Hands-on Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Serves: 12

Upside-Down Pizza in a Pan

Here’s a clever dish that turns a crowd-pleaser on its head. It’s got all the fixings of a traditional deep-dish pie, such as cheese, pepperoni, and onions, but it’s prepared with the crust on top, casserole-style, so it’s easy to take and share.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 2 (15-ounce) cans Italian-style tomato sauce

• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 cup chopped pepperoni
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 (13.8-ounce) package prepared pizza dough

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the turkey and continue to cook and stir, breaking the meat into small pieces, until it is no longer pink, about 8 minutes.
2. Stir in the tomato sauce, basil, and pepperoni and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Add the pepper, then transfer the mixture to a 9- by 13-inch casserole dish.
3. Scatter the cheese on top and layer on the pizza dough. Bake the casserole until the dough is golden, about 20 minutes. To serve, spoon out portions with a large serving utensil.

Q- What’s your favorite pizza topping that your kids love?

What is a Vlog?  Here is the official “google” definition: Short for “video blog.” A vlog is the video equivalent of a blog, most commonly featured on YouTube. Much like plain ol’ text blogs, these can range from the informative to the hysterical.

I will really work on making my vlogging hysterical, but for the first vlog attempt, it’s just you and me gabbing… well, kinda.  I will admit, it felt a little awkward hiding in a corner of my church cafe talking to myself, but I got through it.  When I showed my hubby the video to preview, he laughed (yes!) and encouraged me to keep vlogging, but to commit from start to finish.  Honestly, I was nervous someone would come around the corner and catch me talking to myself and finally prove that I’m crazy!

3 things I need to improve on my next vlog:

1. Get better lighting so I don’t look green(ish) like Elphaba in Wicked.
2. Sit back a little further from the screen so I don’t cut off my eyebrows.
3. Add a variety of adjectives. Can you guess how many times I say the word “incredible” ?
   

I haven’t picked an official vlog day, but for now … let’s make it a weekly surprise.  My hubby will be my first vlogger guest and share an incredible story from his mission trip.  What topics do you want me to vlog about … any suggestions?

Just click play …

You Inspire Me!

If you are raising funds for adoption or orphan care … I want to help!  Click on the Inlinkz at the bottom of the post and add your information.  If you need Inlinkz 101- take a peek at the description below.  Also, feel free to leave a comment and share your story and project.  This is YOUR shout out!!

PS: If you are selling Simply Love gear … please leave your blogs and links in the comments with a description of your project.

What is your main fear about raising money for adoption or a mission trip? I want to know …

What in the world is the “Inlinkz” at the bottom of this post?  Well, I want to continue to shout out for your adoption and mission trip projects and fundraisers.  This new tool will help YOU spread the word to other bloggers that want to help make a difference in the life of an orphan.  All you need to do is leave your “permalink” with an eye catching title for your projects every Saturday- open to share for 48 hrs. What this means … you have two days to add your link with the Inlinkz tool, but readers can click on your images [here] to view for months to come.

My Crazy Adoption Blog receives over 10,000 monthly readers.  The new InLinkz tool will help bring readers to your site, but it won’t work unless you share!

As I put an adorable “store bought” bow in my daughter’s hair today, I couldn’t help but think of the 4,000+ headbands you sent me to put on the heads of princesses and princess in Uganda on my Visiting Orphans mission trip.  I still can’t believe you mailed me [this year] over 7,000 bows, hair accessories and headbands of love.  The best part, was flipping out my Flip camera and taking this hilarious video of the craziness of crowing bows to the Karamonjong Tribe at Katie Davis’ ministry, Amazima.  I literally dragged myself out of the pile of chaos to ask a few children to say “hello” and “thank you!”

So, thank YOU with all my heart, for making the girls and boys feel beautiful for the day!  You will never know the impact you had on their hearts!  We have some really amazing projects coming up this Fall [here] on the blog.  Let’s wrap up together 2011 loving BIG and making a difference in the life of an orphan.  Ya’ll keep inspiring me to live James 1:27 throughout the year!  I love you sisters!

(Anyone interested in helping me crown princesses for my Haiti mission trip in January? hint hint!)

Enjoy …. your craziest, crazy thank you ever!!

We just adopted…BELLA is finally home & we are all in love with her!

Josh and I have felt it on our heart for years to adopt even before we had kids.  We have tried several times to look into different options but before things could go very far it would always fall through.   We know that at the core of Gods heart is a longing and a desire for children to have life, be loved and cared for.  Here is the answer to YEARS of prayer and a life saved!!  Introducing BELLA CHRISTIAN NEELEY born Sunday, April 19, 2009 at 7:11 am 3.52 kilos, or 7.74 lbs

“True religion is this to care for the orphans and the widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world”-James

I got the call on Sun at 1:45 am that Mary had gone into labor and we (Amanda my friend & I) were to meet her at the hospital.  So I got dressed fast and ran in the dark to my friend Amanda’s house down the road a ways to get her.  There was a little confusion and we finally got a hold of the guy who was to take us to the hospital (remember neither of our families have cars, and bus’ don’t run in the middle of the night here unless they are just getting done drinking or coming from a kava bar (not good if you are the one getting a ride!).  We had woken him up and it turns out he went right back to sleep! So an hour later we figured out what happened and had to wake Amanda’s husband  Jeff (you can’t go out as a girl with out a guy in the  middle of the night for safety reasons.)  Then we had to pray for a Taxi cause it was the middle of the night and just as I prayed one showed up (we had only seen two vehicles period in the last hour we had been there!)

