Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels

Looking for a quick snack to take to a game day party? Need something to feed to hungry kids or teenagers? Or just a platter of something tasty to fill up the potluck crowd at church? If the last, I can sympathize. This is the "end of the month" grocery-wise for Travis and I, so I was trying to figure out what I could bring to our church potluck that could materialize out of the limited supply left in my cupboards. From somewhere, suddenly it hit me! A genius idea. Pizza pinwheels! I have seen this idea before and I think it originates with Pillsbury, using their crescent dough or pre-made pizza dough- which would work great! But I decided to use my own favorite pizza crust recipe and experiment a little. Wow. These little guys are fantastic- and I if I can keep hubby from eating them all tonight, I think they will disappear tomorrow!

Start with a basic pizza crust recipe. I doubled mine, which you can find here. I opted to leave out the whole wheat flour and did all white instead, but I'm sure it would be great either way. Allow it to rest about 5 minutes, which gives the yeast time to make the dough stretchy. Roll it out on a floured surface into as large a rectangle as you can without it breaking.

Yes, this is a rectangle...ish.

Spread your favorite pizza sauce on top and sprinkle with cheese and any other toppings you like. I just used pepperoni, but anything would really be fantastic.

Starting at one of the long ends, roll tightly, cinnamon roll style.

Slice into 1/2 in. rounds (I used a serrated knife, and it worked pretty well). Arrange on a greased cookie sheet and bake.

Voila! Cheesy, bubbly, pizza filled swirls of yummyness! 

Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels
(printable version)
A KitchenJoy original recipe

makes about 36 pinwheels

Doubled recipe pizza crust dough

pizza sauce

shredded cheese

pepperoni (or other toppings)

Preheat oven to 425.

Roll out dough very thin into a large rectangle.

Spread sauce on top, sprinkle with cheese. Top with pepperoni.

Starting at a long edge, roll cinnamon roll style.

Slice into 1/2 in. rounds. Place several inches apart on greased baking sheet.

Bake 10-12 min. Let cool 1-2 min, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Reese's Pieces Peanut Butter Cookies

We have established the unrivaled, fabulous pairing of peanut butter and chocolate (at least in my book). But have you discovered the delectable combination of peanut butter and...wait for it...peanut butter???!!

 Redundant you say? Like a bad song that rhymes love with love?? Oh, no, my friend. Perhaps if the combination was ordinary peanut butter (is there such a thing? I think not.) and ordinary peanut butter. But when one of the peanut buttery components begins with the familiar "Reese's" which has always delivered such happy results...you know you must have stuck gold. And you would be correct.

Don't take my word for it! Take the word of the empty plate after our home group Bible study! Take the word of the teenagers who scarfed down at least 4 or 5 a piece! Take the word of my husband, who keeps dipping his hand into the cookie jar, hoping it will be like the widow's flour and oil that never ran out (don't know what I'm talking about? Read 1 Kings 17:1-15! This might be a side note, but that's a great story!)!

Anyway....the point (yes, I am finally arriving at the point) is that the addition of Reese's Pieces to peanut butter cookies is phenomenal! These cookies are soft and chewy and the color, crunch and flavor of the Pieces adds the perfect touch. Okay, you can take my word for it.

Reese's Pieces Peanut Butter Cookies
(printable version)

Originally by The Cook's Illustrated

makes approx. 3 doz.

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter, at room temperature

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup white sugar

1 cup peanut butter

2 eggs, at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup Reese's Pieces candy

Preheat oven to 350.

Sift flour, baking powder, soda and salt in medium bowl.

Beat butter until creamy. Add sugars, beat until fluffy, about 3 min. with electric mixer. 

Beat in peanut butter, then eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. 

Gently stir in dry ingredients until well incorporated. 

Gently stir in candy.

Roll into fairly large balls (1-1 1/2 in.) and place 2 in. apart on baking sheet. 

Flatten slightly with bottom of a glass. 

