Pizza for Breakfast? Yes Please!

    Have you ever had piza for breakfast?  Probably.  But was it a breakfast pizza?  Did you know that there was such a wonderful concoction?  I did not.  Then I came across a recipe for "Breakfast Galette" at acozykitchen.com.  That is where I got the inspiration for this:

But honestly, I changed it so much that I feel ok calling it a monster of my own creation.  So here is what I did......

I took a Jiffy Pizza Mix from out of the pantry

And made it according to directions

Then I pressed it into a 12" pizza pan and sprinkled generously with cheddar cheese, and topped with some chopped ham..

(I forgot to take pictures of this....sorry.)

Then I baked it for about 3-5 min till all the cheese was sorta melty.

And added some other stuff too....green onion, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.  I think next time I might try adding some salsa or something as "sauce".  Then I took 5 eggs....this was too many and caused some trouble.  Don't add that many eggs unless you have a pan with higher edges than mine!  Next time I will use 3 eggs, slightly beaten and poured over the top.
And cooked at 425 for about 15 min.  Till eggs are done and crust was nice and golden brown.

 

Breakfast Pizza

1 Box Jiffy Pizza Crust

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 finely chopped green onion

1 cup chopped ham

1 TB red pepper flakes

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

3 eggs, slightly beaten

Prepare pizza crust according to directions, but do not pre-bake.  Top with cheese and ham and bake 3-5 min, or till just starting to get melty.  Remove from oven and top with remaining ingredients.  Return to oven and bake about 15 min, or till eggs are done and crust is nice golden brown.

ENJOY!

The cost of personal freedom?

"what is the most you will pay for your beliefs? What cost is too high? ...if this were a question of religion then anything short of people dying for my belief would be acceptable. But it is not a question of religion, its a question of personal freedom."

That was something my brother asked via facebook.  So this is kind of a loaded question for me and sparked a personal rant....which no one was really around to hear....so I'm posting it in cyberspace so that even if no one ever actually 'hears' it, at least everyone has the chance to view my opinion!  HAHAHA....all part of my evil plot....not really....but still.....

So...if it isn't a matter of religion then I have to define "personal freedom".  In my unprofessional and unsolicited opinion, I would say that 'personal freedom' is a state of being.  A way of life completely defined on an individual level.  Vague?  Yes....that was the point.  Personal freedom starts in the heart and mind of an individual.  Anyone can be 'free'.  Anytime.  Anywhere.  And no one can breach that.  Period.

So what will I pay for that freedom?  What cost is too high?  There is no cost too high, the cost is defined by me.  I set the cost of my personal freedom and pay it gladly.  I choose to sacrifice my unhappiness that I may give myself the freedom to be happy.  I choose to give up feeling sorry for myself, that I can feel happy for others.  I choose to let go of my vanity, so that I can be free to truly appreciate the beauty that surrounds me. 

Of course, he could have been asking on a more political level.  That is a seperate issue to me, but I believe even there that it is a matter of individual attitude.  I will fight for my political personal freedom.  BUT I am not naturally a fighter.  I'm not going to grab the nearest kitchen knife and head off to 'war'.  It would do more harm than good.  But I believe that voting, is a type of warfare.  Teaching my children to do what is right and good no matter what...is a type of warfare.  SPEAKING MY MIND is a type of warfare.   I can and will fight to the bitter end for my personal beliefs if I have to.  I will also ALWAYS 'fight' on my own terms and therefore gain my personal freedom in every battle. 

I believe there is NO DEFINABLE COST FOR PERSONAL FREEDOM! 

Some Randomness for You

  I don't know what the rest of the country /is doing weather wise...but its snowing here.  Not a huge surprise really- and I'm not really complaining- but we have had an exceptionally mild winter this year.  Our temps have been in the 40s and 50s with little to no moisture for weeks!  But its cold and windy and snowing like crazy now.....which makes it perfect weather to stay at home and bake and clean!

First, let me share a little thing I spotted on my facebook page with you:  "Twinkies are going bankrupt"  check it out: http://blog.fooducate.com/2012/01/10/twinkies-are-going-bankrupt
The author is obviously a happy healthfood nut....but I'm a little sad.  Its not like I keep a stash or anything, but the world does seem a little sadder because of the potential lack of twinkies.  Maybe I should buy some?  Or better yet...learn to make them myself?

