Igorotak’s What’s Cooking

Ok, so I’ve always been intimated with the use of yeast in making bread and the like.  However, lately in my blog hopping, I’ve come across countless recipes that not only look simple but also have step-by-step photo documentation.  I figured it’s about time to conquer my breadmaking fears!  Below are fun photos I took of today’s experiments.

Tomato Basil Mozzarella Pizza A

Hey!  There’s actually a picture of me, not just of the food I make!  My Hubby took this as I was prepping tomato basil pizza A.  We called it A because there’s a B!  Genius ha?  Keep scrolling down.

Pizza A’s base is pesto sauce, which I made with bunches and bunches of fresh basil from our backyard garden!  I then topped that off with heirloom tomatoes that I bought from the Farmer’s Market and then some really good fresh mozzarella from Sam’s.  Ya, that was a splurge, which I really fought the urge to buy when we were at the store this weekend but I gave in to it when I was making the pizza dough this morning.  As you may have guessed, I asked Steve to stop at Sam’s to pick it up.  Lesson learned: stick to the plan, Stan!

(Oooh…but just look at that melted gooey fresh mozzarella…)

Anyways…here’s Pizza B:

Tomato Basil Mozzarella Pizza B

Pizza B’s base was made from whole tomatoes, basil, oil, salt, and pepper, all blended in the food processor.  Sprinkled on top were gobs of shredded mozzarella cheese and, as my added twist to the recipe, chopped basil leaves on top of the cheese.

This was such a feast!  We liked both flavors both ways.  Each seemed to have their own personality.  Steve said that the pesto pizza could’ve been a lot less oily.  Duly noted, Babe!

(In case you’re wondering, we didn’t really eat the whole two pans!  No, sir!  I’ve set aside two bags for Steve’s lunches the rest of his work week and the rest made their way to the freezer.  Yay for the freezer – gotta thank the man who invented them.)

Now…for our snack later, I baked the overnight twisted cinnamon, only mine was overday, not overnight.  This morning I prepared the bread and kept it in the fridge during the day.

Later in the evening, after Paul went to sleep, we baked these guys and each had a piece with tea while we watched “Race to Witch Mountain” (which is a fun light kids movie, by the way).

Mmmm...icing! (said in a Homer Simpson voice)

It had been a full day of baking and tonight I feel, well, full, but besides that, rather triumphant from the positive results of my trials on yeast in bread.  Never mind that we packed quite a bit of carbs in our system.  Well, there’s a stroller walk with Paul for that.  As for Paul, he had a much healthier meal tonight – pureed sweet potatoes.  By the way, thanks to Frugal Girl, Giada De Laurentis and Food and Wine, and Pioneer Woman for tonight’s meal’s inspiration.

And as for my kitchen, well…

Sigh…tomorrow’s another day.  Goodnight world!