Biscuit Cups

I have tried this recipe a couple of times using different ideas and they've come out great each time.

Pizza Cups

Ingredients:

2 (6-count) containers small refrigerated biscuits

1 cup cooked turkey sausage (or chopped pepperoni)

1 cup pizza or pasta sauce

1 cup cheese

Instructions:

Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Press one biscuit into the bottom and up the sides of each cup of the muffin tin. Spoon approximately 1 TBS each of turkey and pizza sauce into each cup. Top with 1 TBS cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees F for approximately 14 minutes.

To make Chili Cups

Ingredients:

12 biscuits (same as above)

1 1/2 - 2 cups chili

1 cup cheese

Instructions:

Follow the above instructions except spoon chili and cheese into each muffin cup.

Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole, modified

This recipe was adapted from several chicken & rice casserole recipes (one of those is already on this blog) that I have in my collection. Some of the other recipes use mayonnaise and/or sour cream in addition to the cream soups. Next time I make it I plan to experiment a little by substituting or adding other veggies besides the green beans such as green peas, mushrooms, green pepper, or celery.
I also think french fried onions or crushed butter crackers would be great toppers in addition to the cheese if you want to dress it up some more. I made this just as listed below and cooked it in the crock pot on low for about 3 hours and it turned out great and was delicious.

Ingredients:
3-4 cups cooked chicken, chopped
2 boxes fast-cook long grain & wild rice (I used Uncle Ben's)
2 cans Cream of soups (I used Cream of Chicken & Herb & Cream of Mushroom)
2 cups shredded cheese such as Cheddar, Monterray Jack, or Colby, separated
1 12-oz. bag frozen cut green beans, cooked
1 medium to large onion, chopped
1 can chopped water chestnuts, optional
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
Cook rice according to package directions; set aside. In large mixing bowl mix 1 1/2 cups cheese with all other ingredients. Stir very well. Spoon mixture into greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes until hot all the way through.

Corn Dog Handwiches/Muffins

DH fell in love with this Cuisinart Sandwich Grill one day when were in Belk. So of course we got it. Turns out it's more versatile than originally anticipated. I found some recipe ideas for making corn dog muffins and corn dogs in the sandwich grill and have been dying to try them out. So today I did.

Ingredients:
1 package buttermilk corn bread mix (the only-add-water kind), prepared
according to package directions
1/2 cup shredded cheese, or more if desired
3 of your favorite hot dogs, sliced thinly (We like Ball Park Smoked White Turkey Franks)
ketchup and mustard for dipping

Instructions:
I mixed all ingredients together. Then I filled the wells of the sandwich grill evenly and closed the lid. About 5 minutes later we had perfectly cooked corn dog handwiches. Yum!

Don't worry, though. You can make these as corn dog muffins in a muffin tin if you don't have a sandwich grill like me. In fact, I often just use the muffin tin (results shown above) myself so I can cook all the batter at one time.

Crock Pot Beef & Broccoli

I got the idea for the recipe here. I basically doubled the original recipe.

Ingredients:
2 - 2 1/2 lb thinly sliced beef (I used sirloin)
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 TBS white wine
4 TBS apple cider vinegar
2 TBS brown sugar
3 tsp sesame oil
2-3 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 bag thawed broccoli florets or broccoli cuts (to add later)

Instructions:
Add all the liquid ingredients to the crock pot. Add your garlic and red pepper. Add your sliced meat, tossing to coat thoroughly. Cook on high for 2 - 3 hours or low for 4- 5 hours. This didn't take as long as I thought it would.
An hour before serving, add your broccoli, stirring to coat with sauce. Cook on high for another hour.
I served DH's with steamed brown rice. I ate mine without any rice.

I also plan to try this with chicken because it was delicious. I was surprised how tender the beef was due to the vinegar.

Honey Oat Bread

DH gave me a bread machine for my 30th birthday. Because I tend to want to eat the entire loaf, I don't use the machine very often. But last weekend I decided I wanted Dave to have some fresh bread to make peanut butter and honey sandwiches with. We didn't get as far as the peanut butter. We used the bread more like pancakes, spread with real butter and honey and stacked several pieces high.

Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups bread flour *
1/4 cup powdered milk
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast
1/2 cup rolled or quick cook oats
1 TBS vegetable oil

Instructions:
Add all ingredients to bread machine pan in the order suggested by your manufacturer's guide. Select a basic cycle for medium/large loaf with a light crust. Then wait about 4 hours. Your house will smell amazing. Try not to engulf the entire loaf straight out of the bread machine. This part will be especially difficult.
* I substituted 1 cup of spelt flour for 1 cup of bread flour. Because of this I also added a tablespoon of vital gluten to make sure the bread rose. I imagine 1 cup of whole wheat would also work well.

Watergate Salad

Another one of DH's favorites.

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (3.4 oz) carton instant pistachio pudding mix
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple, undrained

Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine whipped topping and pudding mix. Fold in pineapple and marshmallows. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Texas Caviar

I've read many, many recipes for this dish and here's what I decided to put in my version:

Ingredients:
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 (15 oz) can black eyed peas, drained & rinsed
1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 (15 oz) can Mexican corn, drained
1 medium bell pepper, diced (I used green for the color)
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1/4 cup pickled jalapenos, diced
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
hot sauce to taste
1 cup Italian dressing

Instructions:
Mix together in a medium/large glass or plastic bowl. Cover and chill in refrigerator at least 2 hours. Serve as a dip with corn chip scoops or serve as a side salad.

Banana Split Salad

Ingredients:
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling
3 medium bananas, sliced
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup shredded sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine milk and whipped topping until well-blended. Fold in remaing ingredients. Chill until ready to serve.

Mexican Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:
6 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 - 1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil
2 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 packet of taco seasoning mix

Instructions:
In a large bowl, pour oil onto potatoes and toss to coat. Add salt and taco seasoning and toss again. Place sweet potatoes in roasting pan. Bake at 425 degrees F for 40-50 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Onion Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:
2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled & diced
2 packages dry onion soup mix
1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil

Instructions:
In a large bowl, pour oil over potatoes and mix until well-coated. Pour in onion soup mix and toss until soup mix in distributed evenly over potatoes. Bake in a roasting pan at 425 degrees F for 40-50 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

If you prefer, substitute red-skinned potatoes here.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Ingredients:
1 TBS butter
1 TBS olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 shallot, finely chopped (or 1 small onion)
1 TBS tomato paste
1 (15 oz) jar roasted red bell peppers, rinsed & drained
4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/4 cup half-and-half
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Melt butter with oil in 2 quart stock pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallots and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in bell peppers and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes. Process red pepper mix in batches in food processor or blender until smooth (or use a hand blender if you have one). Return soup to stock pot. Stir in half-and-half and cook on medium heat another 5 minutes or until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish suggestions: croutons, shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese, parsley.

Tortellini Salad

Ingredients:
2 (9 oz) packages refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup Caesar salad dressing or Creamy Italian dressing
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3-4 oz turkey pepperoni, cut into quarters
2 (2 1/4 oz) cans sliced black olives, drained
4 green onions, chopped

Instructions:
Cook cheese tortellini according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to keep from sticking together.
Toss tortellini with remaining ingredients.

Chicken-and-Wild Rice Casserole

This is a great pot-luck dish. It also freezes great for up to 1 month.

Ingredients:
2 (6.2 oz) packages fast-cooking long-grain and wild rice mix
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 medium or 1 large onion, chopped
4 celery ribs, chopped
2 (8 oz) cans chopped water chestnuts, drained
5 cups cooked chicken, chopped
4 cups (1 lb) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
2 (10 3/4 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
2 cups (1 pint) sour cream
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions:
Prepare rice according to package directions; set aside. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery and water chestnuts. Saute 10 minutes or until celery & onions are tender.
In a large mixing bowl combine cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, milk, salt and pepper together. Stir in chicken, veggie mixture and 3 cups shredded cheese. Spoon into a 10x15 baking dish or a 4-quart casserole dish. Bake casserole at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese and bake 5-10 more minutes.

