Vegetable Pizza

Graduation parties, bridal showers, baby showers, family get-togethers, summer reunions...these are all special occasions that call for delicious food! Wouldn't you agree? Vegetable pizza, or veggie pizza as I like to call it, has always been a hit with friends and family in our house.  It's not necessarily a quick appetizer, but it is colorful and delicious and will bring instant and instant "yum factor" to your table.

The veggies listed in the recipe are ones I use most often, but feel free to toss any veggie you have on hand into this pizza. It will work!

My recipe is based on the original, but I made a few changes to make it less expensive to make and, in my opinion, taste better too. I will say that the brand name crescent rolls are the best. I tried a store brand of the rolls and they didn't work as well for this recipe.

You'll need the following ingredients:

• 2 tubes Pilsbury Crescent rolls (8 ounces each)
• 8 ounces sour cream (store brand)
• 1 envelope Ranch dressing mix (dry, store brand)
• 1-2 teaspoons horseradish (to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
• 2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced or diced (your preference)
• 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup broccoli florets, bite-size
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup peppers - use one color or a mixture of green, red, yellow, orange
• Olives, sliced (optional)
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped

You'll also need a large rectangular jelly roll pan or a round cookie sheet with sides.


How to Make Vegetable Pizza


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.


Separate the crescent rolls into long rectangles and lay them on the bottom of the greased pan to make the crust.  Pinch together the edges to make the bottom crust.  Bring the dough up the sides of the pan about 1-inch. 

Bake the dough for about 14 to 19 minutes, or until it is golden brown.  *Every oven is different, so keep an eye on it, especially the first time you make it.*

While the crust is baking, prepare your vegetables.  The tomatoes can tend to be a bit juicy, so instead of the large tomatoes, I use cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes.  Or, you could skip the tomatoes altogether and add another vegetable of your choice.

Mix together the dry Ranch dressing packet with the sour cream for the sauce.  Next, add the sea salt, horseradish and pepper to the sour cream mixture.  Once you have a creamy, smooth consistency, spread the sauce evenly over a the cooled pizza crust.

Sprinkle the veggies across the entire pizza so that the color is well distributed and looks appetizing.

Cut the pizza into bite-size pieces or dinner size pieces (your preference) and display on a pretty serving tray.  Be prepared for friends and family to ask for the recipe!

Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share?  I'd love to hear about it. 

Dogwood Tree Blooms

When I was 8 years old, we moved to a brand new house that my Dad and Mom designed and helped to build from the foundation up.  Given that I was an outgoing social type, I wasn't thrilled at that age to be moving out the country where there weren't any other children living a stone's throw away.  Little did I know then that in later years of my life, I would long to live there forever!  Especially now that living in the suburbs, I can't escape the fact that my next door neighbor hears me sneeze if I'm outside.  Anyway, I digress.

My Daddy loves to plant trees and flowers.  In an effort to make me feel more "at home" in our new house, he planted a dogwood tree just for me, right out in front of my window.  I remember growing up over the years and loving springtime because that was when the dogwood tree would bloom.  The one in front of my window has beautiful white flowers.  It was then, and is still now, my favorite flowering tree.  Whenever I see a dogwood tree, I think of my Dad and Mom and the Mountain Top (home).  I am still blessed to be able to visit my childhood home and see my tree whenever I want to - just one more blessing the Lord has chosen to give me.  Why, I have no idea, but I'm thankful.

This photo is not of my tree, but one I took at a local gardening center.  Due to the loss of many of my photos on our computer, I don't have a current one of my tree.  However, this is one of my favorite dogwood flower photos.

 
Did you know that the meaning of the dogwood flower is, "love undiminished by adversity"?  I just discovered that today.  Love that.  There has been speculation for years that perhaps the wood of Jesus' cross was from a dogwood tree.  Although there is no biblical basis for this assumption, it is a humbling thought...that my Lord and Saviour's cross may have been fashioned from this tree...and that long before I was saved by His grace and sacrifice, this was my favorite tree and flower.

What meaning does your favorite flower have?   

If you'd like to see more great nature photographs, hop on over to MyCup2Yours for Talkin' About Thursdays with Genny. 

All my best to you today,

Painted Flower Pots

We have had such fun painting flower pots the last few days! Spring seems to bring forth the desire to get creative, doesn't it? I've been staring at the boring plastic pots on my patio for some time now and finally decided to put everything else aside for a bit and paint pots with our girls.

We've had the same plastic and terra cotta pots in our back flower beds for a few years now. A couple of them for at least four years! It was time for a real change. As you can see, we did spice things up a bit with color.

The plastic pots looked like this when we started.

When we finished with our projects (it took us two afternoons altogether), the pots, watering can, and a few other odds and ends looked like this.

I think the brown flower pot and the purple/green flower pot turned out to be my favorites.  I wasn't sure at first if the brown one was going to work out, but after a few coats of spray paint, it turned out nicely. 

We used both acrylic paint and spray paint for these projects.  Here is a list of the supplies we used to turn these plastic flower pots from boring (yawn) to colorful and fun.

