Making Pizza Pie

I've been making Trailer Gypsy's quick pizza crust for a while now... I needed a replacement for the little bags of chemicals and magic (ok it's just dry bagged pizza crust) that costs too much money but is SOOOO easy. And the other quick pizza crust recipes I've tried taste like moonsand. Moist and gritty. And that is not how I like my pizza.

And I can honestly say.... I love this recipe. No moonsand. Just smooth and crispy pizza. Quickly. Who says things can't be quick, cheap and good?

Plus, we make two thin crust pizzas. One with just cheese, chicken and broccoli for the kids. And one with everything for the grown-ups-- this one was three cheese, Manzanilla olives and fresh spinach. Pizza is so versatile for this time of year when gardens are producing, farmers markets are bursting and the CSA box is a treasure trove-- any veggie you can possibly imagine could probably be a topping!

I did monkey with it a little bit. Here's the original recipe.

And here is mine with some tiny tweaks.... honey instead of sugar. High fiber flour (or all purpose flour), I just use high fiber flour. A bit extra salt for  a more rounded flavor-- in absence of extra spices (boo kids and their aversion to 'green flakes' on their pizza. For the record basil is not algae).

Trailer Gypsy's Pizza Crust

Ingredients:
1c. warm water - you want the water really warm, not lukewarm
1 Tbsp. honey
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast - that is how much is in 1 packet
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups flour - unbleached high fiber flour.
Spices-- I had to use 'hidden' spices. Nothing green you know.... onion powder, garlic powder....

Preheat oven to 425.

Mix water, sugar and yeast in a bowl until dissolved.
Add the olive oil, salt, and spices.
Add flour, stir until mixed well.

This will be a stickier dough than if you were making bread but it shouldn't be too moist either. Add more flour if you need to.

Let dough sit for at least 10 min. while you prepare your toppings.


On a floured surface roll dough out into two thin sheets. Will make about 2 medium pizzas.

Monday Meals

Monday Meal Planning

It's been a long while since I've posted our meal plans and to be honest, it's been a while since I've done much planning.  For the next couple of weeks I'm working on cleaning up and cleaning out our chest freezer to make way for all of the fabulous treasures that will be coming our way when our CSA share starts in a few weeks.  I'm working on using up sauces and veggies that are hanging out in there.  Here's what I've come up with so far.

Monday: Pasta with shrimp, spinach, feta, and homemade tomato sauce

Tuesday: Grilled chicken sausages and mediterranean whole grain salad

Wednesday: Homemade pizza

Thursday: Green pasta

Friday: Grilled chicken and corn and zucchini casserole

Saturday: Eggplant cheese pie

Sunday: Salmon with potatoes and greens

Monday: Swimming lessons- out to dinner

Tuesday: Noodle salad with thai peanut sauce

Wednesday: Pasta with chicken and peppers

Let's Talk CSA

We just sent in our contract for this year's CSA share and I am so jazzed!  In Minnesota we have a short growing season and our deliveries won't start until late June but I don't mind daydreaming and menu planning for a while.

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.  This is a great way to get fresh, local, in-season produce onto your dinner (and breakfast and lunch) table.  Many CSAs offer other products such as meats, dairy, eggs, herbs, and flowers.

The website Local Harvest is a wealth of information about CSAs as well as a place to find a CSA farm near you if you are interested.
Over the last 20 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.

-From Local Harvest

What I love about being a member of a CSA farm is that I know my growers.  I get to visit the farm and help out if I want to.  I know that my family is getting the highest quality food.  We eat tons more fresh veggies than we would otherwise.  My kids know the names of dozens of different vegetables and eagerly try most of them, often while we are still in the red wagon on our walk home from our neighborhood dropsite.  My children also know where their food comes from and how it grows.

Here are a few sites to check out for recipes using CSA produce:

taste a little of the summer

Blame it on the Food

Flour Girl

So tell us, do you belong to a CSA?  Which one?  Why do you love it?  Are you thinking of joining a CSA?  Do you have questions?

My favorite poem just so happens to be painted on the side of the barn at our CSA.  LOVE!

A green smoothie...

Good morning dears,
This weekend we were inspired to make green smoothies, though ours had more than just green ingredients. My kids watched me put all of the fruit, juice, juice-ice (we freeze orange juice in ice trays to make 'Popsicles') and spinach into the blender and then quickly drank it down. KNOWINGLY drinking spinach. This was a parenting accomplishment.

So, if you let your preschoolers help you, they may be more willing to eat what you're giving them. Just sayin'

Good for you Green Smoothie
3 pieces or more of Juice Ice (just frozen juice cubes)
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 a lime juiced
1 banana
1 tangerine juiced
handful of frozen raspberries
handful of spinach

Blend the heck out of it until it smells amazing and all the chunkies are gone.
Pour into glasses and watch as your little people get a days worth of fruits and veggies! Woo-hoo!

7 Meals for under $15

I was breezing through my email and What to my wondering eyes did appear, but a miniature post with 7 quick recipes under $15 (well, it started out like the poem).

I really like a lot of these recipes. And, I'm all for a vegetarian dinner at least once a week.

I, like Kerry, enjoy CSA fruits and veggies. Mine come straight to my door every other Monday in a box from my milkman. It's like a Christmas present every week. My teen son looks forward to it. He runs out to bring it in and almost always takes something to school. It's these Monday nights when I really get down to inspired menu planning, but I digress.

Here's the recipe list.

I think we'll each try one or tow and post as we go. Kind of a modified Julie and Julia deal. But, on a budget and not French and there is no Julie here.

Let us know if you try one and how it works out for you!

1. Warm Chick Pea Stew

2. Hearty Matzo Ball Soup

3. Hungarian Goulash

4. Falafel “Buffet"

5. Pulled Pork Tacos

6. Vegetarian Dahl

7. Osso Bucco 

   Photo from Cooking Light magazine