I'm always looking for new things to do with chicken, so I found this recipe and, of course, added some things to make it mine.
- 1-1.25 pounds of chicken- either cut up or shredded
- 1 box of penne
- 1 10 ounce box of frozen spinach, thawed. Make sure you wring the excess water out-- there will be a lot of it.
- 2 ounces of cream cheese
- 1 cup of chicken broth
- 2T of sun-dried tomato vinaigrette dressing
- 1 glove of garlic clove, chopped
-1 small red onion, chopped
-6 mushrooms, chopped
- 2 cups of mozzarella cheese, divided
- Parmesan Cheese
- Salt and Pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 375.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta for about 11 minutes (you don't want it completely done b/c it's going to continue cooking in the oven). Drain the pasta well.
Cook your chicken- add salt and pepper. When it's about halfway through, add the dressing and continue cooking until just cooked through. Add the onions, garlic, and mushrooms- salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add your spinach and break it apart. Cook for another three minutes. Add your chicken broth and cream cheese- add salt and pepper. Cook until the cream cheese is melted. Add the mixture to the cooked pasta.
Put about half of the mixture into a 13 x 9 casserole dish. Add 1 cup of mozzarella and some grated Parmesan. Add the other half of the mixture to the dish. Add the remaining mozzarella and more Parmesan on top.
Bake in the oven for about 15-17 minutes.
It is one of the best casseroles I've ever made... still eating the leftovers!!!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
How I Know I Own a Great Dane
... And yes I mean besides the food and the size ...
Some people we know that have a Dane used to tell us that he had his own designated spot on their bed that he would sleep, and if anyone got in his way he would pout and pace and make noises until they got up.
WELL... when we got our furniture, we said, "Paisley is not allowed on the furniture. It's new... blah, blah, blah..." Yeah that lasted about a week. We have a couch, a recliner, and an over-sized chair-- and Paisley can pretty much sleep and sit where she wants now (it's kinda hard to control the power and weight of a Great Dane). So recently her place to sleep has been on the couch beside of her daddy.
A couple of nights ago, I was sitting in her spot and she started pacing.. pacing around the coffee table, pacing around the room... she would NOT lay down. I took her out, thinking that would make her lay down... NOPE. She's still pacing... then she comes over to me and puts her head on chest and sighs. And she's pacing again and making noises and looking at Josh.
Then it hit me, and I said, "I'm going to get up. Let's see how long it takes for her to get in my spot."
I got up and walked to the kitchen, and as soon as I got up-- I get the look like, "Are you watching me? When you're not looking, I'm going to get on the couch." And sure enough when I was far enough away, the front paws get up on the couch and the look of, "Oh am I going to get away with it? Is she watching me?" The back paws go up and she plops down.. within 5 minutes she was zonked out.
And tonight.. Paisley ate her kibbles and came over to look at me like, "Mama get up so I can lay down on the couch." And as soon as I got up, she climbed up and is now out like a light.
I LOVE this dog-- she's awesome!!!
Some people we know that have a Dane used to tell us that he had his own designated spot on their bed that he would sleep, and if anyone got in his way he would pout and pace and make noises until they got up.
WELL... when we got our furniture, we said, "Paisley is not allowed on the furniture. It's new... blah, blah, blah..." Yeah that lasted about a week. We have a couch, a recliner, and an over-sized chair-- and Paisley can pretty much sleep and sit where she wants now (it's kinda hard to control the power and weight of a Great Dane). So recently her place to sleep has been on the couch beside of her daddy.
A couple of nights ago, I was sitting in her spot and she started pacing.. pacing around the coffee table, pacing around the room... she would NOT lay down. I took her out, thinking that would make her lay down... NOPE. She's still pacing... then she comes over to me and puts her head on chest and sighs. And she's pacing again and making noises and looking at Josh.
Then it hit me, and I said, "I'm going to get up. Let's see how long it takes for her to get in my spot."
I got up and walked to the kitchen, and as soon as I got up-- I get the look like, "Are you watching me? When you're not looking, I'm going to get on the couch." And sure enough when I was far enough away, the front paws get up on the couch and the look of, "Oh am I going to get away with it? Is she watching me?" The back paws go up and she plops down.. within 5 minutes she was zonked out.
And tonight.. Paisley ate her kibbles and came over to look at me like, "Mama get up so I can lay down on the couch." And as soon as I got up, she climbed up and is now out like a light.
I LOVE this dog-- she's awesome!!!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Chicken Mushroom Provolone Sandwiches..
This recipe originally came from Williams-Sonoma, but I altered the recipe to make it mine.
- Thick Textured Bread-- I used Sourdough.
- Thinly Sliced Chicken Breasts (you can use Oscar Mayer or Sara Lee, but I used actual chicken breast and cooked it through). I sliced the breasts even more to make them thinner.
- 1 cup of fresh white or brown mushrooms
- Slices of Provolone Cheese (the original recipe called for Gruyere)
- Salt/Pepper to taste
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
If you use actual chicken breasts and cook them through, remove them from the pan and add your mushrooms to the same pan. Saute over medium heat and set them aside. Slice your bread so your slices are thick enough so they won't fall apart in your panini maker. Put cheese on both sides of the bread. Put your chicken on one side of the bread, and the mushrooms on the other. Put the sandwich together and put in the panini maker until the cheese is melty and gooey.
Don't have a panini maker? You can use frying pans.. put the sandwiches in one pan over medium heat and put a foiled-covered brick or another frying pan on top of the sandwich to flatten the sandwich and add weight.
Pair it up with some sweet potato fries, and you have got yourself an awesome Bistro meal..
- Thick Textured Bread-- I used Sourdough.
- Thinly Sliced Chicken Breasts (you can use Oscar Mayer or Sara Lee, but I used actual chicken breast and cooked it through). I sliced the breasts even more to make them thinner.
- 1 cup of fresh white or brown mushrooms
- Slices of Provolone Cheese (the original recipe called for Gruyere)
- Salt/Pepper to taste
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
If you use actual chicken breasts and cook them through, remove them from the pan and add your mushrooms to the same pan. Saute over medium heat and set them aside. Slice your bread so your slices are thick enough so they won't fall apart in your panini maker. Put cheese on both sides of the bread. Put your chicken on one side of the bread, and the mushrooms on the other. Put the sandwich together and put in the panini maker until the cheese is melty and gooey.
Don't have a panini maker? You can use frying pans.. put the sandwiches in one pan over medium heat and put a foiled-covered brick or another frying pan on top of the sandwich to flatten the sandwich and add weight.
Pair it up with some sweet potato fries, and you have got yourself an awesome Bistro meal..
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
What I Have Learned in SC.
So we have been in SC for a little over a month now-- and it's amazing the things I have learned so far...
1. People are just as crazy in SC as they are in NC.
2. Alligators really do live in the ponds and marshes and lakes.
3. Squashed armadillos exist too (saw my first one rolled over on the way home today).
4. School zones in the pm are between 3.15 and 4.00- 45mph, and not 1mph over or the cops will get you (no this hasn't happened to me but they are watched very closely)
5. Hurricanes- even off the coast of Africa- can make the waves and rip currents bad (good for surfers, bad for everyone else).
