BBQ Chicken and Caramelized Onion Pizza

This pizza just melts in your mouth and leaves you wanting more!

Ready to make it? Here we go...

Caramelize the onions:

1 Red Onion, thinly sliced

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

Add the butter to a large frying pan.

Saute' the onions in the butter until softened; about 3 minutes.

Add the brown sugar to the onions and continue to saute' until they turn brown.

Keep frying the onions until they turn a darker brown.

Aaaah, golden love!

Spread out your dough in your pan or pizza stone

I also like to add corn meal to the bottom of the pan,

so it doesn't stick to the pan and it gives the bottom of the pizza a nice extra taste.

This is the fruit of the Gods, or at least the garlic gods.

Spread roasted garlic all over the pizza crust.

I am telling you you won't regret it.

Add your caramelized onions.

See how much darker they got?

Add your bbq chicken.

Add the mozzarella cheese and top it off with a few more pieces of bbq chicken.

Place the pizza in the oven at 475 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

This pizza is so good and worth the time it takes to make it. You can change up the type of onions , cheese or sauce you use and this pizza will just keep on giving back joy, yes, pure utter culinary joy.

I've said my peace and now I will go to pizza heaven.

The recipe please...

1 Red Onion, thinly sliced

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

1 Whole Roasted Garlic, smashed

2 - 3 Cups BBQ Chicken, cooked and chopped into 1/2" cubes

2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese, grated

Preheat your oven to 475 degrees.

Prepare your pizza dough and spread out on your pizza pan or pizza stone in your desired shape.

In a medium skillet add the butter and onions and fry them until the begin to soften then add the brown sugar and continue to fry the onions until they even more soft and brown. Set the onions aside.

Spread your roasted garlic over all of the pizza and add your caramelized onions.

Add you bbq chicken over the entire pizza, so that you get a bite of chicken in every mouthful.

Top your pizza off with the mozzarella cheese and a few pieces of the chicken.

Bake it for about 20 minutes or until a golden brown.

All photographs have been watermarked

Roasted Garlic

Have you ever attempted to roast garlic before?

Have you ever eaten roasted garlic before?

It is easy to do, it can be used on a variable of recipes, it tastes good and it is healthy for you, garlic that is. If you haven't eaten roasted garlic before you have no idea what you are missing.

Never fear I am here to show you how to do this.

1 Clove of garlic

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

With a sharp knife, cut the top of the bulb of the garlic.

See it's simple and easy.

Pour 1/2 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil on the tops of the garlic

and let it sit for two minutes to soak in the oil.

Pour another 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil over the tops of the garlic.

Place the garlic on a oven proof dish and cover with aluminum foil.

Cook in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes,
depending on how many bulbs you are roasting.

This is what it should look like when it comes out of the oven.

Don't worry if yours is a little darker than mine, ovens temperatures vary.

It still looks good no matter what angle you look at it.

Wat until the garlic cools before you handle the bulb to push out the cloves of garlic.

If your as impatient as me you can use a glove and a fork and pull them out.

Leave them whole and use them in spaghetti sauce or chicken marsala.

Or smash them with a fork and use them on pizza, focaccia bread, garlic bread or in dips.

As Eddie, from National Lampoons Christmas Vacation would say,

"It is goooooooooooood!"

Okay, I watch way to many movies and quote way too many lines. It's my job.

All photographs are watermarked.

Macro

 

** All photographs have an embedded watermarked

Earth Day

Today the entire country will be celebrating Earth Day. Earth Day is where as a nation, community, and as a family, we make a concentrated effort to take the necessary steps to be more diligent about conservation and the energy we waste in our daily lives.

For the last four years my family has changed the way we do things in our home. We have changed out all of our energy guzzling light bulbs and changed them out to the more energy efficient bulbs. Every plastic container gets washed out and put into the recycling bin along with every newspaper and envelope mailed to us. We are using more cotton towels in the kitchen rather than paper towels. It may be small steps, but every step we take is a step in the right direction. make the change in your home today.


Here are a few ways you can start today:

Change out incandescent light bulbs to high efficient bulbs

Change out your old windows for more insulated windows

Change out your old washer and dryer for a high efficient brand

Use power strips for all you heavily used outlet sockets

Turn off lights when you leave a room

Set your thermostat to 78 degrees during occupied times and 85 degrees when your not

Turn of equipment on nights and weekends when not n use

Use a energy saving setting on printers and copiers

Install solar panels to your home

Take a shower that is no longer than ten minutes

Contact your local home or utility center for rebates to upgrade to a more efficient home

Happy earth Day and remember change starts with you!

