Pizza Made by Little Hands

Some of the best recipes are the kinds our kids came make with little to no help from a grown up. Or that we could make as poor college students with no money and just a few things left in the refrigerator. This recipe fits the bill. Both toddlers and college kids can feel a certain sense of accomplishment after creating their very own pizza.

* One of the top rules for cooking on a budget is to use the same ingredient for multiple meals. 

  

The Ingredients

1. Pizza or pasta sauce. We're a pasta-loving family, so either in a full jar in the cabinet or a half of one in the fridge, red sauce is almost always around.
2. Mozzarella cheese. Whether for salads or lasagna, shredded cheese usually here. 
3. Tortilla wraps. Tacos, peanut butter sandwiches, fajitas, salad wraps. The possibilities are endless.

Of course you can add any topping you'd like. For a bit of a different taste you can use salsa instead of red sauce and switch to cheddar cheese.  

 Here's How it Went

I poured some pasta sauce into a bowl and did the same with a large handful of shredded cheese. I gave these to Norah, along with the tortilla on a plate. 

She was free to spread the sauce around on her own... 

 ...sprinkle the cheese all over...
















...steal some tastes...





 
 







...watch me slide it carefully into the 450 degree oven... 






 










...and gobble up the finished pizza.

Enjoy!

Be Her Valentine

     The findings are in:

Involved, active fathers have a profound effect on the development of their children.

     Actually, the findings have been in for quite some time (Father Involvement Research Institute: Effects of Father Involvement.pdf). Studies show that children of involved fathers are:

• Less likely to end up in jail.
• Less likely to become pregnant as a teenager.
• More likely to get good grades.
• Less likely to be obese.
• Less likely to live in poverty.
• More likely to have positive social and emotional skills.
• Less likely to have behavior issues.
• More likely to have a higher vocabulary as toddlers.
• More likely to have higher IQs.
• Less likely to have emotional/psychological issues.
• and on and on...

     Don't get me wrong, I firmly believe kids can grow up perfectly well adjusted while being parented by a single mom or lesbian couple. Even if it isn't dad, the involvement of a positive father figure is such a big protective factor.

     Fathers (and father figures): Doing your best is usually enough. 

     Your son will learn how to act. Be his idol. 

     Your daughter learn what to expect from a man. Be her Valentine. 

The Easiest Chicken Tacos in the World

     Not that I've tried out every chicken taco recipe there is, but I feel quite confident in saying that these chicken tacos could be the easiest in the world to make. One might even say the easiest in the history of the world, but that's taking it pretty far.

     But it just might be true.

     The ingredients:

1. Your favorite salsa (or whatever kind happens to be in the fridge)
2. Chicken breasts (boneless and skinless. We typically don't thaw the chicken before putting it into the Crockpot. From what I understand, this is safe to do as long as you're cooking on high. Use your own judgment.)
3. Tortilla shells (I like the kind from the refrigerated aisle at the grocery store without any preservatives. I once had a package of the Mexican food aisle kind get knocked into the corner behind the microwave in my kitchen. I estimate it was there for a month or so before being recovered. The shells were still as soft and blemish free as the day they were purchased. That can't be natural.)

     Two ingredients plus the tortilla. I've seen this made with canned black beans as well. Just make sure you rinse and drain them before dumping it all into the slow cooker. 

     The directions:

1. Put enough chicken breast into your slow cooker to feed everyone. 
2. Pour in just enough salsa to cover the chicken. 
3. Cook on high for about four hours, until the meat shreds easily with a fork. 
4. About a half hour before serving, tear up the chicken while it's still in the slow cooker. TIP: There will probably be a lot of liquid. If you don't like soggy tortilla wraps, I suggest using a ladle to scoop some water out. 

     And you're done. It's hard to get much easier than that. Sour cream is a great topping. So is that melted white cheese you dip your chips in at the Mexican restaurant. Usually it's next to the refrigerated tortilla shells at the grocery store. 

     Enjoy! 

