Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Time To Garden!
Does the dirt in your garden call your name? As soon as the calendar flips to February I start getting antsy and anxious for the snow to melt so I can PLANT THINGS! The weather cooperated and last week my 8, 6 and 4 year old kiddos and I went out and played in the dirt! While we were there we planted peas - sugar snap and green arrow - carrots, beets and lettuce. This week I'm going to put in some spinache seeds too. It feels so good to get out and dig around! I have big plans in my mind about all the other tastey things we will grow. If I can just get our city to let me keep a small flock of chickens in my back yard I will be one happy mama! I might need to change that name of the blog to 'Happy In The Garden" for the spring and summer!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Soaked Whole Wheat Chocolate Cake
The biggest challenge I have had while adopting a Nourishing Traditions lifestyle is making a yummy birthday cake! I used to make all kinds of fancy, fun shaped, white sugar laden birthday cakes. When I committed to making healthy cakes I had no idea what a roller coaster ride I was in for! Since last March I have made so many BAD birthday cakes I had almost given up hope! My dear family has been so patient with me!
I am happy to report that I have finally found a way to make a GREAT birthday cake! I stumbled on the idea when I was making homemade breakfast cereal. (See my last post for that recipe.) The cereal is made by soaking a batter over night and then baking it in a 9x13 inch cake pan the next morning. Then you crumble that cake up, dehydrate it and you have cereal. One morning at breakfast time I had the batter baked, but not crumbled and dehydrated. I didn't have the time to do that so I just cut it up and served it with butter on it. It tasted great! I thought then that I could tweak the recipe a little, frost it and have a great birthday cake!
This week we had another birthday and I made the best chocolate cake! Here's what to do:
THE NIGHT BEFORE THE PARTY
Mix:
3 cups fresh ground whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups milk (raw is best)
1/2 cup water
3 TBLS yogurt (mine is homemade)
Cover the bowl you mixed it in and set it on the counter overnight or until you are ready to cook the cake.
WHEN YOU ARE READY TO BAKE
Preheat oven to 350. Butter two 9 inch round cake pans.
Add to the mix:
1 tspn baking soda
1/2 tspn Real Salt
2 tspn pure vanilla
Melt together (NOT IN THE MICROWAVE!)
1/4 cup butter
3/4 - 1 cup honey
Add this to the mix.
Mix this well. Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder and mix well. Taste the batter and see if it is chocolatey enough for your tastes. Add more cocoa powder 1 TBLS at a time until the batter tastes right to you. Pour the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake until they are springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Mine take about 25 minutes, but every oven is different. Watch them closely and write down how long yours took to cook so you'll know next time.
While your cakes cool, make your frosting. You will need:
3 cups heavy cream (raw is best, don't use ultra-pasteurized)
1/4 cup (or so) sucanat
1/4 cup (or so) cocoa powder
1 tspn pure vanilla
Mix the cream with hand held beaters. When it starts to thicken a little add the vanilla and a few TBLS of the sucanat and cocoa while you keep beating. Taste this and keep adding sucanat and cocoa until it tastes right to you. Beat until it is thick, smooth, and creamy. Don't OVER beat it, it will become lumpy. The end result should be light brown in color.
Assemble the cake by putting one cake layer on your cake plate and spread a layer of frosting on top of it. Put the next cake layer on top of that and then frost the whole thing. We topped it off with organic M&M-like chocolates from the health food store.
I am so thrilled with this recipe! I hope you enjoy it!
p.s.
Please remember that cooking with whole foods takes lots of trial and error. If you are wondering why soaked wheat is best, read my previous posts on that topic.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Homemade Breakfast Cereal Recipe
There was a time, not too long ago, that a big chunk of our grocery money went to purchasing cold cereal. To tell the truth, I was a cereal addict! I enjoyed a bowl for breakfast and then once the kids were in bed I would enjoy another bowl. (OR TWO!) In the back of my mind somewhere I knew that it wasn't the most nutritious thing we could be eating, but I had lots of reasons why I felt justified in eating it. See if any of these reasons sound familiar. Just for fun let's do a "Top 10 Reasons to Eat Cold Cereal For Breakfast" list!