6. Paddleboarding is extreme fun but extremely hard. Your upper legs have to be strong.
7. Surfboards, paddleboards, and those other board things are expensive.
8. Paddleboards are heavy.
9. Jellyfish are plentiful in the month of August ONLY. They start going away in September.
10. Jellyfish stings hurt. Now granted I only got stung by a small one. And some of them can't hurt you. But they still hurt. To get rid of the burning and stinging: spray vinegar on it.
11. You're not allowed to keep live sand dollars. If they're dead, keep as many as you want. Otherwise leave them alone.
12. The most important thing I have learned is that there are ophthalmology offices that treat their techs and pay their techs what they're worth. I have never worked at a place that treats their techs so well. For instance, we shut down Friday pm to have a pool party. Monday was Labor Day. This morning I came and signed off on my time sheet and noticed that not only did I get paid for Labor Day, but I got paid for Friday pm. Plus I got to leave early today to meet the cable guy. When I asked about getting my hours in so I got paid for Labor Day, I got a very strange look and then the response of, "No you get paid regardless." If it were "anywhere else" (and you girls know where I'm talking about), it would have been, "I hate that for ya. You have to get your hours, or you don't get paid for yesterday."
13. Another important thing I have learned, and I'll end on this: I've learned and remembered what it is to be happy... This was a GREAT decision to move down here.
PS... For those of you that question if I'm really down here or not, YES I AM!!! Just because my cell number still says 828 doesn't mean a thing. Josh's best friend has lived in Savannah for the past 4-5 years, and he still has an 828 number. However with Josh's new job, we'll have to switch to 843.
PSS... One more little tidbit, and I'm officially done-- We officially have internet again. Woo!!!
1. People are just as crazy in SC as they are in NC.
2. Alligators really do live in the ponds and marshes and lakes.
3. Squashed armadillos exist too (saw my first one rolled over on the way home today).
4. School zones in the pm are between 3.15 and 4.00- 45mph, and not 1mph over or the cops will get you (no this hasn't happened to me but they are watched very closely)
5. Hurricanes- even off the coast of Africa- can make the waves and rip currents bad (good for surfers, bad for everyone else).
6. Paddleboarding is extreme fun but extremely hard. Your upper legs have to be strong.
7. Surfboards, paddleboards, and those other board things are expensive.
8. Paddleboards are heavy.
9. Jellyfish are plentiful in the month of August ONLY. They start going away in September.
10. Jellyfish stings hurt. Now granted I only got stung by a small one. And some of them can't hurt you. But they still hurt. To get rid of the burning and stinging: spray vinegar on it.
11. You're not allowed to keep live sand dollars. If they're dead, keep as many as you want. Otherwise leave them alone.
12. The most important thing I have learned is that there are ophthalmology offices that treat their techs and pay their techs what they're worth. I have never worked at a place that treats their techs so well. For instance, we shut down Friday pm to have a pool party. Monday was Labor Day. This morning I came and signed off on my time sheet and noticed that not only did I get paid for Labor Day, but I got paid for Friday pm. Plus I got to leave early today to meet the cable guy. When I asked about getting my hours in so I got paid for Labor Day, I got a very strange look and then the response of, "No you get paid regardless." If it were "anywhere else" (and you girls know where I'm talking about), it would have been, "I hate that for ya. You have to get your hours, or you don't get paid for yesterday."
13. Another important thing I have learned, and I'll end on this: I've learned and remembered what it is to be happy... This was a GREAT decision to move down here.
PS... For those of you that question if I'm really down here or not, YES I AM!!! Just because my cell number still says 828 doesn't mean a thing. Josh's best friend has lived in Savannah for the past 4-5 years, and he still has an 828 number. However with Josh's new job, we'll have to switch to 843.
PSS... One more little tidbit, and I'm officially done-- We officially have internet again. Woo!!!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Official Blufftonians
Tomorrow, August 20th, will be our three week anniversary that we have officially been moved and settled into the state of SC. Greetings from Bluffton!!!
We spent the whole week- and yes I do mean the WHOLE WEEK- packing crap up and finally loading it into the 27 foot U-Haul... oh and doing my final good-byes to my co-workers and friends. Friday morning we got up after sleeping on the floor and finished the ends and outs up, did our apartment inspection, and drove 5 hours to the sweltering heat of SC (I did have a minor breakdown when leaving Hickory, but honestly I think I was too tired and focused to really think about it). Our poor little town home went from shambles and boxes everywhere to a pretty cute little place to live and call home. Josh's pictures adorn our walls and somehow seemed to complete the moving process. We threw away our beloved blue couch- that we have had for about eight or nine years- and threw away Paisley's crappy blue recliner and have replaced it with not-yet-broken-in furniture. What's even greater is we have enough room and enough furniture for EVERYONE to sit-- it's GREAT.
The week before I started work, we explored our little area and have discovered three little back roads that bypass things and make things easier to get around. We've also discovered public beach accesses where the parking is free and not a lot of people know about. We've discovered Hunting Island and snooty Fripp Island (where as big as the island is, they have no gas stations.. just an FYI). Hunting Island is a really cool beach- it's a State Park, as well as the beach. You have to pay to park, but you can also buy a pass for $50 that will last you the whole year and will get you into any state park in SC with free parking. We've already made our money up... Let's see Josh has discovered and read about crab pots and saltwater fishing. Just about everyday that I was off, we went to the beach in some form or another.
The week I actually started work, I discovered the sometimes hellacious traffic- tourists and school- and if you're going into the island in the mornings... it sucks. There, of course, aren't any back roads, so if there is any kind of holdup, you're going to be stuck-- could be five minutes or three hours. I did my orientation and followed for a day and a half-- then I was working up on my own and now workup more patients than the experienced people do (I'm not bragging, I really do- the doctors and supervisor has told me this). Everyone there is super nice- it's a small practice- so there aren't any cliques or coworker drama. Of course, being me, I'm still trying to feel people out and not get in the way. The flow of patients is really awesome compared to what I'm used to, and when they say, "Oh my gosh it's going to be busy today," I look at the schedule and think, "I worked with one doctor that saw 47-60 patients in one session.. this is nothing." I think that's why I work so hard and fast, is because, that's what I'm used to. The supervisor and doctors are super nice-- they're not afraid to eat lunch with their techs and take super good care of them... better than I've ever been treated before. The patients are nice, as well-- you would think that being Hilton Head, there would be nothing but snooty people.. but really, they're some of the nicest people you'll ever meet.
Let's see what else is going on... oh the air is amazing... the salty, beachy smell is something that I have not gotten tired of yet. I was telling Josh I still hope I enjoy that smell when we're here in five years b/c that's one smell I do not want to EVER get tired of. It really hit me that we live here a couple last week when we got to go the beach after I left work. I thought, "Wow I'm really not a tourist... I really live here." :)
Food wise we haven't really tried anything new... we did eat chocolate chip cheese cake with Bailey's whip cream on top that was awesome. OH the grocery stores are phenomenal down here (and you know how I am about grocery stores). There are Publix stores everywhere, and they are by far my favorite-- fresh sushi is made every day, the seafood is fresh, their produce and pastry section is divine, AND in the frozen section they have sensor lights so when you walk by, they sense you and light up. When you walk away, the lights turn off. It's a GREAT store!!!! On the agenda this weekend may be me fixing crab cakes and such, so we can see if crab catching will be our forte.
