PIZZA BUNDLES

With the weather being as fickle as it is being, and the rain making us all dozy, I thought homemade pizza would be welcome for Supper tonight (and the preparation would keep me awake; LOL), so I pulled out this old recipe and got busy ;-)

This recipe is an oldie, but goodie; I clipped it decades ago from the local paper. It is an original recipe submitted by Marya Evans from the Silver Lake area – the recipe is her own adaptation … which I changed a bit myself tonight to use what I had on hand. Her recipe calls for sausage or hamburger – I used pepperoni slices, cut into tiny squares. Her recipe all calls for mozzarella or provolone cheese – I used Swiss cheese. Her recipe calls for nutmeg & anise – I used allspice. The recipe is easily adaptable for your own favorite filling recipe … or for substitutions if necessary:-D

I was doing a couple loads of laundry to this afternoon, and the dryer was a good warm place to set the dough to rise. Hey – you gotta do what you gotta do, and use what you can use, to get things done, right?

READ THE RECIPE ALL THE WAY THROUGH BEFORE STARTING!

PIZZA BUNDLES ~ Makes 6

PIZZA DOUGH: 2-1/2 cups Flour * 1 package active dry Yeast (or 2-1/4 tsp. bulk dry yeast) * 1 tsp. Salt * ½ tsp. Sugar * 1 cup warm Water (110-115 degrees) * 2 TBSP Olive Oil or Salad Oil * ¼ cup grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese

In a large bowl, place water and stir in yeast and sugar; allow to activate for 8 minutes.

Gather supplies to begin while yeast activates.

Stir in remaining ingredients, using as much flour as needed to make a stiff dough. Turn onto a floured surface, and knead until elastic. Cover and allow dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk – about 1 hour or so.

Olive oil gives best flavor to crust.

Blending pizza dough ingredients with bread hook.

Kneading dough until elastic and thoroughly blended.

Place kneaded dough into bowl to rise.

Dough placed on warm dryer to rise under a basket and bath towel to trap heat.

While dough is rising, prepare the FILLING: ½ pound Italian Sausage or Hamburger * 1 cup chopped Onion * 1 clove chopped Garlic * 1 cup sliced mushrooms or 1 can mushroom pieces, drained * 2medium tomatoes, chopped or 1 can tomatoes, drained * 1/3 cup tomato paste * ½ tsp. Sugar * 1 tsp. crushed Basil * ½ tsp. crushed Oregano * Dash Nutmeg * Drop of Anise * Salt and ground Black Pepper to taste * 1-1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella or Provolone Cheese * 1 beaten Egg

Frozen Pepperoni slices thawed above warm coffee pot. LOL

Crushing the basil ... homegrown and coarsely dried.

Pizza Bundle Filling being prepared. Cubed pepperoni slices and red wine.

WHEN DOUGH IS RISEN: Divide dough in half and cut each half into 3 pieces to make 6 pieces total.

Pizza dough risen and ready to be rolled and filled. (Sorry so dark - a cloud passed over the skylight ...)

Baking sheets lined with Parchment Paper. 2 baking sheets were used.

Dough separated into 6 equal sized pieces for uniformity.

On a floured surface, roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Spoon about 2/3 cup of meat mixture onto half of each circle; spread ¼ cup cheese over filling. Moisten edge of dough with a mixture of egg and 1 tsp. water – fold in half and seal edges by pressing down along the edge with fork tines.

Dough rolled to 8-inch circles.

I rolled all 6 pieces at once ...

... and filled them with equal amounts of filling and cheese.

Prick the tops of each bundle with a fork and brush with remaining egg/water mixture. OR spray the bundle tops with butter flavored Cooking Spray.

Pizza Bundles rolled, filled, pricked, sprayed with butter flavored cooking spray, and ready for the oven.

Bake on greased baking sheets in a 375-degree oven for 20 – 30 minutes. NOTE: If using parchment paper, greasing the sheet is not necessary.

Baking bundles smell GOOD!

