Hellobee

We love to cook. Mr. O and I have both had culinary aspirations at some point in our lives (he wanted to be a chef, I want to go to pastry school). Cooking has always been a big part of our lives, and from the time she could stand, Little Oats has wanted to be right in there with us. It has taken me ages to get over the fact that, when Little Oats helps, things will fall on the floor. And it’s perfectly okay, because a little dirt on our dinner probably won’t hurt us.

We try to get Little Oats involved in the kitchen as much as possible, but many nights, it just doesn’t work out. Whether we’ve got smoking hot cast iron skillets, or a mad dash to throw dinner together at the last minute, having her perched on the counter with her hands in everything can’t always happen. So when we found fresh pizza dough at the Farmer’s Market a few weeks ago, we knew it would be a great chance for Little Oats to not just help, but make her own dinner.

Rather than post a typical recipe for calzones (or Giant Pizza Pockets, as Little Oats called them), I asked our personal chef extraordinaire to explain, in her own words, how to make this delicious dinner. We hope your family enjoys just as much as ours did.

Mrs. Oatmeal: Okay, Little Oats, do you think you could tell us what we’re making today?

Little Oats: Yes. Giant yummy pizza pockets. With dip.

MO: And we’ve got a few steps before we can eat our yummy dinner. What should we do first?

LO: Get the dough from the farmer’s market. Its pretty sticky, that farmer’s market dough.

Make your own, buy it from the grocery store, or pick some up from your favourite pizza place. It doesn’t HAVE to be farmer’s market dough. For 4 of us, we used one ball of dough that would typically make 2 medium pizzas.

LO: Then you flat it out. Sprinkle some powder, and flat it with the roller pin.

MO: Okay, then what happens next?

LO: Get your grown up to open the can of this sauce.

MO: Is it tomato sauce?

LO: No. Its’ called PIZZA SAUCE.

We used a can of Pizza sauce. Tomato sauce or even pasta sauce also works.

LO: Make the pizza sauce in a circle like this. I like lots of sauce.

Keep the majority of the sauce on one half of the dough, leaving a 1-inch space around the edges for folding.

So, because I’m a terrible blogger, I didn’t get any pictures of Little Oats stuffing the calzones. We used mushrooms, sausage, bell peppers, olives, and cheese for those of us who aren’t dairy-intolerant.

MO: Okay, so we’ve got the sauce on. What comes next?

LO: The YUMMY stuff. I want lots of olives. And some meat. Cheese. This peppery thing.

Fill half of the pizza dough with your toppings, leaving roughly a 1-inch space around the edges. This will ensure that they don’t explode during baking.

LO: Fold it all up like a present. Squish it.

Fold the dough over your toppings, and seal the edges by pinching and rolling them tightly. You don’t want stray cheese and sauce leaking out.

LO: We have to paint it now. With lots of goopy egg paint.

MO: Do you know why we have to paint the pizza pockets?

LO: ‘Cause painting is fun.

Beat one egg with some water, and brush it over the top of the calzone. This will help seal the edges, and make everything golden brown and crunchy.

LO: Now it goes in the hot oven. Only a grownup uses the hot oven. You need special mittens.

Bake your calzones at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the dough is all brown and delicious. Smaller pockets will take a bit less time, giant ones will take a little more.

LO: It’s been a really really long waiting time. I’m going to eat it now. *stuffs face with calzone*

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how Little Oats makes Giant Yummy Pizza Pockets. They’re completely customizable, they don’t take long to put together, and if a three-year-old can make them, you certainly can too!