Homemade Pizza Dough

I love this recipe. It's so easy and you don't have to do a whole lot. The best part is if your family doesn't eat more than one pizza at a time you have two meals.

1 pkg. Active Dry Yeast
1 c. warm water (100-110 deg.)
1 1/4 c. cold water
2 T. Olive oil
1 t. sugar
1 t. salt
5 1/2 c. bread flour, divided (I just use whatever flour I have on hand and have never had a problem with it not turning out)

1. Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water in a small bowl; let stand 5 min. Combine 1 1/4 c. cold water, oil, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Stir with a whisk.

2. Combine 5 1/4 c. flour, yeast mixture, and cold water mixture in bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. Mix on low 8 min. or until dough begins to form. Let rest 2 minutes; mix on low 6 min. or until dough is smooth. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic.

3. Divide the dough in half and place each portion in a large zip lock bag coated with cooking spray. Seal and chill overnight, up to 2 nights. Let stand at room temp for 1 hour before using. Can freeze up to 2 months. Thaw dough overnight in fridge.

4. Bake at 500 degrees with toppings for 12 minutes.

Peach Cobbler

I went to a farmers market with a friend this past Wednesday and got some peaches. I thought Jon would eat some in his lunch but he said he would rather have plums so I decide to make peach cobbler today. It is so good. So if you bought a bag of peaches and they are turning too fast to eat, I recommend this recipe.

4 T. margarine
1 c. sugar
2 c. flour
1 t. salt
4 t. baking powder
1 c. milk
4 c. peaches, sliced

Melt margarine in 9 x 13 baking dish. Mix all other ingredients together, except peaches. Spread peaches on top of margarine. Spread batter mix on top of peaches. Sprinkle top with 1/2 c. sugar, then 1/2 c. water. Bake at 350 deagrees for 1 hour or until golden brown.

Blueberry Pound Cake

I've been picking lots and lots of blueberries lately. I can't get enough. Here's a great recipe to use fresh or frozen blueberries. It is so yummy!

1 Yellow cake mix (butter recipe)
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
3 eggs
1 8oz. pk. cream cheese, softened

Mix together with electric mixer on medium speed 2-3 minutes. Fold in 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries. Bake in a greased and floured Bundt pan 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees. Do not overbake. Cool 20 minutes in pan then turn out onto plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Barbeque Sauce

I love this sauce. I use it on chicken or pork ribs. Since it is a holiday weekend I thought this would be perfect. So if you don't know what to have for your cookout, here you go. If I do ribs, I like to put the ribs in a crockpot and cover them with water and cook them on low for about 6-7 hours or till they are tender. Sometimes I drain the liquid and put the BBQ sauce in the crockpot then and let it cook another hour or I'll pull the ribs out and grill them and brush the BBQ sauce on as I'm cooking. You could do the same with the chicken. Jon likes them better in the crockpot but I like them better on the grill. Try them both and see what you like!

1 c. ketsup
1/2 c. water
3 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 t. garlic salt
1/2 c. diced onion
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 t. prepared mustard

Bring to a boil and simmer until slightly thickened. Brush onto meat before and during grilling.

Crunchy Asian Salad

This one is good with a cookout. Light and yummy!

Dressing:
1/3 c. canola oil
1/3 c. rice vinegar
3 T. sugar
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

Salad:
1 pkg. ramen noodle soup mix
1 bag (16 oz.) coleslaw mix
1/2 c. sliced almonds
1 med. red bell pepper
2 c. coursely chopped fresh baby spinach leaves
1 small can of Mandrin Oranges

In a large bowl beat dressing ingredients with wire whisk until sugar is dissolved and mixture is well blended. Break up ramen noodles in bag before opening. Discard seasoning packet. Add noodles and all remaining salad ingredients except spinach and oranges to dressing; toss to mix well. Stir in spinach and oranges. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 8 hours.

Stove Top Easy Chicken Bake

This one is one of Jon's favorites. It's yummy and really easy. Enjoy!

1 pkg. Stove Top Stuffing Mix for chicken
1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 in. pieces
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup sour cream
1 bag (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed, drained

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package; set aside.
• Mix chicken, soup, sour cream, and vegetables in a 13x9 in. baking dish; top with the stuffing.
• Bake 30 minutes of until chicken is cooked through.

Makes 6 servings.

Beef and Tator Bake

This is better than your average Tator Tot Casserole. I just found this recipe last week and Jon and I loved it the first time I made it. Hope you enjoy it too!

4 cups frozen tator tots
1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 can condensed cream of broccoli soup
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 can (2.8 oz.) french fried onions, divided
1 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1/3 cup milk
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper

• Place tater tots in an ungreased 13 x 9 in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the broccoli, soup, tomato, 3/4 cup french fried onions, 1/2 cup cheese, milk, garlic powder, and pepper; heat through. Pour over tator tots.
• Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining onions and cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

12 servings

Hope you enjoy this. I would love to hear if you tried it and how you liked it.