Easy 10 Minute Scones with 5 Pantry Staples and Whipping Cream

It's been a long time since I last posted, over 8 years ago to be exact. The world looks a lot different than when I last posted: a global pandemic, invention of ChatGPT, and the meteoric rise of my favorite artist Taylor Swift. The only one I could have foreseen would have been Taylor Swift as I have been a Swiftie since 2010.

Many things have also changed in my personal life: on the food allergy front, on the family front and on the health front. There is a lot to unpack, especially on the allergy front that I can't wait to share with you. Since my last post, my little man will soon turn 11, and not so little anymore. I am also blessed to have a little princess who recently turned 8. During the pandemic, I discovered a new passion for running and fitness and ran my first 10k in 56 minutes. Stay tuned for content on self care for food allergy parents.

In spite of all the changes, the heart of this blog will remain the same: I remain resolute in my advocacy for those with food allergies, and my inner frugalness wanting to constantly seek the best value for my time and money. 

As a mom of two who loves to overcommit to activities, my time is also limited and precious. I enjoy watching short videos and my goal is to create videos for some of my most popular recipes and share new recipes, life hacks and ways to you save time and money. I will be sharing content on my blog as well as filming YouTube videos and Instagram reels. Thank you for your patience as I learn and grow. 

Reader Survey: Leave me a comment below and let me know a little about you and what type of content interests you. Or head over to this 1 minute survey and let me know what type of content you want to see featured in the future. https://bit.ly/FAMReaderSurvey

I want to conclude my post with a quick recipe for scones using whipping cream. This King Arthur recipe uses only 6 ingredients, and whips up in 10 minutes if you use a food processor or 15 minutes if you don't. For those with food allergies, it is hard to find safe baked treats free of cross contamination. This is why I always resort to making my own and have come to rely on this particular recipe for scones that are quick to whip up, but tender, crumbly and slightly sweet. This recipe is low effort, budget friendly and perfect for Mother's Day celebrations, quick breakfasts on the go, or your next brunch or tea party! For those who are visual, check out my very first YouTube video.  

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour 

1 TBSP baking powder

1 tsp salt (I use sea salt)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-1/2 to 1-1/3 cups whipping cream plus extra for brushing on scones

Sugar for sprinkling 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat like Silpat. 

3. In a bowl or food processor, mix 3 cups of all purpose flour, 1 TBSP baking powder, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. 

4. Mix 1 tsp of vanilla with 1-1/2 to 1-1/3 cups of whipping cream. Slowly mix into the dry ingredients until no traces of flour remain; the dough should not be sticky. Drizzle a tablespoon of whipping cream if the dough looks dry. Repeat as necessary.

5. Lightly flour a surface and dump out the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to 3/4" thickness. With a biscuit cutter, or sharp knife, divide the dough into 12 (or baker's dozen 13) equal sized scones.

6. Brush with whipping cream, and sprinkle sugar on top.

7. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes in the preheated oven until golden brown. 

8. Remove from the oven and serve warm with jam, clotted cream or with a cup of tea.

Source: King Arthur Cream Scones

Savory Green Onion and Egg Pancakes

I have been sick most of December with a severe cold and persistent cough that kept me awake at night. The sleep deprivation was the worst, caused by the non stop cough which got worse at nighttime. The last time I was this sick must have been over 12 years ago.

My husband was a huge help during the 18 days I was sick. He helped take care of the little man after work, grocery shopped, shopped for Christmas presents, cleaned the house and missed his company Christmas party at an upscale restaurant to take care of us. I am so grateful for his help despite his demanding work schedule.

Given my lack of energy, we had soup and congee on rotation for most of our meals. I aimed for quick, easy and simple during those 18 days. After two weeks of soup and congee, we were all ready for a break. Even though I was sick, I would think dream of foods I could eat when I got slightly better: one of things I craved was prime rib, and the other is Chinese green onion and egg pancakes.

When I was young, I would beg my late grandmother to make this green onion and egg pancake on a regular basis. My grandmother would often indulge me as she took immense pleasure in feeding those she love. Even in her last year of life, she would stand over the stove and make all my favorite dishes every time I went home to visit. Since her death over 8 years ago, I have been trying to recreate some of the recipes she used to make as we never wrote down any of her recipes.

