Get ready for this. We put hot dogs onto pizza, swirled it with ketchup and mustard, and it was SO FUN!
This is in the “special” pizza category – we make pizzas often and have 2 or 3 pizzas at a time so this was fun AND we had some more traditional ones because: balance.
Hot Diggity Pizza Ingredients: (for 1 small, 14″ pizza) 1/2 pizza dough (to room temperature) 1/4 cup tomato sauce (or crushed tomatoes) 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1-2 hot dogs, sliced into thin coins 2 tablespoons ketchup 2 tablespoons mustard
Directions: Preheat a pizza oven or pizza stone. Spread or roll out dough and top with tomato sauce, cheese, and hot dogs.
Bake/broil until crust browns and hot dogs crisp (in our pizza oven that’s ~90 seconds, in a kitchen oven it would be ~20 minutes). Drizzle with ketchup and mustard and enjoy!
This was really fun. I probably wouldn’t make it all the time but it feels enjoyable on occasion, amongst a bunch of pizzas, and for that pesky hotdog package doesn’t match roll quantity conundrum.
I love September though this one was a bit of a rollercoaster! There were some real highs: our 10th wedding anniversary! T started 1st grade! The lows were all the Covid cases in first grade and quarantining…2x and going remote and postponing other fun things. We’re wrapping up the month quarantined – again. This time the entire class was sent home. Are we done yet???! I’m psyched for October and Halloween!
This month was a good one in the kitchen! I love love loved this French Onion Soup Burger. All that melty cheese in the middle and on top!
Oct will have some fun ones. Wait till you see this pizza coming up! I have an old post to give a face-lift and some fun ones. Work is full force – especially for September and October.
The Little Girl She loves being back to daycare and having grandparent days! Her favorite things to do are playing outside and playing games that her big brother makes up for them! Her fav foods are pb and cheese. I get a kick out of giving her something, like an egg, when she resists, then eats it and says “Ohh I loooove eggs”. She likes tasting all the ingredients.
The Big Guy: School started well and he loved the bus. I wish we heard more from him. It is hard to tell how he feels about anything. I try not to pepper questions and lately have had some luck with: what surprised you today? what do you wish didn’t happen today? what made you laugh today? what was delicious today? what felt hard today? etc. only asking a few. He’s playing soccer and despite having to miss some, so far so good! He loves school lunch, hard boiled eggs, and all the pasta.
Goals: Year of the fun mail! I thanked the teacher & principal for a little preview we got from the playground to ease the first day. More breakfasts: ehh. not really Lunches coordinated or prepped in advance: Having the standby of turkey/cheese/arugula is helpful! I’d like to get the house a bit neater: Bullet journal – yup, keeping a meals list. What I’m reading: I read Malibu Rising and worried since it was so hyped but I loved it (though the author’s Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is still the best)! For bookclub, we read This is How it Always is and it might be the best one I read all year. Next was Dear White Peacemakers and really appreciated it. Then I read Share Your Stuff, I’ll Go First – it was ok. What I’m Watching: I got all caught up on Million Little Things awaiting the return. We watched a few movies with the kids: Toy Story 2 & Rio 2 & Jungle Book.
This was perfectly fall flavored! I loved the lightness of it – it has a light broth in place as a sauce but more sauce might be a hit too. The pasta drinks some up so it was juicy but not saucy. I used thick elbow pasta, roasted butternut squash, sausage, sage, and smoked gouda.
Sausage & Butternut Squash Fall Pasta Ingredients: (serves 5-6) 1 pound pasta (big shells, rigatoni, penne, or other short pasta) 3 links sweet Italian sausage 1/2 butternut squash, diced 2 cups chicken or veggie broth 2 tablespoons tomato paste (or 1 cup crushed tomatoes & 1/2 cup half and half for more sauce) 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper 4 oz smoked gouda, grated or chopped ~4 sage leaves
Directions: Air-fry or roast the butternut squash at 400-degrees for ~20 minutes. Boil salted water for the pasta. Remove the sausage from the casing and pan fry it in chunks until cooked through. Drain and discard excess oil, and move cooked sausage onto paper towels. Cook the pasta to al dente. Add broth, tomato, butter, and pepper into the sausage pan to deglaze and bring to a boil for a few minutes. For less sauce: Let it lightly boil to reduce it for ~5 minutes. For more sauce: reduce temperature and add in the crushed tomatoes and half and half. Add in the pasta, sausage, and cheese and toss well to coat. Then add in the squash, and sage and very gently mix. Enjoy!
I was into it! I loved the gouda melting alongside the sausage and sweet squash and just a tiny bit of sage was nice for fall and not too heavy since we’re still having feels-like-summer moments!
