I have been eating so many oranges lately…
Not because I choose to get up and get one out of the fridge and peel it…
no…
it is because Khéna figured out that he can peel oranges and loves to do so but doesn’t like to eat them… so many times a day he gets an orange out of the fridge, peels it and brings it to me… or to his brothers…
At least they are good for us… lol
The way I shop for groceries has evolved so much over the years… and what I choose has changed greatly….
I cringe when I think of the things I used to buy when I moved into my first apartment… a lot of pre-packaged, chemical laden “convenience” foods… I could cook a few things but I was inexperienced and had limited knowledge…
In the post about HFCS I almost wrote that now we avoid processed foods but changed it because really we avoid most processed foods..
Why I almost slipped though is because we do avoid almost all of what some people consider processed foods to be… and what I used to think was a normal way to eat…
Now, I still buy many foods that have been processed, but I make most of our meals “from scratch”….
I bake our bread (but the flour has been processed)
I make cookies (but I buy butter, and chocolate chips etc…)
I use canned tomatoes and canned coconut milk, I buy ketchup and milks and tamari… I buy peanut butter and cheese and oats…
Many of the foods that make it into my home have been processed in one way or another…
There are also some more processed foods that like to buy… frozen perogies are a quick and inexpensive meal (I should try making them though because they are probably not that hard when I think about it) and a box of Annie’s organic mac and cheese has made a quick lunch for the boys more than once… and the list can go on…
but I am comfortable with the ones we buy because they are mostly have minimal ingredients… or at least are made with ingredients that I can understand and can be found in most peoples pantries…
We do also do buy “junk foods” … not on a regular basis….but chips, and chocolate and Ice cream and other treats can be found in our home… I do choose products that have the least ingredients and make sure they do not have anything that we avoid… artificial colours or flavours or sulfates and other chemicals I would rather not consume…
The more time goes by, the more I have been replacing the processed foods that I buy and I will continue that trend… but I have to say that I am pretty happy with the way we eat now and it can only get better…
I saw a video on the epicurious podcast recently that featured this amazing looking flatbread topped with things that just didn’t appeal to me…
but the dough… omg… the dough looked amazing…
It looked silky and light and the way that it crisped up when baked just made me drool… I knew that I had to make it my way 🙂
So for the dough…
I used my mixer since the dough is really sticky and it is important not to use more flour… actually.. I even added a a few more tbsp of water because the dough was a bit too dry…
So in the bowl, add the water, the yeast and the sugar and let foam…
Mix the flour and salt together and then add to the water/yeast mixture….
Mix and then knead for 10 min…
as I said… the dough should be really sticky…
After kneading, transfer to an oiled bowl and let rise until doubled (about 1 1/2 hours)
When doubled….form into a ball and transfer to a well oiled baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap…
Let is rise for another 30 min…
Shape the dough by patting and stretching it out onto the pan…
Look at the little bubbles that have already formed!
Cover again with plastic wrap and let is rise for a 3rd time for another 1 1/2 hours….
all of those grooves are there naturally…
perfect for adding the toppings…
So for the topping I mixed about 1/3 cup of olive oil with a few minced cloves of garlic … and poured that over the dough…
then, I finely grated a bit of mozzarella all over it…
then sprinkled with some kosher salt and a bit of dried parsley…
time to cook!!
Place in a 475 degree preheated oven and bake until golden brown (about 20 min)…
It will be amazingly crispy on the outside but light and airy on the inside…
This is going to be a recipe that I will keep coming back too… I know it!!
It is so simple but the texture and flavour is just amazing…
I found a basic recipe on Recipezaar a while back and it has become a staple in our mornings…
Of course, I have changed it to our liking… so I will share my recipe….
Dry mix
Wet mix
Topping
1/3 cup of brown sugar
preheat oven to 350…
In a bowl… combine the dry ingredients…
In a 9 X 13 baking dish combine the wet ingredients… then add the dry and mix well… place in the oven and bake for about 40-45 min… (the center will be slightly jiggly)
spread the brown sugar over the top and place back into the oven… the sugar will start to melt…
Then broil for about a min or two until the sugar starts to bubble and brown…
Enjoy!!
I have been craving cinnamon buns and I knew that Simon would enjoy them too if I made them…
I got a recipe out and then realized that I just didn’t have enough butter for the whole recipe… so i sat down and tried to find something else that I could make… then I found this…
I just knew that I had to make them especially since I had some pumpkin in the fridge that I had to use up…
So for the dough…
2 1/4 tsp of yeast
1/2 cup of warm water
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3 cups all purpose flour
Knead it together for about 5-7 min… the dough look and smells amazing…
The recipe said to let the dough rise for 15 min, but I let it rise until double… for about 45 min…
meanwhile make the filling… I added vanilla to mine…
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp honey
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
Roll out the dough in a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick and spread the filling on top…
roll into a log… and cut into slices (I made 10)… and place in a buttered pan… (I used a 9X9)
Let rise until double (about 45 min- and hour) and preheat oven to 400…
bake for about 20 min… (mine were done after 17 min with the convection oven)
Add the frosting while they are still in the pan and slightly warm…
For the frosting:
1/4 cup butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened (half of a package)
1 tsp vanilla
1 or 2 dashes cinnamon
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
These are truly amazing!!!