This recipe is incredibly easy to make, with only 5 ingredients that you likely already have on hand. I took a short cut and used my blender to combine all the ingredients but you can combine the ingredients by hand as well.

Ingredients
4 large eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1-1/2 cups water
1 tsp salt
2 large stalks of green onion, chopped

Canola oil

Directions
1. In a bowl or blender, mix eggs, flour, water and salt. Once the batter is fully combined, stir in chopped green onions.

2. Add half a tablespoon of canola oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is fully heated, pour/ladle in a thin layer of batter. Cook until the surface of the pancake bubbles and the other side is light golden brown.

3. Flip the pancake and cook until the underside is light golden brown. Repeat with the remaining batter. Make sure to lightly coat the skillet with canola oil before ladling in batter each time. Serve as is or with hot sauce.

Source: Slightly adapted from Asia Dish 

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

It is no secret my husband and I love chicken wings. We could eat chicken wings by the dozens on a daily basis if it wasn't for the fact it isn't healthy to consume copious amounts of chicken wings or the fact it can become an expensive habit.

For those who are as addicted to chicken wings as we are, I have a healthier and cheaper alternative for you. These buffalo cauliflower bites are healthier, cheaper than the traditional buffalo wings which uses chicken wings. After making this more than half a dozen of times, my husband and I agree that it tastes very similar to buffalo chicken wings. Good for your heart and good for your wallet. I could eat dozens of these!

Ingredients
1 medium head of cauliflower, washed and cut into florets

Batter
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cold water
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt

Buffalo Sauce
3 tsp butter
1/2 cup Franks RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, mix flour, water, garlic powder and salt.

3. Coat each cauliflower floret in the batter and shake off any excess batter. I like to put coated cauliflower in a separate bowl and allow the excess batter drip off on their own.

4. Place cauliflower florets on a large greased baking sheet, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Bake for 20 minutes until golden.

5. In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in Franks RedHot Sauce until well mixed.

6. Toss cauliflower florets with the hot sauce mixture until it is evenly coated. Return the cauliflower to the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the cauliflower is crisp.

7. Serve with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing.

Source: Slightly adapted from Franks RedHot

Sweet Corn and Black Bean Salad

This is the salad that I have been eating all summer long. Well, ever since I discovered it at my Sister-In-Law's house back in June.

My Sister-In-Law always serves at least two amazing salads at her dinner parties. The list of salads on her menu rotate as she experiments with different recipes. This leads me to constantly asking her for recipes and helping myself to countless servings shamelessly as a dinner guest. My worst offense has been with this particular salad, where I was responsible for eating most if not all of it. If I recall correctly, other people wanted a second serving as well. Well, first come first served.

Since I couldn't get enough of this salad at my Sister-In-Law's, I had to make it for myself many times to satiate those pesky cravings.

This salad taste best when you use fresh, in season corn and tomatoes. Serve this salad as a side or a main entree, as it's guaranteed to please even the fussiest eaters. I hope your guests will be a little more considerate than I was at sharing.

Ingredients
2 corn off the cob (check out how to cook corn in 3 minutes) or 12 oz (360 ml) can of peaches and cream corn, rinsed and drained
3 vine-ripened tomatoes, diced into small pieces
12 oz (360 ml) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup finely minced red onion
1/8 cup chopped cilantro (optional)

1 large avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped into bite sized pieces

Dressing
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp ground cumin*
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions
1. Combine corn kernels, tomatoes, black beans, red onion and cilantro in a bowl.

2. Mix the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl. Pour the dressing into the vegetables and mix. Allow the salad to marinate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour in the refrigerator for best flavor. Stir in the avocado right before serving.

*For those with peanut and/or tree nut allergies, Clubhouse/McCormick sells spices free of peanuts and tree nuts. This may change without notice, please check with company for up to date information and always read all labels carefully before consuming.

