Vegetable Pizza

This recipe came about by accident. I didn't have much food in my apartment, but I had a pizza crust and a few vegetables. I knew these vegetables would be good together because Lindsay Stoker taught me a vegetable/cheese medley using most of them, and I have a white pizza sauce recipe from a spinach-broccoli pizza. So here is a healthy pizza, I eat this when I've had a lot of meat and I want some veggies and I want something filling.


Vegetable Pizza
Shaylee Droubay

Sauce:
1 Tbsp butter
1 Garlic clove, minced (or ¼ tsp garlic powder)
1 Tbsp flour
Pinch of Fresh ground black pepper
Dash of nutmeg
¾ cup Milk
6 Tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese
Salt, to taste

For assembly:
Pizza dough or precooked pizza crust
Olive oil, for brushing
1 Tbsp butter
½ Red onion, sliced thinly to make small rings
1 Green bell pepper, diced
1 Green zucchini, large dice
1 can Kidney beans, drained
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1-2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese (enough to cover the pizza)
Finely grated Parmesan cheese (enough to cover the pizza)

Preheat oven to 425˚F (bake/roast), or according to packaged pizza crust instructions. Place a baking sheet in the oven to get hot, if using dough.

In a small skillet on medium heat, melt the butter. Add onion and sauté until clear and soft. Add bell pepper and zucchini, sauté until soft. Turn heat to low, add kidney beans, cover. Remove from heat if kidney beans get too soft.

In a small sauce pan over medium-low heat, heat the butter and garlic. Whisk in flour, black pepper, and nutmeg. Let cook for 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in milk. Cook until bubbly and thickened, about 3-4 minutes, whisking frequently. Whisk in the finely grated Parmesan until melted. Add salt. Remove from heat and set aside.

If using pizza dough, dust counter with flour and gently stretch pizza dough to a 12—14” round pizza, or divide to 3 miniature pizzas. Or use pre-made pizza crust. Place dough onto parchment paper that is sized to then pan.

Brush a ½—1” border of the dough with olive oil. Spoon the sauce onto dough, leaving a small border for crust. Evenly drop/spread vegetable medley onto pizza, may need to rearrange onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Remove pan from oven and place parchment with pizza onto the pan. This will give a slightly crispier crust to the pizza.

Bake for 13—17 minutes, until dough and cheese are browning. Or according to packaged pizza crust instructions, cheese should be melted and slightly browning.

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The die has been cast; I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, I won't look back, let up, slow down or be still. My past is redeemed; my present makes sense and my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, small planning, smooth knees, and dwarf goals. I no longer need preeminence, position, promotions or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk with patience amplified by prayer and labor with power. My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven. My path is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few. My guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, divided or delayed. I will not negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won't give up, shut up or let up until I have stayed up, stored up and paid up for the cause of Christ. I must go until He comes, give until I drop, preach unto all I know and work until He stops me. And when He returns for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me, my banner will be clear!

Elder Henry B. Eyring

Stuffed Zucchini

This recipe can be made simply or according to directions. I almost always have zucchini, tomatoes, onions, and ground beef on hand, and cheese is a staple for any refrigerator. These few foods can give you a great tasting meal. If you do the full recipe with wine and specified cheeses, you will have a flavorful dish that pairs greatly with a side salad, corn, and rolls made with No Bread-Maker Bread.

If you want to do the simplified version, omit the wine, use any cooking oil you have on hand, use Italian Seasoning instead of figuring out an herb combo, and use whatever cheese you so happen to have. And you can guess on the amounts to save time and dishes.


Stuffed Zucchini
Recipe adapted and altered from Shanna Bridegan's recipe

2 LARGE green zucchinis
½ lbs ground beef
Your favorite Italian herb combo, to taste (possibly
garlic salt, basil leaves, and parsley flakes)
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
¼—½ cup olive oil
½ onion, diced
3 small tomatoes, diced
¼—½ cup Sweet Vermouth, a fortified wine (Lejon
brand is great. Once opened, wine will last about
4 weeks.) Optional
¼ cup parmesan cheese
½ cup mozzarella cheese (enough to top zucchinis)

Slice the zucchinis long wise, scoop/scrape out the inside and
reserve. Place hollowed zucchinis in tight casserole dish.

In 2 separate pans cook the ground beef with the Italian herbs,
garlic and onion powders, salt, and pepper. Let that cook down
until browned and juice has evaporated. In the other pan, add
olive oil, onions, tomatoes, and chopped zucchini centers, sauté
until soft, add salt and pepper to taste. If using wine, turn heat to
HIGH and add wine, reduce until the liquid is almost gone, stop
before mixture burns.

Preheat oven to 400˚F (bake).

Combine the vegetable and meat mixtures, add parmesan cheese
and mix. Once combined, stuff zucchinis (really pack them), and
top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake zucchinis for 20 minutes, until they are heated through. Turn oven to broil to brown the cheese. Remove and serve.