I baked these for 25 min’s., but probably should have only baked them for 20 minutes. They are crisp. But every oven bakes differently, and I am still getting used to my new one ;-)

RAIN BARREL

Hubs bought me this rain barrel and fittings a few weeks ago intending to set it up for me then, but … rain, hail, and a surprise snowstorm were upon us before we barely got it out of the car and under the carport.

So he wasn’t able to make a stand, or set it up before yesterday. I AM HAPPY :-D

Sturdy wooden barrel stand Hubs built me yesterday.

Overflow detector installed.

He set it in place yesterday afternoon and already this morning the 55-gallon barrel has had overflow redirected. WOW - who knew we'd have that much rain overnight? <:-O

Hubs is talking about getting me another barrel: I can go for that! I am planning a 2018 Spring Veggie Box Garden (http://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2017/07/day-by-day.html) to feed us all Winter and into Spring 2019, so another rain barrel will definately be a plus in more ways than one ;-) I do not want to use city water unless absolutely forced to.

((((Thank you Babe)))) ~OXOXOXOX

P.S: It's still raining hard, perhaps ... 3 more barrels? Just a thought.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW ~ Chapter 18

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW ~ Chapter 18

Just then the disciples came over and asked Yeshua, ‘Who is really the greatest I the kingdom of heaven?’ Yeshua then called a little child and, placing the child in the center of the group, He replied, “I tell you truly that if you do not have a change of heart and become like a child, you will not get into the kingdom of heaven at all. The greatest in the kingdom of heaven must make himself as humble as a child. Anyone who receives a little child in My Name, receives Me. But whoever leads astray one of these little ones who believe in Me might better have a millstone hung around his neck and be sunk in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of temptations offered to stumble – they must come, it seems – but woe especially to the man that causes them! Indeed, if your hand or your foot should cause you to sin, cut them off and throw them away, for it is better for you to go into life minus a hand or a foot than to be cast into everlasting fire with both hands and feet. Likewise, if your eye cause you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away, for it is better for you to go into life with only one eye than to be cast into hell fire with both eyes. Be careful; do not despise the little children! For I tell you that in heaven their angles look to the face of My heavenly Father continually.”

“For the Son of man has come to save what was lost. What do you think? Suppose a man had 100 sheep, and 1 of them gets lost. Doesn’t he leave the 99 up there in the mountains and go out in search of the 1 that was lost? And if he finds it, don’t you agree that he will have more joy over that 1 than over the 99 that did not go astray? I truly think so. Even so, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that 1 of these little children should perish.”

“If your brother should do you a wrong, you should take the matter up with him. Talk to him in private; if he will listen to you, you have won back your brother. If he will not listen to you, take 1 or 2 other persons with you, so that every word spoken may be confirmed by the testimony of 2 or 3 witnesses. And if he will not listen to them, bring the matter before The Church, and then if he will not listen to The Church, let him be treated as a heathen or a foreigner. It is absolutely true that what you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and what you forgive on earth will be forgiven in heaven. One thing more – if 2 of you agree on any request here on earth, My heavenly Father will answer your prayer. For where 2 or 3 come together in My Name, there am I in their midst.”

Simon Peter then came to him and said, ‘How often must I forgive my brother if he sins against me? As many as 7x?’ “I tell you,” said Yeshua, “not up to 7x but to 70 x 7. The kingdom of heaven, therefore, s like a certain king who decided to go over his accounts with his servants. He had hardly begun when there came in one of his subjects who owed him $1,000,000; but as he had nothing to pay with, the king gave orders that he was to be sold, with his wife and children and everything that he had, in payment of the debt. At this, the debtor fell prostrate before him, pleading, ‘Lord, be patient with me and I will pay you every cent.’ The king took pity on his subject and set him free: in fact, he canceled the whole debt. And then that same man went out and found a fellow subject who owed him about $20. He seized him by the throat and started to choke him, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe me!’ The man fell at his feet and cried out, pleadingly, ‘Give me time and I will pay for everything.’ But he refused. Rather, he had him thrown into jail to stay until he had paid his debt. Now, while others saw what had happened, they were angry, and they went to their master, the king, and reported what had taken place. The king then sent for him. ‘You wicked servant!’ he said, ‘I forgave your whole debt because you begged me. Was it not proper that you, too, should have taken pity on your fellow servant, even as I took pity on you? Then the king, I wrath, turned him over to be tortured until he should pay all that he owed. Just so will My heavenly Father di to you if you do not, every one of you, forgive his brother.”

