Saturday Afternoon QUICKIE - Easy Pizza Dough

It's never too late for an Afternoon QUICKIE -

Well, well, well...I'm finally back from the dead!  My precious kiddos will FINALLY be out of school within weeks, which equals more blog time for me.
So, I've been thinking....with gas prices so high and the general cost of EVERYTHING having gone up - it might be time for me to sharpen my skills.  It feels like the perfect time to begin producing some homemade family favorites.
First up? - something foodie :)
My husband is Sicilian, my kids beg for Italian food regularly - time to dial in a pizza dough recipe!
An easy recipe that requires a little extra time than calling the local pizza parlor ~
Let's get started:

Easy Pizza Dough makes 4 personal pizzas
1 package active dry yeast
1 ¼ (up to 1 ½) cups warm water, divided: 110 – 115 degrees
1 tsp. honey
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 TBL extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing

In glass measure cup, dissolve the honey then yeast in ½ cup warm water. Proof this mixture for 10 minutes, until yeast appears foamy.

In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and the salt. Add oil, the yeast mixture and remaining warm water.

Mix on low speed until the dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and clusters around the dough hook, about 5 mins. The dough should be smooth and firm.

Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap to seal. Place a clean kitchen towel over the bowl and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour.

Punch down to express some of the air in the dough, then divide into 4 equal pieces. Work each piece into a ball by pulling down the sides and tucking under the bottom of the dough.

Then on a smooth surface (no flour), roll the ball under the palm of your hand until the top of the dough is smooth and firm.

Now there are a couple of ways to do this next step:
You can line a baking sheet with parchment, and place all four balls on top. Then, lightly cover with plastic wrap and a dish towel. OR, place each ball in it's own bowl, cover with wrap and a dish towel. Whatever makes you happy...either way, the dough needs to sit and rise for 1 hour.

At this point, the balls can be used immediately or wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Do what you like, but my pizza comes out like the picture at the top when I do the following:
Preheat oven to 485 degrees. **any higher and I end up with pizza bricks!**
To prepare each pizza, dip a dough ball into flour and shake off the excess. Place dough on a clean lightly floured surface, and start to stretch the dough. Don’t roll dough with rolling pin, use only your hands to assure fluffy crust.

When desired pizza shape is achieved, lightly brush olive oil in the inner circle of the dough.

Add toppings in this order:

-Sauce

-Mozzarella cheese

-Pepperoni

-any additional toppings. Finish with a light sprinkle of dried oregano and Feta/parmesan or goat cheese. YUM!

Lightly sprinkle baking sheet/pizza stone with cornmeal. Place prepared pizza in the center of baking sheet, and bake for approx. 13 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve immediately.

Thanks for the QUICKIE (wink!), I'll see ya next week!

Soooo Sorry!

Hi friends!
I wanted to drop a quick line...letting you know how terribly sorry I am for being a very bad blogger lately ~
The stuff in my life has been CRAZY these past couple of months. Hubby is home on injury from the fire dept., kids are getting ready for state testing (we homeschool), we might be moving, the list goes on....
Hang tight my friends, things will get rolling around here again very soon - I promise :)

New Orleans Coleslaw

It's time for another Saturday Afternoon QUICKIE -

Here in Southern California the weather this week has been CRAZY ~ unseasonably warm for winter! 40-°F degree nights, 70+°F degree days.
The result? My taste buds are completely confused and craving spring and summer dishes.
So, I was sitting at the table this past week, trying to decide what to serve next to my favorite brisket. I wanted something delicious that also would sneak in some healthy veggies for the kiddies...and then BOOM!, it hit me: Nigella's New Orleans Coleslaw.
I discovered this "slaw" last summer and it's definitely one of my absolute favorite sides....it's light yet packed with flavor! YUM!
The recipe also makes use of one of my "top shelf" most favorite ingredients, Pure Maple Syrup. Sound interesting? Trust me, it totally works in this dish.
Now, it's been my experience for best flavor, to only make enough of this side for your meal. For my family, that equals to about half of the original recipe. Fresh is best with this slaw, so serve it as soon as the flavors have sufficiently married (1-3 hours).
Here we go ~

New Orleans Coleslaw serves 4-5
inspired by Nigella Lawson

2 scallions, sliced thin
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 celery rib, peeled and diced
1/2 of a medium-large head of green cabbage, cored and sliced thin
1/3 - 1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup (4 oz.) of your favorite mayo (or make it yourself!)
2 TBL. buttermilk
2 TBL. Real Maple Syrup (don't skimp on this friends)
1+ tsp. cider vinegar
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt (you might need more...just be careful)
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Let's start slicing up the cabbage.

