Quick {freezer-friendly} Pizza Sauce

This simple pizza sauce is a family favorite! 

We use it on all types of pizza: grilled, French Bread, stuffed pretzels, calzones, stuffed crust, pizza rolls & pizza bread.  The versatile flavors have been known to work well on top of pasta too. 

We make this pizza sauce in large batches, freeze the leftovers in pizza-sized servings and then just thaw/reheat as needed. 

It’s perfect for a summer dinner-in-minutes meal, especially if you have frozen pizza dough on hand too!

Pizza Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 cans (16 oz) tomato sauce
• 2 tsp. sugar (either white or brown)*
• 2 tsp. oregano
• 2 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. dried minced garlic
• sea salt & pepper, to taste
• Optional: splash of olive oil

*Note: You can use 1 tsp. honey (if you don’t mind the flavor of honey sneaking through)

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine the tomato sauce, sugar, oregano, basil and garlic.  Bring to a slow simmer and warm until heated through. Carefully snitch a taste & then season with salt & pepper as needed. 

Cool the sauce to room temperature, and then pour into ice cube trays to freeze. 

Store in ziplock bags, or in 1/2 C portion sizes.   

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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Have you even been to the Great Harvest Bread Co.?  When I was a little girl, my mom and I used to stop there for a special treat – to get a loaf of their honey wheat bread, and a giant oatmeal cookie. 

This recipe reminds me of that cookie – especially hot right out of the oven. 

I add chocolate chips to my cookie because, who doesn’t love chocolate chips?  But, you can easily leave the chips out, or add raisins instead. 

Give these cookies a try if you are looking for a good recipe – and be sure to freeze dough balls of these, since I think they are best when they are right out of the oven. 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies – Adapted from Colette John

Ingredients

• 1 C butter
• 1 C sugar
• 1 C brown sugar
• 2 well beaten eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 C white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 C all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 1/2 C oatmeal
• 1 C chocolate chips

Note - If you double the recipe, use 1 1/2 C butter!

Directions

Cream together the softened butter and sugars. 

Add the eggs and vanilla. 

Next, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones & mix until well combined. 

Stir in the oatmeal – either by hand, or with the mixer. 

Then, add the chocolate chips.  I find these easier to stir in by hand. 

Refrigerate dough for 1 hour, covered.

Then, scoop onto a lightly greased cookie sheet, or baking mat. 

Bake 8-10 minutes at 350, until cookies look slightly browned on the outside edges.  Allow cookies to sit on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes and the transfer to a cooling rack. 

Store in an airtight container. 

Makes about 4 dozen with small cookie scoop. 

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Menu Plan–June 17

Over the last 9 days, Frog Prince and I traveled more than 2400 miles by car – across 6 states & through 2 countries. 

We spent 36 hours in the car – most of which we spent listening to David Crowder Band CDs, and came home with a few of our Michigan favorites – including cherry wine, blueberry wine & tart cherries.  Frog Prince enjoyed lots of ice cream too. 

Along the way, we:

• met up with Rachel (from The Atwoods) & her husband for church,
• saw Frog Prince’s college friends (& met their babies),
• visited with a bunch of our friends from our grad school times,
• enjoyed Lakes Michigan & Huron & Ontario, &
• saw some fun wildlife (including a fox alongside the throughway in NY)! 

We also got to meet our niece & spend time with our family.

As a result of all that traveling, I don’t really have a menu recap from last week – other than the berry baked oatmeal, spinach & mushroom calzones, red pepper spread/dip {I can’t get enough of this stuff!}, granola, & apple cinnamon rice krispie bars that were travel companions. 

