Cooking in bulk

I think I cooked all afternoon on Saturday. I was really on a roll. I don't normally do this much at once, but I kind of have this fantasy about having food half way prepared & frozen or of cooking in bulk so that I don't have to cook later in the week. Every now and then I try to see how much I can do. If I could fill my freezer up with stuff like like that, then I would be a happy person.  Alas, I'm usually too lazy to plan ahead for my future laziness.

I started out with the best of the bunch: the salsa. This recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook is now my all time favorite. I've been making it every week. It's perfect for me since I'm allergic to peppers and this is pepper-free. I made a double batch this time thinking it would last, but it's now monday and it's gone. I couldn't help myself!

Then I made a double batch of Smitten Kitchen's oatmeal cookies. I only baked five, though. The rest are frozen for future sugar fixes.

Then I tried making frozen yogurt, but with some chocolate milk for flavor. It didn't come out as well as hoped, but it's still delicious.

Then a big pot of soup to enjoy for the next few day's lunches.

Oh, and these are the table napkins I made a couple of weeks ago. I thought I would have enough fabric for six, but I could only make four.

By this point it was dinner time. I made pizza using pillsbury dinner rolls that we had left in the fridge. It was actually quite tasty.

Homemade Pizza

Pizza!

I haven't really spoken too much on this blog about any other than sewing, but I thought you all should know about my extreme love for pizza. It's a huge part of my thoughts some days.

I've never had the guts or felt the need to make my own pizza until last week. I live in NY with so many wonderful pizza opportunities, therefore it never crossed my mind to make my own pizza. But then I was perusing Smitten Kitchen, a very delicious food blog by Deb, and stumbled upon her many pizza entries. Her pizzas looked delicious AND she had done her research, perfecting and revising the recipe as time went on. I really respect someone who takes their pizza seriously and systematically.

Therefore, armed with Deb's recipe, I set forth to make my own pizza. Besides, maybe someday I'll be in a remote location or in need of an emergency pizza. I should prepare myself for that event, however unlikely.

I followed the recipe for the dough and made the tomato sauce while I waited for it to rise. It was amazingly easy to make the sauce and so much tastier than a jar. I will definitely make this again even just for pasta.

But then the anxiety snuck in. There I was: worrying and waiting. Two hours of nervousness because my dough didn't seem to be rising. It seemed reluctant to move at all. It came down to the last few minutes and secretly I think that's when it started to work. It was trying to fake me out.

I made the most basic pizza first to taste the flavor... or test my skills, really.  I didn't have a round pizza pan, so I tried to mold it into a square. As you can see, that didn't really work. It's more of wonky heart shape. Oh well. Into the oven it went while I ate the remaining sauce as I waited.

And then into my belly!

And then BACK into the oven.

I think in my excitement, I didn't let it cook long enough. The crispy cheese had fooled me into thinking it was done. Lesson learned. Stomach, I promise you it will be better next time. I just need more practice.