Who do they think they are charging that much for pasta sauce?! I must be out of touch. I make my own from scratch usually, but the other day I was in a huge hurry and I just didn't want to expend the time/energy to make it homemade. Plus, I was already at the store and the pasta isle was only 2 isles down. So, I zipped down to where they keep it and searched for a good brand.
They want $3.50 for a jar of pasta sauce. Ridiculous! Preposterous! I can make it at home for much cheaper. But, by this time of night, I just didn't have time, so I bought the jarred pasta sauce and went on my way. Did it taste good? Yeah, but I make better for sure.
I use this recipe for not just pasta. I use it on pizzas, for dipping bread, and as weird as it sounds, dipping pretzles for an afternoon snack (seriously should try this, it's amazing) So, here is my recipe, it only takes a few minutes of prep and 45 minutes on the stove to cook up.
Marinara sauce
1tbs Olive Oil
1c Onion, chopped
1tsp garlic, minced
1 can (28 oz) Crushed Tomatoes
1tsp dried oregano
1tsp dried basil
1tbs sugar(yes, you really need it)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Heat oil in a large skillet and add onion and about 1 tsp of salt and the same of pepper. Cook on med high heat for about 5 minutes, or until the onion starts to soften. Add in garlic, oregano, and basil. Cook for 1 minute more and then add in tomatoes and sugar. Stir for a few minutes and then reduce heat to med-low and simmer on the stove for 35-40 minutes. If sauce gets too thick, add a tablespoon of water to thin out. You can use chicken broth for an additional .003 per tablespoon. Serve over pasta noodles, dip cheesy bread or foccocia, or serve on top of a pizza.
This recipe cost me $1.73 in ingredients to make and it serves a family of 6! This recipe also freezes well if you have leftovers or if your family is smaller than mine is. If you are meat lovers, just brown up your meat of choice and add. It will only cost you a few dollars more and makes the sauce a hardy one for cold winter nights. Enjoy, you will never look at canned marinara sauce the same again.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Fantastic Pizza Dough
This recipe comes from the Pioneer Woman @ www.thepioneerwoman.com One try of this dough, you will fall in love...
Seriously, after making this fantastic, easy and CHEAP pizza dough, I am never going back to purchasing a pre-made pizza again! This recipe takes all of 5 minutes to make, 1-2 hours to let rest and is the best recipe I have ever tasted.
The dough is perfect. Soft, if you roll it out thick, crispy if you are a thin crust type. It is amazing. I've also made cheesy bread sticks out of it that were better than anything you get at a pizza place.
You can make this recipe an hour before you need it, or you can make it a couple days ahead of schedule, place it in the fridge and like she says, it just gets better. It's true, Best. Dough. Ever!
This recipe will make one large pizza dough for .47! That is insane. I double it to feed my family or 6, so it costs me .95 and I make 6 individual small pizza crusts. Tell me, why on earth would you go out and buy a pizza dough when it costs so little to make and is the easiest thing in the world to make? Yeah, I won't do it either. If you happen to make this into a pizza, you will spend far less than you would purchasing a frozen pizza from the grocery store, or even less than purchasing it from a restaurant.
My favorite way to dress this pizza is, Canadian bacon, Pineapple, Black olives, mushrooms, marinara sauce(I will post that recipe too, seriously yummy) and mozzarella cheese. Doing this for a single serving pizza only adds $1.49 more per pizza. That means I can make 6 pizzas for 9.84! Wow-Wee as my 21 month old says! I hope you pull this recipe out and try it on family movie or game night. It's sure to be a hit.
Seriously, after making this fantastic, easy and CHEAP pizza dough, I am never going back to purchasing a pre-made pizza again! This recipe takes all of 5 minutes to make, 1-2 hours to let rest and is the best recipe I have ever tasted.
The dough is perfect. Soft, if you roll it out thick, crispy if you are a thin crust type. It is amazing. I've also made cheesy bread sticks out of it that were better than anything you get at a pizza place.
You can make this recipe an hour before you need it, or you can make it a couple days ahead of schedule, place it in the fridge and like she says, it just gets better. It's true, Best. Dough. Ever!
This recipe will make one large pizza dough for .47! That is insane. I double it to feed my family or 6, so it costs me .95 and I make 6 individual small pizza crusts. Tell me, why on earth would you go out and buy a pizza dough when it costs so little to make and is the easiest thing in the world to make? Yeah, I won't do it either. If you happen to make this into a pizza, you will spend far less than you would purchasing a frozen pizza from the grocery store, or even less than purchasing it from a restaurant.
