Onion & Bacon Pizza (with a creamy sauce)

Change is good. How about instead of making your regular (and let’s face it…sometimes boring) pizza tonight…you switch it up and try some new flavors instead. Sound good? Good.

My mama is the dough making queen. When it comes to making it I feel that there is some added pressure to make it half as good as she does. When I came across this dough recipe it seemed to easy to mess up.

DOUGH (makes 2 medium thin crust pizzas)

3 cups of flour

2 tsp. of salt

1 ½ tsp. of quick-rising yeast

2 tbsp. of olive oil

1 cup of warm water. I usually end up adding another 2 tbsp of warm water until I get good dough that’s not to hard and not too sticky

Mix dry ingredients together and then add the oil and water. Turn on your oven to 400.

SAUCE

1 cup of sour cream

1 cup of ricotta cheese

Salt and pepper

Blend together until smooth. I use my magic bullet - works like a charm.

TOPPINGS

Bacon. Fry until it’s almost crispy. Cooking it in the oven will finish it off leaving it with the perfect amount of crispiness.

Yellow pepper. Cubed. (not shown in the pictures….I didn’t have any at the time)

1/2 an onion. Sautéed in lots of butter ;)

Sharp cheddar. Of course any cheese will do but I found that this cheese always has such a nice flavor – especially with these ingredients.

As you may notice in the pictures I:

1.) Rolled the dough as thin as I could so I could get a thin crust. Don’t roll out your second pizza until it’s ready to go in the oven otherwise it will rise and you’ll end up with thick crust.

2.) Loaded the sauce on. When I first made this recipe I added as much sauce as I would pizza sauce on the dough but it’s way better if you go nuts with it!

And 3.) Only added a bit of cheese. All of these flavors go so good together so you don’t need to drown it with cheese.

Cook for 15-20 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and viola! Let me know what you think and if you find some other yummy toppings that go good with it. Enjoy :)

Pepperoni Cheese Buns

To all of my followers who don't think you can make some killer buns…this is my dear mother's recipe that she has been using since I can remember. I always thought that because she could whip them up with her eyes closed (hardly an exaggeration) the chances of me being able to make them when I got out on my own were slim to none. I mean, bun making is a science! Simply follow these fool proof steps and you will be making buns that will impress in no time at all. 

Mama's Bun Recipe

3 1/2 cups of warm water
1/2 cup of sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp of salt
1/2 cup of oil
8-10 cups of flour
2 packages of quick-rising yeast

Mix the first five ingredients until blended together. Although the salt should be dissolved at this point, add 2 cups of flour and then 2 packages of yeast (this will lessen the chances of the salt killing the yeast). 

This is the yeast I use. One package is equivalent to 2 1/4 teaspoons. Whether mixing with a handy Kitchen Aid mixer or by hand, continue to add flour until the dough isn't sticky (easy to handle). Once it's ready to rise put it in a large slightly greased bowl, cover with a dish towel, and set aside. 

Pepperoni sticks work wonderfully for these buns - simple cut your sticks in half and then in half again lengthwise. Cut up some cheese and set aside. Margarine two pans. By the time you are done prepping this stuff your dough will be ready. I rolled out a plum size piece of dough and it wrapped up perfectly. I like extra cheese, both in the middle and on the top. Make sure to put your pitched side facing up because most of them will slightly split open and you don't want your cheese to leak out. Cook in the oven for 15-20 at 350° fahrenheit (I took mine out at 18 minutes). I was able to make 45 buns with this recipe. 

Wait till you see how impressed you'll be with yourself after taking a bite of one of these guys. Nothing beats from-scratch buns. 

Be sure to let me know if you have any questions! Enjoy. 

Keep Warm!

Hello friends.

Oh, ‘tis the season to be busy! My husband and I kept saying once summer was over things would be quiet but it seems that isn’t the case. The great thing about keeping busy is that it really makes you appreciate the nights consisting of only Gilmore Girls and popcorn. 

If you haven’t tried Second Cup’s London Fog you are missing out. It’s such a deliciously creamy drink I just had to learn how to make it so I could enjoy it more often without having to leave my home. I creepily leaned over the counter on several occasions watching their every movement so I could get it to taste exactly the way they make it. Follow these very simple steps to create this yummy latte:

Ingredients:

2 Cups of 2% Milk

1 Tbsp. Torani Vanilla Syrup

1 Tea Bag of Earl Grey

Directions:

*NOTE: The measurements above are for a regular size mug, adjust accordingly. 
- Start by stirring your milk and syrup together in your mug. You can purchase Torani syrup at any Second Cup or online. 
- Put in the microwave for 2 minutes. 
- Time to froth. There are many ways to froth your milk; Second Cup use a steamer. Some  coffee machines include one but a simple hand frother or magic bullet work wonderfully. I let it froth for 30 seconds - 1 minute. 
- After it's finished pour only half of the milk into your mug. Throw in your tea bag and stir it around with a spoon until your milk is colored. Pour the rest of the milk and ring out your tea bag. I usually give it a swirl with the end of my spoon to dress it up. 

What?! That's it? Yep. That's it! 

If the following picture doesn't convince you to get up and make one right now, I don't know what will. Keep warm and enjoy!