Simit (Turkish Style Sesame Bagel) - Low Carb, Grain & Gluten Free

Happy Sunday! This morning I woke up early at 6:30 and was in the mood to experiment in the kitchen a bit. It's a gloomy and rainy day here today. Yesterday we finished up with our planting for the season. I planted 3 hydrangea bushes, 2 butterfly bushes and transplanted some plants and planted geraniums in big pots on our patio. I'm glad we got them into the ground yesterday since today is a wash out, literally! I am still on my search for Copper River Salmon. Yesterday morning we got to Costco as soon as they opened. They had been expecting it to be delivered this week but their delivery did not come in. The only place I have been able to locate it in the Atlanta area is at the retail market at Atlanta Fish Market for $60/pound. While I love Copper River Salmon, $60/lb seems a bit unreasonable. If any of you have been able to find it fresh (not frozen) in the area...please share where!

For some reason, when I woke up this morning, I was thinking about Simit (essentially a Turkish style sesame bagel of sorts). It's considered to be "Istanbul street food" because it's sold from carts on street corners all over the city. It is best when it is hot. I remember traveling to Turkey when I was younger and it was sold from carts where it was piled high on trays or on long wooden spikes by men walking around selling it. It was always nice and hot and so good. Unfortunately, since it is a flour based bread, duplicating it without using wheat flour is a bit of a challenge. I began experimenting with my recipe this morning and for the first try, I'm excited. Even if I never get any closer than this morning's version, I'm ecstatic but I'd like to try a couple of other ideas and tweaks to see if I can make it even better. These are delicious, hot and chewy (a rare find in grain free bread) and the toasted sesame flavor is so good. I had half of a simit with my eggs and bacon for breakfast this morning. I will come back later and add the recipe to this post, but I wanted you to take a look at how nicely they turned out. I snapped some photos below. Enjoy!

Before going into the oven

Fresh out of the oven

Simit - Grain Free Turkish Style Sesame Bagel/Bread

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces (2 cups) shredded mozzarella

3 ounces brick style cream cheese

1 cup almond flour

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan (powdery style)

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

2 tablespoons molasses (I used black strap molasses)

3 tablespoons water

1/3 to 1/2 cup sesame seeds (or about 2 ounces)

Olive oil (to lightly oil hands before handling dough)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place mozzarella and cream cheese in a medium bowl. Heat cheese in microwave on high for 45 seconds; stir and heat an additional 30 to 45 seconds or until a hot melted mass of cheese is formed.

While cheese is melting in microwave, stir almond flour, Parmesan, and salt together in a small bowl. Add flour mixture and egg to bowl of hot melted cheese. Working quickly, fold and stir mixture together with a rubber spatula until a ball of dough is formed (make sure cheese mixture is hot before adding flour and egg). In a small bowl, mix molasses and water together (mixture will be thin). Place sesame seeds in a shallow bowl or plate. 

Press dough into bottom of bowl, flattening top down to even out. Divide into 4 even pieces (I cut it into fourths with a knife). Lightly oil hands with olive oil, if desired, to prevent dough from sticking. Using your hands, form dough into a 10 to 12-inch long rope, approximately 1-inch in diameter. Form the rope into a circle and press ends together to seal. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush molasses mixture on both sides of dough circles, then place into sesame seeds, lightly pressing them into both sides of simit. Place on parchment lined baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown (rotate pan half way through for even browning). Serve spread with butter or jam, if desired.

*Note: If dough is too soft to handle, allow to cool for a minute or two to firm up a bit.

                   

Broccoli-White Cheddar Frittata - Low Carb Sunday Breakfast

Happy Sunday! This morning I woke up around 6:00 and the first thought that went through my mind was..."oh no, I forgot to cover the grill last night"...and rain was expected this morning. I ran out and quickly covered the grill and while doing so, the sky opened up and the wind came from nowhere and we had violent thunderstorms with lots of lightening and pounding rain. Since hubby and I got up so early, we made a cup of coffee and went out and sat on the screened porch and listened to and watched the storm. It lasted for over an hour and then changed over to just rain. By 11:00 this the sun actually popped out which should make for some nice humidity.