No Bread-Maker Bread

In a previous post I mentioned that I make my own bread. I haven't bought bread in over a year because I use this recipe. It is very filling, one slice will fill me more than two slices of processed grocery bread. This bread is also really great in French Toast, Cinnamon Rolls (I'll post that later), and anything else bread is used for.

This recipe is so easy, no bread maker is needed, no worry about when yeast foams, bread rises for 25 minutes, cooks for 25 minutes. You could have fresh, hot bread in 1 hour, and all dishes cleaned, makes for very easy entertaining. And everyone will be impressed with your skills.

Read the full recipe before making. The yeast must be SAF-instant yeast, and it combines with the dry ingredients first, not with hot water like most bread recipes.

No Bread-Maker Bread

5 ¼ cups (1 lb 10 ¼ oz) White bread flour
¼ cup Granulated sugar
½ Tbsp Salt
1 ½ Rounded Tbsp SAF-instant yeast
1/3 cup Vegetable oil
2 cups Hot tap water

Mix flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a large bowl (if using the bread
paddle on a KitchenAid, don’t use faster than speed 2). Add oil
and water. Mix for 1 minute, check consistency. Should be very
sticky; if dough is too dry, add more water. Mix for 5 minutes. (Do
not add more flour after it has finished mixing).

Grease counter and pans with butter.

Divide dough into two, shape loaves, place loaves into pans and
cover with plastic wrap and a dish towel. Let rise for 25 minutes in
a warm, moist environment with little air-flow.

Bake at 350˚F for 25 minutes.

Yield: 2 small loaves.
Note: can double recipe if not preparing in a KitchenAid or similarsized appliance

Want More Money? Spend Less on Food

The other day my friend mentioned to me, "Instead of paying $70 for a new suit, I went to the grocery store and spent $70 on food."

I completely understand how someone could spend $70 on groceries, but I know that if one pays attention to what he is buying, he will pay less out of his pocket, thus spending less than $70 on a large grocery trip.

Because of a few smalls steps I've taken, I keep a food budget of $30 per week. Here's how.

Pay attention to where each dollar is, you'll spend less of them.

I keep track of my expenses and income. Always. Anything that changes my bank account even the slightest penny, I know where that penny was coming from and what it's going to. There is a great app for this purpose, I've used it for over two years now, it's called iReconcile. Enter your accounts, enter deposits, withdrawals, and transfers, and keep track of your cash flow. With this app I can enter all my withdrawals, deposits, and transfers the moment they happen because my phone is with me.

Pay attention to what you're buying and what your options are.

I used to buy only the name-brand products at the highest prices, at the most posh grocery stores in town. I've since learned that food from other brands tastes the exact same. This took a couple months for me to figure out. I went to all the grocery stores on my most common routes to find the one with the best prices for the best food. I also looked into some less-popular options for food, I'll get to that in a minute.

In my experience, produce from Harmon's is the best and most expensive, from Wal*Mart is the worst, and from Smith's is slightly better than Wal*Mart but still nasty. 

Super Target is my winning grocery store. Good prices, good selection of food, good produce, and I can buy almost anything else there, too (i.e. housing decor, prescriptions, etc). Thus Target is where I buy food.

Though I love Target as a grocery store, I buy my produce from a company that gives me an even better price for an even higher quantity. My number one produce stop is Bountiful Baskets. Bountiful Baskets is a contribution co-op that puts all cost into the produce. You sign up on a Monday or Tuesday for 1-3 baskets (baskets are about 10 lbs of vegetables and fruits) and, if you want, other food products (i.e. bread baskets, peach cases, tortilla mix, etc). Then you pick up your order the following Saturday morning. It's $15 per basket. Fifteen dollars for 10 lbs of food. That's unheard of. One basket will last me for two weeks. Seriously this is such a huge money saver. Go to BountifulBaskets.org for information and to find a location near you.

Pay attention to what you eat.

Almost all of my meals are home-made. I've found little tricks to make really simple, quick, and delicious meals, usually involving the produce I got from Bountiful Baskets. I'll share my recipes in later blogs. And if I do eat out, it fits within my budget because I save enough to splurge on a restaurant meal.

Tricks for storing meat and bread:

I buy the meat, separate it into portions, and put all portions in Ziploc freezer bags, then in the freezer. If I want to cook with the meat, I pull the portion from the freezer the night before and let it thaw in the fridge. I also date the meat with the date I put it in the freezer. This keeps the meat the freshest it can be.

Bread. I make my own bread. Such an easy recipe, and healthy. No preservatives--not like I care anyways. I'll share that recipe later, too. Store bread in the freezer. When I want a slice, I stick it in the toaster and hit the defrost setting. Or heat it up on the stove. My bread lasts for weeks and is fresh every time I eat it. Another huge money saver.

This is my system for saving money on food. I hope you found some tips and tricks that could work into your life. If you have your own system, I would love to hear about it!

