Jambalaya Flatbread

In a miraculous turn of events, I managed to get the grocery shopping AND laundry done before noon on a Friday.

Before you applaud me for getting good at this mom thing {because you know I was patting myself on the back}, I have to tell you that my 9 month old child decided to pull down a small display of animal crackers as our groceries were being rung up by a Channing Tatum-esque cashier. The clear plastic barrels filled with little animal shapes crashed to the floor with a sound loud enough to shake me from my self-congratulatory fog and remind me never to get too cocky about my parenting skills. {On another note, Channing 2.0 may never have children of his own.}

Aside from that, our day has been pretty standard. And by standard I mean filled with attempts at productivity dashed by bouts of playing/fussing/chasing/catching, etc., etc.

I did, however, scratch together enough seconds to pop into the kitchen for a moment and make this:

I'm can't tell you if it was the excessive amount of green bell peppers or the soundtrack from The Princess and the Frog playing in the background that gave me the idea, but I can tell you that a good idea it was.

This Jambalaya Flatbread is such a fun Friday food for a casual dinner in or as an appetizer for guests. The hint of spice from the andouille sausage is balanced out by a creamy tomato base, seasoned with a dash of celery salt to give the classic taste of the "trinity" {onion, bell pepper, celery} that goes into jambalaya. Soft, sauteed bell peppers and onions in contrast to the crisp flatbread crust
makes every taste bud do a little dance.

Celebrate your Friday successes {or forget about your mishaps} with Jambalaya Flatbread tonight. Here's to making it to the weekend!

Jambalaya Flatbread 

Store bought {or homemade} pizza dough
Olive oil
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced onion
4 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temp
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
{Optional} Dash of cayenne pepper
1 to 2 smoked andouille sausage, very thinly sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven to heat it up. If not, prepare a baking sheet with a little bit of olive oil. Set aside.

2. In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Saute green bell pepper and onion until just softened and translucent. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, with a hand mixer, beat together cream cheese, tomato paste and celery salt {and cayenne if using}. Set aside.

4. On a floured surface, cut dough into quarters. Roll out each quarter to desired thickness -- I made mine very thin for quick baking and a crisp flatbread. You should be able to get 4 flatbreads out of 1 pound of dough depending on how big you make them. Place on pizza stone or oiled baking pan. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until the dough is just set and starts to bubble.

5. Remove flatbreads from oven. Spread each evenly with cream cheese mixture. Top with sauteed bell peppers, onions and sausage.

6. Return flatbreads to oven and bake for another 5-7 minutes, or until the sausages begin to brown a bit and the crusts are crisp.

Enjoy hot!

#PizzaWeek: "Greek-za!" Mediterranean Pizza

I have never met a person who doesn't like pizza in some way, shape or form. {And if I did, I might be suspicious...} I mean, c'mon... bread, melty cheese, and toppings of your liking? Pure comfort in a convenient, hand-held slice.

When my buddies over at NoshOn.It reached out and asked if I'd be interested in participating in their #PizzaWeek, saying yes was a complete no-brainer.

Pizza is a great unifier. I am convinced that, done correctly, it could bridge generation gaps and end world conflict. Ok, maybe that's a bit excessive. But I can't imagine not being anything but supremely happy when sitting down to split a pie with another.

In fact, some of my absolute favorite memories have pizza involved -- family pizza nights at home as a kid; 3:00 a.m. mushroom pizzas with my roommate in college; finding the ultimate pizza place when Steve and I moved to Dallas {it was our first meal in Texas, eaten among moving boxes}; my father-in-law's famous homemade pizzas; and finally, learning how to make amazing pizzas myself over the past few years.

You just can't go wrong no matter what type of pizza you enjoy the most.

One of our favorite Friday night pizzas at home is what I've lovingly started to refer to as "Greek-za"... a pizza with Mediterranean toppings.

It is so, so good. Can't turn down another slice, kinda good.

When I made the "Greek-za" this time, I rolled out the dough really thin to make it more of a flatbread. Not only does it cut down on carbs this way {because we all know you must be very worried about that if you're eating pizza}, but then you're also getting more toppings than bread, which is never a bad thing in my book. The spinach, tomatoes, Greek olives and red onion intertwined with a variety of bubbly cheeses and sprinkled with fragrant herbs is drizzled with syrupy-sweet balsamic vinegar...it's easy to see why this recipe tops my list of favorites.

