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Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Two more weeks.
That's all we have left until school starts.
I am partially ready. I am not ready to get up at 6:30 again. I am not ready for the homework or PTO meetings or all that. I am ready for the kids to go back and have fun. Hannah especially loves school. Preston has been having too much fun working with his dad, so he isn't ready to go back.
Then it will be just Emma and me.
Kinda ready for that...
How about you? Has school started yet for your kids?
Here is this week's most viewed recipe...

from Something Swanky

Other Faves...

from Everyday Mom's Meals

from With A Blast

from Olla-Podrida

from That Little Touch

Peanut Butter Caramel Bars
from Lemons for Lulu

Grab a button if you were featured...


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Gluten-Free Fried Zucchini Chips with Lime-Mint Dipping Sauce


Gluten-Free Goddess Fried Zucchini Chips with Vegan Dipping Sauce
Gluten-free fried zucchini chips with vegan dipping sauce.

The Dog Days of Summer are upon us. Gardens are exploding. Vegetables are shiny fresh and happy. From A to Z, produce is queen. 'Tis the season of abundance. You know where I'm going with this, right? Need I say more, Dearest Reader? Do I really have to wax poetic and effusive about the humble cucurbita pepo known as zucchini? Do you crave another verbal celebration of le fabuleux courgette?

Perhaps I should invent a tale about some beatific Italian grandmother and what she used to do with weathered buckets of fresh-picked zucchina, transforming the green torpedoes (still cozy-warm from the sun) into melt-in-your-mouth garlic laced bliss. I could go all James Frey on ya and pretend I had a childhood that included actual, fresh picked produce (in full disclosure, there were potatoes) and not canned corn and fried bologna.

Because I didn't have an Italian grandmother.

Or a French grandmother.

The one I had on hand was Polish. And not only did she not grow vegetables, Darling, I sincerely wonder if she ever ate a vegetable in her long and prickly life of nine decades- beyond said canned corn and the occasional boiled potato. Instant Sanka, Russel Stover Assorted Creams, and Lucky Strikes were her three favored food groups. So I often find it ironic that I blog recipes and take pictures of food.

Though Dr. Freud, perhaps, would not exactly be surprised.

I've been reading the book Women, Food and God by Geneen Roth. It is a thought provoking read, and I highly recommend it. Though it is not for the faint of heart. There's stuff in there we don't necessarily want to hear, clinging as we do, to our assumptions.


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Carapelli Giveway Winner...

Thanks to those who entered to win a 17 oz. bottle of Carapelli Olive Oil.

The lucky winner is...Debbie who said she loves the salad.

Be on the lookout for another giveaway coming soon.
I am already working on it!

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Vegan Peach Ice Cream

Vegan peach ice cream - dairy-free and gluten-free
Gluten-free dairy-free peach ice cream.

A small gift for you this weekend. Some cool, frosty, non-dairy peachy goodness. A vegan ice cream recipe for the sticky dog days of late summer. Wait. Is it August already? Good goddess, the summer is careening by. It's true what they say about the concept of time. It speeds up and gets fluid as you get, um, shall we say, older. Seasoned.

One might even venture, weathered.

During your ritual morning walk your husband turns to you and mentions a moment from yesterday and the dirt path beneath you starts to swim (not that swimming surfaces are all that unusual out here in the shimmering southwest sun).

You ask, Wait. Was that yesterday?

And he thinks a minute. Wait, he says. Friday?

You hear the brittle dryness of the desert wind. The roar of the loud cobalt sky. There are red and sienna stones beneath your feet. The same stones as yesterday, last week, last year.

That was last week, you offer gently, shaking your head in a spin cycle of empathy and disbelief and astonishment.

Dude, he says. Recalculating.

Tell me about it, you sigh.

Weeks morph into days.

How about some peach ice cream for breakfast?


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Strawberry Pizza {Foodie Fake Out}

 
I am super excited for today's post. It is an amazing summer treat. It also looks like pepperoni pizza.
But, it's not. It's Strawberry Pizza! The slices of strawberries look like pepperoni, the pie filling looks like pizza sauce, and the white chocolate looks like mozzerella cheese. It is part of a blog hop called Foodie Fake Out. Stephanie from Back For Seconds asked if I wanted to join in and create a recipe that looks like one thing, but tastes like another. Fun, right? So at the end, be sure to visit the other ladies' blogs and see what they came up with.


Ingredients
1 pizza crust, store-bought or make your own
a little sugar
1 can of raspberry or strawberry pie filling
sliced strawberries
white chocolate, grated

How You Do It
Make the pizza dough. Roll it out and place it on a greased pizza pan or a rectangle jelly roll pan if you don't have a pizza pan. Sprinkle the crust with sugar. Bake according to the recipe or package directions. Immediately spread the pie filling on. Add the strawberries and grated white chocolate. Serve right away while it's still warm. Refrigerate leftovers.



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Now head over to these blogs to see more Foodie Fake Out fun!

Ice Cream Scoop Cookies on Back For Seconds
Watermelon Ice Cream Cake from Fearless Homemaker
Hot Fudge Sundae Cupcakes from Something Swanky
Sand Dessert from Flour Me with Love
Frozen Hot Chocolate from Chocolate, Chocolate, and More

This may be linked to these parties.
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TotallyTasty Tuesdays

I went to town yesterday to do some shopping and such. Hannah's birthday is this Saturday so we got her birthday gifts as well as school shopping done. {Yay! Done!} Growing up, my grandma would take each grandchild out to lunch and then birthday shopping, just the two of them. I loved it. That's what I do with my kids now. They love being able to hear mom say, "Yes" when they see something they want rather than, "Not today." They have a certain amount of money they get to spend and they can get whatever they want. For Christmas, Lance and I do it without them so they get surprise gifts, but I love that they can choose their own birthday gifts. So now that the long day is behind me, on to the party...

