I’ve got one car stuck in the driveway, my husband working from home in my office right now, and all the faucets in my house set to a steady stream of water so they don’t freeze up (again).
If Oklahoma makes it through this insane winter blast, it will be a miracle. We just simply aren’t built for this. Can we withstand 100+ days of 100 degree weather? Absolutely. Can we handle -5 degree temperatures for 10 hours? No way.
We’re lucky, though. Our power hasn’t gone out once and we still have heat and hot water. We’ve cranked the heater WAY down, though, to 65 degrees to try an conserve. Our electricity bill estimate for next month is already $400 (we are all electric AND on well water that runs on an electric pump, so the water constantly trickling adds to that bill).
But at least we aren’t Texas. I feel so bad for my friends south of the Oklahoma border who have been 36 hours or more without electricity and can see their breath in their own homes. I coudn’t imagine. The most my power has ever been out before was 8 hours and I had a meltdown like a toddler.
Back here at home, we’re staying warm with what we eat, but we also have to be careful with what we eat. We aren’t running any major appliances right now (except for the fridge) so that means dishes are piling up in our sink. We’ve scoured the earth for paper plates and managed to pile up some to eat off of for now. That means my homemade tomato soup will have to wait a while to get eaten.
This pizza bake has been a hit for my husband and I (it was supposed to be part of his lunches this week but I’ve snuck a bite here and there). It refrigerates wonderfully and easy to reheat and nosh on for dinner. You can experience all the great things about pizza without making it too unhealthy.
Hope you stay warm in this trying time!
Quinoa Pizza Bake
A healthier version of pizza with a quinoa crust.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 (16 oz.) jar marinara or spaghetti sauce
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella or cheese blend
- 1 cup sliced pepperoni or turkey pepperoni
Directions
- Cook quinoa according to package instructions. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, brown ground turkey over medium heat. Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Cook until browned, about 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in marinara/spaghetti sauce and heat to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 5-6 minutes.
- Grease a 8″ pie pan. Spoon about a tablespoon of the meat sauce on the bottom. Top with quinoa, patting with the back of a spoon to make flat. Top with meat sauce. Sprinkle cheese on top and top pepperoni.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and pepperoni starts to curl. Let cool and then cut into slices.
leencuisine.com 