This week, I’m thinking nice & easy as we recoup from a busy 9 days:

Sunday {Father’s Day!}
Buttermilk Pancakes with fresh blueberries, strawberries & cherries
BBQ – Smokehouse Maple Chicken, Wild Rice Brats, Potato Packets, Fresh Fruit
Apple Crisp & Coconut Strawberry Rhubarb Dump Cake

Monday
Granola, yogurt & raspberry rhubarb sauce
Crockpot Sloppy Joes (with extra veggies), 40-minute wheat rolls, corn

Tuesday
Granola & milk, dried fruit
BBQ Pulled Pork Wraps {new}, steamed sweet potatoes, roasted cauliflower

Wednesday
Blueberry Greek Yogurt Muffins
Pasta & Zucchini

Thursday
Scramble Melt
Grilled Italian Chicken, Wild Rice, Broccoli & Red Pepper with Garlic Herbs
{To Do: Prep Bagels}

Friday
Honey Whole Wheat Bagels with cream cheese & fresh fruit
Zucchini Pizza Casserole

Saturday
Apple Cider Donut Holes
Grilled Garden Veggie Ricotta Pizza

What’s on your menu this week?

Find more great menus at OrgJunkie’s Menu Plan Monday!

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Friday Favorite Finds #113

Thanks so much for stopping by for this week’s Friday Favorite Finds!  Since I had the pleasure of meeting, Rachel from The Atwood’s this past week, I thought it fitting for her to host this week’s Friday Favorite Finds!

Please stop over and visit Rachel and link up your post! 

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Cherry Braid

For my Frog Prince, I made him a treat I knew he would love – a cherry danish braid.

We used our homemade pie filling along with a white whole wheat flour in the crust and it turned out fabulous!  If you need a dessert or special treat for a brunch, this is great and could easily be filled with any fruit filling of your choice. 

Cherry Braid – Adapted from The Sweets Life

Ingredients

• 1 7/8 C white whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 oz. Neufchatel cream cheese
• 5 T butter, unsalted
• 1/2 C milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• heaping 1/2 C cherry pie filling

Directions

Begin by combining the 1 7/8 C white whole wheat flour with the 1 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Mix with a whisk.  Then, cut in the 5 T butter (softened) and 3 oz. cream cheese (softened).  If you have a food processor, feel free to use it to make the dough – pulse 6 times. 

Add the 1/2 C milk and the 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract and stir until the dough comes together. 

Carefully roll the dough into a 12x8 inch rectangle that is about 1/2 inch thick. 

Use a knife to “draw” lines dividing the dough into thirds. 

Place the cherry pie filling down the center. 

Then, slice the two sides into 1-inch strips.  I cut mine on the diagonal. 

Fold the strips of dough over the cherries, alternating sides. 

Mine doesn’t look nearly as exciting as the original… but, it’s tasty!

Bake on a half-sheet pan or a large cookie sheet at 425 for 12-15 minutes.  Bake until the dough is cooked through and the top is lightly browned. 

Serve warm, great for breakfast or dessert!

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Grilled Stir Fry with Red Pepper Sauce

Today, I’m sharing a great grilled stir-fry recipe over at The Happy Housewife!  If you are looking for something fun to try on your grill that isn’t a slab of meat, give this one a try!

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Roasted Red Pepper Dip

I’m always looking for ways to increase my veggies and this dip is one of my favorite ways to do so. 

Combining the roasted red pepper flavor with white beans and a hint of cream cheese makes for a delicious veggie or cracker dip!

And, we love it on sandwiches and bagels too. 

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Ingredients

• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp. dried, minced garlic
• 1/4 C white beans (your choice)
• 1 large red bell pepper, roasted
• splash of lemon juice

Directions

Begin by preparing the red pepper; or, you can use canned roasted red peppers.  I find roasting them myself makes for amazing flavor!  You can find my directions for roasting red peppers here.

Place the 4 oz. cream cheese (I used Neufchatel) into a food processor along with the 1/4 C white beans and 1 tsp. dried minced garlic. 

Puree until smooth. 

Then, add in the roasted red peppers and a splash of lemon juice. 

Pulse again, until smooth. 

Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

This spread or dip is a great way to add protein, fiber & veggies to your day.

Serve with crackers, tortillas, pretzels or veggies!

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