Veggie Pizza

I was looking to make a veggie pizza for a family gathering this weekend and dug out this recipe - I forgot I had it and I remember enjoying it when it was served at a party we threw awhile ago. Wanted to post it before I forgot where I stored it ;-) The original called for 2 packages of crescent rolls, but I have a TON of the "sauce" spread left, so I increased it to 3 and it possibly could be 4 depending on how heavy you like the "sauce." I don't care for it to be too thick, so I may try 4 next time. Enjoy!

Veggie Pizza
Ingredients
3 (8oz) pkgs refrigerated crescent rolls
2 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (1oz) pkg dry ranch-style dressing mix
1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
1 cup chopped red pepper
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Roll out the crescent roll dough onto a 9x13 inch baking sheet and pinch together edges to form the pizza crust.
3. Bake crust for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Once finished cooking, remove crust from oven and let cool 15 mins without removing it from baking sheet.
4. In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayo and dry ranch dressing. Spread mixture over the cooled crust. Arrange broccoli, tomato, green pepper, cauliflower, carrots and cheddar cheese over the cream cheese layer. Chill for one hour, slice and serve.

Baked Potato Pizza

A few weeks ago I made meals for two good friends - one who just had a baby and one who underwent pretty major surgery that has sidelined her from her kitchen. I decided to do my "signature" meal - baked potato pizza! It's a wildly delicious carb-fest and just one slice will probably be more than enough to fill you up. We barely put down half of one among the four of us for an entire meal. It's always been well-received (or at least people lie well?!), and a definite to try out.

Baked Potato Pizza
Ingredients
1 large pre-made pizza crust
4 medium unpeeled potatoes, baked and cooled
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled (optional)
3 to 5 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. 
2. Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes. In a bowl, combine butter, garlic powder and oregano. Add potatoes and toss.
3. Spread sour cream over crust; top with potato mixture, bacon, onions and cheeses.
4. Bake at 400 for 15 - 20 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.
5. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 8 slices

Catch-up time!

So I feel like this is completely inexcusable - I mean, really? Nearly a month since I've updated? Wow, I suck. In my defense, I started working part-time from home, so by the time the kiddos are in bed, I usually catch up on a few work things that didn't get done during naptime and then try to get a few minutes in with the boy before completely crashing. We also joined our local YMCA and I've become totally addicted to going to the gym. Let me preface this by saying that I've *never* been very much into exercising, playing sports, etc., but since joining I've learned to love running (signed up for the Broad Street 10-mile run in May) and doing Body Pump (a barbell class that makes lifting not only tolerable, but almost kind of fun!). Mentally, I feel the best that I have in a long, long time. Physically, I'm in better shape than I've been in at least six or seven years (even lost 5 or 6 lbs since the beginning of the year!).

So, I think I've made enough excuses for now ;-) I'll post a few recipes that I've made over the last couple weeks to help make up for the disappearing act. I made my baked potato pizza for the game, too, so I'll repost that favorite.

Baked Potato Pizza
Ingredients
1 large pre-made pizza crust
4 medium unpeeled potatoes, baked and cooled
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
3 to 5 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
   
2. Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes. In a bowl, combine butter, garlic powder and oregano. Add potatoes and toss.
3. Spread sour cream over crust; top with potato mixture, bacon, onions and cheeses.
4. Bake at 400 for 15 - 20 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.
5. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 8 slices


Beer Glazed Ham
Ingredients
1 boneless fully cooked ham (3 lbs.)
1 can beer
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 tsp ground mustard

Directions

1. Place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Score the surface of the ham, making diamond shapes ½ inch deep. 
2. Set aside 2 T beer. Pour remaining beer over ham. 
3. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 1 hour. 
4. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, vinegar, mustard and reserved beer; spread over ham.
5. Bake 40-45 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 140, basting occasionally.