Well I have written a book here, but as you can see, I've had three weeks to catch up on. I'm studying for my COT exam again (3rd time's a charm), and I've started to think more about my writing... the kids are doing great and seem to be happy with the move. They especially love all the frogs and toads that are in our area-- we've seen signs for alligators but no sightings, and I have yet to see a snake or an armadillo. :)
Au Revior-- more later as I get more news and more time.
We spent the whole week- and yes I do mean the WHOLE WEEK- packing crap up and finally loading it into the 27 foot U-Haul... oh and doing my final good-byes to my co-workers and friends. Friday morning we got up after sleeping on the floor and finished the ends and outs up, did our apartment inspection, and drove 5 hours to the sweltering heat of SC (I did have a minor breakdown when leaving Hickory, but honestly I think I was too tired and focused to really think about it). Our poor little town home went from shambles and boxes everywhere to a pretty cute little place to live and call home. Josh's pictures adorn our walls and somehow seemed to complete the moving process. We threw away our beloved blue couch- that we have had for about eight or nine years- and threw away Paisley's crappy blue recliner and have replaced it with not-yet-broken-in furniture. What's even greater is we have enough room and enough furniture for EVERYONE to sit-- it's GREAT.
The week before I started work, we explored our little area and have discovered three little back roads that bypass things and make things easier to get around. We've also discovered public beach accesses where the parking is free and not a lot of people know about. We've discovered Hunting Island and snooty Fripp Island (where as big as the island is, they have no gas stations.. just an FYI). Hunting Island is a really cool beach- it's a State Park, as well as the beach. You have to pay to park, but you can also buy a pass for $50 that will last you the whole year and will get you into any state park in SC with free parking. We've already made our money up... Let's see Josh has discovered and read about crab pots and saltwater fishing. Just about everyday that I was off, we went to the beach in some form or another.
The week I actually started work, I discovered the sometimes hellacious traffic- tourists and school- and if you're going into the island in the mornings... it sucks. There, of course, aren't any back roads, so if there is any kind of holdup, you're going to be stuck-- could be five minutes or three hours. I did my orientation and followed for a day and a half-- then I was working up on my own and now workup more patients than the experienced people do (I'm not bragging, I really do- the doctors and supervisor has told me this). Everyone there is super nice- it's a small practice- so there aren't any cliques or coworker drama. Of course, being me, I'm still trying to feel people out and not get in the way. The flow of patients is really awesome compared to what I'm used to, and when they say, "Oh my gosh it's going to be busy today," I look at the schedule and think, "I worked with one doctor that saw 47-60 patients in one session.. this is nothing." I think that's why I work so hard and fast, is because, that's what I'm used to. The supervisor and doctors are super nice-- they're not afraid to eat lunch with their techs and take super good care of them... better than I've ever been treated before. The patients are nice, as well-- you would think that being Hilton Head, there would be nothing but snooty people.. but really, they're some of the nicest people you'll ever meet.
Let's see what else is going on... oh the air is amazing... the salty, beachy smell is something that I have not gotten tired of yet. I was telling Josh I still hope I enjoy that smell when we're here in five years b/c that's one smell I do not want to EVER get tired of. It really hit me that we live here a couple last week when we got to go the beach after I left work. I thought, "Wow I'm really not a tourist... I really live here." :)
Food wise we haven't really tried anything new... we did eat chocolate chip cheese cake with Bailey's whip cream on top that was awesome. OH the grocery stores are phenomenal down here (and you know how I am about grocery stores). There are Publix stores everywhere, and they are by far my favorite-- fresh sushi is made every day, the seafood is fresh, their produce and pastry section is divine, AND in the frozen section they have sensor lights so when you walk by, they sense you and light up. When you walk away, the lights turn off. It's a GREAT store!!!! On the agenda this weekend may be me fixing crab cakes and such, so we can see if crab catching will be our forte.
Well I have written a book here, but as you can see, I've had three weeks to catch up on. I'm studying for my COT exam again (3rd time's a charm), and I've started to think more about my writing... the kids are doing great and seem to be happy with the move. They especially love all the frogs and toads that are in our area-- we've seen signs for alligators but no sightings, and I have yet to see a snake or an armadillo. :)
Au Revior-- more later as I get more news and more time.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Ham and Cheese Panini... oh my.
Our cable has been out for the past month or so-- so that means no Food Network, which really bums me out. However my Internet is NOT down, so I got on Food Network's website and found a sandwich that Ann Burrell had made... And that is how I discovered Sweet Pepper Relish. Oh my gracious-- it's so good.
Ciabata Bread
Smoked Ham
Provolone and Swiss Cheese
Sweet Pepper Relish
Slices of Red Onion
Olive Oil
Cut the bread in half and drizzle the olive oil in the bread. Put a thin layer of the relish on (I did it only on half the bread, but do it on both sides if you choose). Layer the Provolone and Swiss on one side of the bread and several slices of ham on the other. Put the thin slices of onion on. Spray your panini maker and cook/bake until the cheese is melty and gooey.
It's a GREAT sandwich--- that Sweet Pepper Relish is sweet and spicy, and so good.
Yummy goodness.
Ciabata Bread
Smoked Ham
Provolone and Swiss Cheese
Sweet Pepper Relish
Slices of Red Onion
Olive Oil
Cut the bread in half and drizzle the olive oil in the bread. Put a thin layer of the relish on (I did it only on half the bread, but do it on both sides if you choose). Layer the Provolone and Swiss on one side of the bread and several slices of ham on the other. Put the thin slices of onion on. Spray your panini maker and cook/bake until the cheese is melty and gooey.
It's a GREAT sandwich--- that Sweet Pepper Relish is sweet and spicy, and so good.
Yummy goodness.
Monday, July 5, 2010
4th of July fun..
Josh and I went up to Kentucky this weekend to see his family and celebrate the 4th with everyone. His aunt, Shelly, had a cookout and fireworks "show" at her house. Now I love the Beam side of the family-- they're a lot like my family- laid back, fun, silly, etc. There are more children in this family which always makes the gatherings more interesting and definitely funny.
Josh and I were getting ready to head out to Shelly's house, and we were trying to figure out if we were going to Paisley or not. I really didn't want to because she's a big girl, and I didn't want either one of us to have to deal with her. But Josh brought up a very good point, "If we take her, then she'll get worn out. And she'll sleep-- if she sleeps, we sleep." So we took her.
It's a good thing we did!!! Everyone- adult and child- loved on her... EVERYONE!!! The kids gave her Cheetos and bites of cake and hotdogs... but the greatest Paisley had was a marshmallow. Now this was no ordinary marshmallow- this was a little girl's marshmallow. Here's what happened.
