WFMW – Super Easy Super Bowl Pizza

Now anyone who knows me knows that I love me some football.  I love watching.  I love making calls.  I love yelling loudly enough that the team can here me from my living room.  

I coulda been a contenda… if I were a boy.  Stupid boys’ club sport.  Hmph.  I can’t even make it as a ref.  

Yes, I have issues.  But they really have nothing to do with this post.  So let’s move on, shall we?

And if you’re bummed, like me, that your team didn’t make it to the final game of the season (sniff… final game!), then let me show you some stinkin’ easy ways to showcase your favorite team(s) during the Super Bowl.  Your team might not be at the Super Bowl, but that’s no reason they can’t be at your party!

Just in time for the biggest pizza eating day of the year, Boboli has created some wonderfully easy pizzas for you to serve to all the fans.  They’ve created one recipe for each of the NFL teams and gave them fun names to boot.  Even if you know nothing about football, you can impress your mate with your football terminology!

Using Boboli crusts and Boboli sauce on two of the pizzas, my family made 4 different types of pizza and had I had all the ingredients when we started, I would say that all told, it would have taken us 30 minutes to make all four.  But that’s just crazy talk, assuming that I would have all the necessary ingredients on hand.  So if you throw in the 45 minute trip to Walmart, where I waited in line for 25 minutes to check out (NOT A TYPO), then it took us more like an hour and 15 minutes to get it all done.  But here is where we’re going to assume that a) you’re more prepared than me or b) your Walmart has all lines open on a busy Saturday at noon.

We had to make the Indianapolis “Interception” Pizza (good old pepperoni, green peppers and onions), 

our Arizona “First Down” Fiesta Pizza (refried beans, taco meat, cheese, salsa, sour cream and guacamole – YUM!)

our Cleveland’s “Bootleg” Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza (sauce with hamburger meat, real bacon bits, onions, dill pickles and cheddar cheese (my personal favorite),

and last, but not least, Washington’s “In Bounds” American Apple Pie (oh my lands…  it was so good, I thought I might have to give up my apple pie… almost – sweetened cream cheese with sliced Granny Smith apples, brown sugar and cinnamon)  

On my personal “I’m letting go of  my angst against the Patriot’s cheaterhead ways”, I looked up the New England pizza.  There’s no way on earth I’m forgiving them enough to eat a clam bake pizza.  I can forgive them, but I don’t have to root for them and I don’t have to eat their fair.  Yuck.

You can hit the Boboli.com for all the recipes if you’re so inclined or you can go wild.  It’s yourc call.

Oh, and as a last note, I made them all on the Whole Wheat Pizza Crusts.  I wasn’t sure of it when I got them, but we’re doing what we can to eat a bit better.  Seriously, no one in the family could tell a difference.  They were all just so delicious!  So now you have a choice in crust if you want one.

Hope y’all have a great time at your Super Bowl party, or if you’re not a football fan (freak!), might I suggest a movie?  It’s a perfect time since everyone else will be watching the game.  But don’t see Alvin and the Chipmunks, whatever you do… trust me on that one.  That movie so did not work for me.

Head on over to Shannon’s place to see some other truly fabulous ideas.

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Another Reason French Fries Aren’t Good For You

The other day I made a run to a store that was having a “sale” on carpet.  

Yes, we’re still working on our basement from last July.  I’d like to say that it’s due to contractors or something beyond our control that is keeping the basement from being finished, but really, it’s all us.  We decided to do the basement ourselves since we needed a new roof too.  The money we saved doing it ourselves paid for more than half the roof.  Bonus!  (But we didn’t do that ourselves.  We may be frugal, but we’re don’t have a death sentence…)

Anyway, I had to go check out this “sale” over my lunch break.  The store was about 20 minutes away, and of course, I got to the store and realized that it was all baloney.  They weren’t having a sale at all.  They just wanted to get me in the store.  Bah!  I figured that I would head to the bathroom and leave.

