Pizza Balls
♥♥♥♥
We love our pizza Fridays around here (in case you couldn’t tell), but even I recognize that variety is occasionally the spice of life. That is how these delicious, steamy pizza balls entered our lives. Now, Martha Stewart (or, more likely, her writers) called these “Spinach Pizza Rolls”, but we like to call them pizza balls. Why? Because they are little pizzas, in ball form, and around here we like to call it like we see it. Plus pizza balls is just more fun to say, especially when you fake an Italian accent and say it like “ahhhpizzaaa aballzaaa.” Go ahead, try it.
I’ll admit, these are a little time-consuming if you’re going to make your own pizza dough, but if your grocery store makes decent dough (usually found in the produce section or bakery, I’m not talking about the stuff in a can) you can go that route. Making your own dough and freezing it is an option, however it just doesn’t come out as dougheeeey and delicious after it passes through the freezer. Just my humble opinion.
Otherwise, these could be a great little family project wrapping pizza into little balls and watching them bake to golden deliciousness. We agreed the recipe as is was a little light in the cheese department, so next time we might introduce some mozzarella (and, if my husband has his way, some meat), but overall, this is a delicious little number appropriate for Friday pizza night or even party appetizers.
Pardon the absence
from my mom’s cookie book
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Last time I disappeared for a few months, I was pregnant and couldn’t stand the sight of food, let alone seeing it, cooking it, and then writing about it. This time, I promise you my absence has nothing to do with pregnancy, but everything to do with having a 7-month-old, a steady stream of visitors, a husband who works a lot, and the holidays thrown in for good measure. My absence from blogging might lead you to believe I haven’t been doing much cooking. Just the opposite- with visitors I like to roll out the culinary red carpet, and I’ve been doing more cooking than ever. I made this 6-layer chocolate caramel cake, this short rib pie, and some other favorites including Vodka Shrimp Pasta, Parmesan Stuffed Chicken, Turkey Meatballs and more. Plus my 7-month-old is eating real food now, so I’ve been pureeing a lot of sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, and more. You could say I’ve been doing so much cooking it leaves me no time for blogging!
But, I’m coming up for air. Visitors are gone. Dozens of Christmas cookies are baked. Other ‘stuff’ is winding down at the end of the year. So, here I am to share a recipe. Cookies no less. Consider them my peace-offering. With travel and the holidays coming up, I may be absent again for a while, but I’ll do my best to line up some awesome dishes to make up for it!
Pizza Bianca
from Everyday Food Magazine
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When I put this recipe on the menu, I try to say it in my best highbrow voice and sound sophisticated, but really this is just white pizza; but it is anything but plain and simple. It’s delicious, and cheesy, and garlicy, and usually gone in about 5 minutes around here. The longest part of this recipe is if you choose to make the dough yourself (which I recommend you do, it’s so much better), but if you’re lucky enough to have a grocery store or handy little Italian market that stocks pizza dough ready to go, that will work too.
Otherwise, it’s just cheese, garlic and a few minutes in the oven. This pizza is savory and delicious, and pairs well with a leafy green salad or some saucy chicken wings. Depends on just how much you feel like indulging.
Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins
from All Recipes
♥♥♥♥
‘Tis the season for all things pumpkin and apples. As previously mentioned, we went to the Raleigh Farmers Market this weekend and indulged in all things fall; pumpkins, apples, pastries, apple cider, mums, and gorgeous weather. We experienced an epic new parent fail when we realized the quantity of our indulgences left us without trunk space for the stroller. Whoops. We crammed it in the backseat instead, and only one incident of screaming baby forced me to sit in the backseat on TOP of said stroller for part of the car ride. Live and learn. (Although, the only lesson we learned is that we’re minivan bound sooner than we’d like to admit).
Once we cleaned out the Farmer’s Market, it was time to determine what to do with all that stuff. Pumpkins and mums on the front porch, check. Pumpkin centerpiece (which appears as the floating UFO in the photo above), check. Apple cider, one glass for now, the rest in the fridge, check. Apples. Oh so many apples. MUFFINS! Check!
I make these muffins just about every fall. I love their orangey color and struedely goodness. I don’t have much else to say about them beyond that. They take a little time with cutting and chopping the apples, but it’s a lovely Sunday afternoon activity!
A little heavy, while overall light
from Everyday Food Magazine
my rating: ♥♥ (I’m just not a big fan of stew, but sometimes I cook things to make my husband happy)
husband’s rating: ♥♥♥♥
I was reading one of my favorite blogs yesterday, Rants from Mommyland, and a reader wrote in asking for some simple recipes that she could make for her entire, seemingly picky, family. The guest writer gave a suggestion for a lovely looking chicken burger that called for Sriracha, which led to many ‘what the heck is that?’ comments. Heck, I like to cook, and I didn’t even know what it was. It’s a type of hot sauce, come to find out, but I decided to comment with a link to my blog in the event that readers were looking for something that calls for ingredients every decently stocked pantry should contain. We all know I try to keep it pretty simple and delicious here.
After doing so, I decided to peruse my blog to see how it appears to the new reader. My conclusion (besides the fact that I am a total slacker as of late) is that it’s looking a little heavy on the heavy, while overall light. Poetic no? It’s heavy on the more delectable cheese filled and dessert type recipes, while being light on posts in general. I decided it’s time to get a good old fashioned relatively good for you dinner recipe posted. I’m going to knock it out of the park and make it a slow cooker meal too; virtually effortless! So here we go. Enjoy- and to any new readers, welcome! I hope you’ll stick with me and my less than frequent posting!
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