September: Pizza, Bread and Soup

So, in previous months I've had some "Never will make again" things that we've made. But not in September! This actually has been a great month for food, and I'm pretty excited to talk about all of it :)

Steakhouse Pizza: This has marinara, with caramelized onions, grilled steak, mozzarella cheese and finished with barbecue sauce. Yummmmmm. (Source: Pioneer Woman)

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough: Okay, this didn’t use just 100% whole wheat flour, it was half whole wheat, but I thought the crust was just as good as any other crust I’ve had, so I think I’ll be using this one from now on. (Source: Macaroni and Cheesecake)

Grilled Vegetable Pizza: This was out of this world amazing. I used the whole wheat pizza crust, and then it was topped with pesto, grilled zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes (instead of bell peppers), with goat cheese and parmesan on top. Oh my heavens, it was an absolutely delicious combination of flavors and textures. And I’ve made it at least 5 times this month...and Matthew hasn’t touched it with a 10 foot long pole. ha. (Source: Pioneer Woman)

French Baguettes: A real French baguette is perfectly crispy on the outside and perfectly soft on the inside. Basically, it’s perfect. Well, this didn’t quite achieve a level of baguette perfection, but it was pretty close. And I image if you had a bread/pizza stone, it would have been there. As it was, it was still very good, and took between 45-60 minutes of active labor time over the course of 24 hours to make it. (Source: Annie's Eats)

Broccoli, Leek and Potato Soup: The one thing I am excited about for cooler weather is soups. I love soups, and am souper (hahaha…) stoked to make a bunch. This one pureed broccoli, leeks and potatoes into a smooth, silky soup, with roasted potato chunks  interspersed. Very good, and lots’o’vegetables all around. (Source: Crepes of Wrath)

Caraway Rye Rolls: These were nice and dense, but not hard, had a good taste, and had a great texture for sopping up broth. Basically, very good. (Source: Grains Cookbook from my SIL)

Tortellini Sausage Soup: Delicious. Great blend of spices, good amounts of meat, a fun mixture of vegetables (carrots/zucchini/onion), the pasta gave it some good texture. Matthew even loved it enough to take to school for lunch the next day, which is saying something (he’s usually not a soup guy.) (Source: Our Best Bites)

Balsamic Strawberry Pizza with Bacon, Chicken and Onions: Guys. I finally, finally achieved cooking perfection, at least in Matthew’s eyes. I’m pretty sure that this is the first thing that he’s given a 10/10 score to, which is a pretty big deal. Here’s what it was: reduced balsamic vinegar mixed with some strawberry jam gave a slightly sweet yet tangy base. Savory cubed chicken, salty bacon chunks, and slightly caramelized onions were next, topped with some fresh mozzarella cheese and Italian seasoning. Fresh strawberry chunks are sprinkled on the top when it’s out of the oven. It is a perfect combination of sweet, salty, tangy and delicious. (Source: Pennies on a Platter)

Stay tuned for September: Main Dishes and Desserts: tomorrow!