD.  I think the first three seasons are streamed on Netflix, but the last two we've had to wait each week for our disk.  When Friday rolls around we are so excited for Dinner and Dexter!

YUM.  Amazing date night dinner!  The three cheeses combined with the yummy dough and garlic oil was delish!

So for this week's dinner I made White Pizzas out of "Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics."  Why have I waited so stinking long?!  It was DELISH!!!  I am not a big baker, so making my own pizza dough was a stretch for me.  My sister and a girlfriend here in the Little Apple swear by the Pioneer Woman's pizza dough recipe - but I decided to go with Ina's recipe for the first go around.  Next I'll try Ree's!

White Pizzas with Arugula

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups warm water (100 to 110 degrees)

2 packages dry yeast (I used one package of rapid rise and one of active dry because that is what I had...)

1 tablespoon honey

Good olive oil (I find this instruction from my dear friend Ina to be a bit snobby, how do you define "good" - is it by price or taste?  One is objective one is subjective.  Any ideas??)

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading

Kosher salt

4 garlic cloves, sliced

5 sprigs fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

3 cups grated Italian Fontina Cheese (8 ounces)

1 1/2 cups grated fresh mozzarella (7 ounces) (I used buffalo mozzarella and just slices it and tore it)

11 ounces cream goat cheese such as Montrachet, crumbled

1/2 cup good olive oil

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

8 ounces baby arugula

Instructions

For the dough, combine the water, yeast, honey, and 3 tablespoons olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook.  (This was the first time I busted out my dough hook for my Kitchen Aid - which I've owned for about 5 years or so.  If you've never used your dough hook, you are only supposed to use it at speed 2!) When the yeast is dissolved, add 3 cups of the flour, then 2 teaspoons salt and mix on medium-low speed.  While mixing, add up to 1 more cup of flour or just enough to make a soft dough.  (I never got "soft" dough - I may have added too much flour or maybe it was the mixed yeast?!  Any bakers with any insight??)  Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth, sprinkling it with the flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to the bowl.  When the dough is ready, turn it out on floured board and knead it by hand a dozen times.  It should be sooth and elastic.  Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it to cover it lightly with oil.  Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.  (I checked with Pioneer Woman, and she lets it rise for much longer, in fact, she said the longer the better.  After 30 minutes it appeared as if my dough hadn't risen.  So I waited about an hour and it was much "higher.")

Meanwhile, make the garlic oil.  Place 1/2 cup olive oil, the garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan and bring a simmer over low heat.  Cook for 10 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn't burn.  Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  (Ina warns to make sure your oven is clean.  Mine was not, nor has it been since we moved in.  I need to get on it...so instead we grilled our pizzas: rub each side with olive oil.  Grill on one side for 1-2 minutes.  Place toppings on the previously grilled side.  Grill for 7-8 minutes more - delish!)

Dump the dough onto a board and dived it into 6 each pieces.  Place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and voer them with a damp towel.  Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.  Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.  (I froze my remaining dough - I will report back how the defrosted dough works!)

Press and stretch each ball into an 8-inch circle and place 2 circles on each parchment-lined sheet pan.  (If you have chilled the dough, take it out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead to let it come to room temperature.)  Brush the pizzas with the garlic oil, and sprinkle each one liberally with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle the pizza evenly with Fontina, mozzarella, and goat cheese.  Drizzle each pizza with 1 tablespoon more of the garlic oil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crusts are crisp and the cheeses begin to brown.

Meanwhile, for the vinaigrette, whisk together 1/2 cup of the olive oil, the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  When the pizzas are done, place the arugula in a large bowl and toss with just enough lemon vinaigrette to moisten.  Place a large bunch of arugula on each pizza and serve immediately.

Bon Appetit!

We got a shipment of Flip Disposable Inserts (love!) and Owen spent some time in a Diaper Castle.

Mom Moment...

The question is whether it is a good mom moment, or a bad mom moment...It turns out I have moved about 4500 miles (WA to VA to KS) with several tins full of wine corks. Wha? I just recently found them at the back bottom shelf of my pantry. Originally I was just getting the tins out in an effort to entertain O - otherwise, he was headed to the curb with a "free" sign hanging around his neck. Anyhow, I found corks and it turns out that O loves to sort them...is it bad that I'm allowing him to play with what quite possibly could be hundreds of corks?? What does this say about my relationship to the sweet nectar of the gods??


I leave you with this final thought: this morning he greeted me with a cork sticking out of his mouth like a pacifier. Sweet. Don't call CPS on me.