There's a three year old little girl named Abigail who is the cutest, funniest, drama queeniest thing EVER. She can cry and pooch that lip out at the drop of a hat. All the kids were outside getting their marshmallows ready for the campfire. Abigail had come back inside, for whatever reason, and was standing in the doorway. She had her little bowl with her marshmallow inside when all of a sudden you see this black and white thing take a couple of steps towards her. The nose goes into the bowl, and you see Paisley starting chomping on something. Everyone's trying to pull Paisley back and they're yelling, "Paisley!! Come here!!! What's in your mouth?? What do you have???!!" Then you see Abigail's face drop. She looks in her bowl and looks at Paisley like, "What just happened there?" Then you see the chin quiver and the little mouth turn into a frown. Someone said, "Abigail.. what did Paisley do?!" She responds very soft and meek, "She. Just. Ate. My. Marshmallow." Everything changes after that-- we started laughing hysterically, and Abigail walks outside and starts crying and screaming, "PAISLEY ATE MY MARSHMALLOW!!!!!"
After the fireworks are done, Abigail comes back in and walks towards us but definitely keeps her distance from the marshmallow stealing thief. Josh asks her, "Are you still mad at Paisley for eating your marshmallow?" And her little head nods. Of course after two or three minutes have passed, Abigail is loving on Paisley-- and the whole "Paisley stole my marshmallow" thing is over. But oh it was great!!!!!
Josh and I were getting ready to head out to Shelly's house, and we were trying to figure out if we were going to Paisley or not. I really didn't want to because she's a big girl, and I didn't want either one of us to have to deal with her. But Josh brought up a very good point, "If we take her, then she'll get worn out. And she'll sleep-- if she sleeps, we sleep." So we took her.
It's a good thing we did!!! Everyone- adult and child- loved on her... EVERYONE!!! The kids gave her Cheetos and bites of cake and hotdogs... but the greatest Paisley had was a marshmallow. Now this was no ordinary marshmallow- this was a little girl's marshmallow. Here's what happened.
There's a three year old little girl named Abigail who is the cutest, funniest, drama queeniest thing EVER. She can cry and pooch that lip out at the drop of a hat. All the kids were outside getting their marshmallows ready for the campfire. Abigail had come back inside, for whatever reason, and was standing in the doorway. She had her little bowl with her marshmallow inside when all of a sudden you see this black and white thing take a couple of steps towards her. The nose goes into the bowl, and you see Paisley starting chomping on something. Everyone's trying to pull Paisley back and they're yelling, "Paisley!! Come here!!! What's in your mouth?? What do you have???!!" Then you see Abigail's face drop. She looks in her bowl and looks at Paisley like, "What just happened there?" Then you see the chin quiver and the little mouth turn into a frown. Someone said, "Abigail.. what did Paisley do?!" She responds very soft and meek, "She. Just. Ate. My. Marshmallow." Everything changes after that-- we started laughing hysterically, and Abigail walks outside and starts crying and screaming, "PAISLEY ATE MY MARSHMALLOW!!!!!"
After the fireworks are done, Abigail comes back in and walks towards us but definitely keeps her distance from the marshmallow stealing thief. Josh asks her, "Are you still mad at Paisley for eating your marshmallow?" And her little head nods. Of course after two or three minutes have passed, Abigail is loving on Paisley-- and the whole "Paisley stole my marshmallow" thing is over. But oh it was great!!!!!
Monday, June 28, 2010
First Attempt...
I was off this very hot, humid Monday afternoon and went to our favorite park- Reep Park- to do a photo shoot with two very hot chicks. Josh had done a shoot with one of the girls before, but this time it was her and one of her friends. After the two hour shoot was over, Josh and I were getting ready to pack it up and go home when I annoyed him and said, "Can we go pick some blackberries?" There are several wild vines on the path down to the water and trails, so we loaded everything up and went back down to pick blackberries.
As we were picking our two quarts I got a bright idea, I'm going to attempt to do a blackberry cobbler. And I must say that it turned out VERY, VERY well. Here's the recipe:
4 cups of fresh blackberries
1 cup of sugar
Cook/simmer over medium or medium-low heat until the syrup forms and the berries are sweet.
1/2 cup oats
1/2 flour
1/2 brown sugar
1/4 cup softened or melted butter
Crumble everything together.
Put the berries into a loaf pan and put the crumble mixture on top of the berries. Bake for about 30-35 minutes. When it comes out, add whip cream or vanilla ice cream and voila--- wonderful blackberry cobbler/crumble.
As we were picking our two quarts I got a bright idea, I'm going to attempt to do a blackberry cobbler. And I must say that it turned out VERY, VERY well. Here's the recipe:
4 cups of fresh blackberries
1 cup of sugar
Cook/simmer over medium or medium-low heat until the syrup forms and the berries are sweet.
1/2 cup oats
1/2 flour
1/2 brown sugar
1/4 cup softened or melted butter
Crumble everything together.
Put the berries into a loaf pan and put the crumble mixture on top of the berries. Bake for about 30-35 minutes. When it comes out, add whip cream or vanilla ice cream and voila--- wonderful blackberry cobbler/crumble.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The Biggest Pet Peeves EVER..
It seems to be a daily complaint to my husband (God bless him) about the fact that I am underestimated and second guessed--- ALWAYS!!! I shocked a fellow co-worker today when I told her, "I put on a good front," because she always thought I was happy where I was.. which I am to a certain extent.. BUT when it's a daily thing-- it gets old and tiring and stressful.
Now I'm not saying I'm perfect because I'm not... I make mistakes and forget to do things- BUT don't ever underestimate me. If I don't know or if I do make a mistake, I'm a big enough person to say, "Hey I screwed up." I'm a good speller- don't ever ask me to spell something and then turn around to use your dictionary to look the word up b/c 9 out of 10 times, I'm right. Trust me.
Don't blame me for something that you did when it clearly says that YOU did it. And if you do, have the freakin decency to apologize.
Don't ever cut me off when I'm trying to tell you something important... OMFG... this happens several times a day. At first I just shut up and let people talk-- now I'm like, "OKAY like I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted." Or I will just go ask someone else and get my answers. Fortunately my doctor has recognized this and says, "Amanda what were you going to say?!" Interrupting people is the rudest thing another person can do. I don't open my mouth and talk much, but when I do-- you better freakin guarantee that it's important-- especially where patients are concerned. Don't cut me off in mid-sentence because you THINK you know what I'm going to say when you really don't.
I roll my eyes a lot and shake my head a lot because I'm so sick of being underestimated and second guessed... but I have to remind myself, "It's only temporary."
Now I'm not saying I'm perfect because I'm not... I make mistakes and forget to do things- BUT don't ever underestimate me. If I don't know or if I do make a mistake, I'm a big enough person to say, "Hey I screwed up." I'm a good speller- don't ever ask me to spell something and then turn around to use your dictionary to look the word up b/c 9 out of 10 times, I'm right. Trust me.
Don't blame me for something that you did when it clearly says that YOU did it. And if you do, have the freakin decency to apologize.
