PYROHI PIZZA

1 batch pizza dough (recipe below)

8 medium potatoes,  peeled and cubed

1/4 cup butter 

1/2 cup milk

2 medium onions, chopped

8 oz. or 2 cups grated cheddar cheese 

Ingredients for dough:

2 cups lukewarm water

1/2 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 pkg. dry yeast

5 - 6 cups all purpose flour 

Prepare your pizza dough and let rise. Once ready, press it into a pizza pan.

Preheat oven to 375. While oven is heating, boil potatoes until tender.  

In a small frying pan over medium heat,  add  butter and chopped onions. Let caramelized, then set aside. 

Drain potatoes and set back in 

pot. 

Once oven  is heated, add pizza dough and bake for 10-15 minutes.

Add some of cooked onions with melted butter to potatoes, add garlic salt and pepper. Make sure  potatoes are creamy and smooth.   Fold in 1 cup shredded cheese.

Remove pizza crust from oven and begin spreading with potato mixture. 

Spread evenly. Sprinkle with caramelized onions and remaining cheese. 

 I also sauteed sliced mushrooms to add to the pizza.

This is what I like to put on my pyrohis.   Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Serve with French onion dip or sour cream on top or on the side to dip into.   It's a wonderful taste experience.

Everyone will love it..  Ask Drew:)

This is the other pizza I made tonight.  Half and half (bacon and pepperoni and pepperoni, onion, red pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes and banana peppers..

RECIPES WITH REMINDERS OF FALL ....

With fall in the air, I've just started baking like crazy.  I don't know what it is, but it just brings back all these memories of smells and flavors.  

So I'm just gonna share some great fall recipes that will help you get in the swing of it all!!   Yum.

APPLE PIE

6 c. peeled, sliced apples (your favorite cooking apple)

1 Tbs. lemon juice

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar

2 Tbs. flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2 Tbs. butter 

Double crust pastry (try the wonderful recipe below)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Combine apples and lemon juice in mixing bowl.   Combine sugars, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and mix well.  Pour sugar mixture over aples and stir to coat.  Spoon fill into  the pastry-lined pie pan.  Dot with butter.   Transfer top crust to the top of the pie, trimming off excess.  Fold edges under to seal and flute the rim.  Cut slits for the steam to escape.  Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for additional 45 minutes. 

NO-FAIL CREAM CHEESE PIE CRUST

3 cups flour

1 cup margarine or butter

1 - 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

Put aside the margarine (butter) and cream cheese to soften.  In a medium-sized bowl, put    the  flour and add the margarine and cream cheese.  Cut this into the flour until blended, then mix well with your hands (as you would bread dough).

This dough WILL NOT stick to your hands.   Separate into three balls and cover with plastic wrap so it  won't dry out.  Press down and roll out into the size you need for crust.  You won't even need to flour the board.   Place crust into pie pan and trip edges.  Put favorite filling into and bake according to directions.

It's the most tender, good tasting crust you've ever made and so simple.  This recipe yields three crusts.  If you only want to use two of them, you can either refrigerate it for 2 weeks or freeze in a sealed container.

FRESH APPLE CAKE 

INGREDIENTS:

2 c. flour

1 and 3/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. margarine

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

6 Tbsps. buttermilk (or soured milk)

2 eggs

3 c. diced apples

Mix together all the above ingredients and put into a 9 x 9 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or lightly browned. While this is baking, mix a creamy topping of 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 c. margarine and bring to a boil on the stovetop....then add 1 cup of coconut (optional)...While cake and topping is still warm, pour carefully over top of cake....Serve, if possible while a little warm......Tastes yummy!!!!

WILLIAM TELL COFFEECAKE

Ingredients:

1/4 cup margarine

3/4 sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup milk 

Topping:

3 medium apples, (tart ones preferred),

finely chopped and pared

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

In a separate small bowl, place margarine in microwave and soften for 25 seconds. Mix sugar and softened margarine in a larger bowl and cream until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Mix in separate bowl all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt). Add this to the creamed mixture alternating with the milk, and beating smooth after each addition. Pour into a greased 9 inch square pan. 