10. "It's magically delicious!" (Lucky Charms!)
9. The bus is going to be here in 10 minutes!
8. "It's part of this nutritious breakfast."
7. I got it on sale!
6. The kids really like it!
5. I don't have time to cook breakfast!
4. It's the "Breakfast of Champions!" (Wheaties - my favorite!)
3. I only get the kinds made with whole grains!
2. It's fortified with vitamins and minerals!
1. It's SOOOOOOOOOOO easy!
I have said all these and more at different times in my life! Here are a few quotes from a great book, Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon.
"Boxed Breakfast cereals are made by the extrusion process, in which little flakes and shapes are formed at high temperatures and pressures. Extrusion processing destroys many valuable nutrients in grains, causes fragile oils to become rancid and renders certain proteins toxic. For a new generation of hardy children, we must return to the breakfast cereals of our ancestors."
Also from Sally Fallon's book - "In 1960, researchers at Ann Arbor University performed an interesting experiment on lab rats. Eighteen rats were divided into three groups. One group received cornflakes and water; a second group was given the cardboard box the cornflakes came in and water; and the control group received rat chow and water. The rats in the control group remained in good health throughout the experiment. The rats receiving the box became lethargic and eventually died of malnutrition. But the rats receiving cornflakes and water died before the rats who were given the box - the last cornflake rat died on the day the first box rat died."
The truth, and this was VERY hard for me to swallow, is that bagged/boxed breakfast cereals do more harm than good. If you need any further proof, look at the ingredient list. Sugar is almost always the number 2 or 3 ingredient.
SO! Knowing that they have no place in our diet, we are left with a few questions that were mind boggling to me. WHAT THE HECK DO WE HAVE FOR BREAKFAST? YOU MEAN I HAVE TO COOK ANOTHER MEAL? EVERY DAY? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Let's all take a deep breath at this point...
Here's another truth. Yes, we need to cook breakfast each morning for our families. (I remember being a little angry at this.) The good news is that it's not that hard, once you get in the swing of it. You know you can trust me when I say this because I was once hooked on cereal and now we never have it and I know it's possible! With a little planning and a little preparation the night before, breakfast can be quick and easy. Not as quick as opening a box, but still pretty easy!
Here is a list of our favorite breakfasts.
Oatmeal (See my previous post on how to make REALLY good oatmeal.)
eggs
muffins (see my post about soaked dough for muffins)
fruit
yogurt with fruit
biscuits (see the soaked dough post for biscuits)
I mix and match these things to keep breakfast from being boring. We have oatmeal about 3 times a week. Every once and a while I make granola, but not very much. (Have you ever noticed that you get a case of the "toots" after you eat granola? That's your body telling you it cannot digest those unsoaked oats!) My kids are a lot better behaved in the mornings since we stopped eating cold cereal. The reason is that a bowl of cold cereal is digested and out of their systems very quickly! My breakfasts now are power packed with complex carbs and good fats that take time to be digested. My little ones usually need a snack a few hours later (smaller tummies) but my older kids and myself are usually not even hungry until lunch time!
I am so far off topic now! I started this post to give you a recipe for homemade breakfast cereal and instead I've stepped up on my soap box again. I will say just a bit more and then I will give you the recipe!
Just because we stopped eating cold cereal doesn't mean I don't still get cravings to sit down and enjoy it's crunchy taste. I think in my mind it's comfort food. I've read in the last few months about different homemade cereal recipes, but I didn't think they could possibly taste good so I never tried. Silly me! I finally made some this week and it turned out so good! It tastes to me like Raisin Bran! When you try this remember that learning to cook with REAL FOOD takes some trial and error. The first time I made it I had to do a few things differently than the recipe called for. The second time I made it I burned it a little. Just keep trying and learn how to make it work for you!
