For this week's installment of What I'm Loving Wednesdays...I'm highlighting the recipes that worked and were loved from this past Thanksgiving Holiday! Myself and Mr. Allan hosted a small group for Thanksgiving. There were some highs..like some of the recipes that will follow..and a couple lows...like the digital turkey thermometer melting in the oven..who knew those suckers weren't heat proof? I guess I should've shelled out the extra 5 bucks for the nicer one!

First up....desserts! One highlight...this Gingerbread Pumpkin Trifle. I orginally found the recipe on Food Network...one of Paula Deen's that doesn't include 3 sticks of butter! However, I did make a couple changes which I noted below!

Ingredients

2 (14-ounce) packages gingerbread mix
(I only used 1 pkg. I have the large trifle dish from Crate and Barrel. I used Trader Joe's Gingerbread mix)

1 (5.1-ounce) box cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix (I used the cook and serve but I'm not sure why you couldn't use 2 boxes of instant...the cook and serve didn't do anything special and the pudding is mixed together with the pumpkin)

1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
(I bought pumpkin pie mix..it was a sugary disaster. I instead used a 30 oz can of Libby's pure pumpkin. I seasoned it with nutmeg, cinnamon, and ground ginger)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon

1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping
(I hate the taste of coolwhip. If you do use Pumpkin Pie filling, I can't imagine that sugary taste couple with cool whip. I whipped fresh organic heavy cream, threw in 1-2 tsp of sugar and a little vanilla)

1/2 cup gingersnaps, optional
(I used the gingersnaps..Trader Joe's has Triple Ginger Snaps with chunks of ginger in them..so good!)


Here are the directions from Food Network...

Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions; cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cardamom into the pudding. Crumble 1 batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, pretty bowl. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped topping. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped topping. Sprinkle of the top with crushed gingersnaps, if desired. Refrigerate overnight. Trifle can be layered in a punch bowl.

Here's a LINK to the original recipe!

Up Next...Grandma Ople's Apple Pie. I stumbled upon this on http://www.allrecipes.com/ and it is, hands down, the best apple pie recipe I have ever tried. I've probably test run about 10 different ones and I come back to this one every year! Here's a pic of the apple pie..sorry for the weird cell phone picture...my work computer doesn't allow me to use Picnik to edit!

Here's the recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/

Grandma Ople's Apple Pie
Ingredients
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced (I had a ton of apples left over...I think next time I will peel and core 6 and see how I do with an extra one in the wings..8 was way too many)

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.

Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work of crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.

Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Two notes-- when you make your butter/sugar mixture, I found it way too clumsy to try and pour this from my saucepan over the pie--you'll make a huge mess. I grabbed either a gravy boat, creamer, or something with a little pouring spout. I poured the mixture in there first. This allowed me to really get the mixture into the nooks and crannies of this pie since the lattice crust covered it already.

Also, I baked for 15 min at the higher temp, then 60 minutes at the lower temp. I think my pie was a bit under done. I may cover the top crust in foil and bake for 25 minutes at the higher temp, remove the foil and bake at the lower temp. Baking at the higher temp is how you get your bottom crust baked...mine was a bit underdone.

Now for some stellar sides....First up Baked Spinach from Julia Child. I originally saw this recipe on http://www.smittenkitchen.com/ It was easy, and so good.

photo from http://www.smittenkitchen.com/ since I was a dope and didn't take a pic of mine!

 

Baked Spinach Gratin

(from http://www.smittenkitchen.com/)

Serves 6

3 pounds fresh spinach
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 cup stock (your choice; Julia recommends beef) or cream (I used stock; it doesn’t *need* cream)
3/4 cup grated Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons fine, dry breadcrumbs

