I'm sad to say...

...my computer has officially died (it was dying a slow death) and it'll be at least a week or two till I get a new one and until then I will not be posting!  :(  I was so excited to start the new year off right and to start back up blogging but then this happened!  But the good news is I'm still cooking so I will be collecting lots of recipes to post once I get a new computer!  If you know of any good computers/deals please let me know...I'm clueless about electronics, I don't like Dell computers thought because I've had a bad experience but other than Dell all I've ever had is HP. 

Spinoccoli Pizza

So every once in awhile we make Pizza and since me and Lee have different tastes in Pizza I usually make us each one and then have leftovers.  This time my Dad joined us so I had 3 pizzas to make but this time I decided to make me Spinoccoli Pizza instead of my usual pepperoni with pineapple and it was AMAZING!  Of course neither my Dad or Lee would try it, I did get Lee to try the white sauce and when I tried to get my Dad to he just laughed and said "I'm not married to you so I don't have to!"  It's another Annie recipe, I usually hate to post back to back Annie recipes but I figured since I just posted about her amazing Pizza Dough yesterday I might as well post this.  FYI-I did not use the homemade dough because I had coupons to get free Boboli pizza crusts that expired 12/31 so I had quite a few to use up, and if you don't make the Pizza Dough then I suggest trying Boboli-they are pretty good. 

Spinoccoli Pizza
For the white sauce:
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. flour
¾ cup heavy cream or half-and-half
1 clove garlic, smashed
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
For the pizza:
Pizza Dough
Olive oil, for brushing
½ cup packed baby spinach leaves, torn
1 cup very small broccoli florets
2 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 oz. shredded cheddar cheese (I didn't use cheddar cheese) 
Grated Parmesan

In a small sauce pan melt the butter and then whisk in the flour, keep whisking until it bubbles.  Add the heavy cream and the garlic, whisk until thick.  Take off the heat, add the Parmesan cheese and salt/pepper.

To make the pizza, preheat the oven and a pizza stone at 500˚ F for at least 30 minutes.  Roll out the pizza dough into a 12-14 inch round.  Lightly brush the perimeter of the dough with olive oil.  Spread a thin layer of the white sauce over the crust, leaving a border clear around the edge for the crust.  Sprinkle the torn spinach leaves over the white sauce.  Evenly distribute the broccoli florets over the dough.  Layer evenly with the shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.  Finish with additional grated Parmesan, if desired.  Transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Adapted from Annie's Eats.

Pizza Bites

I'm BACK!!!  When I started this blog my goal was to one day be like Annie or The Pioneer Woman and I still hope to be like them one day but I think I was expecting too much out of myself too soon with trying to post 4-5x a week.  Don't worry, I'm still going to blog as much as I can every week but I'm going to aim at about 3x a week.  Now let's talk about Pizza Bites...

Speaking of Annie, this is one of her recipes and I'm so happy to be sharing it with you all.  This is perfect to serve while watching a game with friends, so if you are planning a Super Bowl Party or going to one I would suggest putting this on your list.  This is also a great meal when you don't have much time because you can do the pizza dough ahead of time and then it takes about 5min. to throw it together!  And this Pizza Dough is amazing...I'd suggest making homemade pizza's with it!  I'm not providing the recipe for the dough, I'd suggest going to the link I provided.  I was going to give it to you but Annie has a really great tutorial about homemade pizza crust along with the recipe. 

Pizza Bites
½ batch pizza dough (enough for 1 pizza)
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed (about 20-24 pieces)
Sliced pepperoni
Pizza Sauce (for dipping)

For topping:
Olive oil
Italian seasoning
Grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9in. pie plate or cake pan.  Divide the dough into 20-24 pieces.  Place a cube of cheese and pepperoni on top of a piece of dough and then wrap the dough around it, repeat until finished.  Place seam side down in dish.  Lightly brush the tops with olive oil, then sprinkle with Parmesan and Italian seasoning.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. 

Adapted from Annie's Eats.

I'll be back soon...

I apologize to the few readers I do have for taking some time off from blogging.  It's not as easy for me as it is for "normal" people to juggle cooking, blogging, and the holidays.  Actually I've even been slacking on the cooking end too (my husband pointed that out) but I'm having a minor outpatient procedure on Thursday so next week I plan on getting back to cooking and blogging as long as everything goes good!  So see you all soon and I hope you all have a good New Years! 

Green Bean Casserole

This isn't the traditional GB-Casserole with the canned soup and canned/frozen green beans, this is what I consider to be 100% homemade or as close to it as you can be.  I guess you could always make the fried onions yourself rather than out of a can.  But anyways this was delicious and while I was eating I heard a couple people ask who made them and comment about them.  And the best thing about them is they don't really take long to make. 

Green Bean Casserole
2 pounds Fresh Green Beans, Ends Cut Off
4 slices Bacon, Cut Into 1/4 Inch Pieces
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
½ whole Large Onion, Chopped
4 Tbsp. Butter
4 Tbsp. All-purpose Flour
2-½ cups Whole Milk
½ cups Half-and-half
1-½ tsp Salt, More To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
⅛ tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 jar (4 Ounce) Sliced Pimentoes, Drained
Extra Milk For Thinning If Necessary
1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs or French's Fried Onions

Boil green beans and then drain them and set to the side.  Add bacon to a skillet and cook for a few minutes and then add the garlic and onion and cook until the bacon is done but not crisp. 

In a separate skillet or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle flour into the pan and whisk immediately to evenly mix it into the butter. Cook for a minute or two, then pour in milk and half and half. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, while sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne then add the grated cheddar. Stir while cheese melts. Turn off heat.

Add the onion mixture and the pimentos then pour over the green beans and stir gently. (you can do this is the dish you plan on baking it in or feel free to dirty another dish and do it in that.)  Sprinkle either the Panko bread crumbs or the onions over the green beans. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Adapted from Pioneer Woman.