Whole Wheat Pizza Sticks

Ryan and I had an eventful night (and no, it had nothing to do with baby). After watching the latest episode of Game of Thrones (INTENSE, by the way), we went to bed. As Ryan often does, he prayed for our protection. With Lucy’s birth impending, each night offers the opportunity of a life-changing event. Maybe I’ll wake up with strong contractions. Or maybe my water will break. What we didn’t expect was to hear gunshots echoing around our small valley neighborhood. At 4 am, your senses are muted and so, at first, we thought that maybe a car had backfired. But then the shots continued. And in quick succession. We both sat up and listened. Ryan went around the house and made sure our doors were locked.

After the fifth or sixth round of gunshots, Ryan called 911. We weren’t alone in our concern. The operator told us several families had called in reporting the same gunshots. She asked us to try and describe the general direction they were coming from as police cars were circling the neighborhood, trying to find the culprit. We stayed up for a couple of hours. I made toast and Ryan checked the doors and the windows one more time. I thought about terror, and what it must feel like to live in a place where the threat of violence is constant. I realized that we were bringing our child into a world that is often scary and out of our control.

Surprisingly, we fell asleep and woke several hours later to sun and birds. After a quick internet perusal, we learned that the man had been caught. Drunk, he had taken to shooting rocks (yes, rocks) at Garden of the Gods (a beautiful park here in Colorado Springs). So today is a new day. I’m working on the last touches in Lucy’s nursery. My mom brought over the rocker she’d painted. It belonged to my great-grandmother. Earlier this weekend, Ryan and I hung Lucy’s mobile (the little birds were knitted by my sweet aunt). And so despite the terror of the night, the day already brims with sweetness.

And these whole wheat pizza sticks? They remind both me and Ryan of our childhood. Of days when the biggest concern was what they were serving on the school lunch menu. These pizza sticks are made with a whole wheat dough and ooze out cheese with each bite. You’re welcome to use your favorite homemade pizza dough recipe, or you can buy a pound of dough from the store. Either way, these pizza sticks come together quickly. They’re the kind of recipe that both kids and adults love.

Whole Wheat Pizza Sticks

*Adapted from the Kitchn

1 pound whole wheat pizza dough

1 8 oz block mozzarella cheese (part skim)

1-2 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP Italian Seasoning (dried oregano, basil, and garlic are key!)

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

Slice the mozzarella into thin logs (1/4-inch width). Dust your work surface with flour and preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll the dough into a rectangle roughly 8″ tall by 16″ wide. If the dough starts to shrink back, let it rest for 10 minutes.

Slice the dough into strips 2″ wide by 8″ tall. Lay a line of mozzarella down the middle of each. Fold the strip over on the cheese and pinch it tightly to seal the cheese inside. Gently roll it a few times against the work surface to even it out. Repeat with remaining strips. Transfer the bread sticks to the baking sheet and let them rise for twenty minutes.

When ready to bake, brush the bread sticks with olive oil and sprinkle them generously with Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese. Place the risen bread sticks into the oven and turn down the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until puffed and golden.

Let the bread sticks cool for five minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a serving dish. Serve warm with tomato sauce for dipping. Bread sticks are best eaten right away, but leftovers can be kept refrigerated for three days and re-warmed for 30 seconds in a microwave.

Monet

Anecdotes and Apple Cores

Blueberry Cream Cheese Bread

Noelle (my younger sister) and I have always been close. Four years younger than me, Noelle was the best thing that could have happened to my brown-eyed, curly-haired self. I had told my mom I wanted a little sister, and when she found out she was pregnant, I was confident we were having a little girl. I turned out to be right.

Unlike most sibling relationships, Noelle and I were infatuated with each other. We would stretch out on a blanket on our living room floor, half-clothed and sipping on orange juice while our grubby hands reached into the same bowl of cheerios. I understood Noelle’s incoherent sentences far before our parents did, our friends did, and so we had, for a time, a secret language. We communicated with each other before we communicated with the larger world.

And we grew up, and we traveled across the country and the world together. We talked about our fears and our hopes. We found new ways to connect as we became adults with different dreams and ambitions.

My little sister is now a nurse. She graduated just a few weeks ago, and I wish I could have been in West Virginia to congratulate her in person. She’s immensely talented and has been working in the Pediatric ICU. She’ll go to graduate school in the next year or so, and I’m confident that she’ll surpass everyone’s expectations.

