Homemade Garlic & Herb Pizza Dough

My four year old, Lily, has been watching me cook and bake since she was a baby and her interest in helping has finally been ignited. She wants to help stir and pour and, of course, taste test.

Kids are way more capable than we give them credit for, and the more we involve them in the kitchen the more they’re willing to try new foods. Lily loves helping out on Pizza Night. In fact, the whole family has a hand in Pizza night. I make the dough and prepare all the ingredients, my husband rolls out the dough and “makes” the pizza and Lily gets to help him by placing the pepperoni on (more go in her mouth than on the pizza but whatev) and then she helps sprinkle on the cheese. She’s always so proud of it when it’s done and we make sure to tell her how yummy it is!

Pizza night is an easy and fun way to get your whole family into the kitchen and cooking. If you don’t have time to make your own dough, most grocery stores sell frozen balls of dough in their freezer sections or you can use Naan or Greek pitas and everyone can make their own!



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Homemade Garlic & Herb Pizza Dough

1 1/2 c warm water (80-90˚F)
3 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
3 3/4 c all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3 tsp bread maker yeast for pizza (if not using a breadmaker use quick-rise)
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp granulated garlic
1 tsp Italian seasoning or oregano

1. Add ingredients in the order they appear and mix on the dough setting of your breadmaker. If you don’t have a breadmaker, you can use a stand or hand mixer with dough hooks or a food processor with a dough blade (you will need to allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled, punch it down and allow it to rise a second time).
2. Check the dough after about 5 minutes to see if it’s too wet or too dry. Add either flour or a bit of water to help with consistency. If you touch the dough and you get it stuck on your finger you need to add a bit of flour (1 tbsp at a time), if it isn’t forming into ball nicely, add a teeny bit of water.
3. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface and allow to rest under a tea towel for 5 minutes.
4. Roll dough out to size on a pizza stone or pizza sheet.
5. Bake for 8 minutes in a preheated 400˚F oven.
6. Remove and top with sauce and your favourite toppings.
7. Return to the oven and cook for an additional 16 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

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For a great homemade pizza sauce recipe packed with veggies your kids will never know are there, go here!

Easy-Peasy Stove Top Mac & Cheese

I am so depressed. It was looking like spring was just around the corner, then I woke up to a fresh foot of heavy, wet snow that shut down the highways and closed the schools the last day before March Break (are you kidding me?!). And then to top it off, my oven has broken. Something is wrong with the thermostat, it just keeps getting hotter and hotter and burns everything (wah!). The only cure for this: comfort food. Bring on the Mac & Cheese!

I am waaaay too impatient for the "in the oven with bread crumbs on top" kind (perfect considering my oven has gone on strike). When I want Mac & Cheese I want it fast, so I make a stove top version that's creamy, cheesy and makes my husband look at me with that "look", you know the one. The one that says "Go buy any pair of shoes you want... with my credit card.". (where did you think I was going with that? This is a FAMILY site! Geez!)

I start with a basic béchamel sauce (don't be scared) and melt a few different cheeses into it to make a rich, velvety soft cheese sauce. My kids prefer macaroni for this but any short pasta like penne, rotini or "scoobi-doo" noodles will do.

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Easy-Peasy Stove Top Mac & Cheese

3 c uncooked macaroni (or other short pasta)
1/4 c butter
1/3 c flour
1 c milk
1/2 c Cheez Whiz
1 c Velveeta
1 c shredded cheddar (I use marble)
pinch of paprika
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta to package directions.
2. In a large pot or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
3. Add flour and stir to combine. Cook flour/butter mixture, stirring frequently with a whisk, for 3-5 minutes or until flour has developed a light golden colour.
4. Reduce heat to low and slowly add milk, whisking constantly until everything is incorporated and the sauce is smooth.
5. When the béchamel has thickened to the consistency of cake batter, add the Cheez Whiz and Velveeta. Stir with a spoon until cheese has melted.
6. Add the shredded cheddar and stir until melted.
7. Season with paprika, salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and heat through. Serve with a side salad or fresh, crusty bread.

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enjoy!

No Bake Cadbury Cream Egg Cheesecake

I'm just going to let the pictures speak for themselves for a sec...

oh yes I did!

look at the fluffy lusciousness...

OH YES I DID!

cause that right there ^ is what it's all about.

