White Pizza

November 28, 2012 by

Pizza with Alfredo Sauce

I zipped through a food and restaurant supply store, a place not on my usual circuit.  A tractor beam locked on my cart and drew me right to the sample station.   Straight from the entry to the table, the pull was irresistible and the smell was tantalizing!  Or maybe it was because the station was right by the produce I wanted and it was past lunchtime!  The sample lady handed me a tiny plate with a bit of white pizza.  It was  heaven!

Pizza is not on our radar.  If presented with pizza  somewhere, we will eat and enjoy.  But to intentionally order, make, or buy a pizza – attention goes elsewhere.    Bytes was allergic to tomatoes for a long time, but now he will take a frozen pizza every few months,  throw it in the microwave, roll and inhale it like a burrito.  Not sure that counts, but that’s the extent of pizza consumption in our house.  People are shocked to hear that.  Heretical, I know.

But this was different.  So I asked and she was happy to share the recipe.  So simple!  I didn’t get the ingredients that day, since I was on a different mission, but next grocery trip, they found their way into my cart.   Sample lady used a toaster oven so I did too, but this would also adapt well to the oven if you are serving more than a few people.   The toaster oven makes this recipe quick and easy,  perfect for snacks, summer lunches or appetizers. I made it for lunch with a generous salad to accompany and the guys were as impressed as I was!  It has a distinctive flavor, so a smaller serving size is satisfying.

I posted this in the first month of A Pinch of Joy.  Since then we’ve tried a few variations that we like and I wanted to share it. Plus a better photo!   The original used  bacon.  I’ve discovered real bacon, cooked, crumbled and packaged works well.  Costco has Kirkland brand 100% real bacon that is crumbled in large pieces, homestyle.  I used a heaping Tablespoon full per slice of bacon called for in a recipe.   We discovered that we  like diced ham as a topping too.    And chopped spinach.  So the recipe has been updated as well.  Enjoy!

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White Pizza

White Pizza

Ingredients

  • Indian flat bread
  • OR prebaked pizza crust
  • 1/3 cup Alfredo sauce, plain, from the jar or your favorite recipe
    • Topping alternatives
  • Bacon, 4-5 slices cooked crisp and crumbled
  • ½ to ¾ cup of diced ham
  • ½ to ¾ cup spinach, coarsely chopped
    • Topping
  • ½ to ¾ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Place crust on baking pan
  2. Spread with layer of Alfredo sauce, not quite to edge, covering evenly.
  3. Sprinkle your choice of topping across top.
  4. Coax shredded Parmesan into even layer on top. Add more if you like, but don’t overwhelm.
  5. If using flat bread, bake 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees, until warm through and cheese melts. If using pizza crust, bake according to directions on package or until cheese is melted and crust is golden.
  6. Cut into serving pieces, about 2 inches square for appetizers or 4 inches square for lunch.
http://www.apinchofjoy.com/2012/11/white-pizza-2/

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Halloween Party for Preschoolers: Snacks and games

October 13, 2012 by

Plan a fun Halloween play date with the preschool set!  Nothing scary for this age.   I’m a fan of decorations, snacks and games centered around scarecrows and spiders, pumpkins and cats for little ones. Parties should be simple, quick and colorful with the emphasis on the fun activities and playing with friends.

Mice made from donut holes A Pinch of Joy

These cute – and yummy—little mice are made with three simple  ingredients.  Glazed donut holes, chow mein noodles for the tail and sliced almonds for the ears.

Snake made from string cheese Sammy Snake is made from pieces of string cheese alternating with cherry tomatoes. He has a cheddar slice tongue and eyes from black frosting gel. Instead of cherry tomatoes, use chunks of ham, mini crackers, carrot or green pepper slices.

Halloween snack spider made with round crackers Spiders made from round snack crackers are quick and easy. Use Ritz crackers as they are less likely to crumble as you work with them than are other brands (at least the ones I’ve tried!) Put 6-10 crackers on a microwave safe plate and place a candy melt wafer on top of each cracker. Microwave on 50% power for about one minute. Spread the melted candy over each cracker. Add eyes. I used candy eyes from Wilton, but mini M&Ms or other little colorful candies will also work. Let cool and harden. On a second set of crackers put a generous teaspoonful of peanut butter in the center of each. Add six thin pretzel sticks to make legs. (Yes, spiders have eight legs —but the cracker only holds six without looking weird!) Set chocolate covered cracker on top of peanut butter and push down gently. You may need to add more peanut butter to the bottom of the chocolate covered cracker to make it fit over the legs and stick together. If there is a peanut allergy to consider, substitute cream cheese for the filling. Older toddlers can assemble their own spiders as a party activity if chocolate has hardened ahead of time.

