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Orange Vinaigrette over Romaine lettuce with orange slices and fresh mozzarella

It is time for my favorite foodie event, the Secret Recipe Club! The idea of it is you are assigned a fellow food blogger each month, it is kept a secret of course, and you go to their food blog and pick a recipe (or more) to make. On the assigned date, everyone posts their creations and you go and visit and see all the goodies that were made. Sort of like a secret Santa, right?

My host who is organizing my group is Tina from Moms Crazy Cooking. Thank you Tina for hosting!



My assignment for this month was The Tasty Cheapskate where Jeanie blogs about frugal food recipes. While I was sorely tempted to make her recipe for Chocolate Chip Brownies, I decided to go with a delicious citrus vinaigrette instead. (I'm still making the brownies, though!)


 Here is Jeanie's recipe:

Orange Vinaigrette
Makes several servings

1/2 C sugar
1/3 C orange juice
1/2 C rice wine vinegar
1 C canola oil (olive would work too, but will add a distinct taste to your dressing; I liked the canola because it didn't get in the way of the orange)
2 Tbsp dry Italian dressing

1. Shake it up in a glass jar and let it stand for 30 minutes.

While I would have liked to add a few more veggies to my salad, I was out of stock so I kept it simple. The flavors in the vinaigrette are delicious and refreshing. Thank you Jeanie for a great recipe and a great alternative to the same ol' ranch dressing for this salad eater!

Source: Recipe from The Tasty Cheapskate

Hi Friends -

I am taking the week off to catch up on life. I will have features from last week when I am back. Have a great Monday!

 Recently my little munchkin turned 4 and we had a Barnyard themed party for her. It was small scale, and mostly on the cheap, but it was a lot of fun. I wanted to share a few pictures and ideas with you if you have a little animal loving kiddo like I do.

First off, the Piggy Rice Krispies Treats! I used strawberry marshmallows and followed the recipe on the bag to make the treats. I put them in a small pan, ours was a small rectangular dish, and let then sit for about 10 minutes to cool slightly. Turn them out onto a lightly sprayed baking sheet, cut into equal pieces. We got 6 large piggies out of one batch of rice krispies.


Mold them into a circle with your hand and use a knife to cut around the ears to make them more pronounced. Using a bit of frosting, attach M&M eyes, a pink strawberry nose (half of a strawberry marshmallow with the sticky cut end dipped into hot pink sugar), and strawberry wafer cookie ears. Ta-da! Wrap individual piggy treats in saran wrap or into a treat bag for a take home treat.


For decorations we got basic party balloons, blew them up, and attached construction paper cutouts to make them look like barnyard animals.  They are sitting on top of a piece of construction paper that is taped to for a circular base, then cut into fringe pieces for the balloons to sit on top of. The exception being the duck because I thought it would be cute to set him ontop of water to simulate a pond.


For our menu we stuck to basic, tasty food. Pizza for the kids with creme filled cupcakes frosted with either vanilla or cherry frosting. For the adults, we had a hot artichoke & spinach dip and a cold veggie cheese dip which was amazing. Main dish was pulled pork with buns or the extra pizza from the kids dinners. We got a carrot cake from Costco (apricot mousse filling, yum!) decorated with frosting carrots to play into the theme.


For outfits we got some cheap little cowboy hats, denim jeans and overalls, and pretty plaid shirts.


It was a great party and we had tons of fun!

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If you are looking for a twist on the same ol' traditional potato salads, I have a tasty recipe for you to try. There is no mayo in this potato salad. Instead it is roasted with vegetables and mixed with a dressing of cider vinegar, oil and some optional Dijon mustard. Delicious! Ready for the recipe?

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*Note* - Recipe Sharing Monday will be held tomorrow
 

It is time for my favorite foodie event, the Secret Recipe Club!

The idea of it is you are assigned a fellow food blogger each month, it is kept a secret of course, and you go to their food blog and pick a recipe (or more) to make. On the assigned date, everyone posts their creations and you go and visit and see all the goodies that were made. Sort of like a secret Santa, right?

My host who is organizing my group is Tina from Moms Crazy Cooking. Thank you Tina for hosting!


