I don’t like cooking. I always mess something up.  I’m not really sure if I mess up because I don’t like cooking or if I don’t like cooking because I mess up…it’s a chicken or egg sort of thing. I hate how it takes soooo long to make things and not nearly as long to eat them. And then there’s the dishes! It’s always the annoying sort of dishes too that don’t go in the dishwasher and are really awkward to fit in the sink.

 

But you get the point, I don’t like cooking. Unfortunately, I really like eating, so sometimes cooking is unavoidable.

I have a few requirements when looking for recipes that I will make myself:

1. They need to be easy/quick
2. They need to make A LOT (or be easily doubled)
3. They need to taste good

I am willing to do a harder recipe or one that doesn’t make a ton if something is especially good. I’m also willing to make something that is good, but not great, if it fulfills requirement 1 and 2.

Preparing for baby number two, Mr. Husband and I decided to make as many freezer meals as possible. He did the vast majority of cooking (doesn’t bother him), but I was responsible for a few things – pizza pockets being one of them!

I thought it would be nice to have some tasty handheld food for lunches, and pizza pockets couldn’t be THAT hard, could they?

I googled some recipes (mainly to figure out cooking times), and then bought refrigerated dough…making the dough isn’t too hard, but is time consuming. Unfortunately the dough I bought, while delicious, was just too annoying and time consuming to work with. So on my 3rd attempt I tried Pillsbury refrigerated dough (you know the one that comes in the can), and my friends…that is EASY. Not as delicious maybe, but worth the trade off in my book.

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Easy Pizza Pockets – double recipe (makes 12)

• 2 Cans pillsbury pizza dough
• 1 jar of sauce (but you really only need a little of the sauce)
• 1 bag of shredded mozzerella cheese (or 2 bags if you really like cheese)
• Optional – additional fillings (I like mushrooms and black olives, but this takes longer)
• Optional – pizza seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 425F
2. Spray a baking sheet or two with Pam
3. Open a can of dough and spread on the baking sheet, cut into 6 equal(ish) sized rectangles
4. If using, sprinkle with seasoning
5. Spread some sauce around on each pocket
6. If using, toss on your additional toppings
7. Add desired amount of cheese
8. Fold each pocket closed (I did this super awkwardly) and press edges with a fork
9. Bake for 15 min
10. Repeat with second can of dough.
11. If freezing, reheat by putting in the microwave for about a minute

There you have it…super easy, customizable, freezer pizza pockets. Enjoy!

I assumed that my glorious return to running after having Miss Newborn would involve a Turkey Trot. I knew I wouldn’t have a lot of time to get in shape, and it would be a stretch if we were travelling to Buffalo, because that Turkey Trot is 8k (5 miles), but I figured I could get to the finish with walk breaks if I needed. What would have had to happen, though is for me to start running right when I got the green light, but I did not do that.

Meanwhile, we decided not to go to Buffalo for Thanksgiving even though it was a Buffalo year, and around the same time I started seeing signs pop up for a local Gobble Wobble that had a Family walk and a kids race. So that became the new plan: Walk 2 miles as a family and have Mr. Toddler run the kids race.

However, as I went to sign up days before the race, the forecast was calling for a high of 13 F. Brrrr  Although I would have run in this weather in years past, it was not the weather for walking with a newborn and a toddler who will strip off his gloves and hat no matter the weather. So for the first time since I started running, I didn’t do a turkey trot. An 11 year streak broken. What a BUMMER!

On the bright side, I wouldn’t have really wanted to run a 5k in a feels like temp of 2F, so I’m glad I had the excuse of the kiddos. 🙂

I’m not sure when I’m going to race again, but I’m already planning on running the 2019 Buffalo Turkey Trot.