Mmmmmm. Calzones

Hello all! I have been slacking these last couple of days with my post. I was going to blog yesterday but had a headache so I rested instead. I cannot believe how hot it is already. I know, it's the start of summer but jeez..... I miss the 80's already. It almost makes it hard to go in the kitchen and bake. Almost. If I couldn't bake then how would I relieve my stress. That would be a nightmare:(

I went to the zoo yesterday with my friends and their kids and had so much fun. Kids are so cute! I believe I got a headache from the heat but I think it was worth it. I love spending the day with my friends. While, I was at the zoo I was trying to decide what to make for dinner. Calzones. That was the answer. I love calzones and had not had them in a while. I guess being around the kids made me think of what foods I liked to eat as a kid. That lead me to pizza but then I thought about making a little more grown up version.
This proved to be challenging to me. It's a little harder than it looks.

I first started with the dough. I used a recipe that I had found for pizza dough. I used a combination of two recipes and added a little twist.

Pizza Dough
adapted from Mark Bittman and the Pioneer Woman

Ingredients
4 c of all-purpose flour
1 packet of yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c of olive oil
 1 1/2 c of warm water

Directions
Combine warm water, yeast, sugar, and honey in Kitchenaid bowl. Let the yeast active and get foamy. Add the olive oil, salt, and flour to the bowl. Turn on the mixer on medium speed and mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It should be a little sticky to the touch. If it is too sticky add a little more flour. Take dough out and knead for about a minute. Place into a well oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 2 hours. After dough has risen punch down and divide into 4 portions. Roll out as desired.

 Something was not quite right with my calzones. Either I needed more dough or the calzones were too large. Maybe it only made 3 portions comfortably and not 4.

I know. That one is kind of ugly.
Then after the dough was done rising and I divided it into 4 portions it was time to stuff the calzones with some toppings.

These are some of the toppings we used for ours.

 Fill the calzones and fold them over. Seal the openings and prick with a fork all over so that they do not bubble up. Add a couple of vent holes so the steam can be released. Bake at 475F for 15 minutes until golden on top and cooked through. Enjoy.

Before picture.

After. Looks good doesn't it.

It was good! Will be making this again but with more dough. I hope you are having a wonderful day:)

Happy Memorial Day

First and foremost I want to say thanks to all the men and women who have served or are currently serving in the Armed Forces. My sister and brother in law are currently serving in the Army and I am very proud of them. Love you guys!

How were everyone's cookouts? Like I said yesterday, no cookout for me, work instead. Boo! Hiss! Oh well, someone has to do it. On another note one of my good friend's and their son's birthday is today. Happy birthday Roo and Bubba! love you guys:P

I told her that I would make her something chocolaty for her birthday.

She is one of those strange people that does not like fruit or what she terms chunks in her food. Can you believe that? I know. Like I said weird. Any who, I wanted to make her something good for her special day and I came across this post for look a like Hostess Cupcakes on the blog My Baking Addiction. You can find the recipe on her website http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/hostess-inspired/ if you want to give it a try. I know mine did not look like her pictures and my ganache definitely did not look like hers on the first try.

Picture muddy waters. Better yet, Just look at the picture.

Which made the cupcake uuuuugly.

Which then caused me to act like a two year old. Picture crying, feet stomping, followed by some good pouting. I know....not pretty at all. I almost gave up but the hubby was like calm down its chocolate. You can't go wrong with chocolate. He offered to eat all of them himself. I told him no.

I decided to give it another try after dragging myself back off the couch. It's a good thing too. They ended up looking pretty good if I do say so myself.

Then I decorated them.

Now check out the inside.

Like I said they turned out looking good. I hope she likes them.

The one complaint my hubby had was they were hard to get off the cupcake liners. Maybe they were a tad underdone. They were still very moist and he liked them. I can't wait to give them to her tomorrow!

Good thing I did not throw them on the floor when I had the urge to. You know, things don't always work out the way you imagined or planned but you just have to roll with the punches. That's how you learn. I have got to learn not to be so hard on myself. I am not a professional and am still learning. Sometimes recipes don't come out right the first time. You have to keep trying.

I hope everyone had a safe and happy weekend!