Combine the topping ingredients together and sprinkle evenly over the batter. Bake in a moderate oven of 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or till done. Cool for about 15 minutes and cut into squares and serve warm. Great for a nice breakfast with coffe or hot chocolate on those chilly mornings.. 

APPLE CRISP

Ingredients:

12 large cooking apples (Macintosh are very good)- Pare them and cut into thin slices

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

3/4 cup sugar

1 stick margarine

1/2 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar 

Grease the bottom of a regular sized cake pan (15 inch), and place evenly all the apple slices until the entire bottom is covered and keep going until all apples are used. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over top of all the apples. In a small bowl place flour and brown sugar and put the softened margarine into the bowl and using the fork mix all the ingredients together until they form a fine crumb mixture that is then sprinkled over top of all the apples. Make sure the apples are evenly covered. 

Place into a 375 degree oven for at least 25 - 30 minutes. You want to make sure the topping is crunchy and that the apples have had time to cook through. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes because you want this to be served warm as well. Cut into squares and some whipped topping or vanilla ice cream wouldn't hurt either. 

                                         OLD FASHIONED BLUEBERRY MUFFINS  

2 c. flour

2/3 c. sugar

1 TBS. baking powder

½ tsp. each salt , (cinnamon & nutmeg)

1 ½ c. unsweetened  bluberries 

2 eggs

½ c. milk 

½ c. butter (melted)

¼ c. slivered almonds

2 TBS. sugar for garnish

In large bowl mix flour, sugar, b. powder, salt, cinnamon.

Add blueberries, stir to coat evenly

  In a small bowl beat eggs with fork, mix in milk and butter.  Add to blueberry mixture, 

Stir until blended.

Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full. Sprinkle with almonds and sugar.

Bake in preheated 400 degree oven until pick comes out clean—15to 25 minutes for muffins.   30 to 35 minutes for 9” square coffee cake.

Makes 12 regular size and 3 – 6 mammoth, jumbo or big muffins.

MORNING GLORY MUFFINS

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 1/3 c. sugar

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

2 c. grated carrots

1/2 c. raisins

1/2 c. coconut

1/2 c. chopped pecans or walnuts

1 - 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained

1 c. vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla 

Combine dry ingredients. Stir in carrots, raisins, coconut, nuts and pineapple.   Make a well in the center of mixture and add remaining ingredients until moistened. Place paper cups in muffin pans and fill batter 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Bake until golden brown and remove from pans immediately to cool.

PUMPKIN PIE

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. cloves

4 large eggs

1 20 oz. can pumpkin

2 cans (12 oz) evaporated milk

2 unbaked 9 inch deep dish pie shells 

Mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves in a small bowl.  Beat eggs in another bowl.  Stir in pumpkin and sugar/spice mixture.  Gradually stir in evaporated milk.   Pour into shells.

Bake in a preheated 425 degree F. oven for 15 minutes.  Reduce temperature to 350 degrees.  Bake for 40-50 minutes on until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool on a rack for two hours.   Serve immediately or refrigerate.  

ICED PUMPKIN SPICE CAKE

Baking Spray

3 cups All-Purpose Flour 

4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup softened margarine or butter 

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

4 eggs

1 can (15 oz each) solid-pack pumpkin

1 cup raisins

1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Whipped Topping, optional

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch baking pan with baking spray. Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice and baking powder in medium bowl; set aside.

Mix together margarine/butter and sugar in large bowl on medium-high speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and  mix until blended. Turn mixer to low; add pumpkin. Gradually blend in flour mixture. Stir in raisins by hand.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Blend confectioners sugar and water; drizzle over cake. Sprinkle nuts evenly over top.  Cut and serve with whipped topping immediately before serving. 

BAGELS WITH AUTUMN PUMPKIN SPREAD

4 sweet bagels of choice, split

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

¼ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup canned pumpkin 

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Mix cream cheese, brown sugar, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and salt together until smooth.

Lightly toast bagels and spread the luscious pumpkin spread over toasted bagels and serve.