Since we were up early, I went ahead and made an early breakfast. I had about 1 cup of leftover steamed broccoli in the fridge and a wedge of Tillamook Limited Edition Extra Sharp White Cheddar Cheese I've been wanting to try so I decided a Broccoli-White Cheddar Frittata was in order. It was so simple to make and a great way to use up some leftover broccoli and try out the cheese at the same time. I used my Calphalon 8-inch nonstick oven safe skillet for the frittata. I like to start my frittatas on the stove top. I begin by letting a pat of Kerrygold butter begin to sizzle, then pour the frittata mixture into the skillet so it can immediately start forming a "crust" and then pop it into the oven for about 20 minutes to bake. I placed some bacon on a cookie sheet and popped it into the oven before the frittata came out so everything would come out together. I added a couple of big ripe organic Driscoll's strawberries to our plates and breakfast was served! We enjoyed it and I have enough leftover to reheat for breakfast tomorrow. I snapped a few photos and included the easy peasy recipe below. Enjoy!

Fresh out of the oven

Broccoli-White Cheddar Frittata 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup cooked broccoli florets, chopped
1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese (I used Tillamook extra sharp)
8 large eggs
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Beat eggs in a medium bowl. Stir in broccoli and shredded cheese; add salt and pepper, to taste.

Melt butter in an 8-inch ovenproof non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When butter begins to sizzle, pour egg mixture into skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to allow outer edges to crust slightly. Place skillet in oven and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes until lightly golden on top and center of frittata doesn't jiggle when the skillet is shaken slightly. Allow frittata to sit for a few minutes. Use a rubber spatula to help slide the frittata onto a cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve.

                

Marinated Grilled Chicken and Yellow Cheddar Squash Casserole

This morning we enjoyed the cool morning temps and sat out and had breakfast on the porch. It might be one of the last cool mornings because temps are heading upward over the next couple of days. We ran errands and then just relaxed and watched movies this afternoon. This evening I grilled boneless chicken breasts that I marinated in a blend of olive oil, vinegar, Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper that I simply whisked together. I marinated the chicken in a Ziploc bag for a few hours (it's even better if you can marinate it longer). I grilled it over medium-high heat (about 400 to 425 degrees) for about 6 to 7 minutes per side, but the cooking time depends on the thickness of your chicken. I like to use a rolling pin and beat the chicken breasts while in the Ziploc bag (before adding marinade) so they are even in thickness. They turned out juicy and flavorful.

To go with our grilled chicken, I made my favorite Yellow Cheddar Squash Casserole. It's the perfect side dish for this time of year when squash becomes more plentiful. It truly is one of my favorites and my entire family loves it. The recipe is linked in the red colored letters in the first sentence of this paragraph. If you haven't tried it before, this one is worth trying. I have plenty left to use over the next couple of days and it reheats nicely. I snapped a couple photos below. Enjoy!

          

Grilled Cheddar Burgers - First Grill of the Season

This evening we fired up the grill for the first time this year. We kept it simple and fixed burgers. I purchased freshly ground chuck at Fresh Market this afternoon (it was on sale for $2.99/lb, normally $6.00/lb). I used 1 pound of beef and mixed it with 1 tablespoon each yellow mustard and organic ketchup (no HFCS). I also mixed in about 1/3 pound of shredded sharp cheddar cheese and then added a pinch of salt and few grinds of black pepper. I divided and shaped the meat into 3 one-inch thick burgers. After preheating the grill, I grilled them for about 5 to 6 minutes per side over medium-high heat, until they were medium-well but still juicy, then placed them on a plate and covered with foil until ready to serve.