Drum Roll Please...
HOMEMADE COLD CEREAL
Makes about 10 cups
6 cups ground wheat
3 cups milk (raw is best)
1 cup water
1/4 whey, buttermilk or yogurt
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup butter, melted (not in the microwave!)
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp salt
1 TBLS pure vanilla
1 TBLS cinnamon
Mix flour, milk, water and whey/yogurt in a large bowl. Cover and let sit overnight. (If you are not using raw milk you don't need to leave it overnight or use any whey/yogurt. Processed milk will rot whereas raw milk will culture. The culturing milk and whey will make the nutrients in the flour more friendly and absorbable. See my posts about raw milk and soaking grains if you need to learn more about this.) In the morning or in the afternoon, when ever you have time, add the rest of the ingredients. Mix until you have a pourable batter. I usually have to add a cup and a half of water to this or it's too thick.
Preheat the oven to 350 and butter two 9x13 inch cake pans. Pour the batter equally into the two pans. Bake for about 35-40 minutes. Don't let it burn! When it's done a toothpick will come out clean from the center and it will feel springy to the touch. Let it cool. Get out two cookie trays and your blender. With a big spoon scoop out your cake-like cereal and process it in your blender in small batches until it's crumbly. Pour the crumbs onto the cookie trays. (This is the most time consuming part.) Turn your oven down to 200 or 250 degrees and put the trays in. You are going to keep them in the oven until the crumbs dry out completely. I do mine at 250 and it takes about 2 hours. Check it and stir it and taste it often so you will know when it's done. write down how long it took so you'll know next time!
When it's out, let it cool and then transfer it into some kind of sealable container. When you are ready to eat it add raisins to it and pour some (raw!) milk over it. It is so good and so worth the effort!
10. "It's magically delicious!" (Lucky Charms!)
9. The bus is going to be here in 10 minutes!
8. "It's part of this nutritious breakfast."
7. I got it on sale!
6. The kids really like it!
5. I don't have time to cook breakfast!
4. It's the "Breakfast of Champions!" (Wheaties - my favorite!)
3. I only get the kinds made with whole grains!
2. It's fortified with vitamins and minerals!
1. It's SOOOOOOOOOOO easy!
I have said all these and more at different times in my life! Here are a few quotes from a great book, Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon.
"Boxed Breakfast cereals are made by the extrusion process, in which little flakes and shapes are formed at high temperatures and pressures. Extrusion processing destroys many valuable nutrients in grains, causes fragile oils to become rancid and renders certain proteins toxic. For a new generation of hardy children, we must return to the breakfast cereals of our ancestors."
Also from Sally Fallon's book - "In 1960, researchers at Ann Arbor University performed an interesting experiment on lab rats. Eighteen rats were divided into three groups. One group received cornflakes and water; a second group was given the cardboard box the cornflakes came in and water; and the control group received rat chow and water. The rats in the control group remained in good health throughout the experiment. The rats receiving the box became lethargic and eventually died of malnutrition. But the rats receiving cornflakes and water died before the rats who were given the box - the last cornflake rat died on the day the first box rat died."
The truth, and this was VERY hard for me to swallow, is that bagged/boxed breakfast cereals do more harm than good. If you need any further proof, look at the ingredient list. Sugar is almost always the number 2 or 3 ingredient.
SO! Knowing that they have no place in our diet, we are left with a few questions that were mind boggling to me. WHAT THE HECK DO WE HAVE FOR BREAKFAST? YOU MEAN I HAVE TO COOK ANOTHER MEAL? EVERY DAY? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Let's all take a deep breath at this point...
Here's another truth. Yes, we need to cook breakfast each morning for our families. (I remember being a little angry at this.) The good news is that it's not that hard, once you get in the swing of it. You know you can trust me when I say this because I was once hooked on cereal and now we never have it and I know it's possible! With a little planning and a little preparation the night before, breakfast can be quick and easy. Not as quick as opening a box, but still pretty easy!