Noelle and I share many things: a love for our dogs, our untiring ambition, a hesitation to attend parties with a large amount of people we don’t know. We also share a love for a bakery located just a few miles from my parent’s home. There, we both sampled their blueberry cream cheese muffins and fell in love. Growing up, Noelle and I didn’t eat cream cheese, so the obsession is definitely a new one. But take one bite of a blueberry cream cheese muffin and you can’t go back. The sweetness of the muffin is only intensified by the creamy swirls of cheese.

This blueberry cream cheese bread is just as good (if not better!) than the muffins Noelle and I love. The loaves are moist and swirled with a thick cream cheese layer. They bake to a lovely golden brown and leave your house smelling like the best part of summer. Perfect for breakfast or even for dessert, these loaves improve after sitting for a day. I wish I could send one of them to Noelle in West Virginia, but she’ll just have to look forward to eating one when she comes out to visit us in a few weeks.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Bread

FOR THE BREAD:
1/2 cups butter (1 stick, softened)
3/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 whole eggs
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cups milk
2 cups blueberries
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

FOR THE FILLING:
8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon orange extract (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour one large loaf pan or four mini loaf pans. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, egg and orange extract. Set filling aside.

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Add salt and vanilla extract. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Fold in half of dry ingredients into butter-sugar mixture, then add milk, then the remainder of dry ingredients. Toss blueberries in tablespoon of flour and fold into batter. Your batter will be thick.

Spread half of batter into the bottom of prepared loaf pan(s). Using a spatula, spread cream cheese filling on top. Spread the remainder of batter over cream cheese and bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes (for mini loaf pans) or 50-55 minutes (for large loaf pan). Allow to cool in pan for at least 20 minutes before removing. Wrap leftover bread in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator.

Monet

Anecdotes and Apple Cores

Apple Raspberry Hand Pies

Little pies are just more fun to eat than big pies. And did I mention that you get to forgo cutting and crumbs and messy fillings spilling on tables? Set them out on a pretty platter and let your guests enjoy. When I lived in Austin, I met a few women who had opened “pie shops” but instead of selling the traditional 9 inch pie, they made and sold something similar to this: a portable and lovely hand-held treat.

I brought these over to a Memorial Day Cookout. Between my sister, my mom, and me, we prepared enough food to feed a small army (and perhaps that is what we were!) Pasta salads, couscous, grilled salmon and chicken, fresh fruit, and even a few hot dogs for the kids. We ended the day by releasing three baby bunnies that had fallen into a window well, and then after a good hand wash, we enjoyed these apple raspberry hand pies.

So yes, I’m still baking at 37 weeks. What else is new?

Cravings: Quesadillas. I think I’ve had a quesadilla everyday this week. Poor Ryan. I’m also still loving animal crackers and milk.

Health: We go see our OB today. We see her every week now! I’m hoping that I’ve dilated or the baby has dropped or something worth mentioning has happened. But these babies come on their own time, so I’m learning patience and trust. I bought a birth ball yesterday, and I’ve been bouncing on it and swaying my hips. The birth ball is WONDERFUL. I’m also feeling more hormonal than ever. At least that is what I’m blaming my mood swings on.

Fears: I haven’t been sleeping as well. I wake up anxious about the littlest and silliest things. It took everything in me not to get up at 2:30am and start working on projects around the house. Thankfully, Ryan held me and prayed over me, and I fell back to sleep. He’s been a champ.

Lucy: She likes to move her body now as there’s less room for her to move her legs. Ryan and I went to a movie the other night, and after a particularly exciting scene, my belly shifted completely to the right. (And yes, we became that annoying couple that starts laughing and whispering during a film). But honestly, Lucy had Matthew McConaughey beat. She loves hearing us talk to her, and we’re almost always successful at waking her up from a nap. A few gentle nudges and Ryan’s voice gets her moving on command. I can’t explain how excited I am to meet this baby. I visualize the moment again and again. I know it will be challenging and painful and stretching, but giving birth to her will be one of the most beautiful events of my life. I’m already claiming it.

I hope you get a chance to make these apple raspberry hand pies. My mom doesn’t like many sweets, but she couldn’t stop eating them. The raspberries add the perfect amount of color and tartness, and they make these pies feel like summer. And did I mention the crumb topping? There’s nothing like a little extra butter and sugar.