Thanks for visiting

Leave You Luscious Lipstick

This lipstick has become my all-time favorite. I won't stray from this because it is so wonderful. And truly, it leaves you luscious.
I've been using Bare Escentuals foundation for four years and it has been really good for my skin (health and looks-wise). A couple months ago I decided to try using their lipstick, so I bought the bareMinerals 100% Natural Lipcolor. This lipstick is awesome! I use it almost every day, it lasts until I wipe it off, you know because I'm a messy eater.
One of the best things about this lipstick is that it looks like lips, none of this dry, crackly lipstick, just pure lip and color. I have the Cherries on Top color, it's a bright, flirty lipstick. The picture below shows Bavarian Creme.
My favorite lipstick, $15, extremely long lasting, natural-looking (plus color).

Thanks for visiting,

                                       

Photo Update

If you follow my Instagram (@Shaylee_Droubay) then you have probably seen most of these. Enjoy!

                    

                    

                            

                              

Thanks for visiting,

                                

Must-have Products for Every Girl

Here is a small list of products I have been using for at least two years and pretty much cannot live without. I hope you find this helpful!

Oil Blotting Sheets

If you have ever had oily skin, you have wanted to use this, not kidding. These blot sheets take your face from late-day-look to morning-matte-beauty. I carry oil blot sheets with me everywhere and have multiple packs so I can keep one in a purse, backpack, and bathroom drawer. There are many different brands, I've tried name brands to knock-off generics, they all work and do the job well, just go get some.

Certain Dri Roll-On

Sweating excessively runs in my genes and it shows; well, it used to. Now I use Certain Dri every third night and my problem is all taken care of! No more embarrassment over sweat rings, which results in a happier, more confident Shaylee. PS, I have turned two roommates to the product already and it has changed both of their lives like it did with mine.

Always Infinity Pads

I find tampons very uncomfortable and pads can become irritating. I had seen the Infinity pads but hadn't thought them to be any better than other pads. Then my sweet cousin Kayla said I should try them because they are wonderful.

People. She was right. Wonderful. My body doesn't get irritated with these, it hardly feels like I'm wearing a pad (and they hold a lot, sorry for the TMI).

MAC Paint Pots

These keep eye shadow lasting until it's washed off, they keep the eye shadow from clumping, and give eyes a smooth, finished look. The paint pots come in many different colors according to your skin-type and base eye color preference (I use "bare study," a pale, shimmery base). There are many products like the paint pots from other brands, the reasons I like these are because I can better control the amount by using a brush (versus the product being in a tube and squeezing out too much), and it's a MAC product, always great quality from MAC.

Seche Vita

If nail polish top coats had a hierarchy, this would be the king of all top coats. It makes nail polish dry extremely fast (still need to be careful, of course), gives the nails a nice finish, and makes polish last for a very long time. Not kidding, my polish won't start chipping until one-week of wear.

Thanks for visiting,

Donate to Moore, OK

Now thru May 31 I am donating all profits from print sales to Mercury One's tornado relief fund to help those in Moore, OK. All profits means I will donate all sales minus print costs to the tornado relief fund.

So pass the word along, all profits from every print sold are going to help those in Moore, OK.
Click here to order prints.

Be Confident

Today I didn't have any of my own makeup and hair items to get ready like normal because I was super sick yesterday and spent the night at my parents' house. But after I got out of the shower this afternoon (yes, this afternoon because my morning was spent sleeping to recover) I felt so pretty. This made me wonder how many women will feel so pretty then go out into society and instantly feel inadequate and underdone.

Lynn Butler once told me that even though my body may appear to be under par, that it works. My legs can walk, my back can be straight, my limbs allow me to work. My body works!

So what if my makeup isn't done and I leave the house with my hair wet and left to its own interpretation of "done," I feel pretty because I am healthy and clean, and my body works pretty darn well too.

So be grateful for what you have and use your body while you can.

Thanks for visiting

Revamped

Welcome to my revamped blog! I started this blog almost exactly 5 years ago, wow! And I've been meaning to revamp it for quite some time, "shaybabe904.blogspot.com" isn't the best url to remember, so now I give you "ShayleeTheSunChaser.blogspot.com."

I know I've shared a few times this story about a cute girl's dream and her mother's interpretation and realization, but I figured I should share it again since it is the inspiration for my blog's new title and URL.

For the sake of the author I will lead you to her site because I cannot do this story justice. Please read it, it changed my perspective on living and I think it could have profound insight on yours. Enjoy!

The Girl Who Chased the Sun.

Thanks for visiting

Neglect, much?

I just realized it has been SO long since I've blogged on my personal blog. I've been so busy with work and school and getting used to roommates that I haven't blogged here. Speaking of.. Yes, I did move to Provo. I have good roommates, three other girls, who are really nice and fun to be around.
I have a goal to blog more about favorite things, special memories, yummy food, and good times had with great people. Till then, here are some pictures.