Spinach Pesto Pizza ( and crust recipe!)

We all love comfort food. Mashed potatoes, lasagna, etc... the list could go on! I am tired of the same old stuff though! This pizza is one of my favorites- and can be modified in any way that you wish! I have put feta cheese, sundried tomatoes and Calamata olives! Not to mention its a little healthier than your typical grease bomb!

Easy Pizza Crust
Ingredients:
1 packet of instant dry yeast
1 1/2 cups of warm water
1/3 cup of olive oil
4 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of salt

In a small bowl sprinkle the yeast on top of the warm water and let it sit while mixing together the salt and flour in a large mixing bowl.

With an electric mixer on low speed, drizzle in the olive oil until just incorporated.

Gently stir the yeast/water mixture.....

And drizzle it into the flour/oil mixture; mix until the dough forms a ball.

Drizzle a little olive oil into a clean bowl. Toss the dough and turn over to coat in oil.

Let rise in a warm place for two to three hours.

When the dough is risen, sprinkle corn meal onto a pizza sheet to prevent sticking. ( I use a pizza stone)

Using your fingers, gently spread out the dough to desired thickness/size.

Bake on 400º for five minutes or so before putting on the toppings if you are making the spinach pesto version. If you cook it too long the spinach will be super crispy and burnt- that's why I pre-cook my crust about halfway.


Ingredients for Spinach Pesto Pizza Toppings

4-5 handfuls of baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 jar of basil pesto (you can also use homemade)
1/2 cup of grated mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Use the pesto like a tomato based pizza sauce, and spread to desired thickness over pizza crust.

Toss spinach, olive oil and salt and pepper together in a medium sized bowl until all leaves are very lightly coated with olive oil.

Place on top of basil pesto...and top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees until cheese is bubbly and browned and spinach is softened.

Cut and enjoy!!

Homemade Gnocchi With Creamy Basil Alfredo Sauce

I don't know if it is just that time of year, but it seems like my body just wants pasta! Oh, no.There go those skinny jeans! :(

I was looking online for the perfect gnocchi recipe and I found a few that I liked. This recipe is my own take on the ones that I was reading. The alfredo sauce is something that I just make up as I go, so feel free to make it your own!

Ingredients for the gnocchi:
2-4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 1/2 cups of flour (roughly)
1 egg
3-4 generous pinches of salt

Ingredients for Alfredo Sauce:
Half and half
2% milk
4 Tablespoons of butter
3 garlic cloves (minced)
Salt and pepper to taste
4-5 generous pinches of dried basil and oregano

Start by peeling and dicing the potatoes. I used russets. Boil until fork tender, any longer and they will hold too much water and be super mushy.

Drain potatoes until the majority of the water is gone. Place back in the pot and mash until very smooth.

Measure out 2 1/2 cups of flour and place on a clean counter or work space. Make a well in the center and scoop potatoes right in there. Work the flour into the potatoes....and then crack one egg right into the "dough" mixture. Add salt, and knead until dough is smooth and all of the ingredients are worked in together.

Roll dough into "ropes"  in small batches so it is easier to work with. Cut into small sections and then press with a fork or roll with your thumb into the desired gnocchi shape. I chose to roll mine with my thumb.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to boil and place gnocchi right in the water. Gnocchi will be done when it floats to the top. Drain and top with your desired sauce!

ALFREDO SAUCE:

Pleace butter in a medium sauce pan and cook garlic over medium high heat. Add half and half, milk, cheese and seasonings. Cook until sauce thickens, stiring often so sauce doesn't scald. If needed, whisk in a couple of spoon fulls of flour to thicken.

Pour over gnocchi (or regular noodles) and serve right away.
Voila!! Enjoy!

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup...also Veggie Stock!

We all have our Fall favorites:

Chai Tea
Pumpkin Spice Lattes
Pumpkin Pie
Hot Chocolate

They also pack a load of calories and sugar! Why are all the good things so terrible for us?! Sheesh! So on my diet I'm trying my hardest to cut out bread, sugar and unhealthy carbs! My "adventure" if you want to call it that, has lead me to find natural ways to sweeten things, and healthy versions to our old favorites!

