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Fun Friday: Oven Fried Parmesean Zucchini Rounds

31 May
This recipe from the Sugar Free Mom blog make a great after school snack!

This recipe from the Sugar Free Mom blog make a great after school snack!

Happy Friday to you!

Part of my Friday routine usually includes a visit to my Grandma Rose with my kids after school. We spend some time together, have a few snacks and treats and then off we go until the next visit.

One thing Grandma Rose is famous for is her Fried Zucchinis. She has a knack for slicing them, coating them and frying them perfectly. Whenever there is an event, she makes about 100 of them.

The funny thing is: she doesn’t even like them!

Let’s just say it’s a good thing I am not the one responsible for bringing them to events. I’d probably start out with 100 and end up with about 50 of them by the time I arrived.

Lately, with our low fat dietary restrictions, I’ve been finding other alternatives to some of our favorite foods, and this recipe from the Sugar Free Mom blog was a great option for us. The author of the blog, Brenda is a local mom in our community.

The zucchini rounds are baked, not fried and they are much lower in fat. Brenda adds in Parmesan cheese to her recipe, where Grandma Rose does not, but it adds a great flavor to it.

Here’s the recipe as Brenda has it on her blog. Be sure to visit her blog as she has loads of great recipes on there, and she has lots of healthy options. No matter what your restrictions are, you will find something you like on her blog.

Sugar Free Mom’s Oven Fried Zucchini Rounds

I used my Pampered Chef slicer to make prettier sliced zucchini.

I used my Pampered Chef slicer to make very pretty sliced zucchini.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 large zucchini, sliced (6 cups sliced rounds)
  • 1 whole egg
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 1/2cups Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • olive oil cooking spray
  • DIRECTIONS
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Spray baking sheets with cooking spray.
  • Beat the egg and white in a shallow bowl, set aside.
  • Place the Parmesan, garlic powder and parsley in another bowl and mix well.
  • Dip zucchini rounds in egg mixture then in Parmesan and place on baking sheet.
  • Do not overlap zucchini on baking sheet.
  • Bake for 10 minutes then flip them over and bake until 10 minutes or until the are golden brown on top.

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What’s for Dinner Wednesday: Anthony’s Stir Fry in Valerie’s Cast Iron Skillet

29 May
This was a recipe with all the best ingredients.

This was a recipe with all the best ingredients.

Many of you who have been reading this blog since its inception and even those of you who used to read my Sauce vs. Gravy recipe blog way back when, know that recipes mean more to me than a good meal.

To me a good recipe is one that means something to me because of a connection that I have to it, whether it is from a family member or a friend, whether it’s a dish I ate at a memorable event or maybe even stems from a family tradition that we hold near and dear.

Recipes connect me to others and to memories of others.

Today’s recipe is from my friend Anthony. Anthony owns Reel to Real Recording Studio here in Cranston and we will sometimes bump into each other at local events, but we are friends on Facebook so we “see” each other on there all the time.

Recently, Anthony posted a photo on Facebook of a stir fry he was making for dinner at his house. It looked delicious. I had to have it and I asked him if there was anything special in the stir fry as far as a sauce, but he said it was simple: olive oil in the bottom of the pan, and Worcestershire sauce mixed in while cooking, basically made to your liking. Anthony listed some ingredients he will often throw into his stir fry, including chicken or shrimp,  zucchini, broccoli, and cauliflower.

The next time I went to the store, I bought chicken AND shrimp, zucchini, broccoli and cauliflower. I couldn’t wait to get home to make our dinner that night. There was going to be something in this dish that everyone loved.

Even better, I was going to be using our new cast iron skillet, given to me by my cousin Valerie just a few weeks ago. When Val asked me if we had a cast iron skillet, I said that we didn’t, and she said she had an extra one that she would bring to me when she came down for Alexandra’s First Communion.

When she arrived, she gave me the pan and along with it, an envelope with my name on it. Because we were having the party, I didn’t get to read Valerie’s note until the next day, but when I did, I almost cried as I read.  In the letter, Valerie told me the story of the skillet and how she’d found it while shopping with her brother in-law during their annual summer consignment shop shopping trips. She mentioned that it’s just she and he who love these shopping trips. Her husband and his sister are not fans of the “junk” that Val and John bring home.

The story of my cast iron pan makes everything I cook in it, including Anthony's Stir Fry, that much more special.

