It would be so nice to be able to make our own pizza would be amazing and a great fit into our new budget with a baby on the way.  I really would like to be a SAHM and am willing to do anything and everything I can to accomplish that.  And if that means making homemade meals every night, couponing religiously, and giving freezer-cooking a go, then that is what I have to do, and will do.  No more ordering pizza twice a week, or eating out other than for special occasions to keep that money in the bank!  Trying to look for other avenues at making money other than having to work outside the home is now becoming my 2nd part-time job.  You might see lots of new recipes on here (if you couldn't tell already) that I want to try and introduce into our monthly menu plan (that we've recently tried and failed pretty miserably at I might add).

This pizza recipe might just give my hubby a new spark in trying this menu plan a go!

*crosses fingers*

ingredients

• 1 cup warm water (100° to 110°), divided
• 10 ounce bread flour (about 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons)
• 1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
• 3/4 cup Basic Pizza Sauce
• 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) thinly sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup small fresh basil leaves

Preparation

• 1. Pour 3/4 cup warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attached. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and spoons; level with a knife. Add flour to 3/4 cup water; mix until combined. Cover and let stand 20 minutes. Combine remaining 1/4 cup water and yeast in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes or until bubbly. Add yeast mixture, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to flour mixture; mix 5 minutes or until a soft dough forms. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray; cover surface of dough with plastic wrap lightly coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate 24 hours.
• 2. Remove dough from refrigerator. Let stand, covered, 1 hour or until dough comes to room temperature. Punch dough down. Press dough out to a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured baking sheet, without raised sides, sprinkled with cornmeal. Crimp edges to form a 1/2-inch border. Cover dough loosely with plastic wrap.
• 3. Position an oven rack in the lowest setting. Place a pizza stone on lowest rack. Preheat oven to 550°. Preheat the pizza stone for 30 minutes before baking dough.
• 4. Remove plastic wrap from dough. Sprinkle dough with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread Basic Pizza Sauce evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Arrange cheese slices evenly over pizza. Slide pizza onto preheated pizza stone, using a spatula as a guide. Bake at 550° for 11 minutes or until the crust is golden. Cut pizza into 10 wedges, and sprinkle evenly with basil.

Found the recipe HERE.

Doesn't it look uber yummy?!

,

itty

I've dying to give it a go at making my own spaghetti sauce, did a little research and found this recipe which sounds fantastic, and got some pretty rave reviews.  I doubt I'll ever follow the recipe exactly and include all the meats they recommend throwing in it, but it sounds like a great starter meat sauce!  So tired of buying canned sauces!

 Can't wait to try it out!  Going to try and make it tonight.  I don't have everything on hand (garlic cloves, bay leaf, etc.) but I'll try and make due with what I've got!  Frugality here I come!

Any of you have a great meat sauce recipe you think I should try??

I found the recipe HERE.

=drooling=

-ib-

The reason I've been MIA the past couple months...

Busy growing a gremlin.

It's a boy!!

,

ib

As soon as we eat all 100,000 mini pumpkin chocolate chip muffins I made on Sunday, I'm so going to make THESE cookies!

They sound like a weird combo, but they sure do sound and look delicious, don't they?!

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

[adapted from the giant rainbow cookies]

makes about 18 cookies 

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup of old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted and cooled

6 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter, melted and cooled

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup white chocolate morsels/chunks

1/2 cup peanut butter morsels

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Add butter and peanut butter to a microwave safe bowl, and heat in 30 second increments until melted. Let cool completely.

Mix the flour, oats, salt and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix the cooled butter/peanut butter and sugars until they are combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir until mixed. Gradually add dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms – it will look crumbly at first, but it will come together. I even used my hands to bring it all together. If necessary, add 1-2 teaspoons of milk, but I did not need this. Fold in white chocolate and peanut butter chips.

Shape the dough into a ball the size of a golfball. Place on a baking sheet two inches apart and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown. The centers should be soft and slightly puffy. Do not over bake. Let cool completely then dig in!

So yummy!

I really need to get in the habit of taking more photos to post on here when I make things!  I just pulled out my DSLR and charged the battery from being packed up from the move, so hopefully that will change once I have a little bit more time on my hands!

BIG news coming soon!

Stay Tuned!

-IB-

So adding this to my recipe collection here...

Cinnamon Belgian Waffles

Only 14 more days until I can enjoy an early morning breakfast again, in my new, big, beautiful kitchen.

Only 14 more days until I can enjoy a nice long, hot bath in my big, beautiful spa tub.

Only 14 more days until I can finally have my own office space to work, play, and create.