This leads me to share with you TWO of my favorite and easy "self created" recipes.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND APPLE SOUP

Ingredients:
1 Large carrot, sliced into rounds
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 apples, cubed
1 medium butternut squash, cubed
5 cups (or more...depending on how thin you want the soup) vegetable stock
1 Teaspoon curry powder
1/8-1/4 cup soy creamer
Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by peeling and cubing the butternut squash. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350º for 30-45 minutes, or until soft.

While the squash is baking, chop up your onion, carrots, celery and garlic and place in a medium sized stock/soup pot with some olive oil and cook until tender.

Add your diced apple and curry powder. Cook, stirring frequently,  until apples are tender.

Once everything is soft and the flavors are blended add your roasted butternut squash and vegetable stock. Bring back up to a soft boil.

Using an emersion blender, blend until pureed. If you don't have one then you can use a regular blender and blend in small batches.

Add the soy creamer and stir until blended together.

Enjoy with toasted seeded bread or a hearty crusty french bread!


HOMEMADE VEGGIE STOCK

Ingredients:
Anything left over from your veggies! Cut off the ends of your carrots or celery or peel carrots, sweet potatoes, onion skins, garlic...anything! I usually add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, parsley ends, etc. to my stock.

Instead of throwing everything away, store it in a Walmart bag or gallon baggie and keep in your fridge until you have enough to fill a large soup pot. Place your veggies in the pot and fill with water until just covered. Boil until veggies are soft and strain into a different pot.

You can use right away or freeze until needed.

I typically don't salt it until after adding it to my soup because there might be a chance of over seasoning.

Healthy Energy Bars

So my husband and I have recently decided to start the Advocare 24 Day Challenge! I'm super excited to get started and get my post baby body back in shape! :)

Here is a recipe for a super healthy energy bar that will keep your spirits up for much longer and keep those hunger pains away! Since I made up the recipe, feel free to add as much or as little of the ingredients as you would like! Make this bar your own by using different ingredients, too!

INGREDIENTS:

4 Cups Old fashioned oats
1 Cup Unsalted dry roasted peanuts
3/4 Cup Unsalted Sunflower seeds
1/4 Cup Whole flax seeds (you could also use ground flax seeds)
1/2 Cup Dried blueberries
1/2 Cup Dried cranrasins
1/4 Cup Dried apples (cut into tiny pieces)
3/4 Cup Organic Brown rice syrup
1/2 Cup Adams Natural Smooth Peanutbutter

Add all of your dry ingredients to a large bowl. Mix up well with your hands or a spoon.
Next, add your peanut butter and brown rice syrup. Stir together with a non-stick spatula until everything is coated with just enough "stick". If you need to add more syrup...feel free to! You want the consistancy to be really stiff so it binds together really well. If you added too much and your mixture is runny...add more oats.

Pre-heat oven to 350º F.

Grease a 13x9 baking dish and press the mixture into the bottom until it is a uniform thickness.

Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool before cutting.

Cut into whatever shape is desired...I cut mine into squares.

Store in an airtight bag and enjoy for a snack!

OTHER ADD-INS:

Rice crispies
Honey
Organic chocolate chips
Kashi cereals
Cocoa powder (to make a chocolate version)
Any dried fruit
Walnuts
M&Ms...not that healthy, but kids love them!

Feel free to tweak the amounts to you desired taste!

Multi-tasking Momma!

So this past week I have learned a whole new meaning to the word MULTI-TASK. Lots of tasks...all done at once.  For you moms out there- you know exactly what I mean. Even moms that are fresh into the joys of motherhood.

Now let me tell you the truth. Motherhood is one of the most sleep deprived, stinky, messy, challenging, craziest jobs out there. Don't let anyone fool you into thinking it is a walk in the park. It is every bit of NOT. If you think waking up in the middle of the night by the neighbor's barking dog is bad, try waking up at all hours of the night to feed your baby...who can be fifty times louder than the neighbor's dog... not once, twice or even three times. Sometimes it's ten times it seems!
Try shopping with a cranky little man that loves to beller like a cut cat the minute you step foot in the door.
How about walking in a store and your baby has a blowout and everyone around is giving you the stink-eye... with the question floating in the air, "was that HER or the BABY??"

