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Homemade Pizza, I’m In Heaven

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Pizza night at our house may never be the same. Although I grew up on homemade pizza I have yet to be able to master the dough. That was the sticky point. The solution, Rotellas Frozen Dough. I don’t know if you can buy it in the standard grocery stores, I am fortunate enough that the Omaha plant has a retail bread store at the plant and anyone can buy bread (0.75) or frozen “blobs” of uncooked dough for a dollar.

How to Make Homemade Pizza

Rolled Pizza Dough
Step1: Roll Pizza Dough (this is already rolled and baked)
Homemade Pizza
Step 2: Toppings  (meat first)
Homemade pizza recipe
Step 3: Mushrooms and Peppers
Mozzarella Cheese on Pizza
Step 4: Mozzarella Cheese
Home made Pizza, hot out the oven
Hot out the oven
Home made Pizza, ready to eat
Step 6: Eat and Enjoy!

I love my pizza stone, it cooks more evenly than a metal pan and even though I don’t have a stone oven to cook my pizza pies the stone does seem to give the same results. Although for a brief time I did work at an Italian restaurant, who made their own dough from starter, I never got good at hand tossing. So I use my wooden pastry roller from Pampered Chef instead.

I’ve never had good success with pizza dough mixes, maybe I over mix, don’t know. Prepared frozen pizza dough from Rotellas is my favorite, but if you don’t have a local source your can order Della Suprema’s pizza dough balls and keep them in your freezer.

Norpro 3077 Wooden Pastry  RollerRich Della Suprema Pizza Dough Ball, 23 Ounce — 24 per case.Wilton 2105-0244 Perfect Results Ceramic Stone, 15-inchPizza Cutter Wheel – Pizza: Award-Winning Pies for the Home KitchenMama Leone’s Pizza Crust Mix With Rosemary & Basil

What is Your Favorite Pizza Recipe?

Do you have a favorite pizza pie recipe, dough or even a favorite place to order direct? Share your pizzeria secrets, ok, not your family secret, but tips and suggestions to make the best pizza ever.

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How Beautiful, A New Mother To Be

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Who loves babies? Me! Especially now that my youngest baby is 17 and my oldest 23. I also love pregnant mama’s. Probably because I know I’m not anywhere close to middle of the night feedings and dirty diapers.

I’m closer to being a grandmother (not that close kids) than a mother again and the prospect of cuddling a sweet-smelling baby, without the full-time responsibilities, is very attractive. There are two people in my life now who are pregnant and it’s a whole different perspective.

Maternity portrait
Maternity portrait

Professional maternity photography is very popular now. However, back when I was pregnant,  there is no way I would of even thought of doing a maternity portrait session, I didn’t want anyone to see me being as big as a whale. This was my first baby shower in many many years. The daughters of my friends are now getting married and having babies. Being the serious amateur photographer that I am, my camera is always with me.

This is one day it paid off. Both grandmothers forgot their cameras and were more than happy for me to document the shower. The result was an a group of professionally looking photographs I printed at work that everyone just raved about. The great thing about NOT being a professional, there is no pressure and no expectations. If they turn out good, GREAT! If not I just took snapshots to share on Facebook.

I have often said, “I don’t photograph people, I stick with things that stay still like landscape, scenery and food.” This young Mother looked so gorgeous in a simple tank top I had to try. Luckily there was a blank empty wall in the basement of the church that just screamed “BACKDROP” so here are a few I took that day.

It's a Boy baby shower
IT’s a BOY!!

I was able to give the Mother and her family  about 80 edited prints (all processed  in Lightroom 4) and it only took me about two hours post production. Have I said how much I love Lightroom? Obviously the collage I created in Photoshop.

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4th of July Fireworks

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What do you think of on Independence Day, or the 4th of July? Do you think of fireworks, picnics, concerts, family, friends and barbecues? Personally I love firework displays, even though personal fireworks were illegal in Connecticut where I grew up, my family would often travel to Oklahoma during the first part of July and we got to experience poppers, firecrackers and roman candles.

Now that I’m grown I’m just as happy sitting on the grass watching someone else shoot off the pyrotechnics. The photo below was taken at the Omaha Memorial Park fireworks display after the concert in the park. I try and go every year and have seen Foreigner, Styx, Kansas, Huey Lewis and Pat Benatar in concert while sitting on a blanket and enjoying the summer sun.

Every year I attempt to take a memorable fireworks photo, one that isn’t just a sky full of color. This one of my favorites that not only captures the color in the sky, but the feeling of the spectators.

4th of July Fireworks at the Celebrate America Celebration in Omaha
Fireworks at the Celebrate America Celebration in Omaha, Nebraska

There are “safe” firecrackers and noise makers that are pretty much legal in all 50 states. So legal that Amazon sells them. So if you want to make a little noise on the 4th of July and have some safe fun check out the legal fireworks that will still impress the young at heart. Heck, I still like to throw poppers.

Safe Fireworks for Kids

Some people might not consider smoke bombs, snappers, and battery operated fountains fireworks, but the young kids won’t know the different.

Super Fireworks Smoke Sticks – Better Than Smoke Balls!Pow Pow Party Snaps, a Super Noisemaker, 50 BoxesUncle Milton Grand Finale Light Show Room DecorSnappers (1 Dz Boxes)

Happy 4th of July everyone, have fun, be safe and remember the service men and women who have served our country to protect the freedoms we have here in the United States.

