~Pizza Pizza~

Oh, pizza.

How do I love thee?  Let me count the ways...

On second thought,  how about if I just share my fave pizza recipe?

SO tasty


I really don't have a proper name for this recipe.  Maybe I will just be really abstract and creative and mysterious and call it bacon-asparagus-mushroom-pesto- feta pizza... 

You will need:

-Jiffy or Betty Crocker Pizza crust mix (I used 3 packages Betty's and it made two pizzas)
-1/4 cup Pesto
-1 medium yellow onion, diced
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-Asparagus (I used 1/2 bunch), cut into 1" pieces
-6 or 7 Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced
-1/2 package of Bacon
-Feta cheese (honestly not sure how much I used... maybe 3/4 cup?  Just eyeball it. )
-Mozzarella (optional)

Prepare crust according to package.  (preheat oven according to package directions as well)  Fry bacon and set aside, reserving 2 tablespoons of grease.  Saute Asparagus in bacon grease.  When the asparagus is cooked, add garlic and saute one minute longer, then remove pan from heat and set aside to cool.
Press crust onto a lightly greased baking sheet and top with a healthy smearing of pesto.  Top with mozzarella if you so desire, along with the feta, asparagus, onions, mushrooms, and bacon.  If you are a seasonings-nut like me, go ahead and crack a little black pepper over the whole shebang.

Bake and enjoy!!

Pizza.  The food of champions.

~ my mister in his youth ~

Have a super great Thursday!
xoxoxo


PS.  All of the elements of this pizza, obviously excluding the crust, would make a terrific pasta dish - just saute all the veggies in pesto, add feta and 1/3 cup reserved pasta water to create a slightly creamy sauce.  Toss with pasta of your choosing, top with crumbled bacon and feta... and voila! :)

Random...

Good afternoon, dear readers.

Today- because it is a randomly warm and rainy winter Tuesday, because I have a lot of random crap on the brain, and because I don't feel like cleaning the bathroom or grocery shopping- I shall assemble my random thoughts in list form for your reading enjoyment. (...and lets be honest, who doesn't love to read random lists? Actually, don't answer that...) 

photo of Florence, Italy

taken by the talented Frock, via

1. I loved this movie. I cried my eyes out like a little pansy, but not necessarily because it was sad. It was mostly because of the powerful message of grace, and the incredible talent that I was beholding. These tears were in the same catagory as beautiful-sunset tears and listening-to-Jackie-Evancho-sing tears and eating-amazing-food tears.

Am I the only one who gets misty-eyed over an incredible culinary experience?

2. Speaking of culinary experiences, my mister and I had an epic one this weekend. Our lives are forever changed. The sky has turned a deeper shade of blue, and the future looks ever so bright.

Why? Cheddar Cheese Grits. Thats why.

I want to eat them every day for the rest of my life. I'm hardly kidding. Along with Buttermilk Baconcakes.

Oh. my. goodness.

 3. I need to get out of this peculiar cooking rut I am in. I have literally been cooking nothing but soup for the past couple weeks.... and usually it is of the pureed variety. Poor Mister. His wife keeps feeding him baby food.  Maybe someday I can learn to cook like the famous Bengali Mama....  a girl can dream, right?

 4. I am so excited to have a house of our own to play with, but I'm truly so thankful for where we are right now.   I love our little rental and I know leaving it will be bittersweet.

5. Currently listening to (and loving!) this.

6. I loved this post about hospitality. Actually, I just love her whole blog and have been a faithful reader for the past few years. God has seriously used her words to challenge and break my heart in so many ways... my dreams and prayers for the future definitely look a bit different because of this.

 7. If you are bored, you should read the reviews for this. Too stinkin' funny!


 8. I am looking into this program... anyone have experience/ thoughts?

9. I have developed a dangerous new habit of adding vanilla ice-cream to my coffee.   Send help quickly!


 10. Do yourself a favor and watch this video: 

Well, I'm off to figure out more ways to put off cleaning the bathroom.  Wish me luck!

