pizza pizza

Homemade bread goes stale quickly, as there aren't any preservatives used to make it. In an effort to savor every last bite of my first loaf of homemade Italian bread, I drizzled a little olive oil over the top, mixed ricotta cheese with Italian spices, salt, pepper and chopped ham, and spread the cheese mixture on the bread for a quick pizza. A couple minutes in the broiler and voila!

I also made one with sauteed carrots and spinach for a veggie pizza, which was just as good.

homemade bread!

Now, I know making bread from scratch is commonplace for some people, but definitely not for me! I've made quick breads before, but never one with as many steps as this. This is from "The Bread Bakers's Apprentice" by Peter Reinhart, which is a beautiful, step-by-step guide to making whatever kind of bread you can imagine.

I'm not going to post the recipe because it's three pages long - if anyone really wants it, leave me a comment and I'll pass it along when I have a couple hours to spare ;)

Rachel Ray strikes again!

It's been a while since I posted any updates, and these delicious little cakes are a great place to start! Rachel Ray's pumpkin whoopie pies with cream cheese filling - on my! They are just perfect for fall, though I have a feeling I'll be making them year-round.

The recipe made a lot of filling - I love a lot of icing so I piled it in, yet there was still some leftover.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, 1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon plus 2 pinches salt
1 2/3 cups flour
4 ounces cream cheese, chilled
1 cup confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the baking powder, the baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour.
3. Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop 12 generous mounds of batter, spaced evenly, onto each baking sheet. Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the cream cheese. Add the confectioners' sugar and the remaining 2 pinches salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; mix on low speed until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
5. Spread the flat side of 12 cakes with the cream cheese frosting. Top each with another cake