Stem and wash your spinach (see Tips below) well but no need to spin or pat it dry. Place spinach in a large pot over high heat. Cook, covered, with just the water clinging to leaves, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 2 to 4 minutes for baby spinach and 4 to 6 minutes for regular spinach. Transfer to a colander, immediately fill pot with cold water, transfer it back to the pot of cold water to shock it (stop the cooking) and drain again. Squeeze a small amount of the spinach at a time in your hands to extract as much water as possible. Chop the spinach coarsely. You should have about 3 cups of chopped spinach, or about 1 cup per pound.
Wipe out pot then melt 2 tablespoons butter over moderately high heat and stir in the spinach. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until all of the moisture from the spinach has boiled off — you’ll know you’re done when the spinach begins to stick to the pan.
Lower the heat and sprinkle with flour and stir for 2 minutes to cook the flour. Add 2/3 of your stock or cream, a tiny bit at a time, scraping up any stuck spinach as you do. Once the liquid is added, simmer for another minute or two, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. If you’re feeling especially indulgent, stir in one more tablespoon of butter. If needed, add all or part of remaining liquid. Season with salt (I found 1/2 teaspoon table salt about right) and pepper.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a shallow 1-quart baking dish. Stir 1/2 cup cheese into the spinach and pour it into the baking dish. Mix the remaining cheese with breadcrumbs and sprinkle on spinach. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons remaining butter and pour it over the top. Bake until heated through and slightly brown on the top, about 30 minutes.

I made this with stock as well and it was delicious! The hardest part of this is washing and stemming the spinach. Next time I might give frozen chopped spinach or baby spinach a whirl!

Next highlight was Green Bean Casserole made from scratch. I can't tell you how much better this was than the stuff made with a can of cream soup. I got this recipe from the Williams Sonoma website. I use their garlic mashed potato recipe as well!

Ingredients:


1 1/4 lbs. green beans
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
10 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
3 large shallots, plus 3 Tbs. minced
1/3 cup plus 3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 tsp. soy sauce, preferably mushroom soy sauce
Canola oil for deep-frying

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a deep 2 1/2-quart baking dish. Trim the green beans and halve crosswise. Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and cook until tender-crisp, about 4 minutes.

Drain and rinse under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels and set aside. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they give off their juices and are browned, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the 3 Tbs. minced shallots and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the 3 Tbs. flour and stir well. Slowly stir in the half-and-half, stock and soy sauce and then bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring, until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the green beans, season with salt and pepper and transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. (The casserole can be prepared to this point up to 1 day ahead, covered and refrigerated.) Bake until the liquid is bubbling, about 20 minutes (30 minutes if it has been refrigerated).

While the casserole is baking, pour oil to a depth of 2 inches into a heavy saucepan and heat over high heat to 350°F on a deep-frying thermometer. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and place near the stove. Cut the remaining 3 shallots crosswise into slices 1/8 inch thick and separate into rings. Place the remaining 1/3 cup flour in a small bowl. Toss the shallot rings in the flour to coat evenly, shaking off the excess. In batches to avoid crowding, add the shallots to the hot oil and deep-fry until golden brown, about 30 seconds. Transfer to the paper towels to drain.
Remove the casserole from the oven, scatter the fried shallots on top and serve. Serves 6 to 8.

Just a couple of notes...to save time, I steamed my beans in my Pampered Chef microwavable steamer and then just ran them under cold water. I also fried my shallots the night before and stuck them in a Tupperware container. I also ran out of soy sauce and used Worcestershire instead!

Hopefully you might be able to incorporate some of these into the holiday meals this month!

And...don't forget to link up with What I'm Loving Wednesdays at http://www.littledaisymay.blogspot.com/

Why I Don't Like Black Friday

I'm a shopper at heart and I like to save money. You'd think I would be one to eat up Black Friday since a staple in my purse is my purple coupon holder always stocked with a Bed Bath and Beyond expired 20% offer.

This was the first year that I even contemplated going out on Black Friday. The only time I like to rise at 3am is if I'm getting on a 6am flight to somewhere tropical and warm. So, the idea of standing outside of Walmart at that ungodly hour to rush in and possibly get pepper sprayed by lunatics who fear you might be racing them for the $200 laptop, is not appealing to me.

But, this Thanksgiving was hosted by yours truly. While the other guests left, my mom, sis and I sat watching Elf, reciting our favorite lines...like "You sit on a throne of lies" or "You smell like beef and cheese", going through the circulars that we were blessed with through the super duper Thanksgiving edition of our lovely local paper, and digesting our Paula Deen Gingerbread Pumpkin trifle...the idea of going out at midnight popped into our heads.

Now, I'm not going to lie..the number one reason it appealed to me was not because I need a no name electronic product I had to have...but we had a secret weapon. My mom had a pretty in depth knee surgery recently. She's quite the trooper shuffling around our house  in her slipper socks with grippers on our slippery hardwoods because her bad daughter (me!) decided to clean the chairs with Endust and sprayed it on the chair which sat on the hardwood floor which made the floors the slipperiest suckers eva. That was a Thanksgiving epic failure. But, Mama bear was our secret weapon...not only is she a multi-talented trooper who's hobbling around with her cane...but she came to our house with a lovely Handicap parking permit. I know what you're thinking, we're one of those people who like to tote around the 95 year old Nana in exchange for a good spot..and you're sort of right...but in my defense...my mom wanted to shop and she's not even close to 95.

