Foodie Friday-Camping Edition

A few weeks ago, we took our kids (and mom) on a week long camping trip.  We haven't been for a couple of years so we were uber excited about going.  Whenever we go, we have to have at least one Dutch Oven dinner.  Our most favorite?  That would be Barbecue Chicken Pizza (my mouth is watering just typing the words)

Pizza in a Dutch Oven?!?! Yep!  And, I will show you how yummy-and easy-it is.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza (Deep Dish)

Crust:                                                               Pizza:

1 Tbsp yeast (or 1 yeast pkt)                            1 recipe pizza crust
1 c warm water                                                 1 c bbq sauce
1 Tbsp sugar                                                     2-3 c mozzarella cheese
1/4 - 1/2 c olive oil                                           1/2 onion thinly sliced (I used red onion)
1 tsp salt                                                           1/2 green pepper thinly sliced
3 c flour                                                            1-2 c shredded cooked chicken

For the crust: Mix the yeast, water and sugar, then let sit for 5 min.  Stir in the oil and salt, then add flour and kneed until smooth, adding more flour if needed.  Let dough rest for 10-15 min. 

For the pizza:  Oil a preheated oven.  Roll out the pizza crust and place it in the oven, letting the dough curve up the sides to create a shallow bowl for toppings.  Pour bbq sauce over crust and spread it evenly.  Top with the chicken and veggies and cheese.  Cook at 375 degrees (16 coals on bottom, 10 on top) for 30-35 min.

I pre-grilled the chicken at home.  I also sauteed the the onions and mushrooms before putting them on the pizza (by pre-cooking the veggies, it draws out the extra moisture so you don't have a soggy crust).  We also put tomatoes on top.  Next time, I will add the tomatoes right before we serve it. 

We also made one with just chicken and cheese for my cheese-only-pizza-lovin son.  The crust on that one turned out even better than the loaded one (could be due to the tomatoes). I think I know what we are having for dinner tonight : )

I am linking up to these sites.

http://www.delicateconstruction.com/
http://simplydesigning.blogspot.com/
http://whipperberry.com

Craft Wars Preview Party

You all know the saying "It's all in who you know" right?  Well, in this case it really is true.  See, I know this girl Mandi

As in met-her-in-real-life-and-drove-her-home-from-this-party-know-her.  She and her cute friend Jilly was on this little show called

Her other cute friend Bridgette helped her out by hosting a party, when her episode aired, at her parent's house. 

The only catch being that they were only opening it up to 100 attendees. I jumped at the chance and RSVP'd (hey, I would've come if was was being held in 1 hour away!)  Wouldn't you know it, I was number 10!!  And, at this point, the only one I knew was Mandi-but that's why I was going to this party right?  About 2 days later, my mom called to tell me about this party in which I told her that I was going. She asked if I could RSVP for her.  She ended up being #94-whew! just made it in ;)
We walked in the door to Mandi saying that she was so glad that we came and gave us a huge hug,  We were also greeted with amazing swag bags from Pick your Plum,

a photo booth-

my mom, me & Ashlee-she made the nummy Craft Wars cake

very yummy cupcakes from One Sweet Slice

a breathtaking view

and lots of talented women-some of which I actually know.

And, in case you are wondering. No, she didn't win--BOOO!  But the party was so much fun.  If you want to see how she got picked to be on the show, go here.  And, if you want to see her redeem herself (and her project), go here.

Foodie Friday- Recipie included

You may remember that a while ago, I posted about the day we had breakfast for two of our three meals.  Well, you are finally getting the recipes that I used for them.  I will also include the picture of the food as a reminder.

First up:Wake 'Em Up Breakfast Casserole

1 lb sausage, ham, bacon
8 eggs
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder (or 1tsp prepared mustard)
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 c. cottage cheese
1 c. each shredded swiss cheese and cheddar cheese
4 c. frozen shredded hash browns
1/2 c your favorite vegetable-optional (we used onions and tomatoes)

In a skillet, brown sausage or cook bacon til crispy. In a large bowl combine eggs, mustard, green pepper, salt, pepper and cottage cheese.  Mix until eggs are slightly beaten.  Add cheeses and hash browns, mix well.  Add meat and any optional veggies.  Pour into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350 deg. for 35-40 min. or til center is well-set and edges are browned.  Let sit for 10 min. before cutting.  Serves 8
**Casserole can be made the night before and kept in the fridge.  Add an additional 10-15 min to the baking time.
**Bake in muffin tins to make individual casseroles that are perfect for brunch. Decrease cooking time to 25-35 min.

