Simple Sacred Cooking..Pizza Dough

Like most things in life, you need a good base to build on. With this dough base, the possibilities are endless. From double cheese pepperoni to veggie pizza and everything in between, it brings us together. Homemade pizza is a delight that brings smiles to all faces. Individual pizzas can be made to perfectly tailor individual tastes.


Pizza Dough

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil


Directions
Combine dry ingredients including sugar in a large bowl. Slowly mix in oil and warm water. Kneed together until smooth and elastic dough ball forms. Sit aside for 1 hour in warm environment. Break up into desired size doughballs. Roll out to a thin crust. Dock with a fork or toothpick for best result. Make your favorite pizza on top!

flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Mix in oil and warm water. Spread out on a large pizza pan. Top as desired.

** Coming Soon... Topping Ideas........

Simple Sacred Cooking - Toad in the Hole

I decided to bless my family today, this fine Christmas eve with a new recipe. This is a recipe I have heard about for a long time, but never quite knew what it was. Toad in the Hole is a traditional English dish that is very budget friendly for the frugal minded! Simple ingredients mixed together to make a delicious flavor. The only thing I might change in the future is to double the amount of battter used to soak up the savory juices. Its tangy goodness is a refreshing change of pace. Even my very picky eater husband loved it (minus the onions!)

Try it for your family. They will enjoy it.

The recipe was featured in All You Magazine, December 2011. and can be found here http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/toad-in-hole-50400000117400/ (or copied below for your convenience)

Ingredients
8 chicken or turkey sausage links (about 1 lb. total)
2 onions, quartered (* Note from Kim - I used powdered due to picky eater)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons grainy mustard (*Note from Kim - I used dijon)
1 1/4 cups low-fat milk

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 475ºF. Place sausages and onions in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and toss with oil. Bake until lightly browned, turning once, about 10 minutes.


2. While sausages are baking, whisk flour and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together eggs, mustard and milk in a large measuring cup, add to flour mixture; whisk until smooth. Carefully pour batter into baking dish with sausages and continue to bake until puffed and golden, about 30 minutes longer. Let stand 5 minutes and serve.

Christmas Crepes (for all seaons)

Christmas is nearly here. In my household, Christmas morning means two things: Wrapping paper covering the living room door so my kids cant get in there before me and crepes!!

Every Christmas morning, making a holiday breakfast while we wait for Grandparents to arrive to open presents we cook breakfast as a family. The most important thing on the menu is crepes. Those thin, Delicious french pancakes that just melt in your mouth. They are inexpensive to create, easy to make and truly could make any experience a special one.


Crepes

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Combine eggs, salt and flour. Mix in milk. Mix in butter. Batter should be smooth and runny, but may have a few lumps. That is fine!

In a wide, flat frying pan put approx 1/4 cup of batter in the center. With a twist motion to the pan, allow the batter to swirl out to a large, circular crepe.

Cook for approx. two minutes until browned. Sweep the edges with your spatula and then flip. Cook for one minute on the opposite side. Roll up for stoage.

Now there are filling ideas!

There are sweet fillings...

• Cream cheese whipped with powdered sugar


• Blueberry or Cherry pie filling


• Pineapple and cream cheese whipped together


• Maple Syrup


• Fruit Chuney


• Sliced bananas

Or savory...

• Scrambled eggs


• Scrambled eggs with sausage


• Chicken salad


• Ham salad


• Tuna Salad


• Cheese

Sweet Potato Bread

This year sweet potatoes were inexpensive, so I found some new and exciting ways that we could serve them to strech our holiday budget. This bread flew off the plate. Everyone was not only asking for seconds, but for the recipe!

Be the hit at your next party.

Special Sweet Potato Bread

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potatoes

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan or muffin tin.

Mix together the sugar, oil and eggs. Combine thoroughly. Stir in the mashed sweet potatoes. In another bowl the combine dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, salt and spices, thoroughly. Slowly add dry mixture to the wet mixture.

Bake until starting to brown and bread has firmed.

Simple Sacred Acts...Cooking

To be sacred is to hold reverent in your life; a special importance and connection within your life.

Why shouldn't you make simple acts special and uplifting? Create spiritual and uplifting experiances instead of just dull, every day must do's. You can incorporate these everyday acts with any faith, religion or set of beliefs.

Today we will look at: Cooking

Cooking is a sacred act. Cooking is not just creating nutrition for the body, but nourishment for the soul. It is an opportunity for creativity and love, as well as a practical skill that most people use! If you are making a quick stir fry with precut veggies or a four course turkey dinner with all the trimmings, just remember your goal. You are creating nourishment for the mind, body and soul.

Paying attention to what kind of fuel for mind and body is being created and consumed can make a positive difference in both spiritual and physical existence. Try to spice up your culinary tastes with new fresh or frozen vegetables and tastes. Try to be creative to fuel the temple that is your body. Change cooking from a chore, to an opportunity to expand your well being. Challenge yourself to try a new dish. Work with a new vegetable. Revel in the culinary wonder of variety that is around us. Be thankful for the ability to try a bounty of different fruits, vegetables and other taste sensations.

The act of cooking itself can easily infuse love, calm and serenity into the food. Think of all the cutting, stirring and mixing to be acts of love. It is something you are doing for the wellbeing of you and your family’s mind, body and soul.

Make your cooking area special. Adorn it with items that make you happy and bring calm serenity to your mind. Some individuals like to light a small candle before beginning the process. This sets the tone that a special event is taking place.

No matter what, enjoy yourself while cooking. That bright attitude will help bring you closer to your inner self and all of those around you. It will also bring you a closer connection to your spiritual self. That self needs nourishment as well!