smiles and good food…

what would you do if you found this while you were making dinner?…

you had better smile if not laugh out loud!
then, turn into a little girl again and make those cute little Barbie legs strut their stuff across the counter before they made their way into your soup! please tell me this picture just made you smile too…

I tried something new in my kitchen and we experienced that ceremonial silence had at the dinner table when you know your food is really, REALLY good! so I thought I would share the goodness..

Fresh Whole-Wheat Pitas


1TBSP sugar
1pkg yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
1cup plus 2 TBSP warm water
10 ounces bread flour (about 2 1/4 cups)
4.75 ounces white whole-wheat flour (about 1 cup), divided
2 TBSP Greek-style yogurt
1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt
olive oil cooking spray

1. Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add bread flour, 3 ounces (about 3/4 cup) whole wheat flour, yogurt, oil, and salt to the yeast mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); or just be lazy like me and keep it in the mixer and add enough of remaining whole wheat flour, 1 TBSP at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to the sides of the bowl. The dough is ready when you touch it and a tiny bit sticks on your finger. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

2.Position the oven rack on the lowest shelf. Preheat the oven to 500.

3. Divide dough into 8 portions. Working with one portion at a time, gently roll into a 5 1/2 inch circle. Place 3-4 dough circles on baking sheets heavily coated with cooking spray.

4. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, at 500 for 6-8 minutes or until puffed and browned. (stay nearby – they cook fast!) Cool on a wire rack.

***I found that if you try to keep as much air in the dough as possible it will help you create those pretty puffed up pitas you are looking for…don’t punch down the dough after it rises and gently roll the dough into discs

***I also wasn’t successful when I doubled the recipe…I measured my flour with my kitchen scale, but I went wrong somewhere when I doubled it – who knows…I’m sure it was just a ‘user error’

now go fill her up with some chicken salad or some lunch meat – or even better, just slab on some butter and honey! yum! you’ll thank me later…


I’m in the process of giving this little page a facelift so…be patient while I work away –