Source: Lola via Frugal Allergy Mom

Weekday Banana Pancakes

On my blog, you will notice that there is a lack of breakfast recipes, for good reason. That's mainly because I am not a morning person. Paying attention in the morning is a challenging task for me, at least until I have had a cup or two of caffeine.

I made this recipe a few months ago and never got around to posting it. It all came about when my little man wanted pancakes on a weekday morning. Had this been on a weekend, I would have happily pawned him off to my husband. But since it was a weekday, I had to suck it up and cook up some pancakes, at 7 am. Explaining to a hungry toddler why I don't like mornings seemed like more work to me than making the pancakes.

Luckily for me, this recipe is fairly straightforward and did not require too many steps. As I was nursing my mug of tea, I mused to myself, "Hey, this is a pretty simple recipe. I could pull this off on a weekday morning."

Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 ripe bananas, mashed

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine flour, white sugar, baking powder and salt.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together egg, milk, vanilla, vegetable oil and bananas.

3. Stir the liquid mixture into the dry mixture until the flour is just mixed in. Do not over mix.

4. Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat.

5. Scoop 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan and cook the pancake until the pancake is bubbly on top.

6. Flip the pancake and cook for another minute or two until the pancake is golden brown.

Freeze/Make Ahead: Allow the banana pancakes to cool to room temperature before wrapping each stack of 5 pancakes in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped stacks of pancakes into a ziploc bag, date and freeze for up to a month.

Source: Allrecipes

4 Ingredient Microwaved Gluten-Free Bread (Ready in 3 Minutes)

Baking bread in the oven is the last thing I want to do in the summer when it is hot and sunny outside. When I came across this microwaved bread recipe on Pinterest, I was delighted. The best part about this recipe is that it is ready in 3 minutes.

This recipe was incredibly easy to whip up and required only 4 ingredients: melted butter, coconut flour, egg and baking powder. After allowing the bread to cool down a little, I sliced the bread in half and spread a little raspberry jam on each slice of bread. My little man and I both loved this quick and easy microwaved bread as it was soft and fluffy. This bread reminded me of a dense and unsweetened sponge cake both in taste and texture.

For those with gluten allergies, this recipe is effortless, made to order and a delicious alternative to expensive store-bought specialty bread.

Ingredients
1 tbsp butter
1 large egg
1 tbsp coconut flour
1/4 tsp baking powder

Directions
1. Place 1 tablespoon of butter in a small microwavable bowl measuring 4.5 inches across (I used a small Pyrex glass container). Microwave for 10 to 20 seconds until melted. Swirl the melted butter around so that it coats the bowl.

2. To that same bowl, add the egg, coconut flour and baking powder. Mix thoroughly until the batter is smooth and no lumps remain.

3. Microwave on high for 90 seconds until the bread has puffed up and is firm to the touch. The bread will pull away from the bowl once it is cooked. Repeat in 15 second increments if the bread feels soft to the touch or sticks to the bowl.

4. Allow the bread to cool for a minute before loosening it with a knife. Invert the bowl and slice the bread in half. Serve with jam, honey, butter or your favorite seed butter!

Source: Slightly adapted from Healthy Recipes

Jamba Juice Strawberries Wild Smoothie Copycat Recipe

Summer used to be my favorite season of the year. At the end of each school year, I would happily draw up a list of "Must Do Activities" and check them off as I accomplished them.

I mean, what's not to like about Summer? Warm days, no school, later bedtime, and endless playing around outside (unchaperoned) with the only mandate to return home before it got dark. I rode my trusty bike everywhere, read all of my favorite books and met up with friends to play. I basked in the warm Summer sun for hours on end.

Since I have transitioned to the role of being a Stay At Home Mom, my days are filled with activities for the little man. While I may not enjoy Summers as much since I have become a heat wimp with a never-ending to do list, I experience sheer joy watching my son playing at the water park, riding his bike, kicking a soccer ball or blowing bubbles. Most of these things are a daily Summer time ritual for us since the little man loves playing outside.

To cope with the intense heat wave we had lately, we would cool off with this delicious Jamba Juice strawberries wild smoothie copycat recipe. I love this strawberry smoothie so much that I have been making it on a daily basis since my discovery 3 weeks ago.