The story of my cast iron pan makes everything I cook in it, including Anthony’s Stir Fry, that much more special.

The skillet was part of a set of three, “dusty, rusty, neglected diamonds in the rough,” Valerie wrote. She told me of how she and John bought the pans and took them home. She knew that these treasures only needed “a good home, a hot bath, and someone to make them feel useful again, things we all want.”

Valerie cleaned and seasoned our skillet for us, giving us the last of the three rescued trio of pans in the set that she and her brother in-law had found last summer.

“Good, old, seasoned cast iron is a treasure. it is a work horse in the kitchen. It holds the heat well, cooks evenly, is the original ‘non-stick’ cookware. it makes mean fried eggs, crusty hash browns and frittatas to die for,” Valerie said.

Last week, my new cast iron skillet made a fabulous stir fry, Anthony’s Stir Fry, and it was delicious.

Good friends, good pans, and treasured family members. I am blessed to have them all.

Give Anthony’s Stir Fry a try with your favorite ingredients in it.

And if you have a cast iron skillet of your own, definitely use it.

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What’s for Dinner Wednesday: John Wayne Casserole

22 May
This was a great Mexican dish that we were able to make using many nonfat ingredients.

This was a great Mexican dish that we were able to make using many nonfat ingredients.

My family enjoys eating Mexican foods. I make a good Taco Bake, we eat quesadillas, tacos and a yummy nacho bake. We’ve had to tone down our menu to make it more fat-free or at least low fat, but it’s easy to do with most of those items by changing just a few key ingredients.

Today’s recipe is one that was sent to me by my father-in-law a couple of weeks back. The title of the email said, “Looks good.”  And indeed, it did look good.

I was able to use the recipe by making the following substitutions:

Ground turkey instead of ground beef

Nonfat sour cream instead of regular

Nonfat cheddar cheese instead of regular

Light mayo made with olive oil instead of regular

I also had to cheat a bit and use salsa instead of the fresh onion, tomato and pepper, because I thought I had a pepper here and when it came time to make dinner, I did not.  If I make this again I’d do the fresh veggies instead, but the salsa did work fine.

Of all people, Alexandra was the kid who loved this the most. She’s by far the pickiest eater. Caroline liked all but the top and Liz liked it well enough. Don and I loved it. I even ate it leftover and it was just as good.

It did make a lot, and I think the next time I’d cut it in half, and use an 11×7 dish rather than a 9×13 dish.

Don even said he’d throw the corn right in the layer with the meat. It was definitely a hearty dish and a tasty one! If your family enjoys Mexican meals too, I’d recommend this!

The recipe as my father-in-law sent it, is below.

JOHN WAYNE CASSEROLE

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef, cooked and drained
1 (1.25-ounce) packet taco seasoning
4 ounces sour cream
4 ounces mayonnaise
8 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 cups biscuit mix
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 (4-ounce) can sliced jalapeno peppers

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325. Brown ground beef and add taco seasoning and water, according to packet instructions; set aside.

2. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, 4 ounces of cheddar cheese, and half of the onions; set aside.

3. Stir biscuit mix and water (directions on box) **our box said to use milk so I did and it was skim**to form soft dough. Pat dough on the bottom and one-half-inch up the sides of an 9 x 13 in. greased casserole dish.

4. Saute remaining onions and bell peppers until slightly tender.

5. On top of biscuit mix, evenly distribute ingredients in the following order: ground beef, tomato slices, green peppers, onions, jalapeno peppers, sour cream mixture and end with remaining shredded cheese.

6. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until edges of dough are lightly browned.

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Monday Musings: The Making of a 50 States Bedroom

20 May
Alex's project had gone viral.

Alex’s project had gone viral.

Last April we began renovations on our house that would allow each daughter to have their own bedroom for the first time ever. Choosing colors and themes and decor became the topic of many a conversation.

So the day Alexandra came out of her room and announced that when it was her turn for a new room, she wanted a 50 States Bedroom you might think we wouldn’t be shocked, but we were. For months she’d been saying she wanted purple walls and a horse-themed room. Now, she wanted ocean-blue walls and a cross-country theme. According to my mother-in-law, the two had concocted the new theme for her room over the phone one day and Alex was sold on the idea.