I recently went to the Oregon Jamboree with my husband and nine week old baby. I don't know who was the bigger hit..Landon in his plaid shirt or the music artists! It was almost 100 degrees outside and in the shade it was still 85! We tried to stay in the shade as much as possible, but it was hard!
Since multi-tasking is my new found friend, it was a cinch. HA! Just kidding...again. It is hard to breast feed when you and your baby are sweating so bad that you have to break the suction from your body to switch sides for nursing. The two "terrible stinkers" we had during some concerts were just a minor bump in the road after we figured out there was a designated chancing station. Best moment ever: when my husband changed a super bad diaper while I could run to the bathroom before I peed my own pants! Talk about a blessing!
Needless to say, we made it through the throngs of people juggling the baby, folding chairs, diaper bag and baby "essentials".
I think our multi-tasking endeavors are getting smoother....

Just to prove it- how's this for multi-tasking!:
This evening once the heat wasn't roasting us like an oven...Landon and I trekked out to the garden to check things out. I say "checked things out" because in my mind I thought there would be no way I could get a whole lot accomplished without Landon sleeping.
BIG SURPRISE!
So I had Landon in the stroller and he is chillin'. He is surprisingly cool, calm and collected as I'm weeding and thinning out the radishes. I glance over to check him...and I'm almost afraid to look. He is looking right at me! Shoot! There goes his happy place! He gives me a huge grin and coos. Talk about melting your heart! So by this time I turn around singing some song and I'm thinking, "we've got this!".
By the carrot rows he has turned his smile upside down and is starting to cry. I think he has even drummed up some alligator tears! Like any mom would do I rushed over and scooped him up and tried to calm him down. I know he must be hungry, so what do I do? I whip up my shirt and let him nurse while I'm thinning the carrots Cambodian woman style like I'm working in a rice paddy or something. Landon is so happy...he is getting dinner...and I'm thrilled! I've learned a new way to multi-task. Yeah, baby!!

For the record, I LOVE the responsibility of being a mother. I cry sometimes when I get overwhelmed with the love I have for my son. I don't ever want to take for granted the sleepless nights or messy diapers. My little man won't be so little for long, and I'm sure I will want the crazy times back! Landon really is a good baby, and even though we have had a few nights I thought would never end, he is so happy. He is already starting to try and laugh... so I know good times are coming!

Tonight I was able to put Landon to sleep while making dinner with some of the things harvested from our garden! Here is a recipe for my favorite homemade vinaigrette! Hope you enjoy!

BASIL VINAIGRETTE

Two large hand fulls of Basil leaves, make sure the tough stems are removed.
1/2 cup olive oil
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon fresh minced garlic
1 Tablespoon agave nectar
salt and pepper to taste

Blend all in a blender and use to dress a salad or a dip for fresh veggies! Ingredients can always be twisted to your taste! Make it yours!

It's The Little Things...

This past year has been such a whirlwind!! I know that people usually post these sort of posts at the beginning of the year, but for me-well, my year really began in August of 2012. August 18th was the day that the man of my dreams took my hand and heart in marriage! Not a month later we found out we were expecting...and May 31st, 2013 we welcomed our son, Landon Charles Bozarth into the world! Our precious little man was born at 9:05 in the morning and was 20 1/4 inches long weighing in at 8 pounds 8 ounces :)

All things aside, I can't wait to see what the rest of this year brings- get ready for some super cute pics of Landon at hunting camp this year! I bet he will become a hunting obsessed little kid with the way Brad and I are so involved in it! :) We shall see!!

I have learned to take each moment in stride; there are too many times to count where I don't get enough sleep...times I just want to take a shower...but I wouldn't trade the small things for anything! The little baby smiles, the grasp of a tiny hand around my finger. It feels wonderful and empowering to be accepted, to be wanted and needed! The amount of trust and utter reliance my son has in me is amazing. I am so blessed!

Baby Shower for Landon Charles

So this week has brought so many fun and wonderful memories! I can hardly believe that we only have six (give or take a few) weeks until our baby boy will be in our arms!! I have so many emotions runing wild its crazy!

On Saturday my family and husbands family hosted the CUTEST baby shower! I am so impressed with how everything turned out! They really out-did themselves! :)