**Matthew 17: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2018/02/the-gospel-according-to-matthew-chapter.html

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW ~ Chapter 17

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW ~ Chapter 17

Six days later, Yeshua took with Him Simon (Peter), James and his brother John, and brought them up to a high mountain to be alone. And He was changed – transfigured – before them. His face shone like the sun and His clothing became as white as the light. And all at once Moshe (Moses) and Elijah came and talked with Him. Simon then said to Yeshua, ‘It is good for us to be here. If You permit it, I shall put up three sukkahs (shelters) here; one for You, one for Moshe and one for Elijah.’ While he was yet speaking, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them and a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces, greatly terrified. Yeshua then came to them, touched them, and said, “Get up; don’t be afraid!”

As they were coming down from the mountain, Yeshua said to them, “Be sure not to tell anyone about the vision – not until the Son of Man shall have risen from the dead.” The disciples asked Him, ‘Why is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?’ Yeshua replied, “Surely Elijah will come first, and he will re-establish things. The fact is that Elijah has already come, but he was not recognized, and they did to him whatever they pleased. In the same way the Son of man is about to suffer at their hands.”

The disciples now understood that He had been talking to them about John the Baptist.

When they reached the crowd, a man ran up to Him and fell on his knees before Him. He said, ‘Adonai, take pity on my son, for he is a lunatic and suffers terribly! Sometimes he falls into the fire, and more often into the water, I brought him to Your disciples but they could not heal him.’

“O you unbelieving and misguided folk! Said Yeshua. “How long shall I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” And Yeshua rebuked the demon, and he came out of him, and from that moment the boy was healed. Afterwards, when they were alone, the disciples came to Yeshua and asked, ‘Why could we not drive him out?’ Yeshua answered, “Because you lacked Faith. I tell you truly, if you had faith – even though it be as small as a tiny mustard seed – you could say tot his mountain, ‘Move over from here to there! And it would move over. No, nothing will be impossible for you. This kind, however, is cast out only by the help of prayer and fasting.”

While they were still going about in Galilee, Yeshua said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men; and they will kill Him, but on the 3^rd day He shall rise again.” And they were much distressed.

When they came to Capernaum, those who collected the temple tax came to Simon and asked, ‘Doesn’t your Master pay taxes?’ He replied, “Yes.” When Simon came into the house, Yeshua spoke up first, saying, “Simon, what do you think? From whom do the kings of the world collect duties or taxes – from their sons or from others?” Simon answered, ‘From others.’ Yeshua then said, “Then the sons are exempt, aren’t they? But, so as not to offend them, go down to the sea, throw in a hook and take the first fish you catch, open its mouth and you will find a silver coin there. Take it and go pay the tax for Me and yourself.”

**Matthew 16: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2018/02/thursday-bible-study-matthew-16.html

PASTA w-TOMATO & SHRIMP

I wanted something light and different the other night for Supper: this recipe filled the bill :-) It was the first time I have ever cooked it, but I am thinking it won’t be the last.

This recipe is simple, but satisfying. Mushrooms, garlic, and a smidgen of white wine add depth of flavor to shrimp. To speed preparation, use prepared shelled and deveined shrimp.

PASTA w-TOMATO & SHRIMP ~Makes 4 servings

1 TBSP + 1 teaspoon Olive Oil * 2 cloves Garlic, minced * 2 cups coarsely chopped Tomatoes * 8 medium Mushrooms, thickly sliced * 10 ounces Shrimp, shelled and deveined * 2 TBSP fresh Dill, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried) * 1 TBSP Lemon Juice * 1 TBSP dry White Wine * 4 ½ ounces medium pasta Shells, cooked and drained

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the garlic in the oil until softened and fragrant. Add tomatoes and mushrooms, and gently cook about 15 minutes to blend flavors.

Add shrimp; sprinkle with dill, add lemon juice and wine. Cook gently until shrimp begins to pink and curl in on itself.