Once we knew this new room theme was a keeper, I told Alex I would put a request for postcards from all of the states out to my friends and family on Facebook and see what we could collect that way first. Whatever we couldn’t get, we’d find another way of getting them. The postcards would later be used as a border around her room after the blue paint went on the walls.

I put the request out in mid-March, right around her birthday, explaining the 50 States Bedroom idea. Once I did, the postcards started rolling in. The first week or so she was receiving handfuls a day. My father-in-law, on his end, put out a request to all of his friends and family around the country as well, and stated that her birthday was coming up, too. It was so much fun receiving postcards that said, “Your grandpa wanted us to wish you a Happy Birthday from North Carolina,” or whatever state the cards were coming from. In years to come, when Alex looks at the messages on the cards, she’ll read things like, “I went to high school with your daddy,” “I went to the White House with your sister,” or “Vermont has great maple syrup,” and many other fun and exciting messages from all over the country. One cousin sent us 27 postcards from a cross-country trip she’d taken years ago. Her personal collection was now Alex’s. That gesture from a cousin we had never met, meant so much to us.

We received over 14 feet of postcards from all over the world to be used in Alex's new room.

We received over 14 feet of postcards from all over the world to be used in Alex’s new room.

Before we knew it, we had received over 150 postcards literally from all over the world. Postcards came in from the east coast, west coast, London, Canada, St. Maarten and Alaska. It was amazing. We all looked forward to the arrival of the mail each and every day. I did my best to go on Facebook often and thank those who sent or requested postcards, and I’d give an update of what we had gotten so far and what we were still missing. By April vacation week we were down to just nine states left and we were ready to empty out, clean out and paint the room over the week. Alex and her daddy went to the store and she picked out the color of paint that she wanted, and the process began.

I had forgotten that underneath the "little kid" border was the baby border we'd hand stamped on the walls before Caroline was born.

I had forgotten that underneath the “little kid” border was the baby border we’d hand stamped on the walls before Caroline was born.

It was a little sad, I must say, when Don began scraping away at the border we put up in 2005, only to discover the border of Snoopy and Woodstock that we had hand-stamped in 1999 as we prepared for the birth of our first baby. When all of the wallpaper border was down, and the stamped art remained, there was a small lump in my throat, and a part of me wanted to say, “No! Let’s just keep this! Let’s go back.”

But I know, you can’t ever go back.

So the new paint color went on the walls over the nursery yellow and the pink and blue border, over years of picture holes and sticky tape marks, making the room look fresh and new with the great color that Alex had picked out. In two days’ time Don had transformed the room to a big girl room, and we moved the furniture back in, setting it up in a new layout.

As the postcard mail began to trickle down and we had just a few states left, I took the whole lot of them to our local learning store, Lakeshore Learning Store, to be laminated. We also laminated some maps that she wanted in her room as well. We had a Rhode Island map which has hung in our basement for years, that she wanted on her wall. She particularly likes the fact that it has the dates 2006-2007 on it and she points it out to whoever comes into the room. We had a world map in one of the kids’ rooms that was not being used, and I ordered a special US map from the Highlights Magazine “Which Way USA” club, that we had now enrolled her in. The laminated postcards stretched from our sliding glass door in our dining room to the coffee table in our living room, about 14 feet in length and about two feet across.

I found this cool project in Family Fun magazine, that I just had to replicate for Alex's walls.

I found this cool project in FamilyFun magazine, that I just had to replicate for Alex’s walls.

I went to Hobby Lobby one afternoon and found huge letters that were on sale for half off: N, S, E, W in pink and blue sparkly colors and Don put them up on her walls, using a compass so that they were really placed accurately pointing North, South, East and West. I found a cool project in FamilyFun Magazine while sitting in the doctor’s waiting room one day, and I had to replicate it on her wall. I knew the perfect spot. Alex noticed a blanket in the trunk my car that I’d made for the kids years ago, a 50 States blanket with a map of the country on it. We washed it and brought it up to her room and placed it at the bottom of her bed, which was still awaiting a back-ordered, horse-themed “bed in a bag” set. She found a globe at the book store, and used some gift money to purchase it. The room was coming together in our minds, and on the walls, piece by piece.

Finally, it was time. I took the huge roll of postcards and began cutting them apart. I filled an entire wicker basket with them. I found some double sided foam tape at Walmart, specifically designed to keep the paint on the walls in tact, and Caroline and I placed little pieces in the center of each laminated card, being careful not to cover the messages on the cards if at all possible. And then, on Mother’s Day afternoon, I began placing each one on the wall.

