Monthly Archives: October 2010

Randomness: A Recipe. A Birthday. A Big Girl.

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I’m not in the mood to think today, so 10 or Less Tuesdays will return next week. Until then, enjoy some randomness.

~ A Recipe too Good Not to Share ~

Awhile back, I won a give away over at Made by Mike.  The prize? Everyday Food: Great Food Fast.

Score!! How perfect. As I’ve mentioned, 30 minutes in the kitchen for a week night dinner is just about my limit.

I finally got around to using the book last week, and theBOY liked what I made so much I have to share. If you’re interested in a yummy, meatless dinner – check it out here. I substituted baby spinach for the arugula. Then I ate it for lunch and dinner two days in a row! Good stuff.

~ Celebrating 30 All Week Long ~

theBOY happens to turn 30 this week, and we’ve been celebrating since Sunday morning when I made yummy Harvest Spice pancakes using this mix from Tastefully Simple.

(Speaking of Tastefully Simple, theBOY loves – I mean LOVES – to add these mulling spices to his nightly mug of hot cider.)

Little treats keep popping up (and will through Saturday, but don’t tell theBOY that), because hey, 30′s a big deal, right? It sure seems like it is. It seems like there’s no turning back to being too-young-to-know-better once you hit 30.

And for real this time. Not like when you turned 18 and become an “adult.”  Or when you graduated college and entered the “real world.”

Something about leaving your twenties behind feels like a pretty big thing. In your twenties, people forgive you for not having it all figured out. But in your thirties? I’ve heard you “really hit your stride” in your thirties. I guess we’ll see. I still have a few months until I get there.

~ theBABY Keeps Growing Up ~

Here’s a quick list of new things theBABY has learned since my last update. Enjoy!

  1. To climb all the way upstairs to our room
  2. To tell us how old she is….using her pointer finger if not her words
  3. To spot the “gho! boo!” currently residing in the living room (translation? Ghost! Boo!)
  4. To point at (and sometimes say) mama
  5. The hand signal for “touchdown!!

So, as promised, randomness. I hope you enjoyed.

Quick Pizza Recipe

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I’m always on the lookout for quick, no-hassle dinner recipes. I don’t really like to spend any longer than 30 minutes from start to finish on dinner.  Sometimes, I’ll go all out and put a casserole in the oven and wait the-longest-forty-five-minutes-ever for it to bake. Other than that, it’s 30 minutes or less for me.

Last week, I attempted to make theBOY’s favorite pizza for the first time, and since it turned out pretty yummy I decided to share! 

I apologize in advance for the lack of specificity….Martha Stewart, I am not.

Hula Bula Pizza

Ingredients:
One package of Betty Crocker Pizza Crust mix
Two large spoonfuls of your favorite pizza sauce (I like Mid’s)
One 8 oz can of pineapple chunks
1/4 package of diced fully cooked ham (like Farmland’s)
Mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Follow the package directions for making the pizza dough (you’ll just need to add water and let it rise for five minutes).

Meanwhile, spray your pizza pan or cookie sheet with cooking spray. Drain the can of pineapple.

When the dough is ready, gently press it onto your sheet. Spoon two heaping spoonfuls of pizza sauce onto the crust and spread around with the back of the spoon. Add the pineapple and diced ham as desired. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 15-17 minutes.

Enjoy!

If you have a quick, 30-minute or less recipe for me, please share it in the comments!

Oh…and because I’ve read a million times on a million different blogs that a post isn’t a post unless it has a picture… here you have it!  Thanks to my friend Tara for this one.

Playing Poker for Money. Number Three on the List.

My Five Must-Haves for Fall

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A disclaimer: This post will not likely be helpful to you in any way. Actually, I almost just deleted it. But, if for some reason you care, here are my favorite things about fall….

1 – Kettle Corn

Sweet popcorn? Yes, please! I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. YUM. 

But, as theBOY pointed out this year, you only have one chance to eat it warm…so I suggest a small bag, right out of hopper (or whatever you’d call that hot thing they pop the corn in if you actually cared enough to take the time to figure it out).

2 - A great new nail color, like 20 Candles on My Cake by OPI.

Cold weather stinks. But what doesn’t stink so bad is the return of socks. Why, you ask? Socks mean my toenails don’t have to match my fingernails! And that means I can switch the colors on my nails more often. 

3 – Fall-scented candles

I’m not picky when it comes to fall candles…give me pumpkin pie, caramel apple or cinnamon spice…or any similar combination, and I’m happy. 

4 – Apple Pie

Once a year we pick apples, and I bake a pie. I always use Granny Smith apples and this Martha Stewart recipe.  (So yeah…if you’ve ever had a pie of mine other than apple and in any other season than fall, chances are it wasn’t really ”a pie of mine.”)

5 – Sunday Football

I said it. I love having football on the television. Not for the same reason theBOY does, mind you. I like the sounds of the game - the perfect fall background noise, in my opinion. I actually care very (VERY) little about who wins (because it will always be the team I’m not rooting for), and I am completely mystified by the obsession in fantasy football. But it wouldn’t really seem like fall without it. 

What are your favorites for fall?