Apple Raspberry Hand Pies

2 large granny smith apples, peeled and diced

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Fresh lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)

1 tablespoon flour

1 disc of pie dough (enough for a single crust)

1/4 cup butter, cold and diced

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

Combine apples, raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, and flour in a medium bowl. Stir well but be careful to not break the berries too much. Set aside while you prepare the pie cups.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8 inch thickness. Use a large biscuit cutter to cut out 10 circles. Make the pie cups by pressing the circles of dough down into the muffin cups, firmly pressing with your fingers to line the cup evenly. At this point, I like to stick my pie cups in the freezer for at least 15 minutes. This helps prevent the dough from shrinking too much when placed in oven. While dough is chilling, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small bowl, cut cold and diced butter into flour and sugar to make crumb topping. You can use a fork, a pastry cutter, or your fingers to incorporate butter into flour/sugar. After a minute or two of cutting, coarse crumbs should form. Spoon apple raspberry mixture into prepared pie cups. I used about 1/3 cup of filling for each muffin cup. Sprinkle generously with crumb topping (keep in mind that as the pies cook, the filling will shrink…so err on the side of overfull rather than under).
Bake for 25 minutes, until the topping is lightly golden and the filling bubbles. Allow to cool before removing pie cups from muffin tin. Use a knife to carefully lift pie cups from pan (this might be the trickiest part…but I didn’t lose a single hand pie!)

Monet

Anecdotes and Apple Cores

Light Sesame Noodles

Happy Memorial Day! Ryan and I are looking forward to spending time with friends and family today, and I hope you are too! I woke up early this morning to make a dozen tiny pies for a mid-day cookout. And even thought I still feel great at 37 weeks pregnant, I’m realizing that baking will likely take a back seat over the next few months. Not only will I have a little baby to take care of, but we also live in a house without air-conditioning. I can bake if I wake up early, but it’s just not good if I turn on my oven after 10am.

And so, this will be the first of hopefully many posts that feature light and healthy dinner and lunch recipes.

These sesame noodles are flavorful and easy to prepare. Instead of bringing the traditional potato salad to a cookout, we’ve been bringing these cold Asian noodles. Crisp and bright vegetables are lightly coated in a peanut-sesame sauce. Whole grain pasta adds filling fiber. We added edamame beans for protein, but a roasted and shredded chicken would be equally as delicious.

And did I mention that this is best served cold? Perfect for the sweltering summer days ahead (especially if you don’t have air conditioning). This recipe makes a good deal of noodles, so if you aren’t bringing the bowl to a party, you’ll have a light summer lunch for at least a few days.

Before I go, I thought I’d share how Ryan and I are doing on tackling THE LIST. We’ve dined out with friends twice. We’ve hosted a lovely party at our house. We’ve spent time with our siblings and our parents. I finished Lucy’s baby book on Thursday, and I’m almost finished with the Marriage Plot. And writing? Yes, it’s been happening everyday. So although we still have a ways to go before our list is complete, we’re making good progress!

Light Sesame Noodles

1 14 oz package whole grain spaghetti noodles

1 large head of brocolli, chopped into bite sized pieces

1-2 red bell peppers, chopped into bite sized pieces

1 cup edamame beans, thawed

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2-4 tablespoons sesame seeds

5-6 chives, diced

Make Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and toasted sesame oil. Set aside.

Boil noodles until al dente, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, steam broccoli and red bell pepper. The vegetables should remain bright and crisp. Drain noodles. Place noodles, steamed vegetables and edamame beans in a large bowl. Pour sauce over and mix thoroughly. Top with sesame seeds and diced chives. Allow to chill in refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.

Monet

Anecdotes and Apple Cores

Maternity Pics

A pie for Lucy

A belly round

An afternoon fit for tea

The love of my life

A Strawberry and Blueberry Pie with an All-Butter Crust

A cup of tea and a smile

A lamb for her nursery

A book to pass the time

Eager anticipation

The promise of Spring

So much love

A HUGE thanks to Kadi Spurlock from

Up in the Sycamore

She’s such a talented photographer (and a great friend too!) I couldn’t be more happy with these maternity pictures, and I’m even more excited that she’ll be photographing Lucy’s birth. If you want to make the pie pictured above, follow this link. I added 1 cup of strawberries to the recipe (because you can never go wrong with extra fruit).