So, did we go out? No. Why? Because there was nothing I thought I needed that I would sacrifice my beauty sleep for, which God knows I need. We went over our reasons for not heading out in the wee hours of the morning and these were the major reasons we decided against it...

1. Most of the big sales seem to be Electronics. Mom needed a new 32" TV. However, all those that were on sale were brands we never heard of and don't trust.

2. The people who got out in public in their pajama pants and moccasin slippers bother me. Seriously, how difficult is it to pull on a pair of jeans.

3. The people who drag out small infants and little children also bother me. Hey parents..they'd rather be in bed at 3am, not in a stroller being toted to Target.

4. I don't have small children. I'm sure the majority of parents were in line at Toys R US to get some killer toy like the newest version of Tickle Me Elmo..yes I realize that was probably so 5 years ago that this statement is aging me.

5. All my Facebook friends seemed to have an obsession with Kohls. I must admit, I've never had the desire to buy anything in that store. It's probably my Grandma's favorite store, and while my Grandma is quite cool..we don't shop at the same stores.

6. The Old Navy leggings for $5 were appealing, but not worth standing in line for 40 minutes.

I may sound like Scrooge not embracing the kick off to the holiday season and I do think people who have the traditions of heading out with their sister or mom are great...but just not for me...all typed and said as I surf the Internet scooping up Cyber Monday deals left and right :)

Dear Amazon.com

Your Amazon app for my HTC Evo is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

So this is how my Sunday went....I woke up to my fluffy cat Davie chewing on the bag that my mom's birthday gift was in. For some reason this cat has an obsession with chewing on plastic bags and then immediately puking them up for me...usually on the white bedroom rug because he's a good boy like that. I fed the fluffy kids, made coffee, wandered down our insanely long driveway to get the Sunday paper hoping that no neighbors were up since I looked scary and failed to put on a bra that early in  the morning.  Then, Mr. Allan got up. We read the paper and then I made some pretty kick ass omelets with the random crap in our fridge leftover from Thanksgiving. They turned out to be spinach, prosciutto, Gruyere omelets...tres good. Then I decided that I felt like a fat bastard from eating all weekend and got ready for the gym. I know..you're probably wondering where my Amazon.com app comes into play..we're almost there.

I get the the gym at 10:25 for the 10:30 yoga class to learn that new management has tweaked the gym schedule and classes now start at 10:35. I know, stupidest new management idea ever. I roll out my mat, take off my cute yoga-esque sweatshirt score from Ann Taylor Loft and nicely arrange my Tory Burch flats at the end of my mat. 25 people are there with me and 10:35 turns into 10:45. I got to observe some strange people in the class since the lights were on. There was the yoga couple..the husband and wife who decided to help each other with handstands and then make out. There was also the weird lady wearing pajama pants to yoga, and then the girl who didn't realize that the ultra low rise exercise pants weren't for her shape and had her thong hanging out and showed us a continuous 3 inches of butt. So, I decided to go up to the desk and ask if the teacher is coming. The super nice ladies there snapped at me that she wasn't answering her cell phone and they had no more info than I had. Thank you ladies..very helpful. I go back and tell my yoga class buddies the info...5 more minutes pass and I start thinking about Target. I roll up said yoga mat and said aloud to my class...Screw this, she's not coming, I'm going to Target!

While driving the 5 minutes to Target, the radio stations were full of Christmas tunes. I found myself fa-la-la-ing along and totally in the Christmas spirit even though it was 55 degrees in RI and I was wearing no coat. I decided that not only would I get the frozen peas, whole wheat flour, and Frederick Fekkai shampoo on my list...but I would start Christmas shopping! I grabbed a couple of my favorite things for my sisters, some Star Wars stuff for my nephew...he's 4 and I don't think he can read..never mind read my blog to ruin his Christmas gift surprise. Then, a book for my father in law. Suddenly it occurred to me...tomorrow is Cyber Monday...what if I can get these things cheaper online. I then went to my Amazon.com app..told you we'd get to this info soon! It made me click for an update...I browsed the magazines and bingo...upload and update complete. I looked up the book title on Amazon...$5 cheaper than Target..oh my. Then my Amazon app asked me if I wanted to SCAN the bar codes to compare prices....of course I hit the TRY IT button. I scanned everything in my nifty cart minus the peas and flour and over half of the items were cheaper on Amazon.com. This Scanner is the best.idea.ever!!!!!! I put back the item, checked out and loaded my little Toyota Corolla.

