We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature--trees, flowers, grass--grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence...We need silence to be able to touch souls. --Mother Teresa

Friday, July 30, 2010

Food on Friday

Whew.  Two weeks in a row.  Fairly certain that's a miracle.

When my husband was a football coach, we always attended the end of year banquet.  Imagine this.....football players and mom's who knew how to feed them.  One mother in particular always showed up with the same thing.  Calzones.  My husband loves calzones.  My children love calzones.  And this particular mother used homemade bread to make her calzones.  Oh.  My.  Gosh.  They are dreamy.  I was actually sad when I realized that her son was a senior and we were on our last potluck with her calzones. 

After visiting with her, I experimented.  I could never duplicate her dough, which was fine.  I ended up using frozen bread dough.  My people were fine with my calzones.  The problem is that it takes all day to thaw out a loaf of frozen bread dough.  And I strive to be an advance planner, but alas, am struggling to think ahead.

This summer, I hit on an idea....use my own homemade pizza crust recipe to make my version of calzones.  I call them pizza rolls.

If you don't have time to make dough, then you can buy that refrigerator pizza crust and use it.  My people like that--it simply takes 3 cans to make them even part way full.  It can be expensive to purchase unless you find it on sale.

So here's the basic recipe:  pizza crust, cheese, meat of some kind and melted butter.  Roll out the crust and sprinkle cheese over it. 


Cover with the meat of your choice.  This one happens to be leftover chicken (from a whole chicken that I used to make chicken and noodles) and bacon.  By the way, if you haven't made bacon in a while because it stinks up your house for days, try this.  You will never want to cook bacon any other way.



I am sure that you have noticed that I haven't included any sauce on the pizza roll.  We don't love sauce on our stuff, we like to dip our stuff in sauce.  In this case, ranch was used to dip the pizza roll in.  Kind of like a chicken bacon ranch sandwich from that sandwich place.  Only way cheaper.

Roll the dough like you would cinnamon rolls.


It doesn't have to be perfect, just edible.  Pinch any holes shut and transfer to a cookie sheet.  I did spray my cookie sheets even though I painted the pizza roll with butter before I baked them.


I bake mine at 350 for 20 minutes or more.  The pizza roll doesn't seem to get too brown and basically you making sure that the dough cooks all the way through because the ingredients that you add are already cooked.


















I have made pizza rolls once a week or more.  I made them before I left for Prayer and Action and put them in the freezer.  They warm up beautifully. 

Yeeks.  Whose hand is that?  She must be 80.  

This summer, I have made many different versions of pizza rolls:

--mozzarella, pepperoni and sausage 
--cheddar and beef
--mozzarella, beef and cooked cabbage--mmmm....reminds me of bierocks
--cheddar and pepperoni
--cheddar and sausage
--cheddar, bacon and chicken
Honestly, I think that anything would work for a filling.  If your people like it, then it could be made into a pizza roll.  We use ranch or spaghetti sauce for dipping. 

If you would like to know what my pizza crust recipe is, then keep reading.  Otherwise...stop. Go to the next blog. 
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Pizza Crust
by The Hays Crew
**this will make one crust

1 cup of water--temp should be around 110 degrees
dissolve 1 tbsp sugar in water and add
2 heaping tsp of yeast--I use bulk yeast--so this may be one of those little packets??
Let yeast 'grow' for around 5 minutes.

3 cups of flour (or a little more)
4 tbsp of melted butter

Put flour in large bowl.  Pour butter over flour.  Slowly pour yeast mixture over flour.  Use a wooden spoon to mix.  If dough seems a little sticky, add more flour in 1/4 cup increments until dough is no longer sticky and can be kneaded.  Knead for a few minutes and return to bowl.  Cover and put in a warm place until doubled in size.  

Punch it down.  Let it rest 5 minutes and roll out.  

Pretty sure this is the way I do it.  But it could be a lie and you won't want to follow any of my recipes again.  Just sayin'. 



Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Croquet Match

Sunday night we had a family croquet match.

There were requirements to participate.  We had to wear striped shirts.   Even if you had on plaid shorts and refused to change your shirt....you eventually changed.  There were comments--believe me when I tell you that they are not printable on this blog.  


 There were others who were very proud.  And certainly they thought they would win the game.