Here is a list of our favorite breakfasts.
Oatmeal (See my previous post on how to make REALLY good oatmeal.)
eggs
muffins (see my post about soaked dough for muffins)
fruit
yogurt with fruit
biscuits (see the soaked dough post for biscuits)
I mix and match these things to keep breakfast from being boring. We have oatmeal about 3 times a week. Every once and a while I make granola, but not very much. (Have you ever noticed that you get a case of the "toots" after you eat granola? That's your body telling you it cannot digest those unsoaked oats!) My kids are a lot better behaved in the mornings since we stopped eating cold cereal. The reason is that a bowl of cold cereal is digested and out of their systems very quickly! My breakfasts now are power packed with complex carbs and good fats that take time to be digested. My little ones usually need a snack a few hours later (smaller tummies) but my older kids and myself are usually not even hungry until lunch time!
I am so far off topic now! I started this post to give you a recipe for homemade breakfast cereal and instead I've stepped up on my soap box again. I will say just a bit more and then I will give you the recipe!
Just because we stopped eating cold cereal doesn't mean I don't still get cravings to sit down and enjoy it's crunchy taste. I think in my mind it's comfort food. I've read in the last few months about different homemade cereal recipes, but I didn't think they could possibly taste good so I never tried. Silly me! I finally made some this week and it turned out so good! It tastes to me like Raisin Bran! When you try this remember that learning to cook with REAL FOOD takes some trial and error. The first time I made it I had to do a few things differently than the recipe called for. The second time I made it I burned it a little. Just keep trying and learn how to make it work for you!
Drum Roll Please...
HOMEMADE COLD CEREAL
Makes about 10 cups
6 cups ground wheat
3 cups milk (raw is best)
1 cup water
1/4 whey, buttermilk or yogurt
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup butter, melted (not in the microwave!)
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp salt
1 TBLS pure vanilla
1 TBLS cinnamon
Mix flour, milk, water and whey/yogurt in a large bowl. Cover and let sit overnight. (If you are not using raw milk you don't need to leave it overnight or use any whey/yogurt. Processed milk will rot whereas raw milk will culture. The culturing milk and whey will make the nutrients in the flour more friendly and absorbable. See my posts about raw milk and soaking grains if you need to learn more about this.) In the morning or in the afternoon, when ever you have time, add the rest of the ingredients. Mix until you have a pourable batter. I usually have to add a cup and a half of water to this or it's too thick.
Preheat the oven to 350 and butter two 9x13 inch cake pans. Pour the batter equally into the two pans. Bake for about 35-40 minutes. Don't let it burn! When it's done a toothpick will come out clean from the center and it will feel springy to the touch. Let it cool. Get out two cookie trays and your blender. With a big spoon scoop out your cake-like cereal and process it in your blender in small batches until it's crumbly. Pour the crumbs onto the cookie trays. (This is the most time consuming part.) Turn your oven down to 200 or 250 degrees and put the trays in. You are going to keep them in the oven until the crumbs dry out completely. I do mine at 250 and it takes about 2 hours. Check it and stir it and taste it often so you will know when it's done. write down how long it took so you'll know next time!
When it's out, let it cool and then transfer it into some kind of sealable container. When you are ready to eat it add raisins to it and pour some (raw!) milk over it. It is so good and so worth the effort!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
No Microwave Popcorn!
One of my kids told me a while ago about how workers at factories that make microwave popcorn have to wear full-body protective suits because the chemicals in the "butter" flavoring are toxic. Needless to say we cut that out of our diets. (This was before we retired our own microwave.) I found an article today that says basically the same thing. It talked about how the companies making it said they took the toxins out several years ago but now studies are showing that the stuff they replaced it with is just as toxic! Some workers at these plants are filing lawsuits over it!