As I loaded my Target bags into the car, I noticed I forgot to put back the book!!! Being the savvy money saving and money conscious, well maybe sometimes, person I am...I marched back into Target and returned it.

I came home, made turkey, stuffing and cranberry sandwiches for myself and Mr. Allan and bought everything on Amazon.com! How do you get this amazing little app...I'm sure all phones..from Iphones to the droids can download it. It was a free app in my little Droid Market that I downloaded and my new Christmas shopping BFF.

It's time for What I'm Loving Wednesdays..normally I'd have little pictures of every product or show or thing I've encountered for the week that left an imprint on me...but since it's the day before Thanksgiving...here's my Turkey Day version of What I'm Loving Wednesday!

1. I'm Loving that I decided to meet up and get my Mom last night. My mom had knee surgery a few weeks ago and can't drive. We probably saved time on the traffic front and the weather is positively horrible today here in New England. Driving tonight would suck!

2. I'm Loving that my mom helped me prep all the veggies last night. We ran to Whole Foods, grabbed our turkey, myself, Mom and Mr. Allan wrestled him into the brining bag..when the first one was leaking (thanks Target!) Mr. Allan saved the day and wrestled him into the second brining bag. We peeled, chopped, and now have a fridge of nicely organized zip loc bags with vegetables in them!

3. I'm also loving the fact that the house is clean, things are organized, and the Allan household is running like a well oiled machine. Yes, I sometimes get total Type A on Mr. Allan's ass...but when things are organized I'm less stressed! Now...if only this sweet little kitty would swat and hiss at every family member that walks through our front door!

4. I'm also loving that we're having a couple people over for Thanksgiving tomorrow. I love to cook and can't wait to share the day with whoever can make it!

Have a great Wednesday and a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Skinny Taste Zucchini Enchiladas

 I know..everyone's talking turkey this week. Last night I went grocery shopping for the big eating holiday on Thursday also known as Thanksgiving. Smart move #1...go grocery shopping at or after dinnertime..no crowds whatsoever. But, besides the turkey, a million fresh herbs and all the other fixings..I also needed dinner for Monday thru Wednesday as well. I've written about a couple good recipes I've gotten off of www.skinnytaste.com. But, this one is my favorite from the site. I made it a couple weeks ago and we had it again last night. It's not too bad of a recipe, maybe 20-30 minutes prep and 20 minutes to cook.

Zucchini enchiladas right before they were popped in the oven...my sprinkling of cilantro is a little sad looking..but the cutting board was washed and the cilantro back in the fridge by the time I realized I should've chopped a bit more..

my dinner plate last night...it might not look like a gourmet meal but they were good!

Zucchini Enchiladas

(from www.skinnytaste.com)

cooking spray

1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 medium scallions, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 medium zucchinis, grated
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 cups grated reduced fat mexican blend cheese
4 Large La Tortilla Factory Low Carb tortillas
chopped scallions (optional)
chopped cilantro (optional)
* I also added a can of black beans
 
Enchilada sauce:
1 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp chipotle chilis in adobo sauce (optional for more heat)
1 cups tomato sauce
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder (to taste)
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup fat free vegetable broth
kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste

To make the Enchilada sauce...I threw everything in a small sauce pan first. It simmered while I prepped the filling. Just stir it occasionally.

For the filling: Saute zucchini, garlic, and scallions. Add salt and pepper to taste. (I then added the black beans at this point) After about 5-7 minutes, remove from heat and mix in 1/2 cup cheese. Place filling in a tortilla, roll up and place in a casserole dish seam down. Once all the tortillas are filled (the original recipe makes 4, with the addition of the beans, I made 5 enchiladas). Cover with the enchilada sauce and top with additional cheese, scallions and cilantro. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.


Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 large enchilada •
Calories: 258.7 • Fat: 13.5 g • Protein: 22 g • Carb: 30.2 g • Fiber: 16.9 g

Holiday Drinks Beware!

