Lemon Basil Pizza

I was pretty excited about trying this Lemon Pizza recipe from ALEXANDRA COOKS  (AK)

At first I was a little put off by the thought of eating lemon on my pizza, but we were pleasantly surprised!

 I added a few things here and there (like I always do with recipes- perhaps there is something to be said about my personality?) I sometimes wonder how boring life would be if I did follow every exact detail and instruction in life... 

I I definitely see myself making this again in the near future.


First wash and chop up 1 lemon into very thin slices. Then soak in cool water as you prepare the     dough

Preheat oven to highest setting (usually 550 degrees) let it sit at this temperature for apx 1 hour while preparing ingredients. 


Dough: 
I chose to make a yeast-free dough because I was too hungry and impatient to let my dough sit for 3-4 hours ahead of time. It actually went perfect with this pizza. AK has a good dough recipe on her website as well. 
2 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 C of honey
1/2 C of warm water (add more as needed to make dough slightly less then sticky- I like to add it as the dough is being mixed. 
Mix all ingredients together and form into a round disc. 
Dust disc with flour and wrap in saran wrap 
Refrigerate for 15-20min prior to using


Take the lemons out of the water and dry each piece. Cut each piece into half. Set aside.

Start Preparing all of your fresh ingredients (not very many for this simply amazing pizza)
4-5oz ball of mozzarella - chopped into thin slices
1/2 C fresh basil 

Spread dough out onto a well floured surface and use a rolling pin to thin/form dough. 
I used a well floured 9x13" rectangular cookie sheet.

Overlap the pieces of mozzarella with lemon wedges. 
Sprinkle with fresh basil

Cook at 550 degrees for 6-7min. 

Broil for an additional 1-2 minutes until you see the crust edges start to turn brown

I drizzled each piece with a little bit of added honey prior to serving. I definitely recommend! The honey and lemon pair well with the creamy mozzarella cheese! 

MB mentioned trying rosemary on this as well..... we will have to try this next time.

Enjoy!

J.B.

I Love Valspar Paints

This little home project was inspired by Greenindenver.com. What is healthy for the environment is healthy for us!

Non-Toxic paint jobs are crucial when keeping a healthy house & family in mind. Valspar offers many different color selections, all non-toxic. This past week, we decided to re-paint our mud room/dog room.

                         Layla loves her new space and is a fan of the barberry color selection.

Happy Healthy Painting!

~J.B.

Homemade Citronella Candles

My favorite thing to do during late spring and summer, is to sit out on our back porch and enjoy good food and company. 

Dinner parties can be crashed quickly by mosquitos. These homemade citronella candles are an eco-friendly alternative to keep these un-welcomed guests away. 

You can make these in batches, using any container you please.  

Citronella oil is plant based and non-toxic so you don't have to worry about harming your body or the environment. Many of  the newer commercialized citronella candles contain harmful toxins. 

Things you will need:

Containers (mason jars or old buckets are perfect for this project)

Soy wax 

Candle Wicks

Citronella Oil (Easy to find at Whole Foods or similar health food grocer)

Adhere the wick to the bottom of the container and pour in the melted soy wax mixed with the oil.

For an even cuter and more mosquito resistant idea, hang your homemade candles from trees. 

Here is to a bite free summer!

J.B. 

5 ways to be green with your pet and more!

Every move we make is a direct impact on this earth.

Leave it to my lovely sister to create such an insightful blog all about being green. Here is some food for thought.

Greenies indulge in these facts:

 5 ways to be green with your pet

Check out Your Cities "walk score"

Did you know that the average American spends 4 years of their life in the car? This is 8,800 lbs of co2 into our atmosphere per car a year!


Thanks for the education Green in Denver!

~J.B. 

Healthy Living

 

Thanks to my mom, who introduced me to things like chick peas, hummus, broccoli, tofu and falafel, at a young age, my taste buds have a definite appreciation for healthier foods.

As I have quickly picked up from the pediatricians I work closely with, it is the ways in which you introduce these new foods to growing children that matter.  This means introducing savory before sweet. Hold off on those peaches and introduce them to broccoli or spinach first. They watch from a very young age, how their parents regard the healthier food choices. (you don't like it, well they won't like it either) Kids are smart! They can pick up on your facial cues and how much of that spinach you left on your plate. 

The sooner their little taste buds get accustomed to these savory treats, the more likely they are to make healthy decisions in the future. Either way, I can't emphasize it enough. Diet is the single most important lifestyle change anyone can make.

I know that my mom didn't have access to this website when I was tiny, so perhaps it was intuition for her.

This is a website that has been passed down to me from one wise pediatrician: (AAP approved!)

                                                                Nutrition for Children

Sweet Potato Pancakes and Confetti Pasta?! What is there not to like about these recipes. Veggies, staple items and finally finger foods. This is my personal favorite website for home made goodness for children. A great way to introduce them to healthy items from 6 mo of age to 12 years of age. Enjoy!

                                          Nurture Baby

Hope this was inspiring and helpful.

~ Dr. J.B.

Ombre Cake

Maybe it is the long hours at the hospital, requiring brain power, concentration and multitasking, but there is something about baking a beautiful sweet treat that provides me with instant gratification.  Baking takes skill, as does the art of practicing medicine.  Baking  allows for errors,  practicing medicine does not. This sense of freedom is liberating to me. The different textures, smells and colors. Nothing is more pleasing to the human eye and taste buds.


So on with this most recent adventure of baking: My long admired, crush within the world of cakes: The Ombre Cake!

Here is to my attempt- Will post a picture, recipe and any tips soon!

~ J.B. 

Balcony Gardening

Okay, So I must admit, those cute furry little rabbits, are no longer so cute to me. As soon as we moved into our updated, (yet still antique enough to be cute ) house, I had big gardening dreams.

Dreams of tomatoes, strawberries, peppers, herbs ...the list goes on really. Those rascals with the big fluffy tails and long ears have made that mission impossible. As a result, I have had to settle for balcony gardening.

The cast iron baskets were left behind from a previous owner, who probably went through the same gardening challenges that I kept foreseeing in my near future. It was clear that the rabbits were up by 10 and I wasn't about ready to play that game again.

So cast iron baskets were bound to suffice, but those coconut liners would soon prove to be impossible to find. Stakes have been claimed in the gardening mecca of Waldo. I was pretty sure that the neighbor next door had purchased all of the coconut liners, amused by what creative idea I would come up with next. Granted this idea didn't involve an exquisite grand finale, it was inspired by our  Colorado wedding. This non-pretentious way of gardening would soon earn us the delicious reward of basil, oregano, rosemary and tomatoes.

Burlap Basket Liners:
Purchase a yard of burlap (give or take depending on how many baskets you want to line)
Double each piece over and cut just enough to leave some overlapping edges.

These liners seem to allow the soil to drain just enough, but retain some of the moisture when needed. Perfect for growing herbs balcony style.


J. B.