My favorite way to dress this pizza is, Canadian bacon, Pineapple, Black olives, mushrooms, marinara sauce(I will post that recipe too, seriously yummy) and mozzarella cheese. Doing this for a single serving pizza only adds $1.49 more per pizza. That means I can make 6 pizzas for 9.84! Wow-Wee as my 21 month old says! I hope you pull this recipe out and try it on family movie or game night. It's sure to be a hit.
One Basic Pizza Crust
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Difficulty:
- Easy
- Servings:
- 12
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon (SCANT) Active Dry Yeast
- 3/4 cups Warm Water
- 2 cups All-purpose Flour
- 3/4 teaspoons Kosher Salt
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Preparation Instructions
Sprinkle yeast over 3/4 cups warm (not lukewarm) water. Let stand for a few minutes.
In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined, and the dough comes together in a sticky mass.
Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set it aside for 1 to 2 hours, or store in the fridge until you need it.
Note: it’s best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance.
In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined, and the dough comes together in a sticky mass.
Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set it aside for 1 to 2 hours, or store in the fridge until you need it.
Note: it’s best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance.
My favorite cooking show
I love watching cooking shows. Every once in a while I get in a rut and start cooking the same things over and over. They are yummy things, but my family gets sick and tired of them. So, I start watching cooking shows to spice things up a bit.
My favorite show to date is The Pioneer Woman. Have any of you watched her show? I've made several things of hers over the last few weeks, and she has yet to fail me on an easy recipe and great tasting food, not to mention one of the cowboys on the show is smokin hot (uh hum, Cowboy Todd). Any way, best food and she just looks so darn nice and her kids are so well behaved. I am thinking about sending my oldest 2 out there for a week. I guarantee after a week of ranch living they will come back grateful that they only have a few chores a day! So, back to the food. It is wonderful.
I think I am going to post a couple of the recipes I've used. Might as well pass on the wonderful recipes I have tried. Check out her page, www.thepioneerwoman.com I love it and know you will too. For now, here are just a few of the recipes I have used and are now family favorites.
My favorite show to date is The Pioneer Woman. Have any of you watched her show? I've made several things of hers over the last few weeks, and she has yet to fail me on an easy recipe and great tasting food, not to mention one of the cowboys on the show is smokin hot (uh hum, Cowboy Todd). Any way, best food and she just looks so darn nice and her kids are so well behaved. I am thinking about sending my oldest 2 out there for a week. I guarantee after a week of ranch living they will come back grateful that they only have a few chores a day! So, back to the food. It is wonderful.
I think I am going to post a couple of the recipes I've used. Might as well pass on the wonderful recipes I have tried. Check out her page, www.thepioneerwoman.com I love it and know you will too. For now, here are just a few of the recipes I have used and are now family favorites.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Amish White Bread
Those that know me will laugh. Years ago, I didn't like bread. I didn't eat it unless we were at a restaurant or it was some holiday. My first pregnancy changed that. I couldn't get enough bread. The second pregnancy made it worse. So, I have stopped fighting and given in to bread. I love it. For a couple years now I have been trying to find the perfect bread recipe. I have made a billion loafs only to throw them all out. They are too hard, too salty, not enough salt, too sweet or not sweet enough. I have tried wheat flour, half wheat and half white. With milk, without milk. The same with eggs. The other day I was frustrated with a failed loaf of Ciabatta bread that took me two days to make, TWO DAYS! I thought store bought was the way to go, but then I stumbled on this recipe from Pinterest and thought I would try it out, just for old time sake. What resulted was the BEST bread recipe in the entire world. It was perfect, from the crust to the inside, soft and firm and just perfect. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. This recipe comes from the site www.hiswillmypeace.com Thank you for posting this, my bread making skills have improved dramatically because of you!
I do have a note to make though. Most people think the water needs to be luke warm. Not so, I used water that was hot to the touch. I also placed bread dough in the oven after it had been preheated to 170 degrees and then shut off. Both these tips help the dough to rise much quicker.
This recipe cost just over .75 to make and produces 2 loafs of bread! Because it is not commercially made, I would store this in the fridge so it will last longer.
Amish White Bread
I do have a note to make though. Most people think the water needs to be luke warm. Not so, I used water that was hot to the touch. I also placed bread dough in the oven after it had been preheated to 170 degrees and then shut off. Both these tips help the dough to rise much quicker.
This recipe cost just over .75 to make and produces 2 loafs of bread! Because it is not commercially made, I would store this in the fridge so it will last longer.
Amish White Bread
- 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 6 cups bread flour or all-purpose white flour
- 1-In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
- 2-Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- 3-Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
- 4-Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.