For us, this is the perfect Summer time drink: cold, refreshing and full of nutrients. The best part about this recipe is that it is takes no time to prepare, so you can take this smoothie with you to the park. It is a great way to hydrate and energize your little ones and yourself as you bask in the summer sun (or hide in the shade like I do these days!). This is one recipe that is definitely on my "Must Do" list for the Summer.

Ingredients
3/4 cup pure apple juice (I like Sunrype 100% Pure Apple Juice)
1 cup fresh strawberries
1 cup plain yogurt
1 frozen banana, peeled
3/4 cup ice cubes
2 tbsp honey

Directions
1. In a blender, add the ingredients in the following order: apple juice, strawberries, yogurt, frozen banana, ice cubes and honey. Blend on high for 10 seconds or longer until the ingredients are fully blended and no ice chunks remain. Serve immediately.

Source: Slightly adapted from Rasa Malaysia

10 Minute Cold Sesame Noodle Salad

Vancouver, or Raincouver, as it is fondly known by locals is going through a heat wave this summer. We have had sunny skies for more consecutive days than I can count and being the heat wimp that I am, I have my fingers crossed for cooler weather and some rain.

With such intense heat, the last thing on my mind is standing over a hot stove. I aim for quick meals that require little stove action which taste delicious and are quick to prepare. This recipe has become a family favorite and my husband declared this as one my of best recipes.

Thinking back on my childhood, this was one of my mom's favorite go-to meals in the summer as well: easy and delicious. Her version uses peanut butter instead of seed butter, but I would highly suggest using seed butter (that contain sesame) as it tastes much better and more friendly for those with peanut/tree nut allergies!

Ingredients
454 g spaghetti or thin egg (Chow Mein) noodles
1 large cucumber, julienned
2 medium carrots, julienned
2 stalks green onions (optional)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Sauce
1/3 cup seed butter (preferably one that contains sesame)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/2 tsp Sriracha hot sauce, or hot pepper flakes (optional)

Directions
1. Boil water in a large pot over high heat. Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions, drain and soak the noodles in cold water until it is cool to the touch. Drain again.

2. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, mix the seed butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, black pepper, ginger and hot sauce together. Stir and simmer the sauce until it is smooth.

3. Pour the sauce over the cold noodles and toss with cucumber, carrots, green onions and cilantro (if using). Garnish with sesame seeds. This can be chilled or served at room temperature. Personally, I find this noodle salad taste the best after chilling in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Source: Adapted from Food

Healthy Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies (Free of Top Allergens)

I am not a morning person. Never have been, and likely never will be.

My little man on the other hand, loves getting up early.

With an early riser in the family, nowadays I get up as early as 5 am. I have found that since I get up much earlier now, I like to have a light breakfast to tide me over until lunchtime.

I discovered this Healthy Banana Oatmeal Cookie recipe back in April and have made it countless times. This recipe is quick and easy to make, and can be kept in the fridge for up to a week (if it lasts that long).

For those with food allergies, this recipe is free of all the top allergens. I made my own apple sauce from scratch using this recipe and substituted honey in place of sugar to make these cookies even healthier. Did you know you can freeze homemade apple sauce?

These Healthy Banana Oatmeal cookies are a huge hit and a winner in our household as they are delicious, sugar free and good for you.

It makes me feel like a rebel when I tell my little man he can have a cookie at 5 am. Just don't tell him these cookies are healthy! ;)

Makes: 20 to 24 cookies

Ingredients
3 large ripe bananas
2 cups rolled oats (gluten-free or regular)
3/4 to 1 cup sugar free dried fruit (homemade or store bought; I used dried cranberries)
1/3 cup apple sauce (homemade or store bought)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions
1. Mash the bananas in a large bowl. Add in dried fruit, apple sauce and vanilla.

2. Mix well and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. Please do not skip this step as the oatmeal needs to soak up all the moisture to bind the ingredients together.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

4. Drop cookies by the teaspoonful onto a parchment lined baking sheet. With the back of a large teaspoon, flatten the cookie flat into a round shape.

5. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown.

6. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes before eating. Store in a tight lidded container for up to a week in the fridge.

