Frozen Pizzas in Chicago

Hello everyone!  We are getting settled into our apartment in Chicago.  It seems about as big as our old one, but the second bedroom space is cut up and put other places so there is only one bedroom.  Which is funny, because now is about the only time we could really utilize an extra bedroom.  We have a friend staying with us until he finds a job.  No biggie because he is really outgoing and easy to live with.  I just feel bad he has to sleep on the couch every night.  Anyway, believe it or not, I have a pseudo recipe for you.

As you may know, Saturday night is pizza night.  We pushed it back to Sunday this past week and had all our old friends over.  It is so nice to have these people back with us.  I didn't think friendships were as important until I was away from them for a year.  I'm glad I don't have to leave for 3 years.  Back to pizza.  Click here to see the thin crust recipe we use.  The awesome thing you can do, as Corrie has told me, is make a frozen pizza out of this.  So nice and costs about $1.00 for each mini-pizza you make.  Here is what you do.

1. Make the pizza dough as normal
2. Preheat oven to 425
3. Cut into four equal size balls to be rolled out.
4. Roll out (I say roll, but I mean use your fingers) two of the balls into personal sized pizzas.
5. Bake until crust just barely hardens up.
6. Remove and let cool.
7. Top with sauce, cheese, and whatever else you want and wrap in plastic wrap.
8. Put in freezer and wait for a craving.

To make to eat, just heat oven to 425 and let the cheese melts and the pepperoni is cooked.  Todd and I shared one last night and it was delicious.  I made some for Greg too, but I'm not sure he or Stef have eaten any yet.

Sadly, no picture.  I will have to leave you with a photo of our amazingly stuffed moving truck.  Thank you John and Kent for figuring out how to make it all fit.

Cheese Sauce

So while at our farewell lunch for work at Grizzly's (pretty yummy I may add), the Food Network was on.  Not having cable, I was drawn into Rachel Ray's raspy vortex and was not let go since she was making some sort of Mac and Cheese.  Her's was with a cheese sauce, pancetta, bread crumbs, and lots of fresh grated cheese.  Keep in mind, I know all this from watching and only that since I could not hear the television.  So if that's not what it was, it was some variation of things that look like those.  Anyway, seeing this, I wanted to go home and make it myself with less of the pancetta and bread crumbs and more of the sauce, noodles, and baking it under the broiler for a few minutes.  I haven't done this yet, but I made a cheese sauce from un-fancy (in-fancy?) things in my kitchen.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded cheese, such as cheddar or swiss
• Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour, being sure to combine it with the butter very well, to make a roux. Let cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Do not let it darken. Gradually add the milk, about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking or stirring vigorously to incorporate. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until thickened and just starting to boil, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired.

Recipe taken from www.terriskitchen.com.  It's what I made, just explained better.  Sadly, no photo.  I poured it over my noodles and then ate it too quickly.  Sorry!

Well, it's off to make dinner.  I just woke up from a three hour power nap.  I say power nap since those are to replenish just a little bit of sleep you didn't get the night before.  I was at a junior high ADD haven since Thursday and returned today.  Yes, three hours qualifies as "power nap".  I will leave you with a photo of the chaos since there is none for the cheese sauce.

Gotta love youth ministry!

Unemployed

Well, it's official.  I'm not a student of any kind, though my constant debt reminds me that I was at one point.  And, I am no longer on the payroll at Crossview Covenant Church.  I am unemployed.  Yes, we still have a two day trip this week, a youth Sunday to pull off, and one more Bible study, but that's all volunteer work.  I'm not sure how I feel about it.  One the one hand, it's nice to know I made it through the year without harming anyone or failing at too many things.  On the other, I feel as though now I should always have everything in order in all aspects of my life (which is not currently happening) so therefore I am failing at something big.  Like I said, I'm not sure how I feel about it all yet.

Well, here are so photos to leave you with.  Sorry, no recipe this time.  If you want something delicious though, check out Corrie's blog.  I want that brown butter tart!  The photo is of my brother, William, and me at his concert over River City Days.  He pretty much rocked the house.