BANANA CAKE

( My Mom's recipe)

2 c. Sugar 

1 c. Shortening

4 eggs 

6 bananas (ripe and mashed)

4 c. Flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

8 Tbsp. Sour milk

2 teaspoons vanilla 

2 pinches salt

1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Cream sugar, shortening well. Mix in eggs and bananas. Add the flour mixture with the soda and powder and salt and mix in the sour milk. Mix well until smooth. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or until the middle springs back up. Makes a large cake. Tastes best with a cream cheese frosting.

BANANA BREAD

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Yield: Makes one loaf.

CHICKEN RICE CREOLE SURPRISE

Ingredients:

3 boneless chicken breasts

1 Tbsp. cooking oil

1/2 c.  chopped onions

1/4 c. red pepper

1/4 c. yellow pepper

1/2 c. chopped celery

1 medium tomato chopped

2 c. instant rice

1 diced tomatoes

garlic salt

black pepper

1 c. chicken broth

In large frying pan brown the chicken breasts on both sides.  Season lightly with garlic salt and pepper.

Set aside chicken breasts on paper towels to drain. When cool, cut into strips.

Saute` onion, pepper, celery and tomato until tender.  

Add rice, can of diced tomatoes, and cup of  chicken broth.  

Place chicken  back into the pan and add just a touch of garlic salt and pepper..   Stir and bring to a boil. 

Turn down heat and cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Stir again.  

Cover and take off heat til you are ready 

to serve. 

You can also add a cup of salsa in place of the diced tomatoes and a little dash of hot sauce to spice it up.

GRILLED MUSHROOM STUFFED PORK CHOPS

Ingredients:

8 thin sliced boneless pork chops

1 box chicken stuffing mix (prepare as directed)

8 oz. mushrooms

1/2 onion sliced

1 tsp. butter

Garlic Salt

Black Pepper

Dried Chives

4 small red potatoes cut into quarters

10 - 15 baby carrots

Make stuffing mix as directed and add 5 mushrooms cut up.   Mix well and set aside.

Place 2 tbp. stuffing mix on top of a boneless pork chop. 

 Top with another pork chop and use two toothpicks to close up on either end.  

Sautee the sliced onions and remainder of the mushrooms sliced  in butter until lightly browned.  Set aside.

I use a grill basket, so if you do this directly on top of the grill you have to be a little more careful turning the pork chops over.    Place stuffed pork chops on the grill that has been preheated.   Brown well, turning two

times. 

 Put pork chops into a 9 x 13 baking dish.   

If you don't have a grill basket like I do, then brown the 

potatoes and carrots lightly in a small frying pan with butter.  Lightly season with garlic salt, chives and pepper.  As you can see I have done mine in a bowl sprayed with Pam and seasoned and tossed it and set aside until I did  it on the grill.   

Now top the pork chops with the sauteed onions and mushrooms . 

I put the remainder of the stuffing into the dish right next to the pork chops. and after carrots and potatoes are done put them in  the other end of the baking dish. This will give you 4 nice sized stuffed pork chops.

Preheat oven to 350.    Put just enough water on the bottom of the dish to coat it and cover with foil. Bake for an hour.   Turn over down or off and sit for 15 more minutes.

There you go.  You'll entire meal in a pan.   Enjoy.

“A Day In The Life... ( A Mother’s Memory) ” A Chapter From Georgia's Book

                                       

(Artwork by son, Mark)            

(Taken around the time I wrote this)

           

             "6:57 a.m.  It’s Monday morning and the countdown begins…10

...9...8...cereal bowls, spoons, and milk ready...7...6...oh no, Timmy's socks

 are still in the dryer...runfast...5...4...lunches packed and ready…3...2..

excuses written, permission slips signed…1...zero...BLAST OFF!!!!!!      7:00....

time to get the three boys up and two of them ready to go to school."

              Sound familiar?  Actually, two older sisters already are up and have been since 6:00 a.m.  They have to have curling irons hot and ready, make-up  on  "just  so" and on and on and on.

             This begins most school day mornings, some less chaotic and confusing than others,  but basically the same. Of course, Jonathan's bowl of cereal has more than Timmy's and Mark notices it immediately, (ages 5, 7, and 9 respectively).

