I am southern and it seems to be a requirement (around here anyway) that you visit as much extended family as possible during the holidays. So my "immediate" extended family (hmmm that's confusing isn't it?) always get together for breakfast on Christmas morning. It just would not be the same without the piles of fresh fruit, buttermilk biscuits, sausage gravy, ham, bacon, eggs, and sweet rolls. Along with everyone trying to talk at once. lol

I would love to get a new pizza stone! I had an amazing one from Pampered Chef until a couple of years ago. One of my brothers put it on top of a hot stove... and poof... cracked pizza stone. I hadn't thought about getting untreated terra cotta tiles from a hardware store, what a fantastic idea... I must now research this idea. When I worked at the pizza parlor I did just about everything, cut and prepped toppings, made the sauce (although I think my own sauce is better) made pizza, sandwiches, ran the front, washed dishes. Whatever needed done really. It was probably the funnest job I ever had, even though the shop was far from a "good" place to eat. I loved being able to cook for others... I just refused to eat there if I had not been in to clean and cook it myself... the memory of the poor sanitary conditions I came into at work after a few days off still makes me shudder.

I havent made pizza dough at home for some time from scratch. I tend to buy a fresh dough from the grocery store bakery when I want to make pizza at home now. But, I LOVE to make pizza at home. Sometimes we make small pizzas so everyone has a chance to choose their own toppings, for me, this is so much easier, because I can choose non dairy items.

I killed a pizza stone too. It used to live in my oven all the time, until I put a casserole dish full of stew in there above it. It overflowed.... you know what sits on the top of a stew, right? The fat. My lovely pizza stone that my sister bought me greedily soaked up all the fat and then smoked the kitchen out every time it was in a hot oven forevermore. Tried to soak it, nothing worked... I had to admit defeat and buy myself a new one.

Luckily they're pretty cheap where we are. I think I got two for the price of one - $15, and have seen some as cheap as $10.

I usually do the tradtional pizza dough with yeast, but came across this recipe recently. I'm curious to try it because it's just self-raising flour and greek yoghurt, and would be great for those times when you don't really have the time to wait for the dough to rise.

http://www.kidspot.com.au/best-recip...ecipe+2760.htm

Um, Sun, I have an electric stove, here at home. In my baking and pastry classes, we have been using an induction burner to cook with, instead of going over to the culinary side and fighting to use the stoves there. There are two classes going on at once, in that kitchen, as well as the HCC Cafe. Therefore, there is really no room for the baking and pastry classes to use the stoves. Both the culinary side and the pastry side do have some induction burners, thankfully. The pastry side just uses induction burners exclusively, is all.

Good morning Sun and all :)

I wanted to post this the other day and forgot....

Teddy and I co-operated on dinner, albeit by phone, the other night, and it came out sooo good.

We started out with a heap of chicken breasts that had to be cooked asap. I threw them in the crock pot, not entirely sure what they were going to become...lol I had fresh tomatoes that I had to use up and some green pepper also, so I tossed those in. When I told Teddy that I had done that, he said he would make chicken enchiladas with it when he got home. So I seasoned the chicken with some cumin, garlic powder, a little tex mex rub, some fresh ground pepper, and taco seasoning and prolly something else but I forget...added some water to the pot along with liquid smoke and worcestershire sauce. Didnt have onion but had some nice salsa. Teddy brought home some frozen corn and Spanish rice mix...Since the chicken and tomatoes worked up a nice sauce, more like a stew, we threw the corn in and served it over rice. I would've liked some black beans and maybe a mixture of peppers for color...some cilantro for that Spanish taste....but all in all it was amazing for a throw together dinner. Sometimes NOT planning makes it better. And this from a girl who typically follows a recipe to the letter of the law!
<<<<rebel....
I'm ready for Chopped now y'all ;)

Cant believe you said pancakes to me :| I just found a really good recipe for homemade pannycakes...and I have whole wheat flour that I plan to substitute for SOME healthy stuff...I wanted to get some pumpkin butter from Trader Joe's as a spread for them...then make a walnut maple syrup thing.....I imagine this could be done with French toast also...I just love this time of year for the pumpkin stuff...and I take FULL advantage....

Now I want breakfast ..... sigh

My little Iron chef I have a basket for u

So I have a pot roast and the desire for tacos....

Using my google skills I stumble across this recipe for crockpot carne asada:
http://www.cheekykitchen.com/2010/11...ecipe-yet.html

Keeping the general in mind...
I adapt to:
beef broth
cumin
chili powder
garlic
vinegar
oil
lime juice (fresh I'm allergic to the limade)
chop pureed onions and green peppers
decide it looks too green for The General. Add jar of tomato sauce.
check to see if it needs salt.... yep
mixed and poured over the small not too think pot roast and cubed potatoes (because I am also craving seasoned potatoes)

Now I must see if I have enough shortening to make tortillas and make the pico de gallo.

drooollling....

Sounds like there's potential for a conchita pibil *s

on that note...now I am craving...

skillett carne asada
mexican rice
pico

y flan...

There are mornings when everything is crazy here that I know we just NEED to have something more then cereal or a piece of fruit for breakfast. Those mornings its all about the scrambled eggs. Cheesy eggs is the one thing I know everyone will stop and eat. I put a little bit of parsley in them with salt and pepper and then everyone gets to fix them how they want. We often cook up some sausage on the side and people put them on tortillas or toast. Its that quick little pick me up to draw everyone together on those more difficult mornings.

I heart TJs.

Because I'm so known as a meat-chef, when I talk about Meatless Monday some people look at me like I've lost my mind. I'm like, look, I'm not saying beef and pork is bad, I love it and I eat it six days a week. --Michael Symon

Do any of you do the "meatless monday" too? We try often -- thinking we'll have a grilled veggie cheese w/ cream of tomato tonight. What about you?