Guess What We're Making...

Guess what we made

Yep! It's pizza night!

When we lived in Georgia we used to shop at Publix, and Publix bakery makes the best fresh pizza dough. I have not been able to find anything like that here in Ohio. However, I have always wondered about the "just add water" pouches, so when we were at the store last week I picked one up. Then, tonight Grandpa gave is some fresh picked tomatoes so we decided it was pizza night!

The dough literally was, "just add water" but Munchkin had a blast stirring. It also made me feel a little better that you had to "let it rise" for five minutes (I don't know why). 

In the meantime we opened the sauce, chopped the tomatoes, and got out the cheese and mushrooms. 

Once the dough was ready we had to roll it out on the pizza stone. Years ago I watched my uncle make a pizza at his bar and he sprinkled seasoning on the pan before rolling down the dough. Therefore, every time I've made pizza since then I've done the same. I always use an Italian herb seasoning...

And Alex loved shaking it (even if she didn't exactly make it onto the pizza stone). 

After rolling out the dough we assembled it just like any other pizza...

Etc. with tomatoes, mushrooms, and cheese. And then in the oven to bake...

I have to say I was impressed with the "just add water" pizza. It did not come close to Publix bakery, but everyone enjoyed. 

Oh, and since school is now under way I thought I would share some pictures of my finished classroom...

How Many Teeth Do We Have?

    This is a question I have asked myself a lot over the past year as my little one struggles to push those chompers through her gums.  Getting her first tooth at about 4 months was not a huge deal, however, it seems everyone of them is a different situation. She has had three ear infections, and spikes a fever almost every other time.  Therefore, when I found out my sweet little baby had a fever today my first thought was, "How many teeth do we have?".  Nothing is more sad than having your poor little baby lying on you because she does not feel good (even though I love the snuggles).
    After I picked the munchkin up from the babysitter's at lunchtime we came home and took a much needed nap together (she would not let me put her down, and I didn't really want to).  When we woke Dad was home, and after another dose of Tylenol Munchkin began to feel better.  Dad and her even played on the swings in the backyard for a while.  When it was time to start dinner she was feeling alright and wanted to help (and when baby is sick, baby gets what she wants).


So here we go...

Munchkin helped prepare the potatoes.  Tonight she learned how to wash them...

While I was slicing them she decided to pick up a raw piece, and therefore, she also learned that potatoes taste much better AFTER being cooked...

"Here Mom, you can have it back"

 

We also worked on cleaning up after ourselves, but it is much easier to wipe the counter off when she is not sitting on it.

While the potatos were cooking (I just sliced them, tossed with some oil and salt, and baked them on a pan at 350 for about 15 minutes) we started working on dessert...

I had some left over apple pie filling in the fridge that I have been meaning to get rid of so here is what we did

Munchkin's Apple Crisp:

Apple Pie Filling
1/4 C Brown Sugar
1/4 C Flour
Dash cinnamon
4 TBS butter


Spread the Pie filling in the bottom of a baking dish.  Mix the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter to the consistency of dry dough.  Crumble the mixture over the apples.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, and broil for 5 minutes.

I let Munchkin try a little of the crumbly topping and she was begging for more of course.

By the time that was ready to go in the oven the potatoes were finished, and ready to come out.  Munchkin, for the most part, eats what we do; however, sometimes there are modification we have to make for toddlers.  I knew that she would eat and love potatoes just about anyway I cook them (aside from handing her a whole baked potato), but the chicken Caesar wraps for tonight were a little different.  Tortillas are hard for her to eat because she tries to put too much in her mouth, and since they don't really dissolve she has a hard time getting them chewed and swallowed.  Also, I can hardly pick up a wrap and keep it together while eating so I think that is a little much to ask of a toddler.  Therefore, I mixed the chicken and cheese from inside the wrap (no lettuce), and added a little Caesar dressing.  This way she was eating what we were minus the hard to eat tortilla.

We're working on using a fork, and as you can see it's going real well

FINALLY...

Our apple dessert was delicious, and we enjoyed it with a little homemade ice cream.

Pickled Cucumbers and Onions

These are one of my favorites, and another memory of living with my grandma. Therefore, when we visited Grandma and she gave me some cucumbers from her garden I knew it was time for some pickling. 

"Mom, what does pickled mean?"

Well, my Lil one, add Vinager to just about anything, and you've pickled. 

These don't look like the pickles I've had...

(Mmmm, Munchkin loves pickles)

Nope, this taste different, but i'll eat it. 

Anyway, while munchkin was pondering the art of pickling I was crying over my chopped onion. 

Now, read carefully because this is pretty simple. 

Mix one chopped cucumber and one sliced onion

Add one cup of Vinager, sugar, and water

Stir, seal with lid, and place in fridge for at least several days. 

Voila!!! We'll see if munchkin likes them when they're done. 

