Big Blue Pot ~ Feeling Lazy

Ahhhh, we made it through the Christmas celebrations and my husband's birthday (which he notes is the reason for the season) unscathed.  After polishing off Patrick's birthday cake (Barefoot Contessa's Mocha Icebox cake)  on Sunday night, I felt the warm and heavy weight of fatigue start to settle in.  I didn't think I would ever want to cook again or eat for that matter...let it be noted that I would make an exception for the cake as it was damn good...but I digress.

Thinking ahead to my work week and meal making for my family left me a bit uninspired.  I decided to go with my lazy outlook and plan some meals that were easy.  Let me introduce to you Baked Vegetable Rice.  Wait, wait, before I introduce you to the main dish, let me first pay homage to the Big Blue Pot.  Doesn't she look lovely out there in the snow on our back deck?  I placed her so because I have discovered that I really have a crappy camera when it comes to indoor picture taking.  Anyway, here she sits all big and blue.  I used to dread the sight of the Big Blue Pot growing up.  Whenever my mom would pull it out from the cabinets, I would respond by rolling my eyes and quickly trying to steal a snack so I wouldn't be hungry come dinner time.  My mom would use the offending pot for coq au vin and beef bourguignon and other such dishes repugnant to a teenager.   I think my sister also shared my dread of the Big Blue Pot which makes the fact that she gave me one for Christmas a few years ago all the more curious.  Did she do this because she loves me and knew I would appreciate it with my more adult palette or was it some sort of evil joke akin to her "fun" games of holding me down and spitting on my face and other various forms of torture from growing up?  Oh, but I am getting off track again.  Let me get back to the Big Blue Pot.  I now love her and use her great ceramic cooking talents quite often.   I knew she would be just perfect for the veggie rice.

Pizza Pockets

Wow, I feel I've neglected our blog...and so soon.  I apologize.   I've been a little under the weather with a cold that hung on for over 26 days and well.....(guess this would be an official announcement) with this new little one on the way my appetite has been severly under the weather.  With all this said, cooking just hasn't doable.  With all the aromas that are a product of cooking, I would have spent more time in the Loo than in the kitchen had I even tried to attempt it.  And lets be honest, cereal is yummy!  Brad was a trooper, cooking what frozen left overs we had stockpiled and improvising other nights, he kept himself and Lizzie satisfied.  But, I'm back to it now and am sure Brad is glad to hand the kitchen back over. And what did I get back into the groove with?  Pizza Pockets - one of our go-to recips for weekly dinners.  I always have homemade pizza dough in the fridge and the other ingredients are staples in our household.  If I don't have arugula, or can't seem to find it on its own (vs. mixed with radicchio and frisee) I use baby spinach.  These pizza pockets are fun, easy and very good with many meats.  I used Italian chicken this time around, although the recipe calls for Italian ground Turkey.  But if you really want to know what i use most frequently, its ground italian venison which makes the ultimate healthy organic and lean pizza pocket.  And this meal, comes with a side of dipping marinara and what kiddo doesn't like to dip their dinner?!?!  This recipe feeds 3 adults so double if making for more or if you want leftovers.  They can easily be reheated in the toaster oven!