Pizza Pot Pies

Ingredients:

Tomato Sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary leaves
2 ounces diced pancetta
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pizza Pot Pies:

3 cups Tomato Sauce

2 cups diced roasted chicken
2 cups broccoli cut into small, bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 cups diced mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds pizza dough
1/3 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Special equipment: 6 (10-ounce) ramekins

Directions:

For the Tomato Sauce: Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, rosemary, and pancetta. Saute until the pancetta is crisp and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stir to combine, and simmer over very low heat for 15 minutes. Add the salt and pepper. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl combine the Tomato Sauce, chicken, broccoli, mozzarella, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Divide the chicken mixture evenly between the ramekins. Roll out the pizza dough and cut circles with a pairing knife that are 1-inch wider in diameter than the ramekins. Place the circles of dough over the filled ramekins and press down to seal, making sure to pull the dough over the edge of the ramekin. Brush the top of the pizza dough with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cut a small slit in the top of the pizza dough with a pairing knife. Bake until the pizza crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.

Source: Giada De Laurentiis

The previous post...

on the March On Washington's 50th Anniversary was my 600th. It only took three years, six months, and three days to get to this milestone. I am not sure how many of you "tune" in here regularly for my irregular posts, but...THANK YOU!

March On Washington 50th Anniversary

How Much Has Black Life Really Changed Since 1963?

With Jim Crow segregation, voting discrimination and rampant joblessness not yet in rear view, 1963 was a tough time to be black in America.

In January, Alabama governor George C. Wallace would defiantly proclaim in his inaugural speech: "Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, and segregation forever!," sending a wave of intolerance across the south that would lead to the death of four young girls at Birmingham's 16th Street Baptist Church and the shooting death of civil rights activist Medgar Evers at his home in Jackson, Mississippi later that year.

And though there were bright spots -- African-American student Harvey Gantt entering Clemson University in South Carolina, the last U.S. state to hold out against racial integration, and James Meredith becoming the first black person to graduate from Ole Miss -- it would be a while before true change would come (as soul singer Sam Cooke's 1963-inspired hit proclaimed).

But has it?

By some estimates, no, with African Americans only barely better off in the war on poverty and imprisonment that pervades the news today. By other summations, the black community is leaps and bounds beyond where it was back in 1963.

As we acknowledge the anniversary of the 1963 March On Washington For Jobs & Freedom, a rally with parallel issues in mind, the Huffington Post has laid out a look at black life then and now to help you decide.

Source: Huffington Post

What. A. Shot.

One lucky Colorado State University student got the chance of a lifetime to earn a year's worth of free in-state tuition. All he had to do was nail a half-court shot. Here is a video of the amazing shot. GO RAMS!!

Source: Brandon Adams, Colorado State University Marching Band

The Lady Brunch's Burger

Ingredients

1½  pounds ground beef

3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
2 tablespoons grated onion
House Seasoning, recipe follows
2 tablespoons butter
3 eggs
6 slices bacon, cooked
3 hamburger buns
3 English muffins
6 glazed donuts

Directions

Mix the ground beef, chopped parsley and grated onion together in a large mixing bowl. Season liberally, with House Seasoning. Form 3 hamburger patties.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add the burgers and cook until desired temperature, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare.

Fry bacon in a hot pan until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

While burgers are cooking, heat a non-stick pan, over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter. Crack 3 eggs into the pan. Cook until the yolks are just set and still slightly runny and remove.

Place burger patties on English muffins or buns, and if desired, on glazed donuts, as the buns. Top each burger with 2 pieces of bacon and a fried egg.