As I did this, I was struck by the awesomeness of this whole project, from the idea itself to the connections it has given Alex to our family, our friends, our past and our present. The postcards have special stamps on them, special postmarks, and special messages. They are priceless and yet the cost of them was so minimal.

My version of the Family Fun project, with postcards to match.

Adjacent to the North Wall is my version of the FamilyFun project, with postcards to match.

Alex has decided that the South Wall over her bed will show maps of two "featured states" as she receives them from the "Which Way USA" program through Highlights Magazine.

Alex has decided that the South Wall over her bed will show maps of two “featured states” as she receives them from the “Which Way USA” program through Highlights Magazine.

And so, as I finish up this blog post and I show you the photos of the finished walls, I want to say thank you to everyone. Thanks for sending Alex her postcards, for spreading the word to your families and friends all over the country and the world, and thank you for taking the time to make a little girl’s day, every day. On the night that the walls were finished, she walked into her room, looked up at the walls, and she slowly turned around and around. The look of amazement on her face was one I will never forget.

And I more than appreciate it.

Thank You.

The East wall houses her Rhode Island map and its coordinating RI postcards.

The East Wall houses her Rhode Island map and its coordinating RI postcards.

The West Wall is over the back of her door and over her closet. The wall over the door houses her Texas postcards and her Cowgirl sign.

The West Wall is over the back of her door and over her closet. The wall over the door houses her Texas postcards and her Cowgirl sign.

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Fun Friday: Mozaik 48 Piece Mini Dessert Set

17 May
These were so much fun I just had to feature them for a Fun Friday post!

These were so much fun I just had to feature them for a Fun Friday post!

A few weeks ago we hosted our daughter’s First Communion at our house. Besides cake, we had several other desserts and today I wanted to feature one of them.

My friend Paula had sent me this cute little 48 piece mini dessert set in the mail,  a set from Mozaik. When she saw it in a store near her, she said she thought it would be perfect for First Communion, and she was right.

Around the same time, the girls and I had attended an event at our local library that I covered for the newspaper. Advertised as a Teen Cooking Challenge, the kids had to each create their own healthy trifles, using pudding, whipped cream, and fresh fruit.

Trifle picture

I never imagined that I’d find my First Communion dessert at a kids’ cooking event at our local library!

When I saw the kids’ trifles, I knew I’d found my dessert, simple as it was, for First Communion.

And when I say simple, I mean really.simple.

The desserts I made were in two variations: Jello Sugar Free, Fat Free instant cheesecake flavored pudding or chocolate flavored pudding, prepared using skim milk, and topped with a low fat topping from Aldi’s that’s like Cool Whip. I topped the cheesecake desserts with fresh strawberries and the chocolate desserts with fresh blackberries.

Yup. That’s it!

Each little cup has a matching little spoon, which made for a really cute, yet seemingly elegant, healthy dessert! They were such a hit, there were just a couple of them left over at the end of the day.

There are so many cute ideas that you could use this set for, both desserts and appetizers. Picture a healthy veggie dip in the bottom with a few celery, zucchini and carrot sticks sticking out, or picture individual shrimp cocktail sauces with a few shrimp. Perfect, right?

Right.

And that, my friends, is my Fun Friday post for today!

Enjoy your weekend!

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What’s for Dinner Wednesday: Sweet Hawaiian Crock Pot Chicken

15 May
This was a great crock pot recipe, and I'd definitely make it again!

This was a great crock pot recipe, and I’d definitely make it again!

I will apologize in advance that I do not know where this recipe originated. Don saw it online and sent it to me in an email. I later also saw it online on a friend’s page, she was sharing it from a recipe exchange page called Renee’s Exchange.

What I do know is that we tried the recipe and liked the recipe and I’d make it again. I had to do mine on high for less time because I got a late start, but it still came out great. We had enough leftover to serve a second night and it was just as good the second time around.

We served ours with couscous and sauteed zucchini the first time and over brown rice with a side of green beans the second time.

The only thing I cannot figure out is that the original picture that I saw showed the chicken very glazed and crispy, with the glaze sticking to the chicken. Ours was very juicy rather than a glaze. Still very tasty, but different than what I expected.

The ingredients are simple and the directions…even more simple! Give it a try on your next crock pot night!