To cook from frozen: Let casserole stand at room temp for 1 hour. Then bake, covered, at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 55 more minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 5-10 more minutes.

Baked Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas

I have made this several times and we have gobbled it up! Using rotisserie chicken saves time and effort.

Ingredients:
1 (8 oz) block cream cheese
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
1/4 to 1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups (12 oz) shredded cheese, divided (Monterey Jack, Colby-Jack, Cheddar, etc.)
10 (6 in) corn tortillas
1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 (15 oz) can hunts tomato sauce
1/2 cup whipping cream

Instructions:
Stir together first 6 ingredients and 1 cup cheese in large bowl until mixed thoroughly. Heat tortillas in microwave according to package directions. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each warm tortilla and roll up. Place in lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Cook diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and cream in 1 1/2 to 2 quart saucepan over med-high heat until thoroughly heated. Pour tomato mixture evenly over tortillas, spreading to cover ends of tortillas. Sprinkle dish with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until cheese melts and tomato mix bubbles. Garnishes: sour cream, shredded lettuce, sliced/chopped olives, sliced/chopped jalapenos, etc.

Chicken Pot Pie

Using rotisserie chicken saves time and effort and tastes great because it's already seasoned. My mother-in-law shared this one with me.

Ingredients:
1 (15 oz can) Veg All, drained
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) cream of potato soup
1/4 milk, half & half or cream
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1/4-1/2 tsp ground thyme
1/4-1/2 tsp black pepper
2 (9 in) frozen ready-to-bake pie crusts or 1 package refrigerated pie crusts

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In medium bowl, combine first six ingredients and mix well. Fit pie crust into 9" pie pan. Pour veggie mixture into pie crust. Top with remaining pie crust, crimping edges to seal. Slit top with knife or pierce several times with a fork. Bake 50-60 minutes on lower oven rack or until crust is golden brown. Allow pie to cool for about 10 minutes before cutting. 8 servings.

French Onion Biscuits

Ingredients:
1 (8 oz) carton French onion dip
1/4 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose baking mix (such as Bisquick)
1-2 TBS butter, melted

Instructions:
Whisk together dip and milk until smooth. Stir in baking mix until well blended. Divide dough into 12 equal portions and arrange on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush tops of dough with melted butter. Bake at 450 degrees F for 7-8 minutes or until lightly golden. Let biscuits stand for a few minutes before serving.

To make Ranch Biscuits, substitute 1 (8 oz) carton Ranch dip for French onion dip.

Baked Vidalia Onion Dip

Ingredients:
2 large Vidalia onions, chopped
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
2 cups mayonnaise
1 (8 oz) can chopped water chestnuts, optional
1/4 cup dry white wine, optional

Instructions:
Stir together all ingredients, blending well. Spoon mixture into lightly greased 9x13 or 2 quart baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes. Let stand about 1o minutes before serving. Serve with tortilla chips or your favorite crackers.

Coconut Cream Cake

This is another one my mother-in-law shared with me. Again, this is one of my husband's favorite desserts. It's very rich and creamy.

Ingredients:
1 box of butter recipe yellow cake mix
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can cream of coconut
12 oz container whipped topping (such as Cool Whip)
6-7 oz sweetened grated coconut (such as Bakers)

Instructions:
Bake cake mix according to directions in a 9x13 pan. While cake is baking, mix sweetened condensed milk and cream of coconut and heat until very warm.
As soon as cake comes out of oven, poke holes all over the top with a fork. Pour milk/cream of coconut mix evenly over hot cake. Let cake totally cool. Spread large container of whipped topping over top of cake. Cover whipped topping with grated coconut. Cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Keep unused cake stored in refrigerator.

Graham Cracker Cookies

My mother-in-law shared this recipe with me. It's one of my husband's favorite treats!

