Sometimes It’s Okay…

Sometimes It’s Okay…to sleep in.  Mind you, “sleeping in” for me happened to be 7:30.   But considering the fact that I also went to bed early last night, I woke up feeling so refreshed and energized. 😀

Sometimes It’s Okay…to eat breakfast in bed.  Why don’t I do this more often?

• 1/4 c. oatmeal
• 1/4 c. oatbran
• 1 c. milk + 1 c. water
• cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
• 1 small apple, diced
• 1-1/2 tsp chia seeds
• 2 egg whites, whisked in once liquid was boiling
• toppings: 2 T. each of walnuts and Natures Path Pumpkin Flax Granola

Twas a delicious (and filling!) bowl. 😀

Sometimes It’s Okay…to not really have a set plan for the day.  Life is busy and sometimes I hardly know what to do with myself when I don’t have a plan or a mission.  But I’m learning to embrace the quiet moments and enjoy them when I can. 😀

Sometimes It’s Okay…to act like a kid.  Whether that means running through puddles in the rain (check!), eating a grilled banana & peanut butter sandwich (check!), or dancing in the living room to your favorite tune (check!)—it’s all completely a-okay!

Sometimes It’s Okay…to experiment.  While making this huge salad to accompany my sandwich for lunch, I decided to dip a dill pickle into the peanut butter jar.  Yes, it is okay to experiment.  No, pickles do not go well with peanut butter (but I bet you could have told me that beforehand!)

Sometimes It’s Okay…to spend several hours catching up with friends.  I spent a good amount of time going through emails that I’ve been ignoring over the past week due to being overly busy.  It was nice to actually have the time to stop, read and write. 😀  I snacked on a granola bar and sipped on a glass of soymilk while typing away.

Sometimes It’s Okay…to try something new!  When it comes to homemade pizza dough, I have two standby recipes.  The first recipe requires no rising time and is perfect for when I’m in a rush.  The second requires many hours but comes out fluffy and perfect.  I was looking for something in between.

Flipping through my trusty moosewood restaurant cookbook, I landed on a simple, basic pizza dough recipe that required about 1-1/2 hrs. total time (cooking included.)  I used all whole wheat, but you could use half wheat, half white if you prefer. 😀

Pizza Dough—makes two large pizzas

• 1 T. active dry yeast (one package)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1-1/3 c. warm water (100-120 degrees)
• 3-1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp olive oil

1. Stir the yeast into the sugar and warm water and set aside until it bubbles and foams, about 10-12 minutes.
2. Stir in the flours, sat, pepper, and oil.  Mix well, adding flour if necessary to prevent sticking.  Knead dough for about 10 minutes.
3. Place dough in bowl sprayed with cooking spray.  Cover with towel.  Set aside to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, usually 40-60 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 425 to 450.
5. Punch down risen dough and knead for a couple of minutes.  Cut dough in half for two crusts. (You can freeze the other one for later use)
6. Shape dough into 12-15 inch rectangle on a lightly sprayed cooking sheet.  Press down and out from center of dough until crust has reached desired thickness.  Let rest for 15 minutes.

Then it’s time to top the pizza with your favorite sauces and veggies (and /or chicken sausages, beans, cheese, etc.)  Bake for 18-25 minutes.

My favorite sauce is super simple: a can of diced tomatoes (slightly drained), tons of garlic powder, black pepper and basil. 

My favorite toppings are also super simple: broccoli, onions and mozzarella cheese.  Mmm….

Simply super delicious.

Sometimes It’s Okay…to eat two salads in one day.  Actually, I think that’s always okay. 😉

Sometimes It’s Okay…to go for a post-dinner walk in the rain.  Umbrella optional.

Question: “Sometimes It’s Okay…to “

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