Asian Drumsticks

I have to admit I am having a bit of a hard time getting back into the swing of things. Not only did I just return from vacation, but I started school.  Munchkin helped me get everything set up...

Well, sort of. 

We have been cooking a little and eating out a little. Also, the weather has been beautiful here in Ohio. Therefore last night Alex and I cooked dinner to eat out on the patio. 

Asian drumsticks...

One of Dad's favorite foods is chicken, especially drumsticks. However, I have never actually cooked them before so Munchkin and I were about to venture into uncharted territory. 

Can you sense the excitement?

We started by washing the drumsticks, seasoning with a little salt and pepper, and then baking for about 20 min. 

After this we coated them with this Asian skillet sauce from Campbells, and baked a little more. 

While waiting on dinner Munchkin grew a little impatient and shared a banana with Daddy. 

Everyone thought dinner turned out pretty good...

Even Lil Munchkin!

Drumsticks- check

Lobster Shanty

Our last night in Florida we went to my favorite place to eat... The Lobster Shanty. I can never resist good seafood, and when the place sits right on the ocean you know the fish is fresh. 

Here is how the meal went for the Munchkin and I...

Appetizer

They make the best corn fritters EVER!  I handed one to Alex and said, "here, hold this so I can take a picture, and this is what she did. 

  

What a little stinker!

We always get there before 6 to get the earl bird special. YES!  This involves salad bar and dessert with your meal.

Salad bar

Munchkin enjoyed some of my cottage cheese, and more corn fritters. 

Main Meal

I ordered crab stuffed haddock with a sweet potato. Alex had a few bites of my fish, but that night she wanted nothing to do with my sweet potato (go figure). However, Great Grandma had fried shrimp (dad's favorite). She's never had shell fish because we weren't sure about allergies so we took a risk. She loved the fried shrimp and kept begging Great Grandma for more (and apparently she's not allergic to shell fish). 

At this point during dinner Great Grandma (and everyone else) was mesmerized by the dolphins swimming by right out the window, but Munchkin didnt notice since we really only saw the fins appear every once in a while. 

While we waited for dessert Munchkin observed the view to see if the dolphins were still around. 

Dessert

Chocolate ice cream... Enough said!

This is one of my favorite pictures from the whole trip!

In conclusion, Lobster Shanty was a success (as usual). 

The next day we headed home and to make a long story short here are the highlights of the trip...

17 hour ride that took 22 hours

4 hours in parked traffic due to accident

3 diaper changes in the car (1 blowout)

1 very tired mama, and 1 really well behaved baby

Back to reality, and cooking now!

Aunt Catfish

This post has taken a little while, but last week we made a very important visit

To Daytona (about a two hour drive). We made this drive to visit a special lady by the name of Lucille. Lucille is Lil Munchkin's great great great aunt. Yes, you read it right there are three greats!  In the 9 years I have been with my husband I have not met her and she was dying to meet Alex so we were excited for the visit. 

Lucille recently moved into an assisted living place that is not like any I have ever been in. While there are people there for her she has her

Own little apartment with bedroom, bath, living room, and her own kitchen (however, she admitted that the cafeteria is so good that she has only used her kitchen to boil water for tea once). She was also able to bring her own furniture from her home, and she has people clean, make her bed, and do her laundry. I kept joking that she had it so good that Alex and I were going to move in. Lil Munchkin; however, did not know what to think about the abundance of attention from the residence here. 

Lucille is a very funny and sweet woman, and I am so glad we got to meet her. 

Now, to the second part of our trip to Daytona... Aunt Catfish's. 

We went out to lunch at a great little restraunt called (you guessed it) Aunt Catfish's. They are famous for thier salad bar and cinnamon rolls so that is exactly what I got. Also, it is easy to do a salad bar and find something for Munchkin to eat. Here are the items that were on that salad bar that are not typically on your everyday, run of the mill, salad bar:

1. Cheesy grits (ah, the south) 

2. Pickled water melon rind (yep, tried it and did not like it!)

3. Beets (pickled yum)

4. Seafood gumbo

5. Homemade croutons!

Even with all this great food Munchkin mostly ate Great Grandpa's pulled pork sandwich. 

The best part about Aunt Catfish's, though, was that it sat right on the ocean. Therefore, after lunch we ventured out to the dock. We tried to feed the fish, but apparently they were not hungry. That is when we found this...

No, it's not real, but she thought it was pretty cool. Munchkin also enjoyed looking for more fish (or trying to kick her shoe in the ocean). 

It was super hot and sunny, and Alex actually kept her sunglasses on while we were out on the dock. 

We had a great visit, but did not head back before making a stop at the nearest Save-A-Lot to buy diapers because Munchkin went through one too many. 

Tomorrow is our last day here, and we

Are going to my favorite restraunt!  I know there hasn't been a lot of cooking, but it's back to reality soon.