I KNOW it tastes great and it's fast, but it's TOXIC! You can buy an air popper for $10 and a bag of popcorn kernels for about $1.50. Pop your own and drizzle melted butter and real salt over it and YUM!!! An inexpensive, healthy snack! Get that toxic crap out of your pantry and into the trash ASAP! An easy thing to do to improve your family's health right now! Don't tell me it's extreme to toss it out or that I shouldn't believe everything I hear. Sometimes you HAVE to be extreme in order to keep yourself and your family healthy. Research it yourself and see what you find. I would love to talk about it!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Are We Happy In The Kitchen?
I've been rolling this question around in my mind for the last few days. Am I happy in the kitchen? The other day I was working away in the kitchen and I was NOT happy. I was actually feeling sorry for myself! I spend SO much time preparing and cooking food!
In the middle of my pity party I started to think about women 100, even 50 years ago, and what their lives were like. Becoming a wife and mother was the highest and ultimate goal for women back then. Their lives revolved around feeding and caring for their family's needs. They didn't have microwaves or processed foods so they must have spent a large amount of time preparing and cooking food. The ability to cook and care for a family were qualities men desired and valued in women. Mothers trained their daughters from a young age to be able to cook and care for a family. Even 50 years ago almost every woman was a "stay at home mom." This title wasn't looked down on or belittled. It was held in high esteem!
As I stood thinking this over that day I think the Lord blessed me with a little insight and I want to share it. I know many will disagree with me, but I still need to get it out! Here's my take on the matter: When my great grandma, or even my grandma, cooked a meal for her family it took quite a bit of work! Baking bread, chopping things, peeling things, maybe even plucking things! By the time she set the meal on the table she had really worked! Then I bet she watched the look on her husband's face as he bit into his homemade roll dripping with butter. I bet she watched as her children happily, even greedily ate what she had labored over. Her heart and soul took great pleasure in their happiness and satisfaction. She had done her part once again by nourishing her family! It made her HAPPY! Of course I know her life wasn't always sunshine and roses, but she knew that her role was important and I think she felt fulfilled by her efforts.
Flash forward to me just a few years after I got married. My skills in the kitchen were limited. I hadn't taken much time growing up to learn those skills from my mother. I didn't think they mattered much! I could make a great salad, mac-n-cheese, tuna casserole and beef stroganoff. I knew how to open cans really well and I knew how to run the microwave. I learned to make homemade (white) bread and thought I was doing good. Was I happy in the kitchen? No, not really.
I think all the fast and convenient food we have access to today has to some degree robbed women of the sense of accomplishment that comes from REALLY cooking. We rush in from work or running kids around all day to heat up pizza rolls in the microwave or open a can of something and hurry to get everyone fed so we can move onto the next thing we have to do. Looking back over our day where do we get the sense that what we did really made a difference in the lives of our family?
Being a stay at home home is now on the bottom of the list of important jobs for women. Stop any girl walking to school and ask her what she wants to be when she grows up and how many of them will say, "A mother!" Girls can be anything they want today and be a mother too. But will they be happy? The world says a woman can't possibly be happy being "just" a stay at home mom! Do young girls see their mothers being happy in the kitchen? Did their mothers see their mothers being happy in the kitchen?
