Woodfired Pizza Dumplings/Rolls

Confession: we have homemade pizza about once a week. 

During vacation last week I thought it would be fun to reinvent pizza night. 

I started with the usual pre-made dough and mozzarella cheese.  This would also work with shredded cheese.

Mr. Happy started up the wood fire oven.  Yes, we have a wood fire oven.  It was built by the previous owners and I have to admit that it's pretty darn cool!  And under used... we need to find reasons to use it more! 

Here you can see the smoke pouring out. 

Gave the dogs each a 'soup' bone (the kind from the store that has the marrow still in) to keep them happy/busy.

I am also joining in on Tasty Tuesday with Sugar the Golden Retriver and Kolchak from Kol's Notes

On a cutting board, I flattened the dough with my hands in to a rough rectangle.

Cut the rectangle into eight squares.

Then I went back to check on how the fire was doing and shoved a few more pieces of wood in. 

Oh, and as a side note, these rock ovens + our location in the woods seem to be spider heaven.  Mr. Happy pointed out that there was massive (and thankfully dead) spider in there.  Ick!  Seriously it was the biggest one I have seen in NY.   

Back to dough.  Roll each dough square in to a ball and then flattened them like mini pizzas.

Add a tomato sauce of your choice in little blobs.

Open and cut up the mozzarella.  I also chopped some fresh basil from the garden.

Layer the cheese on the sauce.

Generous heap of basil on top of the cheese.

Now, you bring the sides of the mini rounds together.  I found it worked to do two opposing sides at a time. 

Then a little *pinch, pinch* and you form your dumplings!

And then I flipped them upside down. 

For next time: I think I will leave the 'pinched part' at the top.  When they baked... the cheese and sauce oozed out and it would have been extra yummy for it to ooze out the top and all over the dumpling!

I use a regular baking pan lined with parchment paper (so the dumplings don't stick to the bottom) to cook these in.  It's a pan that has been abused a few times like this and is still going strong. 

I also brushed the dumplings with tomato sauce.  You could probably use butter instead if you like.

When the woodfire oven was ready I took the dumplings to meet the heat.

Popped them in.  The fire and coals get pushed to the back and the pan bakes in the front.

They only took about 15 minutes to get nice and toasty with the cheese and sauce melting out the bottoms.

Dipped in a little more sauce mixed with parmesan and I think we have hit a recipe to try again!!

So easy.  So versatile.  So fun!  And yes, you could do these in a normal oven too!  And let me tell you... the leftovers the next day were incredible!

Hope you give these a try!!

Homemade Spicy Tomato Soup

I thought of Rebecca over at The Dusty Cellar today when I was writing about my latest kitchen creation.

Remember those tomato plants that I started from seeds (you can see them starting here)? ... well are still flourishing!  I am still getting tomato's (late for us in NY)! 

This is giving me a wonderful excuse to share with neighbors and best of all try new recipes! 

I recently made one of my favorites... Spicy Tomato Soup -- yes the spicy is my twist on the recipe I found here.

I started by chopping plum and big boy tomato's from the garden.

Measured them up to get the 4 cups that are needed.

Here is my own addition: 1 average size Cheyenne pepper.  I chopped this seeds and all and added it to the tomato base.

I did leave the cloves and onion out since I didn't have them on hand; however I substituted some onion powder to help with the flavor.

As the mixture started to heat up it really started to smell so warm and comforting!

I used two bouillon cubes and water in place of chicken broth.

Once the base cooks through it is ready to be put through the Foley mill.  (I have used that Foley mill so much since I have gotten it!)

Round and round and round it goes!

Ta Da!  A homemade bowl of tomato soup that has a slight kick. 

That night we also whipped up a few homemade chicken pizza's.  Fresh mozzarella and basil, left over lemon pepper chicken, and swiss cheese.  

Those were some good pies!!

Comfort food always puts me in a better mood!!

I hope you will also play along with Midweek Blues!  Link your post of any interpretation of blues: Colors, moods, music, poetry...be as creative as you like!  Oh, and don't forget to visit the others!

Favorite Beginning

My favorite beginning to a new week.  

 Gimme five... we survived the weekend (snow).

The power was out for two days which meant camping. 
Camping that looked a little bit like this...

and this...
"Mom, are you sure we can't go back outside to play in the snow again?  I really would like to play some more!  Just a few more minutes?"

And I spent a lot of time watching this go from this...

to this...
I think it will bloom any day now!  It changed again even this morning as the front flower as now clearly divided into two flowers!!  I am still on pins and needles waiting to see what color/s the flowers will be. 

Hope your weekend was lovely and you are ready for an exciting week here in the Happy Kingdom!  Oh, and Happy 1st of March!