I came across this recipe while browsing my assigned blogger, Melanie at Fabulously Fun Food. This was a new blog to me so I had a fun time browsing through all of her archives for the perfect recipe to try. I had a few recipes in mind, like the Smothered Enchiladas or the Golden Macaroni and Cheese. When I saw the post for Mississippi Mud Cake I knew I'd found the one. It did not disappoint at all. It is super rich, gooey, sweet, chewy and delicious. After making these I have to say I think they are more brownies than cake, as they are very dense and rich. My little change was to rename them brownies instead of cake. :)

One thing I really appreciated about Fabulously Fun Food is that Melanie openly shares her experiences with good and bad recipes. At the same time, she isn't mean about it. Constructive criticism on how to improve the recipe is a great attribute. I have seem my fair share of food blogs that are outright mean and rude when a recipe doesn't turn out how they'd like. Often times, it isn't even the recipe at fault, it is all of the 'alterations' or mistakes the cook made. That is one of my pet peeves. I don't like it when bloggers are mean to each other. Can't we all get along? *wink*


Ahhmazing. Ready for the recipe?

As I tend to do with my Secret Recipe Club assignments, I went a little overboard with the amount of pictures. I don't think you will mind, though.



Notes:

• I halved this recipe and baked it in an 8" x 8" glass baking dish that was liberally sprayed with baking spray (The kind with flour in the spray). Alternatively you can butter the dish and dust with cocoa powder. 
• The original recipe called for homemade chocolate frosting but I substituted premade frosting, which I don't mind at all. If you are anti-prepared frosting, feel free to make yours from scratch. The frosting recipe can be found here.
• Originally the pecans are added to the cake batter, but I preferred to have them on top. Do whichever you prefer. They can be omitted if you have nut allergies in your family or if you just aren't a fan of nuts in baked goods. They do add a great flavor and crunch so I recommend adding them.

Mississippi Mud Brownies
Makes one 15" x 10" cake

1 cup butter, melted
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1 (10.5-ounce) bag miniature marshmallows
1 can prepared chocolate frosting (I used a milk chocolate frosting)

1. Whisk together melted butter and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in flour. Pour batter into a greased and floured 15- x 10-inch jellyroll pan.

2. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; top warm cake evenly with marshmallows. Return to oven, and bake 5 minutes. (If you use a different size pan you will have to adjust cooking time. Just keep an eye on it and keep checking for doneness).

3. Remove cake from oven and cool completely. You can transfer the cake to thefridge once the pan is cooled enough. (Don't put a hot pan in a cold fridge).

4. When ready to serve, microwave the chocolate frosting for 30 seconds and stir. Spread the frosting over the cake, then garnish with chopped pecans.  Using a sharp knife that has been sprayed lightly with Pam, cut into squares.

Source: Slightly adapted from Fabulously Fun Food and The All New Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook

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If you aren't able to get your hands on fresh cherries, I have an alternative that uses a great quality canned cherry. This is not cherry pie filling, these are red tart cherries in water that are drained and cooked on the stove to create a deliciously sweet and tart filling. On top of the cherry pie is a crunchy and sweet crumble topping. Traditionally crumble toppings use brown sugar, but we like to use plain sugar for a twist. Ready for the recipe?

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A few days ago on the Jam Hands facebook page I asked my fans if I should post a totally fugly but DELICIOUS recipe that my mom has been making forever.

Everybody said yes and that they trusted me, so here it is.


So here is the scoop on the Stuffed Burger Bundles, which my family calls Burger Pods. Why pods? Well, they sort of look like alien pods and it was our way to poke fun at the ugly but so tasty dinner meal. This is my favorite meal that my mom makes and I hope that you will trust me. Ready for the recipe?

A ball of stuffing is covered in a thin mixture of ground beef and evaporated milk, which makes it really tender and delicious. A mushroom gravy coats the bundles while they bake and makes the most delicious sauce. Serve the bundles and extra sauce over egg noodles with a side of veggies.

Typically I make my stuffing from scratch, just using torn up white bread, diced celery, poultry seasoning and a little chicken broth to moisten it so it will form a ball. If you would prefer you can use a box mix for stuffing, just try to get one that tastes really good.

Having made this a dozen times myself, I will say that it is easiest to use a small plate to flatten out the ground beef into a thin patty, place the stuffing in the middle, and wrap the meat around it. Previously I had just used my hands and no plate, and it is a lot trickier to handle and the meat can get too thick. We want to make sure that the meat is just thick enough to hold the bundles together. If it gets too thick, it takes a lot longer to cook and it can get a bit tough.