Bake 10-12 min. (they will not look fully baked) or until lightly browned on edges, not on top. 

Cool slightly and remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Source: The Culinary Chronicles

Shepherd's Pie {Mini}

I love ramekins. They're just so darn cute! Anything you make in them gets an instant "cute makeover." My latest experiment involved my new 14 oz. ramekins- perfect for individual dinner serving sizes! I used my mom's yummy shepherd's pie recipe, with a few tweaks and served it in these adorable portion-size dishes.

It was perfect! And so fun to have your own dish to scoop delicious casserole from. I will definitely be trying more casseroles or other dishes (lasagna, anyone?) in my new larger ramekins.
Start with seasoned ground turkey, layer with corn and then top generously with mashed potatoes, a pinch of pepper and a sprinkling of grated cheese.

Mmmm....comfort food- in a perfect portion size!

Mommy's Shepherd's Pie
(printable version)

(with my tweaks)

serves 4

1 lb. ground turkey or hamburger, browned

1 recipe taco seasoning (find the recipe here)

3/4 cup water

1 can corn (or frozen corn)

mashed potatoes, prepared according to box directions for 4 servings (or substitute your own homemade potatoes- you'll need at least 2 cups)

freshly ground black pepper

1 cup shredded cheese

Combine turkey, seasoning and water, simmer at least 15 min.

Divide seasoned turkey into 4 large ramekins (or use 1 8x8 pan).

Divide corn evenly among ramekins; top each with 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes.

Sprinkle with pepper, top each with 1/4 cup of cheese.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 min. or until hot through.

Autumn Chopped Salad {and Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette}

I know, I know. It's winter. It's not autumn. And it's not salad weather. Well, maybe it's "salad weather" where you are, but here in the Inland Northwest we have piles of snow and icy slush everywhere. However, despite the cold (or perhaps because of it...) I decided a salad sounded quite tasty. Most of my winter cooking consists of soups, casseroles and other hearty, soul-warming food, but today was a salad day. Something about a crisp, green salad piled high with beautiful looking veggies (or fruits, in this case) takes the edge off those winter blues.
This is a fantastic salad. Come summer time, I am sure it will become a staple! I tweaked it from the original version, which I discovered on Pinterest (making a lot of good discoveries there these days!), and boy, was it tasty! It is a beautiful and filling main dish salad, or you could leave the chicken out and serve it as a lovely side to some tasty barbecue.
If you're having a "winter blues" kind of day, or if you just need to shake up the same ol', same ol' routine, whip up this salad and you've got the cure!

Autumn Chopped Salad
(printable version)

serves 4 as a main dish

7 to 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce

2 chicken breasts, cooked to your preference (I pan-fried mine in olive oil and butter, drizzled with a little balsamic vinegar!) and cubed

1 pear, chopped

1 apple, chopped

1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

7 slices bacon (I used turkey bacon), crisp cooked and chopped or crumbled

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Poppy seed salad dressing (I used approx. 1/2 cup)

Balsamic Vinaigrette (I used approx. 1/4 cup- recipe for homemade follows)

Combine all ingredients except dressings in large salad bowl. 

Drizzle generously with poppy seed dressing. Follow with a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. Add more if necessary.

Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette

(from back of Pompeian vinegar bottle)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup olive oil (or, since olive oil is expensive, I use part olive oil, part other oil)

1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1 TB fresh garlic, minced (I like the powder since it dissolves)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Put all ingredients in bottle or jar with a tight fitting lid and shake vigorously to combine. Store in the refrigerator.