BBQ without the BBQ

I know everyone this weekend are either planning their barbeques or attending one but I drew the short stick and have to work:(. That's okay I am going to make sure I'm off 4th of July weekend for a camping trip with the hubby and some friends. For people that know me, I am not big on camping. I have only been once but it was aweful. We wanted to go fishing and camping but on the first day the lake was closed so no fishing. Boo! On the second day, the temperature dropped and it rained like crazy. It was soooooo cold. Not fun at all. This time I am hoping it will be different. I know it's not going to be cold because I now live in AZ and it is almost summer and it hardly rains here so I am not going to really worry about that. Here's to a great trip. Woo hoo!

I digressed. Back to this weekend. I did not have time to grill out so instead I took advantage of my crock pot and made BBQ Pork Sandwiches. They turned out great! I may not have attended a BBQ but this made up for it. Hooray! I tried a recipe out of the Fix -It - and Forget it Cookbook with just a few changes. I think it worked. The sandwiches were delicious.

BBQ Pork Sandwiches
adapted from Fix-It-and Forget-It (written by Eleanor Larson for Barbecued Beef Sauce)

Ingredients
2 lb Pork Loin
1 large onion diced
1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c ketchup

1/3 c cider vinegar                                                                      
2 T molasses
8 oz can tomato sauce
12 oz beer (I used Dos XX amber)
2 cloves of garlic diced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: combine all ingredients in crock pot except Pork Loin. After mixed together add the pork loin, prick it a few times with a fork a few times so sauce can penetrate and turn it in sauce. Spoon some additional sauce on top. Cook for 8 hrs. Turn it half way through if possible. If not possible it is okay. Shred the meat with two forks and stir it in sauce. Serve on favorite rolls or buns.

Enjoy it with fries if desired. I love fries:) I hope everyone has a fun and safe weekend.

Thanks guys:)

Since I started this blog and became a member of foodbuzz, I have been inspired by so many of my fellow bloggers. They come up with things I would never have thought of and flavor combinations I have never dreamt of. Thanks everyone:) I owe my expanding creativity to you guys. Y'all are helping me to become a better cook and grow in skill.

Today, I decided I needed a little break from the heavy foods but instead wanted to make myself a healthy smoothie. I saw one of my fellow bloggers make a smoothie not too long ago and they added spinach to it. Again. Why did I not think of that? All I can say is I did not know what I was missing. Yummy!

My Healthy Smoothie

Ingredients
1 peach
1 banana
1 cup of spinach
1 cup of strawberries
1 T agave nectar
1/4 c of soy milk
6 oz of yogurt
add ice if desired

Directions
combine all ingredients in blender and process.

Enjoy:)

I know it ended up a weird brownish-green color but it was delish. I am definitely starting my day tomorrow with one. I am sure it will be a different flavor combination, but I am hooked.

I hope everyone has a great day:)

My first pesto

For so long I had been intimidate by pesto. I always thought it would be a little difficult to make and lets not talk about the cost of pine nuts. Ouch! That all changed today. No. Not the cost of pine nuts but the intimidation factor. I have read fellow bloggers post about non-traditional pestos and have also witnessed some of the celebrity chefs make them as well. I figured...what the hay? I can do it too! I actually was wondering around a Sprouts Grocery Store and inspiration struck. Today is girls day and I figured why not make a sandwich wrap for each of us but instead of mayo or mustard, how about a pesto sauce?

I walked over to the herb section and guess what? No basil. Wa wa! Then I started thinking if I was not using pine nuts why does it have to be basil. Something leafy and green could take its place. I  then noticed spinach was on sale. Hmm. This could work. I grabbed a bunch and wandered to the nut bins. Sunflower seeds were on sale and they were about the same size as pine nuts. It also didn't hurt that they are delicious. I bought some and decided to use them in my pesto.

It was genius. It was definitely an aha moment. It is delicious!
I will never be intimidated by pesto again and I am now going to experiment with different combinations of greens and nuts. The possibilities are endless. This pesto also tasted awesome on my wraps. If you are also intimidated by pesto..don't be. It's easy, tasty and will make you feel like a fantabulous cook:)

Here is the recipe for this wonderful pesto. I hope you enjoy it!

Spinach Pesto

Ingredients
 4 c of  baby spinach
1/2 c of grated Parmesan
1/2 c of sunflower seeds
2 cloves of garlic
1/2  c olive oil
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
add spinach, Parmesan, sunflower seeds, garlic, and lemon juice to food processor. Pulse. While the processor is running, stream in olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add it to your favorite wrap or pasta.

I hope you have a great day.