Cheese Please

Spinach Artichoke Pizza

If you’re a fan of spinach artichoke dip, or just a fan of cheesy goodness, this pizza is for you. I make pizzas almost every week and was growing a bit tired of my usual varieties. I came across this recipe and knew that this would instantly become a new favorite of mine. I added a little extra spinach to make this a more veggie heavy pizza (not that there is any way to make this cheesy filled dish healthy, but I tried). I have made this pizza twice now, once in the oven and once on the grill. I generally prefer grilled pizzas as I like a thin, crunchy crust but you’ll enjoy this no matter how you cook it.  

Ingredients:

Pizza dough*

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 shallot, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 ½ bags of fresh spinach

1 (14 ounce) can of artichoke hearts

2/3 cup ricotta cheese

8 ounces freshly grated mozzarella cheese

4 ounces freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

*Sometimes I make my own dough but I usually buy mine at the grocery store.

Preparation:

1.      Drain the liquid from the canned artichokes and lay on paper towels to drain. Press the artichokes to get rid of all the extra moisture; you may need to use a few paper towels. Chop the artichokes and place on a paper towel again to drain.  

2.      Add artichokes to bowl with ricotta cheese.

3.      Heat a large skillet over medium low heat and add olive and shallots. Cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes but be careful they don’t burn. Add in garlic and spinach, tossing to coat and cooking until spinach is wilted. Add spinach mixture to the bowl with artichokes and ricotta, reserving the remaining garlic and oil in the pan.

4.       Add salt, pepper, 1/4 cup parmesan and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine.

5.      Roll out pizza dough and place in the oven for approximately 5 minutes. Time is dependent on how hot your oven gets, you want the dough to cook until it’s just starting brown a bit on the top. If you are doing this on the grill leave it on for about 2 minutes but watch it as it burns quickly.

6.      Remove pizza from grill or oven and brush it with left over oil from the spinach. Spread the ricotta spinach mixture over the dough evenly. Sprinkle the remaining  parmesan and mozzarella cheeses on top. Bake for 7 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly. If this is grilled grill for about 4 minutes watching it carefully.

7.      Time to devour!  

P.S.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend!

Hop Hop

Easter means it is officially spring, flowers are starting to bloom, the days are starting to feel longer and the birds are chirping! Part II of my cookie kick I made peanut butter Easter egg cookies. These cookies are so cute and look like little eggs nests. If you’re a fan of anything with peanut butter, bring these over for Easter dinner and they will quickly disappear.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ sticks butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• ¼ Teddys Smooth Peanut Butter*
• 1 package of Reese’s Pieces Easter Eggs

Preparation:

1.     Preheat oven to 375° F.

2.     Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.

3.     Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in the peanut butter and mix. 

4.     Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in Reese’s Pieces. I used a cookie scoop, if you don’t have one roll into a ball and drop onto baking sheets.

5.     Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are just starting to brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

*Teddys Natural Peanut Butter works really well because it’s smooth and creamy which blends easily. 

A little added bonus, some fun Easter egg decorating ideas!  

 

 

Mellow Yellow

It’s always nice to have a little color here and there. If you’re a bit hesitant to add something bright into your living room, take a look at how these homes incorporated a pop of yellow (courtesy of National Geographic) into their décor. My family’s basement had long bookshelves lined with National Geographic magazines and you could spend hours flipping through the pages of beautiful photographs.  It’s a cool idea to decorate with stacks of your favorite magazines that you just couldn’t throw out. I have many old issues of Vogue that I have moved with me from place to place because I couldn’t bear to get rid of them.

S'more Please

I have been on quite a cookie kick the last few days, four different types of cookies in under a week! With birthdays and Easter just around the corner, it’s been the perfect excuse to bake up a storm. I’ve seen various recipes for S ’mores cookies before and I've never had an interest in making them. I think it was the mini marshmallows and mini chocolate chips in this recipe that caught my eye! So I caved, and I am happy I did. I love the graham cracker crumbs, theses cookies definitely remind me of summer.

Ingredients:

·         1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

·         1/2 cup sugar

·         1/4 cup brown sugar

·         1 egg

·         1 teaspoon vanilla

·         1 1/3 cups flour

·         3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (7 full graham cracker sheets)

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1 cup Mini Hershey’s Kisses (or chocolate chips/chunks)

·         1 cup Jet Puffed Mallow Bits (or mini marshmallows)



Love these mini chocolate chips!

 Preparation:

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray or grease a cookie sheet. Don’t skip this step, marshmallows are sticky!

2.      Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes.

3.      Meanwhile, use a food processor or blender to crush 7 graham cracker sheets into 3/4 cup fine crumbs. You can also buy graham cracker crumbs.

4.      In a separate bowl, whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, and salt.

5.      Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together. Add the chocolate and marshmallows and stir to combine.

 

6.      Place a tablespoon sized scoops of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.



Time to devour



Maxed Out

Whether it’s a dress or a skirt, to the floor hemlines are a must have for this Spring/Summer. They are the perfect transition piece as they keep you covered up and warm while still looking chic. A simple black strappy maxi dress can be dressed up or down for any occasion and there are so many styles out now that you are sure to find a flattering fit.

 

Snack Attack

I am always looking for a healthy snack recipe. I usually like to have a little sweet treat after dinner and it is almost impossible to keep chocolate my apartment for more than a day. I came across these oatmeal bars and needed to try them out immediately. They certainly hit the mark; they are so easy to make, they’re healthy and satisfied my late night sweet tooth. The great thing about these is that you can throw just about anything in them. They are also great frozen, in case you’re like me and can never keep snacks around. Next time I am going to try a peanut butter version but this time I stuck to tried fruit and dark chocolate.  

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 4 cups dry oats (old-fashioned or quick cooking)
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup dried cherries

Preparation:

1. Place oats, flour, sugars, cinnamon, salt, oil, applesauce and eggs into a large mixing bowl.

2. Mix, by hand or with an electric mixer, just until completely moistened and combined.

3. Mix in raisins, chocolate chips, and cherries (or any other add ins you would like)

Stir in your sweets

4. Press into a greased 13×9 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into individual bars.

Notes:

These would be great with any kind of nuts, dried fruit, peanut butter, and maybe even nutella!