Those are my tips, I hope you enjoy it if you try it. Happy eating!

Note: I recommend doubling to sauce mixture, however the original recipe is below. Also, do not use regular milk as a substitution for evaporated milk. I have tried this and it makes the meat tough and not very tasty. We usually double the bundle ingredients, and triple the sauce ingredients to make larger bundles/ more bundles, but I wanted to post the original recipe here.

Stuffed Burger Bundles
Makes 5 bundles

• 1 cup packaged herb-seasoned stuffing mix
• 1/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 10 1/2-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon ketchup

1. Prepare stuffing according to package directions.

2. Combine evaporated milk and meat; divide in 5 patties. On waxed paper, pat each to 6-inch circle.

3. Put 1/4 cup stuffing in center of each; draw meat over stuffing; seal. Place in 1 1/2-quart casserole.

4. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over meat.

5. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 45 minutes.

Source: Epicurious

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I haven't posted a ton of side dish vegetables recipes before but I thought it was time for a new addition. Parmesan Tomatoes are a very basic recipe for a tomato topped with a creamy Parmesan spread. It is very customizable, just use whatever seasoning you are in the mood for, such as Italian, Cajun, or garlic. We used a blend from Penzeys called Fox Point that had a mix of salt, shallots, chives, garlic, onion and green peppercorns. Tasty and easy. Ready for the recipe?

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While Summer may be winding down, the weather certainly seems to be holding on with high temperatures. If you are in the mood for one last Summer treat, try this recipe for a refreshing Pink Lemonade Pie. It comes together quickly and requires a few hours in the fridge to chill, so plan ahead. Ready for the recipe?

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Lisa at The Cutting Edge of Ordinary inspired me  to make this dish after reading her hilariously titled post "Cowboy Casserole - looks like dog food - tastes delicious." I put my own twist on it to suit what I had in my pantry and in my freezer, but the basic idea is the same. It may not sound like much, but believe me, it is comforting and seriously delicious.

If you are anti canned soup, by all means, you can make homemade cream of mushroom soup at home. All you have to do is google a recipe. I for one have always liked them and I do not look down on anyone else who uses them. No food snobbery here! Okay, with that out of the way, are you ready for the recipe?

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Today I'm touching on a variety of topics dealing with food blogging, but the theme between them all is negativity.

First up, Bad recipes. They happen to the best of us. We make a recipe with the best intentions and it turns out to be a total flop. What is your next step?

• Do you redo the recipe, hoping it will be better? 


• Do you post the recipe on your blog with a negative review? Is it constructive criticism or an out right attack to the blogger?


• Does it make any difference if the recipe came from a food blogger as opposed to a food celebrity, like Paula Deen or Bobby Flay? 


• Is your first instinct to blame yourself or the recipe? 

Secondly, negative opinions. You don't like the quality or type of ingredients used in a recipe. What do you do?

• Do you take inspiration from their recipe and tweak it to fit your dietary standards?


• Do you immediately dismiss it and move on?


• Do you leave a comment informing the food blogger that they are using the wrong ingredients and as a whole their recipes stink?


• Do you get on your blog and write a long rant about how anyone who ever cooks with ------ ingredients is a terrible cook and should be ashamed of themselves?

I used a cake mix. I must be a horrible person

These are all questions I wonder about frequently while I am browsing other blogs.  I try to keep my blog as uplifting and positive as possible. Even when I tell you all the things I hate about your blog, I try to do so in a hopefully light hearted way that is meant to be helpful and not snotty.

I don't come across very many hostile and mean spirited food bloggers, but they are for sure out there. Just like hostile and mean spirited comments, I don't get a ton but I know they are out there. The most frequent style of hostility that I personally come across is people who are food elitists.

Let me clarify one thing real quick. If you are not a fan of cake mixes or canned soups, that is just fine. There are from scratch alternatives for almost everything out there that is a convenience product. I am totally A-OK with the fact that you don't like them. What I am not A-OK with is when people rant on their blogs about how lazy, stupid and horrible people are who do use them. 

The food bloggers who say (I'm paraphrasing but this is what I read) that anyone who EVER uses a cake mix is a lazy, fat, horrible cook. That using a can of cream of chicken soup is literally poisoning their children and they should have their kids taken away.  I'm not exaggerating these remarks, I have run across quite a few of them the past few years. Does this kind of hostility and negativity bother anyone else?

Run for your life! Ahhh, the horror!