House Seasoning:

1 cup salt

¼ cup black pepper
¼ cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Source: Paula Deen

Sugar Cookie Crust Fruit Pizza

Ingredients:

Crust:

Nonstick cooking spray
1¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup light brown sugar

1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter, softened

Spread:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

½ cup confectioners' sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon lemon zest

Pinch salt

Glaze:

2 tablespoons orange marmalade
½ teaspoon herbs de Provence

Fresh Fruit:

1 cup blueberries
1 cup sliced kiwi
1 cup sliced nectarines
1 cup raspberries
1 cup strawberries, sliced

Directions:

For the crust: 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 10 to 12-inch tart pan or pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars using a handheld mixer until smooth. Add in the egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the creamed butter and mix until blended. Remove the dough from the bowl and press into the prepared pan. (You may need to dust your hands with some flour to prevent the dough from sticking to them. It is wet dough when it comes together.)

Bake until the edges just start to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

For the spread: 

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and a pinch of salt until smooth. Spread evenly on the cooled crust.

For the glaze: 

Add the marmalade, 2 tablespoons water and herbs de Provence to a small skillet and cook over medium heat until loosened and warm.

To assemble: 

Arrange the fresh fruit in the desired pattern on top of the pizza, brush the glaze over the fruit, slice and serve.

Cook's Note: An offset spatula is a great tool for spreading the cookie dough. If the dough seems a little soft, flour your hands before you work with the dough or chill the dough in the refrigerator.

Source: Kelsey's Essentials, Kelsey Nixon

Creamed Beef

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups milk
1½ teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

4 white bread slices, toasted and buttered
Butter, to top

Directions

Saute the beef in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and cooking until it is no longer pink, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain off the excess fat and sprinkle the meat with the flour. Stir and cook the beef and flour over medium heat until the flour has completely coated the beef and cooked slightly. Stir in the milk and continue to cook until the mixture becomes smooth and thickens, about 8 minutes. Add the salt and pepper. Serve over toast triangles. Top with a pat of butter.

Source: Trisha's Southern Kitchen, Trisha Yearwood

Cinnamon Crisps

Ingredients

1 stick Butter, Melted
3 whole Flour Tortillas
1 cup Sugar
1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the sugar and cinnamon.

Brush butter on one side of the flour tortillas. Sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar. Flip tortillas to the other side, then sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 15-17 minutes until very crisp. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Break into pieces and eat as snacks...or serve with ice cream!

Frozen Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients

Hot Fudge Sauce:

⅓ cup heavy cream
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
⅛ teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Peanut Butter Pie:

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

¾ cup confectioners' sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided

¾ cup creamy peanut butter, at room temperature
1 cup heavy whipping cream, plus whipped cream, for garnish, optional
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces shaved milk chocolate
Chopped peanuts, optional

Directions

1 (9-inch) baked chocolate cookie pie crust

Sauce: Add the cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla extract to a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the chopped chocolate. Stir continuously until the chocolate is melted and the sauce has thickened, roughly 3 to 4 minutes. Let the sauce cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Pie: In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar and the peanut butter until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until thick and light. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form.

Carefully fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Pour the batter into the pie shell, sprinkle with the shaved milk chocolate and freeze for 4 hours.

If desired, serve with the hot fudge sauce, whipped cream, and chopped peanuts.

Source: Pat & Gina Neely

Double Layer Cherry Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients

For the cherry layer:

⅓ cup granulated sugar
1½ tablespoon cornstarch

pinch of salt

⅔ cup milk

1 cup cherry puree, see note below
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon butter
Red food coloring, optional

For the chocolate layer:

½ cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch
pinch salt
1⅓ cup milk

2½ ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate

2 egg yolks

⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon butter

Directions

For the cherry layer:

Place egg yolks in a medium sized bowl, whisk lightly and set aside.

Combine the sugar, salt, and cornstarch in a heavy bottomed medium sized saucepan. Add the milk, whisking to remove any lumps. Stir in the cherry puree. Over medium heat, cook and stir the mixture until it is thick and bubbly. Cook an additional 2 minutes.

Remove half of the cherry and milk mixture and add it to the egg yolks. Whisk until well mixed. Return to the saucepan. Bring to a low boil for 1 minute. Turn heat to low. Stir in butter until melted, and then remove from heat.

