EZ Thin-Crust Pizza

Sometimes it’s the simplest things that just never occur to you.

That’s why we need Hungry Girl.  I’ve often said she’s like a super hero.

Pop a tortilla in the oven at 375 for five minutes.  Then flip it over and top it with a little pizza sauce and cheese.  Not just any cheese, mind you; chop up a light string cheese.    That may be the incorrect use of a semicolon, just saying.

Put it in the oven for another five minutes.

I can’t help but think that this would be a perfect little appetizer.  I’m going to try topping it with some thin ham or maybe some artichokes.  Even better:  a slice of bacon.  I’m pretty sure they will all come in under 400 calories, since the naked pizza is 181.   Is it naked if there’s cheese?  These are the things that keep me up at night.

Crispy and cheesy.  The End.

Wait.   I just had a thought:  black olives!!

Eat Well and Savor.

Sunday Summary

Monday:  Thankfully, I had today off.  I decided to take a trip to IKEA.  Am I the only one who finds that place overwhelming?  I was looking for some rectangular planters and they didn’t have them.  Of course that didn’t stop me from picking up a few bargains.  And when I say bargains you should know that I bought five items and my total bill was $8.91.

I also made some Peach Iced Tea.  In case you’re wondering, the peach has currently replaced cherries in my house.  I got the recipe from Kelly Alexander’s book, Peaches.  Honestly, the tea flavor wasn’t very strong and neither was the peach flavor.

Tuesday:  I was home from work by 1:00 today.  I didn’t really accomplish too much, unless you count this ice cream.

Peach Cobbler Ice Cream from Cooking Light:  Cool Whip, sweetened condensed milk, and peach schnapps?  Count me in.  Don’t forget the Bourbon-Caramel Sauce.

Wednesday:  I had to do some top-secret transcription this morning and then I was lucky enough to drive home in the pouring rain.  I did manage to snag this awesome tray at Williams-Sonoma, though.   On sale and another 20% off.

And I made these Butter-Roasted Carrots from Cooking Light’s Pick Fresh Cookbook.

Just roast in the oven for 15 minutes at 425.

Thursday:  Happy Independence Day!  Jake wanted me to make sure to pass along that the 4th of July is just the date.  And he recommends that you read the Declaration of Independence.

I recommend that you make your own Barbecue Potato Chips.

I followed the recipe in Edible DIY by Lucy Baker.  I’ve made baked chips before and been unimpressed.   These were deep-fried, amazing, and worth every minute of prep, but it’s something I won’t repeat on a regular basis; frying in batches is time-consuming.  Still, two potatoes made a lot.  And I had some of the barbecue mixture leftover, so I coated a strip steak with it for Jake’s dinner.  I think the little bit of brown sugar in it made a nice caramelization resulting in a crust that Jake was over the moon about.

Friday:  Look what came today.

That’s right.  I got a dehydrator with the Amazon card I won from Pioneer Woman.  Thanks again, PW.  I haven’t used it yet.  Honestly, I’m a little intimidated.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

Cooking Light’s Crave! is quickly becoming a Friday night fave.  Hmm, I feel like I’ve made this rhyme before.

Anyway, Apricot and Prosciutto Thin-Crust Pizza was a hit with my non-fruit-loving husband.  I suppose the prosciutto had a little something to do with it.

Saturday:  Jake and I were going to go to the movies today.  He was unmotivated by my choice of the Lone Ranger and I was unmotivated by the extremely rainy weather.   We went to Costco instead.  I can’t help but think that the movie would have been cheaper.

Here’s the Drink of the Week:

Cherry Pucker:  2 ounces cherry brandy, 1 ounce vodka, 1 ounce amaretto, and 2 ounces of cranberry juice.  I’m so happy I found something tasty to use up those little jars of cherry brandy leftover from my Brandied Cherries.

Sunday:  I made whoopie pies today.  What’s the occasion you ask.  Well, me, of course.  I love to celebrate me.  Today is my three-year anniversary at my job and I’m going to take treats to the office tomorrow.  I made the Classic Chocolate Whoopie and the Coconut Cream filling from Whoopie Pies by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell.

They’re not so pretty once they’re wrapped up, but it is necessary to keep the obscene amount of filling that I put in there from oozing out.

Eat Well and Savor.

 

 

Rosemary Pizza-Dough Dippers

With Cheesy Pizza Dip.

I know I always say it, but this was so easy.

Just buy a bag of already made pizza dough and cut it up into circles.   Brush them with olive oil and top them with rosemary and sea salt.  Bake for 10 minutes at 450 and done.

The dip is just as easy:  warm some marinara in the skillet, dollop with ricotta, and sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan.  Then bake at 450 for three to four minutes.

Don’t forget the fresh basil.

Of course the part I left out is that this is an Ellie Krieger recipe from Comfort Food Fix, so it you use part-skim cheese and whole wheat dough you’ve got a low-calorie treat that all ages will love.

Hard to believe, isn’t it?  Easy and, dare I say, good for you.

Eat Well and Savor.

 

Butternut Squash and Red Onion Pizza

This was one of those last-minute decisions that wound up being a huge success.  It was a perfect little Friday night meal that I wasn’t even going to mention.  That’s why there’s no prep pictures.  You know I love some colors stirred up in a bowl.   Even Jake (my husband who eats only corn carrots and green beans) proclaimed this tasty.  Translation:  not an award-winner in his book, but surely good enough for seconds.

Just roast your squash first and then layer it on a store-bought pizza dough with some mozzarella, red onion, and radicchio.  That’s right.  I said radicchio.  Honestly, not my most favorite vegetable.  I have tried it many ways and this is the first time that I loved it.

Here’s the little secret about this recipe:  underneath all the goodness that you can see is some more goodness which consists of garlic, parsley, and olive oil.

This one is from Rachael Ray and a repeater in my book.    Clearly, this is vegetarian, but I can’t help but think that it would be amazing with a little prosciutto.

Eat Well and Savor.