Grilled Pizza......summertime favorite

     So this isn't really going to be a "recipe". I guess you could call it more of a tutorial or a "how to". I absolutely LOVE to make pizza on the grill. I don't do anything too fancy with it, but I still love doing it. It really isn't too hard to do, you just have to really keep an eye on it so your crust doesn't end up charred. Because, charred crust it gross!! Ask me how I know?!?! ha
     The first time I tried grilling pizza I used a prepared pizza from a box. It turned out great and I was hooked on grilled pizza. If you just think of your grill as a big outdoor oven then you will be fine. Some grills have thermometers on the outside that will tell you what the internal temp of the grill is. You can also just purchase an oven thermometer and that will tell you how hot it is in there. The thermometer is probably pretty helpful for your first time trying to grill the pizza. You want to try to keep the grill at an even temperature that is as close to the same temperature as your oven would be if you were cooking indoors.
     I use a Chebe Pizza mix. It is my favorite for pizza, indoors or out! Then my favorite toppings and cheese. Just like normal. Like I said, the key is just keeping an eye on the pizza so it doesn't burn the crust.

I mixed the crust according to the package and rolled it out onto a greased cookie sheet. It went out onto the grill on the top shelf on a medium/high heat for 10 min.

I then topped the crust with all of the yummy toppings and cheese. I cooked it on a medium/low heat for another 10-15minutes. I checked it a couple of times to be sure nothing was burning. Your pizza may take more or less time depending on your grill and the type of crust and toppings you used.

Best tip for grilling pizza: keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn!!

Yum!! Crispy grilled pizza.

Enjoy your pizza. This is one of my summertime favorites for the grill!

-Jessica

Lemon Berry Pancakes....easy peasy

     I know that this recipe is not a rocket science level of difficulty. However, it is quite yummy so I had to share. I bought a big package of blueberries and thought I would use them in some pancakes. I also had some strawberries in the fridge. SO, that's where the berry portion of this idea happened. I decided to whip up some pancake batter using Gluten Free Bisquick. However, I thought it would be amazing if the pancakes had a lemon flavor to compliment the berries....thus the lemon berry pancake was born.

Lemon Berry Pancakes

1 C. Gluten Free Bisquick Mix
1 C. Milk
1 Egg.
2 T. Oil
1/2 tsp. lemon extract

1 C. Fresh Blueberries
1 C. Sliced Strawberries
Syrup

Combine the ingredients together until no lumps remain. Heat a griddle/ skillet. Pour approximately 1/2 C. of the batter onto the griddle. Sprinkle blueberries onto the batter. Flip the pancake when golden brown. Cook the other side until golden. Remove from the heat and top with more blueberries, strawberries, and syrup.

I heart blueberries

Pour approximately 1/2 C of batter onto the hot griddle.

Top the batter with fresh blueberries and cook until golden.

Flip and cook the other side.

Top with berries

Add a little syrup

Enjoy! These are SO yummy.

I hope you enjoy these pancakes. I think the lemon flavoring gives them something a little different.

-Jessica

Cinnamon Roll Cake, gluten free of course and A-mazing!

     There has been a recipe on Pinterest going round and round. I converted the gluten-full recipe to gluten free before I started blogging. One of our new members to the facebook page found the picture that I took of the yummy cake when I had made it and requested the recipe. I decided that I may as well make it into a blog post because that cake is A-Mazing!! This cake needs to be on record!!
     I think that this cake is THE PERFECT answer to a cinnamon roll for folks who are gluten free. I have tried making cinnamon rolls gluten free and I can't get them perfect. I am then, of course, frustrated and still have the craving. However, this cake fixes all that. It is quick to mix up, moist, dreamy, warm, and soooo yummy. It's perfect for a gluten free cinnamon roll craving! LOVE IT!

Cinnamon Roll Cake - Gluten Free

Cake:
3 c. Gluten Free Flour Mix
1/2 tsp. Xanthan Gum
1/4 tsp.salt
1 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. butter, melted

Cinnamon Swirl:
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
2 T. Gluten Free Flour Mix
1 T. cinnamon

Mix everything together except for the butter. Slowly stir in the melted butter and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. For the cinnamon swirl, mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Drop evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife. Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes.

Glaze:
2 c. powdered sugar
5 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla


While the cake is still warm drizzle the glaze over the top. Serve warm.

The cake batter goes together super fast.

I think that honestly the cinnamon swirl does best when you almost melt the butter completely instead of just soften it.

Swirl with a knife and into the oven it goes.

Glaze while the cake is still warm and serve warm.

This cake is SOoooooo yummy and is a great cure for those cinnamon roll cravings.

I hope you enjoy this gluten free version of Cinnamon Roll Cake. I know I do!

-Jessica

Spaghetti squash are taking over!!

     Last season I had purchased a spaghetti squash at the farmers market. During the winter it got a soft spot on it and I had to toss it out. I thought I would just toss it out into my raised bed garden and then harvest the seeds out of it to plant. Well, nature beat me to it. Before I knew it I had little spaghetti squash plants popping up in my raised bed garden this year. They have been very fun to watch. They grow more and more each day and they are taking over the garden. 