• Plastic flower pots, terra cotta flower pots, metal containers
• Sandpaper (just look in your husband's tool box!)
• Acrylic paint - we like the Americana brand best, but any will work
• Rust-Oleum American Accents Smooth Satin Finish - Green Apple
• JoAnn's Craft Essentials Crafter's Edition Color  Spray Paint - Spice Brown
• Design Master Super Surface Sealer #383
• Krylon Low Odor Clear Finish
• Paintbrushes
• Drop cloth (to protect the grass or surface on which you're using spray paint

Once the flower pots were painted, I continued to look around and see what else might need sprucing up.  Our oldest daughter made the comment, "for men it's duct tape and for most women it's clothing, but for you Mommy, it's spray paint!"  Ok, so I may  not be a "fashion plate", but hey, I think I have the prettiest flower pots in town!

All my best to you!

Hello to My Newest Followers!

Sending a big "thank you!" to my three newest followers. Won't you go by and visit these wonderful ladies?  The Smith Family and Sweetpea Blogs are both beautifully done and are packed with encouragement and fun things to learn.  Thanks also to nicole21cooper for following my humble 'lil blog. 

All my best to you!

Not Badminton, It's "Fun-minton"

It's been about three years now since my Dad and Mom gifted our youngest daughter Heather with a fun outdoor game set for her birthday. Included in the set was a net, badminton racquets and birdies. We have put up the net every summer since then. We all agree that set was one of the best gifts we have ever received.

Our favorite time to play is in the evening after the hottest part of the day has passed and we've worked hard all day. It's as if the net is just calling us to come and have fun!

When we play as a family, it's as if all the cares of everyday life just fall away. We giggle, laugh, talk "smack" (it's always nice, but fun!) and fancy ourselves great badminton players during those short times of playing the game. I know as a mom and wife, those times of playing badminton have been some of my favorite family times.

Just last night, my husband told me that he and Julie, our oldest daughter, have now dubbed our backyard badminton games, "fun-minton". How appropriate!

Does your family enjoy a certain activity together? I'd love to hear about it!

All my best to you today,

The Ultimate Blog Party 2010 - I'm Fashionably Late, But Here!

I'm so glad you stopped by!  The Ultimate Blog Party 2010 is hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom.
I came across the information for UBP10 a few days ago, but am just now joining the party.  I'm excited!   I am brand new to blogging, but am truly enjoying it.  Allow me to introduce myself...

I'm married to the most wonderful man in the world, Jeff.  He is my best friend, my fabulous husband, love of my life, and loving father to our girls.  We've been married 15 amazing years and I am still discovering things about him that I love.  We've known each other for over 24 years total!  It's a pretty incredible how the Lord brought us together too (more on that another time).


We have been blessed with two beautiful girls, Julie who is 10 years old and Heather who is 7 years old.  They are the best little girls!  Ok, not always, but hey, we all have our days, right?  They each have a wonderful way of blessing us and everyone else around them.  


Home educating is where the Lord seems to want us right now.  We felt a conviction from the Lord about keeping our girls home back when Julie was 3 years old or so.  Had it not been for the incredible friendship and encouragement of my friend Tina, we probably wouldn't have even looked at homeschooling.  But, as the Lord would have it, she kept talking about it with me and showing me how great it was and it didn't take long for us to realize that she was who the Lord sent our way to tell us about home education.  Loving it now!

I have collected lighthouses for a few years now.  I want to visit as many as possible someday and photograph them too.  

In all my "spare" time, I piece quilts for friends and family.  It's a real joy for me.  My Momma has given me tons of tips and has shown me a lot.  I have learned a lot by trial and error too (mostly error, I'll admit), but still love diving into a quilt, tote bag, or pillow project when I can.

You won't see many photos of me because I am more of a shutter-bug, meaning I am mostly behind the camera instead of in front of it.  Photos of nature are my favorite and if I could, I'd spend hours wandering and snapping photos.  Someday...

I work from home as a ghostwriter for a small group of clients whom we believe the Lord has provided to us for so many reasons.  I love my job and am blessed to write for some amazing moms who are also working from home to make ends meet (and go further sometimes too!)

I'd love to go to Ireland someday!

I was adopted when I was 10 days old and blessed beyond belief by my parents, Larry and Gloria and my brother Mike (also adopted).  I couldn't love three people (other than my husband and girls) more than I love them.  But the Lord wasn't done...six years ago this July 5th, my birth mom called me.  She's an amazing lady.  I am now blessed to have a third family - my birth family!  I have a sister too!  I always wanted a sister...isn't it lovely how the Lord gives us the desires of our heart?  It's been quite the journey getting to know these wonderful Christian people and the journey has really only begun.


Coffee and chocolate are two of my favorite things.  

I also love to bake and try new recipes.  It's not unusual for me to try a completely new recipe when friends or family are coming for dinner.  For the last 15 years however, my husband and I think there were only two meals that just didn't pass muster...I guess I find good recipes. 

I do believe I have gone on long enough.  I look forward to meeting you!


All my best to you today,

Welcome Susie!

I'm so tickled to have Susie from Susie's Homemade
joining us here at Busy 'Lil Homemaker.  If you want to know how to make it or bake it, go visit Susie's blog. 

Welcome and thank you for stopping by!