I'm always up for a Pumpkin Spiced Latte. I'm not sure if I just enjoy the process of grabbing a friend or co-worker to take the walk to Starbucks a block from our office or if I really like the drink. I try and be smart and make it non fat with no whipped cream...I know..taking the fun out of it. It's so easy to grab a latte, mocha or coffee, but now that there are so many seasonal drinks out there, it's really eye opening to see exactly how many calories and fat grams you're downing.

I saw this on The Daily Meal (http://www.thedailymeal.com/). It lists some drinks to beware of...fun stuff like eggnog milk shakes from places like Sonic and Jack in the Box that aren't found in my neck of the woods. But, the Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks and Mc Donald's drinks are!

Here are some of the drinks highlighted by The Daily Meal

1. McDonald's Peppermint Mocha

The large size has 410 calories and 17 grams of fat, the medium rings in at 320 calories and 12 grams of fat and the small has 260 calories and 7 grams of fat.

The Daily Meal estimates that  for 60 more calories the large Peppermint Mocha from McDonald's, you could be enjoying their 10 piece McNuggets instead.

2. Starbucks....here's a little cheat sheet to some of the wintertime Starbucks favorites!

Caramel Brulee Latte...a Grande made with whole milk will set you back 430 calories and 17g of fat

A Grande Peppermint Mocha made with whole milk...that'll be 440 calories and 19g of fat

Grande Gingerbread Latte...360 calories and 17g of fat

if you're trying to not drink your daily intake of calories and fat and happen to find yourself in a Starbucks...keep it to a Tall, no whipped cream and non fat milk is the moral of this story! Those nutritional stats are for the Grande..aka Medium sized drink at Starbucks...I cringe to think what a Venti or Large will set you back.

3. Dunkin Donuts

Peppermint Mocha...470 calories and 17g of fat for a large

A large Pumpkin Latte will cost you 430 calories and 12g of fat and this one kind of came as an eye opener to me....a large Hot Chocolate...450 calories and 15g of fat!!!

The Daily Meal estimates that a holiday latte from Dunkin Donuts coming in around 460 calories is the equivalent to eating 13 chocolate glazed munchkins.

So, whether you're headed out for a dreaded grocery store run, Black Friday sales, or good old Christmas shopping at the mall, think twice about these little festive pick me up drinks. Or, if you're grabbing one, save some calories by getting the smallest size with no add ons like whipped cream and have it made with skim milk. As someone who watches their daily calorie intake, I'd rather be eating 450 calories than drinking them!

Time for What I'm Loving Wednesdays with http://www.littledaisymay.blogspot.com/

here's my list of what I'm loving this week!

First up...some snacks I'm loving. We took a little road trip to the in-laws this past weekend. That means a 5 hour drive and the halfway point falls around Danbury, CT, near a plaza that boosts a Starbucks and a Trader Joe's. One thing I love...Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Covered Ginger. I love these because a couple satisfy you and it's easier to keep it to a couple pieces since they're covered in dark chocolate. I also found out later that night that they pair splendidly with a glass of Cabernet.

Also...I really really love PopChips..BBQ are my favorite. Popchips are all natural never fried never baked chip. The calorie/fat ratio is pretty friendly as well!

photo from www.coolhunting.com

I also got hooked on this show...Dirty Soap...thank god for On Demand so I caught up pretty quickly in time for the season finale. I was a huge Days of Our Lives fan back in the day and most of the characters in this show were regulars back them.

I'm also loving these guys...Mr. Allan travels for work..a lot. So when I'm alone during the week, it's nice to have these 3 snuggly ones with me.

Davie and Reese waiting outside the shower for me

Our little princess Annabelle sleeping on her pop's pillow..before you crack on the pillowcase..my mom made it :)

Have a great week!!! Be sure to link up to What I'm Loving Wednesday at www.littledaisymay.blogspot.com

25 % off Athleta, Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy

While I do like Banana Republic...I'm particularly excited that this coupon code works at Athleta too! They NEVER give coupon codes...well, once in a great while for an extra 20% off sale...but use the code TREAT for 25% off merchandise until tomorrow!

Hunger Games Trailer

I loved this trilogy of books..a great, quick read. Also, another tween series now turned into a movie! Here's the full length trailer for the Hunger Games.

20% off for Sephora VIB members

My favorite time of year...coupon codes galore. Today through 11/14....20% off for Sephora VIB members online!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

The week is already half over...it's what we call Hump Day...and it's a short work week to boot! It's also time for What I'm Loving Wednesday blog hop with http://www.littledaisymay.blogspot.com/

So..what am I loving this Wednesday....