I also sliced up a Vidalia onion and placed it in a foil packet with a pat of Kerrygold butter and seasoned it with salt and pepper, then placed the packet on the grill while the grill was heating up. I moved it to the side away from the fire while the burgers cooked. The onions turned out so tender they literally melted in your mouth. I sliced a tomato and steamed some fresh broccoli and in about 20 minutes from beginning to end, dinner was ready. I topped our burgers with a slice of Asiago cheese. It was simple, fresh and delicious. What is it about the first grilled burgers of the season that taste so good? I snapped a few photos below. Enjoy!

            

Easy Pulled Chicken - Instant Pot Recipe

This evening I made a delicious and simple dinner. We had quick and easy pulled chicken that I prepared in my Instant Pot (I have the 8-quart version). I already had barbecue sauce that I had made earlier in the week, but you can use your own personal favorite sauce. The recipe only uses 1/2 cup of sauce. I served the pulled chicken in baby romaine lettuce cups and it was absolutely delicious! This is the second time I've made it and it is awesome. You will never believe you are eating chicken breasts because the meat turns out so tender, juicy and flavorful.

Before filling the mini lettuce cups, I stirred in some shredded sharp cheddar cheese to make it extra yummy. I served my Easy Coleslaw alongside it. I actually prepared the pulled chicken last night and made the coleslaw earlier this morning, so all I had to do to get it on the table this evening was heat the pulled chicken and pull out the bowl of coleslaw. We had very heavy rain overnight and a good part of today which made the humidity crazy. It was 70 degrees this morning with 89% humidity -- yuck! I've included the link to my coleslaw recipe above and added the super easy Instant Pot recipe for the pulled chicken below as well as the recipe for the barbecue sauce immediately underneath. Feel free to use whatever sauce you like best. I like a little mixture of sweet and heat in my sauce. I snapped a quick photo below. Oh, and yes, in case you are wondering...that is a paper plate. Like I said, we kept dinner super easy tonight. Enjoy!

Easy Pulled Chicken - Instant Pot Recipe

Ingredients:

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 2-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (or substitute boneless skinless thighs)
Dusting of ground chipotle powder (optional)
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (recipe below)
1/4 cup water

Directions:

Select the "Saute" setting on your Instant Pot. When it begins to get hot, add oil to the bottom of the pot. Lightly dust the chicken breasts with chipotle powder, if desired. Place chicken in the Instant Pot and saute until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken breasts over and repeat on the other side. Select the "Cancel" button to stop the saute function. 

Spoon barbecue sauce over top of the chicken. Pour water into pot. Close and lock lid, making sure your silicone sealing ring is properly installed (if not, it won't be able to build pressure). Make sure the steam release button on top of the lid is pointed towards "sealing". Select the "Poultry" setting and increase the pre-selected cooking time to register 20 minutes. After the cooking is complete, allow it to "naturally release". You can safely open the lid once your float valve goes down. Using 2 forks, pull the chicken apart while in the pot until shredded and mixed with the juices. Taste for seasoning. Serve on buns or in small lettuce cups topped with shredded cheese, if desired.


Sweet & Spicy Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons Swerve sweetener
1 teaspoon pure pineapple extract
2 dashes ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (I used Lea & Perrins original)
1 teaspoon Tamari sauce (I used San-J organic gluten free)
1-1/2 teaspoons ground mustard
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle powder, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer uncovered for approximately 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Refrigerate any leftover sauce.

            

Saturday Brunch on the Porch - Veggie & Bacon Pie

Greetings, I've missed all of you. Long time no see, right? I'm not sure how many of you are out there any more since I disappeared a few months ago. I will fill you in on the details as to what's been going on soon, but not today. Today I want to focus on one of my favorite things...food blogging! And also because I know what you really want to see here is food, not hear about all of my "stuff." When I awoke this morning, I decided that today would be the today I returned to my blog. After 5 years of blogging almost daily...not doing so for these last few months has seemed like an eternity. It's a beautiful bright and sunny day here in Atlanta but unseasonably warm and humid. At least we are past the ridiculous pollen counts in the thousands though!