Only 14 more days until I finally have the freedom and the space to be fully free and truly me.

These are going to be the longest 14 days ever.

Finally, our own home.

That we built.

14 days.

<3,

ib 

Take me away...

♥,

ittybitty

Life is sometimes a lonely road.

Full of forks, and twists, and turns.

But no matter what road you find yourself on,

always be sure to make it your own.

xoxo,

ib

(photo and poem by me)

I can't wait for fall.  My most favorite season of all time.

Pretty leaves.  Changing colors.  Sweaters.  Bonfires.  Early sunsets.  Long nights.

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

Please come soon, Fall.  I miss you.

<3,

ib

I can't wait til my little plastic camera gets here on Wed!  It's been a long time since I've used a film camera.  Probably 12 years!  And, I can't wait to see the amazing photos this little camera is going to take!  I've been looking for some tips on how to use it properly and how to get the best results and I've read from multiple sites that your first roll is going to be terrible!  haha  I can't wait to see what I get!  But I'm so excited to see what comes out!  I've also been looking into a negative/flatbed scanner so I can just get the film developed and scan the negatives in myself.  Looking for a good deal though, and will probably wait until we're in the house, and the desk and office area is set up before purchasing something and going to town using up film and getting them developed.  But that's only 3 weeks away, so not THAAAT long.  Yay!

I wanted to put together some tips I've found on how to use the camera properly here, so I can come back and find everything easily, so here we go!

From:  http://www.dianaminilove.com/

"But don't let the lack of sunshine stop you taking lovely Diana Mini photos! Here are some of my tips for photography over the colder months...

Films:

• Switch to a faster film - try 400 or 800.
• Experiment with black & white film. (If it's grey outside you might as well embrace it!)

Camera and accessories: 

• Use a flash. Try using it outside in the daytime too. But remember, the flash only illuminates your immediate foreground. Don't use it for things that are further away.
• Try long exposures in 'B' mode. Use a tripod, and a cable release.

Inspiration:

• Get outside and document the seasons changing around you.
• Stay inside and use your Diana Mini to document your everyday life.
• Take your Diana Mini somewhere warm for some culture: galleries, museums, stately homes. Check the photography policy, or at least be subtle.

 Practicalities and how not to freeze your butt off:

• Regular stops for cupcakes and hot tea. (Like I need an excuse)
• Go for arm warmers or fingerless gloves for ease of changing films and tinkering with your settings."

From:  http://www.daydreamlily.com/

"Tips for using the Diana Mini

• Ive found high speed film is the best to use with the Mini. So start with 400 or if its a nice sunny day try out 200iso.
• Shooting in daylight gets the best results for standard 400iso film. Most of my indoor ones came out very fuzzy as there wasn't enough light, so I'm now trying out the flash and faster speed films for indoors - will let you know if this helps.
• oh and check that the little switch is on "N" and not slipped over to "B" (unless of course you want the B setting) I wasted a whole roll of film with this switch wrong!!!
• Winding the film on is definitely not exact, just wind till you feel it has tightened and hopefully your at the right spot!! if your not then you will get some nice double exposures anyways...and be careful not to wind too tight as that can break the film....made this mistake too."

 From:  http://blog.sydneyjean.com/

"♥ Be really careful that the back of the camera is always locked on, mine has fallen off once or twice and I’ve lost some nice pictures
♥ ALWAYS check these 3 things before taking a picture: set focus distance, set the aperture, and make sure the shutter mode is set at N (unless you’re doing some crazy night shots with a tripod)
♥ Don’t try to force the film when you’re turning it, because it will snap.
♥ If you’re shooting in half frame mode, make sure your subject is in the center of the frame, don’t try any ‘rule of thirds’ fancy pants because the subject will probably get cut out of the picture.
♥ close up pictures don’t work haha, everything just gets super blurry.
♥ you will probably need a flash if you want to shoot indoors.

And most importantly don’t get frustrated and give up, stick with it! Apparently no ones first roll of film ever turns out. I know mine sure didn’t, one of the best parts about using film is the learning process! If you want some more info on the diana you can check it out right here."

 From:  http://microsites.lomography.com/dianamini/howto

Above is just a bunch of how-to videos that are a must watch as soon as it arrives!

Gaaaaaaah!  I can't wait till it gets here and be prepared for tons of photos being posted here from it!  I can't wait to get my digi camera out and available, and my new mini always near by (instead of packed up or somewhere I can't find it because there's just stuff everywhere!)!!

I CAN'T WAAAAAIIIITTT!!

Looking for tips...

,

itty