Saucy Pepper Steak
Ingredients
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1 small onion, cut into strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 T lite soy sauce
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
2 cups hot cooked brown rice
1 lb. trimmed beef sirloin steak, cut into strips

Directions

1. Heat large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and onions; cook and stir 6 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Transfer to large bowl; cover to keep warm. 
2. Add meat, garlic and black pepper to same skillet; cook and stir 3 min. 
3. Add soy sauce; cook 1 min. or until meat is cooked through, stirring occasionally. 
4. Add BBQ sauce; cook until heated through. 
5. Spoon meat mixture into bowl with vegetables; toss gently. Serve over rice. 

Makes 4 servings. 330 calories, 6 g fat per serving.


Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste (optional)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.

Cheesy Potato and Corn Chowder
Ingredients
2 tablespoons margarine
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
3 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn
1 (2.5 ounce) package country style gravy mix
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded Mexican-style processed cheese food

Directions

1. In large saucepan, melt margarine over medium high heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Add chicken broth; bring to a boil. Add potatoes; cook over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in corn; return to boiling. Dissolve gravy mix in milk; stir into boiling mixture. Add cheese; cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted.

December 1 - Baked Potato Pizza

We are having a baby boom in our MOMS Club!! There have been at least half a dozen babies who have arrived or are arriving soon?! I made my staple - baked potato pizza - for two moms this week. Here's recipe again!

Baked Potato Pizza
Ingredients
1 large pre-made pizza crust
4 medium unpeeled potatoes, baked and cooled
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
3 to 5 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
   
2. Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes. In a bowl, combine butter, garlic powder and oregano. Add potatoes and toss.
3. Spread sour cream over crust; top with potato mixture, bacon, onions and cheeses.
4. Bake at 400 for 15 - 20 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.
5. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 8 slices

A late MM entry

So one of our mamas couldn't make our gathering last Tuesday, but she still sent her recipe in...I'm going to leave her anonymous, but she knows who she is :P Thanks, lady!

Veggie Pizza

1. Stay up really late to make it because it has to chill for a while and you don't want to be late as usual =)
2. Go to bed.
3. Set the alarm to get up earlier than usual because you have to go all the way to Lionville because your dumb ass left your diaper bag (aka, lifeline) at My Gym.  ...and you don't want to be late as usual!
4. Answer the phone when it rings.  (You can, and should skip this step.)
5. Hear your mother-in-law (that was supposed to come Monday but didn't because your sister-in-law passed out and then said she was coming early Wednesday morning) say, "good news ~ I'm on my way RIGHT NOW!"
6. Open the fridge and take a good look at the yummy veggie pizza you made for the friends you were looking forward to hanging out with (finally!!).
7. Grab a piece.
8. Start the coffee.
9. Grab another piece.
10. Curse the empty liquor cabinet.
11. Grab another piece.
12. Sigh and start cleaning.

Best served cold!

June 18-20 - Weekend Eats

We had yet another jam-packed weekend! It started on Friday with an evening with Critter (my friend, Sarah's son). Since I was on my own with three kids over dinnertime (just until the boy got home), I ordered some Domino's and figured the cooking wouldn't get done anyways.

On Saturday, Linds had her dance recital in the morning - she did such a fantastic job! I am so proud! After the recital, my parents, the boy's parents, and the four of us all went to the Winner's Circle for lunch. I got a gigantic burger and fries, and my god, did it taste good. Here's a photo of the four of us after the recital:

And of course I have to show off Lindsay by herself!

We just snacked for dinner since we ate a later lunch, so no cooking Saturday either.

For Father's Day, we did absolutely nothing! I kept after the boy and he honestly just wanted to have a lazy day at home with no frills or fancy stuff. I decided to make a stromboli for dinner since the boy enjoys that and I don't frequently repeat my dishes - LOL. I've posted it before, but here's the recipe again - simple and delicious!

