"Edible" Gluten Free PIZZA

Yes, you read the title right. "Edible" Gluten Free Pizza! Most GF Pizza Crust is downright awful! I've been Gluten Free for close to a year now, and giving up Pizza has been tough! My family enjoys Pizza about once a month, so it was a MUST for me to somehow find a crust recipe that was good and edible. I was recommended to try Bob's Red Mill Bread mixes (so I could occasionally enjoy some toast or a sandwich) and found Bob's Red Mill "Wonderful White" to be a tasty treat! My family loved it and gobbled it up as fast as I could bake it! I tweaked the recipe (on the package) to make this awesome Pizza Crust. It's the best pizza crust I've tried to date. Hope you enjoy it!!

1 pkg. Bob's Red Mill "Wonderful White" Gluten Free Bread Mix, (it comes with a yeast packet....dissolve the yeast in 1-1/2 cups warm milk of your choice)

Add to a mixer bowl (using the paddle attachment)
-Bread mix
-Milk/Yeast mixture
- 3 whole eggs
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

Mix on low speed until blended. Let the mixture sit and rest for 20 min. Gently mix again for about 30 seconds. Scoop dough onto greased cookie sheet or pizza pan. Press flat with oiled hands. Top with sauce, cheese and your fave. toppings. Bake on the bottom rack at 400 degrees until bottom crust is brown and top is bubbly (about 20-25 min.)

Canning Summer Peaches!

I'm not going to lie...Peaches are a LOT of work to can and freeze! They are really fuzzy, so they take extra time to be properly washed, blanched and peeled. The pits need to be removed. They get over-ripe very quickly. But, during the winter months (when it's a blizzard outside) it's such a joy to crack open a jar of those fresh summer peaches! Both canning and freezing Peaches really helps to preserve that fresh summer taste.

First, start by separating the Peaches. We went to a local Pick Your Own, and some were more ripe than others. These are Red Havens. They taste very much like Peach Schnapps! and pull away from the pit easily.

Give them a bath in your sink!!

After you've washed off the fuzz, blanch them in hot (not boiling) water for about a minute or so. Transfer them to cold water or an ice bath. The skins should peel off easily.

Peel the Peaches and remove pits. (I sometimes give the scraps to the chickens!) OR you can make a yummy treat called "Peach Honey", which is great drizzled on Biscuits, Toast or Oatmeal. You can find the peach honey recipe HERE

I decided to flash freeze a few trays.

Gently pack Peaches into hot, sterile jars. Top with a basic simple syrup. How much sugar you use is personal preference. I only use 1 cup of sugar to every 12-14 cups of water. I keep the sugar mixture over low heat on the stove while I'm peeling, etc.

Wipe jar rims clean with a damp cloth. Top each jar with a clean lid and ring.

Gently lower jars into the boiling water canner.

Process for 25-30 min.

Carefully remove hot jars with a jar lifter. Allow to cool for 24 hrs. Rinse jars after cooling (they will be a little sticky). It's normal for fruit to float when Raw packed....

Store them in a cool, dark place and enjoy them when it's February and snowing outside ;-)

Easy Dill Pickles

Dill Pickles are super easy and tasty. First start with garden cukes! Give them a bath in the sink, scrub/wash them up, cut off the ends and slice them into spears.

Wash jars in hot, soapy water and sterilize in a water bath. I place them in a 215 degree oven for about 15-20 min. (or you can run them through a cycle in your dishwasher). Boil lids and rings.

Pack cucumber spears into hot, sterile jars.

Top cucumber spears with hot brine. I use approx. 5 cups of white vinegar to 12 cups of water. I ended up making 9 pints and 3 quarts of pickles and still had some leftover. I added a little salt, turmeric, 1 Tbsp. Alum (helps to keep them crisp), a fresh dill sprig in the middle of each jar. You can add hot chili peppers or garlic to make them spicy.

Wipe the jar rims clean with a damp cloth or paper towel.

Top each jar with a clean lid and ring.

Here's the trick for keeping the pickles crisp! Make sure the water in the canner doesn't go above 185. I kept the water at about 180...hot enough to kill bacteria, but not boiling. It will soften the pectin in the cucumbers and make the pickles mushy. I temped the water every 5-10 min. with a candy thermometer. Process for 30 min.

Remove hot jars with a jar lifter and allow them to cool for 24 hrs. Pickles are ready to eat in about 24 hrs., but taste best in about 2 weeks.

Enjoy!