I decided to make a Veggie & Bacon Pie for brunch this morning and to sit out on the screened porch with the fan going to enjoy the cool morning before it got too warm. I snapped a few photos and included the easy peasy recipe below. I used the veggies I had on hand; baby spinach, red bell peppers, and Vidalia onions but you can use whatever you've got on hand. Also, you can omit the bacon or add cooked crumbled sausage instead. Enjoy!

Porch life...

He's my assistant food photographer and never far away when there's food around!

Veggie & Bacon Pie

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
8 ounces cooked and chopped fresh baby spinach
8 large eggs
1/2 cup milk or cream
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 teaspoon salt, to taste (optional)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
8 slices cooked crumbled bacon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease or spray a 10" deep dish pie plate (I used a 9.5" fluted pie dish). 

In a non-stick skillet, saute onions and bell peppers in olive oil or butter over medium heat until softened; transfer to a small bowl and set aside. In the same skillet, saute spinach, just until wilted.  Drain and press as much liquid out of cooked spinach as possible; coarsely chop the spinach and set aside.

In a medium bowl, add eggs, cream, Parmesan, feta cheese, almond flour, and salt and pepper to taste. Beat egg mixture together. Add onions, peppers, spinach, and bacon; stir until evenly combined. Pour mixture into greased pie dish and bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until puffed and golden and eggs are set and cooked. If the center is still slightly jiggly, cook for an additional few minutes (the center usually puffs up when completely cooked). Let cool for approximately 5 minutes; cut into wedges and serve. Makes 6 servings.

        

Eggplant Parmesan - Easy Low Carb

This evening I decided to make Eggplant Parmesan for dinner. Eggplant is one of my favorites and was one of my Dad's favorites as well. While I was at Sprouts yesterday, I picked up some of the most beautiful eggplants that I've seen in quite a while and they were on sale for 98 cents each, regardless of size. I bought 5 large ones; not ones that were huge around (since they can be more seedy), but more full and longer shaped. These did not have a lot of seeds and the seeds that they did have were tender and light colored (the best in my opinion). When an eggplant is too large or getting old, they are loaded with brown colored seeds that can sometimes be bitter. I like to take a strip of skin off lengthwise every inch or so, so they look striped before slicing. It allows you to still enjoy the flavor and beauty of the purple skin but it's not too much skin.

Tonight's Eggplant Parmesan was probably one of my best. I kept it very simple. As many of you that have either made it or eaten it prepared the classic way, the eggplant is typically breaded and fried before layering in a casserole. I simply sliced my eggplant in 1/2-inch thick circles, brushed it with olive oil and seasoned with a bit of sea salt, then baked it for about 25 minutes in the oven (flipping it about half way through and then brushing again with olive oil). You simply layer a single layer of eggplant sauce, cheese (mozzarella and provolone), top with more eggplant, sauce and cheese (mozzarella and Parmesan) and bake. I used one of my favorite pasta sauces; Rao's Arrabbiata sauce because it's nice and spicy and flavorful, but you can use your own personal favorite or homemade sauce if you have it handy. After it gets layered in a casserole dish, it gets baked for 20 to 30 minutes and then I allow it to sit a bit so the cheeses set up. It was amazing. This recipe made enough for 5 to 6 generous servings. I snapped a number of photos below and included the easy peasy recipe. You will never EVER miss the breading or the frying (and surely not the clean up that's required after frying eggplant on the stove...if you've ever done that before, you know what I mean). If you like eggplant, you will absolutely love this dish. Enjoy!

Eggplant Parmesan - Low Carb

Ingredients:

3 large eggplants, cut into 1/2-inch thick round slices
1/3 cup olive oil (more, if needed)
Sea salt, to taste
1 24-ounce jar pasta sauce (I used Rao's Arrabbiata Sauce)
12-ounces (about 3 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese (more, if desired)
5 to 6 slices provolone cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Brush both sides of eggplant slices with olive oil and place on a parchment lined baking sheet or in a single layer in a nonstick roasting pan. Season with salt, to taste. Bake for 15 minutes; turn slices over, brush with additional olive oil, and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. 

