Random Tidbits ~ A Crockpot Summer

The rabbits are definitely an issue this year.  This is the worst year ever.  One had babies in my chicken run.  Big mistake.  The chickens killed them all.

Bread needed baked.  New recipe too.  The recipe is here. I turned to the internet for this recipe, and was quit pleased. In fact, Youngest Daughter saw the bread, made a sandwich, and raved about how soft and delicious it was.  Used 1 Tbsp. brown sugar vs. white sugar.  The recipe called for 2 cups of milk and room temperature. I had exactly 1 1/2 cups left in the house.  I made a 1/2 cup using dried milk to make up the difference.

Library books need returned and new ones picked up.  Ha.  Yeah, like I'm a gonna' get time to read 'em. I however am enticed by the Home and Health one - 501 recipes. I may have to add a few to my Christmas "wish" list.

I should have the kids monitor me when I multi-task.  I almost burned a frittata.  I set the timer, walked outside...should have never left the kitchen.  The other day I almost forgot the rice in the crockpot cabbage roll casserole.  Speaking of that dish, it was sort of a budget creation.

After my big birthday shin-dig, our daughter's grad party, and another daughter's expensive car repair, the budget has been pretty tight.  

I was pretty nifty thrifty with the cabbage roll dish.  I had two halves of cabbages leftover (red and green), I had a quart of home canned tomato sauce, home canned crushed tomatoes, homemade tomato condensed tomato soup in the freezer...and wa-la..dinner was made on a dime.  I used leftover ham vs. beef/pork.  Turned out Fan-tab-u-lous!  We discovered Parmesan cheese was better than mozzarella cheese.  And it's delicious without cheese.  This was the first time trying this type of recipe.  I may have to make cabbage rolls this fall when cabbage is in full harvest.  I do love my crockpot though.

Complaints were spouting from my vegetarian daughter (it had meat in it).  I told her I don't make special requests when I have to cook with what I have, and I reminded her I boiled eggs.  She's a big girl and needs to learn to cook.

The peas are flourishing and I must pick daily now.  

I made another batch of garlic scape and radish spread.  We absolutely love this stuff, and our vegetarian daughter (the one turning 18 today, and who hates most vegetables), loves it now too.  Hubby wants me to make a double batch so he can share it at work, but I'm running low on garlic scapes.  I may have a few more out in the garden.  As always, when Hubby loves a dish, says "you should serve this in our own restaurant."  Ha.  Yeah.  Like I want more work. 

Broccoli Pizza

A few days back, I made homemade whole wheat flatbread.  We ended up taking a long motorcycle ride on Father's Day evening, so the pizzas were not made.  I put the flatbread in the freezer and we finally made them.

It only took a few minutes to thaw the flatbread.  Now I know it freezes well, so I'll be putting some in the freezer vs. pizza dough.  I topped them with spinach pesto, then the broccoli (and it was supposed to have wilted spinach, but I ran out after pesto was made), topped with mozzarella cheese.

 I baked them at 400°F for about 15 minutes or so.  This flatbread worked beautifully for these.  Just enough to make it a pizza, crispy on the bottom, and delicious.

The flatbread was rolled to about 7 x 5 inches.  I got 8 pieces of bread in the batch.  The recipe stated I'd get 12, but that would be the thickness of a tortilla or thinner.  The recipe I used was from food.com for the whole wheat flatbread (used part all-purpose and part whole wheat), and the pizza recipe is from Eating Well, called "Green Pizza."  We think it needs some hot red pepper flakes, but that's about the only suggestion I got from the taste testers.