Don't ever cut me off when I'm trying to tell you something important... OMFG... this happens several times a day. At first I just shut up and let people talk-- now I'm like, "OKAY like I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted." Or I will just go ask someone else and get my answers. Fortunately my doctor has recognized this and says, "Amanda what were you going to say?!" Interrupting people is the rudest thing another person can do. I don't open my mouth and talk much, but when I do-- you better freakin guarantee that it's important-- especially where patients are concerned. Don't cut me off in mid-sentence because you THINK you know what I'm going to say when you really don't.
I roll my eyes a lot and shake my head a lot because I'm so sick of being underestimated and second guessed... but I have to remind myself, "It's only temporary."
Sunday, June 13, 2010
My Name's Amanda and I'm a Food-a-holic.
My second blog in a day... pause for shock...
Recently Josh and I took a day trip to Gatlinburg, TN (the same night we got the cops called on us b/c our dogs were raising hell). We ate some of the BEST food that day. First was the Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurant for a late lunch. Josh and I ate pulled barbecue pork sandwiches with caramelized onions on Hawaiian Sweet bread.. oooohhhh they were SO good. We made a trip to the candy store (a tradition we seem to have when traveling out of state) where I ate some crabs, aka Turtles. Then there was dinner... oh dinner...
We made our first trip to Bonefish Grill after being disappointed that Cheeseburgers in Paradise had closed down. Once we got seated at Bonefish, we quickly got over our grief. LOL... Bonefish gets fresh fish five out of seven days. And EVERYTHING is made to order. We started out with a crab cake-- a fairly large CRAB cake that had more crab meat than stuffing. I have grown fairly fond of crab cakes-- it started when Josh and I ate at A.J.'s Dockside (except that was more stuffing than meat but still good). Then came our entrees- me shrimp pad thai and Josh got sesame crusted tuna that was perfectly seared on the outside and perfectly raw inside. It came with jasmine/parsley rice and some sort of carrot salad.
So what have I made recently?? Well last night I bought some boston roast and made some bbq in the crockpot. It turned out really well!!! And today I perfected my bechamel sauce and made a mushroom lasagna. This recipe I'm very proud of b/c it's something new, I did a good job, and I think it's going to taste wonderful!!!! With my herb garden, I've been trying to make recipes that require fresh herbs, so I've been using a lot of rosemary, thyme, and some oregano. Still trying to find a good recipe that uses fresh basil... maybe I'll try a pesto or something of that nature.
Recently Josh and I took a day trip to Gatlinburg, TN (the same night we got the cops called on us b/c our dogs were raising hell). We ate some of the BEST food that day. First was the Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurant for a late lunch. Josh and I ate pulled barbecue pork sandwiches with caramelized onions on Hawaiian Sweet bread.. oooohhhh they were SO good. We made a trip to the candy store (a tradition we seem to have when traveling out of state) where I ate some crabs, aka Turtles. Then there was dinner... oh dinner...
We made our first trip to Bonefish Grill after being disappointed that Cheeseburgers in Paradise had closed down. Once we got seated at Bonefish, we quickly got over our grief. LOL... Bonefish gets fresh fish five out of seven days. And EVERYTHING is made to order. We started out with a crab cake-- a fairly large CRAB cake that had more crab meat than stuffing. I have grown fairly fond of crab cakes-- it started when Josh and I ate at A.J.'s Dockside (except that was more stuffing than meat but still good). Then came our entrees- me shrimp pad thai and Josh got sesame crusted tuna that was perfectly seared on the outside and perfectly raw inside. It came with jasmine/parsley rice and some sort of carrot salad.
So what have I made recently?? Well last night I bought some boston roast and made some bbq in the crockpot. It turned out really well!!! And today I perfected my bechamel sauce and made a mushroom lasagna. This recipe I'm very proud of b/c it's something new, I did a good job, and I think it's going to taste wonderful!!!! With my herb garden, I've been trying to make recipes that require fresh herbs, so I've been using a lot of rosemary, thyme, and some oregano. Still trying to find a good recipe that uses fresh basil... maybe I'll try a pesto or something of that nature.
Se7en Weeks and Counting...
This past Friday marked our seven week mark until the big move from NC to GA. Yes after 29-30 years of living in the state of NC, Josh and I have decided to spread our wings and fly to Rincon, GA.
Why, you may ask? Well that's just one of the MANY questions we've been asked ever since people have found out we're moving. Quite frankly, I'm tired of answering the same questions over and over again. SO here are the answers--
Why Georgia? Because Josh and I have been in NC our entire lives (me more than him but still), and it's time for us to go. Plus when we go on vacation, we tend to go to the beaches of Tybee and downtown Savannah... and a very good question was presented to us, "Why don't we just live here?"
What's in Georgia? What I really want to say is, "What's in NC?" You know this area used to be booming but now... well... it's not. But I just shrug and don't respond. Personally I'm sick of NC-- it's the same routine, the same way to work, the same environment, the same scenery, and hours away from the beaches of Tybee Island and Hilton Head.
Do you have family down there? No.
Where in Georgia are you moving to? Atlanta? No, to a town to called Rincon. Where is that? About ten minutes or so from Savannah. Thirty to forty minutes from Tybee and Hilton Head. Rincon is in the halfway mark.
What are you going to do for jobs? I'm going to work on Hilton Head. Josh is going to get a part time job and is going to promote the crap out of his photography.
Are you staying in ophthalmology? Yes.
Since you're going to be on the beach, can we come stay with you and visit? If I like you, yes. If I don't, then no. (I don't really say this, but I want to. Those of you know who I love, who I tolerate, and who I really don't like AT ALL).
Are your dogs excited? Sure- why not? Actually they'll probably be excited once they discover the beaches of Hilton Head and a dog park at their new apartment.
Is your mom freakin out? She was at first, but now she's more on board with it. She's helping us move.
And last question is: When is your last day? July 23rd.
Why, you may ask? Well that's just one of the MANY questions we've been asked ever since people have found out we're moving. Quite frankly, I'm tired of answering the same questions over and over again. SO here are the answers--
Why Georgia? Because Josh and I have been in NC our entire lives (me more than him but still), and it's time for us to go. Plus when we go on vacation, we tend to go to the beaches of Tybee and downtown Savannah... and a very good question was presented to us, "Why don't we just live here?"
What's in Georgia? What I really want to say is, "What's in NC?" You know this area used to be booming but now... well... it's not. But I just shrug and don't respond. Personally I'm sick of NC-- it's the same routine, the same way to work, the same environment, the same scenery, and hours away from the beaches of Tybee Island and Hilton Head.
Do you have family down there? No.
Where in Georgia are you moving to? Atlanta? No, to a town to called Rincon. Where is that? About ten minutes or so from Savannah. Thirty to forty minutes from Tybee and Hilton Head. Rincon is in the halfway mark.
What are you going to do for jobs? I'm going to work on Hilton Head. Josh is going to get a part time job and is going to promote the crap out of his photography.
Are you staying in ophthalmology? Yes.