Optional: for a darker color, stir in 1-2 drops of red food coloring.

Divide cherry pudding between 3-4 serving dishes. Set aside while you make the chocolate pudding.

For the chocolate layer:

Place egg yolks in a medium sized bowl, whisk lightly and set aside.

Combine the sugar, salt, and cornstarch in a heavy bottomed medium sized saucepan. Add the milk, whisking to remove any lumps. Over medium heat, cook and stir the mixture until it is thick and bubbly. Stir in the chocolate. Cook an additional 2 minutes.

Remove half of the chocolate and milk mixture and add it to the egg yolks. Whisk until well mixed. Return to the saucepan. Add the vanilla. Bring to a low boil for 1 minute. Turn heat to low. Stir in butter until melted, and then remove from heat.

Divide chocolate pudding between 3-4 serving dishes, layering it on top of the cherry pudding. Serve warm or chilled. Garnish with a cherry on top, a mint leaf, or fresh whipped cream, if you wish.

If you do not wish for a skin to form on top of the pudding as it chills, cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap.

Note: Run about a cup of thawed, frozen dark pitted cherries through a food processor until smooth. Add additional cherries, as needed, until you have 1 cup of cherry puree.

Source: Paula Deen

Philly Cheesesteaks

Ingredients

8 ounces, weight White Velveeta

½ teaspoon Black Pepper

¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

¼ cup Milk

6 Tablespoons Butter
6 whole Deli Rolls
1½ pound Thinly Shaved Good Quality Deli Roast Beef

1 whole Yelow Onion, Peeled And Sliced Thick
1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced Thick
1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced Thick
1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced Thick
Optional: Spicy Mustard, Horseradish, Worcestershire Sauce, Hot Sauce

Directions

First make the cheese sauce by combining the Velveeta, black pepper, cayenne, and milk in a small pan. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it's melted and hot. Keep warm.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter on a griddle over medium heat, then place the deli roll halves on the griddle until golden brown. Set aside.

Heat 2 more tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Throw in the roast beef and move it around with a spatula, breaking it up a bit as you go. Cook/warm for about a minute or so, then remove it to a plate and set it aside.

Add the remaining tablespoons butter to the same skillet and throw in the onions and peppers. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the veggies until dark golden and soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.

To build the sandwiches, place a pile of beef on the bottom half of each roll. Spoon cheese sauce over the beef. Top with peppers and onions, then top with more cheese sauce. Place the top half of the roll on top and serve immediately!

Options:

* Spread spicy mustard on the rolls before building the sandwiches
* Mix horseradish with mayo and spread it on the rolls before building the sandwiches
* Add a few dashes of Worcestershire or hot sauce to the meat and peppers while cooking.
* Add prepared horseradish to the cheese sauce.

Source: The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond

Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese with Bacon

Ingredients

4 cups Easy Mac and Cheese, recipe follows
8 slices white bread, buttered
4 slices American cheese
8 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced into ¼-inch slices

Frank's Red Hot, Optional

Directions

Evenly spread the Easy Mac and Cheese in an 8-inch square baking dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Cut the mac and cheese into 4 equal-size squares.

Preheat a griddle over medium-low heat. Place each mac and cheese square on a slice of bread, top with 1 slice American cheese and 2 slices bacon. Top with a second piece of bread and griddle the sandwich until golden and warm, about 4 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve.

Note: For the adults, toss the tomatoes in some hot sauce and add on top of the bacon before griddling your sandwich.

Easy Mac and Cheese:

8 ounces elbow macaroni

Kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
8 ounce processed cheese, such as Velveeta
1½ cups shredded sharp yellow Cheddar

Splash hot sauce, or pinch of cayenne
Freshly ground black pepper

Cook the macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted water to al dente and drain.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and stir for a couple of minutes, making sure it's free of lumps and the flour taste is cooked out. Stir in the milk, bring to a simmer and cook over medium-low until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the processed cheese and Cheddar until melted, add the hot sauce and fold in the macaroni. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Source: Sandwich King

Marcia Brady Just Turned 57

Happy 57th birthday, Maureen McCormick!