Spread about 1/2 cup of pasta sauce in the bottom of a 2 to 3 quart casserole dish. Place half of the eggplant slices on top of sauce. Top and spread each slice with a spoonful (about 1 tablespoon) of sauce. Top with half of the mozzarella cheese. Fold slices of provolone cheese in half, then half again to break into fourths. Place 1/4 slice of provolone on top of each eggplant/mozzarella mound. Top with remaining half of eggplant slices. Spoon remaining pasta sauce on top of each eggplant stack. Top with remaining half of mozzarella cheese, then with final layer of Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. If desired, run under the broiler for a few minutes to brown cheese. Allow to sit for about 10 to 15 minutes before serving so cheese can set up. 

            

Easy Chicken-Apple Sausage & Cabbage Stir-Fry - Easy Low Carb

This evening I made a quick and easy meal using just a few simple ingredients. I stopped by Sprouts and picked up a 1-pound package of their fresh made bulk (not links) Chicken French-Apple Sausage. They make it with ground chicken thighs, spices, applesauce and apples so it has a slight sweet flavor. I also picked up a 3-pound head of savoy cabbage (it's a bit more delicate than regular green cabbage and has a crinkly leaf). I browned the sausage in a bit of olive oil until it was golden brown and broke it up as it cooked. While it was cooking, I cored, cut up, and thinly sliced my head of cabbage and added it to the browned sausage along with some sea salt and black pepper and a few tablespoons of butter. I turned the heat up, covered the pot (no water added) and let it heat up and steam a bit to wilt the cabbage using only what moisture was left on the shredded cabbage. I uncovered it after a bit and as the cabbage cooked down I kept stirring it and turned the heat up to medium-high so it would begin browning in the butter. In the last 5 minutes I added 3 sliced green spring onions and stirred it around and then served. You'll be surprised at how much the cabbage cooks down and shrinks. It was so delicious and so simple to make. Sausage and cabbage go so well together. I snapped a quick photo below and included the easy peasy recipe. Enjoy!

Chicken-Apple Sausage & Cabbage Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground bulk style sausage (I used chicken-apple sausage)
2 to 3 pound head of cabbage, cored and thinly sliced (I used savoy cabbage)
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons butter (I used Kerrygold)
3 green spring onions, sliced

Directions:

In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned and cooked through, breaking it up into small pieces with a spoon as it cooks. When sausage is browned and fully cooked, add shredded cabbage; cover pan and cook until cabbage begins to wilt, about 5 minutes. 

Uncover pan and stir, continuing to cook uncovered for about 5 minutes until cabbage begins to cook down. Season with salt and pepper. Add butter and increase heat to medium-high, stirring sausage and cabbage frequently until cabbage has begun to brown and cooked to desired consistency. Stir in sliced green onions and cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes.

*Note: To save time, bagged fresh coleslaw mix can be used in place of the head of cabbage. Use whatever type sausage is your favorite (Italian sausage, etc.). You could also use ground beef in place of the sausage and just season it a bit more.

         

Pan Seared Filet Mignon & Roasted Butternut Squash

This evening I kept dinner pretty simple. I'm still feeling a bit under the weather and don't have my usual energy back yet. Yesterday, we had picked up some beautiful filet mignon steaks to make for dinner but I didn't have the appetite or desire to make them yesterday. I'm so happy I waited until this evening because I actually enjoyed the meal. The only seasoning I used for both the steaks and the roasted butternut squash was sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. I used olive oil and butter to cook the steaks with and just olive oil to coat the squash before roasting.