Decorations are best kept simple. Bright orange tablecloths make the table festive. Large and colorful cutouts from the dollar store or craft store “teacher” section add atmosphere. Friendly pompom spiders are quick and easy decorations to hang from doorways or light fixtures. You can make them different sizes from large to small. Their fuzziness makes them more cuddly than scary!

Plan for some active games and vary the pace with a few quieter games. Younger kids don’t always pick up on directions when they are excited. Have some games that are familiar to them and alter them just a bit to the season. Here are three possibilities:

1. Cat, Cat, Spider. Follow the rules for duck, duck, goose. It goes around the circle saying “cat, cat, cat, cat . . spider. The spider jumps up and runs to get back to his/her spot in the circle before the cat slides in. You can use any two Halloween creatures – ghost,ghost, witch for example.

2. Musical pumpkins. Make a circle on the floor by using a piece of orange construction paper for each child – minus one. Play a Halloween song such as “Monster Mash”. When the music stops the children set down. Remove a piece of paper before starting the music again. NOTE: For a small group, rather than having children stand on the sidelines, let them share seats. The more rounds, the fewer the seats and kids are still in the game if they are touching a child on a seat. At the last round all children are clustered in one spot.

3. Ring Around the Pumpkin. Circle up with children holding hands. All move in the same direction singing: “Ring around the pumpkin. We are spooky munchkins. Hop scotch, pumpkin. We all fall down.”

Tips for successful preschool party games

  • Have easy to follow rules, clearly spelled out by leader (repeated as necessary!)
  • Keep things moving.
  • Always have a helper or several!
  • Prizes aren’t always necessary. Little kids are pleased with just the game itself!
  • Plan for one or two more games than you think you will need. You will be prepared if kids lose interest. Don’t be offended some games just don’t “click” with some kids. Or you may need to fill a few more minutes while the snacks are being set up.
  • Become a Facebook fan to download Halloween Party Games! Click the Facebook button at the top to go to A Pinch of Joy page and then “like” for access.

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Chili Cups

July 27, 2012 by

Chili Cups - A Pinch of Joy

Chili cups.  Quick and easy main dish, hearty appetizers or Friday night staple.  When Bytes and his brother were grade school sprouts, they got to picnic on a big green beach towel on the living room floor every Friday night and watch their favorite tv show.    Forget Family Night.   It was Exhausted Mommy and Daddy Night!

They had an early bedtime the rest of the week and we were those mean parents that restricted tv watching.   Watching that show meant they could keep up with their friends.  Reliving and reenacting the show, through the “get into your pajamas and bed routine”, allowed the parents to interject some critical thinking into the process.  “Do you think that was the best way to handle that?” kind of question.  Well, maybe Mom, if she wasn’t busy corralling flying shoes  and hunting pajama bottoms.   Dad would come up with bigger explosions, faster cars and devious plot turns.  Who am I kidding?  It was chaos, but they were happy campers!

Chili cups were a Friday night invention.  It may have been a modification of a Pillsbury biscuit recipe that I’ve seen since and didn’t remember seeing before.  Or maybe the inventor of that recipe ripped it off  the Vance family via mind meld.  In that case, they have greater problems than who thought up the recipe.   With all those bits and pieces of ideas on how to save the world, keep the cherry tree alive, keep the bike upright without training wheels,  stretch income with coupons, or increase productivity of an engine by adding water to the gas line, the mind melder is still reeling from that  encounter!

At any rate – take a can of those aforementioned biscuits or your other favorite brand.  Look for the flaky, layered version.  That way you can separate the layers, stretching your exhausted budget at the same time you reduce the bread part of the recipe.  Spray or grease a muffin pan very thoroughly – exhausted people don’t have time to scour stuck on stuff.  Separate the biscuits at least in half, maybe thirds, depending on the thickness of the original biscuit.  Pat the thin version into the separate muffin cups.  Dads can do this really well.  Moms can take a pound (give or take) of already browned ground beef (here) from the freezer and thaw it in the microwave.  Open a can of chili and pour it into the pan with the thawed meat, stir thoroughly.  Anxious kids or exhausted Dad can spoon the mixture into the waiting biscuit cups. Top with shredded cheddar cheese.  (If the kids do that step, give them separate containers so you don’t have to clean up the mess from too many hands trying to get in the cheese package at the same time.)   Pop the pan into the oven at the temperature on the biscuit package.  Check when the biscuit package says its time to be done.  If the dough looks pale, bake it until it looks golden but not dark brown.  Yield: 16 generously filled to 24 adequately filled chili cups.