And then there was this:


He is very competitive.  He hates to lose.  Yeah.  So he married me.  I don't really care if I win or lose.  In fact, I am adept at losing.  Unless there is something at stake, like loser does the dishes, I don't really care.  Even then, I'll just do the dishes. 

Therefore, even though I looked rockin' hot in my striped shirt (1 of 2 that I own) and mesh shorts, I was destined for last place.  And last place is what I got...I was generous and saved someone else from disappointment.

Of course, we all knew who would win.  And then gloat.  But who would have guessed that HE would get second place? 

Not him or his twin.  That apple doesn't fall far from the tree. 


Just sayin'.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Food on Friday

I was out of town last week on a mission trip so I left some meals in the freezer for my guys.  One was the ever famous tater tot casserole.  


Tater Tot Casserole
The Hays Crew Version

browned hamburger...however much you like
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 can of cheddar cheese soup
2 cans of green beans, drained
1 to 2 cups of shredded cheese
1 bag of frozen tater tots

Mix first four ingredients well.  Add part of the shredded cheese and dump mixture into a pan.  I like to use 2 8x8 foil pans.  Then I have 2 meals.  Cover the mixture with the remaining cheddar cheese and then place your tots on the top. 
Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 60 minutes.  


OR  cover in foil and freeze until ready to use.  I find it helps to write on the foil so I don't have to guess what I have in the freezer.  

I also usually put the baking directions on the foil so whomever is 'fixing' dinner knows exactly what to do. 

This is one of my go to meals when I am at a loss as to what to fix.  Not that it ever happens...just sayin'.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Gone

Yep.  I have been gone.  Surely you didn't notice?  I have been in a blogging funk, cleaning funk, exercising funk and OK, just a funk in general. 

But I'm back.  Still a little bit funky, so let's just say I'm funky back. 

I do have tons of news for you after my funky hiatus.....

1.  Bud has moved to the retirement home. 

My good friend who lives on a farm agreed to take him if her child could stay at my house for the day and then I would transport him home.  I say that was the best trade a girl could make.  Who can resist cute boys?  Certainly not me.  It took 2 attempts to get Bud to the retirement home.  The first time, he disappeared just as we were ready to load.  As soon as the cat carrier appeared, he disappeared.  2nd attempt was somewhat more successful, but I think it took 4 of us to get him in the carrier and then he refused to exit the carrier.  She tells me that she has seen Bud once since he moved in.  She feels that he is still around because he has left her 'treats' several times.  (Treats like dead mice on the porch.)

2.  Black Betty has left the family. 

God is amazing.  We bought the Yukon on June 24th and transferred the insurance from Black Betty to the Yukon (still no name) on the 25th.  I put a sign in Black Betty announcing her eligibility to join a new family.  I put her on our local radio station's 'sell your junk' show.  And then we waited.  And waited.  On Saturday, I knew we had until Friday to sell Black Betty or we would have to reinsure her.  On Sunday, a couple showed up with cash and Black Betty joined their family.  God is amazing. 

3.  Prayer and Action 2010.  Completely amazing.  This deserves its own post.  But for now....there is nothing like being with youth who are excited to share the love of the Lord with others. 


4.  I am still fighting with Blogger.  I am looking into a new host.  I realize Blogger is free but I can only take so much. 

5.  I got new shoes....

And yes, I know I have beautiful feet.  I just wish they felt beautiful--they are a major part of the funk.  These shoes are incredible.  They are Chaco brand and they come highly recommended from the podiatrist, physical therapist and orthopaedic doc.  Who knew that they'd be right?  Well, at least some of them are right.  Again, more on this later.

6.  4 weeks until my babies are juniors in high school and college.  HOW can that be? 
I am ready.  I am not ready.  Just sayin'.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Food on Friday..or NOT

I had big plans for posting everyday this week.  Then life happened.  And I am continuously fighting with blogger.  Is anybody else fighting with them?  Posting pictures is like cutting my arm off--that might be easier than posting pictures at this point.  AND I cannot simply hit return and have my cursor return to the next line.  I must use my arrow keys.  UUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH.  Blogger is driving me crazy. 
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And now it will not let me post ANY pictures and I simply cannot post food without pictures.  I have been trying all day and I quit.  Just sayin'.

 

Your own soul is nourished when you are kind, but you destroy yourself when you are cruel. -Proverbs 11: 17