Stromboli
Ingredients
1 can Pillsbury refrigerated pizza dough
Ham
Salami
Sandwich pepperoni
Heidi Ann swiss cheese
Dijon mustard
Cheddar cheese
Marinara sauce (for dipping)

Directions

1. Unroll the pizza dough and lay flat.
2. Layer meats and cheeses alternately, adding mustard in between a layer.
3. Roll length-wise, pinching the seam and ends closed.
4. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
5. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

May 25 - Birthday Pizza!

Today is Luke's birthday, so we let him pick dinner...okay, okay - we don't have any food, the kid digs pizza, and we haven't had it in a couple of weeks, so it was a no-brainer. We ordered from Domino's and Linds and I made a cake for Luke. I'm definitely not good at making cakes...no matter how hard I try, they always look like a HUGE disaster! Luckily, Linds helped me with this, so I can lay partial blame on her ;-) Here's our creation:

Now, when we gave him the cake, he poked it a few times and then just screamed - no tears...just piercing shrieks. I don't think he liked it?! He refused to even touch it. Oh, well, we'll see what happens during his party on Sunday! Today, we spent the afternoon at Chick-fil-A with Luke's buddies, took long naps, and went to the "slides and swings" (East Fallowfield Park) behind our house. It was such a fun day! Here are a few photos of the birthday boy.

May 12 - Pizza

I'm really in vacation mode already! I don't feel like cooking, cleaning, or doing anything that requires effort. By the time dinner rolled around tonight, I had zero interest in putting something together, so we ordered pizza and a salad from Venice Pizza. It's pretty good pizza and one of two pizza places that delivers around here (Dominos is the only other one we can get...that I know of?). So, that was it - pizza and a salad for dinner. Nothing fancy, but damn, it was great to be able to dish out the food and not even have to clean it up (thank you, boy!).

Playing catch-up...busy weekend!

WOW! Let me just say it was a SUPER busy weekend! We were gone all day Friday (MOMS Club activity and happy hour play-date at Julia's house), all day Saturday (sunning while the kiddos played at Christy's and then a visit from Lynzy and Conor who we haven't seen since New Year's!), and then the boy helped install cabinets at casa de Kurzeja on Sunday, so Sarah and Critter spent the day with us. By the time Monday rolled around, I was wiped out!

As for dinners...let's see. On Friday we did some quick pasta with jarred sauce (I used Bertolli's Four Cheese Rosa sauce - alfredo sauce mixed with tomatoes...pretty good!).

On Saturday we ordered out since we had company. Scott had stained part of the deck and we didn't know if it would be dry or not, so I didn't defrost anything. We got some Venice pizza and wraps...always a good meal and they deliver, which is nice (and a rarity for us out here!).

On Sunday, we dined at the Kurzeja's and let me tell you, they never disappoint in the food department! Sarah grilled skewers of chicken satay and fillets of salmon, put together a salad with some incredible homemade dressing, and I braised a bag of baby carrots. Topped off with wine and Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches, it was an incredible dinner! I still need to get her satay recipe, but here's the braised carrrot recipe:

Braised Carrots
Ingredients
1 lb. bag of baby carrots
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water (or chicken broth)
Parsley

Directions

1. Place carrots, butter, brown sugar, salt and water (or chicken broth) in pan over medium-high heat. 
2. Bring to boil. 
3. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until carrots are tender and liquid evaporates. 
4. Sear slightly for color and top with parsley.

I don't have any pictures, but suffice it to say - FANTASTIC!!

Apr. 18 - Pizza & Gardening

We started our garden! One of the veggies I wanted to try was lettuce, and since it loves the cold weather, we planted early. We just tossed seeds in the ground (nothing pre-planted indoors), so we'll see if this works out?! When Scott started preparing the area, he claimed there were a million spiders throughout the mulch and dirt that was already there, but by the time I got out there, I saw nothing. A few "experts" told me that the bugs were okay, and since we're trying to go organic in there, I didn't want to put anything into the ground that was harmful. I took a photo of Scott raking the soil - it's my first picture of the garden!