Ingredients:
2 sticks salted sweet cream butter
1/2 cup white sugar
24 graham cracker squares
3/4 - 1 cup pecan pieces

Instructions:
Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Layer graham cracker squares snugly on cookie sheet. In a medium saucepan, slowly bring butter and sugar to a boil. Boil for about 1 1/2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add pecan pieces to butter mix. Pour butter mix evenly over graham crackers, spreading as necessary with rubber spatula. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 8 minutes. Let cool completely then use a butter knife to separate into individual cookies. Store in an air-tight container. Don't refrigerate as they will get soggy.

My Famous Cream Cheese Pound Cake

This is the cake recipe that I have used for all my birthday and wedding cakes, including my own. It is moist, rich and absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:
3 sticks salted sweet cream butter, at room temperature
3 cups sugar
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
6 large eggs, at room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1-2 tsp of your favorite flavor extract (vanilla, almond, rum, lemon, coconut, etc.)

Instructions:
Cream together cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar and cream until almost white in color and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until just combined. Stop frequently to scrape down sides of your mixing bowl. Sift flour in a medium bowl. Add flour gradually to batter until just combined. After all flour is incorporated, fold in extract by hand.

Pour into floured and greased bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean. One recipe also makes approx. 2 loaf cakes, 1 sheet cake (9x13), round layer cakes (3 8-inch or 2 9-inch) and cupcakes (not sure exactly how many, but at least 24). Just adjust baking time according to the type of pan you are using.
Also, you should know that this cake forms a very crusty top and doesn't always look beautiful as a loaf cake uniced, but it always tastes fabulous.

Hash Brown Casserole

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (2 lb) package refrigerated shredded hash brown potatoes or frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 pint sour cream
2 (10.75 oz) cans condensed cream of celery soup (or cream of mushroom)
1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 TBS hot pepper sauce, more if you like
3/4 cup french fried onions or crushed buttery crackers, optional

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one 9x13 inch baking dish.
Over medium heat, cook the onion until soft.
In a large bowl, combine the onion, potatoes, sour cream, soup, cheese, pepper and hot sauce. Mix well and pour into baking dish. Bake 50 minutes.
Sprinkle french fried onions over casserole if desired or top with shredded cheese and and bake for 20-30 more minutes.

Garden Pea Salad

Ingredients:
1 (15 oz) can very young early peas (I use Lesueur)
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 boiled eggs, crumbled S
salt and pepper to taste
2 to 3 TBS mayonnaise
Chopped pimento, optional

Instructions:
Drain peas very well. Place drained peas in a medium bowl. Add the onions, crumbled eggs, and mayonnaise, tossing to combine and coat peas. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add pimento for color if you desire. This recipe is easily doubled or tripled.

New York Cheesecake

Ingredients:
15 graham crackers, crushed
2 tablespoons butter, melted

4 (8 oz) packages cream cheese
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup milk
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 TBS vanilla extract
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.
In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan.
In a large bowl, blend cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix or fold in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours to prevent cracking. Chill in refrigerator until serving.

Guilt-Free Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients:
8 oz fat-free cream cheese
16 oz light cream cheese
8 oz fat-free or low-fat sour cream
3 large eggs
8 oz Splenda (1 1/2 cups)
6 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted and cooled

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Beat the cream cheeses and Splenda until light and fluffy.
Add cooled chocolate. Add 1 egg at a time, beating until just combined. Fold in sour cream. Spray spring form pan with cooking spray like Pam. Pour mixture into pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 200 degrees F and bake an additional 40 minutes. Cool completely before refrigerating.

Best Brownies

Ingredients:
1 pound butter, room temperature
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
7 large eggs
3 TBS instant coffee powder
2 TBS vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/8 cups flour, divided- 1 cup for batter and 1/8 cup in the chips and nuts
1 TBS baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 to 3 cups walnuts, chopped - optional

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 11 x 15 baking pan. Melt together the butter, 1 pound chocolate chips and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler or in microwave. If using microwave, melt chocolate first, then stir in butter until melted together. Cool slightly. Stir together eggs, instant coffee, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.
Stir together 1 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and chocolate chips with 1/4 cup flour to coat. Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Do not overbake. Cool thoroughly. Cut in squares of desired size. This makes a very large pan of brownies.