I had never had a Cadbury Cream Egg... until a few days ago. I know, crazy right? The look of white and yolk pouring out of a chocolate shell, even yolk made of icing, creeped me out. For the last month or so on Twitter about half of the tweets I read in my timeline are about cream eggs. I'm pretty sure my friend @sarahjcarter has them for breakfast every day. So I decided to try one. My review: it was... okay.

You're looking at your screen with a look of shock bordering on abject horror aren't you? I found it a little too sweet, which is a saying something coming from me! While I won't be rushing out to create a stash for myself in preparation of them disappearing from stores until next Easter, I understand and appreciate how most of civilized society craves these little chocolate balls of gooeyness (How the heck do you spell that? Gooiness? Gooieness? Is it even a word? Whatev!).

I'm not exactly sure where my twisted mind went when I dreamt up this combination, I guess I was wondering if the tanginess (tangyness? Oh my God I suck at this adding "ness" to the end of words thing!) of cheesecake would balance the sugary-sweetness of the eggs, but whatever I was thinking it was genius! I was overwhelmed with the response to the No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Squares I posted earlier this month so I decided to go with a no bake cheesecake recipe (I listen to my fans!) for this. I borrowed Jamie's recipe from My Baking Addiction (go visit her site, it's amazing!) and tweaked it ever so slightly.

We were headed to our good friends' house (Hi Laurie!) and I knew they would die twice for this dessert so I whipped it up and brought it over. After our amazing rib dinner we pulled it out and started snapping pictures with Laurie's camera (COVET). I wanted to get a picture of a slice on a plate but as you can see that didn't work, as soon as slices hit plates they were gone!

So if you're eating cream eggs like the end of the world is near, give this a try, it's a total foodgasm!

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No Bake Cadbury Cream Egg Cheesecake

1 1/2 c finely ground oreo crumbs
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp white sugar
1 1/2 pkgs cream cheese; room temperature
1/3 c plus 3 tablespoons vanilla sugar
1 vanilla bean pod, seeded*
3/4 c heavy whipping cream, whipped
40 mini Cadbury Cream Eggs

Instructions:
1. In a bowl, mix together the oreo crumbs with melted butter and the 3 tablespoons sugar.
2. Press into a 6" springform pan making sure to come up the sides a bit. Put in refrigerator until ready for use.
3. In a bowl, beat cream cheese and 1/3 cup of the vanilla sugar.
4. Split and scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean pod and add to the cream cheese.
5. Whip the cream with the 3 tbsp of vanilla sugar, and fold into cream cheese mixture.
6. Cut 20 of the cream eggs in half (or beak apart if they’re soft) and fold into the cream cheese mixture.
7. Spread into pan making sure to cover all the cream eggs with the cream cheese mixture so the top is smooth.
8. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.
9. Top with the remaining cream eggs.

* The vanilla bean is purely optional, I had one that needed to be used so I added it, but it would be just as good without.

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enjoy!

Big News!

Hello all my faithful followers and anyone new stopping by! I have a few pieces of exciting news. One, I created a Facebook page!Head on over and "like" it, lots of pictures and discussions to check out! Don't make me beg.



The second piece of exciting news is that I was nominated for Babble's Top 100 Mom Food Blogs! Yay me! I'm in amazing company but if you would be so kind to cast your vote my way I'd be forever grateful.... which I will reward with more delicious {chocolate} recipes! I'm listed as Caffeinated Mom, which if you follow me on twitter you'll recognize as my twitter handle. So go here, click "I Like This" next to Caffeinated Mom and you'll make my kids so happy! *cough*guilt*ahem*

And lastly, I happened to scroll to the bottom of my page and I noticed that my Blogoversary is in 41 days! I'm putting together a fun giveaway so stay tuned!

It's true what they say, good news comes in threes!

Greek Feast! Chicken Souvlaki, Rice Pilaf & Greek Salad

I am not Greek. Not even a little bit (Irish, yes. British, yes. And there was something about Russian Gypsies but my Grandma was a little tipsy when she told us that story so who knows). But every now and then I get a craving for Greek food that's so over-powering I feel the need to watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding and drink Ouzo (maybe even roast a lamb on my front lawn, bah ha ha, classic!). Such a craving hit this week and being that I don't live in a city, my ability to get Greek Take-Out is less than slim.

A quick scouring of Google for recipes had me mixing and matching ingredients to recreate the flavours of some of my favourite Greek restaurants. I in no way claim this is an authentic Greek recipe, but the taste is spot on to any Greek food I've ever had and it was so easy!