When we were done, I was going to make shrimp stir-fry, but the boy was in the mood for pizza, so pizza it was! We got Dominos, which we are totally diggin since they redid their recipe. I got my usual - spinach and feta with the white sauce on thin crust; the boy got sausage and extra cheese on his hand-tossed crust. We also got an order of their buffalo chicken kickers - not too bad...nothing extraordinary, but it tasted good!

Apr. 10 - Pizza

I needed to run some errands yesterday and was feeling particularly lazy after I finished up, so we ordered pizza. We got two mediums from Joey's in Thorndale (one half-cheese/half-sausage and a white with broccoli). I always make this mistake there, going for two mediums, but for some reason their pizza is one of those kinds that just doesn't fill you up. I swear I ate 3/4 of the thing and still had room. It sure tasted good, though!

Apr. 2 - Hersheypark!!

Friday was Hersheypark day!! Linds, Luke and I went with my little brother (Zach) and his girlfriend (Rachel). They were awesome sports - chasing after the kids all day, squeezing onto the itty bitty kiddie rides, putting up with the crazy crowds... and seemingly loved it all?! My kids ARE darling, but after an entire day of them, I can understand wanting to run the opposite direction - but not Uncle Zach & Aunt Rachel!

We ate at the park since we were there from 1 - 9 p.m. We debated what to eat and decided on good ol' Minetown Vittles - the ONLY place in the park where you can not only get a burger and fries, but also an ice cold beer. Rachel and Linds split a personal pizza, Zach and I each ate a bacon cheeseburger and Landsharks, and Luke ate a few of the french fries that the rest of us shared. We had such a fantastic time...I absolutely love spending time with my little brother and his girlfriend...and watching the kids' have a blast on the rides was priceless. I always laughed at my mom for saying her favorite part of a trip to Hersheypark was seeing us have fun, but now I know EXACTLY what she meant. I guess that makes me a true mom!

Mar. 20 - Good & Plenty/Venice Pizza

Today we had Scott's grandfather's 85th birthday party at Good & Plenty in Lancaster...it was a good ol' traditional Pennsylvania Dutch meal, complete with a few types of meats, starch, more starch and even more starch! Haha - in reality, we had meatloaf, ham and fried chicken (quite possibly the best piece of fried chicken I've ever had - not greasy, but moist and very tasty), and then there were sides of bread, mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, corn and green beans. For dessert, they had homemade shoofly and apple pies, homemade chocolate and vanilla ice cream, rice pudding and jello. It was a great meal, and a blast to catch up with extended family (the boy's aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, etc.). We usually only get to see all of them a couple times a year, despite everyone being geographically close, so I'm always stoked when we have an excuse.

Despite having a huge meal, we were pretty hungry by 6:30. I was planning to do grilled chicken salads, but the boy mentioned pizza and it was all downhill from there. We ordered a cheese pizza and a buffalo chicken pizza and literally had enough to feed three families. We can add all of that to the piles of leftovers sitting in the fridge! At least we'll have food enough for days - perhaps I can postpone grocery shopping another few days?!

Mar. 9 - Herr's Factory Tour & Pizza Hut

The kids and I took a trip to the Herr's Chip Factory with the MOMS Club of Coatesville and it was a blast! The tour was stroller-friendly (thank god - my 21.5 lb. baby would never have made it in my arms the whole time) and took us all over the Herr's plant. We were able to learn how they make their pretzels, chips, and popcorn, and then learned how they distribute everything. We even got to munch on fresh chips, hot off the conveyor belt! Something about those fresh chips beats out any of the bagged stuff I've eaten. Scrumptious!

We wrapped up by about 3 p.m. and decided to get some "lupper" with three other moms and their kiddos. After a roundabout drive through Oxford, we settled on Pizza Hut. The nine of us split three large pizzas - a thin crust with spicy jalapeños and mushrooms, a half-cheese/half-pepperoni pan pizza, and a chicken supreme pan pizza. Pizza Hut is always a treat since the closest location is a good 20 or 30 minutes from us, so we definitely enjoyed it!

