Clearing The Cupboards

Thank You to you, and you, and yes ~ You too!
cause before you saw this cupboard, it was one stuffed mess :)

I heard this tip that every once in awhile,  you should "Eat yourself out your Cupboard".  i.e. Eat what you have. My cupboards are due a good clean out, and I don't know about you, but I am feeling the month-after-Christmas-cash-squeeze, so I decided tonight that I am doin' it! I'm gna Clear the Cupboards!

* * DISCLAIMER *  *

I think it's only fair [to make me feel better about myself :P] that I mention that I suck at cooking and that I despise the grocery store, so the food in my kitchen is sparse and generic to begin with.  So.  Please don't make fun of me!!!! I am working on developing my skills!  [and to think Rhett is signing up for life forever with a woman that can't cook.  He must really really love me, right? :)]


Alright.  Here we go!


I poked my head into the cupboard and as soon as I saw the Oatmeal stuffed in the back of the cupboard, I was on a mission to make some No Bake Cookies.

 source: food network

Chocolate Peanut-Butter No Bake Cookies

• 2 cups sugar
• 4 tbsp cocoa
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 3 cups oatmeal
• Waxed paper

In a heavy saucepan bring to a boil, the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk. Let boil for 1 minute then add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. On a sheet of waxed paper, drop mixture by the teaspoonfuls, until cooled and hardened.

the peanut butter in the cupboard.
ahhhh!  would it be enough?? 

No :(

but hey!  

who needs an entire batch of cookies and an extra 5 lb weight gain in one night anyway? 

not me!  so i decided to proceed and cut the recipe in half.

It's been over a week since I've been to the grocery store and the milk is gone, but I had a little bit of Half & Half left.  To make it stretch to the 1/2 cup needed for the recipe, I added water.

threw the butter, milk, sugar, and cocoa in a pot and turned the heat up

brought it to a boil for a minute

pulled the pan off the burner,
and added the oats, peanut butter, and vanilla.
it was a little runny, so i added more oats until the mixture was thicker

used a spoon and dropped spoonfuls of the mixture on some wax paper
let sit and harden

ohmygoodgawd.
seriously.
they were soooo good.

i don't know if it was the tinsy bit of half and half, or what, but best no bake cookies ever.

Then it was on to dinner.  And the Fridge.

  Options were SLIM...

i saw these ingredients and thought PIZZA.
but i didn't have any sort of bread, muffin, biscuit, or dough to put it on so.... 

I went online and googled "no rise easy pizza dough" and was led to this recipe: 

i had all these ingredients!

source: cooks.com



NO YEAST PIZZA DOUGH 

• 2 1/2 c. flour
• 2 3/4 tsp. baking powder (if using baking soda use half and omit salt)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp oil
• 3/4 to 1 cup water

Mix dry ingredients.  Add 3/4 cup water and oil.  Stir until it forms a ball.  If dough is sticky, add more water.  The dough will be soft, not sticky.  Knead on a floured surface for 3-4 minutes.  Bake at 400 for 15-25 minutes.

a pizza in the making!

mixed the dry ingredients
then added the oil and water

kneaded the dough for what seemed like the longest 4 minutes of my life

rolled the dough onto the pizza pan using the sauce jar

voila!  ready for toppings

spread on the sauce 

i was sitting there staring at the dough and the sauce and wasn't sure if the sauce was going to be good, so i opened up the spice drawer, and decided to throw some of this Peppercorn Melange on the pizza. i have no idea what Peppercorn Melange is.  i've never used it.  the container was still sealed!  but what the hey.  why throw some on.

topped with cheddar cheese

put pepperoni on half 

remembered that i had tomatoes, mushrooms, and onions in the fridge so made the other half veggie

sprinkled some Parmesan cheese on top

isn't that pretty!?

dinner is served.
i had some lettuce in the fridge, and croutons in the cupboard.
the pizza had taken all the cheese, so no cheese for the salad.
[bummer cause cheese on salad is T's fav}
while looking at this pic..
i realize that i did have tomatoes and onions,
 and could have added them to the salad.
oh well.  next time.

The pizza was pretty good!  I think the recipe was meant for a bigger pizza pan, because the dough was a little thick and kinda doughy here and there, and I'll admit it ~ I dipped just about every bite in Ranch.  But it wasn't bad!  There, that's a fair statement.  It wasn't bad.  And I will def try making it again.

How's that for a night out of the Cupboard!?

-m-