I have chosen to "do it the hard way" when it comes to cooking. I don't buy processed food. I make pretty much everything from scratch. I don't use the microwave, I don't use white sugar, white flour, or white rice. There's more, but you get the idea. I'm sure you are rolling your eyes and wondering why I do this when there are so many quicker options available. You'll have to read my other posts to really understand that. What it all comes down to, what I felt the Lord helped me understand the other day, is that I cook this way because it's how I show my love for my family. (Please note that I said "I." This is my way and I know it's not every one's way and THAT'S OKAY!) I know that every day at almost every meal my family is nourished and strengthened because of my efforts. That (usually!) gives me a great feeling of self worth and accomplishment. BUT, sometimes being a stay at home mom frustrates me and I long to go out and save the world! Maybe not even save the world, but just do SOMETHING and get recognized (and PAID) for it! I think the Lord understands this and has led me to this "style" of cooking to help me feel that recognition. When my kids are chowing down on homemade ice cream or a soup I spent a long time making and one of them says, "Mom, this is the best thing you ever made! I wish you made this every night!" THAT is when my heart fills with joy and I know that I AM saving the world...one kid at a time!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
New Cookie Recipe
Graham Cracker Cookies
I am so excited about these cookies! I have been trying to perfect my own version of peanut butter cookies for a while. Yesterday I tweaked the recipe a little and they looked great when they came out of the oven! I served them to the family with a glass of raw milk. I dipped my cookie in my milk and took a bite. I was instantly transported back to my childhood and the memory of dipping graham crackers in milk. SO GOOD! These cookie cookies are light and fluffy thanks to arrowroot powder. There is no wheat in them at all! (Have you ever tried to make cookies out of whole wheat flour? Mine never turn out good!) You can eat these cookies without guilt - everything in them is REAL and GOOD FOR YOU!
What you need:
1/2 cup butter, softened (DON'T microwave it!)
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 cup sucanat
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pure vanilla
2-3 cups arrowroot powder
What to do:
Heat the oven to 350. Get out your baking stones or cookie trays. In a large bowl mix the butter, peanut butter, sucanat and honey. Mix well with a fork. Add the eggs and baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla. Mix well. Add two cups arrowroot powder and mix well. Keep adding more arrowroot powder a little at a time until you can take a glob of dough and roll it into a ball in your hand without it sticking to you. To form the cookies, scoop out the dough with a tablespoon and roll it into a ball. Arrange the balls on your stone or tray so they have some space between them - probably about 12 to a tray. Mine took about 20 minutes to cook. After about 15 minutes check on them. They get really fluffy and they get cracks in them. You want them to be golden. It may take you a few batches to really know when yours are done. This recipe make about 20 medium cookies. Enjoy! (With raw milk of course!)
I am so excited about these cookies! I have been trying to perfect my own version of peanut butter cookies for a while. Yesterday I tweaked the recipe a little and they looked great when they came out of the oven! I served them to the family with a glass of raw milk. I dipped my cookie in my milk and took a bite. I was instantly transported back to my childhood and the memory of dipping graham crackers in milk. SO GOOD! These cookie cookies are light and fluffy thanks to arrowroot powder. There is no wheat in them at all! (Have you ever tried to make cookies out of whole wheat flour? Mine never turn out good!) You can eat these cookies without guilt - everything in them is REAL and GOOD FOR YOU!
What you need:
1/2 cup butter, softened (DON'T microwave it!)
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 cup sucanat
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pure vanilla
2-3 cups arrowroot powder
What to do:
Heat the oven to 350. Get out your baking stones or cookie trays. In a large bowl mix the butter, peanut butter, sucanat and honey. Mix well with a fork. Add the eggs and baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla. Mix well. Add two cups arrowroot powder and mix well. Keep adding more arrowroot powder a little at a time until you can take a glob of dough and roll it into a ball in your hand without it sticking to you. To form the cookies, scoop out the dough with a tablespoon and roll it into a ball. Arrange the balls on your stone or tray so they have some space between them - probably about 12 to a tray. Mine took about 20 minutes to cook. After about 15 minutes check on them. They get really fluffy and they get cracks in them. You want them to be golden. It may take you a few batches to really know when yours are done. This recipe make about 20 medium cookies. Enjoy! (With raw milk of course!)
Monday, September 21, 2009
Making Pizza With Soaked Dough
Pizza is one of everyone's favorite foods! Try this recipe and you will never feel guilty about eating "just one more slice" again!
You Will Need:
Pizza pans - stone is best
1 batch of Caralee's soaked dough (Makes three crusts. See previous post.)