            "But, Mom, where's my other blue sock?" hollers 14-year-old Wendy from her basement bedroom. "I don't know," I said, "where did you put it?" "Never mind, I remember now."  Another one cries, "Mom, yesterday Wendy wore the brown shoes and today it's my turn." That's 12-year-old Lisa making a last desperate attempt at the age-old battle of sharing with a sibling.

            Then, last  but not least I hear,  "Mommy, Mommy!!"   "Oh no, they woke up 19-month-old Becky." "Hi, Honey, come  to Mama."

            It's amazing that the time between 7 a.m. and 7:40 a.m. can be so short, yet so productive. Some days I wonder whether Timmy will ever get his shirt tucked in or his shoes tied  properly. Then there's Mark, a wonder in himself. It always amazes me how he can play Star Wars, get changed, fix his bed (maybe), look at all his football and baseball cards, eat his breakfast (two bowls of cereal), watch cartoons, tease both brothers simultaneously, and still be ready when daddy beeps the horn.  There are days that I think Wendy's hand is really attached to the curling iron. Would you believe 45 minutes worth of curling before it's ready and then it NEVER looks right?

            Lisa is ALWAYS ready to go with everything early, and can squeeze a quick game of "Frogger"  and always makes it to the ninth or tenth board. "I'll never make it to 4,000", she sighs.

            Then there's Mom.  Me! I think that if I would turn on a tape recorder and keep repeating, "Hurry! Change your clothes! Eat your breakfast! Brush your teeth! Brush your hair! Fix your bed!  Is your homework all done???  Tuck your shirt in and DON'T FORGET YOUR LUNCHES!"  I don’t think anybody would ever notice or care if I was there at all.

            But, YES I am needed. Appreciated?  Well, maybe sometimes. But I definitely am needed. Ever feel that way?

            Well, finally it’s at that time when I pop my coffee mug into the microwave to reheat my coffee for the third time, get the dishes in order, and then sit down to prepare for the rest of my eventful day.     You might wonder how a mother of six (at the time this was originally written)  beautiful, healthy, children can  cope with all the hassle, preparation and YES, even blessings of a "normal" day?

            Well, I try desperately  to open my eyes permanently no later than 6:45 a.m. I LOVE to sleep and relish every time I can push the snooze button in for an additional ten minutes, but we do have to face reality,  don't we? As soon as my mind can register what lies ahead in the next hour or so, I look up to my Father and ask Him to help me be what He wants me to be.  And so it begins.

            But it's really not until I take coffee out of the microwave and sit down that I begin my day's schedule. First and foremost is a 'talk' with my dearest and most faithful Friend. I must talk with Him and listen to Him everyday in order for me to be the Mommy I should be. He's my Savior,  Jesus Christ and what I listen to is His Word, the Bible. Let me tell you, if I didn't take this time each day, I wouldn't be able to cope at all. Now, did I say I was perfect and that everyday was "Heaven On Earth"?  No way!  Far from it!  There are many days when I wonder, "Why was I given this awesome responsibility to raise and train up this brood?"

            Then I remember Psalm 127:3 "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is His reward." What a reward! Verse 4 and 5 read, "As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of thy youth. Happy or blessed is the man that hath his quiver full of them..." I read where a quiver contained 7 to 12 arrows...(p.s. I didn't know when I wrote this, that my quiver would be fuller four years later). I think, then, how blessed I really am. What a privilege I have been given.            

            Let me tell you, it wasn’t always so easy to have “quiet time.”  Where could you really get quiet with five, six, or seven children running around most of the day and night?   I remember one day when I had just about had it.   No place to go in a 12 x 60 trailer.   Every inch was taken up it seemed.   I had started babysitting to make a few extra dollars.  (Boy, was I crazy or  what)?    I thought I could help not only our family financially, but help another married student who couldn’t afford to pay a lot. So, why not?    At the time of the meltdown, I looked everywhere.   Where could I go to be alone for just a few minutes  with Jesus?    Voila!   No one is in the bathroom.  I’ll go there.    Little did I know that four-year-old Mark was looking for Mommy.   There I

was on the tiny bathroom floor prostrate before the Lord on my knees and head on the floor  when all of a sudden the bathroom door burst open.    Up jumped Mark onto my back and said, “Giddy up, horsie.”  So much for that!