Okay, I lied, sort of.  Here is a link to a recipe I have been wanting to try.  Lemon asparagus cheese spread, thank you Eatin' on the Cheap blog.  Just wait until next year.  With all the friends in Chicago and workable kitchens, we're planning leftover swaps.  Everyone makes whatever they want during the week and one night, we switch everything around.  I should get some new recipes that way.  I love having friends!

Basil Stir-Fry

It's so yummy and from my new, FREE cookbook.  It a Martha Stewart Everyday Food cookbook, so as Todd said "Take everything with a giant spoonful of salt."

Ingredients
1 Large Chicken Breast
1 T cornstarch
vegetable oil
1 small onion
2 Bell Peppers
6 Garlic Cloves
Thai Basil leaves
Rice Wine Vinegar
Soy Sauce
Cooked rice

Directions
-Pat dry the chicken and cut into strips.  Coat in cornstarch seasoned with salt and pepper.  Pour oil into a frying pan and heat it up.
-Let chicken brown on both sides and cook until almost done.  Take out of pan.
-Wipe pan clean and heat oil in pan.
-Toss in cut onion and peppers.  Let cook for 5 min.  Then throw in crushed garlic and cook another minute.
-Add chicken and add vinegar and soy sauce to taste.  Add some water if it's too salty for your taste.   Let simmer with cooked rice and basil leaves.  Serve it up!

See, yum!

Todd made this one by himself which was so nice.  We need to use up food since we are moving so this was a good way to get rid of spices and sauces.  We'll have to do a lot of improve cooking over the next few days.

For mom and Corrie, here is a better photo of Stef's dress.  It was mermaid with a nice sparkly ribbon around the center and train.  Add the pearls and sparkly veil and she looked quite bridal.

They were walking back down the aisle and she forgot to take her flowers with her.  I still had them and her mom gave me a mean look!  Like somehow it was my fault.  Hello, if we don't practice it in rehearsal, how is she supposed to know.  Ah well, I was so pumped my friends got married, I didn't even care.  But now looking back on it, it hurts.  She looked at me and motioned for me to give her the flowers, despite the fact she and Greg were half way down the aisle.  What would ruin the moment more, no flowers or crazy bridesmaid?  

That's what I thought.  Crazy bridesmaid will always distract.  Think before giving me a dirty look.

Pepper Eggs

Well, so much to update on.  I have two weddings and a recipe for you.  First, the recipe.

I recently found this on another blog, but I'm unsure where.  Many of my nights consist of blog hopping, finding new recipes that I have yet to try.  So I came across this very easy breakfast and have since made it for Todd twice now.  According to him, they are great; I have yet to try them.

Ingredients
1 Bell Pepper (I had green)
2 large eggs
Pat of butter
Salt and pepper

Directions
1. Cut the top stem and bottom bumps off the pepper and scoop out the seeds.
2. Cut the pepper in half so you have two circular pieces of pepper.
3. Let a pat of butter melt in a frying pan over medium heat.
4. Place pepper in pan and crack 1 egg inside each pepper circle.
5. Let egg cook, and then gently flip each pepper over to cook the other side of the egg.
6. Cook to your liking and season with salt and pepper.

This is technically eggs in a hole, but with peppers instead of bread.  But you can then put this on toast and have quite the complete breakfast.  How often do you eat a veggie with breakfast?

Now, the weddings.  First, our friends from CBC, Breann and JC, were married on July 23.  They started dating a few months after Todd and I, and they are adorable together.  It was a gorgeous outdoor wedding with a fun dance and great time spent with friends.  Here is a photo from her photographer December Orpen.

Next, Stef and Greg are married!  They were married July 30 in another beautiful outdoor wedding in Michigan.  It looked like it could have been in a magazine it was that perfect.  And for all the time Stef and her mother spent on it, it was a much deserved day of everything coming together.  We had a great time seeing old friends and getting ready to have a married couple for friends.  It kind of stinks when you are one of the first of your friends to get married.  Anyway, formal photos are not up yet, obviously, but here is one of the wedding party.

All in all, it was a good summer for weddings (and for cooking).  I will try to try some more recipes, but not promises.  It turns out leaving your job and packing up an apartment is a little time consuming.  Anyway, I will try.