Everyone has their favorite way to slice or chop cabbage. Do whatever works for you, but I'm going to demonstrate the way my German Oma taught me.
First, wash and pat dry your cabbage. Now for this recipe, make a clean cut down the center - to divide the cabbage in half.

Now, quarter and core the cabbage...

Separate the top leaves from the inner leaves of the cabbage quarter before slicing. It makes it easier to accurately slice the leaf sections one after the other...the top leaves spread out flat for simple slicing and the inner leaves are a snap to chop up quickly!

Time to grate and chop up the rest of the veggies!


Combine all vegetables in a large bowl, give a quick toss.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients. Pour over the veggies and add the almonds. Toss to combine. Place slaw in a container with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate until ready to eat! Don't forget to "tweak" as needed...some may prefer more vinegar or less syrup. The important thing to remember is as with most salads, you HAVE to give the salad time to rest before you taste. Flavors develop over time especially when the salad contains any type of vinegar. Try not to judge whether you like it or not too soon...you might be pleasantly surprised after an hour or so!
Super simple, very delicious...I hope you love this coleslaw too!

Thanks for the QUICKIE (wink!), I'll see ya next week!

Candied Orange Peel

So, I'm usually WAY too busy to attempt the Martha Stewart-ish kind of holiday razzle-dazzle this time of year. However, there was no way I was going to allow another Christmas to pass without tucking a new skill or recipe under my belt. And THIS was my year...
Well, I humbly stuck my toe into the kiddie pool of: CANDIED FRUITS - those glistening, succulent, sugar coated fruit gems we pay $$ for at the local designer Farmer's Market.
My husband requested a fruit cake, (not one of my favorites) so I decided it was the perfect opportunity to experiment with at least one personal contribution - Candied Orange Peel.
I've never attempted this before, so I went to a trusted source, Epicurious. Boy, I'm glad I did. :)
Yes, I tweaked it...you know me ~

Simple Candied Orange Peel makes approx. 4-5 ounces
3 large oranges, 1/4 inch of the top and bottom cut off
*(original recipe called for only 2 oranges, but 3 worked perfectly!)*
4 cups white sugar, divided
2 cups water
1 cup of Grand Marnier Liqueur
*(original recipe calls for only 3 cups of water)*

Slice 1/4 inch off the the tops and bottoms of each orange.



Score peel on each orange into 4 vertical segments. Remove each segment (INCLUDING the white pith) in 1 complete piece.



Cut segments into 1/4-inch wide strips.



Cook in large pot of boiling water for 15 minutes; drain, rinse and drain again.



In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the sugar, water and Grand Marnier to a boil. Stir to dissolve sugar.



Add peel, and return to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer until peel is very soft, about 45 minutes. Drain.
Toss peel in 1 cup of sugar on a rimmed baking sheet, separating strips.



Lift peel from sugar and transfer to a sheet of foil. Let stand until coating is dry, 1-2 days. *TWEAK ALERT* (to speed things up, I used a fruit dehydrator for 1 1/2 hours. It worked perfectly!)



You'll notice that nowhere in this recipe does it mention the need to remove the "pith" of the orange. At first I was skeptical, understandably, but trust me - it isn't absolutely necessary. Yes, on the first day the peels will have a slightly bitter bite - but on day two it's virtually gone.

So after the fruit cake is made...I will take the left over candied peels and dip them half way into dark chocolate. THEN...remember the leftover Grand Marnier/Orange simple syrup I simmered the peels in for 45 minutes? It's coming with me to a Holiday Party tomorrow night, as it will help to make the perfect margarita! (wink!)

Have a beautiful Christmas and Holiday Season...I look forward to sharing with you in 2011!!

Oh, and thanks for the QUICKIE (wink!), I'll see ya next week!