Perfect Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1 (14 ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt in medium bowl until smooth. Pour into crust. Bake 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool completely. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator. Serve with whipped cream or Cool Whip if desired.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:
3 cups chopped chicken (use whatever kind you like - roasted, poached, canned - if you use canned, drain it)
2 eight ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch or Bleu Cheese dressing
3/4 cup Frank's Hot Sauce
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, etc.), divided

Instructions:
Mix chicken, cream cheese, dressing, hot sauce and 1 1/2 cups cheese together until smooth. Spread in greased 9x13 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes or until heated all the way through.

You can also put dip in 3- to 4-quart crock pot and heat on low for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Serve with celery sticks or corn chips. Fritos scoops work great.

Healthy Banana Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups flour (I use 1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 spelt)
2-3 TBS wheat germ
2 TBS ground flax seed, optional
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 - 1 cup Splenda or Splenda Brown Sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup low-fat or non-fat vanilla or banana yogurt
1/8 cup canola oil
1- 1 1/2 cups ripe bananas, mashed (about 5)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped, optional

Instructions:
Stir all dry ingredients together in large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix yogurt, oil, bananas, and eggs. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until blended. Don't overmix.
Pour into 2 greased loaf pans or bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
To make muffins, decrease baking time to approx. 18-20 minutes.

Homemade Pizza Dough

Servings: Makes 1-1/2 pounds dough (two 14-inch crusts)

Ingredients:
1 package (2-1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm (105?F) water
1 teaspoon sugar
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup cold water
flour for dusting

Instructions:
In a 2-cup liquid measure, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 3 - 5 minutes.
Pour flour into mixer with dough hook attachment or a food processor with blade and add salt and olive oil.
Add cold water to yeast mixture. With machine/mixer running, pour in liquid as fast as flour absorbs it.
Process until dough cleans sides of work bowl and forms a ball.
Then process for 45 seconds to knead dough. Dough may be slightly sticky. Dust dough lightly with flour; divide in half to make 2 large pizzas. Store unused portion in a plastic food storage bag, with all air squeezed out, in refrigerator (up to a week) or freezer (up to 3 months).
Place the other half of dough in a heat-proof glass bowl, covering the surface of the dough with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and punch down, let rest 5 - 10 minutes.
Roll into desired crust sizes (1 large or several smaller). Pre-bake the crust for 10-12 minutes at 415 degrees on a pizza stone or pizza pan. Then add your favorite toppings and bake at 415 degrees for another 5 to 15 minutes depending on the type and amount of your toppings.

Note: When ready to use frozen dough, remove in the morning, unwrap, rub with olive oil and place in a glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to thaw and rise during the day. It will be ready punch down and roll out in about 8 hours.

You can also change the flour to half whole wheat, half unbleached all-purpose or half whole wheat and half spelt with great results. I also usually some seasonings to the flour such as garlic powder and either Italian seasoning or basil.

Always use cooked meats and try to stick to no more than 5 toppings for best results.

Heavenly Carrot Cake

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 cups grated/shredded carrots
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add eggs and vegetable oil and mix well; add carrots and pecans. Pour into three 8-inch or 9-inch round well-greased, floured pans. Bake for approximately 30 - 35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Remove from pans, place on cooling rack sprayed with non-stick spray and allow to cool completely before icing.

Icing:
8 oz. package cream cheese
1 stick of butter, softened
1 box (16 oz.) powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Combine all ingredients except nuts and beat until fluffy. Stir in nuts. Frost cakes.

Quick note: Do not skimp on greasing and flouring the pans because these cakes WILL stick!
If you like carrot cake, you will be in heaven when you try this cake!