Photo Details: Canon EOS Rebel f/5, 0.8 sec ISO-1600, 18mm

4th of July Fireworks

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Patch’s BIG LIST of 4th of July Fireworks in Southeast Michigan. Dearborn residents are encouraged to call (313) 943-3030 to anonymously report unsafe or illegal activity in their neighborhood, or to call 911 if there is a dangerous or emergency situation.
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The Benjamin Franklin Parkway welcomes tens of thousands of people for the annual 4th of July fireworks show. (Photo by G. Widman for Visit Philadelphia). • XFINITY Fireworks Show at Citizens Bank Park. July 1-2.
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Tis the Season, for Fried Zucchini

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Soon your neighbors will be trying to pawn excess zucchini off on whomever will be gullible enough to say yes.  My husband loves fried zucchini and would eat it  every night. For me, I’m still learning to like it and wanting a few more ways to use this abundant vegetable that will stretch our food budget. It’s part of the squash family which I’m really trying to like.

This years first zucchini actually came from the produce stand in the parking lot at work.

Fried Zucchini Recipe

Fried Zucchini is simple to make, it’s stopping that is the hard part.

Ingredients:

  • Flour
  • Egg
  • Milk
  • Vegetable Oil (1/8-1/4 inch in frying pan)
  • Salt (I use ground sea salt)
  • Pepper (again freshly ground is best)
Directions:
  1. Slice into 1/8″ slices
  2. Mix cup of milk and one egg
  3. Soak slices in milk mixture for 30 minutes (flour sticks better)
  4. Dip slices in flour and coat well.
  5. Heat oil on medium high. Check temperature by sprinkling a “dusting” of flour in oil. If it sizzles oil is ready.
  6. Place coated flour pieces in oil and cook until underside is lightly brown.
  7. Season with salt and pepper before turning.
  8. Turn and brown.
  9. Drain in paper towels
  10. Eat and enjoy

I’m all about fast and easy so when I’m slicing a lot for the freezer I use a mandolin slicer for my veggies. Comes in handy for pickles, squash, and of course zucchini.

HomeNative® Adjustable Mandoline Slicer (Orange) – Comes with 4 Interchangeable Stainless Steel Blades – Vegetable Cutter, Peeler, Slicer, Grater and Julienne Slicer all in 1 – Plus 3 Bonus Gifts:

Last year I sliced and froze zucchini to put in soups which really added color and texture to my soups. I’ll probably try the old stand by, zucchini bread and muffins, but those get tiring after a while. I found the following zucchini recipes which sound very interesting and a little different. This may be a new segment, my zucchini adventure, so stay tuned for more recipes.

I do want to try and make zucchini spaghetti out of spirals, from what I’ve heard you just have to quickly dip the veggie noodles in boiling water, then top with pasta sauce.  A lot of people eat them raw, but first I need to get a spiral slicer.

Spiral Slicer Spiralizer Complete Bundle – Vegetable Cutter – Zucchini Pasta Noodle Spaghetti Maker

BTW, my husband said I he will be frying zucchini every night, so I WON’T have enough to pickle etc…soooo neighbors and friends bring me your large green veggies, and I’ll share my cooking experiments. Below are a few I’m going to try.

Pickled Zucchini-refrigerator variety
Bread and Butter Zucchini Pickles-cooked and canned
Breaded Zucchini Fries
Fried Zucchini Patties

Zucchini Recipe Books

The Last Zucchini Cookie: Customizable Zucchini Cookie Recipes andEverything Zucchini Recipes Cookbook: Zucchini Breads, Muffins, Main Dishes,Fast And Easy Zucchini RecipesZucchini – The Ultimate Recipe GuideSpiralizer Cookbook: Top 49 Veggie Friendly Spiralizer Recipes-From SweetZucchini Recipes: A Collection of Raw Food Recipes

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Are Zucchini recipes healthy if I am a diabetic and eat chips alongside? Are Zucchini recipes healthy if I eat hidden calories as well?

Easy healthy zucchini recipes – Healthyappetizers

Tags: easy zucchini recipes, healthy recipes with zucchini, healthy zucchini recipes, stuffed zucchini recipes zucchini, zucchini bread recipe courtesy, zucchini bread recipes fried. By nguyenquangbach|Website|Other Articles …

 

And the Waving Wheat, Can Sure Smell Sweet

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Wheat in Western Nebraska
Wheat in Western Nebraska (harvested Mid June)

When the wind comes whipping down the plain, Neeeebraska. yup, not Oklahoma., but western Nebraska near Palisade.

Some people consider us a fly over state without much scenery, but I would argue there is something amazing at every turn, if you just know what to look for and why it’s important.

For example after stopping at this field you can hear a rustling sound as wind blows through the dry wheat. There is an illusion of waves moving across the prairie in an endless roll, never hitting the shore.

The wheat may look soft, but the heads and beards are actually quite coarse. Pick off a spike and break off one of the 30-50 kernals, rub it between your fingers and inside is a single grain of wheat. Put it in your mouth to taste the nutty taste. Look out across the horizon at the old abandoned homestead and the clouds rolling by, sigh. It’s peaceful, yet not quiet as the wave roll in the background. It’s soothing.

From this field of over 640 acres comes bushels of wheat which will be made into bread that you will pick up in your supermarket for just one dollar. The farmer was paid less than 0.05 for that loaf.

Other Ag Facts About wheat

America’s Bread Basket

  • Each American consumers, on average, 53 pounds of bread per year.
  • Assuming a sandwich was eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it would take 168 days to eat the amount of bread produced from one bushel of wheat.
  • A family of four could live for 10 years off the bread produced by one acre of wheat.
  • One bushel of wheat will produce 73 one-pound loaves of bread.
  • In 1997, Kansas‘s wheat farmers produced enough wheat to make 36.5 billion loaves of bread, or enough to provide each person on earth with 6 loaves of bread.
  • Farmers receive approximately 5 cents (or less) from each loaf of bread sold.

Want to follow a wheat harvesting family? Head over to Nebraska Wheatie

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