I recently had a young woman who pinned one of my casserole recipes onto a Pinterest board that she had titled, "This is why you are fat." I was stunned, although I probably shouldn't have been. What is stunning to me is that someone has so much free time to be so negative and spiteful. (On Pinterest of all places, which is normally so fun and inspiring. She had literally created a board of all the things she hated. Hah!)

You and I don't eat the same? Hey, that is fine by me. I'll leave you alone, how about you leave me alone too? Keep on blog browsing and don't let the door hit your butt on the way out.  What I don't get is pinning a bunch of random food blogs on Pinterest and leaving comments of, "GROSS!" "THIS IS DISGUSTING!" and the like. How awful and mean spirited is that?

All I can think is that this is a girl who has a lot of hate in her heart and she feels the need to lash out at people on the internet. It is kind of sad, but frankly it riled me up because how snotty and judgmental her comments were. We are all young bloggers at one point, and to see something like this when you are new can be a real buzz kill.

Back to the recipes, do you take the time to write up a post, take pictures, and type up the recipe when it was a dud? Do you name names, calling out the blogger who provided the recipe? Or do you just skip posting it and move on?

I am absolutely a skip posting it and move on kind of person. I don't think most food bloggers would ever intentionally post a bad recipe. I tend to question if I really followed the recipes closely, if I misread an ingredient amount, and scrutinize if it was my mistake that a recipe turned out bad. What about you?

For some reason I will admit that I am far more lenient and forgiving to food bloggers and their recipes than I am of the celebrity cooks out there. I am more likely to post a negative review on a Food Network recipe than I am to visit a blog and leave a comment. I am not saying that is right, but it is just the way I feel. I connect with fellow food bloggers and I feel a sense of solidarity between us all. I want to uplift others, not tear them down.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the topics above. Do you get negative comments on your blog from food elitists? Or do you get blamed for a dud recipe even when it is clear the cook didn't follow your recipe closely? Please share in the comments.

Also - Inspired by eRecipecards did a thoughtful review of one of my recipes and my blog as a whole today. He poked a bit of fun at me and the things I hate about blogs. Check it out. See, I can take a joke when it is a good natured jab. :)

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I've been on a mission to try to use up items from the pantry before I make the big move to Montana next week. I had a full box of unopened corn flakes that I wasn't sure what to do with. I knew I could use them for Cornflake Crusted Chicken, but I'd still have a ton leftover to deal with.  When I came across this recipe at Sticky, Gooey, Cream, Chewy, which Susan called the 'Holycraptheseareamazing Cookies,' I knew I had hit the jackpot.

Basically what we are dealing with here is a chewy, delicious candy bar-esque dessert. The recipe makes a ton of cookies and it only has a few ingredients to boot. My family loved them and I bet your family will too. Ready for the recipe?


Peanut Butter Cornflake Clusters
Makes 2-3 dozen, depending on how big you make them

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 1 jar (18 oz ounce) peanut butter, crunchy or smooth (I used creamy)
• 6 cups corn flakes
• 3 oz good quality chocolate of your choice

1. In a saucepan, combine the sugar and corn syrup over medium-high heat until it comes to a full boil. Remove from heat and add the peanut butter, stirring until smooth and incorporated.

2. In a large bowl, mix the corn flakes and the peanut butter mixture together, gently stirring very well until all of the cereal is coated.

3. Drop spoonfuls of the cornflake mixture onto wax paper.

4. Heat the chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Drizzle over cornflake clusters and let cool. Serve when they have cooled.

Source: Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy

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It is time for my favorite foodie event, the Secret Recipe Club!

I came across the original recipe for this Asparagus Gruyere Tart from 'Chefanie Frasco' at The Chefanies while participating in a fun little foodie event, the Secret Recipe Club, which was created by Amanda at Amanda's Cookin'.

The idea of it is you are assigned a fellow food blogger each month, it is kept a secret of course, and you go to their food blog and pick a recipe (or more) to make. On the assigned date, everyone posts their creations and you go and visit and see all the goodies that were made. Sort of like a secret Santa, right?

My host who is organizing my group for this month is Tina from Moms Crazy Cooking. Thank you Tina for hosting!

The Chefanies is a combined blog of two ladies named Stephanie. In their words, "This blog is our spot to share our favorite recipes and the stories (and people) behind them.  We try to use only organic, seasonal (in California terms) and fresh ingredients."

