Homemade pizza and menu time

I know you see a lot of homemade pizza on my menu lists. There are some nights I just don't feel like cooking a real meal. Easy and quick dinner nights are always my favorite, but easy usually means buying something frozen, already prepared, processed or has 450 ingredients. When I discovered homemade pizza, I was in love.

Now, pizza in any form isn't the healthiest thing ever, I mean, it is cheese, after all. But, making it myself means I know exactly what goes in it, and honestly, I think it tastes much better than frozen pizza, and it's cheaper than take-out pizza. I use a yeastless pizza crust recipe, or you could use a yeast crust recipe. There are so many pizza crust recipes out there, you can look one up and take your pick. And you can essentially put any toppings you want on there to make it a little more healthy. Sometimes we do green pepper, sometimes tomatoes, sometimes spinach, whatever we are feeling that night. The possibilities are limitless.

You can find the recipe HERE.

And here is our weekly menu plan:

Tuesday
Chicken and cheese quesadillas

Wednesday
grilled cheese and hot dogs

Thursday
Pork stir fry over rice (bumped from last week)

Friday
Chicken tacos

Saturday
Baked chicken breasts with roasted cabbage wedges

Sunday
Homemade veggie pizza (Superbowl night, DUH! I have no idea what we are doing this night...we may be celebrating with friends and if so, this will get scrapped)

Monday
Crockpot lasagna

Tuesday
Grilled chicken wraps with roasted potatoes and spinach salad

Wednesday
Homemade pizza rolls

Pinterest...loves!

I have mentioned before how awesome Pinterest is. But, I just don't think you really know. Let me show you why. 

From sweet pictures like this:

To inspirational things like this:

To yummy things like this:

To great outfit compilations like this:

There's just so much great stuff compiled from a bunch of different sites to one site. One place for you to look for recipes, outifts, school things, crafty projects, just about anything you can think of! So, since there is so much awesomeness in one place, I wanted to share the most awesome things I've found on there. 

How to make the perfect bacon. I never know how to do this properly until now. 

Tips for cleaning microfiber furniture. This seems weird, putting rubbing alcohol all over your cushion, but it works!

Great random household tips. 

I do this every time I clean my microwave. Works like a charm!

Do you frequently eat pancakes? Try this way of storing/pouring the batter!

Here is a great homeschooling website.

I LOVE this 100 days of real food blog.

And things that are on the list to try:

Best idea for organizing your measuring cups and spoons.

DIY fabric bedskirt. So cute!

Really awesome toy storage here!

And I'm trying these roasted cabbage wedges this week. 

I love Pinterest. That is all.

DtD Challenge # 11 - BAGELS!

I love bagels. Especially one slathered up with cream cheese. I mean, who doesn't love a good bagel? No, they're not very filling nor very healthy, but they sure are good. So, when I found this recipe on pinterest, I thought it sounded easy, yummy, and definitely worth trying. The writer said making bagels is no harder than making a loaf of bread, which I do every week, so I was pumped.

I've been sickly all week, so haven't felt like doing much of anything outside of the bare necessities. However, when I woke up this morning, I felt determined to try it. Heck, I even went to the gym this morning for the first time since I got sick.

So, after we had breakfast, and Jude was occupied watching a new show call Octonauts (which is super cute, by the way), I set to work.

Mixing all the ingredients together

Kneaded for 10 minutes and rolled into this ball

Divided in to 9 equal sized balls (the recipe called for 8, but I had an extra)

Rolled out into dough bagel shapes

Boiling the bagels. This was weird. I know it's a normal part of the bagel making process, but I haven't boiled dough, ever. So yeah, this was weird.

Into the oven they go...

All done and ready to be slathered with lots and lots of cream cheese.

Conclusion: They tasted good. Really good. Better than store bought bagels, even. But, mine weren't as fluffy as regular bagels are, and I'm not sure why, which was kind of a bummer. And the process of making these was tedious. I was busy with these for over an hour, and I felt like I had neglected my children a little. Making loaves, or even rolls is not near as hands-on time consuming. There's a lot of sitting and rising, but I can leave that and go play with my kids until time to pop them in the oven. With these bagels, there was the kneading, dividing, rolling, boiling, then baking. It felt like a lot, and I'm not quite sure it was worth the effort.