Feb. 28 - Domino's

I was ready to cook, but the boy requested some Domino's, and laziness won out. I used to HATE Domino's with a passion - like, honestly, blech, yuck, hate. But since they've redone their recipe - oh my gosh, it's fantastic! The hand-crossed crust is like a garlic bread and I've always enjoyed their thin-crust style. They're running a deal for 2 mediums for $5.99 each, so the boy's pizza was the hand-tossed crust with extra cheese and sliced Italian sausage, while I got a thin crust with the white sauce (it's not alfredo...it's more like a lighter Parmesan-garlic sauce) with spinach and feta cheese. I feel infinitely less guilty when I eat the thin-crust pizza, and now that they have spinach as a topping, it *really* feels like I'm not binging on a ton of calories and fat.

Jan. 28 - Baked Potato Pizza

Another mom in the club just had a baby (and what an absolutely adorable little man he is - so tiny...neither of my kids were ever under 8 lbs. and this one was about 6.5 lbs!). I made my "Helping Hands" staple - a baked potato pizza and salad with dessert. It's easier to just double everything I do and eat half of it myself, so we're having that for dinner! I bought a whole wheat crust to try and give it a little bit more of a healthier vibe and it tasted good. Wegmans' pre-made pizza crusts are fantastic and their wheat bread is the BEST. We muched on the brownies for dessert, too, that we made yesterday. I didn't have a chance to make Luke any of his new food yet (eggplant! avocado-'nana mash! sweet potatoes and apples!), but hopefully that will keep me busy for part of tomorrow. Here are our pizzas:

Jan. 22 - Pizza Night

In honor of Hoover tradition, we had a "Pizza Friday" (we used to do this when we were kids every week - always loved it!). The boy and I are really diggin Domino's new crust (the garlic makes it SO much more delicious), and they're pretty much the only place that delivers, so we got that. We got a large hand-tossed with sausage and a medium half-mushroom thin crust. Can't beat not having to cook or clean up a big mess!

Jan. 12 - Coppa 82

An impromptu gathering with our friends, the Kurzejas, edged into mealtime, so we ordered some AMAZING pizza from Coppa 82 in Downingtown. It is easily the best pizza in this area! No recipe to add to today's post, but I highly recommend trying their stuff if you are in the Chester County area.

Jan. 6 - Baked Potato Pizza & Banana Bread Muffins

A friend of mine from the MOMS Club recently had a baby and it was my turn to drop her off a meal today. There are always lots of casseroles and stews that are brought to new moms (perfect comfort foods for this awful, cold weather), but I wanted to do something a little different, so I made her a baked potato pizza. I added a bag of salad and banana bread muffins for dessert (after all the cookies, pies, and sweets over the holidays, I thought the muffins might be a nice change of pace). I made the muffins this morning and the whole house smelled like warm banana bread throughout the day - it was heavenly! The baked potato pizza is quite easy to double, so it's a snap to make dinner for my family at the same time. I always skip the green onions in the recipe because I'm not a fan, but have been tempted to toss on some broccoli for the nutrition factor (and because I love broccoli on my baked potatoes!).

So what about you? What do you like on your baked potatoes? Would you add it to your baked potato pizza?

Baked Potato Pizza
Ingredients
1 large pre-made pizza crust
4 medium unpeeled potatoes, baked and cooled
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
3 to 5 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
   
2. Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes. In a bowl, combine butter, garlic powder and oregano. Add potatoes and toss.
3. Spread sour cream over crust; top with potato mixture, bacon, onions and cheeses.
4. Bake at 400 for 15 - 20 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.
5. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 8 slices

Banana Bread Muffins
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large bananas
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat muffin pans with nonstick spray or foil liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. Blend bananas, sugar, egg and butter in food processor. Pour into dry mixture and stir until smooth. Scoop into muffin pan.
3. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes. Muffins will spring back when lightly tapped.

Yield: 12 muffins