Semi-homemade pizza

I've been checking out children's cookbooks from the library lately since Jen told me about some of the ones that she's read recently.  All of them listed mini pizzas as fun for kids to make and eat, so I decided that we would give it a try.  I bought the premade dough from Publix (a local grocery store).  I've tried to make dough, but kneading and I don't go well together so this was a good solution.  The great part about homemade pizza is that you can add whatever toppings you want, and as much as you want.

     My daughter doesn't like red sauce on her pizza, so she made the pizza with ricotta, mozzerella and parm cheeses.

    On my dough I put a light layer of Bertolli spaghetti sauce, then topped it with ricotta, calapari tomatoes, green pepper slices (from my garden!), pineapple, mozzerella, and parm cheese.  It was so good!

  My advice: when using fresh dough, brush it with olive oil and cook for about five minutes, then top with what you would like and bake until the cheese is melted and crust is done.  The time it took to get the crust to be done made the cheese a little browner than we like.  Also, for the white pizza, I would mix the ricotta with oregano, parsley, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Just to add a little more flavor.  They were really good though.  My youngest daughter doesn't usually like pizza (or dinner in general) and she ate two pieces.

Creamy Chicken Veggie Soup

This is a really easy recipe for a good soup.  I think it took me about 45 minutes to make this meal.

2 T butter/margarine

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 c skinny strips of onion

1/2 red pepper in strips

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 1/4 c chicken broth

1 1/2 c milk

2 chicken breasts or 6 tenders, cooked and cut up

pepper

garlic powder

parsley flakes

bit of nutmeg

half of a small bag of frozen broccoli

1. 
   
   
   In a large saucepan saute mushrooms, onions, and pepper in butter until the veggies are tender.  Stir frequently.
   
   
   
2. 
   
   
   In a bowl, combine soup and broth until smooth.  Add milk and stir until combined.  Add this to the saucepan.
   
   
   
3. 
   
   
   Stir in chicken.  Season with herbs as you like.  Add broccoli and heat until just boiling.  Reduce heat to low.  Cook until broccoli is tender-about 5 minutes.
   
   
   

We like to eat this with dinner rolls or crusty bread.  You could add as many vegetables as you want.

Hide-the-Healthy Chicken Soup

Chicken cut-ups or Whole chicken, skinned
Veges of your choice
Herbs
Seasoning
S & P

Chicken Soup is a great way to get nutrients to your kids. Shhhhh.... I've learned that my kids will pick out certain foods they don't like, so I hide them! When making Chicken Soup, I cook the chicken cut-ups and remove the meat. Continue cooking the bones to make more broth. While I am doing this, I skillet-fry onions, garlic, celery until well cooked.  (Very important to cook well or the broth will taste like raw onions!) I transfer these ingredients (or any other that my children dislike at that moment in time) to the blender and puree away. The kids love the flavor of the broth, the just don't like the slime of the onions, celery, mushrooms...  All the nurtrient and flavor... just hidden!! Then I prepare the rest of the veges--thick chunks of broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, etc. (Thick chunk help prevent mushy (hence, slimy) veges. After removing the bones from the broth, I add the pureed mixture and season with rosemary, thyme, and sometimes basil. Then, toss in the rest of the veges and cook. Season to taste with salt and pepper... Add noodles or rice. My love it with the Fluffly Spanish Rice--tastes fabulous!