Cheesy potatoes that will knock your socks off
I grew up eating potatoes at nearly every meal. I love them pretty much any way you can make them, boiled, fried, baked, mashed. Ummm mmm, good eats for me. When you add cheese and green onions, they just go to a different level. Some call them funeral potatoes, other crack potatoes. Whatever you call them, my family calls them yummy. Enjoy this recipe. It is easy to make and very inexpensive. When you are looking to bulk up your dinner, think potatoes. They only cost around .12 ea and they are good for you.
Cheesy Potatoes
6 Potatoes, scrubbed
2 Green onions, diced
1/2c Sour Cream
1Can, Cream of Chicken Soup
4Tbs milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/4c Chedder cheese grated and divided
1/4c Bread Crumbs
2Tbs Olive Oil
Scrub potatoes and place in a 400 Degree oven for 30 minutes. Turn off after time is done and leave in oven for another 30 minutes. Cool until you can handle. Grate into a a bowl and add seasonings, green onion, soup, sour cream, 1 c of cheese and milk. Stir until combined. If too thick, add another Tbs of milk. Place in greased casserole dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and then drizzle oil over top.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 6 minutes or until top is golden brown and crispy.
This side dish is seriously good and so cheesy. It only costs $3.64 to make!
Cheesy Potatoes
6 Potatoes, scrubbed
2 Green onions, diced
1/2c Sour Cream
1Can, Cream of Chicken Soup
4Tbs milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/4c Chedder cheese grated and divided
1/4c Bread Crumbs
2Tbs Olive Oil
Scrub potatoes and place in a 400 Degree oven for 30 minutes. Turn off after time is done and leave in oven for another 30 minutes. Cool until you can handle. Grate into a a bowl and add seasonings, green onion, soup, sour cream, 1 c of cheese and milk. Stir until combined. If too thick, add another Tbs of milk. Place in greased casserole dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and then drizzle oil over top.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 6 minutes or until top is golden brown and crispy.
This side dish is seriously good and so cheesy. It only costs $3.64 to make!
The not so blah Thursday dinner
Lets face it, by Thursday night, all I want to do is make pb&j's for dinner, open a bag of chips and let my kids fend for themselves while I take a nice long soak in the tub with a good book and a box of chocolates. I know I can't be the only one out there that feels this way. My easy fix for not wanting to make dinner? My crock pot. Seriously, this thing is amazing. You can make soups, main dishes, salads and even dessert in this thing. I've had mine for nearly 6 years and I want to kiss the person who gave it to me for a wedding gift.
So, today is the day I break this puppy out and make a nice slow cooked dish. Yesterday I hit my local grocery store and made out like a bandit. I bought Boneless pork ribs for $6.00! They usually go for $8-9.00 a package, but the butcher had put a managers special sticker on two packages that reduced one to $2.00 and the other to$4.00. There is enough meat in these packages for my family dinner and lunch for the hubs the next day. Tonight we are going to be eating slow cooked BBQ pork ribs, Cheesy potatoes, and homemade rolls. This is my favorite meal. Period. It is simple to make and super easy to prepare. The crock pot and oven do most of the work, I just have to prep a few things.
Here is the recipe for my BBQ Pork Ribs and I will post another for the potatoes and then one for the rolls.
Crock Pot BBQ Pork Ribs
8 Boneless pork ribs (you can use bone in too)
2Tbs Smoked Paparika
2Tbs Steak Seasoning
1Tbs Salt
3c BBQ sauce divided
1 1/2c Water
4Tbs Oil, divided
1/2 Onion, finely diced
Season both sides of the ribs with paparika, steak seasoning and salt. Heat 2 Tbs of oil in a pan and brown 4 ribs at a time, discard oil and use remaining oil to brown remainder of meat. While browning, mix water, onion and BBQ sauce in crock pot. Place browned meat in crock pot and turn to coat in BBQ sauce.
Turn crock pot on low and cook for 8-12 hours or until meat falls apart when you pick it up. Half an hour before finished, add remaining 2 C of BBQ sauce. During cooking time, check the dish to make sure it is not drying out. If it is, add a little water or more BBQ sauce.
Serve with whatever side dishes sound good to you. We do Cheesy potatoes and a nice green salad.
This recipe serves 6 people with leftovers for the next day. It costs me just $7.09 for my main dish. I hope you try it. love it, and use it on those days that you just don't want to cook.
So, today is the day I break this puppy out and make a nice slow cooked dish. Yesterday I hit my local grocery store and made out like a bandit. I bought Boneless pork ribs for $6.00! They usually go for $8-9.00 a package, but the butcher had put a managers special sticker on two packages that reduced one to $2.00 and the other to$4.00. There is enough meat in these packages for my family dinner and lunch for the hubs the next day. Tonight we are going to be eating slow cooked BBQ pork ribs, Cheesy potatoes, and homemade rolls. This is my favorite meal. Period. It is simple to make and super easy to prepare. The crock pot and oven do most of the work, I just have to prep a few things.