If you like pizza as much as I do, be sure to check out the other #PizzaWeek posts being shared today by the following talented bloggers:

Roasted Veggie Pizza by Dine & Dish
Mini Cauliflower Pizzas by The Fitchen
Berry with Arugula & Prosciutto Pizza by FoodieCrush

And if you still haven't gotten your fix, head over to Pinterest and follow the "Pizza Pizza!" board where you can find a variety of pizza recipes to suit any and all tastes!

"Greek-za!" -- Mediterranean Pizza 
Yield: 2 thin crust personal pizzas

Your favorite pizza dough recipe {I used this one} or store bought pizza dough, cut into quarters*
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated
1 cup baby spinach
1/2 cup favorite grated Italian cheese blend
1/2 cup favorite mozzarella, grated
1 roma or plum tomato, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup red onion, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup Greek olives, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried mint
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
*I also use a sprinkle of Alessi Dipping Spice -- I love this stuff.
For Drizzling: Good quality balsamic vinegar, or balsamic glaze

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place pan or pizza stone in oven to heat up as well.

2. Meanwhile, combine the olive oil and garlic in a small microwaveable cup and heat on high for 30 seconds or until the garlic is fragrant and begins to sizzle. Remove from microwave and set aside.

3. Cut one of the quarters of the pizza dough in half.* Set aside the other half and keep covered. On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to desired thickness -- for this version, I rolled mine out quite thin to about a 12x6 inch oval. Repeat the process with second piece of dough to make 2 personal pizzas.

4. Carefully move rolled dough to hot pan or stone. Brush the crusts with the garlic oil and bake for 3-6 minutes {depending on thickness} or until the crust is beginning to turn golden brown in some spots.

5. Remove from oven and top each pizza with spinach leaves, Italian cheese blend and mozzarella. {Doing it in this order helps the leaves stay in place, but you can arrange it as you like, of course.} Place tomato slices, sliced red onion and olives on top of cheese; sprinkle with crumbled feta. Sprinkle dried mint and oregano {or whichever spices you choose} over top.

6. Return pizzas to oven and bake for another 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the edges of the pizza are crisp and browned. For a crisp underside, I like to move the pan to the very bottom rack of the oven for the last minute or two of cooking. Just make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn!

7. Remove pizzas from oven and drizzle with balsamic syrup if desired. Slice and serve hot.

*Most 1 lb. dough balls will make 2 large pizzas, 4 medium pizzas or 8 individual thin crust pizzas. It's up to you how you want to divide it up, but for the this particular recipe, I've listed enough ingredients for 2 individual thin crust pizzas or 1 medium pizza. Hope that isn't too confusing! :)

NYC Life Lessons & "Big Apple" Toffee Crumble Pizza

If it weren't for the fact that I'm pretty sure I would spend the majority of my time completely lost on the subway {I have ZERO sense of direction... throw in some letters, numbers, and fast moving trains & we have a major problem}, I think I'd move to New York City.

I was smitten with the city upon my first visit {which was actually only a few years ago}, even though it only lasted about a day. I knew immediately that I had to return.

The next time I visited, I stayed for 5 days because there was just no way that I could've squeezed in even a fraction of the things I wanted to see. I left even more in love than the first time. {And I still felt like I hadn't even made a dent on my list of things to do.}

When my little sister turned 21 this past September, I wanted to give her a special gift she'd always remember. After much deliberation, I decided on the ultimate birthday gift: A weekend trip to NYC.

Turning 21 is an exciting time. You have your whole life ahead of you and the potential is limitless. You're young enough to still have a lot to learn about the world, and old enough to have already started to figure some things out. You are getting a sense of who you are and where you belong while balancing who you've become and where you've come from.

New York City, while being a place of great fun and seemingly endless experiences, is also a great place to learn some important life lessons.

So, I thought I'd put together a little recap of our trip, complete with the pearls of wisdom the city has to offer...


Sometimes you will discover delightful things where you least expect them.