7 Little Words

My newest game on my phone addiction. Yeah..I got hooked on angry birds for a while but got burnt out...once I quit the birds, I downloaded this game and love it! You get 7 clues and a bunch of tiles. You have to put together words that answer the clues. I love word games and it's become the new obsession.

I'm also loving this show on AMC

we finished Season 1 thanks to Netflix and caught up with Season 2 thanks to On Demand. I never thought I'd like a show about zombies..but it's amazing how they keep this interesting!

I'm also loving this SNL skit on the Kardashians..I posted this video earlier this week..but it's too good not to share again!

Happy Wednesday!

Arugla, Prosciutto and Fig Pizza

It might not look like much...but this was one kick ass pizza. I've been on a big pizza kick ever since I found this pizza crust

I buy my Top This pizza crusts at Whole Foods and Dave's Marketplace here in RI. I like these because they're already grilled..all you have to do is heat them up. I throw them on my pizza stone with my pizza toppings and they're done in 10-12 minutes. Also...the nutritional value on these is pretty good...1/4 of the pizza crust has 130 calories and 1 gram of fat. My favorite..the whole wheat. Check them out at www.topthispizzacrusts.com

But...onto my creation last night....this is a whole wheat Top This pizza crust with gorgonzola cheese, figs, prosciutto and arugula. I thought it was pretty fabulous. I took some figs, sliced them up and threw them in a bowl with some balsamic vinegar. I let them sit for about an hour while I got distracted from cooking dinner..probably for something important like the latest episode of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

I took my pizza crust and covered it with a small container of gorgonzola cheese. I baked it at 450 degrees for 12 minutes.  Once out of the oven, I placed the balsamic soaked figs on top. I then put fresh slices of prosciutto over the figs. I took a bunch of arugula..washed it, then tossed it with some olive oil (only a little bit..maybe a tsp or two) and also some balsamic vinegar. I topped the pizza with the arugula.

I loved the tangy taste of the cheese, the sweetness of the figs and the peppery taste of the arugula made for a pretty nice combo. The only thing I'd do differently next time...maybe cut up my slices of prosciutto. I just threw them on there..if you got a bite of prosciutto, it was a mouthful!

SNL Kardashian skit

This past weekend a hilarious Saturday Night Live skit featuring the Kardashians was on...my favorite..poor Bruce Jenner..from the bad bowl cut, to the botox, and the weird earrings...poor guy...but it's spot on!

I Love Lazy Sundays..

with the whole turning of the clocks we found ourselves up ridiculously early with some ferociously hungry cats. We decided to go for a nice morning run and home to a big breakfast...eggs and bacon from the local farm...it's unbelievable how much tastier it is...followed up with reading the paper forever, lounging about and watching useless tv.

Then, I lit a fire under my butt....cooked away and it was an afternoon of

homemade guacamole...this stuff is like crack in our household!

pulled pork sandwiches

and apple cobbler

then watching some football...both the Jets and the Patriots. I loved everything about this Sunday...well, except watching the Jets...but what can I expect with marrying a nativer New Yorker :)

I know its all over the news...I'm a celebrity news junkie so I'm loving all the headlines about Kim Kardashian and her 72 day marriage. I just managed to finish her 4, yes 4, hour wedding special...it was so long I never had that big of a chunk of time to sit down and watch it. I think it's kind of funny that the day I finish watching it, Kim files for divorce.

I can't say there weren't some pretty alarming things in that silly fairytale wedding special...sure I liked all the wedding stuff...shopping at Vera Wang, looking for a venue...but there were some big red flags there too...her fiance telling her that she doesn't care who she marries and any guy could be inserted into his spot...or maybe the fact that they weren't even really speaking at their rehearsal dinner?

but...the headlines have been fun to read....I'll probably be guilty of buying US, People, and OK magazine this week....one of my favorites...

My other favorite figures....breaking down the Kardashian wedding in numbers...