March 27 I noticed I have squash appearing in my garden

April 3 They have doubled in size in five days!!

April 27 Wow!

May 11 They are creeping out of the bed. Had to move the herb garden planters.

May 11th the blooms are starting to appear.

May 16. Yesterday I counted over 30 blossoms, there are even more today.

The squash is taking over the yard!!. I keep having to move my herb "garden" planters.

May 24th. First Sign of a baby squash! YEAH!

June 8th.....creeping further up the lawn.

June 8th, Thank you Mr. Honey Bee for pollinating the squash!!

June 11th. More baby squash spotted.

June 12th. I don't know how this big guy snuck by me! He is about 5-6 in. long and growing!

I'll try to update this with pictures as they continue to grow. So, if you are a nerd like me you can check back and watch my little squash grow!!

-Farmer Jessica

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars

     Happy National Chocolate Chip Day!!! Ok, I confess I had no idea this holiday even existed. HOWEVER, I think it is a great idea and we can always use more holidays that require chocolate! Right?!?!
     I decided that ANYBODY could share a chocolate chip cookie recipe, so I have opted for a different use of my chocolate chips. I'm going to show you a favorite breakfast recipe of mine. Yes, that's right, chocolate for breakfast!! Woooo hoooo! Oh and it is also combined with a old favorite of mine....peanut butter. I think you will love it.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars

1/2 C. Peanut Butter (creamy or crunchy)
3 T. Honey
2/3 C. Crushed Chex Cereal (Honey Nut is my favorite to use)
1/3 C. Nonfat Dry Powdered Milk
1/2 C. Mini Chocolate Chips

Mix all of the ingredients together. Drop by large spoon fulls onto a square of waxed paper. Fold the wax paper over the mixture and flatten with your hand. (try to keep it a uniform shape either circular or square/rectangle). Fold the wax paper over the bar and store in a air tight container in the refrigerator or freezer. Continue with the rest of the mixture. The recipe should make 6-8 bars.

Pooh Bear forgot to get into the picture above....he must have been napping.

Mmmm Chocolate!

I dump all of the ingredients into a gallon storage bag and knead until combined. Then the bag can be thrown away and there are no messy dishes to clean!!

Drop a large spoon full of the mixture onto a square of waxed paper.

Fold over the edge of the wax paper and smoosh it down with your hand.

Continue forming the bars. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

Unwrap and enjoy for breakfast or a snack.

I hope you enjoy these breakfast bars. You can double the recipe to make more at one time if you have a larger family. I also love them for a snack.

-Jessica



Creamy Jello Pudding Dessert and Happy Mommies Day!

    Happy Mother's Day!! This has been a SUPER crazy week for me. My Mom had surgery on Monday. I have either been at the hospital or at my parents house all week. I come home to sleep and shower and that's it. So needless to say blogging hasn't been a top priority this week!
     The good news is that Mom is doing well and making progress each day. She had to have hernia surgery (three hernias!!!) They were just another "lovely" side effect from her cancer surgery last summer. However, she can heal now and get back to being on the road to feeling great!
     Mom requested that I make this amazing pudding dessert that we love. So of course she has had a rough week AND it is Mother's Day so I made it (and also gf mac N cheese that she loves)!! Who is going to tell their Mama no on Mother's Day?? Ummmm, not THIS girl!

Creamy Jello Pudding Dessert

1 C. Gluten Free Flour Mix
1/4 tsp. Xanthan Gum
1/2 C. Butter (melted)
2 T. Granulated Sugar
1 (8oz) Package Cream Cheese (softened)
1 C. Powdered Sugar
1 C. Cool Whip
2 (3oz) Packages of Milk Chocolate Instant Pudding
3 C. Milk

First Layer: Mix flour, xanthan gum, granulated sugar, and butter. Spread in a 9x13 in pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to fully cool after baking.

Second Layer: Mix together the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar. Fold in the one cup of Cool Whip. Spread this over the cooled crust.

Third Layer: Mix the 2 packages of pudding together with the 3 cups of milk. Spread this evenly over the 2nd layer.

Fourth layer: Cover with the remaining Cool Whip from the package.

Optional: Sprinkle chocolate shavings or chopped nuts over the last layer.

Refrigerate.

First Layer: The Crust, don't worry if it cracks like mine did. You are covering it up with yummy other layers and nobody will see the cracks!!

Second Layer: Cream cheesy goodness

When you go to spread the layers on put small globs of the filling on, and then smooth it out. The crust won't be as likely to break if you do it this way.

Connect the globs together to make your layers :)

Third Layer: The chocolate pudding yummyness

Fourth Layer: Cool Whip

I decorated with chocolate shavings. Extra chocolate is always good!

Look at all those creamy layers...yum!

Four layers of amazing creamy chocolaty goodness.

This dessert is pretty easy to make and sooooo yummy and rich. It is a favorite of my family. I hope you enjoy it!!

-Jessica