Source: Adapted from Allrecipes

Oven Baked Parsnip Fries

A couple of weeks ago, I came across parsnips while shopping at Sunrise Market. At $0.19 a pound, I was curious enough to buy a few parsnips to make parsnip fries.

I have had parsnip at various restaurants before, but I have never made them at home. As I was peeling the parsnips, I realized how similar parsnips and carrots are, in terms of smell, texture and looks.

I served my parsnip fries as a side to homemade salmon burgers. To quote Tony the Tiger, they are "grrrr-reat!"

Ingredients
2-1/2 pounds parsnips, peeled and cut into 3 x 1/2" sticks
1/2 tbsp dried rosemary (or 1 tbsp fresh)
1 large garlic clove, finely minced
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp cumin powder
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Toss parsnips, rosemary, garlic and oil in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Spread out the parsnip in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

4. Bake for 10 minutes and flip the parsnip to cook the other side. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of ground cumin and toss to coat.

Source: Slightly adapted from Epicurious

Braised Tofu Stir Fry (Vegetarian)

My late grandmother was a huge fan of braising: tofu, pork, fish, chicken, you name it. In Mandarin, the words "hong shao" translates literally into "red braised", which generally refers to food cooked slowly and simmered for a long time.

When I saw this recipe, it reminded me of another dish my grandmother would make frequently. I made a few changes to the recipe to reflect how my grandmother made it. I pan-fried the tofu until it was golden brown and used different vegetables than requested for in the recipe. I would highly recommend pan frying the tofu until it is golden brown; otherwise, the tofu will fall apart when you stir fry it. If you are using a non-stick pan, it will also take longer to pan-fry the tofu than in a wok. As for the vegetables, you can use any vegetables you have on hand such as thinly sliced carrots, snow peas, sugar peas, celery or sui choy.

This recipe was definitely a winner in my books. The little man preferred the Chinese Braised Stuffed Tofu as it is more flavorful, easier to spear with chopsticks (he's learning quickly!) and tastes the least like tofu (which I suspect is the reason why he was not a fan of this dish). Next time, I will try using deep fried tofu instead of medium firm tofu and switch up the vegetables to see if it will help change my little man's mind (bell peppers are not his favorite).

Ingredients
1 package medium firm tofu (2 blocks)
5 shitake mushrooms, fresh or dry
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 green bell pepper, julienned
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Sauce
1-1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Cornstarch Slurry
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water

Directions
1. If using dried shitake mushrooms, soak it in a bowl of hot water. Cover the bowl with a plate and soak for at least 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, wash the shitake mushrooms thoroughly under running water. Slice the shitake mushrooms into thin slices.

2. Cut the tofu into 1/2 inch thick slices.

3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat or a wok over high heat. Pour in the vegetable oil.

4. Add the tofu in a single layer. Sear each side until it is golden brown.

5. In a bowl, mix the vegetable stock, oyster sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, shaoxing wine, sugar and salt.

6. Pour in the stock mixture, add in the garlic and sliced shitake mushrooms.

7. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover with a lid and simmer for 5 minutes.

8. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and the water. Set aside.

9. Remove the lid and add in the vegetables and cornstarch slurry. Gently stir the tofu, making sure not to break the tofu.

10. Simmer until the sauce has thickened. Serve hot over steamed rice.

Source: Slightly adapted from Woks of Life

Addictive Sweet Onion Dip

My awesome Sister-In-Law invited us over for Easter dinner. We feel quite blessed to live close to her as she makes delicious nut-free food. As a food allergy mom who cooks from scratch 7 days a week, this is one of the few ways that I get a break from the kitchen.

As a family, we love our dips. I know my Sister-In-Law loves dips since she always serves a hot baked dip at all her parties. The most famous and requested dip of them all is my Sister-In-Law's famous Hot Artichoke Dip.

Since I am bringing a dip to my Sister-In-Law's, it would be silly to make a hot artichoke dip. Especially since she is the expert!