Toppings of your choice:
We like - good quality pepperoni (look at the healthfood store)
olives
sliced mushrooms
pineapple
chopped green peppers
onions
sliced zucchini
cheese (Tillamook!)
Sauce #1
1 1/2 cups Daisy sour cream
1/2 - 1 tspn garlic powder
1-2 - 1 tspn onion powder
1/2 tspn Real Salt
Mix this all together and taste it. Experiment with how much of the spices you like. This also makes great veggie dip!
Sauce #2
1 can tomato sauce (I use my homemade ketchup!)
Add basil, oregano, garlic powder, Real salt - whatever you like!
To make the crust:
Take your dough, don't forget to add the salt and baking soda, and split it into three equal chunks! Heat your oven to 350. Sprinkle a little arrowroot powder on your pizza stone (so the dough won't stick) and roll the dough out into the shape of your pizza stone. Roll it out a little past the edge of the stone and then fold that little extra up to form the edge of the crust. Bake this for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. If you have more than one stone you can be baking another crust while the first one cools. I have two stones and a metal pizza pan. Walmart sells really inexpensive round stones - a good investment! After it has cooled a little spread the sauce of your choice on the crust. Add the toppings of your choice, ending with the cheese. When all your crusts are cooked turn the oven onto broil. My oven lets me choose a high or low broil. I go with low. Put your completed pizza under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove, let cool a little and ENJOY!!!
Tips:
1. If three is too many for your family - I feed all eight of us with three - just put your third chunk of dough in a plastic bag and put it in the fridge. Make buscuits with it tomorrow!
2. We like the sour cream sauce on an all veggie pizza and the tomato sauce on the pepperoni. The sour cream sauce is also good with chicken and pineapple!
3. Don't tell your kids this is "healthy" pizza. Have them help you put the toppings on and I guarantee they will eat it!
Be sure to ask me if you have any questions!
You Will Need:
Pizza pans - stone is best
1 batch of Caralee's soaked dough (Makes three crusts. See previous post.)
Toppings of your choice:
We like - good quality pepperoni (look at the healthfood store)
olives
sliced mushrooms
pineapple
chopped green peppers
onions
sliced zucchini
cheese (Tillamook!)
Sauce #1
1 1/2 cups Daisy sour cream
1/2 - 1 tspn garlic powder
1-2 - 1 tspn onion powder
1/2 tspn Real Salt
Mix this all together and taste it. Experiment with how much of the spices you like. This also makes great veggie dip!
Sauce #2
1 can tomato sauce (I use my homemade ketchup!)
Add basil, oregano, garlic powder, Real salt - whatever you like!
To make the crust:
Take your dough, don't forget to add the salt and baking soda, and split it into three equal chunks! Heat your oven to 350. Sprinkle a little arrowroot powder on your pizza stone (so the dough won't stick) and roll the dough out into the shape of your pizza stone. Roll it out a little past the edge of the stone and then fold that little extra up to form the edge of the crust. Bake this for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. If you have more than one stone you can be baking another crust while the first one cools. I have two stones and a metal pizza pan. Walmart sells really inexpensive round stones - a good investment! After it has cooled a little spread the sauce of your choice on the crust. Add the toppings of your choice, ending with the cheese. When all your crusts are cooked turn the oven onto broil. My oven lets me choose a high or low broil. I go with low. Put your completed pizza under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove, let cool a little and ENJOY!!!
Tips:
1. If three is too many for your family - I feed all eight of us with three - just put your third chunk of dough in a plastic bag and put it in the fridge. Make buscuits with it tomorrow!
2. We like the sour cream sauce on an all veggie pizza and the tomato sauce on the pepperoni. The sour cream sauce is also good with chicken and pineapple!
3. Don't tell your kids this is "healthy" pizza. Have them help you put the toppings on and I guarantee they will eat it!
Be sure to ask me if you have any questions!
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