Easy Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

It's amazing the things you learn about people when you live with them. Over the years I've learned a lot about a wide array of sleepwalking tendencies, the techniques for killing spiders with air freshener, the importance of cleaning off the stairs, and how to find a pair of lost glasses that your roommate misplaced because she was so tired the night before when she went to bed that she can't remember where she put them. Just to name a few.

I've also learned what it's like to have great friends around to do things with on a moments notice. I am so grateful for the wonderful roommates I've had over the years and the great husband I live with now. I wouldn't trade any of them for the world.

One time, back in the old red house that I talk about all the time, we decided to make pizza. We pulled our resources together and had some great topping options, but unfortunately, we only had a very small handful of each. So we went ahead and did what we could. It turned out that every pizza slice was different, and everyone that ate supper that night had a different pizza experience. It's funny how something so unremarkable sticks with you and turns into one of the great memories you have of a certain place.

I don't remember for sure, but there is a good chance that this was the crust for our patchwork pizza. It's a recipe from my friend Franky, who dug it out of a notebook a few weeks ago when I was complaining about the planning ahead that homemade pizza crust takes. This recipe is super fast, and the dough all comes together as quickly as you can get your toppings ready. Pizza at our house is always a last minute idea, so the speediness of this crust was exactly what I needed.

Easy Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
Makes 1 large pizza or two small pizzas

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/2 cup
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoon (1 packet) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup hot water, abour 115°
2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 500°. In a bowl, combine the 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, the whole wheat flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Whisk to combine. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the hot water and the olive oil. Pour the water mixture on top of the dry ingredients, but do not stir. Allow to bowl to sit untouched for 10 minutes.

2. After the 10 minutes, stir the dough together, then move the dough to a well floured surface. Knead for 5 minutes while adding up to a 1/2 cup more all-purpose flour. The dough should be smooth and slightly stretchy. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow it to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Place a baking stone in the oven to heat up and prepare the toppings for your pizza.

3. When you are ready to assemble the pizza, use all the dough for one large pizza or divide the dough in half for two small pizzas. Stretch and roll the dough out on a cutting board or a pizza peel sprinkled very generously with corn meal. When the crust is at your desired thickness, add the toppings, leaving a 1 to 2 inch boarder around the edge of the dough. When you have assembled all your toppings, fold up the remaining edge of the dough to form the outside crust.

4. Slide the pizza into the hot stone in the oven. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes for thin crust and 10 to 15 to a thicker crust, or until the outer crust is golden and the pizza is slightly browned. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Adapted from my good friend Frances.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones

The first time I ate a homemade scone was not like you would imagine. It was not while having coffee or tea at a friend's house, and it was not after I found an amazing recipe and just had to try it. Instead, it was backstage during a high school musical performance of Fiddler on the Roof or maybe Annie Get Your Gun, I can't remember which now. My friend Leah's mom always made such great food for school events, like the fall musicals, and it was not unusual to find a table heaping with wonderful things set up somewhere in the back hallway or the choir room behind the stage. For some reason, I had it in my head that scones were too unique and elegant to be made at home. But when Leah's mom made a giant plate of scones, I found myself hanging out between scenes and socializing with the food table more than with my friends, and it was all because of the scones. I could not stop eating them.

Well, the rest is history, and now I rarely will buy a scone anywhere because the fresh homemade ones are just so much better. Scones are so easy to make, and unbaked scones keep really well in the freezer until you need them. I usually have one or two kinds stocked up to make at a moments notice. The frozen ones take a little longer to bake, but other than that you couldn't tell if they were made five minutes ago or 5 months ago (not that they ever last that long in our freezer, unless I make a TON of them at once). It's nice to be able to pull them out in the morning and take a warm scone with you to work.

Since it is pumpkin season and the weather is getting colder (requiring more hot drinks), pumpkin scones were on my menu. The chocolate chips add a smooth richness to the spicy scone and the flavors balance beautifully. My husband likes everything more if it has a sugary layer on top, so I also made a glaze for the scones, which definitely makes them visually appealing. I'm sure they would be just as good if you decided to skip the glaze for some reason. Hmm, I'd love to know: what is your favorite kind of scone?


Harvest Pumpkin Scones
Makes 12

For the scones:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 to 1 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
2 large eggs

For the glaze:
1 cup + 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk

For the spice glaze:
1 cup + 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoon milk
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 pinch ground ginger
1 pinch ground cloves

1. In a large bowl, combine and whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and the spices. Add the butter pieces, and using a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it is evenly crumbly and some chunks of butter remain. Stir in the chocolate chips.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree and the eggs till smooth. Add the pumpkin mixture to the large bowl of dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until all is moistened and holds together.

3. Sprinkle two baking sheets lightly with flour. Divide the dough in half and place one half of dough on each sheet. Pat the dough into a circle until it is about 3/4" thick. Brush the top of each circle with milk.