Then I recalled reading about an onion dip by White On Rice Couple. I have been following their blog for a few years now and love reading about their incredible garden farm where they produce "bountiful" fresh fruits and vegetables. The fact that they are good friends with my favorite blogger in the whole wide world (Jen Yu of Use Real Butter) gives them a lot of credit in my books. This dip sounds like it would be the perfect thing to bring to my Sister-In-Law's.

This is one addictive dip: hot and creamy with a mild flavor of sweet caramelized onions. My Sister-In-Law kept telling me how good the dip is and judging by the near empty bowl, everyone else seemed to like it too.

If you want people to invite you over for dinner, make this Sweet Onion Dip. And if you want people to love you, bring the Hot Artichoke Dip too!

Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup mayonnaise (Hellman's/Best Foods brand)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup diced onion
1 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In an oven safe bowl, mix the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, onion and black pepper together until it is fully combined.

3. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour until the crust is golden brown to dark brown. Serve with the carb of your choice or crudités platter. 

Source: White On Rice Couple

Greek Pizza

At every university I have attended or visited, there is always one pizza parlour that stands out above the rest. At the University of British Columbia, Pie R Squared, (the pizza parlour in the Student Union Building) is amazing. For $2.75, you get a generous slice of pizza that will fill your belly. The selection was always quite good as it offered vegetarian pizzas as well as the tried and true (looking at you Pepperoni pizza!). Usually about an hour after eating my slice of pizza, I'm ready for a nap.

One of my personal favorites is the Greek pizza loaded with feta cheese, tomato, bell peppers, red onions and olives. What I love about the Greek pizza is that I feel like it's a balanced meal: protein, vegetables and carbohydrates all in one neat package.

Today, I decided to try out a new pizza dough recipe. This recipe is not great but not bad either. It is a little chewier than other pizza doughs I have made but I still prefer my other pizza dough recipe over this one. Try both recipes and let me know which one you prefer!

Makes: Two 10 inch pizzas

Ingredients
1-1/2 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour (plus an extra 1/8 cup of flour as needed)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano

3 - 4 tbsp vegetable oil

Toppings (for 2 pizzas)
2 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 bell pepper, diced
1 large tomato, diced
1/4 red onion, sliced (optional)
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, sliced

Directions
1. Mix yeast and sugar in warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer until it dissolves. Allow the yeast to bloom.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add in oil, flour, salt, garlic powder and dried oregano. Turn the stand mixer to low and once all the flour has been incorporated, turn the mixer to medium speed and knead for 5 minutes until a dough ball forms. The dough should be slightly tacky but does not stick to your hands.

3. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Place the bowl in the oven with the oven light turned on and allow the pizza dough to rise for 15 minutes.

4. Dump the dough onto a counter lightly dusted with flour and knead a few times. Divide the dough into 2 balls of equal size. Stretch, toss or roll out the dough to approximately 10 inches.

5. Place a cast iron skillet in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

6. Take the cast iron skillet out of the oven once the oven is preheated. Drizzle with a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil to coat the skillet.

7. Add the pizza dough to the cast iron skillet and drizzle the pizza dough with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. With your hands or a brush, spread the olive oil all over the pizza dough.

8. Sprinkle feta cheese, bell pepper, tomato, red onion and Kalamata olives on top.

9. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the middle rack until the pizza crust is golden brown.

Source: (Dough) slightly adapted from Food; (Toppings) Frugal Allergy Mom

Homemade Honey Garlic Sauce

Honey garlic sauce is very versatile. You can use it as a marinade or sauce for chicken (oven baked wings), ribs, deep fried pork, meatballs, the possibilities are endless.

A jar of honey garlic sauce purchased from the store can set you back a pretty penny. Here's a recipe to make it from scratch with ingredients you already have in your pantry. And it takes very little effort as well: throw everything together and let it boil. It can't get easier than that!

Ingredients
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger root, minced
2-1/2 cups water
5 tbsp honey
1/4 cup soy sauce

Cornstarch Slurry
3 tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cup water

Directions
1. In a saucepan over medium high heat, mix together brown sugar, garlic, ginger, water, honey and soy sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil.

2. Whisk together cornstarch and water a small bowl, and add it to the sauce mixture. Boil until the sauce is thickened.

Source: Allrecipes