The star who played Marcia on "The Brady Bunch" is no longer the adolescent you watched grow up on screen--or even the newlywed you saw in "The Brady Girls Get Married." McCormick has been married to the same man for 28 years, and the couple has a 24-year-old daughter, Natalie.

If anything, time has only made the Brady Bunch star featured above even more beautiful. Even so, news like McCormick's 57th birthday makes us here at Huff/Post50 feel like we've been around for a while.

source: Huffington Post

Cheeseburger Casserole

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
28 oz. can chopped tomatoes, with juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

8 ounces wide egg noodles
Cooking spray
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat, stirring to break up the lumps, until all of the pink is gone from the meat. Get an adult to help you drain off the fat. Add the onion and the green pepper, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, with juice, and the Worcestershire sauce, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low. Simmer the mixture for about 15 minutes.

Fill medium pot half full of water. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring the water to a boil. Stir in the noodles and boil for about 8 minutes, until tender. Get an adult to help you drain the noodles, Return the noodles to the pot. Pour the tomato mixture over the noodles and stir until blended.

Put the noodle mixture into a baking dish that you have sprayed with cooking spray. Top with cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Enjoy it has a family meal, then refrigerate the leftovers.

Take leftovers to school in a small microwave-safe container with a tight-fitting lid. Before heating, unsnap the lid to allow steam to escape. Heat casserole in the microwave oven for about 90 seconds.

A little truth and inspiration

Who's going to destroy the institution of marriage?

An Unforgettable Image

We have all seen countless images of the Civil Rights Movements. This is one that I had never seen until today when I stumbled across it on Pinterest.

This is a picture of Coretta Scott King and Harry Belafonte at Dr. King's funeral in Atlanta, Georgia (1968). Their emotions are palpable. Her devastation, loneliness; his anger and sadness. This image stuck with me all day.

Bubba Watson Bought Chipotle for 60-Plus People

PGA golfer Bubba Watson enjoys burritos just like the rest of us. Unlike the rest of us, however, Watson can also pay for 60 other people's burritos.

Webb Simpson's caddie shared a photo of Bubba's long receipt from Chipotle after Watson shot a 69 in the second round of the Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio.

According to Simpson's caddie, not only did Watson drop $500 on all of the meals, he tipped $100 on top of it. He definitely won't get any of the heat New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees recently received.

@bubbawatson made over 60 people happy they chose #chipotle tonight. pic.twitter.com/a11TuNARET
— Paul Tesori (@PaulTesori) August 2, 2013

The Happiest States In America In One Map

Which way to happy? Geographically speaking, it's the route to Hawaii, Maine or one of the clusters of blissful cities in California and Colorado.

The map below is based on results from a study of geotagged tweets published earlier this year in PLoS ONE by researchers at the University of Vermont. The team scored more than 10,000 words on a positive-negative scale and measured their frequency in millions of tweets across the country, deliberately ignoring context to eliminate experimental bias. What emerged was significant regional variation in happiness by this calculation, which correlates with other lifestyle measures such as gun violence, obesity and Gallup's traditional wellbeing survey. A sadness belt across the South includes states that have high levels of poverty and the shortest life expectancies.

Geography is, of course, just one predictor of moods expressed on Twitter. The researchers also used their "hedometer" to look at daily happiness averages over the past few years — and the peaks (holidays, especially Christmas) and valleys (tragedies including the Newtown shooting and Boston Marathon bombing) are not surprising.

Until there's a hedometer that can analyze tweets in every language, we have to look at other wellbeing measures to see how happy the U.S. is compared to other countries. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Better Life Index, Switzerland scores highest on life satisfaction with the U.S. coming in behind New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Canada, Israel and some Western European countries. And a recent Ipsos poll spells global good news: more people describe themselves as "happy" now than before the financial crisis of 2008 began.

Source: Huffington Post

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