4. Using a sharp knife, cut each circle into 6 wedges. Gently pull the wedges slightly back on the cookie sheet so that there is a little room between each of the wedges.

5. Place the uncovered scones in the freezer for 30 minutes and preheat your oven to 425°. (If you want to freeze some of the scones, freeze them for 30 minutes then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag or a air tight container until you are ready to bake them.) Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until they are golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the scones to cool, then drizzle with the glazes, if desired. If you are not making the glaze, then serve warm. Enjoy!

To make the glazes:

1. Make the glazes by mixing the ingredients together until smooth. Use a whisk to drizzle first the white glaze and then the spice glaze over the top of each cooled scone. Allow the glaze to dry before storing the scones.

Glaze recipe adapted from Sweet Pea's Kitchen. Scones adapted from King Arthur Flour.

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Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce

Happy Monday everyone! Since I like to bake so much, and make so many sweet things, it has become my goal to post a recipe at least once a week that focuses more on dinner than dessert. Monday has sort of become that day of the week, and even though today I do not have a how-to for a full meal, this BBQ sauce is the makings of a great week night supper.

Since it is beginning to get colder, and my schedule has shifted to working several hours in the evenings most days of the week, I have been trying to use the slow cooker a bit more. One of our favorites since getting married is BBQ pork roast sandwiches on these homemade rolls (usually made without the Italian seasoning, however). To make it easy, we usually use BBQ sauce from the bottle, but a while back, I has some extra time at home and decided to go all out with the only-from-scratch meal by making my own sauce too.

This sauce is really tangy because it has quite bit of vinegar and other acidic additions, but as soon as you mix it with some shredded pork or beef, the sharpness goes away and you are left with just a slightly tangy but sweet sauce that is perfect for a sandwich. I put it together about an hour and a half before my pork roast was done. By the time we were ready to eat, the sauce had done its simmering on the stove and the roast was so tender it completely fell apart.

Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce

Makes about 2 cups

2 cups ketchup

1 cup water

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper

1/2 tablespoon onion powder

1/2 tablespoon ground mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1. In a medium sauce pan, combine all the ingredients. Over medium to medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Enjoy!  

Recipe adapted from the Neely's BBQ Sauce.

Corn Bread

I have been on a quest for a great corn bread. Not just good, but great. Muffins, loaf- I don't care, I just want it to be the kind of corn bread that you can't stop eating even with lots of other good things around to eat. However, I also want it to be healthier than the practically dessert corn bread muffins you can get at certain BBQ places. Since I have a bunch of yogurt around these days, and I typically love muffins that use a lot of sour cream or yogurt, I decided I should give this yogurt based corn bread a try. It smelled so good while it was baking and cooling- better than corn bread usually does I think.

The yogurt makes this corn bread so moist. It slices almost like cake and doesn't crumble. It has a slightly tart taste because of the yogurt, and it goes wonderfully with something savory like a big bowl of chili. I bet that muffins would probably turn out just as moist, but I haven't had the chance to try yet. I think I might like the loaf a touch better than muffins actually. I never thought I would say that :)

Is my quest for great corn bread at an end? I think it might be- at least for now. I will probably keep looking for different recipes, but it is going to have to be a pretty outstanding recipe for me to even try it.

Corn Bread
Makes 1 loaf

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons honey
1 3/4 cups yogurt
3 tablespoon olive oil

1. Preheat your oven to 450°. Grease a loaf pan and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the cornmeal.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and egg yolk together, then add in the honey and the yogurt. Whisk together then stir in the olive oil.

4. Gently add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture stirring constantly until it is well blended and smooth. Do not overmix.

5. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the loaf is dark golden on top. Remove from the oven, allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove the loaf from the pan and cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Adapted from Mediterranean: The Beautiful Cookbook

Chocolate Lava Cakes

On our first date, my husband and I decided that we needed to order a chocolate lava cake. However, since we had already left the restaurant where we ate supper, we made another stop at a different place, just to order dessert. Instead of sitting down and eating the warm, gooey cake, we asked them to box it up, and then went back to my dorm and shared it with my roommates. Not the typical ending to a first date, I would image, but it endeared my heart to him just a little more than it already was at the time. He has a very generous heart and was great about watching out for me and my roommates while we were in college.

When I made these, I cut the recipe in half because it's only the two of us and I actually only have two small ramekins, not four. I gave you the original recipe here, but it can easily be cut down or increased if needed. These lava cakes were the perfect after supper treat with a cup of black coffee. My husband immediately asked me to make them again sometime! And that is something I love to hear when it comes to my baking :)

Chocolate Lava Cakes
Makes 4

7 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing
5 1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 eggs
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons flour

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease four 6 oz. ramekins with butter. Set aside.