We have sage growing like crazy but for me, a little goes a long way so I went light on that. Spinach would be great in there too. The butternut squash could swap for zucchini or summer squash instead if those are on hand.
These started with lots of our favorite flavors and ingredients – basil pesto! mozzarella! tomatoes! We are into a new groove with more in-person routines and special sandwiches make fast dinners – especially in September with some summer temps and some feelings of fall. Most of this can prep in advance and to make as sliders or full-sized sandwiches.
I loved these! Admittedly – the kids weren’t wow-ed. They ate all the elements but didn’t care about them being together. Not every meal will be everyone’s favorite so I feel like they were still a winner if the kiddos were reminded that their beloved pesto doesn’t only show up on pasta.
Pulled Pesto Chicken & Caprese Sandwiches Ingredients: (for 4 sandwiches or 8 sliders) 2 chicken thighs or breasts or rotisserie chicken 2 tablespoons basil pesto 4 rolls or 8 slider rolls 1/2 tomato 1/2 ball of fresh mozzarella 3 tablespoons creamy caesar dressing or garlic aoli or balsamic reduction drizzle (optional)
Directions: Cook the chicken and when fully cooked through, pull it apart with 2 forks and mix in the pesto. Toast the rolls (optional). Slice the tomato and mozzarella.
Spread the rolls with dressing or spread if using it. Assemble the sandwiches with tomato, chicken, and mozzarella. Enjoy!
I had some sourdough rolls and some slider rolls and we had it with caesar salad which the first grader loves to “make”.
These flavors work so well together and I appreciate that a smaller amount of chicken goes further for sandwiches like this, versus serving whole cuts of chicken per person.
I’d eat these as little appetizer crostini or as wraps or grilled into a panini too! I threw some of the leftover pesto pulled chicken on top of some pasta to pack for lunch or it would be fine to freeze too!
We got our new fridge and no longer have to live out of a dorm-sized fridge so the sky’s the limit for meals! I made this French Onion Soup Burger just in time for Labor Day weekend. Caramelized onions and really good cheese made these special but quite easy.
French Onion Soup Burgers Ingredients: (for 4) 1/2 onion 1 tablespoon butter ~1 1/2 pounds ground pork 1/2 packet Onion Soup mix (uses for leftovers at the end!) sprinkle of salt & pepper gruyere or fontina or other melting cheese onion rolls arugula
Directions: Caramelize the onions by slicing and sautéing over low heat with butter and a drizzle of olive oil for ~20-30 minutes until golden brown and soft. (I did a whole onion and froze the rest for another time. This can be done in advance up to a week in the fridge or 6+ months in the freezer) Preheat the grill. Mix together the ground pork with the soup mix, salt, and pepper. Slice the cheese and the rolls.
Form the meat into patties and stuff with some cheese. Either divide each patty with half on the bottom some cheese and the remaining to cover the cheese OR ball the meat to form a well in the middle to add the cheese, then press the meat around it to cover the cheese. Grill the burgers until cooked through (pork needs to get to 160-degrees on a meat thermometer). Add more cheese on top at the end to melt. Assemble the burgers with onions on top of the burger and cheese, and arugula. Enjoy!
These were great! The patties were so flavorful and cheesy. The kids split a burger – one asked if there were any without onions, but ate it anyway. Next time I might even put more caramelized onions into the burgers too!
Leftover caramelized onions freeze well and I’m sure these will go into a quiche or onto a pizza or into a panini. They will also liven up even a turkey melt so I never bother to make just a tiny bit.
Leftover onion soup mix is great in any burger or meatloaf. Some sprinkled onto the outside of the patty would amp up the flavor even more. Use it into any other soup, like white bean, sausage & kale soup, or French Onion Deviled Eggs are so fun and only uses a bit too!
Howwwww is summer ending? Wayy back in the late spring, we cobbled together a mix of summer camps for when Kindergarten let out and got a schedule together of grandparent care for the little one. Now we’re getting ready for back to school! We did all the summer things – as I post from our beach vacay.
Summer was hard with changes at work, some good camps – another not-so-good. The pup has consistently not been 100% and I just ordered more masks because somehow we’re still going through this. August was a good month in the kitchen though!
Then we made a Crab Rangoon Pizza that was fantastic but was hit or miss with you all! Crab filling, a cream cheese sauce, crispy wontons and duck sauce! What’s not to love?