A tiny snowman found on the stairs in Central Park.

What's odd to some, is totally normal to others. Appreciate diversity.

Minnie, casually crossing the street in Times Square.

At times, life will seem like quite a climb...

Slipping Climbing up a rock in Central Park.

...But when you reach the top, you will realize it was all worth it.

It never hurts to be well-read.

Left: Mary with Hans in Central Park., Center: At the Alice in Wonderland statue.
Right: Hans Christian Anderson statue in Central Park.

No matter how old you get, stay young at heart.

Playing in the Eloise section of The Plaza Hotel.

Eat well.

Clockwise from left: 1. Bagels in the morning from Leo's. 2. Cannoli from Ferrarra Bakery. 3. Ferrara Bakery 4. Margherita Pizza from Caffe Napoli in Little Italy, 5. Breakfast at Katz's Delicatessen {from When Harry Met Sally},
 6. Lunch at Caffe Napoli,7. Mini Cupcakes from Baked by Melissa. Bottom: Gelato from Ferrara Bakery

Frolick often.

Mary, happy to be in Times Square.

Love much.

There's nothing wrong with having a cupcake for dinner every once in a while.

Exhausted and ready for a cupcake dinner from Magnolia Bakery.

Life will get busy sometimes. It will seem like there's simply not enough time for everything that needs to be done.

Alice in Wonderland March Hare sculpture in Central Park.

But take some time to smell the flowers... or the leaves.

In all the madness, try to find a place to be quiet and still.

It's not always necessary to win the race. Sometimes just floating along will be the true reward.

Conservatory Water, Central Park

Don't take yourself too seriously. Laugh at your mistakes.

Menu typo...  :)

There is beauty in vulnerability.

A bare tree in Central Park.

You may be pushed down, experience tragedy, and think that you can't go on. But there is always a chance to rebuild. The human spirit is stronger than we can possibly imagine.

A view of Freedom Tower from St. Paul's Chapel graveyard.

We had an amazing time exploring the city, and Mary caught the NYC bug. In our short weekend there we were able to see so much, do so much, and experience so much together, and in the end it really was the perfect 21st birthday gift.

"There is no better friend than a sister. And there is no better sister than you." - Unknown

I'm leaving you with a little memento of our trip: "Big Apple" Toffee Crumble Pizza. Apple to remind us of NYC's moniker, pizza because it's a New York staple, and sweet toffee & spices to bring back memories of the fall.

We <3 NY. :)

"Big Apple" Toffee Crumble Pizza
adapted from Taste of the South

For Crust:

1 store bought pizza dough, or homemade. I used the following recipe:

1 packet active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 cups flour

1. Combine yeast, sugar, and warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit for 5 minutes or until yeast starts to foam or bubble. {If it never does, you may need new yeast.}

2. Add melted butter and mix.

3. Beat flour, one cup at a time, into yeast mixture until a dough ball forms.

4. Change to dough hook, or turn out onto a floured surface, and knead for about 5 minutes.

5. Place in an oiled bowl and allow to rise for approximately 1 hour or until just about doubled in size.

For Toffee Crumble:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup toffee or brickle chips {such as Heath Bits'o Brickle}

1. In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, and butter.
2. Stir in toffee bits.
3. Set aside.

For Apple Topping:

4 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, & chopped
1/4 cup {4 tablespoons} butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup water

1. In a large skillet, combine chopped apples, butter, sugar, cinnamon & nutmeg. Cook over medium high heat, stirring often, until apples begin to get tender.

2. Dissolve cornstarch in water in a small cup to make a slurry.

3. Add cornstarch mixture to apple mixture, and cook for another minute or 2 until thickened and bubbly.

4. Set aside to cool slightly.

Assemble & Bake Pizza:

1. Arrange dough on a pizza pan or stone. Brush with about 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
2. Bake at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes.
3. Remove from oven & reduce heat to 400 degrees.
4. Spread apple topping evenly over pizza dough.
5. Sprinkle with toffee crumble.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden.

Love Muffin

 Are you and your sweetheart big on celebrating Valentine's Day?

I have to admit, Steve and I are not the super traditional sort that go the "roses, chocolate, cupid" route. And that's ok with me.

