So, as promised, the first week of the month I'm sharing the first ever
Double Green Tip!!!
Rags VS. Paper Towels
While paper towels may be convenient and easy to use, they aren't exactly earth/wallet friendly. We use them for spills and cleaning in nearly every room in the house, and for a big cleaning job, I've often used between half and a whole roll. And while they're not the most expensive thing on your grocery list, they ARE a constant cost that adds up, especially when you use them frequently.
SO, to save a few trees and a few dollars, I've transitioned over to using T-shirt rags. To make these, I simply take old T-shirts (i.e., my husband's high school band shirts or cheap thrift store finds) and cut them into large pieces, like so:
2. Cut off the top of the shirt (it's easiest to cut through both the back and the front at the same time).
3. Cut up the middle of the shirt (again, going through both sides).
4. Cut slits in the sleeves.
I have been keeping a store of T-shirt rags in my laundry room, and am about to make more to keep in my kitchen. So far, they work just as good or better than paper towels for dusting, cleaning bathrooms (including mirrors!), wiping up spills and wiping down counters. The best part is, they can be wrung out and reused to finish a job, and then washed and reused indefinitely. And it's a good way to recycle stained/torn T-shirts!
And now, the Dinner of the Week!
Whole Wheat No-Rise Crust Chicken Pizza
Sauce:
2 small cans low sodium tomato paste
1 large family size can of diced, stewed tomatoes (low sodium)
1 medium can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 t chopped garlic (fresh or dried)
3 T Italian herb mix
1/2 t crushed red pepper
1 t crushed rosemary
1 t salt alternative
Method:
Combine all in a large saucepan and simmer for about 1/2 an hour. I always cook a large amount, and freeze my extras in freezer ziplocks. This makes it easy to break off a chunk and defrost it later.
Crust:
1 c all-purpose flour
2 c whole wheat flour
3/4 c grated parmesan
1 (.25 oz) package active dry yeast
1 t low salt alternative like "No Salt"
2 T Italian herbs
1 t crushed rosemary
1/2 t crushed red pepper
1 t garlic powder or chopped fresh garlic (optional)
2 T oil
1 c warm water
extra: cornmeal and canola butter (a blend of 1/2 canola oil and 1/2 butter) for later.
Method:
In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Then, mix in the oil and water using a spoon or the lowest setting on a mixer. Once dough forms a ball, flour your hands and gently knead it for a few minutes. Either hand stretch or roll dough out to a large circle. Sprinkle cornmeal on your pizza pan and place the dough on top of it. Sauce and top it as desired and bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. It rises in the oven, so you can bake it right away! As soon as it comes out, brush the crust with canola butter.
Suggested toppings:
chopped cooked chicken (great way to get rid of some leftovers!)
chopped onions
chopped canned jalapeno peppers
sliced mushrooms (fresh or canned)
hand shredded fresh spinach leaves
turkey pepperonis
parmesan (SO much better put on before you bake it!)
diced tomatoes
I hope you enjoy!! See you next week! :)