For a super quick dinner we made crispy chicken sandwiches with peach topping. The chicken tender makes it decadant and a crowd pleaser, the fresh arugula is quite optional, and the peach topping? relish? compote? whatever you want to call it, is delicious. It is only a tiny bit sweet from the peach – the oil/vinegar, the tomatoes, and the onions keep it really on the savory side. The kiddos ate it just like this too.
I’m not sure what September has in store – our refrigerator is at a questionably working state. We’re awaiting a part because we don’t love the replacement options. It is annoying.
The Little Girl She started back to daycare a few days a week and loves it! We are so proud of how grown up she is getting! She loves corn on the cob and ice cream. We are seriously impressed by her coloring. Her birthday was fun! We swam, had a cake decorated like crayons, and grilled. She loved it!
The Big Guy: He is really into the Magic Treehouse Books and will listen endlessly. It is so fun to see what he chooses at the library- a lot of Lego ones, all the super heros, and non-fiction. I’m so glad to be done with camps – the last one wasn’t a fit and it is heartbreaking to feel unsure how it is going. He doesn’t complain which doesn’t make it better – we don’t get much from him so it is hard to support him. We think he must be growing! We are psyched for first grade though it is a new school, the bus, and a new routine.
Goals: Year of the fun mail! I think I missed it in Aug. More breakfasts: Lemonade Pancakes! Lunches coordinated or prepped in advance: I need to get back on it. I’d like to get the house a bit neater: Bullet journal – still keeping a meals list. What I’m reading: I read the Firekeeper’s Daughter thought it was page turning and so well crafted then I read Crying in H Mart which was an interesting perspective I don’t know relate to and then I read People We Meet on Vacation which wasn’t great for me – another title I’ve read of hers was much more my vibe and Delicious! was a fun one – especially as a work of fiction from a usual restaurant critic. What I’m Watching: Back to a few after Olympics took over our lives.
Sandwiches are the easiest dinner and was a hit for all of us! The kids were into it and I never expect everyone to like everything all the time. These were a good example of putting elements together the kids already know into a new combo. I thought they might dismantle and eat separately but they ate it as is- just less arugula!
Crispy Chicken Sandwich with Peach Topping Ingredients: (for 4) 1 peach or nectarine 1 slice onion 1/2 tomato 1 green onion 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 1/2 teaspoon olive oil ~6 breaded chicken fingers 4 sub rolls 1 cup arugula 4 tablespoons honey mustard dressing
Directions: Chop the peach, onion, tomato, green onion, vinegar, and oil. Stir well and refrigerate until serving.
Bake or air fry the chicken pieces until cooked through. Assemble the sandwiches by lightly toasting the rolls, spreading honey mustard on, then adding the arugula, chicken and lastly the peach topping. Enjoy!
I loved this! It was so fun and a great use for rolls we had from a sausage & peppers night and there’s always chicken kicking around here.
Add some avocado to the topping (mine weren’t ripe!) cheese would be good too!
This is the epitome of fun pizza toppings as an out-of-the-(pizza)-box. It seems special but includes flavors we love with ingredients we had – crab, cream cheese, crispy wontons and duck sauce! I try to do this for the kids to see flavors in other formats but in all honesty, us grown ups were the most excited.
Crab Rangoon Pizza Ingredients: pizza dough 2 tablespoons softened cream cheese 2 tablespoons heavy cream 1 green onion (or chives) 3/4 cup crab meat/ imitation crab meat, finely chopped 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella ~1 cup crispy wontons (sold near croutons!) 1/4 cup duck sauce
Directions: Let the dough come to room temperature, ~2+ hours from refrigeration or ~4 hours from frozen. Preheat a pizza oven or oven (or grill – though maybe parbake the dough flipping once before topping it.) Whisk together the softened cream cheese, heavy cream, green onion into a sauce. Spread the dough out and top with the sauce, then mozzarella, then crab.
Bake the pizza (ours went into the outdoor pizza oven for 60-90 seconds or in the oven it would take ~30 minutes at 400 degrees). Cook until the crust cooks through and the cheese melts. Once it is cooked, top with the wontons and a drizzle of duck sauce. Enjoy!
We loved this one! This time it was using the filling of some crab rangoons we hadn’t baked yet. Each kid ate a slice though I don’t think they went back for seconds of this one. We usually make 2-3 pizzas from a ball of pizza dough (~12 inch pies) and our others were a veggie one and a sausage & ricotta one.
I’m sure we’ll make it again and I would use leftover crab for crab cakes. Using leftover crab rangoons from a restaurant might be more cream cheesy than crab flavored but go for it! Leftover crispy wontons are great on an Asian-Inspired Burger or Pineapple Coconut Rice Bowls or on soft tacos or onto salad/slaw.