2. In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and the chocolate together over low heat. Stir until smooth with a wooden spoon, then allow the mixture to cool.

3. In a large bowl, combine the eggs and the sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until the eggs are thick and pale. Stir in the flour, then gently fold in the cooled chocolate mixture with a metal spoon. Divide the mixture evenly between the four ramekins.

4. Place the ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake in the hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes. The outside of the cakes should be slightly firm, while the middle is still soft. Allow the cakes to cool for a few minutes, then turn them out onto plates. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Adapted from: The Big Book of Chocolate by Jennifer Donovan.

Main Course Monday: Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

Every once in a while, a recipe goes around Pinterest like a wildfire. Everyone I know posts it, and about a million people I don't know rant and rave about it saying it is the best thing they have ever and will ever make. I've heard that so many times- and I never believe it.

So this is one of those recipes. Everyone said it was amazing and they will never make Chinese food any other way and so on. Well, there is a lot of truth with this particular one. I have made this version of sweet and sour twice now, once with pork and once with chicken, and it is pretty close to the best I've ever made at home. Will I stop making anything else? Probably not, but my husband is not a huge fan of stir fry, and he has requested this more than once. That's a pretty good reason to stick with this recipe.

Sweet and Sour Chicken or Pork

3 to 4 boneless chicken pieces, like breasts or thighs OR 3 to 4 boneless pork chops or tenderloin
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup corn starch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

For the sauce:
2/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Steamed or fried rice, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Cut the chicken or pork into bite sized cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. To make the sauce, combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

2. Place the corn starch in a large plastic bag. Add the chicken pieces and toss to evenly coat all sides of the chicken. Remove the chicken from the bag, and discard any extra corn starch. Doing a few at a time, dip the chicken pieces in the beaten eggs. Set the pieces aside on a plate until all the pieces have been coated in the egg.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the oil then cook the chicken until it is beginning to brown on all sides but has not cooked through. Stir frequently to break the pieces apart.

4. Place the chicken a large baking dish and cover with the sauce. Stir to evenly coat the pieces, then bake in the oven for about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Serve with steamed or fried rice. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Life as a Lofthouse.

Crab Rangoon Dip

One time when I was in high school, a lady from our church brought a crab Rangoon dip to an event. It was beautifully white and creamy with red sweet and sour sauce on top, and I remember being blown away that she made chips with egg roll wrappers. Brilliant.

I love crab rangoons, and lovingly refer to them at times as crab raccoons, much to my husband's annoyance. A Chinese meal would just not be complete without them. Over the years, I have made the traditional pinwheel shaped rangoons at home many times, but one thing I love about this dip is that is takes out a lot of the work. You don't have to fill and fold the wraps just right and then fry them in greasy oil that sometimes leave more of a mess than I really want to deal with. Actually, this recipe is probalby much healthier for you too since the components are baked instead of fried.

I could not decide if I should cut the wraps into strips or triangles, so I made about half and half. By the end of the evening, all of the strips were gone. They seemed to be easier to dip than the triangles, but feel free to make which ever ones you like.

Crab Rangoon Dip

For the chips:
1 package wonton or egg roll wraps
vegetable or canola oil

For the dip:
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
4 to 6 oz. canned crab or imitation crab, finely chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce or sweet and sour sauce
green onions, to garnish

1. To make the chips, preheat the oven to 425°. Cut the wonton wraps into 1 inch strips or small triangles. Brush a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil, then lay the strips or triangles out on the sheet. Lightly brush more vegetable oil on the strips, just so that they are not dry. Bake in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes until they are lightly golden around the edges. Watch them closely because they brown quickly. Remove from the oven and let them cool on a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining wraps, brushing the baking sheet with more oil as necessary. When all of the chips are baked, reduce the oven to 350°.

Note: The chips keep well in an air tight container and can be made ahead of time.

2. To make the dip, combine in a medium bowl all the dip ingredients except for the sweet chili sauce. Stir well to combine. Add more salt or pepper to taste. Spread the mixture in a shallow baking dish, such as a pie plate.

3. Evenly spread the sweet chili sauce over the top of the cream cheese mixture. Bake in the hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the dip is warm and bubbly. Garnish with more sliced green onions, and serve with the wonton chips. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from mommiecooks.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Do you ever crave something that you don't have a recipe for? I do all the time. I create something in my head and then I can't stop until I have found what I am looking for. Unfortunately, most of the time, this means that I spend lots of time wading through tons of recipes looking for what I think most closely resembles my idea. Usually what happens next is that I find two or three recipes that seem like what I want, and I combine them all and tweak where I see fit. This is why I go on quests for cornbread, but that is another story. Coming soon.