By this time I was hungry.  I knew that I should go back to work and eat the food I had brought from home, but the entire time I was walking through the store, I kept thinking about McDonald’s french fries.  They were calling my name.  Maybe I could have stop and grab some of them on the way back to work.  I mean I haven’t had them in a LONG time and they sound so perfect.  If I had to make a wasted trip to this store, I should at least come away with some golden, hot, delicious strips of potatoes…

And then I found myself standing in the men’s restroom.  With a man.  Who was using the facilities.

My eyes were as big as pancakes and you can rest assure that my Opera Voice came into play again.  “Ooooooh Myyy Gooooooooodneeeeeeess!”

I ran from the men’s restroom and hid out in the women’s for an extra eternity or so.  Then I booked it out to the car when I thought the coast was clear.  

And you can bet that I did go get my french fries – extra large – because if I’m going to suffer that embarrassment, I’m at least going to make it worthwhile.

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Food For Thought

Well it’s summer and the eating is good! A little too good I think because both Chili and My Best Investments can see that my eating skills are being put to good use since they both tagged me with the Dining Out Meme. And unfortunately, I have the tummy to prove it…

Rules schmules:

Link to name of person(s) who tagged you.
Include state and country you live in.
List top 5 favorite local restaurants.
Tag 5 other people and let them know they’ve been tagged.

Where I live: State of Confusion, USA or Kansas, if you want to get picky.

Top Five Local Restaurants that I enjoy:

1. Fortune Wok – This is probably one of the best Chinese restaurants I’ve ever tried. They make killer Hot and Sour Soup, their crab rangoons are creamy and crispy and they have several familiar and signature dishes that are making my mouth water when I think about them. One of our favorites is the Wok Roasted Chicken – a unique dish composed of lightly rice-flour breaded pieces of chicken in a spicy dark sauce along with dried red chilies and peanuts. It comes with barely steamed broccoli which helps to offset the tingle of heat in the dish. Yummy!
2. BD Mongolian Grill – I love this place because you run through a huge bar full of all sorts of ingredients – about 8 meats such as steak, chicken, scallops, lamb, shrimp, pork, tofu and around 20 different vegetables of your choice. You pile whatever you want into a bowl, add your spices and oils and then take them over to a humongous skillet where 5 people rotate around it to cook, turn, break apart and finish your masterpiece. They scoop it off onto a plate when it’s done and hand it back to you. By the time you’ve made it back to your table, you have tortilla and rice waiting for you – whichever compliments your meal. It’s fun and entertaining to watch them make your meal, and you can go through again if you’re still hungry. Me? I’ve only ever been able to make it through once, but the way I’m going…
3. Fiorelli’s Jack Stack BBQ – honestly, this place is on there only because they make the best baked beans known to man. And I’m from Memphis, you know that has to be a compliment and a half. I’ve been known to go by and order the beans just for lunch. Yep. They’re that good. (Oh, and their baby back ribs aren’t half bad either.
4. O’Neill’s Irish Bar and Pub – This place is a nod back to the old days. The place itself has a pleasant charm. Old men sit at the bar, enjoying retirement, yet talking business from yesteryear. The dark walls and raised booths lend a hand to privacy, but you aren’t ignored when there. And Oh. My. Lands. This restaurant makes the best salad this side of heaven. Lettuce, red peppers, avocados, pecans, red onions, tomatoes, tortilla strips, grilled chicken – all served with a tangy honey citrus vinaigrette. It’s sooo good that when I get it for the Executives who come through the office, they admit that they had to keep themselves from licking the plate clean. It’s that good. And it’s just a stinkin’ salad! Imagine what they can do with real food…
5. J. Alexander’s – They make the most delicious steak that is topped with a scoop of slighly breaded and fried blue cheese. The meat melts in your mouth and the bits of cheese that you add gives it that little something-something that makes you want to go back to try it again and again. And their baked potatoes are as big as your head! (I just went there Monday on a Business dinner. Oh divine, Divine, DEVINE! And the wine was really good too. It helps that I was there with a couple of fantastic people who made the entire night enjoyable too.
6. What? Did you really think I would stop at 5? Foolish you… Cold Stone Creamery – Sweet cream ice cream with strawberries smushed into it, all in a waffle cone. Nough said.