Since you're going to be on the beach, can we come stay with you and visit? If I like you, yes. If I don't, then no. (I don't really say this, but I want to. Those of you know who I love, who I tolerate, and who I really don't like AT ALL).
Are your dogs excited? Sure- why not? Actually they'll probably be excited once they discover the beaches of Hilton Head and a dog park at their new apartment.
Is your mom freakin out? She was at first, but now she's more on board with it. She's helping us move.
And last question is: When is your last day? July 23rd.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Beauty Tip # 18.
I read this in my May 2010 Allure magazine and wanted to do a short blog about it. The article is called: 22 Reasons to Look Better Naked.
"It's obvious that feeling good in your own skin requires that you take it easy on that creature looking back at you in the mirror. Less obvious: being kind to other women. 'There's nothing positive or attractive about criticizing another woman's appearance,' says self-esteem coach Laure Redmond. 'Even sitting around with your friends talking about how fat a certain celebrity looks or calling women 'cougar' is destructive- and it certainly doesn't make you feel any better about yourself.'"
I say this because there are a LOT of girls- yes I have certain ones in mind- that criticize girls for their hair, their weight, their life, etc. And you know what I think? That they are so miserable in their own life that they have to talk about other girls to make themselves feel better. But you know what?? You have to love yourself before you can attempt to love anyone else.
"It's obvious that feeling good in your own skin requires that you take it easy on that creature looking back at you in the mirror. Less obvious: being kind to other women. 'There's nothing positive or attractive about criticizing another woman's appearance,' says self-esteem coach Laure Redmond. 'Even sitting around with your friends talking about how fat a certain celebrity looks or calling women 'cougar' is destructive- and it certainly doesn't make you feel any better about yourself.'"
I say this because there are a LOT of girls- yes I have certain ones in mind- that criticize girls for their hair, their weight, their life, etc. And you know what I think? That they are so miserable in their own life that they have to talk about other girls to make themselves feel better. But you know what?? You have to love yourself before you can attempt to love anyone else.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Chicken Fettuccine...
Anyone that knows me knows that I'm a Food Network Junkie.. I love watching people mix ingredients together to produce this awesome dish- whether it's sweet or savory. This morning I was watching Rachel Ray, and she made a wonderful looking dish called Fettuccine with Garden Vegetables and Greens. The dish calls for eggplant and a type of lettuce on top of the pasta-- both of which are weird to me, so I left them out. This is what I did:
1 zucchini- cut into matchsticks or cubed
1 small onion- cut very thin
1 red pepper- cut into matchsticks or cubed
5 small cloves of garlic- if your cloves are big, only use 2-3
2 T of extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
1 lb chicken breasts or tenders
12 ounce of fettuccine
Kraft Italian 5 Cheese Blend
Handful of basil leaves, julienned or shredded.
Boil and salt (2 tablespoons of salt in the water is fine) your water for the pasta. The recipe says to cook shy of al dente, but this didn't work for me-- so just cook it al dente (for fettuccine, it's about 12-13 minutes).
While your pasta is boiling, cook your chicken until cooked through and then remove. Use the oil leftover from the chicken and put all your veggies in a pan to saute them until they're tender, for about 12 minutes. Cook the veggies over a medium-low or medium heat. Add more oil IF you need to. Add your salt, pepper, and red peppers flakes to the veggies. Once the veggies are tender, add the chicken and warm through.
Once the pasta is done, reserve about a cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the veggies and toss everything together, adding your pasta water. From there, add your basil leaves and your cheese. Continue tossing until the cheese is just melted and the basil have started to wilt.
Transfer to another bowl (if you want to, I just left mine in the pot) and finish topping with cheese and maybe a sprinkle more of extra virgin olive oil... and voila.
Some other ingredients you may add to the dish: mushrooms or alfredo sauce to be tossed until everything is lightly, evenly coated.
This dish, I thought, was really yummy... and thinking back now, I wish I would have taken pictures of it... but my stomach out-ruled my mind, and I didn't think about it. Take my word for it, though, it looked just as good as it tasted.
Bon Appetit!!!
1 zucchini- cut into matchsticks or cubed
1 small onion- cut very thin
1 red pepper- cut into matchsticks or cubed
5 small cloves of garlic- if your cloves are big, only use 2-3
2 T of extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
1 lb chicken breasts or tenders
12 ounce of fettuccine
Kraft Italian 5 Cheese Blend
Handful of basil leaves, julienned or shredded.
Boil and salt (2 tablespoons of salt in the water is fine) your water for the pasta. The recipe says to cook shy of al dente, but this didn't work for me-- so just cook it al dente (for fettuccine, it's about 12-13 minutes).
While your pasta is boiling, cook your chicken until cooked through and then remove. Use the oil leftover from the chicken and put all your veggies in a pan to saute them until they're tender, for about 12 minutes. Cook the veggies over a medium-low or medium heat. Add more oil IF you need to. Add your salt, pepper, and red peppers flakes to the veggies. Once the veggies are tender, add the chicken and warm through.
Once the pasta is done, reserve about a cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the veggies and toss everything together, adding your pasta water. From there, add your basil leaves and your cheese. Continue tossing until the cheese is just melted and the basil have started to wilt.
Transfer to another bowl (if you want to, I just left mine in the pot) and finish topping with cheese and maybe a sprinkle more of extra virgin olive oil... and voila.
Some other ingredients you may add to the dish: mushrooms or alfredo sauce to be tossed until everything is lightly, evenly coated.
This dish, I thought, was really yummy... and thinking back now, I wish I would have taken pictures of it... but my stomach out-ruled my mind, and I didn't think about it. Take my word for it, though, it looked just as good as it tasted.
Bon Appetit!!!
Saturday, March 20, 2010
This is the shortest blog ever, but...
What do you aspire to be?
Do you want to be better or do you want to be the same?
Do you want to change the world to make it better, or are you perfectly happy sitting at the same old 8-5 or 8-8 job??
Me-- I aspire to be a writer who learns and gets better everyday. I never want to stop learning. I want to make a difference in the world by writing something so great and wonderful that it leaves an impression. And if you give me a choice between being successful in ophthalmology versus struggling in writing.. I will choose struggling in writing.
Sorry-- I do not get up every morning thinking, "I love my job." There are some mornings I get up and pray and wish that I would break my leg, so I wouldn't have to go in there. But just about every morning I get up and think, "I want to write or want to spend the day reading about writing.. how to perfect my writing."
So again, on an ending note:
What do you aspire to be?
What do you aspire to be?
Do you want to be better or do you want to be the same?
Do you want to change the world to make it better, or are you perfectly happy sitting at the same old 8-5 or 8-8 job??
Me-- I aspire to be a writer who learns and gets better everyday. I never want to stop learning. I want to make a difference in the world by writing something so great and wonderful that it leaves an impression. And if you give me a choice between being successful in ophthalmology versus struggling in writing.. I will choose struggling in writing.
Sorry-- I do not get up every morning thinking, "I love my job." There are some mornings I get up and pray and wish that I would break my leg, so I wouldn't have to go in there. But just about every morning I get up and think, "I want to write or want to spend the day reading about writing.. how to perfect my writing."