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Chicken Souvlaki, Rice Pilaf & Greek Salad
This made 5 skewers and a huge pot of pilaf

Souvlaki:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
1/3 c lemon juice
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
wooden skewers soaked in water

Rice Pilaf:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 med carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 c long grain white rice
3 c water or chicken stock
kosher salt to taste

Salad:
1 romaine heart, washed & chopped
1/2 English cucumber, sliced
1 c grape tomatoes
1/4 red onion, sliced thin
sliced black olives (as much as you like)
feta cheese, crumbled (as much as you like)
your favourite Greek salad dressing

1. Marinade: combine the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano and thyme. Place chopped chicken in a bowl or a Ziploc bag and pour marinade over. Marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours (I did 6).
2. Skewer marinated chicken and grill for about 3 minutes on each side.
3. Rice: While chicken is marinating/cooking heat oil in a pot and add the onion, carrot, celery and zucchini and sautée for a few minutes. Add the oregano and thyme and salt.
4. Add the rice and stir to brown for 2 minutes. Add the water or stock and cover and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is light and fluffy (about 20 minutes).
5. Salad: Combine the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olives, feta and dressing right before you're ready to eat so the lettuce doesn't get soggy.
6. Serve the souvlaki over the rice, either on the skewers or removed, with a side of salad.

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Optional: Tzatziki is a traditional condiment for this meal, I have never been a fan so I didn't make any, but there are hundreds of recipes out there!

enjoy!

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Squares

Well, it happened. My stubbornness reared it's ugly head. We got the flu. I have never vaccinated the kids or myself against the flu cause I believe that our bodies need to fight viruses to stay strong. My beliefs were tested, if not shaken, when one by one everyone in our house was taken down by influenza. The 4 year old was the first, she probably brought it home from that bacteria pit of a kindergarten class she's in (grrr!), followed by our 2 year old, then myself, my husband and finally, the baby. It was a hellish month. All this to say, sorry it's been a while since I posted!

When I was feeling better, and just before the baby got sick, I realized I had lost 9lbs and needed to remedy it right away (cause I don't have 9lbs to lose or anything, gah). I was on an oatmeal kick and figured if I made something with oatmeal at least it would have some nutritional value... right? Just nod your head yes. Thank you!

I put "oatmeal peanut butter cookies" into the search field at allrecipes.com and came up with this square recipe (not a cookie, but I wasn't terribly picky, just hungry!). Oats, peanut butter, chocolate, and best of all, no baking required!

I love the oatmeal/peanut butter combination, and the contrast of the crunchy oat crumble and the smooth chocolate. Keep them in the fridge for a firmer treat or leave out if you like them soft. And FYI, they're great with a cup of coffee after a long night of temperature taking and hair holding.

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No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Squares taken from allrecipes.com

1 c butter
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 c quick cooking oats
1 c semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c peanut butter

Instructions:

1. Grease a 9x9" square pan.
2. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat.
3. Stir in brown sugar and vanilla. Mix in the oats. Cook over low heat 2 to 3 minutes, or until ingredients are well blended.
4. Press half of mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Reserve the other half for topping.
5. Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until smooth.
6. Pour the chocolate mixture over the crust in the pan, and spread evenly with a knife or the back of a spoon.
7. Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate layer, pressing in gently.
8. Cover, and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or overnight. Bring to room temperature before cutting into bars.

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enjoy,

Meal Plan for Jan. 24-30th

Here's this week's meal plan if you're following along. Monday's dinner idea comes right from the Pioneer Woman's site. I LOVE her Marlboro Man sandwich.

Monday - "Marlboro Man" Sandwich
Tuesday - Pork Tenderloin & Rice
Wednesday - Spicy Baked Mexican Lasagna (recipe post coming this afternoon)
Thursday - Salmon Cakes
Friday - Mediterranean Risotto
Saturday - Chicken Quesadillas
Sunday - Stacked Meatloaf

Amanda's Chunky Chicken Quesadilla

I lurvvvvvvvvve Mexican food. The spiciness, the smokiness, the flavour explosion! I could eat refried beans and enchiladas every day. I guess technically it's tex-Mex, but whatever you want to call it it's freakin' delish!

A lot of people have a dish that they judge restaurants by. My husband's is chicken wings. If a restaurant can rock the chicken wings they have his repeat business and he'll try out the rest of the menu. But if their wings leave a bad taste in his mouth, we never go back. My dish is the quesadilla. If it's too greasy, too bland, not enough veggies, or I'm paying an extra $4 for 3 tiny pieces of chicken I'm not a happy chica.