They also seemed to be lacking in something. They tasted a bit plain. I used 2 cups wheat flour and 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour. So, what was missing?

Will I make these again? Possibly. I'll have to tweak the recipe a little, and figure out why my bagels weren't fluffy before I try it again. Baking bread, any kind, is an art and takes lots of practice. So, I'm not giving up on you forever, you delicious slice of circular yumminess, you. Just for the time being.

Up next week: I need to be inspired photographically. So my plan is to get out this weekend and take pictures. Preferably somewhere outside, and somewhere away from my house. I'm hoping it will be sunny...and I'll be here next week to report to you to show you what I saw!

The dilemma of milk

Lately I've been thinking more and more about our milk consumption. My boys down 4-5 gallons of milk a week, and more if I would let them. We love it around here. It's almost like liquid gold. So, here enters the dilemma that every mama comes to face.

Dun dun duhhhh....Organic milk vs. store-bought conventional milk. 

Yes, we all know organic milk is healthier and way better for you. But here are my questions/concerns: is conventional milk all THAT bad? Are we pumping our kids full of horrible, unhealthy hormones by drinking this stuff? And what about local milk? I have so many questions about this. Can I get some, and if so, where? Is it better than conventional, but maybe not as good as organic? I would honestly love to try this option. I think supporting local farmers is absolutely fabulous.

And here is my biggest question of all: Can we drink organic milk on a budget? Folks, we're on a tight grocery budget, and spending $30 a week on milk alone sounds really, really difficult. In fact, we are on a tight budget all around. We don't eat out, almost ever, and we don't spend a lot of 'extra' money. But can I trim the grocery budget somewhere else to be able to make room for the organic milk? These are all the questions that are running through my head.

The research I've been reading says it's good to fork over the extra dough to get organic on the things you consume most in dairy, grains and vegetables. But what happens when your budget is already stretched to the degree it can be stretched?

These are all things I'm considering. So, with all these unknowns present and questions flying around in my head, what will I do? I want to make the best decisions for my family, based on health and budget. One thing I do know is I'm going to reevaluate our grocery budget and see if I can sacrifice to have fewer ingredient meals so that I can make more room for the milk. Or if we're really ok just drinking conventional milk. That is something I am going to have to pray about and figure out!

What about you? What are your feelings about milk, organic or otherwise?

And to end, this has absolutely nothing to do with this post, but I thought you could use a cute face to brighten up your day! I know it brightens mine.

Shows I love

Since I'm sickly today, not feeling very productive, and haven't done much other than feed my children and make sure they don't kill each other, I wanted to share something that is very important and very dear to me.

My favorite shows of the 2010-2011 season.

This is serious business folks.

Ok, all joking aside, tv is silly and in my opinion, is a huge time suck. It's the epitome of anti-productive. But, I still like to have down-time and escape into the enjoyment of a show or two. So, here are my favorites this year.

Downton Abbey. I have only recently heard about this show, but it is by far my favorite show this year, and maybe one of my top 5 favorites of all time. I was hooked after one episode. There was something that reeled  me in about the characters and made me fall in love with them. And I just love period book, shows, movies. There's something regal about them, and I love to learn about that how life was lived during that time period. The story revolves around the Crawley family and their servants at their estate, Downton Abbey, in England. The series starts out on the day Titanic sunk, and the second season involves WWI. The first season is available for streaming on Netflix and the current season is on the PBS website, if you want to catch it. You won't be disappointed.

The Walking Dead. This is my second favorite. This show is exciting, thrilling, disgusting, eerie, haunting, but captivating all at the same time. To be honest, the first season was way better (in my opinion), but now I have gotten so much into the story line and characters that I am hooked. I don't typically like this type of show/movie/genre, but the story line is just so good. This show is about a group of people and their life after the invasion of zombies. Sounds hokey, but its actually very good. The second half of the season starts next month, and I can't wait!