Right off the bat, I was impressed by their colorful banner for their blog title, contrasted to the clean and fresh white background of their website. It is orderly and clean, which is exactly what inspires most people to get in the kitchen and cook. As I browsed through their recipes, it was clear that The Chefanies value fresh, local produce. I considered quite a few recipes to make, including the Chopped Heirloom Salad with Spicy Ranch, Strawberry Feta Salad, and the World's Greatest Cheesecake. I happened to have half of a package of puff pastry ready to be used up and the Asparagus Gruyere Tart was calling to me, so off I went!


I made one substitution, which was the type of cheese I used. Ideally I would have loved to use Gruyere, but I ended up using a mix of fontina, Parmesan, provolone, asiago and mozzarella. Even though I had to use my second choice for the cheese, it turned out so delicious. This is a simple and delicious recipe for cheese and vegetable lovers alike. Ready for the recipe?

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I hope you are ready for an easy, tasty treat today. I made these Cinnasticks when I made the Cheesy Garlic Sticks and both were very well received. I think it is kinda fun to make these things at home instead of relying on delivery, but that is just me.
The icing recipe is more of a throw it together and adjust as necessary. The original recipe called for an entire box of powdered sugar which seemed like way too much icing for just one pizza, so I scaled it back.

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A while back I made a delicious Ham, Scallion & Pecan Cheeseball from Squirrel Bakes. Of course being someone who doesn't plan ahead well, I didn't take any pictures and told myself I'd make it again and take some proper shots. As I was recently looking over the recipe again, I started to think of ways I could make the recipe come together even quicker. What I came up with was inspired by Squirrel Bakes, but with my own twist.

I knew this was going to be a difficult one to photograph in an appetizing manner. Ideally I would have styled it like Squirrel Bakes did, with a cheeseball covered in large pecans. For the individual crackers, I would have also added pecans on top. What can I say, it was about 11 at night and I was starving for a snack, so I whipped this up in a hurry. It may only take five minutes to make but it is seriously tasty. Ready for the recipe?

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Warm and delicious breakfast turnovers. Ah, they are so darn good. It is wonderful how puff pastry transforms what might normally be a hum drum breakfast scramble into a hand held tasty treat.

One tip that I have for cooks who are looking to add more vegetables into their meals is to cook up a big pot of sliced onions and bell peppers until they are soft and the onions are caramelized. Let cool and store it in the fridge. Now they are ready to be added to pasta bakes, quesadillas, and breakfast turnovers like these. I happened to have spicy sausage to use up so I added that in with the vegetables and freshly shredded cheese. So good! Ready for the recipe?

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If I ever have my own bakery, this recipe is going on the menu. Delicious doesn't even begin to describe it. Moist and spicy with the pleasant tang of whipped cream cheese frosting. This recipe is from 1910 and from the amazing cookbook, Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters. Ready for the recipe?

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Tuesday has rolled around again, so it must be time for another Ten on Tuesday feature. What is it? Kim from It's a Crafty Life describes it best. "Today's the day when you blog about whatever's on your mind...random info about you, events going on in your life, a top ten list, ten pictures, whatever...so long as it is 10 items!" If you would like to play along check out It's a Crafty Life.

Today I want to share ten tasty food blogs that I am really enjoying. I have done this once before, and since it has been a few months, I thought it time to bring you a new batch of amazing food blogs that I love.

The theme that ties this batch of ten food blogs is that I bookmark, oh just about EVERY SINGLE recipe they post. No joke! They each bring different things to the table, be it beautiful photography, a unique and charming voice, or the ability to make you drool all over your keyboard. Hopefully you find a new blog or two to subscribe to. Enjoy!

Ten More Tasty Food Blogs You Should Be Reading

1. Plain Chicken. Recipes you need to see: Chicken Parmesan Crescents, Creamy Grilled Chicken Piccata, Artichoke Bread and Sausage Pancakes.


2. Brenda's Canadian Kitchen. Recipes you need to see: Coconut Cream Crescent Pie, Jalapeno Popper Cheeseburgers, Chocolate-Peppermint Loaf Cake and "Lime in the Coconut" Frosted Cheesecake Bars.


3. Lauren's Latest. Recipes you need to see: Chocolate Mint Truffle Cookies, Lemon Crinkle Cookies, Cheesy Taco Pasta and Garlic Rubbed Steak with Blue Cheese & French Fried Onions.