FIVE Hour Tour

Last Saturday I went to a book signing for the Pioneer Woman's Cookbook by Ree Drummand.  I was excited to get to meet  her and get a signed copy of her cookbook.  I had never been to this particular book store before and didn't know what to expect.  Little did I know my book signing adventure would turn into a five hour tour.  

As I walked in the door of the book store I was greeted with Ree's picture.  I headed to the counter to purchase my cookbook.  When you purchased your book you received a letter for a group you would be assigned to to get into line for the signing.  I was in group H, which meant I would have a bit of a wait till my group would be ready to get into line.  My poor husband had no idea what he was getting himself into!  I decided to roam around while I waited and I discovered a whole new world in this book store. 

They had several restaurants to grab a bite to eat at, tons of tables to chat and play games and below the book store there were stores to shop at.  

I decided to grab a table and sit and read through my book.  I happen to sit at a table with another "Pioneer Fan", which is what they called us over the load speaker and I began a conversation with the woman at the table.

 

 Meet Staci, from Kennewick, Washington.  Staci drove three and half hours, by herself, to be at this signing.  Staci had arrived at the book store at 1 PM in the afternoon and the signing wasn't until 5 PM.  She had gotten into group E, which wasn't much further away from my group.  You are beginning to get the idea of how many people were at this signing.  We began to waste away the time talking together.  She was sweet, friendly and it helped to pass the time with her.  It didn't matter that we had just met, but it always takes one common thread that pull people together to bond and ours happen to be Ree.  

We chatted and not long after another couple arrived at our table with their cookbooks and we  all began to talk.  It was like the time when I was young, much much younger, when my girlfriends and me would line up in the early morning hours to score tickets for a concert, except this time round I got to sit on a chair indoors, away from the rain outside.  

The table began to discuss the recipes in the book and which ones we had attempted and we were successful at.  About an hour and a half later they announced they would be lining up group E and we said goodbye to Staci.  My husband came to my table and sat down to do the wait with me till they called my group.  We continued to talk, ate California Rolls from the Japanese restaurant and by then the "Big Band" showed up to play for the crowd. You heard me right.  Every Friday and Saturday night the bookstore puts on a show with bands and the community can come and dance for free.  I couldn't believe it, in one place they had books, food, stores, bands, and signings.  I had wondered how the book store had arrived at their name and it wasn't until I saw the banners they had hanging up.

They were building their book store around one place, the community, in which they were located and to bring everyone together under one roof.  Well, their concept made an impression and the community latched right onto it.  By the time the band started to play the place was packed with people ready to dance.  I sat and watched a variety of ages of this community dance to the big band sounds and enjoying themselves thoroughly.  I decided to get some air and a few moments of quiet time and before I knew it it was time for my group to get into line.  My husband accompanied me in line so he could take pictures of me talking to Ree while she signed my book.

Okay, here is where it gets weird!  My husband always picks the perfect time to say the dumbest things to me.  I am three people away from getting my book signed and he turns to me and says, "You're going to start blabbering at her aren't you?"  I wasn't nervous to meet Ree, but now he had done it.  He made me feel insecure about my sometimes ranting I do when I get nervous.  What had started off to be be no big deal turned into an insecure tennis ball match in my head of me talking to myself, "Your gonna screw it up now.  Your gonna blab and embarrass yourself and say something stupid!"  Well, it worked and I did!

Ree was lovely, friendly and just as beautiful in person.  If she thought anything about my crazy nonsense talk, it doesn't show in her face.  I am glad I got my book signed, and  got to meet Ree, even if it was on a five hour tour!

I do have to say a special thank you to my husband for hanging in there with me through a very long wait, for taking the pictures of Ree signing my book and whom I suspect has a crush on her (do see me any in any of the pictures? I'm just sayin'), and for being the same nut job I married and still love after ten years of marriage, even with his morphed idea of funny. 

The best part of my five hour book tour?

All of it!

All photos have been watermarked

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Mmmm... Brown Sugary love!

Okay, you might say, "What is so new about Pineapple Upside Down Cake?"

Nothing really, but I have two good reasons to make this cake and share...

First:
Monday is Pineapple Upside Down Cake day.

Second:
It is my brother, Brian's, favorite cake and it happens to be his birthday!

Happy Birthday Brother Fry!

(Inside joke, don't ask)

There are a two common ways to make this cake; by scratch or by the box. I have made this recipe both ways. Today I am going to cheat and do it by the box, but I am going to give you some new steps you might not have thought of. Don't worry, I will include a recipe to make the yellow cake by scratch. Lets get stated.

