Rise and Shine it's PIZZA TIME!!!!

Finding the perfect pizza dough is one of the most important ingredients to making a perfect pizza every time! Not only is this wonderful dough excellent for pizza, but also for making our one of a kind cheesy garlic bread sticks. What we love about this dough is that you can make thin, hand-tossed, or deep dish pizza out of one recipe, and it turns out just right every time! Our pizza sauce is made from scratch using our freezer tomato juice from previous posts.

Mama Ter's Pizza Dough: makes 2 pizzas

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp. yeast
1 Tbsp.sugar
1/2 tsp.salt                                                

3 Tbsp. oil
4 cups flour

Pizza Dough Directions: Dissolve yeast in warm water, and add a little sugar at a time until foamy (don't stir and let it sit for 5 min.) Add salt and oil to yeast mixture, and beat for a few minutes until smooth. Add 2 cups flour ,and beat until smooth. Add the rest of the flour, and add more as needed. Mix by hand until the dough is soft, non sticky, and all blended in. Knead for about 5 minutes, place in clean greased bowl. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let the dough raise for 1 hour. Meanwhile pre-heat oven to 425 F. Sprinkle a pizza stone with cornmeal or spray a pizza pan and then sprinkle cornmeal on it. Roll out dough, and then cover with sauce and pizza toppings. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

* For a variation you may substitute 1 Tbsp. of honey for 1 Tbsp. of oil for a sweeter crust. Another variation is you can spread butter on pizza dough before adding toppings for a richer buttery taste.

Teri's Rich Pizza Sauce:Makes enough for 4 pizzas

Ingredients:
1- 12 oz. can tomato paste
1- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 tsp. oregano
1 1/2 Tbsp. parsley flakes
1/4 tsp. onion salt
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
2 cups tomato juice(fresh tomato juice is the best)

Pizza Sauce Directions: Mix in a sauce pan, and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
 ( this sauce can also be frozen for future uses)


Garlic Cheese Bread Sticks:

Ingredients:
1 stick softened butter
Garlic Powder (sprinkle to desired taste)

1 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Enough pizza dough to cover 1 rectangle cookie sheet

Directions: Roll out dough on greased cookie sheet, spread softened butter evenly on dough. Sprinkle with garlic powder and cheese.Bake at 425 F for 10-15 min, until outside edges of crust are golden brown.

* Use pizza sauce for dipping sauce for bread sticks*

Comforting Home style Soups

During winter time one of our favorite family traditions is to gather around a big crockpot of our favorite soups,with an added touch of fast and easy breadsticks or moist homemade cornbread.

Creamy Chicken Soup Recipe-

Ingredients:

4- Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breasts 

1/2 cup- chicken granules ( or 4 cubes)             2- stalks of chopped celery

4- peeled potatoes (diced)

3- peeled carrots diced

1- green onion cut finely

2- 10.5 oz. cream of chicken soup

1- cup sour cream

1- cup velveeta cheese

Directions:

-In a large pot of water add chicken breasts,1/2 cup chicken bouillon, and celery

- Boil until done

- Remove cooked chicken and put aside

- Add to chicken broth carrots, and green onions 

- Boil for 5 minutes, and add potatoes

- Boil until potatoes and carrots are tender

- Turn heat on low, and wait until soup stops boiling

- Add chopped chicken, sour cream,cream of chicken soup, and velveeta cheese

- Stir occasionally until sour cream and velveeta cheese are melted

- Transfer to crock pot set on warm and enjoy!

Notes: 

*Several of the ingredients in this chicken soup recipe can be made ahead , and kept in your freezer for those last minute meal ideas

*As shown in the picture large amounts of chicken can be cooked ahead of time with the chicken bouillon and celery. After chopping chicken into pieces place in freezer bags or containers

 (sprinkle additional chicken bouillon in bag with chicken, then place in freezer)

* You can melt velveeta cheese and cream of chicken soup in a saucepan ahead of time (stirring frequently until melted) Put in freezer containers and place in freezer

Fiesta Taco Soup-

Ingredients:

1 lb- hamburger

1/2 cup-onion finely chopped or 2 teaspoons onion salt

2- 16 oz. cans kidney beans drained

3- cups water

2- 8 oz. cans tomato paste

1- large can stewed tomatoes chopped or 2- 16 oz. cans diced tomatoes

1~ 2- packages of taco seasonings (to taste)

1- large can of corn

1- can sliced olives

Garnish with sour cream, corn chips, and grated cheese                             

Directions:

1- brown hamburger with onion and drain
2- add hamburger to crockpot

3- add kidney beans, water, tomato paste, tomatoes, and seasonings

4- set on low for 8 hrs.

5- stir occasionally

6- serve with chips, sour cream, and cheese

Quick and Easy Breadsticks-

Ingredients:

1- loaf rhodes bread dough

1- stick butter

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or garlic salt    

1/2 teaspoon basil

2 cups parmesan cheese

Directions:

1- Remove Rhodes dough from freezer and place in plastic bag in fridge over night

2:- In the morning take dough out of fridge and place on counter to let raise

3- Roll out dough on greased surface in a rectangle shape

4- Slice dough in half horizontally and cut in strips vertically

5- Take a 9x13 pan and place on stove top on low, melt butter

6- Add garlic powder and basil

7: Remove from stove and take each bread stick and dip in melted butter 

8: Place in the same 9x13 pan 

9: Sprinkle with parmesan cheese on top

10: Let breadsticks raise for 1 hr ( cover with greased plastic)

11: Bake at 375 F for 15- 20 min, or until light brown on top

The BEST cornbread around-

Ingredients: 

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup corn meal

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg beaten

1/2 box yellow cake mix (made as directed on box)

Directions:

1- Mix above ingredients and add 1/2 box cake mix (made up as directed on package)

2- Mix together well (stirring only)

3- Pour into greased 9x13 baking pan

4- Bake at 400 F for 20-25 min. or until light brown

5- Drizzle with melted butter on top