Hey Fishy Fishy.

So. Much. Fish.

One of the first things on the agenda when I returned from Africa last week was to seek out fresh produce and something other than fish. I went directly to the grocery store and loaded up my buggy with anything that used to possess legs. During my stay in Sierra Leone, my friends and I were very blessed and grateful to have access to freshly caught fish every day. Served alongside rice or couscous, it was such a treat. Luckily, it's one of my favorite things to eat. The seafaring folk brought in the local catches in the morning and kept the local restaurants afloat with all the briny delights. My favorite was the red snapper. A close second was the barracuda, a large predatory fish with large jaws and teeth. Delightful. Except when they are staring right back at me.

Developing

Developing

Developing

Perfection in my pantry

These ROCK MY WORLD. The alternate universe that is my kitchen pantry. When I say I have heart palpitations when it comes to organizing is a complete understatement. I have begun a process of decanting dry goods into these magnificent storage containers made by OXO. With my phone, I snap a photo of the necessary information on the back of the packaging, into the recycling container the empty box goes, and voila! A neat and tidy system of kitchen perfection. Enjoy.

What's for lunch?

Last night I prepared dough for cinnamon rolls. How picturesque it would be! My children would rise from their deep slumber only to be awakened by the soft glow of snow reflecting into their bedroom windows....and the smell of these sugary little rolls of love.

I let the dough rise, rolled it out, and spread the butter and cinnamon nut mixture on thick. Oh, these were going to be great! I wanted them to be piping hot for my husband in the morning before he left for work, so I sliced them and laid them on my Silpat lined baking sheet and placed them in the refrigerator.

What I didn't take into account however, was the time it was going to take to actually let them rise this morning. It took forever for them to actually come to room temperature (a normal room temperature, not the icebox I call my home), and then the actual rising time.

So I type as I wait for my children to discover what's for lunch. Cinnamon rolls! We may even save some for dad. Maybe.

Pizza Dough

Pizza is a favorite in the Burton house. Admittedly, we do take-out on the nights I have no time to cook. However, since the adoption of my friend's bread machine, it's become an easy staple on the menu. Here is a great recipe that I found, tried, tweeked, and loved.

3 1/2 cups flour

1 cup warm water (not too hot)

2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2-3 cloves of baked garlic

1-2 teaspoons of herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano)

Literally throw everything in your bread machine and press "dough".

After the dough is ready (your machine will beep), take it out and divide it into two balls for smaller pizzas, or leave as is for a large one.

Get out your rolling pin, put your dough ball on a floured surface, and roll girl, roll! Hard! It will resist your commands to behave. But until you have a really nice round pizza crust the size of whatever stone you are using, keep working at it. I have a stone from Pampered Chef that I love and is the perfect size.

Brush the edges with a little olive oil. Spoon pizza sauce or pesto on. Then have fun with your favorite toppings. We love pesto, shredded chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach. Yum!

Bake at 450 for 15, or until your crust is golden brown. You'll need to control yourself for at least 10 minutes so that when you cut into the pie, the cheese doesn't slide right off.

Way better than take out.