Sweet Hawaiian Crock Pot Chicken:
Ingredients:
1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup light soy sauce
2 pounds chicken breast tenderloins  (**I used an entire 2.5 pound bag of frozen tenderloins.)

Directions:
Add all ingredients to the crock pot and cook on low 6-8 hrs and they should just fall apart. Enjoy!

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What’s For Dinner Wednesday: Artichoke and Tomato Pasta from Better Homes and Gardens

8 May
Looking for something a little different to go with your pasta? Try this easy recipe!

Looking for something a little different to go with your pasta? Try this easy recipe!

I love pasta, but I get tired of “plain old” pasta and sauce, especially when I’m out of homemade sauce. I recently came across this recipe in the May 2013 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, and I happened to have artichokes on hand, so I gave it a try.

Artichokes are the kind of thing you either love them or hate them. I love them. A few of us here actually love them, and they’re easy enough to remove from your plate if you hate them, so this recipe was great for our family.

If you’re looking for something a little bit different, I encourage you to give it a try. It’s quick and easy and just different enough to spice things up a bit on your dinner table. Serve it with a side salad and you’re good to go.

ARTICHOKE AND TOMATO PASTA
Better Homes and Gardens May 2013

INGREDIENTS

8 oz. dried buactini, fettuccine, or whole grain spaghetti (We went with the whole grain spaghetti.)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup sweet onion

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 28 ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes

1 six ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Fresh basil leaves

Grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS

1) In a Dutch oven cook pasta according to package directions. (We cooked the spaghetti in a pan on top of the stove, the way we normally do.)

Drain; reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water. Return pasta to pot. Add Parmesan cheese; toss to combine. Add enough of the reserved pasta water that pasta is evenly coated with cheese.

2) Meanwhile, in a large saucepan cook onion in hot oil over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds more. Add undrained tomatoes, artichoke hearts, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until slightly thickened. Mash slightly with a wooden spoon.

3) To serve, top pasta with tomato mixture and basil leaves. Sprinkle with additional grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Makes 4 servings

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Couponing Update: Last week’s CVS haul

29 Apr
It's that time of year again: Summer Stock Up time!

It’s that time of year again: Summer Stock Up time!

About a year and a half ago I started my couponing, and last spring I decided to try to stock up for summer on things we go through most, so that I would not have to shop for those items over the summer.

This year, it’s springtime again and I’ve decided to do the same thing. As time has gone by, I have gotten a better handle on things we go through a lot of and things that last a long time.

For example, last year I found out that 48 rolls of toilet paper lasts way longer than just through the summer, but body wash we go through almost weekly. So this year I’m making adjustments in my stockpile. Recently I’ve gotten good deals on women’s deodorant, dish detergent, and a few other things. Last week, however, I had a particularly good “haul,” so I thought I’d share it with you and tell you how I did it. People often ask me for a quick tutorial, so this may help anyone who’s thinking about couponing.

Today’s post is about a CVS trip, and it’s probably the place I shop the most often because of their great store sales, their fantastic stackable coupons, their super Beauty Club, and their awesome Extra Bucks.

Going into CVS, here is what I had:

a $4 off $10 worth of body wash which I’d gotten out of the CVS machine. CVS brand body wash is $2.37 each or 2 for $4.00 normally. That week though in the CVS flier, it was Buy one get one half off. I had to buy 7 to get to $10, but then I got $4.00 off.

5 manufacturer’s coupons for Old Spice men’s deodorant for 20 cents off. The deodorant was on sale in the flier for $2.29 that week. So I’d be getting mine for $2.09 each.

1 CVS machine coupon for 20 cents off Palmolive dish soap. The soap was on sale in the flier for 99 cents already. Normally it’s more than $1.00 at CVS.

7 manufacturer’s coupons for $1.00 off two bags of Chex Mix. The Chex Mix was on sale at CVS that week four bags for $5.  Each bag is more than a single  serving, so it makes a great lunchbox snack if you put it into ziploc bags, and it is great for a playdate or after school snack. During the summer it’ll be great for beach snacks, assuming it lasts that long!

I also discovered that day that Chex Mix comes in Chocolate Turtle flavor. I had to remind myself that each bag was more than one single serving or I might have eaten the whole bag.

My total cost that day was $30.

I got:

7 bottles of body wash
5 deodorants
1 Palmolive dish soap
14 bags of Chex Mix

So, in total, 27 items for $30.