I've taken all the best elements of all the best quesadillas I've ever had and combined them into one totally delicious tex-mex meal. Make this on a couple of 6" flour tortillas for a quick, light lunch, or on 12" flour tortillas for dinner with a side of Mexican rice or a salad.

Start by roasting some red, green and yellow peppers, and some onions in a bit of olive oil and chopping up some cooked chicken.

On top of a flour tortilla (this one is a 6") put a slice of jalapeno havarti or pepper jack cheese and top with a generous amount of the veggies and chicken

top the chicken and veggie mixture with shredded marble cheddar

top with another flour tortilla. Drizzle a wee bit of olive oil on top and sprinkle on a dash of seasoned salt and cajun seasoning. Bake at 350˚F for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

deeeeelish!

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Amanda's Chunky Chicken Quesadilla
serves 4

2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1/2 green pepper, cut into strips
1/2 red pepper, cut into strips
1/2 yellow pepper, cut into strips
1 onion, cut into strips
8 6" flour tortillas
4 slices (1-2oz) jalapeno havarti or pepper jack cheese
2 c marble cheddar, shredded
1 tsp olive oil
3/4 tsp seasoned salt
2 tsp cajun seasoning

Instructions:

1. Slice peppers and onions and toss with a bit of olive oil and roast in a 450˚F oven for 15 minutes.
2. Slice a chicken breast and set aside.
3. Lay the flour tortillas on a cookie sheet and top with a slice of jalapeno havarti or pepper jack cheese and a generous amount of the veggies and chicken.
4. Top with shredded cheddar and another flour tortilla.
5. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoned salt and cajun seasoning.
6. Bake at 350˚F for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
7. Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole

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enjoy,

Meal Plan for Jan 17-23

Back into meal plan posting finally! Hope you enjoy!

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Monday ~ crockpot pulled pork & coleslaw
Tuesday ~ chicken à la king
Wednesday ~ baked gnocchi (breakfast - apple pie pancakes)
Thursday ~ steaks & cheesy bacon scalloped potatoes
Friday ~ mild curry chicken pizza on nann
Saturday ~ fish & chips (breakfast - hashbrown quiche)
Sunday ~ ham & hashbrown bake


enjoy,

Pub Style Beer Battered Fish & Chips

My husband's second favourite meal, after a huge juicy steak, is fish and chips. Shortly after we met I made this homemade version for him and I'm pretty sure that's why he proposed.

My grandma never bought frozen fish sticks or frozen french fries. She was a "from scratch" kind of lady. I inherited her love of making food the old-fashioned way, so when my family wants "fish sticks" this is what they get (no complaints so far!).

Don't be scared to attempt this recipe, it's not that complicated and as long as you're not making it 3 times a week it's a nice treat.

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Pub Style Beer Battered Fish & Chips
serves 4

Beer Batter
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 beer, any kind, you won't need it all, just enough to get a pancake batter-like consistency

Fish
2 lbs. Haddock Fillets (or 4 of generous size)
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
lemon

Chips
6-8 med. potatoes, peeled and cut into fries, I use Russett for fries with a fluffy inside

Instructions:

1. Preheat deep fryer to fish setting temperature, or if using a pot, to 320˚F
2. Blanch fries in hot oil for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3. While the fries are blanching, mix the first 5 ingredients together to incorporate.
4. Add beer a little at a time until a pancake batter-like consistency is reached. Drink rest of beer.
5. Pat fish dry with a paper towel and dredge in the 1/4 c. flour making sure it's well coated. Shake off excess flour.
6. Dredge the floured fish in the beer batter coating well.
7. Add the coated fish to the hot oil 1 at a time slowly lowering them in. Depending on the size of your deep fryer or pot and of your fillets, only cook 2-3 pieces of fish at a time so that they don't stick together.
8. Fry for approximately 6-8 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Line a cookie sheet with paper towel and place a cookie rack over top.
10. Remove fillets from hot oil and place on cookie rack to drain excess oil. They will stay piping hot for quite a while, do not put in hot oven or cover as the coating will get soggy.
11. when all fillets are cooked turn temperature of deep fryer up to french fry setting, or 375˚F.
12. Return french fries to hot oil and cook until golden brown.
13. Remove from oil and put on a plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
14. Squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice over fish and serve with tartar sauce.

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Tip - Out of tartar sauce? You can make some quickly with 1/2 c. mayo, 2 tbsp relish, 1 tsp lemon juice and a dash of paprika!

enjoy,