Source for Salad: Espresso and Cream Recipes

Penne with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce {and Chicken}

As I have mentioned before, I have a lot of pumpkin to use up. Not only in baggies in my freezer, already pureed, but also still in pumpkin form in my cold back pantry, awaiting puree-ification. So, I'm trying to get creative. I have made pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin soup, pumpkin mac 'n' cheese, pumpkin donut holes, you name it. They have all, by the way, been delicious. And I am glad that my over-abundance of pumpkin means that I will be able to cook and bake with it all year, instead of being constrained to it's seasonal spotlight, autumn. My latest foray into cooking with pumpkin is another pasta dish, which tasted remarkably similar to its cheesier baked cousin, pumpkin mac 'n' cheese. This is definitely a simpler method of mixing your pumpkin with your pasta and it is incredibly tasty too! I am sorry to say that it is not a very pretty dish, which always grieves me. I confess, I am partial to food that looks just as pretty on the plate as it tastes delicious in your mouth. This is not one of those. It is unfortunately not very eye-catching, but it is delicious, and for that, I must share.
The original recipe I found was a non-meat entree, but I fixed that. :) I decided the addition of chicken tossed in the creamy sauce sounded fabulous, so the first step I took was to bake a couple of chicken breasts. I did not really season them, since I wanted them to soak up the flavor of the sauce. I recommend baking chicken breast uncovered in a 350 oven for about 45 min to an hour, depending on thickness. Chicken is done when no longer pink inside and juices are clear. When the chicken gets close to being done (say, 25 min. till), you can start on the pasta. Cook your penne (I like to use whole wheat penne) or other pasta, if you have an aversion to penne.
Meanwhile, in a pot, stir together cream cheese, Parmesan, butter and milk over low heat until it is all melted and creamy (I accidentally added the pumpkin at this juncture as well, but it didn't seem to hurt). If you can't resist the urge, go ahead and dip your finger in for a taste test. Mmmmm....

Add the pumpkin (if you didn't add it prematurely like me) and seasonings.

Make sure it's all creamy and hot through, then add it to the pasta. When the chicken is done, cube it and throw it in; toss, and you've got yourself a creamy, delicious dinner! I served ours with asparagus and homemade Italian bread (I should share that recipe with you soon- it is delicious!!). Enjoy!

Penne with Chicken and Creamy Pumpkin Sauce
(printable version)

serves 4

2 chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed

1/2 box of whole wheat penne pasta (about 8 oz)

4 oz. cream cheese (half a package), cubed

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup canned (or homemade) pumpkin puree

1/4 tsp ground red (cayenne) pepper

nutmeg to taste (start with a dash)

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat cream cheese, Parmesan, butter and milk on low until cream cheese is melted, stirring frequently. Add pumpkin and seasonings and stir, heating through.

Drain pasta; add sauce and chicken and toss to coat.

Source: Kraft Foods

Huckleberry-Ricotta Pancakes {with Honey Syrup}

Travis and I do not have TV (we have a TV, we just don't get TV), so it is a rare and special occasion when we get to watch The Food Network at his parent's house. I love cooking shows, and I have to admit, my guilty pleasure is "Cupcake Wars" which starts late on Sunday nights. When we were there a few weeks ago, however, we amused ourselves with watching several episodes of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives", where the host travels around the country sampling fare from many different local establishments. As we watched the chef of one restaurant prepare a few of his staple favorites, I was drawn in. Not only did he make his own fresh ricotta cheese, he then proceeded to make these amazing looking pancakes. I thought to myself, I can do that. So it promptly went on my menu. Now, I googled the combination and came up with many recipes, but I decided to try tweaking a fairly simple one that I discovered, appropriately enough, on the Food Network website.
Travis and I don't get to cook together very often- that is usually a luxury we enjoy on his day off, cooking breakfast together. So it was a special treat to whip up these scrumptious pancakes with him, laughing, blasting Keith Green music and inhaling delicious aromas of berries, coffee and bacon.
The pancakes were absolutely fantastic! I am not much of a pancake girl myself, but these are not any old pancakes. Although the recipe is very little altered from a traditional pancake mix and water regimen, the minor additions make a major difference. I am certain you could get crazy with making your own pancake mix from scratch (which, incidentally, isn't that difficult), but if you have a giant bag of Krusteaz in your pantry that needs to be used up (like I do), why would you? Anyhow, complicated or no, these beautiful pancakes are a winner in my book. The addition of ricotta cheese to the batter made the cakes light and creamy, almost melting in your mouth. The tang of the beautiful berries (blueberries would work just as well here, if you don't have huckleberries handy) kept it from being overly sweet, and the honey syrup...oh, the honey syrup!
While Travis flipped the flapjacks, I worked on the syrup which was suggested by the Food Network to pour over our pancakes. I was slightly skeptical, and ended up reading the recipe wrong (in my defense, it is written in a confusing way!) and had to make the whole thing over. But the end result was well worth it. Something about the honey perfectly complimented the other flavors. This recipe is definitely a keeper and one that would be just as well suited to a quiet weekend breakfast as a special brunch for company.