4. The Cozy Little Kitchen. Recipes you need to see: Tropical Pineapple & Coconut Bars, Hummingbird Cake with Toasted Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting, Caramel Apple Cake and Florida Key Lime Pie.


5. Mel's Kitchen Cafe. Recipes you need to see: Chicken Pillows with Creamy Parmesan Sauce, Cornbread with Fluffy Honey Butter, Southwest Egg Rolls with Creamy Chipotle Dipping Sauce, and Cheddar and Herb Biscuits.


6. Your Homebased Mom. Recipes you need to see: Orange Creamsicle Scones, Citrus Cream Cheese Pull Apart Rolls, Lemon Cream Chicken and Grape Salad.


7. Stephanie Cooks. Recipes you need to see: Mediterranean Pasta, Bang Bang Shrimp, Mushroom and Garlic Cream Tartlets, and Creamy Noodles.


8. Life as a Lofthouse. Recipes you need to see: Strawberry Ooey Gooey Cake, Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu, BBQ Chicken Salad with Homemade BBQ Sauce, and Strawberry Cheese Danish.


9. Shugary Sweets. Recipes you need to see: Italian Chicken, Rolo Turtle Fudge, Jalapeno Corn Dip, and Peanut Butter-Finger Bites.


10. A Pretty Life in the Suburbs. Recipes you need to see: Root Beer Chocolate Cupcakes, Rice Pudding, Meat Lasagna, and Strawberry Vinaigrette.

All righty. Cheesy Garlic Sticks. I make them all the time. They are delicious, they only take a handful of ingredients, and often they are filling enough to make a meal out of on the cheap. I've tried a bunch of little tweaks to come up with what I think is the most delicious recipe for Cheesy Garlic Sticks. Ready for the recipe?

I don't make my own pizza dough. If you like making dough, by all means, go for it. I have yet to be satisfied with homemade pizza dough. So what I do is pick up premade pizza dough from Papa Murphys. It comes already rolled out, it is the 14" size, and is only $3! Compare this to pre-baked dough, which can run upwards of $6, and dough from a can, which I think tastes kinda gross. Note: From the comments on this post it has come to my attention that not all locations sell the dough premade, so you should call ahead and ask them if you don't want to waste a trip.

When you get your dough, it may need to be 'proofed', which just means it may need to rise. The longer you allow your dough to sit out and proof, the thicker the crust will be. I make my pizzas within a half hour to an hour of buying them, and I think the dough is just perfect. Not too thin, not too thick, just right. I lightly brushed the dough with olive oil, focusing on the edges so they would brown up nicely.

Next up for me to decide on was the type of cheese. Packaged shredded cheese melts really strange I have found. Whatever they put on the cheese to make it so it doesn't stick together in the bag will inhibit the cheese from melting and being nice and ooey gooey. So I ended up buying a ball of mozzarella (not the kind in water) and I tore the pieces of cheese with my fingers and covered the dough. If I had any really thick pieces of cheese, I flattened them slightly, but overall it was a quick process of pinching pieces of the cheese off of the ball and covering the dough.

After that, I grabbed a spoon and my jar of minced garlic from the fridge (I know, I know, but I love that stuff), I drizzled just a little bit of the garlic infused oil on the pizza, as well as some of the minced garlic itself. A sprinkle of Italian spices on top and it is ready to bake.

I've also added dried garlic powder to this, in addition to the garlic oil / minced garlic, to make it extra potent. If you are a garlic fan you might want to use both. It really just depends on how much of each you use. If you don't have minced garlic in a jar, feel free to use dried garlic instead. This is not a fussy recipe, just use what you got.

All in all, I thought it tasted fantastic. You can substitute a shredded cheese if you'd like, but in my experience it doesn't get super melty and delicious. It just sorta sits there.


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Happy Friday folks! If you are visiting the page right now, you can see that I had a bit of an itch to redesign the site. I'm having trouble deciding on a color for the background of the page. Below I have links for you to preview the colors I'm considering. I'd love for you to check them out and let me know what you like, if you are bored and want to be a judgey judge

• What color(s) do you like best? See the light colors here. See the dark colors here. Or suggest your own preferred color in the comments.

• Do you have any constructive criticism for the design, layout, fonts, etc.? Am I missing something important? Is there too much stuff going on? 

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You know it. You love it. It is a childhood classic. Ready for the recipe?

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