Mise en Place: Oven Toaster Pizzas

      Have you racked your brains over left-over food in the refrigerator? Have you ever had to hit a panic button over the sudden arrival of guests at your house with nothing ready or suitable to offer them for food? I have on a number of occasions, and thankfully, one of the things that have come out of the kitchen is my take on oven toaster pizzas.

     It's a good thing you can do a bunch of these ahead of time and stick these in the freezer, wrapped in freezer or just ordinary clean plastic bags and just pop them into the toaster for a quick food fix. :-)

What you will need:

Ready made tortilla or pizza dough
Left over spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, or store bought pizza sauce
Grated cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, Parmesan, or whatever is in the pantry)
Oregano / Basil (dried or fresh) (Optional)
Your choice of toppings (leftover from breakfast, or again, whatever is the orphan in your ref or pantry). Here are some of my suggestions:
 -- Salami
 -- Spam
 -- Hotdogs
 -- Pepperoni
 -- Green / red bell peppers
 -- Pineapple tidbits
 -- Onions
 -- Sliced tomatoes
 -- Roast chicken

Assembly

1. Thaw tortillas if frozen.
2. Place a little pizza sauce on the dough, working your way from the center outwards to near the edge of the tortilla.

3. Add oregano / basil if using.
4. Sprinkle cheese.

5. Add toppings.
6. Place in toaster oven and cook to preferred doneness.
7. Enjoy with friends!

One of the three pizza variations I did this afternoon. Yum!

©CherWriter 2011.02.20

Simple Saturday Satisfaction

     Growing up, we cousins had our own schedule that would go something like this:

1. 7:00 am - Breakfast.
2. 8:00 am - 12:00 pm Saturday morning cartoons (for my brother and I) 
3. 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm - Cousins/ Aunts and Uncles' arrival; Lunch with cousins
4. 2:00 - Playtime / nap time (depending on how young you were)
5. 3:00 pm - Merienda of Taho or Toasted pan de sal (bread) with butter and cola
6. 3:00pm - 5:00 pm - Playtime
7. 5:00 pm - Afternoon bath
8. 5:30 pm - Get your weekly allowance from lolo :D (Minimum 5years and below, PhP5.00; PhP1.00 increment for every year thereafter until 12 years of age; Bonus given for good grades and good behavior certified by parents during the week. Hehehehe.)

     This was our family ritual in our paternal grandparents' home, and sometimes, if it was a special Saturday, we would be allowed sleepovers in a cousin's house for a week during summer vacation.

     Such was the life we thankfully were brought up in. We had a natural peer group among our cousins, and we had loving aunts and uncles who really looked after our welfare much like our own parents did.

     So for me, comfort food would always include all foods we had on Saturdays, not only because of it's familiarity (and sometimes predictability... Coffee or Caramel ice cream, anyone? Hehehe), but because the food and special people always went hand-in-hand.

©CherWriter 2010.11.27