Hamburg, Germany ~ October 2010

Now, I could go on and on about this trip....because it meant so much to me personally.
To have my feet touch the actual ground of a place I've heard so many stories about (grandparents, late-mom...) - well, people, it was an overwhelming experience.
My grandfather (Opa) was born and raised in what was then, Prussia - my grandmother (Oma) from near The Black Forest..and my mom, Amberg. Their experiences, lifestyle and circumstances resulted in travel all across Germany. So for my first visit, I decided to start at the "top," in Hamburg.
To take my two young boys along on this adventure was an absolute - as I'm nearly the last connection to their German heritage.
My mother was young when I was born, so I was primarily raised by my grandparents in Los Angeles...soley, until kindergarten. As I stated, they were originally from Germany (hello, very German) so as one can imagine, I learned to speak the language of the "household" along with muttled English. In addition to living under their roof came the privilege of exposure to German culture - nursery rhymes, marzipan, food, music, family flow, etc.
Those were the, "treasure," years for me - to this day, I can recollect almost every second of them.

(yes, that's me a million years ago)

Unfortunately, after moving in with my mother, I learned quickly that she did not promote the fact she was German. I was expected to speak English only, and "move-on."
Sure...I moved on...but never forgot my start in life, who I was inside and how proud I felt to have German roots.
So...without further adieu...a few shots of my first trip to Deutschland!

I gave my 11 year old son the task of recording our trip via digital camera..some are fuzzy or off center, but I wouldn't have had it any other way (wink!).

Well...first day, setting out near Gänsemarkt. Our hotel (Marriott Hamburg) is right behind us...

Okay..before we go any further...I had such grand fantasies of looking so "model" like on this trip (high heels, large hoop earrings, nail polish). But as you will see, I look as if I have a grand HANG-OVER in each pic. Traveling to Europe with two active boys and fighting jet lag doesn't do a 40+ year old face any good...there, I've said it, let's move on ~

My son adores buildings, their design....Lord, cross your fingers we'll have an architect 14 years from now!



Everything in these next few pics was within walking distance of the hotel - a piece of cake of you don't mind hearing two less than motivated young men complain why we weren't using a taxi. Kids these days ~
Below are some select shots of the Binnenalster (Inner Alster Lake). So pretty, peaceful - but NO RAILS along the waters edge. Being an over protective American Mother, you can imagine how many times I screamed, "Hey boys, get away from the edge..NOW!"







Wow, the canals. Every direction you gaze is a perfect postcard picture. I'd have to tear the boys away from every bridge..all of us were simply amazed.




And of course, Rathaus (City Hall). The fountain in the courtyard was a sight of beauty.

And then we went shopping - whoa ~ Europa Passage

After a few days of exploring the city by day..it was time to hit Doris' Diner at night - yum!

Well...there you have it! So many wonderful pics had to be left out, as my fingers are currently numb from putting together this post. The fact is, I can't wait to go back - strangely I felt at home. We shall see what the future holds ♥!

See ya next week and have a fantastic Thanksgiving Holiday my friends!!

BOO!!

Well....where have I been? A bunch of places - GERMANY for one :) Yes, I actually hopped over to Hamburg, Germany with my young sons the first week of October. No husband, just the kids and I. It was amazing...pics will come soon :)

Hang tight friends, I'm cooking up new blog entries...I haven't completely abandoned ship!

If we miss each other, hope you have a safe and fantastic-ly spooky Halloween 2010!

Sandy :)

9/11

Today silently belongs to the many that lost their lives nine years ago.
My husband was part of a crew from Los Angeles County Fire that flew over to New York three weeks after the attacks. These guys escorted grieving Fire Families to funerals, held children, supported their "brothers" and families in any way possible.
When my husband returned from the trip, he was a changed person. Something was lost, part of that twinkle in his eye had gone. It was obvious he had left a piece of himself in New York City. To this day we still hold, in a sealed bag, the uniform he wore while walking the ruins of the Twin Towers. NO ONE in this house messes with that bag - some things are forever sacred.
Many people lost their lives, however, this is where it hits home for us -

"A total of 411 emergency workers who responded to the scene died as they attempted to rescue people and fight fires. The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) lost 341 firefighters and 2 FDNY paramedics. The New York City Police Department lost 23 officers. The Port Authority Police Department lost 37 officers, and 8 additional EMTs and paramedics from private EMS units were killed."

One year later I boarded a plane with a baby and toddler and flew to New York City. The kids and I wanted to see "Daddy" march in respect for all of New York's fallen firemen at a planned memorial. During our short stay, we visited the Twin Towers site to pay our respects. I can be a pretty tough cookie at times, but will admit that I instantly burst into tears looking upon the site. My kids were too young to remember the visit, but rest assured, we will remind them of the day they indeed paid their respects.
Don't forget to love the ones close...

Please, please, please don't ever forget...see ya next week ~