  How many months K & K knew each other before getting engaged: 6
• How many months they were engaged: 3
• How much Kim made from the wedding thanks to magazine deals, etc: $17.9m
• How much she therefore made per hour of the 72-day marriage, as calculated by New York Times'  
  investigative journalist Don van Natta Jr: $10,358.80
• The current minimum wage in California: $8 an hour
• How many hours the E! special of their wedding lasted: 4
• How many months E! spent promoting the wedding, daily: 3
• How many months they were actually married: 2½
• Kim & K's wedding cost: $10m
• Donald Trump's last wedding: $1m
• Price tag on one vase on K & K's wedding list: $7,5
• How much the wedding cake cost: $6,000
• How many Vera Wang wedding dresses Kim had for the wedding: 3
• How much each wedding dress cost: $20,000
• How much her mother Kris spent on a face lift for the wedding: $50,000

So a $10 million dollar wedding...they were married for 72 days...so every day of their marriage roughly cost about $138,000.

The profits...although she is denying she didn't make a dime...all the profits made from selling the pictures and 4 hour specials are estimated to have netted her around $17.9 million dollars...so she made around $250,000 for every day she was married.

I'm still on the fence whether I think it was a sham or not...part of me, after watching the lovely 4 hour wedding special, thinks she was 31 and just wanted to get married...it probably didn't matter who asked her...on the other hand...she made a lot of money and mom, Kris Jenner, defending her on the Today show and then immediately promoting her new book didn't sit well with me..they seem to be a money and fame whoring family all around.

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Woo hoo for Wednesday...glad this week is already half over! It also means its time for What I'm Loving Wednesday with www.littledaisymay.blogspot.com !

So..what am I loving this Wednesday?

I love Adele's latest single...Someone Like You...and the video made me love it even more. I feel like MTV has so many shows that I never see music videos anymore!

I'm also loving this lip scrub by Sara Happ. Mr. Allan put this in my Christmas stocking last year...kudos to him for realizing I love all things that have anything to do with scrubs..body scrubs, shower scrubs..and lip scrubs too. This is perfect to avoid those flaky fall/winter lips...I scrub it on then apply a nice lip balm to moisturize. I love the brown sugar one!

I'm also loving my Hunter boots. I bought them on a whim (damn gilt groupe sale!) and I didn't know how much I would use them. Turns out we've had quite a few nasty rain storms and even snow in the past month and I've worn them way more than I thought. Once the freak snow storm hit this past weekend...it occurred to me that they were more than just rain boots..but they'd be great winter boots as well. So, I love that they sell fleece socks or inserts for them to keep you warm in the wintertime as well!

I'm also loving all Mrs. Meyer's products. Every Christmas, my sisters and I have a gift exchange we do..it's a total knock off of Oprah's Favorite things..but it's our favorite things. One sis got us a little pack of Mrs. Meyer's products..ever since then I've been hooked...especially on the hand soap and dish soap! Now...Mrs. Meyer's is out with their holiday special editions...this year...Gingerbread! I'm dying to grab some and try it out!

Hope you have a great Wednesday and be sure to check out what everyone else is loving at www.littledaisymayblogspot.com

Freaky weather weekend

this past weekend an October Nor'easter snow storm hit New England. It was all over the news...high winds, up to a foot a snow, all before Halloween. The forecasters were predicting tons of power outages since all the leaves are still on the trees..if you add snow on top of that..branches would be down everywhere.

Here in RI...the storm was a big bust...sure it was windy, we woke up to an inch of snow, but by noon the day after the storm...RI looked like this..

a big let down on the winter weather front..

So, on Sunday morning, I packed up my Toyota Corolla and headed up to Western, Ma. My mom recently had knee surgery and just go home. I was AMAZED at what a difference a 2 hour ride could make! Trees were hanging down in the travel lanes of the MA Pike and once I got off my Mom's exit...it looked something like this...

My mom lives 5 minutes off the exit...with all the roads impassable, it became a thank god for navigation on my phone white knuckle drive there. I probably ran over more powerlines than I should have and was very grateful for my compact car that could make it under lots of bent over trees. I couldn't get over the amount down in my mom's yard or the huge tree hanging directly on her power lines.

Needless to say...there was no power at Casa de Mom. I was having evil flashbacks to Hurricane Irene where we had no power or water for 5 days. Glad this was packed...once again..my Kindle and cover with light to the rescue.....

The one difference between this power outage and the one during Hurricane Irene...it was COLD in western, ma....I woke up yesterday morning to a house that was 50 degrees...and this one on my chest looking for some body warmth!

Still no power at my mom's house...so we went to her doctor's appointment, packed up the car, and I'm so thankful she decided to come to RI for a bit. I certainly enjoyed not sleeping in 3 t-shirts, a fleece, and 3 blankets last night!