Pie Day Friday (3) - Delicious Calzone

My word is it 'Pie Day Friday' already?   I followed the recipe exactly from my 'New' Hairy Biker Pie Making 'Bible.

Calzone is basically and inside out Pizza.  You use a Pizza dough like a 'Pasty Shell' and put all you Pizza topping inside as a filling.  Henry's High School canteen sells them as 'Pizza Pockets'.  They are very portable and would make a great lunchtime snack for 'Teenagers' with places to go and people to see.
They use a basic Pizza Dough.  I made these once before but they were not a hit as the dough was about  3cm thick.  This time I got it right and used the rolling pin to roll out the dough to about half a cm.

I wanted to get creative with the topping/filling but kept to the recipe, which turned out delicious.  I found it useful to assemble all my ingredients together in smaller bowls as soon as the dough had been put to rise.  The Kitchen looked like a bomb had hit it, but these are really worth the effort.

Tomato Sauce:
Finely Chop an Onion and fry it gently until it starts to brown.  Add one clove of finely chopped garlic.  Cook for one minute.  Add 1 tin of chopped tomatoes and a teaspoon of sugar.  Let it cool.

Fry 150g of finely sliced Mushrooms in butter until they start to brown and let them cool.

I had some pepperoni in the fridge but in future would keep these 'Vegetarian'.

Two Mozzarella Balls, drained and diced.

Ground Black Pepper for seasoning.

Fresh Basil leaves.

Assemble your Pizza Topping, then I used water to moisten around the edge of the dough so it would stick when I folded it over.

Make sure the Calzone is sealed well to keep all those flavours in while they cook.  Bake in a hot oven for 15 - 20 minutes.  I made eight of these lovlies.  Very tasty, economical and filling...might make a change from turkey :)  

Festive Cushions - My First Sewing Lesson for 25 years

Forgive my model's dirty face...he had just finished a mug of Hot Chocolate.  (That is my mug of tea in shot!)  He is enjoying a cosy winter evening under his Granny Square Blanket on the sofa, watching TV.  He loves the weekends.  Euan is almost as proud of these 'Festive Cushions' as I am.  He was fascinated by sewing machine shenanigans!  I think he is going down with a lurgy as he is sneezing a snuffly, so curling up on the sofa is a great remedy.
The cushions are a result of reading too many ideas from Dottie Angel.  They are hot off the sewing machine in this picture and need pressing and buttons added.  Euan did want them immediately though and they are in use as I type!  I have never used my sewing machine before and I took it to my Mom's today, where we fathomed it out together.  I have not touched a sewing machine for 25 years.  I some how broke a needle at school and remember it hurting, so I am very wary of sewing machines...I spent more time in the queue for the teacher than actually sewing and never completed a single item.  My heart nearly leaped out of my chest today as soon as I started the foot pedal!  I was pretty scared.  I spent a lot of time breaking thread and threading the machine....is that normal?  I did it over twenty times!  I am delighted though that I have sewn semi straight lines and turned two 'Christmas Tea Towels' into cushions.  I did not think I would be able to do that!  I won't be making a wedding dress any time soon, but I can sew two tea towels together, whhooo hooo!

I would not give you a close up at this stage in my sewing career though!  I have been looking at craft with 'Tea Towels' on the net and can feel an obsession coming on.  18 Clever Dish Towel Ideas - Is my favourite so far :)  You can get some lovely tea towels and they are very durable and inexpensive.  I am thinking in the new year to make matching chair cushions for the dining chairs.  I am going to look for 'Cup Cake' Tea Towels.

I am Officially 'Poo Free'!

My Photographic Blog Debut

My kids and partner were a bit alarmed until I explained, however they still think I am very weird.  I have read this interesting article at the link below:

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/beauty/hair/shampoo/jc_shampoo.html

here is another interesting link:

http://www.natural-forces.com/essays/poofree.htm#why

It explains all about going 'Poo free'.  Tonight I washed my hair with a solution of Bicarbonate of Soda and a solution of vinegar to rinse.  I must admit so far so good, my hair and scalp feel very clean and fresh and my hair is very soft.   (There is a slight whiff of Vinegar about me though!)  I thought I rinsed for ages in the shower.  My Great Grandmother used to rinse her hair with beer, but I think that is a waste.

I hate having my photograph taken but thought this blog post would be a bit dull without pictures and I wanted to illustrate my point that without 'Shampoo' your hair can still look clean an shiny.  Mine is still a bit wet in this picture though!  ( Any Ginger Jokes...I really have heard them all before!)

I reminded myself of 'Cousin Itt' From the Adam's Family.  Itt Looks  'Poo Free' too.