Huckleberry-Ricotta Pancakes with Honey Syrup
(printable version)

originally by Giada De Laurentiis of the Food Network

serves about 4

For Pancakes:

1 2/3 cups water

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups pancake mix (Krusteaz recommended)

1 cup ricotta cheese

2/3 cup frozen huckleberries (or blueberries)

For Syrup:

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup honey

In small saucepan, dissolve sugar in 1/3 cup water over medium heat (about 5 min). Stir in honey and keep syrup warm.

Heat griddle to medium heat.

Stir 1 2/3 cups water and vanilla together in large bowl. 

Add pancake mix and stir just until moistened but still lumpy. 

Stir in ricotta, gently incorporating, but maintaining lumpy batter.

Fold huckleberries in gently.

Grease griddle lightly with butter or oil. 

Working in batches, spoon 1/4 cup of batter onto griddle for each pancake.

Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with honey syrup.

Source: Food Network

Meals for a Month- Jan./Feb.

If you need some ideas, here's my proposed menu for the month of January! I say proposed because it often changes with our schedule- but I like at least having ideas to go off of!

Jan. 10-14

Tuesday

Entree: Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Side: Fruit smoothies and tortilla chips

Wednesday

Entree: Beefy French Onion Soup

Side: Homemade Italian Bread and green salad

Thursday

Entree: Tacos

Side: Fresh fruit

Friday

Entree: Hawaiian Pizza

Side: Fresh Veggies

Saturday

Entree: Autumn Chopped Salad

Side: Italian Bread

Jan. 17-21

Tuesday

Entree: Balsamic Garlic Chicken

Side: Risotto and asparagus

Wednesday

Entree: Pumpkin Butternut Squash Soup

Side: BLTs on homemade bread

Thursday

Entree: Breakfast for dinner- maybe a quiche?

Side: Fresh fruit

Friday

Entree: Chicken, Garlic, Tomato and Spinach Pizza

Side: Fresh Veggies

Saturday

Entree: Pork Chop Skillet

Side: Rice

Jan. 24-28

Tuesday

Entree: Shepherd's Pie (with ground turkey)

Side: Rolls

Wednesday

Entree: Turkey and Dumpling Soup

Side: None

Thursday

Entree: Herb Baked Chicken and Potatoes

Side: Asparagus and rolls

Friday

Entree: Pepperoni and Olive Pizza

Side: Fresh Veggies or Fruit

Saturday

Entree: Tomato Soup

Side: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Jan. 31-Feb. 4

Tuesday

Entree: Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with Chicken

Side: A veggie

Wednesday

Entree: Split Pea with Ham

Side: Italian Bread

Thursday

Entree: Ricotta and Huckleberry Pancakes

Side: Sausage or Bacon

Friday

Entree: Pepperoni and Sausage Pizza

Side: Fresh Veggies or fruit

Saturday

Entree: Pork Stir Fry

Side: Rice

Feb. 7-9

Tuesday

Entree: Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Side: Rolls or Bread and a veggie

Wednesday- Thursday

Entree: Leftovers for Hubby to reheat while I'm gone at a friend's wedding