Okay, I tag Joyful Days, Bren J, Daring Young Mom, Stacey and Willson (because he’s a chef and he knows food!)

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WFMW – Almond Crusted Chicken

This recipe is a favorite of our from the South Beach Diet. It’s the one diet way of eating to lose weight/lower cholesterol that I’ve tried a and really liked.

You don’t have to fry your chicken to get that fried taste.

This dish is cooked in the oven and has a subtle nuttiness from the almonds.

Yields: 6 main-dish servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: About 20 minutes

• 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (Use 2 slices whole wheat bread; toast, then pulse in a food processor.)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
• 1/4 cup almonds, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves or 1 Tsp dried parsley
• 1 garlic clove, crushed with press
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• Pinch ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves, pounded to 1/2-inch thickness and cut into 12 pieces

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.

2. In medium bowl, stir bread crumbs, Parmesan, almonds, parsley, garlic, salt, thyme, and pepper until mixed. Pour oil into pie plate.

3. Dip chicken in oil, then in bread-crumb mixture to coat. Place chicken on cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes or until juices run clear when thickest part of chicken is pierced with tip of knife. (Do not turn chicken over.)

4. Arrange chicken on warm platter.

This recipe is easy as pie and delicious. We had it with mashed half potatoe and half sweet potatoes and it was wonderful! Add a caesar salad and you are set to go.

If you need the breakdown: Based on individual serving.

Calories: 383 Total Fat: 16 g Saturated Fat: 4 g Cholesterol: 91 mg Sodium: 730mg Carbohydrates: 15 g Fiber: 1 g Protein: 41 g

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Roasted Garlic and Bean Dip

I dedicate this post to GiBee, a fellow garlic lover extraordinaire. She asked for the recipe from yesterday’s post. (But you all can try it, too, if it sounds like something you would like.)

Ingredients

• 2 bulbs garlic
• 1 16 oz can of navy beans
• 2 Tsp tomato paste
• 2 Tsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp rosemary
• salt and pepper to taste.
• Bread/breadsticks

Wrap the garlic in an aluminum envelope and put in oven to roast, about 30 minutes. Garlic should be soft when done. Cool for 10 minutes. Cut bottom off bulbs and squeeze all the garlic into a bowl.

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. Serve with bread(sticks).

Can be made up 2 days before event.

Sometimes easiest is the best.

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The Shoe Fit

Yesterday in my comments Pezmama told of an instance where her husband actually made one of her dream getaways come true. How cool is that?! Everyone needs to have some dreams completely fulfilled sometimes.

As it happens, I do have a memory to share about surprises.

Three years ago Mr. Right wanted to do something really spectacular for my birthday. He decided that since we hadn’t had a trip alone in some time, he would whisk me away for a four day getaway to Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Plus, he knew that I loved surprises.

Now some strategic planning was involved because at the time I worked at Barnes & Noble as a Lead. What this meant was that I worked all sorts of hours on any day of a given week. Usually weekends off were a rarity. But he did not let that daunt him.

He called one of the managers to explain his plight. He wanted to get some of my days off and use some of my vacation days to pull it off, but he wanted them to leave me on the work calendar so that I wouldn’t have a clue as to what was happening. God had something to do with the scheduling because not only did they grant his request, they gave me the weekend off so that most of my vacation days would stay intact. And no one said a word about it to me.

Next he called his parents to request their babysitting skills. The babysitting at our place (4 hours away from them) meant that they would have to take time off too. From what I gather, they didn’t even bat an eye at it. They cleared their schedule to make room for us. Now that’s love, I tell you.

He scrimped and saved so that we could have a fun time on our trip. He set money from our tax return aside to help pay for the trip too. If he could go without something, he did and then put the savings into the mad money fund. This was a great case of the right hand not knowing what the left was doing, really remarkable when I was the one doing the bills and in charge of our finances.