Last week's most viewed recipe...

from The Kitchen is My Playground

Other faves...

from BruCrew Life

from Baking with Blondie

from The Salty Kitchen

from Like Mother, Like Daughter Food

from Lark's Country Heart

Be sure to grab a button if you were featured!

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Summer Recipes from Carapelli Olive Oil & A Giveaway!

I have some great Summer recipes for you courtesy of Carapelli. At the end there's also a giveaway, so be sure to scroll down.

Summer Salad with Grilled Shrimp & Pineapple in Champagne Vinaigrette



1/4 cup Carapelli Premium 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar or sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound peeled and deveined uncooked large shrimp
1/2 of a peeled and cored fresh pineapple, cut lengthwise into 4 slabs
8 cups packed mixed field greens or baby greens
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or tarragon leaves

Heat a grill to medium-high heat or have a ridged grill pan ready. For vinaigrette, whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Transfer 3 tablespoons of the mixture to a pie plate or shallow plate. Stir pepper flakes and garlic into oil mixture on plate. Add shrimp to plate; toss with oil mixture. Thread shrimp onto metal skewers or soaked bamboo skewers. Brush oil mixture from plate over skewers. Transfer skewers to grill; discard marinade on plate. Add pineapple to grill. Grill shrimp and pineapple (or cook shrimp in a heated ridged grill pan over medium heat and grill pineapple in pan after shrimp is removed) 4 minutes. Turn skewers and pineapple over; continue grilling 4 to 5 minutes or until shrimp are opaque.

Meanwhile, toss mixed greens with remaining vinaigrette; arrange on four large serving plates. Carve pineapple crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices; arrange over salads. Remove shrimp from skewers; arrange over salads. Top with basil. Serves 4.
Heirloom Tomato Pizza with Prosciutto and Provolone Cheese

1 (1 pound) frozen pizza dough, thawed or fresh pizza dough*
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1-1/2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon Carapelli Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1/4 cup pizza sauce
1 cup shredded Provolone or mozzarella cheese
6 thin slices (2 ounces) prosciutto, torn into pieces
2 to 3 medium tomatoes, preferably a mix of colorful heirloom tomatoes
1/2 cup packed baby arugula

Cooking directions:
Heat oven to 400oF. Roll dough out on a floured surface to a 10- to 12-inch circle. Sprinkle cornmeal over center of a large baking sheet or in a 12-inch pizza pan; transfer dough baking sheet. Brush 1-1/2 tablespoons of the oil evenly over dough. Spread pizza sauce evenly over dough to 1/2 inch from edge. Top with cheese and prosciutto.  Slice tomatoes thinly; shake each slice to discard excess seeds and juices. Arrange in a single layer over cheese.  Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown and cheese is melted.
Meanwhile, place arugula in a small bowl. Drizzle remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil over arugula; toss to coat. Sprinkle over pizza just before serving. Serves 6.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Total time: 42 minutes
*Pizza dough
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110oto 120o F)
Pinch of sugar
2-1/2 to 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Carapelli Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine yeast, warm water and sugar; let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in work bowl of food processor, combine 2-1/2 cups of the flour, salt and olive oil. Process until combined. With motor running, gradually pour in yeast mixture through feed tube. Process until dough is elastic and pulls away from the work bowl. If necessary, add additional flour until mixture easily pulls away from work bowl. Place dough in a medium bowl lightly brushed with additional olive oil. Brush top of dough lightly with oil; cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Punch dough down and divide in half. Cover; let rest 10 minutes before rolling dough out or freezing up to 3 months. Makes enough dough for two 10-inch pizza crusts.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Rising and resting time: 55 minutes

Open-Faced Grilled Tuscan Chicken Sandwiches with Fresh Mozzarella


Ingredients:
4 tablespoons Carapelli Il Numerato Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 to 1-1/4 pounds)
4 slices rustic Italian or sourdough bread
1 cup packed baby greens or field greens
8 thin slices fresh mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)
 Cooking directions:
 Heat a grill to medium-high heat or have a ridged grill pan ready. Combine 2 tablespoons of the oil, lemon juice, garlic, and 2 teaspoons of the rosemary in a small bowl. Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken; place in a pie plate or shallow plate. Pour oil mixture over chicken; turn to coat. Let stand at least 10 minutes or up to 20 minutes. Transfer chicken to grill with some of marinade clinging; discard marinade on plate. Grill chicken (or cook in a heated ridged grill pan over medium heat) 5 minutes per side or until chicken is no longer pink in center and internal temperature reaches 165oF.
 Brush remaining 2 tablespoons oil over both sides of bread. Place on grill (or in a large nonstick skillet) and cook 2 minutes per side or until golden brown. Transfer to serving plates; top with greens and cheese. Carve cooked chicken diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices; arrange over cheese. Top with remaining 1 teaspoon rosemary. Serves 4.
 Preparation time: 15 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Go Here and download a $1 off one 17oz or larger bottle of Carapelli Olive Oil.

You can also enter to win a 17oz. bottle of Carapelli's Premium 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Simply leave me a comment telling me which recipe looks the tastiest to you. Be sure to leave an email address so I can contact you if you win.
Giveaway ends Friday Aug. 3rd at midnight.


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