If you are new to couponing, the lessons to take away from today’s post are the following:

Be sure to examine *all* of your couponing and sale options. Use the CVS machine coupons, and remember you can scan your card multiple times a day until it tells you there’s nothing more for you.

Look closely at the flier because oftentimes the fliers and sales coincide with the store and manufacturer coupons. Remember that you can stack CVS store coupons with manufacturer’s coupons.

Only buy what you use, unless it’s totally free and you can donate it. Don’t spend money on things you can’t use, just because it’s on sale.

And finally, use as many manufacturer coupons as you can. Having multiple numbers  of coupons is great when stores run sales such as the one I got on Chex Mix and deodorant this time around.

Happy Saving!!

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What’s For Dinner Wednesday: Brussel Sprouts

24 Apr
Until the other night, I had never had brussels sprouts.

Until the other night, I had never had brussel sprouts.

Ewwww….brussel sprouts!!!

Isn’t that what everyone always says? When people want to come up with the grossest vegetable to make you eat, isn’t it always brussel sprouts?

I guess I’d always just taken their word for it because in my whole life I had never had a brussel sprout until two nights ago. I think I just always assumed they’d be gross because everyone says so. It wasn’t until recently when someone said, “They’re just like baby cabbages,” did I realize that I might actually like them, as I like cabbage.

I took the next step: I bought some at Aldi’s.

Then I forgot I had them until my daughter was home sick, watching Cupcake Wars on TV and one of the challenges was to incorporate brussel sprouts into the recipe.

GASP!

“I have those in the fridge,” I said to Elizabeth.

We decided to give them a try. I looked up recipes and came up with this one for roasted brussel sprouts. Sounded basic, easy, and delicious.

Don came home from work that night and said, “I was talking to someone at work about how to cook brussel sprouts, and she said we should roast them with salt, pepper and olive oil.”

Well that was funny, same recipe I’d come up with.

So we tried them.

I loved them.

I was the only one.

Don liked them, Liz could take or leave them, and Caroline and Alex didn’t like them at all.

Bummer.

However, because I loved them I am posting the recipe. I had the leftovers again, the very next night.

I’d love to know though, how do you cook your brussel sprouts if you are someone who makes them? Please share any good recipes or tips with me.

And, a couple of things to note: Don parboiled them in the microwave first, just to jump-start the cooking. And, he also sprinkled garlic on them before roasting, along with the salt and pepper.

They do look just like little baby cabbages.

They do look just like little baby cabbages.

 

ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS from AllRecipes.com

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 6 servings Change Servings
1 1/2 pounds Brussel sprouts, ends trimmed, yellow leaves removed
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt (we used regular)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
  2. Place trimmed Brussels sprouts, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal tightly, and shake to coat. Pour onto a baking sheet, and place on center oven rack.
  3. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, shaking pan every 5 to 7 minutes for even browning. Reduce heat when necessary to prevent burning. Brussels sprouts should be darkest brown, almost black, when done. Adjust seasoning with kosher salt, if necessary. Serve immediately.

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What’s For Dinner Wednesday: Cheeseburger Pizza

17 Apr
A great pizza option for get togethers!

A great pizza option for get togethers or dinner any time!

A few weeks back, I was having the typical “What are you having for dinner?” conversation with my friend Paula. When she asked me what I was having, I said, “I have no idea. What are you having?”

Her answer: Cheeseburger Pizza.

Now we have homemade pizza all the time. We make plain, mushroom, cheese, olive, bbq chicken and even Hawaiian pizzas. But, we’ve never made a Cheeseburger Pizza, as simple and delicious as it sounds.

I had everything but the dough: pizza sauce, non-fat mozzarella cheese, and ground turkey. I could easily have Cheeseburger Pizza for dinner at my house too!

And so we did. I picked up my dough on my way home from work and that night we added a new, fun pizza choice to our repertoire and we were dinner twins with my friend who was having the same thing at her house.

Everyone liked the new pizza and I’d do it again for sure. I think it’d be fun for a get together with friends and I also think you could add other toppings to it, and still keep it healthy: some fresh diced tomatoes or some olives might be great, too.

So today’s WFDW is not a recipe per se, but a menu suggestion and a question for you to go along with it: What is your favorite fun pizza to make at your house? Leave a comment and let me know!

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