 

A Kentucky Snow Day

   

 

     Sometimes snow days are legitimate, like the one a few weeks ago that stranded cars in traffic 35 miles deep. Most Kentucky snow days, though, are a bit questionable. Maybe it's because the government here isn't up to snuff on their ability to take on snowy roads. Maybe it's because people around here aren't used to driving in the snow. Whatever the reason, this most recent snowmageddon, which left a devastating 1/4 to 1/2 inch of snow on the ground, has closed nearly every school in our part of the state. If you can't get out on the road after a blizzard of this magnitude hits, then what can you do? I'm glad you asked. Here are a few ideas:

• Clear the porch and steps of snow...with a broom.
• If your kids are little like mine, watch their faces glow with excitement, even though the snow only goes halfway up the soles of their shoes.
• If your kids are older, smile at their angry faces when they realize the snow doesn't even go halfway up the soles of their shoes.
• Groan when you see these same angels tear up the lawn with their sleds.
• Build six inch snowmen.
• Stay in and bake something with your kids.
• If you work at a school, like I do, thank the snow gods for a day off and stay in your pajamas until lunchtime. Or all day. 

Sausage Subs

     Super Bowl 50 is just a couple of hours away and it's time to get dinner going. Tonight: super easy Sausage Subs. 

The ingredients:

1. Sausages. I'm using sweet Italian sausages from Riverbend Family Farms, a locally-owned farm. Last time I made these sandwiches I used spicy sausages from the same farm. It was awesome.
2. Marinara or spaghetti sauce. I'm partial to Classico because I like the low sugar content.  
3. Bell pepper
4. Onion
5. Sub rolls

     That's it. Five ingredients. The beer's just an added bonus. Today's choice is an oatmeal porter from Highland Brewing Company in Asheville, North Carolina.

    

     First, cook the sausage in the pan. While it's cooking, slice up your bell pepper and onions. When the sausage is done, drain the grease from the pan and toss in the onions and peppers for just a minute, until the edges brown up a bit.  

   

     Cover everything with your red sauce of choice. Pour a little more than you think you'd need--it will thicken up some.

     Let it simmer, covered, for at least an hour so the tastes of the sausage, pepper, and onion get into the sauce. Uncover and simmer for a little while longer until it reduces to the consistency you want. 

     Easy. Delicious. 

     Enjoy!

Little man here woke up from his nap to the sound of
sizzling sausage. Pretty sure he's hoping for a sandwich.

  

   

     

The Newest Pack Member

    Friday marked Nathan's second month as the latest addition to Mika's pack.

     While the noise level in the house is decidedly higher now that Nathan has come along, the border collie is taking it in stride. I wonder if this little man is going to be as adventurous as his big sister, who has spent the last twenty minutes riding her Fisher Price car down the hill behind the house. She added another gray hair to my beard when ran into the rocks surrounding our fire circle. Thankfully, my daring little girl stayed upright and walked her car right back to the top of the hill to do it again...away from the rocks. 

Remembering Grandma Su

      

  

      Recent days have been spent in sadness and disbelief. Grandma Su, the family matriarch, passed away quickly and without warning, with the rest of us having no chance to have one last conversation. That last bit is the cut that hurts the most. However, there are a few life lessons, both serious and humorous, learned from her that help temper the pain.

1. When you’re proud of your kids, shout it from the rooftops. Be that parent. 
2. Don’t be rushed away from a good meal. Enjoy it. Especially dessert.
3. As much as it may drive your family crazy, accept your mortality as you grow older and let your loved ones know. Don’t let the subject be taboo. For me, at least, I accepted it along with her and it makes this a little bit easier.
4. Likewise, be grateful for every minute you draw breath. I couldn’t count on all my fingers and toes the amount of times I heard how happy she was to live past the ripe old age of 76, let alone how overjoyed she was to live long enough to meet her first great-grandchild.
5. When you see a talent in someone, something they enjoy, don’t stop nagging encouraging them until they make it a goal they pursue.
6. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind. Just remember there is such a thing as TMI. Please.
7. Save the cardboard tubes from wrapping paper. The twenty minutes two brothers spend beating the sh*t out of each other with them will be the best twenty minutes they have all week.
8. Keep up with current technology. You try explaining how to create a shutterfly photo book to a woman who, up until a few months ago, took all her pictures with disposable cameras and thought an email address told people where you lived. (And, yes, kids, there existed a time when you were limited to just two or three dozen shots and had to look through a viewfinder, not a screen, to take a picture.)
9. When you appreciate something someone does, don’t keep it a secret. Let them know.
10. Tell your grandkids stories about their dad (or mom). The incriminating stories are the best kind. 
11. Watch football.  
12. Giving someone your time for long conversations is showing them your love. Your voice will be one of the things they remember most after you’re gone.    

     The coming holidays will be hard. Birthdays without gaudy, overly decorated envelopes for cards won't be the same. Grandma Su, you're missed. Don't worry, though, you will be remembered.