Next up: Pancake Sausages on a Stick

16 breakfast sausages links
3 c. pancake mix
1 c. yellow cornmeal
sprinkle of cinnamon
1 whole egg, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla ( I added maple syrup instead of vanilla)
3 c. water
Canola oil, for frying
chopsticks (or skewers)

Cook the sausage. In a large bowl, combine the pancake mix, cornmeal and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
Add the eggs, vanilla (or maple) and water. adding more water as needed for the batter to become slightly thick (but not overly gloopy) Start out by adding 1 c. then work your way up to 3 c. or more.  Heat some canola oil in a large pot over med-hi heat to about 350 deg. Drop in a bit of batter to see if it's ready; the batter should immediately start to sizzle but should not immediately brown/burn. 
Insert chopsticks into the cooked breakfast sausages so that they're are two-thirds of the way through. Carefully drop into the oil (stick and all) and use tongs or a spoon to make sure it doesn't hit the bottom of the pan and stick. Flip it here and there to ensure even browning, and remove it from the oil when the outside is deep brown, 2-3 minutes.
Serve with warm pancake syrup.

And, lastly: Peanut Butter Banana French Toast

**This recipe is for one serving so multiply the eggs per person.
Two slices of day-old bread (only if you have it-still good with fresh bread)
Make a sandwich with peanut butter and banana
Egg mixture:
one whole egg whisked
2 Tbsp orange juice
pinch freshly grated ginger
pinch cinnamon
pinch cayenne

Place sandwich in a heated iron skillet or non-stick pan that has a pat of melted butter.  Allow to brown on each side.
Serve with syrup and powdered sugar.

Light it up BLUE

What is Light it up Blue?

Join Autism Speaks in celebrating World Autism Awareness Day on April 2 and Light It Up Blue to help shine a light on autism. Whether it's your front porch or your local city hall, an office party or a banquet, the whole world is going blue to increase awareness about autism.

Light It Up Blue, in its third year, is a unique global initiative to help raise awareness about the growing public health concern that is autism. Iconic landmarks around the world will Light It Up Blue to show their support.

Join us now and help shine a light on autism.

Foodie Friday- Breakfast All Day!!

Last Sunday, we decided that it would be Breakfast Day.  I found a couple new recipes that I wanted to try out.  Every so often, we have Brinner.  Well, sitting at the table that morning, hubby announces that 'today is special because we are having brinner tonight'.  I was a little thrown off, because I was planning brinner for Wednesday night. But, I just went with it.
This first recipe was found in the book English Trifle by Josi Kilpack.  It is called 'Wake 'em Up Breakfast Casserole.

 The cool thing about this recipe is that you can customize it to your own likes.  We used bacon, onions, green peppers and tomatoes.  You can use any kind of meat: bacon, sausage, ham etc.  And any kind of vegetables: onions, mushrooms. peppers, broccoli, tomatoes etc.  Heck, you could even try it with crab, lobster or salmon (you just might not want to use the cheddar cheese).

For dinner we had Peanut Butter Banana French Toast and Pancake Sausage on a Stick.

{don't know why it's sideways, but you get the idea}

I saw the French Toast on Pinterest here. I just didn't know if {A} wanted a Banana Peanut Butter Sandwich, so I just made regular French Toast for him.  But, he ate it all up and didn't even ask for anything different. 

The other day, while watching The Pioneer Woman, she made Breakfast for Dinner and Dinner for Breakfast.  She made these Pancake Sausages on a Stick-which I thought would be perfect for brinner, since my kids keep asking me to make them. 

All the food turned out to be a hit!  We will be making more of this again!

Recipes to come soon!

Linking:

Gwenny Penny {POV}

12 on the 12th

Here are my twelve photos of my day.  I hope you enjoy them!

Dropping J off at Orchestra//Headed off to my appointments (lab kits)//finding inspiration at Bed, Bath & Beyond//looking for storage options for my office (taking two days off this week to clean, organize!!)//walking to pick J up from school//taking a break at the park before J gets out of school// FLOWERS!!!//WEARING CAPRIS!!!//sending samples to lab//watching kids play kickball//Brittany asking J to play//A running to play with J and neighbor girls

Linking:

Dear Lizzy

The Simple Things

Ella Publishing

Crafty Scrappy Happy