So again, on an ending note:
What do you aspire to be?
Saturday, February 27, 2010
LMAO...
My in-laws are in town this weekend, and we decided to go up to the mountains today. So on the way back down the mountain, we all noticed that there was a cell phone tower in the valley of the mountain. Of course we all questioned why there was a tower in the valley of the mountain versus the top of the mountain.
Then my brother-in-law innocently asked, "How do they get down there?"
Husband, "Roads."
After we all cracked up by this response, my brother-in-law tells my husband, "Asshole."
More laughter.
Then the response of, "You're so stilly." (the combination word of stupid and silly).
Then my brother-in-law innocently asked, "How do they get down there?"
Husband, "Roads."
After we all cracked up by this response, my brother-in-law tells my husband, "Asshole."
More laughter.
Then the response of, "You're so stilly." (the combination word of stupid and silly).
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Life With Paisley...
Life with a 5 1/2 month old Harlequin Great Dane female has been an interesting ride so far. Besides the obvious- being tall and strong and majestic- she's also silly and sweet and beautiful-- and ALL DANE. So this is what I've learned from my beautiful sweet girl...
1. She leans- which all Danes do, it's a sign of affection. She especially does this when you pat her side. And if you move when she is leaning, she will stumble over.
2. She hates her vet. All dogs are a great judge of character, and if they don't like you- they're not going to give you the time of day and they're especially not going to let you touch them. Paisley sees whoever is available at her vet, and we have found that there is one vet she really doesn't like. The vet was trying to exam her and give her a shot, and Paisley was unruly and squirmy. They vet proceeded to lecture us for ten minutes about socializing her with other people and messing with her ears and nose and mouth and feet. Josh wanted to say, "Maybe she just doesn't like you." We exam her nose and ears and teeth, as well as her paws when Josh is clipping her nails-- and she gives us no problems. We socialize her as much as we can and does well with other people and dogs, so maybe it's the vet she doesn't like. There is one other vet that Paisley likes b/c the vet gets down on her level and plays with her and loves on her. PLUS if she's getting a shot, do you really think she's going to just sit there and let you do it? She's just like a human child in that aspect.
3. She loves to be in competition with herself. Give her a toy and watch as she picks it up, lays in the middle of the floor, and runs back and forth as hard as she can to pick it up. Sometimes she succeeds and sometimes she doesn't. It's the funniest thing to watch her do.
4. She LOVES to be scratched behind her ears. Scratch back there and watch the eyes get sleepier and sleepier.
5. She can sit and stay before feeding or while getting weighed. She can give you High Five, and she's learning not to bark at other people (which is a process). We're trying to teach her not to pull, which again is a process when she sees something she wants, but we're getting there.
6. If she sits on it, it's hers. This can range from her chair, to the couch, to me or Josh. She's so tall that it's nothing for her to walk by something and sit her on a chair or the couch while her front paws are still on the floor. Josh was winding down, getting ready to go to sleep. Paisley was on the bed and down went her butt on top of Josh, totally oblivious that he was laying there. Yesterday she plopped down on Branson, as if to say, "I want to sit here, so you can move or I can sit on you."
7. She gets really silly when it snows or when the weather is warm outside-- self explanatory.
8. She gives the greatest hugs and kisses.
9. When she sits down, her head is at my hip bone. I still realize that I'm vertically challenged so everything is bigger to me than it really is, but still I love that she's so tall. And yes I realize she will be bigger than me and will feel the need to pull me everywhere, but that's why we're teaching her the things we're teaching her.
10. And last but not least, she was destined to be our dog. Getting Paisley has been an issue with certain people ever since we got her. They think we're not fit or responsible or "rich" enough to have her. Here's my issue with that.. while we may live in an apartment and not be as well-off as others, there is nothing we wouldn't do for any of our dogs. We do whatever it takes to make sure our dogs are happy and healthy. And most importantly, we love our dogs unconditionally.. so with all due respect, if THAT makes us unfit as parents, then maybe that's your own insecurity and not ours. And again with all due respect while we may not have human children, we do have four-legged children, and we worry about them and love them just the same. We raise them to be decent adult dogs in public and at home. We worry when they get sick or have surgery. We have to potty-train them and teach them manners.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
I'm So Silly..
Shows how silly I really am...
Josh, "How do they build a snow pipe?"
Me, "I don't know... I've always wondered how they build a Luger."
Josh, "You mean an ice luge?"
Me, "Oh yeah.. a Luger is one of those people in New Orleans that steal stuff after it floods."
Josh, "No those are looters."
A brief moment of silence, and then Josh, "A Luger is a pistol."
LOL!!!!!
Josh, "How do they build a snow pipe?"
Me, "I don't know... I've always wondered how they build a Luger."
Josh, "You mean an ice luge?"
Me, "Oh yeah.. a Luger is one of those people in New Orleans that steal stuff after it floods."
Josh, "No those are looters."
A brief moment of silence, and then Josh, "A Luger is a pistol."
LOL!!!!!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Creamy Tomato Crockpot Italian Chicken
I don't know if I have ever mentioned this before, but I love trying new recipes ESPECIALLY when mushrooms are involved. So in an effort to eat semi-healthy, I searched through Sparkpeople's website and came across an interesting recipe that I had to try. While this recipe came from Spark, I had to add my own flare to it and found some stuff out while trying this recipe that, in the future, will make this recipe mine.
1 package of mushrooms, sliced
1 6 ounce bag of baby spinach
3 chicken breasts
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese (full fat, 1/3 less fat, or no fat is fine), cubed
1/2 red onion, sliced or chopped
1 package of Slow Cooker Chicken Italian Seasoning (I could not find it, so I used a package of Grill Mates Garlic and Basil for chicken)
2 cans of tomatoes
You're going to layer everything in the crockpot- so layer your mushrooms, spinach, chicken, red onion, and cream cheese. In a bowl mix the tomatoes and the seasoning packet together-- now I used 1 complete can of tomatoes and drained the other one, so the sauce itself wouldn't be too thin, but do it however you like. Put the tomato mixture on top of everything in the crock pot.
Cook on low heat for about 6 hours or on high heat for 4 hours. After an hour or so has passed, mix everything together and continue to let it cook. One thing I did find out with this recipe, after cooking the chicken for this long in the crockpot, it turned out dry. So a suggestion would be to broil or fry the chicken, and add it at the last minute to prevent it from drying out.
Serve it over pasta and b/c I'm such a cheese over pasta person, I sprinkled some Parmesan over it. Surprisingly, this was a really good recipe and is definitely one that I'll be trying and eating again.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Homemade Pizza
There is something so enticing and welcoming about homemade meal. First I think it means more to people and to yourself to put the thought and effort into a homemade meal. Second you know what exactly goes into your food. And third it's cheaper.
Josh and I made homemade pizza for supper-- our one of many that we have made in the past, and that meal is honestly one that never gets old. You can anything, and I mean anything, on a pizza. However much sauce, whatever kind of sauce, toppings, cheese, herbs, sweet, savory, doughy crust, crispy crust-- it really doesn't matter.
