Pizza Heaven, here you come aka BBQ chicken pizza

What is better than homemade pizza? No store bought/delivery/etc. pizza can compare! And I have found the best pizza and dough recipe. The dough recipe on accident from my cousin, Rebecca, the pizza recipe from my sister-in-law! The best part about the dough is that it makes a little too much so that you can make breadsticks after! The first time I made this my oldest daughter (picky Ms. Pickerson) kept saying, "This is the best crust I have ever had!" So, enjoy! And be sure to have some kind of salad to cut the guilt in half. And while we're at it, what pizza combos does your family enjoy?

Pizza Dough

1 ½ c. water 2 T. sugar 4 t. yeast

4 T. oil 1 T. garlic salt 4 c. flour

2 t. salt 1 T. Italian season 375 for 15 min.

Seems like a lot of garlic salt, but it is right!

Let hot water, sguar and yeast sit for 10 minutes. Add the rest and knead for 10 minutes (or so) Let rise till double. This recipe takes longer to rise for some reason. Put cornmeal on the pan or spray it. I just recently bought my first pizza stone, thanks to my sister-in-law, Kellie, and yes, I did ask the pizza stone, "Where have you been all my life?!"

The pizza is simple and healthy and delicious and heaven!

Rotiserrie chicken or sautee a mixture of dark and white chicken. I find if you cook the red onion (1/2 cup) with the chicken first, it makes everything a little softer and more flavorful. Squeeze out as much as you like of Sweet Baby Rae's bbq sauce. You have to use this kind! It is the best!! It is at Smith's or anywhere,I think and you can get it for $1 on sale. One of the best kept secrets out there! Thank you, Mindy! Mix and put on pizza crust. Add cheese on top. Really, you can do it to your taste. I do half and half because my kids won't touch the chicken side!Cook 350 for 12-15 min.

Cake Mix Cookies

I must tell you that cake mix cookies are the best invention ever!! I came across this recipe in a college cookbook, tried it once and I knew we would be lifelong friends. I have even tried other recipes, just to be fair, but have never had the same yumminess as this recipe! The giant cookie to the left was made with a spice cake mix at Christmas. My daughter had the idea to make two "dad sized" cookies, so we did. Then we put cream cheese frosting inside. It was ridiculous and oh so fun!

You can use any cake mix really, but I like the ones with "pudding in the mix" because they seem softer. I have heard you can use funfetti cake mix. That stuff is awesome, so don't see why not!! And why not add some funfetti frosting? Hmmm, I sense a future recipe!

Cake Mix Cookies

1 box cake mix

½ c. oil

2 c. chocolate chips

2 eggs

350 for 8-10 min.

Comfort me, comfort food!

I know, I know, this blog is terribly out of order. But I had to start with where I started taking pictures of my creations, so here we are with chicken noodle soup and rolls.

Actually, chicken noodle soup can be had anytime in my opinion!! And I did make up this recipe myself and have tweaked it over the years, which makes me feel pretty excited! And it's a crockpot recipe. What more can you ask for?

These rolls. These rolls I would just love to take credit for, but alas, they are from a woman in my church from my growing up days. She had 8 kids and when you have 8 kids, you best know how to make a su-weet roll! And she does. These are the best ever. Flaky, soft, crusty, yummy, don't even need butter. So good my brother in law had 8, yes 8!!!

Chicken Noodle Soup

3 cups water

1 can chicken broth

2 bouillon cubes

About 8-10 chicken legs

Cut up one onion

4 celery stalks

Cook on crockpot on low for 6 hours or so, till meat is falling off of bones

Take meat off bones and replace into broth. Add about 1 cup of carrots and wait till soft. Then put in curly egg noodles, I use no yolks, but you can use whatever floats your boat. 1 Tablespoon thyme. Must you thyme!!! Wait till soft. Oh, it's yummy!!!

Vicki Deaver’s Rolls

½ c. warm water

2 T. yeast (Let the water, yeast and sugar sit together for 10 minutes. They will start to bubble. It will make everything fluffier!)

½ c. sugar

Let sit for 10 minutes.

1 stick soft butter

1 c. warmed milk

2 eggs

1 t. salt

5 c. flour

Turn into a knot aka make into a snake and then a knot.

400 for 12 minutes

Sweet Potatoes, ya'll!!

Not the finest photography job and this was taken last year at Thanksgiving, hence the mess. But these sweet potatoes are pure heaven! They are my mom's recipe. She has all the best recipes. My husband loves them and he "says" he hates sweet potatoes. My daughter loves them and she "says" she hates most food. People, these are even good the next day! The next week, even! Ok, I won't go that far, but they are yum. And best of all, no marshmallows involved!

Sweet Potato Casserole

3 lb. sweet potatoes 

¾ c. orange juice 

2 large eggs

2 T butter, melted

2 T. sugar

1 ½ t. cinnamon

½ t. nutmeg

Topping:

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 c. butter-room temp

½ c. flour

¼ c. + 2 T. brown sugar

Mix potatoes, juice, eggs, melted butter, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat till smooth. Season with s&p. Spoon into greased 8x8 pan. Topping: Flour, brown sugar, cinnamon. Add butter and cut in. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Advent Calendars aren't just for Christmas!

A woman in my church, one of the craftiest women of all time, came up with this! She is amazing. I wish I could take credit for this, but I can't!

Anyway, I think the picture speaks for itself, but if not, here's the directions:

1) Get a mini muffin pan (about $7.99 or so at Target)

2) Cut scrapbook squares out and put embelishments on them.

3) Cut up a stickable magnet and put on corners of paper to stick to muffin pan.

4) Put something fun or an activity in each hole.

You could use this for back to school, thanksgiving, easter, halloween, etc, but you would only have to make some new cute covers. My kids loved this and it's great because once you make it, it's done!!

Pumpkin Pancakes

I found this recipe and my family has loved it ever since! For Halloween we had these pumpkin pancakes and with a little bit of mini chocolate chips, they are a yummy treat. Almost taste like pumpkin bars! I dyed the whipped cream so it would be "monsterish". They are great all year round. We had them a few weeks ago and made me wish it was Fall!!

This recipe makes alot!! Like, if you double it, probably 40-50 pancakes. Make sure to smooth them out when you put them on the griddle so they cook evenly through.

1 1/2 cups milk

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 c. mini chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a separate bowl. Stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Pebble's Halloween Costume

My dad is a big fan of my kids and thought that my youngest should be Pebbles for Halloween. Her hair is usually up in a firework ponytail, so much of the time, she looks like Pebbles! I am a sewing novice. I have done blankets and can hem and such, but have never attempted anything from a strip of fabric. I measured using a dress that fit her and after some adjustments, got the dress over her head (just barely!) Probably should have used elastic? I also attempted to make a diaper cover without much luck. She has some seriously chubby legs! So, her diaper cover became a cute hat. I was so proud of me and she was a doll!!