On the Thursday before my birthday (which was on a Monday), he pulled out a suitcase and started packing things. Of course this piqued my curiosity. He then told me that I would not be going to work for the next several days and that I needed to pack for a place that was expected to be beautiful. His only instructions were that I needed to pack shorts, at two dress-up dresses and accessories and a bathing suit. He didn’t have to ask twice!

His parents arrived the next day at noon and shooed us out the door. We kissed the kids and took off. When we were on our way, Mr. Right pulled out some crossword/acrostics/logic puzzle books that he had purchased for the drive. We worked some of them together, some separately. We talked and talked over the 5 hour drive, filling many of the moments with laughter and singing and stories.

When we arrived, I discovered that he had booked us into a beautiful, serene and quite charming bed and breakfast. He had talked with the owners several times, so it felt like we were being welcomed into some old friends’ house. He had reserved the “honeymoon” suite, complete with jacuzzi tub, huge bay windows and the most gorgeous furniture and spread. It was so pretty, I was afraid to mess it up (but I got over that quickly!)

For dinner that night we went to the most stunningly-situated restaurant, a place nestled into the cliffs over the lake. When the sun set, the sky was full of an array of colors straight from God’s paint palate. Pinks, blues, oranges, purples
and grays were spread across the sky, making the open view to the lake breath-taking.

Everything we did was my choice. What shops we visited, where we ate for lunch, where we went for an evening dessert, what sights we saw. And to top it off, Mr. Right had some little present for each day, something to remind us why we were there and how dearly he loved me. Sigh, what did I ever do to deserve such a loving, divine man?

One of the unexpected gifts from God occurred on the second night of our trip. I decided that we should eat at a small, but well-known Italian restaurant that came highly recommended. It was so popular that we had an hour wait, but that was nothing since we didn’t have the kids in tow. Plus, the restaurant was set on the first floor in an old Victorian house, with the entire upstairs as a waiting room/bar.

We had settled in when three couples came into the waiting area. One of the ladies looked very familiar, but I could not place where. They sat near us and eventually we all began talking. “Have you tried this restaurant before?” “How long are you here?” “Where are you from?”

It turned out that we were all from Kansas City. (Sing with me now… It’s a small world after all.) I asked what they all did. When it was my turn, I said that I worked at Barnes & Noble. The girl that looked familiar pointed at me and exclaimed to her two friends, “This is the lady I was telling you about on the way down here! I knew I recognized you!”

What? She was talking about me? “Ummm, is that a good thing or a bad thing?” I asked. If it was bad, I was out of there.

With a very animated gestures and a smiling face, she proceeded to tell me and her friends how she came into B&N looking for a gift for her mother. I had shown her several choice selections that I personally loved and she wound up buying three of them. Her mother loved every single book; she had gone back in to thank me personally for my kindness, attention, deep knowledge about so many genres and personal recommendations, but I wasn’t there at that time and she couldn’t remember my name. Then she turned to me and asked that I give them several more names of great books. Being a book lover and voracious reader who usually wanted to seek a willing audience, I was only too happy to oblige. For 40 minutes – until we were seated, I had the opportunity to talk books, to give recommendations and to hear bits of praise around my name.

Mr. Right specifically stated that he had nothing to do with that gift…

On the day before we left, my sweet husband set up massages for us. I had a wonderfully relaxing hour and a half. Basically the lady had to use a spatula to get me off the table. After I figured out that my legs still worked, we walked back to the B &B and the afternoon remained lazy and carefree.

Everything about that trip was perfect. I wouldn’t have changed a single moment.

The ride back was just as interesting and lively as the one down. I came home to a kept house and squeaky clean kids who had many utterances of “Happy Birthday Mommy!” They made cards for me and gave me lots of hugs and kisses. Feeling loved is the best gift of all.

So I did have my Cinderella moment, without all the mice and the devil of a cat. I never minded that the ball ended. I know that there may be others in my future with my Prince Charming.

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