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

xoxo

Moody Mondays....{cozy}

Well folks, Monday has arrived in her usual too-soon fashion.    Like most other people in this world, I'm not the biggest fan of Mondays....especially the Mondays that take my beloved away from me for the week.  Darn you, busy season!  

(In all honesty, we are so thankful for his job and the awesome opportunities that it provides.  Such a blessing.  It's just that I am a sappy romantic to my core, and am a bit selfish/whiney at times.  Also?  I can't help it he's a good kisser.)

blurry old pic from our honeymoon

 

Bunny trail- sorry 'bout it.

Anyways,  Mondays need some jazzing up if you ask me.  I think a fun little design/art/ fashion/food brainstorming sesh is just what the doctor ordered.  I'm thinking inspiration.  I'm thinking mood boards. 

So without further ado, I bring you......Moody Mondays. 

Each Monday I will be sharing my current 'moods' (or cravings) in any of the aforementioned areas.  I do realize the word 'moody' tends to have a negative connotation, but it fits with the word 'Monday' just beautifully in my mind.  

   

My current craving is for all things soft and cozy. 

 Michigan has turned into a white wonderland over the past week, with snowshower after snowshower after everlovingsnowshower.  It has left me daydreaming about cozy neutral colors, scads of texture, and a memorable mix of styles to keep things interesting.  (It has also inevitably resulted in me lazing about in my trusty yoga pants with my fluffy blankie,  listening to Enya like my life depends on it. )  

May I present to you my very first little Monday mood board:



that random black floral would be either wallpaper or curtains...

It's far from perfect, but hopefully you get the idea I was trying to convey.... Soft and cozy, but interesting, with a puppy thrown in for good measure. ;)

I hope to eventually figure out how to make these suckers the right way.   I really have no clue what Im doing yet.  (what do people use to make e-design boards, anyhow?  I used polyvore, but it was SO frustrating...)

So enough about me, what are you in the mood for these days?

Im all ears!  And eyes!  

(well, I'm not actually all eyes...that would look a bit freaky.)

xoxo

luscious green soup

I made Green Soup for dinner last night, and I've got one thing to say about it-

YUM.  

Green soup should be the law, people.   Green soup for President!!

*note: It was technically called Creamy Broccoli soup, but that conjures images in my mind of Broccoli- Cheese soup and this is NOT Broccoli- Cheese soup, so to avoid any confusion I will be calling it 'Green soup'.  Clever and original, no?

It is hard to make green soup look appealing- bear with me.

Green soup is all sorts of wonderful.  Healthy.  Easy.  Quick.  Comforting.  Looks like baby food.  ( hey- my blog, my definition of wonderful.)

Anyways, if you want a meal that is all of the above, you will need:

1 head broccoli (1 lb), cut into small pieces/ florets

1 yellow onion, diced

3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 can of Great Northern White beans (15 oz.), drained

2.5 cups of Vegetable stock

salt & pepper

parmesan, for serving

Start by steaming up that broccoli...

When the broccoli is bright green and fork- tender, separate out 1 cup of the florets and set aside. 

Saute the onions and garlic in a little olive oil until onions are translucent.  Add vegetable stock and beans and bring to a simmer.

simmersimmersimmer

Add broccoli and puree in batches.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with the remains of the artisan cheese bread from your parents that you were maniacally scarfing on the way home from church.

(what is it about church that makes you SO hungry??)

 

 

we did a number on this poor bread...

 

Garnish with thin slices of parmesan and the broccoli florets.

 

Promptly devour the delicious and nutritious soup you have made.

 

{Please disregard the Christmas-y centerpiece... we still have our tree up, too...}

We really really really liked this soup, and will definitely be making it again.   Green soup... It's a good thing.  ;)


peace, love, and luscious soup~
Lily

PS.  recipe originally from here