 For Anyone following the Tour de Fleece, I have been spinning Rainbows again today.  Honest Guv!

Homemade Yogurt

I was delighted that the Yogurt worked in the slow pot, it was like Alchemy.  It was very easy to make and has a lovely mild taste.  I had some for breakfast with 'The' Solitary Raspberry.  I will be glad when a few more ripen.

Ingredients
500 ml of Plain Yogurt
2 lt of Whole Milk

Method
Heat the milk in the Slow Pot / Crockpot on high for 3 hours.  Let it cool for two hours.  Add the Yogurt Starter to a cup of the warm milk.  Stir it well then add it to the rest of the milk.  Cover the pot with towels.  Leave it switched off over night.  Hey Presto!  Yogurt for breakfast.
One of my favourite ways to eat yogurt is to stir in chopped melon and stem ginger, delicious.

Oh dear!  I really should have mixed this in a larger bowl.  Doh!

Rice that is Twice as Nice...

I am trying very hard to waste less food and to be increasingly thrifty.  It is quite a challenge when you are busy and unable or unwilling to shop frequently during the week.  I generally shop only once a week and maybe pop out for extras a couple of times a week.  This week I made a Sweet Potato, Chicken, Spinach and Coconut Curry in the slowpot.  It was delicious to come home to after a day at work.  I cooked Basmati Rice to go with it and I always struggle getting the quantity of rice right and made enough to feed the street.  Usually this gets thrown away!  Very bad.   I have a large dog but she has severe food intolerances and cannot have any kitchen scraps, she is even intolerant to chicken and rice.  I have discovered the chickens love cooked rice and get very excited when I sprinkle it into their run, there is only so much they can eat though.   The above 'dish' was my Dad's Signature Dish in the seventies ( he also makes great 'Eggy Bread').  My version isn't exactly the same as my Dads but it is pretty close.  It is a simple 'Rice Salad'.  It is rice, grated carrot and sultanas with a dressing of vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and mustard, (shaken together in a jar and poured over the rice).  We used to enjoy this as part of a cold buffet,  I had it for tea and it was very tasty.  I am feeling pleased with myself in a frugal sort of way.

Radishes

This is a beautiful picture of Peter Rabbit eating radishes from Mr Mcgregor's garden.  This Beatrix Potter story was one of my favourites as a child and I loved reading it to my children.  I am a bit of dreamer and for me the humble home grown radish conjurs this delightful image.  My son loves picking things from the garden and eating it, he nibbles on Parsley and Chives when there is not much else growing.  He also eats a stick of rhubarb dipping it into sugar.  We are truly living off the fat of the land! 

Yesterday he had his first crunchy radish of the season and he likes them as much as Peter Rabbit did.  He would eat them for breakfast if I would let him.  I am a spoil sport.  I have a small patch of rocket I have been picking and mixing it with baby spinach leaves for salad,  it will be delicious with a few sliced radishes tossed in.  After a quick Google search I have discovered I have been throwing the most nutritious part of the Radish away, the greens.  I have found a recipe for Radish 'Greens' Soup.  In fact I have found hundreds of Radish recipes.  I could write a book as a follow on from last years '101 ways with a Turnip', '101 Ways with a Radish.'  I will have to be quick though before they all disappear!

Here is a Radish Recipe I have adapted to try:

Radish Butter

Ingredients:
1 Bunch Radishes, finely sliced (save the greens for soup!)
2 tablespoons chopped Parsley
25g softened Butter
1 tablespoon of Mayonnaise

Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly.  Spread on fresh crusty bread or crispbread and enjoy!
This recipe belongs to the 'Cucumber Sandwich' brigade, it gives you the fresh taste of the Summer and would make good picnic food.

Spinach - Garden Harvest

Here is some Homegrown Spinach.  This spinach was actually planted last year and it survived the harsh winter!  This Spinach is very Hardy.  I think it is 'Matador' variety.  I try to use what I grow rather than waste it.  Popeye would be proud of me.

I put some in this Chicken and Chick Pea Curry.

I also made a Spinach and Feta Quiche.  I just made a shortcrust pastry case, blind baked it for about ten minutes then crumbled about 300g of Feta into the base, with all of the wilted chopped spinach I could gather.  I beat three eggs with 150ml of milk, poured it over the Feta and Spinach and baked it until golden and set.

I have lots of vegetables threatening to put in an appearance this year so I am looking forward to more concoctions.  Last year I had a large glut of Turnips...I was going to write a book '101 ways with the Humble Turnip!'  I wonder what this year will bring...