Pizza Bites

These pizza bites couldn't be any easier and were a big hit as an appetizer for a party.  You basically take pizza dough (I bought mine at the Italian grocery store) and divide it into 20-25 pieces.  Spread each piece out a bit, stuff with cheese and pepperoni, seal it up and put it in a pan sealed side down.  Then you brush with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasonings and parmesean cheese.  Finally you bake it in the oven at 400 for 20 min.  Then they pull apart very easily.  Yum!

Summer

Sorry I've been MIA since June 1st, I think I have summer on the brain!  It doesn't officially start until Tuesday, but it unofficially started Memorial weekend.  Especially when it was in the 90s that weekend and has been nice ever since.  Makes up for that rainy April and May.  What are you looking most forward to this summer?  Here's my list and I hope to enjoy every second of these precious months:

• sunsets at the beach
• walking at the beach path in the morning
• swimming!
• hanging out with my Mom at her pool
• reading books and magazines and more books! (my goodreads: 
• lazy hair and makeup
• flip-flops
• flower clips in my hair
• scary movie night on Monday nights with Tom, Mom, Aunt April and Uncle Mike
• going to the movies more often
• wineries
• making s'mores
• sitting around a fire at night
• picnics
• hikes
• pool parties
• Fourth of July
• our SEVENTH wedding anniversary (Holy Cow)
• Tom's parents coming from Scotland 
• getting a new job
• ice-cream
• strawberries
• TOMATOES 
• peaches
• watermelon
• grilled food
• girlie foo-foo drinks

Here's my beach-bag (got it at Forever 21), what's in yours?

Here's a great, EASY dessert to make for get-togethers/cookouts:

Recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/down-home-with-the-neelys/strawberry-shortcut-cake-recipe/index.html

Pepperoni Bread How To

Pepperoni bread is pretty simple to make and a great appetizer for an outdoor party (can be eaten hot, room temp or cold).

Roll out your dough to a long rectangular shape.
I get my dough from a local pizza shop.

My secret is that I add a very thin layer of marinara sauce.

Add the pepperoni.

Add mozzarella and parmesan cheese and roll up.

If it's too long for your baking sheet, wrap it around.
Brush olive oil on the top, sprinkle with parmesan cheese
and add a few slits to vent.

Bake on 400 for 30 min with foil covering,
remove foil and bake for 5-10 more minutes.

Slice and enjoy!

Glazed Lemon Cookies and Chocolate Dipped Shortbread

I made these cookies for a Memorial Weekend party and they were a huge hit.

The glazed lemon cookies are a Martha Stewart recipe, and the chocolate dipped shortbread are an Ina Garten recipe.  The only thing I changed on the shortbread recipe was that I rolled it into a log and sliced them, vs. rolling them out and using cookie cutters.  Rolling pins, cookie cutters and myself do not get along.  My way was super easy.  They only took 12 minutes to cook, not 20.  I dipped them in dark Belgium chocolate from Trader Joes (1lb brick, I used half the brick).  
The lemon cookies also only took about 13 minutes to cook, not 15-20.
I will be making both again for sure!

French Onion Soup

I followed Deb's recipe to a T and it was AMAZING!
Recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/04/french-onion-soup/

Dinner Series: Chicken Florentine Style

Do yourself a favor and make this!
This was amazing, and pretty easy also.
Recipe here: 
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chicken-florentine-style-recipe/index.html
I did not change anything.

Dinner Series: Spinach Tortellini Soup

This is a really easy and flavorful soup.  Highly recommend it!  Nom nom.  Recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/spinach-tortellini-soup-recipe/index.html  The only thing I changed was I used petite diced tomatoes instead of stewed and also half of an onion finely diced.  I think you definitely need the onion for flavor.  Oh and I also threw in fresh spinach towards the end instead of frozen.

Easter Fun

I hope everyone had a nice Easter!  Ours was pretty good and definitely filled without a lot of food!


I attempted to make Eggs in Purgatory for the first time for Good Friday.  I don't think it typically has mashed potato pancakes though!  I wasn't a fan, I'd try it without the potatoes.  My husband loved it though.

Recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/eggs-in-purgatory-recipe/index.html

Saturday morning my Mom and I went to my little niece's house to color eggs!

Easter treats from the Easter Bunny!

Chocolate Truffles from World Market

Easter morning I made this meyer lemon pancake mix from World Market.
They were awesome!


Desserts I made:

Creamy Lemon Squares.
Recipe here: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/creamy-lemon-squares-104737.aspx
I think I'd stick to a traditional recipe in the future.

Bunny Bait!  White chocolate covered popcorn with Easter peanut M&Ms.
I got the idea here: http://bakeat350.blogspot.com/2011/04/bunny-bait.html

Cooking Light's Carrot Cake
recipe:
http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/recipe-makeovers/healthy-carrot-cake-recipe-makeover-00412000070625/

Dinner Series: Shrimp Cobb Salad

I loosely took this from this month's Cooking Light.  We normally would have chicken in this type of salad, but I didn't really think of shrimp!  

Dinner Series: Chicken Parmesan Burger Recipe from Cooking Light

I have some new recipes I am going to be trying out this week and I thought I'd post what we like here.  Last night we tried the Chicken Parmesan Burger Recipe from Cooking Light's April Issue.  They were sooo good!  I ended up using ground all white turkey though (because that's what Trader Joe's had) and some really good focaccia bread from Trader Joe's instead of buns.  The other thing I changed was the herbs, I used an Italian mixture of dried herbs that I get from a local Italian market.  I was a little worried about putting marinara sauce into the meat mixture, it made it kind of soupy, but it held together well in the end and really is what made it.  

I highly recommend making this, and it was really easy!

Recipe here:  http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-parmesan-burgers-50400000111141/

Easy Baked Cheese Crepes Recipe

I love this recipe from Giada de Laurentiis, 
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/baked-cheese-crepes-recipe/index.html
I forgot about it and hadn't made it in a few years.  I made it Wednesday night and it was so good!  
Also it's low-carb! 
We accidentally left the left-overs out while we went swimming though so we had to throw those away :(

First you make a stack of ten crepes and let cool, this was the last one.

Then you fill it with mozzarella and fontina cheese, and a little basil.

Ten little piggies all rolled up.

Add sauce and what's left of the mozzarella and some parmesan cheese.  And bake.

See the sticker?  That means it's tried and tested!

YUMMO

Spring Recipe Ideas!

Whose ready to say good bye to hearty meals/soups/stews, 

in favor for lighter fresh fruits, veggies and grilled foods?  I am!!

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Chicken with Artichokes and Angel Hair Pasta

Grilled Pound Cake with Berries and Ice Cream

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Beef Satay with Peanut Sauce

Apricot-Almond Claflouti

Bean and Salmon Salad with Arugula Dressing

Grilled Fish

Glazed Lemon Cookies