1 Box of Yellow Cake Mix
2 - 3 Tablespoons of Butter
1 Can (20 ounces) of Pineapple Chunks, save a portion of the juice
1 Jar of Maraschino Cherries
Brown Sugar
Parchment Paper

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

New Tip:

When you go to mix the boxed yellow cake together, substitute a portion of the water with some of the pineapple juice from the canned pineapple. My boxed cake required 1 1/3 cup of water and substituted the 1/3 portion for the pineapple juice. Too much juice and it will change the recipe. I also add a teaspoon of vanilla extract just for a little push.

New Tip:

I also use a professional cake baking pan. They are taller than the average baking dish on the general market and think this cake looks better fuller.

Place the butter in the baking pan and place t in the oven to melt. When the butter has melted take it out of the oven and this is when you have to work quickly, so the butter doesn't cool and congeal.

Place the pineapple chunks in a nice pattern along with the cherries. I don't put too many cherries on the cake, which think can be overwhelming.

New Tip:

Most versions of this cake use pineapple rings or crushed pineapple. I don't use either. It is harder to cut through the rings when serving the cake and they usually slide off the cake leaving other pieces without any pineapple and I think the crushed pineapple has too much liquid in it to give a chance for the brown sugar to settle. With the chunks you can slice through the cake without issues and each piece you slice has pineapple in manageable bites.

New Tip:

Place a ring of the parchment paper around the sides of the pan. This Helps to slide the cake out when it comes time to flip the cake over.

Sprinkle a good amount of brown sugar over the entire cake pressing down the brown sugar around the edges and through out the cake. This will help to secure a solid cake top.

Pour in the entire cake mix over the pineapple brown sugar mix and place in the oven to bake for 40 minutes.

New Tip:

If after 40 minutes the top of the cake is still wobbly and the toothpick test comes out wet cook for 5 more minutes and then turn the oven off and leave the pan in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes. The heat will continue to bake the wet part of the cake without burning the rest of the cake.

If you use the smaller baking pans then half the cake mix between both pans and cook for 30 to 35 minutes.

After the cake has finished baking and cooled enough I still like to slice the top off the cake for an even bottom layer. This cake didn't necessary need a cutting, but it certainly helps in the flipping process.

This cake doesn't always land perfectly on the plate without falling apart, but man is it worth the process!

Yellow Cake Mix
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs
2/3 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Milk or Pineapple Juice
1 teaspoon Vanilla

All photographs have been watermarked

Tomato Basil Pizza

This is what pizza should taste like!

Today was my husbands birthday and he has been asking me to make him pizza from scratch. Now I have no problem cooking any of his requests, but the idea of making the dough by scratch really doesn't set my heart afire. But, it's his birthday and I want him to have a special birthday. I hated the idea of wasting great ingredients if the pizza dough was horrid. I love Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman, and one of her favorite meals is her homemade pizza. I trust that she test drives all her recipes and so I used her pizza dough recipe for my husbands birthday dinner request. I decided to photograph my process and you can see my pizza turned out just as hers did. Lets begin!

1 Teaspoon Active Dry Yeast or Instant Yeast

1 1/2 Cups Warm Water (105 - 115 Degrees)

4 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Here was my only mistake... the water was too hot to add the yeast.

Wait for it to cool between 105 to 115 degrees!

In a medium to large bowl I added the flour, salt, and extra virgin olive oil. and then added the yeast after it has mixed well with the warm water to become active.

Now I am not a rich girl and I would love to have one of those fancy smancy mixin' machines, but I don't. I just used what God gave me at the end of my arms. It was sticky and messy and all over my fingers, but it got the job done and it looked just like Ree's dough.

At this point rub olive oil in the bowl and fold the dough into a ball with a bit of olive oil over, so it won't stick to the bowl. I used my dough right away, but if you decide not to use your dough be sure to put plastic wrap over the top of the bowl and place it into the refrigerator.

Since this recipe yields two pizzas you will only need half of the dough to start your first pizza. Using either a cookie sheet or pizza stone and begin to shape your pizza by spreading out the dough into your desired shape. Next drizzle olive oil all over the dough and place generous helpings of basil on top of your pizza.

Package of fresh basil

2 Fresh Mozzarella Balls

2 - 3 Fresh Roma Tomatoes

Add your mozzarella.

Add your tomatoes. 

Add any extra mozzarella and add some Parmesan cheese.

Place your pizza in the lower half of your oven in a preheated oven at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the dough looks golden brown.

I have to say this was a tasty pizza and the dough was great. More important is that my husband was in pizza heaven and said, "This is the best pizza!" and two bites later he then said, "This is a really good birthday meal." and then he kissed me! Mission accomplished.

Enjoy!

All photographs have been watermarked.