Stir in pasta and occasionally toss a few minutes to warm shells.

Serve and enjoy!

LOWER DIKE HIKE

It is still a bit crisp in the morning, but by 10 a.m., or so, the temperature warms enough to go walking … so we do ;-)

We wanted to see if the turtle has come out yet, so we revisited the lower end of the dike. We weren’t able to get this far last year because there was so much going on, so we were curious to see if he was still around. We didn’t see him, but we did see a few new things – fences were going up everywhere we looked as well as 2 other new items:

A chubby Goat! This is something new this year.

A 'hidden' fish net for dipping; maybe the absent turtle ended up in someone's soup pot; but there are some pretty large carp in this slough too.

And we also some a flock of geese in someone’s back yard. The entire length of the dike we only saw 3 ducks, which is unusual as this place is usually full of ducks …

Geese in a back yard.

It was a fun hike. And we need to get out more.

TORTILLA CASSEROLE

This casserole takes some time to prepare, but it is worth it!

There are several recipes for south-of-the-border-style casseroles that use the bagged chips high in salt and cholesterol; this recipe uses regular unsalted corn tortillas that is lower in fat and sodium. The tofu provides low-fat protein and texture without overshadowing the far south flavor.

This also freezes well if you want to half the recipe and serve one later.

TORTILLA CASSEROLE ~ 8 servings

1 TBSP vegetable Oil * 2 medium Onions, chopped (about 1-1/3 cups) * 4 large cloves of Garlic, minced (4 teaspoons) * 1 28-ounce can Tomatoes, coarsely chopped, with juice * 2 TBSP. Chili Powder * 1 ½ teaspoons Oregano * ½ teaspoon Caraway Seeds (optional) * ½ teaspoon Cumin * 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne, or ¼ teaspoon ground Black pepper * 4 cups cooked small Red Beans or Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained, partially mashed * 1 4-ounce can Green Chilies, finely chopped * 1 pound firm-style Tofu, crumbled * 12 Corn Tortillas, toasted in oven for 10 minutes @ 350 until crisp * 1 1/3 cups coarsely shredded Monterey Jack or mild Cheddar Cheese (about 5 ounces)

In a deep skillet or medium saucepan, heat the oil and cook onions and garlic for 3 minutes – stirring often.

Add the tomatoes and their juice, chili powder, oregano, caraway, cumin, and cayenne or black pepper; bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes – stirring often. Remove pan from heat.

Add the beans, chilies, tofu, and stir the ingredients well.

Bean and Tofu mixture.

Crisping Tortillas.

To assemble the casserole, spread a thin layer of a third of the bean sauce over the bottom of baking dish. Spread a layer of half of the broken tortillas over the sauce: repeat these two layers again. Use the last third of sauce to cover the second layer of broken tortillas and sprinkle the cheese over entire top of casserole.

Broken crispy Tortillas.

Cover baking dish with foil and bake in a 375-degree oven for about 20 minutes. If the casserole has been frozen, bake it for 30 – 40 minutes.

DIKE HIKE

It was a wondrous 60 degree day today! It felt and smelled a welcome Spring day (of course it is still officially Winter), so we went for a walk along the dike on 48^th; we hadn’t done that one for a while, so today seemed like a good day to revisit and hoped to see some ducks lazily swimming or pairing off to raise families ;-)

What a nice surprise awaited us! OTTERS :-D We have not been able to watch otters dart and dive and chase each other through the water since we sold our home in Cathlamet 24 years ago: we lived near the Columbia River and a creek passed through our back yard where courting ducks, frisky otters, and great blue herons were frequent visitors … and we even had a seal swim up the creek on day! The otters we saw today were a special treat to our eyes.

We did see a couple dozen ducks too - swimming, pairing off, looking for companionship, and nesting couples lining the riverbank …

We even saw 2 live curled up fuzzy-wuzzies, and a crushed one that wasn’t fast enough to avoid a heavy footfall of one of the dike hikers before us. The one shown is just curled up tight hoping we'd go away so it could crawl away. LOL:

And some geese on the opposite side in a field …

The sunshine felt sooooo good! And we weren’t the only ones enjoying it today ;-)