That brings me to pumpkin pancakes. Toward the end of the summer, I decided that one of the pumpkin things I was going to make this fall was pancakes. However, no matter what cookbook I looked in or what website or blog I visited, I was just not thrilled with what I was finding. The pancakes that I wanted needed to be fluffy, soft, and thick. I also wanted them to be moist and super pumpkin-y with lots of spice. I finally decided on using one recipe as a base for the ingredients and another for the technique. Then along the way, I added my own twists and extras and I am so happy I did. These pancakes were exactly what I was wanting and even a little bit more. I dusted them with cinnamon sugar in addition to the traditional maple syrup, and if you are feeling adventurous, I am sure that some cinnamon infused maple syrup would be amazing too.

Pumpkin Pancakes
Makes about 8

1 cup flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canned solid packed pumpkin
1 tablespoon melted butter, plus more for greasing

Maple syrup
Cinnamon sugar, for dusting

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.

2. Separate the eggs and set aside the egg whites. In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks, the buttermilk, the pumpkin, and the melted butter. Whisk together then pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir to combine.

3. Beat the egg whites just until stiff peaks form, then fold half of the egg whites into the pancake batter. Then  fold in the remaining egg whites just until there are no more white streaks.

4. Heat a griddle or a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Cook the pancakes until light brown, and place in a warm oven until ready to serve. Dust with cinnamon sugar and serve with maple syrup. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from epicurious

Spicy Pumpkin Bundt Cake

This past weekend, I finally broke out the pumpkin. I bought a cute, little sugar pumpkin a few weeks ago, and I had a can of pumpkin puree in the pantry, but I have been forcing myself to leave them on the shelf until Fall was in full swing. Well, this weekend just felt like fall if you ask me! We went to a high school football game on Friday, hung out with good friends for the Husker game and food on Saturday, and went to one of the last farmer's markets in the crisp Sunday morning before church. Yes, fall is officially here.

As I mentioned here, I love everything pumpkin and apple this time of year, and my pumpkin goal for this season is to make a few things that I don't usually. Otherwise, I would just be content to make these pumpkin muffins about every three days (which is about what I did last year). They are amazing, and I highly recommend them.

I love bundt cakes because it's normal if they're lacking a thick covering of frosting. My favorite way to eat cake is just cake. I do like frosting, but few things are better than warm cake fresh from the oven without anything on it.

It's about as good as freshly baked bread. Mmm. Almost.

However, a pumpkin cake just needs a cream cheese frosting. I solved this problem by making frosting, but serving it to the side of the cake. As people dished up a slice, they could put a dollop of the honey cream cheese frosting right on top of their own piece, if they wished. It made me think of scooping whipped cream on slices of pumpkin pie.

Spicy Pumpkin Bundt Cake

For the cake:
4 cups cake flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
Powdered sugar, for dusting

For the Honey Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup powdered sugar.

1. For the cake, preheat your oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 14-cup bundt cake pan. Shake out the excess flour and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Whisk them together, then set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the brown sugar on medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk until just combined. Make sure that each addition is incorporated before adding the next. Do not overmix the batter.
Add the pumpkin puree and fold it into the batter with a large spoon until it is fully incorporated and there are not streaks remaining in the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared.

5. Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the cake in golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 to 30 minutes, then carefully turn the cake out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

6. To make the frosting, combine all the frosting ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat on medium to medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes until very creamy and fluffy. Scoop a small dollop of frosting on each slice of the cake. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.

Main Course Monday: Egg Noodles with Brussels Sprouts

One vegetable that I am truly fascinated by is Brussels sprouts. Have you ever seen what they look like attached to the stalk? Trust me. Go google Brussels sprouts and click on images. They really are amazing.

I was wanting something green to eat the other night, and since my husband won't really eat peas or beans (sad, I know), and I am a little tired of broccoli, I ended up coming home from the store with a bag of Brussels sprouts. The first time I ever ate these funny little green orbs wasn't until I was in college. They just weren't something we had growing up, not that I would have minded. This pasta dish is what I like to call a "light" pasta, because it's not completely covered in sauce, and because of that, it made a wonderful light lunch.

Egg Noodles with Brussels Sprouts and Pine Nuts
Serves 4

1/2 lb. dried egg noodles
3/4 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed
4 oz. white mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons pine nuts
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

*Try adding thinly sliced ham or green onions for something a little different.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles until al dente, and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

2. While the noodles are cooking, thinly slice the Brussels sprouts and cut the mushrooms into thin sticks. Set aside.

3. In a large skillet, heat the butter and the olive oil over medium heat until the foam subsides. Add in the pine nuts and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the nuts are toasted and golden. Add the Brussels sprout pieces and the mushrooms. Increase the heat to medium-high. Season with the garlic powder, and plenty of salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender and browned, about another 4 minutes.

4. When the vegetables are tender, add the noodles to the skillet along with the 1/2 cup of leftover water. Stir to combine. Remove from heat when the water has evaporated. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from epicurious, originally from Gourmet, 2007 by Maggie Ruggiero