We don't disregard Valentine's Day altogether, either. It just makes it a little more difficult to go with the V-day flow with a guy who doesn't particularly enjoy sweets, and a girl who isn't a fan of roses. We're weird, what can I tell ya.

I've mentioned before that the real way to Steve's heart is through his stomach, as is the case with lots of fellas out there. But for Steve, there's really just one food category that renders him weak in the knees: Bread.

He loves it. And around our home, it's more of a treat than a staple since we try to stay away from the starchy stuff when we can. So when I bake bread from scratch... all bets are off. {I usually have to freeze the extra so that there's less temptation teasing from the counter tops.}

When I saw the recipe for heart shaped English Muffins, I automatically thought of Steve. And having just received my new Kitchenaid the day before, I was ready to break it in.

Too bad I didn't think it through, and I started the recipe without checking to make sure I had all the ingredients. {Will I ever learn?!} I will blame it on my excitement to make something for my Valentine.

I wound up using half all purpose flour, and half bread flour and also used rapid rise yeast rather than regular. Basically, I did not follow directions.

The result? Un-English Muffin-like English Muffins. They were cute on the outside. But not quite "nooks & crannies" enough on the inside. Regardless, they were still pretty yummy.

So what do you do with English Muffins that don't meet your standards? Make heart shaped English Muffin Pizzas, of course. And as it turns out, they are one of Steve's favorite childhood treats.

Are you planning on cooking something special up for your sweetie, family, or friends this Valentine's Day? I'd love to know what you're making!

English {Love} Muffins
Found at Disney Family Fun

• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 cup warm water )
• 1 package (1/4-oz.) active dry yeast
• Cornmeal {enough for sprinkling your baking sheet}
• 5 1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

Combine the milk, butter, and honey in a medium-size saucepan. Warm the mixture over medium-low heat until the butter starts to melt, then whisk it briefly. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the liquid to cool until lukewarm.

While the milk cools, pour the water into a medium-size mixing bowl and sprinkle the yeast over it. Stir the liquid gently with a fork. Set the bowl aside for 5 to 10 minutes, until all of the yeast has dissolved.

Line two baking sheets with waxed paper and sprinkle on a generous amount of cornmeal. {This is where you'll set the muffins to rise.}

Pour the cooled milk into the dissolved yeast and gently stir the mixture until well blended. Add 3 cups of flour and the salt to the liquid and beat the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon {or witht the paddle attachment of your stand mixer} until incorporated. Beat in enough of the remaining flour, about 1/3 cup at a time, so that the dough is firm enough to knead and no longer sticky.

Scrape the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface. Dust the top of the dough with flour. Flour your hands as well, and knead the dough for 3 to 4 minutes. Let the dough rest for about 5 minutes. {Alternately, use the dough hook attachment on a stand mixer.}

Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, starting in the middle and pushing the pin from the center out, until the dough is a half inch thick.

Cut the dough into hearts with a heart shaped cookie cutter, or whatever shape you desire. Gather and reroll the scraps and cut out more hearts (you should end up with 16-18).

Transfer the muffins to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them well apart. Sprinkle cornmeal on the tops. Cover the muffins with a dry, lightweight towel and let them rise until they are almost doubled in height--about 35 to 45 minutes.

When the muffins have risen, heat a large, heavy, ungreased skillet over medium heat. {Or you can use an electric griddle heated to 300º.} Carefully lift the muffins from the waxed paper and place them in the heated pan or griddle, spacing them an inch or so apart. {You will need to cook in batches.}

Cook the muffins for about 10 minutes on each side, using a spatula to flip them. You may have to adjust the heat if the muffins are browning too quickly or slowly. Transfer each batch of cooked muffins to a wire rack to cool before splitting and toasting them.

English {Love} Muffin Pizzas

English Muffins

Your favorite sauce {I make my own, here's the recipe}

Your favorite cheese {I used whole milk mozzarella}

Assorted toppings {I used fresh basil & Italian seasoning}

Prehead oven to 375 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with foil.

Split your English Muffins with a fork. Spoon sauce onto each half. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with your favorite toppings.

Place on baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes until cheese is melted and muffins are heated through and begin getting toasty around the edges.