Serve with a package of carrots (dumped on a plate, we’re not barbarians here.   Okay it is Friday night and we’re exhausted –  just zip open the package).  Gather up a couple handsful each of tiny tomatoes, berries, apple quarters and whatever else is healthy and handy.  Add a glass of milk and maybe forks.   The kids will take care of spreading the beach towel on the floor without being reminded.  Set out the repast on the coffee table or, if you are adventurous, put a tray on the floor between them.  Sink into your favorite chair with your own plateful.  Following the whole story on tv is optional – all that is important to the kids is that the family is together and it is “their” show / movie.   Rejuvenate!

Featured on Stuff and Nonsense Fridays Unfolded

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Chili Cups

Chili Cups

Ingredients

  • 1 lb browned ground beef (about 2 cups, if previously browned)
  • 1 15 oz. can chili with beans
  • ¾ - 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 can flaky, layered refrigerated biscuits, eight to a can

Instructions

  1. Brown ground beef, or thaw, if previously browned and frozen.
  2. While meat is cooking or thawing, spray muffin pan (one 16 cup or 2 eight cup pans) generously with cooking spray.
  3. Separate biscuits into halves and pat each half into the bottom of a muffin cup.
  4. Add chili to ground beef and stir thoroughly.
  5. Spoon mixture into biscuit lined muffin cups.
  6. Top with shredded cheese.
  7. Bake according to directions for biscuits on package until golden brown.
  8. Remove from pan and serve hot!
http://www.apinchofjoy.com/2012/07/chili-cups/

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Chicken Cheeseball

December 22, 2011 by

Chicken Cheeseball - A Pinch of Joy

This is a highly evolved recipe.  Or so one would think looking at the notes I have made on this recipe.   I think you will agree it was worth the persistence!

It started out with 4 packages of cream cheese.  Well and good for a crowd – or dividing into thirds for three separate events.  But usually what I want is enough for 10-20 for one event. So I decided to halve the recipe once upon a long ago.  Okay, two packages of cream cheese – 8 ounces each – one fat free and one regular just to cover all the bases.  Later,  I needed to know how much chicken was in two chicken breasts because I didn’t have whole breasts.  I had chicken breast tenders instead.  I got google involved and noted a measurement that is heavily marked out.  Another note says  “1 chicken breast equals 6 ounces” (apparently google again) and 12 oz cooked chicken equals just over 2 cups finely diced chicken (from my own experiment just after I purchased a scale).     The “add salt, pepper and garlic salt to taste” was so imprecise I usually overlooked it.    So  it became a  teaspoon of salt and one half teaspoon pepper and the change to garlic powder ½ teaspoon was also made. You  can add more to taste.  I also like to add about a teaspoon of garlic herb mix like McCormick Perfect Pinch.

There were no mixing directions either.  If you make a 4 packages of cream cheese batch, plan to use a heavy mixer!  A 2 cream cheese batch can be mixed by hand, but a mixer  distributes the ingredients more easily and  evenly in the finished product.  The smaller you cut the chicken, the easier it is to mix. If I am making this for use at home, the guys like it on the chunky side, but if I am taking it somewhere, I usually mix until  somewhat smoother.  Make this ahead of time so the flavors have time to develop – overnight is best.

This is a great addition to an appetizer supper because the chicken makes it heartier and healthier than some options. There are 2 carbs for the entire cheese ball.  The flavor has worked well with everything we’ve dipped, dunked or spread.   You can leave it in a bowl for a spread on toast rounds, hearty crackers, celery sticks, wasa bread. You can put a teaspoon of the mixture on crackers or thin bread and top with half a cherry tomato or a celery leaf or a small broccoli floret to make pretty canapes.  Or you can make a ball and serve it with wheat thins, triscuits (Bytes’ favorite) or any other small cracker.  I’ve always just left the ball plain, but you could roll it in chopped parsley or chopped pecans.    And, you guessed it, this recipe doubles beautifully (since it started out that way!)