One pizza that we do is-
1 pizza crust- pricked and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil or canola oil, sprinkled with salt or oregano.
1 jar of pizza sauce- I use about 1/4 of the jar while Josh uses 1/2 of the jar (a small jar that is)
Pepperoni-- we used turkey pepperoni (pause for shock.. me eating turkey anything)
Italian Sausage (we didn't use it tonight but have in the past, and it's awesome)
1/2 red onion, diced
4 mushrooms, sliced
6 Italian blend Sargentos bag of cheese
Bake your crust first, 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes. Layer everything and set back in the oven for about 10-12 minutes. If you want your crust browner, turn the broiler on.
And of course we pair it up with $0.75 macaroni and cheese-- but again, it's such a great meal, who needs to spend $30 on pizza?
A friend of mine makes a veggie pizza for a night she calls Meatless Monday-- she puts kale, peppers, tomatoes, onion, and broccoli on hers. You could make your own Chicken Florentine pizza that I'm sure would be out of this world. You could even make a dessert pizza that a chocolate hazelnut pizza with Nutella or a breakfast pizza or even a fruit pizza.
The possibilities are endless-- but given the choice between restaurant pizza versus homemade pizza-- homemade trumps the restaurants any day.
Josh and I made homemade pizza for supper-- our one of many that we have made in the past, and that meal is honestly one that never gets old. You can anything, and I mean anything, on a pizza. However much sauce, whatever kind of sauce, toppings, cheese, herbs, sweet, savory, doughy crust, crispy crust-- it really doesn't matter.
One pizza that we do is-
1 pizza crust- pricked and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil or canola oil, sprinkled with salt or oregano.
1 jar of pizza sauce- I use about 1/4 of the jar while Josh uses 1/2 of the jar (a small jar that is)
Pepperoni-- we used turkey pepperoni (pause for shock.. me eating turkey anything)
Italian Sausage (we didn't use it tonight but have in the past, and it's awesome)
1/2 red onion, diced
4 mushrooms, sliced
6 Italian blend Sargentos bag of cheese
Bake your crust first, 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes. Layer everything and set back in the oven for about 10-12 minutes. If you want your crust browner, turn the broiler on.
And of course we pair it up with $0.75 macaroni and cheese-- but again, it's such a great meal, who needs to spend $30 on pizza?
A friend of mine makes a veggie pizza for a night she calls Meatless Monday-- she puts kale, peppers, tomatoes, onion, and broccoli on hers. You could make your own Chicken Florentine pizza that I'm sure would be out of this world. You could even make a dessert pizza that a chocolate hazelnut pizza with Nutella or a breakfast pizza or even a fruit pizza.
The possibilities are endless-- but given the choice between restaurant pizza versus homemade pizza-- homemade trumps the restaurants any day.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Start of a New Year...
Say good-bye to 2009 and hello to 2010-- only is it two-thousand ten or twenty-ten?! A very good point was made yesterday-- all the good things happen when the year is pronounced in the latter. For instance the Constitution was signed in Seventeen Seventy Six- Prince's song was Party Like It's Nineteen Ninety-Nine.. so I guess it's only fitting to say the year is Twenty-Ten.
So it's been a LONG, LONG time since I've blogged-- I think maybe around my 30th birthday. A lot has changed and happened since that blog. For one I've figured out that there are some people that are willing to and will stand by you and some that will dispose of you at the drop of a hat. Turning 30 was just like any other ordinary day- I don't and still don't feel any different as I did a year ago (although my hair doesn't hold the natural waviness it once did.. an early aging sign maybe?)
The holidays were different but also the very same. Good and new memories were made-- great food, full and deep laughs made from Pictionary (check out my FB Christmas album to understand), wonderful presents (again check the album out to understand), and some much needed time off.
Work is the same-- working with a new doctor and a new team is always an interesting experience, trying to figure them out while they're trying to figure you out. And while Josh and I have decided to stay in NC until April 2011, I have often wondered if it was the right decision. Either way, it's only for a year.. and then we'll be out of NC (yes it will happen). We're paying a lot of stuff off so when we officially move, we don't have a lot of crap hanging over our heads that don't need to be.
I still have dreams of being a writer-- still desire to write for a living, but I guess I've taken a break from it (unfortunately). I have been toying with the idea of writing a blog or a piece called Life with a Great Dane or Life with Paisley (that's my Paisley, not Brad Paisley.. LOL). I've also been dabbling with photography, although, I will NEVER be as good as my husband.. would love to do something with food photography b/c I'm such a foodie. Been thinking about doing a baking blog which could combine the 3 things I love- food, writing, and photography-- but again I don't know. Of course there is no better time than the present to do it, and the best way to get into it, is just to do it--- we'll see I guess.
Life with the dogs is always interesting... I learn something new about Paisley everyday (if I choose to blog about her, you'll find out). Shadow and Branson are still getting used to her, even though we've had her for a little over 2 mos.
So that's the past 2 mos of Vittitow life... so good-bye 2009, hello 2010.. let's see what you hold for me this year. :) I am hoping to blog more, regardless of what it's about. Au Revoir!!!!
So it's been a LONG, LONG time since I've blogged-- I think maybe around my 30th birthday. A lot has changed and happened since that blog. For one I've figured out that there are some people that are willing to and will stand by you and some that will dispose of you at the drop of a hat. Turning 30 was just like any other ordinary day- I don't and still don't feel any different as I did a year ago (although my hair doesn't hold the natural waviness it once did.. an early aging sign maybe?)
The holidays were different but also the very same. Good and new memories were made-- great food, full and deep laughs made from Pictionary (check out my FB Christmas album to understand), wonderful presents (again check the album out to understand), and some much needed time off.
Work is the same-- working with a new doctor and a new team is always an interesting experience, trying to figure them out while they're trying to figure you out. And while Josh and I have decided to stay in NC until April 2011, I have often wondered if it was the right decision. Either way, it's only for a year.. and then we'll be out of NC (yes it will happen). We're paying a lot of stuff off so when we officially move, we don't have a lot of crap hanging over our heads that don't need to be.
I still have dreams of being a writer-- still desire to write for a living, but I guess I've taken a break from it (unfortunately). I have been toying with the idea of writing a blog or a piece called Life with a Great Dane or Life with Paisley (that's my Paisley, not Brad Paisley.. LOL). I've also been dabbling with photography, although, I will NEVER be as good as my husband.. would love to do something with food photography b/c I'm such a foodie. Been thinking about doing a baking blog which could combine the 3 things I love- food, writing, and photography-- but again I don't know. Of course there is no better time than the present to do it, and the best way to get into it, is just to do it--- we'll see I guess.
Life with the dogs is always interesting... I learn something new about Paisley everyday (if I choose to blog about her, you'll find out). Shadow and Branson are still getting used to her, even though we've had her for a little over 2 mos.
So that's the past 2 mos of Vittitow life... so good-bye 2009, hello 2010.. let's see what you hold for me this year. :) I am hoping to blog more, regardless of what it's about. Au Revoir!!!!
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