So, back to the baking thing..... I made bread this morning (a necessary task) and it went poorly :(.  I let the dough over rise which then of course caused it to fall.  Then I was in an impatient sort of mood so I didn't let it cool long enough before cutting into the first loaf.  :P The result?  Many, many crumbly, tiny, dense, chunks of bread.  Bread pudding anyone?  (That is my next venture of the day)
Then, I finished my "oreo" cookies from the other day.  But of course I didn't have vegetable shortening, so I subbed with olive oil.  The cookies were yummy, but the filling.....not the most awesome. 
And now I'm working on the diy version of "do-si-dos".  I took pics of those....but they aren't done yet so I'll let you know when they are done how they turned out...and then I'll post some pics.  :) 

Also, I spent some time cleaning.  But I'm having some weird trouble with my right knee and my husband caught me stumble once and ordered me to sit down for a bit.  So my 5 year old got up and finished picking up the living room for me.  "There Mommy, now you don't ever have to clean the living room ever ever again cuz I will do it for you.  That way you can rest your knee so it won't hurt anymore."  (and I got a hug as a bonus!)  It was one of those awesome mommy moments that I wish I could stick in a box and save forever!  So Sweet!

So that pretty much rounds out my randomness for today!  Happy Tuesday!

Family Dinner

    Family dinners are supposed to help bond a family together, prevent kids from turning into troubled teenagers or drug users, and all manner of other things that I cant think of right at the moment.  So why is it that most nights that the family is together for dinner, I always feel so empty afterward? It's like that "empty house" feeling you get when company leaves after a weekend (or longer) visit.  When you are left with suddenly a quiet house and a ton of housework to catch up on.  Thats how I feel every night after dinner is over. 
    I know my job as a wife and mother is relatively thankless and all that.  I get it and accept it.  And actually most nights someone will generally at least say a "thank you" or "this is yummy".  Terran often gives me tons of accolades "you make the bestest meals" or "you're a great chef mommy" (to which my husband is quick to correct because i am NOT a 'chef' but a 'cook').  So I guess I'm not without my share of "thanks".  
    But I am left, last at the table, staring at empty plates, and wondering why I feel at such a loss.  Maybe I should start an after-dinner-activity?  Games? Dessert?  A family movie time?  Sigh....I just don't know.
   And that is ENOUGH of my whining and moaning for one night!  Actually, I made spaghetti from scratch tonight and it was really very good (I thought anyhow) considering I was totally winging it.  It was a little spicy, but yummy and everyone ate it so that was what counted.  I should really have wrote down the recipe but c'est la vie.  It went something like:

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 10 oz. can diced tomatoes w/ green chiles
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 sm. can (idk how many oz) tomatoe sauce
2 c. beef broth
about 2 c. chopped veggies (i used the leftover veggies from last night that had carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower)
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, rosemary, oregano, and italian seasoning (i just shook them out of the jars till it tasted good....thats my exact scientific measurement for the day :)  It was probably about a TB of the italian seasoning, oregano, & salt; maybe 1/2 TB of pepper flakes and pepper and just a little bit of the rosemary?) 

  Brown hamburger, adding garlic and onion 1/2 way through the browning process.  Then add everything else.  Bring to low boil, stirring frequently.  Turn heat to low.  Cover and simmer about 30 min.  Serve over spaghetti noodles.....of course!

*This made a TON of sauce.  Plenty for a few dinners and I will be freezing the leftovers for future use :) .

Paris in Montana

For the people who don't know me....
  "Paris" was my nickname in highschool.  How did I get such a nickname?  Well, before I had ever even heard of Paris Hilton or her slutty escapades, I loved the idea of going to Paris.  What wasn't to love?  And I had a shirt that said "Paris".  So, when I made friends with a drunken old train tramp who lived under a tree down on the backroad of the little town I lived in, he couldn't remember my name.  But he could remember my favorite t-shirt.  And so he asked me, listened to me talk about how some day I was going to Paris.  I was going to learn french.  I was going to see the Eiffle Tower (i'm sure I spelled that wrong).....etc, etc, etc.  So he dubbed me Paris and the name stuck.
  I spent quite a lot of time under that tree with that old man (as did quite a lot of the other kids in town).  Enough to have certain rediculous rumours started about my friendship with him and for the cops to come visit him and threaten to chase him out of town.  But it didn't stop me.  I loved sitting and listening to him tell me which train was going to where and when it would arrive.  He had the most unusual friends...and they were all fun.  He spared no crude comments on account of me being a "innocent, young, girl" and instead frequently told me tales of whores in Spain, drunken debauchery, how he broke his penis in a train car door, his distaste for unwholesome peircings etc.  And though he was often drinking by 9 am, he was one of the most honest and caring friends I ever had.

Now....years later, I have moved on in life to become a wife, mother of 2 boys, a massage therapist and a myriad of other things I am sure.  This blog is my attempt to share that myriad with whomever wants to see it.  Its my attempt to get my thoughts and ideas, somewhat, organized.  And, as I am exceptionally opinionated, chime in my 2 cents worth when I feel like it.  So there you have it....Paris in Montana. :)