These took a few tries to get real lemonade flavor but were so fun! They are lemony and sweeter than a regular pancake. Top with some strawberries for arguably one of the best combos out there!
Lemonade Pancakes with Strawberries Ingredients (for ~5 pancakes) 1 cup pancake mix 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest 3/4 cup lemonade 1 teaspoon lemon juice 2 drops yellow food coloring (optional) ~6 large strawberries 1/2 teaspoon sugar
Directions: Mix together the pancake mix, lemon zest, and lemon juice until really well mixed.
Add in the lemonade and yellow food coloring (if using). Preheat a griddle or large skillet. Spray with non-stick spray or butter and scoop the batter onto the pan. Cook for ~3 minutes, once they bubble, flip and cook another few minutes. While the pancakes cook, cut the strawberries into slices. Sprinkle in a little sugar and a tablespoon of water. Stir well. Top the pancakes with the strawberries. Enjoy!
I loved these! The yellow was just to further encourage the lemon-ness. We made them first with just lemonade and there was zero lemon flavor.
Alternatively, spread some lemon curd (often sold near jelly) on a pancake and top with some strawberries for a similar vibe!
Summer is buzzing by. It feels like quite a mix of rainy days and super hot days. Work-life was turned upside down with the break up of my department, colleagues leaving, and now I’m trying to figure out what’s ahead.
July in the kitchen included some extra take-outs nights and extra “anything goes” nights after pool afternoons or when it was just too hot.
I made a great BBQ Chicken Rice Bowl with grilled zucchini, tomato salad, and a honey bbq drizzle.
Chicken Piccata became a pizza! It was so good, quite flavorful, and we will definitely repeat – majorly lemon flavor with juicy chicken and fresh parsley. I skipped the capers but go for it if you love them!
Lastly, I put together a bunch of dinner ideas for vacation: think minimal ingredients, not lots of leftovers, and easy to execute in a vacation rental kitchen! There are adaptations for each as well as ideas for sides. If you’re prepping for vacay, divvying meals for a family trip or planning a friends trip, these should help add some variety to your menu! – Crispy Fish (or shredded chicken) tacos with lemonade slaw – Pineapple Coconut Rice Bowls with Kielbasa/Chicken/Pulled Pork or as kebabs – easy Mediterranean night with naan flatbreads & Greek salad or Greek Pasta Salad – top your own pasta bar – Sesame noodles & dumplings & edemame
August brings our beach vacation, Claire back to daycare a few days a week, and Claire turns 3! To make the most of the summer it feels like we need more beach time, more ice cream cones, and maybe some more days off. I have a breakfast blog post coming and some ideas for summer produce.
The Little Girl: She loooves cruising around the neighborhood on her balance bike. She is more into the big pool now. For awhile she mostly splashed on the stairs and got in and out. Now she likes to “swim” to the swimout seat and then across to climb the ladder. It is so fun to see her with books she’s memorized. She started watching TV a bit more and is into Daniel Tiger. She always says when she’s big she’ll go to camp. She goes back to daycare in a few weeks!
The Big Guy: He has been SO brave going to his day camps and each week being “new”. We hadn’t ever done camps before so we pieces together a few once we were ready to plan – I think we have favorites. They are so so so good for him to go do stuff away from home. I’m proud since new things feels hard for him but he’s been the picture of adaptability! Packing nut-free lunches is a re-learning curve for us- snacky lunch is the most successful. Swim lessons have been wonderful and he’s such a fish. I’ll never get over what he comes up with to make out of legos.
Goals: Year of the fun mail! Sadly another coworker is leaving so I sent a card. More breakfasts: One needed more work so it is bumped to August. Lunches coordinated or prepped in advance: a lot of breakfasts for lunch or all the random leftovers (like Soft Cornbread). I’d like to get the house a bit neater: ehh. Bullet journal – still keeping a meals list. What I’m reading: I read Circe for bookclub though it was mostly in June – it was the most scholastic book I’ve read in a while. Beach Read was quite cute and a nice brain-vacay. Of Women and Salt was just ok, but I don’t overwhelmingly recommend. We Run the Tides was one of the most accurate depictions I’ve seen of a teenage mind’s rebellion/naivety/independence/questions. I heard an interview with Elin Hildebrand and she said Blue Bistro was her fav of her books – I could see why! High-end Restaurant life is a world of its own and Nantucket is so idyllic. Carnegie’s Maid is captivating for historical fiction about the Carnegie family and early philanthropy from a fictitious perspective of a fictitious immigrant lady’s maid- so well written. What I’m Watching: All Olympics, all the time.