Here is the recipe for my BBQ Pork Ribs and I will post another for the potatoes and then one for the rolls.
Crock Pot BBQ Pork Ribs
8 Boneless pork ribs (you can use bone in too)
2Tbs Smoked Paparika
2Tbs Steak Seasoning
1Tbs Salt
3c BBQ sauce divided
1 1/2c Water
4Tbs Oil, divided
1/2 Onion, finely diced
Season both sides of the ribs with paparika, steak seasoning and salt. Heat 2 Tbs of oil in a pan and brown 4 ribs at a time, discard oil and use remaining oil to brown remainder of meat. While browning, mix water, onion and BBQ sauce in crock pot. Place browned meat in crock pot and turn to coat in BBQ sauce.
Turn crock pot on low and cook for 8-12 hours or until meat falls apart when you pick it up. Half an hour before finished, add remaining 2 C of BBQ sauce. During cooking time, check the dish to make sure it is not drying out. If it is, add a little water or more BBQ sauce.
Serve with whatever side dishes sound good to you. We do Cheesy potatoes and a nice green salad.
This recipe serves 6 people with leftovers for the next day. It costs me just $7.09 for my main dish. I hope you try it. love it, and use it on those days that you just don't want to cook.
Breakfast with my kiddos
Nothing is better than being a mommy, not even chocolate. I love every second I get to spend with my children. They bring such joy to my life and I cherish every look and every word that comes out of their little mouths. Today I am at home with my two youngest. On these days I get to make homemade breakfast instead of the usual bowl of cereal or rushed cold pop tarts on my way to work. Since I am at home with my two youngest, whose bellies are very small, I decided to make pancakes. This happens to be my daughters favorite thing. She just calls them "cakes" and thinks it's a special treat. In my opinion, these are so much better than store-bought, frozen pancakes and some of the restaurant recipes as well. So, here it is, I hope you and your kiddos enjoy them as much as my family does.
Basic Pancakes
2c Flour
4tbs Sugar
2tbs Milk
1 Egg
1tsp salt
1/2c Instant oats
2tbs Baking Powder
1 1/2c Water
4 sprays of Pam
Mix all ingredients together and let sit in bowl for 5 minutes. This will allow the oats to soften a bit. Preheat skillet on Med high heat.
Using a 1/4c measuring cup, dispense pancake batter and cook until golden on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Adjust heat as needed. This will make 15 good sized pancakes. I serve mine with butter, syrup and a little powdered sugar.
Mine cost a total of $1.33 to make including all the toppings, but if you are a plane Jane kinda person, the total is $1.05! That's .07 per cake! Eat that, Store-bought frozen pancakes! Not to mention the amount of money you save from taking your family out to the local pancake house!
If you have young kids, you can add 1 banana and 4tbs of chocolate chips for another .45! Or you can add blueberries and vanilla for around .75! If you prefer waffles, add 1tbs of oil and 1 additional egg. Only adds around .25 to do this. So many variations to go off this simple pancake batter!
Also, on days when I am home and I don't feel like making up a fresh batch of pancakes or even waffles, I just make a double batch and freeze what we don't eat. This is nice because all you have to do is pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds or so and there you have yummy pancakes!
Basic Pancakes
2c Flour
4tbs Sugar
2tbs Milk
1 Egg
1tsp salt
1/2c Instant oats
2tbs Baking Powder
1 1/2c Water
4 sprays of Pam
Mix all ingredients together and let sit in bowl for 5 minutes. This will allow the oats to soften a bit. Preheat skillet on Med high heat.
Using a 1/4c measuring cup, dispense pancake batter and cook until golden on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Adjust heat as needed. This will make 15 good sized pancakes. I serve mine with butter, syrup and a little powdered sugar.
Mine cost a total of $1.33 to make including all the toppings, but if you are a plane Jane kinda person, the total is $1.05! That's .07 per cake! Eat that, Store-bought frozen pancakes! Not to mention the amount of money you save from taking your family out to the local pancake house!
If you have young kids, you can add 1 banana and 4tbs of chocolate chips for another .45! Or you can add blueberries and vanilla for around .75! If you prefer waffles, add 1tbs of oil and 1 additional egg. Only adds around .25 to do this. So many variations to go off this simple pancake batter!
Also, on days when I am home and I don't feel like making up a fresh batch of pancakes or even waffles, I just make a double batch and freeze what we don't eat. This is nice because all you have to do is pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds or so and there you have yummy pancakes!