To prepare the squash, I tossed 1-inch cubes of fresh butternut squash with olive oil and spread them out on a parchment lined large baking pan and then seasoned them with sea salt and black pepper. I popped them into a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes and then raised the oven temp to 425 degrees and cooked them for about another 10 minutes so they would get nice and brown and caramelized.

While the squash was in the oven, I seasoned my steaks with sea salt and black pepper on both sides. I added a couple tablespoons olive oil and couple tablespoons butter to a heavy dutch oven (you could also use an ovenproof skillet or cast iron skillet since it gets finished in the oven). I heated the oil and butter over medium-high heat and added the 1-1/2" thick steaks and cooked them for approximately 8 minutes on one side until they were nice and browned, then turned them over and cooked for about 5 minutes on the other side. I then placed them in a 425 degree oven to cook for approximately 10 minutes and turned the heat off and let them sit for about 5 minutes or so in the hot oven. They came out cooked medium to medium-well (a thin line of pink inside). I'm not crazy about rare meat but don't mind a little pink inside. Simply increase or decrease the cooking time depending on whether you like your steak more or less done and also depending on the thickness of your steaks. These steaks turned out so tender and juicy.

I snapped a couple of quick photos of tonight's meal below. Enjoy!

            

Happy Sunday - Instant Pot Greek Yogurt for Breakfast

Happy Sunday!  A number of you have told me that you are anxious for my Instant Pot recipes since many of you know that I purchased one a few months ago (I have the Instant Pot IP-DUO80 model which is their largest 8-quart version). So, while I haven't written up my Instant Pot recipes yet, I do want you to know that I have used it many times and have been enjoying experimenting with it and plan to start posting them in the near future.

While I don't have this yogurt recipe ready to share with you yet, I thought that since it is what I'm having for breakfast this morning, I'd take a quick photo for you since it just happens to be Greek yogurt that I made using my Instant Pot. I've made it numerous times already and while it is easy as pie to make, it's something that you probably want to make on a day when you are hanging around the house since you need to bring the milk up to a specific temp and often tweak it to get to the right temp. It then needs to cool down to a certain temp before you add starter (fancy word for adding "already made yogurt") and then let it ferment overnight in the Instant Pot. So, while very easy to do, it kind of keeps you close by your kitchen until you get to the fermentation stage which I do for 10 hours in the Instant Pot. I've made it using organic whole milk, 2% milk, etc. and I honestly can't tell much difference between using whole or 2% milk, so I'd use whatever you prefer. So far, every time I've made it, I have made it with 1 gallon of milk because after straining the yogurt to make Greek yogurt, you lose a lot of volume. It was quite shocking to me when I realized how much whey gets strained off; literally several cups of liquid. This batch I'm eating now is made with 2% milk. I swirled a scant tablespoon of no sugar added peach preserves and then topped it with some fresh blackberries. It was delicious. I promise to post my recipe and steps soon. Check out my home made yogurt below. Enjoy!

            

Happy 2017 - Saturday Night's Cheese Head Pizza

Greetings and Happy New Year! Long time, no see, right? I've really, really, REALLY missed blogging, but I took a much needed break and, like it or not...I'm back! If you contacted me and I didn't respond, I apologize because as most of my regular followers know, for the past 4-1/2 years, I have been steadfast in posting almost daily and responding to everyone promptly. 

As some of you know, this past year has been difficult for a multitude of reasons. It's been a year filled with loss, a lot of change, and a whole lot of work. No matter how much we have in front of us to do...we only have 24 hours in a single day to do it. I essentially burned myself out and was just plain exhausted, both physically and emotionally. Unfortunately, I am one of those people that rarely (if ever) says no, and I have the tendency to take on more than I should and still maintain some sense of sanity. As many of you know I lost my mother a year ago, and we also moved, which involved both selling a home and purchasing a new home and all of the projects that we had done in the new home once we got moved in. Not to mention, something that I detest immensely...MOVING! I feel like all I did every single day was work, pack, clean and try to keep my home looking like nobody lived there. There was only one little problem was....we did live there! 

