Category: Food and Recipes

Nothing beats pizza. It’s so cheesy and delicious… you can add any toppings of your choice… you can use traditional pasta sauce or pesto sauce…. pizza has always been my favorite food. When we were in Italy, almost five years ago, I thought I had discovered the best pizza in the world. Well, it still is but I have to admit that homemade pizza comes pretty close.

I love making pizza with the kids. They enjoy rolling out the dough, putting their favorite toppings and watching it slide onto the pizza stone. Of course, the kitchen floor ends up covered with flour, as do all of us, but it’s fun and there is nothing better then having some fun in the kitchen with my kids.

Mike and I got a pizza stone from Williams Sonoma when we got married, nine years ago, and it is the best pizza stone ever!!! When we moved into our new house five years ago, someone must have dropped it and it broke right in half. I was devastated. But, just a few days later, as Lilliana and I were walking around our new neighborhood, enjoying some tag sales (Lilliana and I love going to tag sales), there it was. Still in the box… a brand new pizza stone, exactly the same one that had broken. It’s truly the best pizza stone ever! It makes the best crust with crisp edges and cooks perfectly even throughout the entire pizza.

Pizza Stone from Williams Sonoma. Love it!

We use a paddle, also from Williams Sonoma, to slide the pizza onto the HOT stone. The key to a great crust is to pre-heat the stone on 500. Nice and hot. I throw some cornmeal down on the paddle, put the toppings on the pizza and then slide the pizza right onto the hot stone. The pizza cooks in 10 minutes!

The secret to the thin crust, is to cut the dough in half. I just discovered the multi-grain dough from Whole Foods. It’s so very yummy! I cut each dough in half and then roll each one out. Makes two pizzas from just one dough. It’s very economical and makes a nice thin crust pizza.

Of course, I’m not a professional pizza maker, so they don’t always come out round…. but I think the different shapes gives the pizza character. hehehe….

We love to make pizza on Friday or Sun nights… get a kid friendly movie and make it a Family Pizza and Movie Night. Bon Appetito!

 

(Hahaha, sometimes I can be very corny with my headlines but I thought it was cute, so it is, what it is.)

We have been buying the most delicious organic strawberries at Trader Joe’s lately and they are a bargain! You get 1 lb. of big, gorgeous, delicious strawberries for only $2.99. That price even beats the conventional (and full of pesticides) strawberries you buy at your local grocery store.

I mean, just look at these. They are BEAUTIFUL and sooooo very SWEET!

You can get some very good deals on organic foods if you just shop around…. sometimes the prices are EXACTLY the same or slightly higher as their conventional partners. Trust me. I’ve done the price comparisons. Yes, of course, sometimes the prices are higher then the pesticide-hormone injected foods, but sometimes, it really is about the same. Overall, I found that Trader Joe’s has the best prices but many of the Whole Foods, 365 brand products are about the same price as the ones from Trader Joe’s.

When it comes to your children’s health and your entire family’s health, don’t you want to do the best you can possibly do? Well, start small and replace those Dirty Dozen. You’ll see if you shop smart, you’ll get some great deals for organic foods and I don’t know about you, but I love a great deal! Think about it this way. If you could buy a Mercedes Benz for the same price (or just a little more) as a Toyota, wouldn’t you buy the Mercedes? I know I would.

Tonight, Lilliana will be in her first play! We are all so very excited for her. She used to be so shy around people and now she is going to perform on a stage in front of over one hundred people. That is quite an accomplishment and I am so proud of her.

We will be serving refreshments for the children and families that attend tonight’s performance and I have baked quite a little spread….. all wholesome, good for you, little treats and peanut free.

Oh my gosh, these are sooooo beautiful and so very yummy. I can guarantee they are delicious since I ate one of each kind. It is my duty as the baker to ensure my goodies taste just right!

I’m also going to bring some of my Food Jules Organic Jams so everyone can spread on their crackers, bagels or muffins. YUM!

I hope everyone enjoys the show and the treats tonight!

There’s nothing better then some warm, smooth Potato Leek soup on a rainy, cold day…. or how about a delicious, cheesy lasagna… or if you are in the mood for some Asian food, how about some homemade Drunken Noodles with Shrimp? There are so many options, how can one decide?

I made these noodles a couple weeks ago and just looking at them is making me want to make them again this very instant! Asian food is one of my favorite ethnic foods and this dish is so easy to make. Plus, it’s easy to cook vegetarian with the onions, red and green peppers, mushrooms and some fresh broccoli instead of the shrimp. That’s what I love about this dish, it’s so versatile. Oh, and the noodles are rice noodles so it’s a perfect dish for those on a gluten free diet!

Well, until I decide what’s cooking for dinner tonight, I think I’ll sit back and eat a yummy, warm, Chocolate Chip Muffin that I baked last night and brew a latte in my Espresso Love Mug. It’s a perfect afternoon pick me up after spending the morning cleaning the house! Oh and yes, I baked these muffins at 10pm last night. What can I say, it’s my quiet time when I can bake as much as my little heart desires without any interruptions!

So… what are you cooking for dinner tonight?