And this show. Yes, some will argue that it's gone on too long, and maybe it has. But, I love it so. The chemistry between these actors is amazing. They are hilarious, and the way the story is told is unique. The writing is mostly good, quirky, and honestly, I almost love it as much as I love Friends (which holds a special place in my heart!). This show follows the lives of these 5 friends, but is mainly about the main character, Ted, and he telling his kids the story of how he met their mother. I think Marshall (Jason Segal) may be my favorite character, I'm not sure. It's hard to decide.

I really don't have a lot of time to watch tv, and I know you don't either. But if you have any spare minutes in your day(s), try one of these out.

Now I'm going to go lay down and rest before I'm on mommy-duty again. :)

Me and food

Something has come to my attention recently. I have not done super great with watching what I'm eating lately. I mean, I haven't started sneaking bon bons in the middle of the night or anything, but I've definitely become lax and have been eating way too much white sugar. Yes, I'm still exercising and running 4-5 times a week. I've even added an extra 20 minutes to my gym routine to get more weight training in (and I've been doing some cross-training with the Crossramp too, which I L.O.V.E). But, I'm feeling the effects of my non-self-controlled-eating so much lately. In order to combat this, I'm going to have to do 2 things:

1) start writing down everything I'm eating during the day (just to keep up with it and to try to cut out all the snacking)
2) cut out white sugar altogether for the next 30 days (gasp! This one will be really hard because I've been baking some lately, and I found that it's something that I really enjoy)

Just to clarify, I am not a calorie counter. It's just not for me. It's stressful and sets me up for failure, which makes me feel bad about myself every time I eat a brownie or anything sweet. But, I need to regain some self control and some perspective. So, here it goes! Wish me luck.

On another note, (and totally opposite to what I just posted) Jude and Ezra's birthdays are coming up next month and I am going to make their cake again this year. Last year I did a boxed cake mix, but I think I'm going to go all homemade this year. I got this recipe from the Pioneer Woman today and I really want to try it as their cake. Look how pretty it is!

Yum!! It's like a cookie cake with a marshmallowy frosting and fruit on top. My mouth is watering. I want some now!

Oh wait. I just said I'd wait 30 days before eating white sugar. Darn!

"All natural"......right

You've seen the label "all natural" on foods, right? Nowadays it seems to be on everything. All natural chicken, all natural peanut butter, all natural cheese, all natural ice cream (really???), the list goes on. We think that's good when we see that on a product, don't we? It makes us feel better about what we're buying, no matter what it is. I know I do. We think we're getting something real, something healthier than all the processed stuff out there. Well, I've been reading differently. 

Here's a few things I've learned from doing a little reading about "all-natural" foods:

The term "all-natural" can mean anything, the term has no nutritional value, and isn't even regulated by the FDA.

"A "natural" product can be virtually anything -- genetically modified, full of pesticides, made with corn syrup, additives, preservatives and artificial ingredients"

Most all-natural products are heavily processed. 

All natural doesn't mean that all the ingredients are all natural. In fact, usually it's quite the opposite. 

And many, many more facts that are sort of shocking. I'm not here to get on a soap box, but I am here to tell you to please be aware of what you are buying. Look at the ingredients lists and read up on which ones to stay away from. Educate yourself on food products. But don't feel guilty if you buy a pack of hot dogs or lunchables, or even a frozen pizza every now and then. 

With that being said, its time for my weekly menu. This week it's a little different because there are a few extra days in this week's menu (and we have a lot of chicken to use up):

Sunday

Easy dinner night 

Monday

Tilapia with rice in pesto sauce

Tuesday

Spaghetti with local beef and homemade breadsticks

Wednesday

Homemade pizza

Thursday

Chicken Noodle soup

Friday

Pork stir fry

Saturday

We're having some friends over, so I'm cooking chili

Sunday

Fish sandwiches

Monday

Chicken tacos

Tuesday

Cheese & bean quesadillas