Homemade Pizza

Every Friday night for the last few months I have been making pizza it has become our little tradition :)  I make a thin crust Spinach and ricotta pizza with pickled jalapenos. My husband is Southeast Asian so spicy food is a must for him.

Spinach and Ricotta Pizza

1 pkg Thin Crust Pizza (I prefer Mama Mary's thin crust)

Low Fat Ricotta Cheese

Low fat Mozzarella Cheese

2 cups Fresh Spinach

1/2 tsp of minced garlic

Thinly sliced purple onions

Tomato Sauce (I prefer Prego)

Pickled Jalapenos (may omit for taste preference)

Italian seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. Place pizza crusts on Pizza stone or aluminum foil

3. Lightly coat crust with extra virgin olive oil

4.  Place Spinach in pan with minced garlic over medium heat. Continue till all spinach is wilted

5. Apply tomato sauce to crust ( typically about 5 -6 large tablespoons per pizza)

6. Next add ricotta cheese in small thin spoonfuls, onions, and jalapenos.

7. Sprinkle with Mozzarella and Italian seasoning. Bake in oven till crust is golden brown about 20 -30 mins



A Full Day

I had planned to run some errands this morning, then come home relax and clean the house. Well, my day was going as planned until I realized my wedding ring was scratched and one of the solitaire prongs was chipped. I had just picked up my ring from the jewelers yesterday after the annual inspection and cleaning….. I asked them to check the diamond, because I thought it was loose.  So today when I saw the scratches / chip it made me upset, because it meant driving all the way across DFW for them to fix their errors. Anyway, I got the ring fixed and finished all my errands, but not much housecleaning has been accomplished yet ;)  On  a positive note I scored 5 North Face T-shirts from Macy’s for $2.00 each and with my $10.00 coupon credit from buying my husbands jeans = Free workout shirts for me!

Delicious

Since I am off all week I tried a new recipe which I got from Pinterest. I can't believe how many great recipes are available on Pinterest! What did I do without pinterest, anyway I made Tex Mex Chicken and dumplings. As usual I modified the recipe to our liking and simplified it.

The original recipe can be found here: http://www.todaysnest.typepad.com/todays-nest/2011/10/lola-cooks-texmex-chicken-and-dumplings.html

My Modified Tex Mex Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

Serving size is about 6

1/2 to 1 lb Chicken Sausage (I use Caliente or Hatch green chile chicken sausage from Sprouts or Central Market)

1 lb Chicken chopped

2 cups of water

2 cups of chicken broth

1 medium onion chopped

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1/4 cup of chopped roasted hatch green chile's (may omit if not available)

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 to 1 cup sliced carrots

3 - 4 Celery ribs chopped

3 tablespoons flour

Dumpling Recipe

I use Bisquick box recipe and add in the following:

1 tablespoon cilantro chopped

1/4 cup cheddar cheese

Sweet Jalapenos 5-6 slices chopped (add for desired spiciness)

1. Put chicken stock and water in large pot over low to medium heat. Bring to low simmer

2. Season chopped chicken with salt / pepper

3. Brown sausage then, chicken in separate pan. When both are done set aside.

4. Cook Carrots, onions, and green chile's in pan. Add cumin and stir, then for 4 -5 minutes.

5. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cont to stir for another 3 minutes.

6. Ladle in some broth to loosen up flour coated vegetables.

7. Place chicken, chicken sausage and vegetables in large pot of gently simmering chicken broth / water.

8. Make dumplings according to Bisquick recipe, then add in Cilantro, chopped jalapenos and cheddar cheese.

9. Use two teaspoons to form dumplings and drop into top of simmering pot. Note the dumplings will double in size, but I just put them close together and divide them when serving.

10. Place lid on pot and cook covered for 15 mins without lifting the lid. DO NOT Open the lid during these 15 minutes, because the steam will cook the dumplings.

11. Check dumplings after 15 mins and if needed cook another 5 mins if not done. The dumplings will a light cream color and semifirm when done.

12. Serve warm and enjoy!

Crissy

Introduction

Hi, I am new to this whole blogging thing...but thought this would be a great way to keep in touch with our families whom live across the country and outside of the U.S.

I am a full time Nurse Practitioner who has a love for crafting, scrapbooking, cooking and decorating. I am married to a wonderful man and am truly blessed.

Currently, we are looking for our first home together...it has been a little frustrating at times (more so because by husband can be indecisive). We have found two homes recently, but were out bid each time...darn it! As my husband keeps saying "we will find our home soon." Well I sure hope :)

We are also landlords for the first time this year, we are renting out my house I bought before we got married. I think we lucked out in the tenant department, because they are a great family and they take care of the home like it is their own. Truth is my renter had the flowerbeds looking better then I every did, which is sad but true.

Crissy