            I had just read the story of the life of John Wesley  who had come from a family of  19 children.   Their mother, Susannah, was an extraordinary woman.  She would home school her children six hours a day. It was written that in order for her to have quiet time with the Lord,  she could be found  in the kitchen with her apron drawn up around her head as she prayed.   This gave me new insight into Matthew 6:6, KJV, which reads, “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”   Hmmm…the closet!    So guess where I went?   I went to

the back bedroom of the trailer, where Tom would regularly study,  and closed myself up in the closet.  Ahhh…peace at last.   Now, came the time to pray.    In the distance, way down the hall of that 60 foot trailer,  I heard, “Mommy, where are you?”   No answer.   Again,  I heard,  “Mommy,  are you in here?”   No answer.    I hear it once more only closer,   “Mommy, WHERE ARE YOU?”     Then, the closet door opened and  they said,  ”There you are.   Were you playing “hide and go seek” with us?”   Not really.

            Maybe you’ve been in this same situation.     I would be in my bedroom

having my devotions and I decided this time to tell the children,  “Mommy is having her devotions with the Lord.  Do NOT bother me or knock at the door until I’m done, okay?”     “Okay, Mommy.”      Then,  not more than five minutes later, two-year-old Timmy would knock on the door.   “Mommy,  you done with your ‘boshuns’?    Are you done with your ‘boshuns’”?   Poor baby didn’t even know what ‘boshuns’ were. He just wanted to know if I was done with them.     Believe it or not, I DID survive those years.    I did have my devotions but I became very creative about where, how, and when.

            I really am a pretty disorganized person to begin with. That's why lists and notes have become very important to me in making my week run a little less hectic. My husband, Tom, is a pastor in a local church, which keeps our days and nights sometimes unpredictable. You never quite know when someone will need to have him counsel them or visit with them in the hospital. So with that, I've learned to make room for these times. I have learned and continue to learn that interruptions are always opportunities that come our way for a purpose. So I must roll with the waves or I can easily sink!

            Fridays are pretty special  because Daddy's evenings are usually busy at

church with different meetings and classes or visiting, so we ALWAYS have "Family Night" on Friday.  

     

            Dad always goes to the local dairy store to buy the special ice cream and some soda and other treats or snacks. Then Daddy wrestles the boys (or the boys wrestle Dad), you never can tell because they're getting bigger and stronger. That's the night there is no limit on bedtime and afghans and sleeping bags and pillows are brought out to the living room floor to see who will last the longest to watch the "late-night local spooky show."   (Mom NEVER makes it!)

            Saturday mornings are the same with all the assorted cartoons and children's shows available. That's when Mommy and Daddy "try " to squeeze in every minute of extra sleep they can get.  Remember, I LOVE to sleep!  The remainder of Saturday leaves me to my laundry, house cleaning and assorted other things to keep me busy.

            It’s amazing how baths can be taken all week long without any complication. But,  the Saturday night bath is something else. I go through approximately ten to twelve towels and that's on a good day (not counting flooded bathtubs or swimming relay races which leave the floor looking like a swamp). Sometimes, even the sheets are needed with the rescue.

            But when late Saturday evening comes (somewhere around 10:30 p.m), I can again sit down and  breathe a sigh  of thanks to the Lord for "PEACE".

            Sundays are very busy here and always a blessing.  Supper is practically ready before we leave for Sunday School at 9:13 (oh I forgot to tell you, I do that before I go to bed, usually around 1 - 2 a.m.). It's a good thing the church is around the corner because the afternoons are  so restful.  That’s when all the neighborhood kids come in.

            Then before you know it, it's time to get ready for the evening service. "Georgia, don't forget we have to leave by 6:30,"   I hear my husband say as I remove my last hot curler from my hair.

            Well, time flies when you're having fun.   OH NO!  It's 6:57 a.m.  Monday

morning  AGAIN!   Here’s goes the countdown…10...9...8...yes, Lord, thank

you..."This is the day that the Lord has made...we WILL REJOICE and be glad in it." 7—6—5—4—3—2—1-------zero…   BLAST OFF!!!!!!