While you were shopping for puzzles

I’ve been planning on going shopping for several days.  I’d made a great list of all the places I wanted to go.  Since I was going to the next town over, I made sure I included all the places that I can’t go when I go to my normal haunts (yes, small town living really is that way!).  Z-DOW has some birthday money to spend, so she decided to come along.  Luckily, she’s old enough that I can drop her there and then run where I want to go.  Then, whoever gets done first (that’s ALWAYS me) calls the other one and we meet up.  It works out pretty well, except for the part where I said “pretty well” just now. 

There are several challenges to shopping with Z-DOW.  I don’t know if it’s because she’s Z-DOW, or if it’s because she’s a teenager, or if it’s because she has ADHD, or what.  But I do know that she’s S-L-O-W. 

For instance; I dropped her at Barnes and Noble.  I drove over to Bath and Body Works, browsed and bought 8 items.  I left and went next door to Old Navy.  I hit every sale rack, found 2 shirts for Aspie girl, a tank top for myself and debated on a cute little coat for the dog (I didn’t get it).  I paid for that stuff, drove back to Barnes and Noble, exchanged a damaged book at customer service and was just being lured to the magazine department by the call of glossy covers when she called. 

Z-DOW “Mom?”

Me  “Mmhmm?”

Z-DOW “Are you done?”

Me “Yup.  I sure am, are you ready?”

Z-DOW “Well, I found a puzzle.  But, I still want to look at the books, o.k.?”

Me  “You found a . . . puzzle?”

Z-DOW  “Yea!  It’s really cool!  But, I still need to look for books, o.k.?”

Me  “I’m sorry, Z-DOW, we’re out of time here.  If I make it two more steps toward the magazines we’ll never get out of here.”

Z-DOW  “You’re here already?!?  MOM!  NO!  I want to look at the books!  Go exchange the damaged book, o.k.?  I’ll hurry now.”

*Sigh*  See what I mean?  I did all that running and buying and she had picked out . . . a puzzle (which she didn’t buy).

So, you know what happened, right?  I took one. two. three steps toward the magazines.  Then, I turned around and went to the gardening section.  MUCH safer.  Gosh, I wish I could/would garden.  It doesn’t take long:  bored.  I’ll head over toward the gaming stuff, maybe Z-DOW will be here . . . and then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw them.  Maaagazines. 

I love ‘em.  I can’t help it.  Big ones, little ones, cooking ones, gossip rags, psychology ones, girly glizty mags, weight loss issues, THE BIGGEST COOKIE COLLECTION of the year,  Paula Dean (doncha just love ‘er?) . . . oh jeez.  And they are so mean at Barnes and Noble.  They put these big ol’ benches right there in front of the racks and you can make this huge spread while you decide which ones you can’t live without. 

My magazine habit started about 9 years ago after the birth of Aspie girl.  I started spending an inordinate amount of time in medical offices.  What in the world do you do when sit in the waiting room?  That’s right; you read magazines.  And so.  There it is.  I am addicted to magazines and it’s all my kids’ fault.

Well, anyhow, I managed to leave Barnes and Noble today with just the smallest pile of only the very most important-nist magazines that no-one should be without.  Oh yeah, and I left broke.  But happy.  Giddy, even.

This is good news for you guys on two fronts.  First, I bought (ahem, a couple) cooking magazines, which means new recipes when I finish mish-mashing the ideas together.  Second, it means you get an oldie, but a goodie for today.  See, the thing about shopping is that when you’re all done you’re hungry, tired, and ready to be off your feet.  So, typically you end up at the food court debating over (I guess you could call them) tacos, or (I think this used to resemble) Chinese.  Yuck.  OR, Maybe you’re lucky and have a pizza joint at your mall that actually leaves the room temperature pizza in the oven long enough to kill the bacteria?  We don’t.   So, I was really, really smart and started my crockpot in the morning and I got to come home to some serious yummy-ness.  Next time you spend a day with your teen, or get pulled in by the glam of the mags, be sure and start the crockpot before you go.

Magic Crust Pizza

This recipe serves 8.  You can add your favorite pizza ingredients, or leave it as written, it’s yummy just the way it’s written!

1 1/2  lbs ground turkey or ground beef
1  onion, chopped
1  green pepper, chopped & seeded
16  ounces spaghetti sauce
16  ounces pizza sauce
16  ounces frozen kluski noodles or Reames frozen noodles 
1  cup sliced mushrooms
1 (8  ounce) package sliced pepperoni
16  ounces cheese, shredded

Brown ground turkey or beef with onion and green pepper.

Drain and add spaghetti sauce and pizza sauce.

Use a crock pot liner or spray crock pot with non-stick spray.

Layer ingredients in the following order. (Make sure you cover the noodles with cheese and/or sauce completely, or they will get hard).

Put a small layer of sauce in the bottom then,

1/2 Noodles.

1/2 Sauce.

1/2 Mushrooms, onions and green pepper.

1/2 Pepperoni.

3/4 Cheese.

and repeat, ending with the remaining cheese on top.

Cook on low for 2-4 hours, making sure that the cheese does not burn.  (Note:  My crockpot cooks really hot, so your crockpot might not burn it in 4 hours.  If you want to leave it longer than 4 hours, leave the cheese off the top and wait until you come home to add it.  The cheese on top is what likes to burn.)

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