As a food blogger, one of the things you understand is what havoc blogging does to your kitchen. Basically, by the time you get done cooking, photographing, writing up your recipe and your blog post...oh, and actually get the chance to eat what you prepared...it looks like a bomb went off in your kitchen; a really big bomb at that. And that scenario repeats itself almost EVERY...SINGLE...DAY! I also work full time and am gone for almost 10 hours a day, so all of this goes on in my "spare time". I have to squeeze a little sleep in there as well and more often than not, never got more than about 4 hours on any given night. Throw in the little fact I also take on various other food projects...some small and some large. Regardless of how much work all of this is, for me it is a labor of love and I really enjoy it. I couldn't or wouldn't have invested this much time in this for all these years in this if I didn't. But this past year, with the addition of both selling my home and buying a new one, and all that entailed just pushed me to my limits and something had to give. But, we are now pretty well settled in and are finally beginning to feel like we don't just work here, but actually live here. 

I decided to start my first post of 2017 off with what I made for dinner this evening and what also happens to be one of my absolute favorite recipes...Cheese Head Pizza! It's one of those recipes that you can serve to all of your friends and family that aren't grain or gluten free as well because you honestly can't tell that it is grain and gluten free. I've made it so frequently now that I can usually make it and bake it and have it on the table in about 30 minutes. I topped tonight's pizza with large sandwich-sized slices of Boar's Head pepperoni, sliced yellow bell peppers and sliced fresh mini San Marzano tomatoes. I've been sick this past week with some kind of virus and am still not feeling too snappy, but tonight's pizza is about the only thing that has actually tasted good to me all week. I actually enjoyed it. I've included the recipe below and a few photos I snapped as well. Oh, and if you didn't already read between the lines...I really missed all of you and wish all of you a very happy and healthy new year! Enjoy! 

Ready for the oven...baked crust 11 minutes, then topped and baked another 10 minutes

Fresh out of the oven

CHEESE HEAD PIZZA – My Take on Fat Head Pizza

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces (2 cups) shredded mozzarella (whole milk or part skim)

3 ounces brick style cream cheese

1 cup almond flour

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan (powdery style)

1/8 teaspoon salt

Dash garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1 large egg

1 tablespoon olive oil (to oil hands before pressing out dough)

Desired toppings (pizza sauce, pepperoni, cooked peppers, onions, mushrooms, additional cheese, etc.)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper. 

Place mozzarella and cream cheese in a medium bowl. Heat cheese in microwave on high for 45 seconds; stir and heat an additional 30 to 45 seconds or until a hot melty mass of cheese is formed.

While cheese is melting in microwave, stir almond flour, Parmesan, salt, garlic powder and Italian seasoning together in a small bowl. Add flour mixture and egg to bowl of hot melted cheese. Working quickly, fold and stir mixture together with a rubber spatula until a ball of dough is formed (make sure cheese mixture is hot before adding flour and egg).   

Place ball of dough in center of parchment lined baking sheet (or on a non-stick baking sheet or pizza pan). Oil hands with olive oil (*see note/updated instructions below) and press dough out into desired shape (round, oval or rectangular) until about ¼-inch thick or pour the tablespoon of olive oil on top of the dough after placing it in the center of baking sheet and use a rubber spatula to press and spread the dough out evenly. Prick holes all over crust surface with a fork to prevent crust from bubbling up. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown (rotate pan half way through for even browning). Remove crust and top with pizza sauce, additional cheese, and any desired toppings. Bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until heated through. Run briefly under the broiler, if browning is desired.

*Note/Update: Rather than oiling hands with olive oil to press dough out, a much easier (and less messy) way to press it out is to pour the tablespoon of olive oil on top of the dough after placing it in the center of baking sheet and use a rubber spatula to press and spread the dough out evenly. If necessary, lightly oil the rubber spatula to keep from sticking.

            

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all of you from my home to yours!