Finally after much waiting and praying Little Bella was born at 7 am!

This photo is of when she was only 20 min old!  Pre bath.  I was the very first person to touch her after delivery except for the nurse who delivered her!  She was under a heat lamp crying while the nurse attended to Mary (birth mother) and I was able to touch her and soothe her.  I was even able to give her her first bath !

The kids and Josh came as soon as they were allowed at about 8:30 on their way to church which happens to be right behind the hospital.  They were all so excited to meet her!

Notice the falling off diaper! Dahlia was crying cause all She got to hold were Bella’s feet.  Pierce and Dahlia just love having a little sister.  Dahlia keeps tugging on my pants saying “I can’t see my baby” when I am holding her.

This morning she got out of bed saying “Ours baby! Ours baby!”  Like where is our baby?  Usually she yells “mama” and waits for me to get her out of bed.  Unfortunately at this point Bella much prefers if Josh or I hold her…Don’t know why.

This is the brave lady who gave Bella to us.  She is sitting with her daughter on her left and her sister on her right.  She is 36 and is not married, and the father is long gone.  Her parents are not willing to take another of her children as they have raised the other kids (the girl above 18 and two boys 7 and 10).  She knew we were her answer to prayer as to what to do concerning the baby.

Giving the baby up was hard for her to do even though she had planned it for months.  It was a bit emotional at the actual passing over when she got off the bus before us.  She didn’t say anything and I croaked out an awkward “Thank you, thank you” not knowing what else to say.  I am pretty sure she didn’t see me crying as I received the baby from her sister who was with her cause she wouldn’t look at me.  I think she was trying not to let me see her emotions.  I  wrote her a letter and stuck it in her bag at the hospital.  I just wanted to go beyond the language barrier and say that we were honored and thanked her for choosing life for our now daughter.  I reminded her that the love we feel for this baby is the same love God has for us (including her) as He says in the Bible he has “adopted” us in to His family.  I continued to tell her that God has a plan for her life and for Bella’s life and that we were blessed to be a part of it.  I also reminded her that God brings the best out of a very bad situation and that this was exactly that.  We have asked her to write a letter to  Bella telling her why she choose to relinquish her to us and that it was not because she didn’t love her…  I hope that she will do that for Bella’s sake and for hers.  We find it amazing that somehow God arranged it all to go so smoothly.  What a blessing little Bella is to us.  Truly Gods gift to us.

Kristy- www.apronsandapples.blogspot.com

I found this yummy sandwich that will feed a crowd or my 17 year old son!  It’s super easy to make and no-fuss make-ahead kind of crown pleaser.  I would have to substitute the “read meat” for turkey or deli chicken, but everything else looks delicious!

What is your favorite sandwich to make for your family?

Ingredients

• 2 loaves (1 pound each) unsliced Italian bread
• 1 package (8 ounces) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese (softened or cubed), softened
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pound thinly sliced fully cooked ham
• 1 pound thinly sliced roast beef
• 12 to 14 thin slices dill pickle

Directions

• Cut the bread in half lengthwise. Hollow out top and bottom of loaves, leaving a 1/2-in. shell (discard removed bread or save for another use).
• In a large bowl, combine cheeses, onions, mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce; spread over cut sides of bread. Layer with ham and roast beef on bottom and top halves; place pickles on bottom halves. Gently press halves together.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Cut into 1-1/2-in. slices. Yield: 12-14 servings.

Summer 2011 was one of my favorite … 2 mission trips, family camp, Sanibel Island, and all the fun stuff in between.  Just like my favorite episode of “The Middle” I lit our new tiki torches and vowed … it’s time to get our summer on!  It’s hard to believe that I have 2 High Schoolers and a new Preschooler.  The kids have such an adventure ahead … a brand new freshman and a senior, who actually got one class together! They are digging a well together and helping the community of Chuko, Wayama have clean water in the spring.  They will both travel again to Ethiopia, and celebrate the inauguration of the completed well project .. hopefully next year!  Our youngest starts preschool this year one day a week.  Princess Z is so excited about going to school like her big siblings.  She has a new back pack and ready to learn and play.

I’m still going to light my tiki tourches for a few more weeks … I have to ease myself out of summer fun.  Thank you bloggers for all your incredible help making bows and headbands this summer and your support for our orphan care projects.  The best is yet to come!

I’m starting my “back to blogging” schedule, too.  We’ll keep the weekly posts fresh and new, as well as old favorites… Wednesday WOW Recipes and adoption stories.  I can’t wait to share new Vlogs (blog + video) from a variety of guests: hubby, friends, and mission team members.  We’re all in this together!  I pray that you continue to love Big and go Big!

What was your best summer adventure?