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Chicken Cheese Ball

Chicken Cheese Ball

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts, cooked
  • 2 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened
  • 6 green onions, sliced thin
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon garlic herb no salt mix like McCormick Perfect Pinch

Instructions

  1. Cook chicken, saving broth for another use. Cool, then shred and chop into very small pieces.
  2. Put chicken in mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients.
  3. Mix well, using a heavy mixer. Add additional seasoning to your taste, if needed.
  4. Refrigerate for several hours, overnight is best.
  5. Shape into ball before placing on serving platter. Can also use as spread or filling for canape.
  6. Makes one large cheese ball, about 4 inches in diameter.
http://www.apinchofjoy.com/2011/12/chicken-cheeseball/

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Chicken Mini Pockets

October 14, 2011 by

Calzone comes from Italian and means trousers or stockings.  It begins with a good sized circle of pizza dough. One half is piled with pizza type ingredients and the other half is folded over and the two open edges are crimped together to form a semicircle. Panzerotti are smaller versions of calzones. Stromboli, according to Wikipedia, was invented in 1950 in a restaurant outside Philly. It was named for the movie, Stromboli starring Ingrid Bergman.  It, too, has a bread or pizza crust,  but is formed into a log with cheese and ham, or other pizza type filling,  before baking.   A pastie (pronounced Paaa’ stee, like a sheep’s baaa) was first baked in Cornwall and brought to the US by miners who ate them standing up for lunch.  It is a savory meat and cheese mixture baked in a crust, with edges turned up as they are sealed together. A turnover is also English and is a small pastry with one half of the round crust under the filling and the other half folded over, making the top.   Empanada is Spanish for “bake in pastry” and is a one serving savory cheese and meat mixture baked in crust, turnover style. They are found in Latin America, Spain and Portugal. A samosa is a snack of triangular dough folded around a savory meat or vegetable filling, deep fried or baked.  It is found in India and Pakistan as well as many areas in Africa and the Mediterranean.  Pockets are an American/Canadian invention, although hardly original, that describes savory meat, cheese, vegetables baked in a crust. International convenience food, anyone? Whatever name you use for these morsels, they are tasty and filling!

Can you tell where I dropped the spatula as I was setting up for the photo?  Still yummy – even slightly dented!  For more kitchen disasters :-) and other adventures,   you can get regular updates by email, RSS feed, Twitter or Facebook.

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Chicken Mini Pockets

Chicken Mini Pockets

Ingredients

  • 3 oz cream cheese, non-fat or regular
  • 1 tbsp butter or margarine, softened
  • 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed (canned or leftover rotisserie also work well)
  • 1 Tbsp chopped onion
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1 can refrigerated crescent rolls

Instructions

  1. Mix cream cheese, butter, chicken, green onion, salt and pepper till smooth.
  2. Unroll crescent dough and separate. For each triangle, fold the top point downward along the triangle edge and “moosh” the dough into a rough square.
  3. Spoon one heaping tablespoon of chicken mixture into center of dough square. Fold edges toward center and seal together.
  4. Place each filled square on ungreased baking sheet with edges downward.
  5. Bake 10-14 minutes until golden brown.
  6. Cool slightly to let flavor develop before serving.
  7. Each crescent roll has 11 carbs, cream cheese less than 1 for a total of 12 carbs/serving.
http://www.apinchofjoy.com/2011/10/chicken-mini-pockets/

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Cream Cheese Toffee Dip

August 22, 2011 by

Cream Cheese Toffee Dip - A Pinch of Joy

For my birthday this year,  I received a brand new community cookbook from my sister in law, ElAy.  When I opened it up the very first recipe in the book was one I had given her a couple of years ago.  I  reworked a recipe I found online to be  more healthy and found a new obsession for dipping apple slices and pretzel flip crackers in the resulting fluff.  I just had to share!   ElAy submitted it in my name for the community cookbook, hot off the press in June 2011.  What a nice surprise!     An honor to be the first recipe!  Never mind that “A is for apple dip” and comes in the alphabet before “B is for Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts”!

Community cookbooks are treasures!   You know when you look through them that contributors offered their very best, the recipes that have been savored repeatedly. I have three or four special books to which my family have contributed their “keepers” that are stained and well worn and used frequently!   My birthday cookbook celebrates the quasquicentennial of a small town  and contains 164 pages of yummy goodness.  I love that they used “quasquicentennial” instead of  “125th anniversary of our founding”!  And that I was gifted  the centennial cookbook from that same town, too!  The recipe got a bit more tweaking – again!—and here it is for your enjoyment!

 

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Cream Cheese Toffee Dip

Cream Cheese Toffee Dip

Ingredients

  • 8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 – ½ package of Heath toffee bits

Instructions

  1. Beat together cream cheese and brown sugar until light and fluffy. The secret is to beat until the volume of the cream cheese is almost doubled.
  2. Add toffee bits.
  3. Refrigerate for at least two hours, overnight is even better.
  4. Serve with apple slices, pretzels, pretzel crackers or other sturdy dippers.
http://www.apinchofjoy.com/2011/08/apple-dip/

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