Finally a recipe!

I seriously feel like sometimes I am allergic to blogging or at least I am a sprinter not a marathon runner. I guess that is how the roller coaster of life goes, one day you have plenty of time to write things and the next you are scrambling to write two lines. I still haven't heard from the job yet, it is really starting to weigh on me. I think Jesus is really trying to pull me close to him during this season of Advent, since advent means the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event. I have no doubt God is trying to teach me a lesson of patience and awaiting the arrival of the gifts He longs to give me. But I will say waiting is so hard! I want to start planning where I'll be living, starting to do SC state paperwork, hospital credentialing and so much more! God is allowing me time to anticipate His arrival on Christmas and not to get caught up in the worldly things. 

I do have some very EXCITING news to tell everyone though! My sister and bro-in-law and my niece and nephew will be moving back to Georgia next month! Not Augusta, but Athens... 1.5 hours away from us! I am beyond shocked but it has been an intention of the Novena to St. Andrew so I should not be surprised that God has answered my prayers. My brother in law, Christopher, got a post doctorate position at UGA for at least a year, up to three if funding continues. He just defended his thesis and finished his dissertation this past Wednesday out at the University of Utah and has been looking for a post doc position for many months now. All of his most promising options never came to fruition, and on a whim he emailed a gentleman he met at a conference who Christ knew was taking a job at UGA. Little did he know a chance email would turn in to them moving back to GA and Chris with a job. Praise God! The crazy thing is that my brother in law will be starting Feb 1, 2012! So they have to pack everything up and drive across the country in a little over a month. My sister says that she and the kids will come early and stay with our parents so that they can look for a house in the mean time. My sister still has to find a job as an RN there so she won't need to be working. Can't wait to see my super cute niece and nephew again, and on a more regular basis.

I recently tried a recipe that I found on Pinterest. I know this has become the new craze but I love finding new recipes because I am sometimes a very picky eater so I would never have looked up some of these recipes on my own. 

So here is my latest creation... Strawberry Balsamic Pizza with Chicken, sweet onion and apple wood smoked bacon . Might I add that this was DELICIOUS!!! I normally don't like to mix tastes but this was heavenly. I even made a believe out of my skeptical mother. =)

(pardon the very poor camera quality, took this from my phone and I think I had something on my lens when I took it)

Recipe: from The Cafe' Farine

Balsamic Strawberry Pizza with Chicken, Sweet Onion and Applewood Smoked Bacon 

Ingredients:
½ cup strawberry jam or preserves, use your favorite
¼ cup balsamic vinegar ( white balsamic can be used too)
1 teaspoon Sriracha Chili Sauce
1 ball pizza dough (I used pillsbury's thin pizza crust in a can but you can get premade pizza dough from many grocery stores, like Publix or Trader Joe's)
1 cup diced or shredded chicken breast, from rotisserie chicken or left over chicken of any kind
½ cup applewood smoked bacon, cut in 1 inch pieces, cooked and drained
½ cup thin sliced sweet onion
12 ounces shredded Italian blend cheese 
¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh strawberries, diced small

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Place balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 4 to 5 minutes or until reduced to half of the original volume and mixture is thick and syrupy. Add strawberry preserves and Sriracha and mix well. Set aside to cool.

3. Pat or roll out pizza dough on a lightly floured surface to approximately a 14 inch circle. Shape does not have to be perfect, this is a rustic pizza. I placed dough directly onto the baking sheet/pizza pan. The original recipes is a bit more involved than I thought it needed to be.

4. Combine chicken with 2 tablespoons of the balsamic-strawberry mixture and mix to coat all chicken with sauce. Pour rest of sauce onto pizza dough and spread to cover. Leave a 1 inch border all around the edge. Scatter chicken evenly over the sauce.

5. Place about 3/4 of the cheese on top of dough and spread to cover sauce evenly. Scatter  bacon and sweet onion over cheese to distribute evenly. Scatter remaining cheese over this layer.

6. Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden brown. Watch carefully, at this temperature it is easy to burn the pizza!

7. Remove from oven and let cool slightly, 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and fresh diced strawberries. Serve and enjoy! 

Try it, you won't be disappointed! 

+AMDG+