Pizza Pizza!

Is there anything in this world better than pizza? You can go thin crust a la New York style or deep dish like those living in Chicago. You can also go with a hand tossed variety or thick crust or even a stuffed crust (I've got a point, I swear). Then you top it with a nice tomato sauce, some cheese, and maybe some garden fresh veggies or some meat. It's a total meal that you eat with your hands!

The pizza I made actually was inspired by a picture I saw on This is Why You're Fat (a truly disgusting website on the best of days). Typically, there's nothing but food submissions from people trying to gross other people out. But this pizza, oh, this pizza, looked like a gift from the heavens. Potatoes, alfredo, bacon, cheese. I don't think I know a single person who wouldn't love a slice of that.

Don't look at me like that! I know it sounds weird to have potatoes on a pizza. I know you're probably thinking that it's just my crazy pregnancy hormones making this pizza sound so amazing to me. Trust me, you'll love it too. My hubby couldn't get enough, my best friend was jealous and looking for leftovers, and Aloysius was content. I'd say for a recipe made up after seeing just a picture, it was a pretty successful evening.

Potato Alfredo Pizza
Recipe by me

1 medium pototo, sliced and boiled (choose a small baking potato or a couple small reds; boil until just soft)
Pizza dough (feel free to make your own or cheat like I did and buy some; I used Pillsbury thin crust)
1/2 alfredo sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese (or however much you want)
Handful bacon bits

1. Preheat oven according to pizza crust directions or according to the recipe you've used for the dough.
2. Spread the alfredo sauce within a half-inch of the edge. Top with the cheeses, slices of potato, and bacon bits. Top with more cheese if desired.
3. Bake according to pizza crust directions (I actually go a little longer because I hate a doughy crust and like a little crunch). Serve with salad.

And the Winner is...

Commenter number 5! Megs! Congrats to my fellow blogger! Shoot me an email so I can forward your email address along to my CSN rep. For everyone else, please check back here this weekend when I reveal the cake I've got planned for my hubby. If you like coconut, pecans, and chocolate, you'll love this cake!

Soup Soup Soup and CSN Giveaway

I seriously need a new drop leaf table. Mine has seen better days. Between the cats scratching the top every time they got caught up there and the legs starting to get wobbly, I just can't take it anymore. I know where I'd like to get a new one. CSN!

Can I just go on for a few minutes about how much I love soup? I mean, seriously. Even if you don't want to make some Chicken Noodle from scratch, there are hundreds of cans available at the grocery store to choose from (I know, it's not really in line with the Food Revolution, but I can't help that the baby wants Campbell's Potato Broccoli Cheese Soup with Chicken). And it's that time of year when people won't look at you funny for eating soup or bringing leftovers to work for lunch.

Last night, I went over to my best friend's apartment for her amazing Broccoli Cheese soup. I'm not kidding when I say that it's better than Panera's. There are so many tiny little carrot sticks and so much broccoli that each bite is packed with good-for-you veg. One thing that could be improved upon is the cheese. She used Velveeta which melts much better than using real cheese, but it certainly isn't great for you. You could always substitute a can of cream of cheese soup (again, not great for you) or make a cheese sauce beforehand to add into the soup at the end. I can't guarantee how it will work, but melting cheese in boiled milk usually makes for a pretty smooth sauce.

I must say, Aloysius was very happy with the soup. I ate a big bowl along with two slices of sourdough bread with butter and was pleasantly full. Speaking of little Alo, would you like to know the cupcakes gender? It's a boy!!! I'll admit to hoping for a girl, but I'm quite happy with a little boy. Especially since he lets me eat soup! Enjoy the soup. I'm gonna make me a sandwich.

Broccoli Cheese Soup
Recipe by Anne (definitely check out her makeup blog)

3/4 cup chopped carrots (she used the precut, matchstick carrots)
3/4 cup broccoli (she used frozen florets, but fresh would work fine as would a blend of stalks with florets)
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1/4 cup all purpose flour
Paprika (dash or a little more, depending on taste preference)
Dash of salt
1 cup cheese

1. In a large pot, combine veggies, broth, and water. Heat to boiling then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until veg are tender.
2. Combine milk, flour, paprika, and salt. Stir into broth and veg and. Cook, stirring until thick and bubbly. Add cheese. Stir until melted.

If you've stuck with me to this point, congratulations! I'm hosting another giveaway. CSN is offering one reader a $35 gift certificate to be used on any of their websites. Unfortunately, this giveaway is open only to US residents since CSN does not ship internationally (hence why I did the last giveaway the way that I did). To enter please do the following:

1. Pop on over to Anne's blog and welcome her to the blogging world.
2. Come back here and leave a comment letting me know what a friendly person you are.

That's it! You have until Wednesday 22 September, cause that's my hubby's birthday. I'll use Random.org again to pick the winner. I know if it were me, I'd choose something this time from their great bistro sets!

Grandma's Fudge

So a few days late and a dollar short. Sorry, still catching up on my sleep apparently (yeah, I know New Mexico is only an hour behind, but it's also a 12 hour drive, and that takes a lot out of a pregnant girl). Also, I didn't realize just how much I'd miss my baby sister. It's not like she's never been away from home before, but this is also the first grandbaby I'm carrying so it's a bit hard to not have her here. Speaking of babies, want to know what kind of a cupcake I have in the oven? Well, Im' not going to tell you...yet. Soon though, I'll share with you what the hubby and I are expecting.

Where was I? Oh yeah, Grandma's fudge. I remember being 8 years old and growing up down the road from Grandma (an old, gravel, dirt road). About once a month, my sister and I would walk down to her house to "help" her make fudge. It was always the best fudge we'd ever had. Smooth, but crumbly. Rich, but not too sweet. Loaded with pecans and chocolate flavor. Always the best thing we could get at Grandma's.

I called up my Grandma last summer to ask her for the recipe. Imagine my surprise and slight disappointment when she told me to go on the Hershey's website. Apparently, all those years that I thought Grandma was a genius in the kithcne, I had been fooled. Her mother had gotten the recipe off the back of Hershey's cocoa box and had even tricked my grandma into thinking the same thing I did. What a let down! You know what made it better? Making fudge with Grandma in her kitchen.

"Grandma's" Fudge
Recipe by Hershey's, adapted by Grandma

3 cups sugar
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pecans, chopped

1. Line 8-or 9-inch square pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Butter foil.
2. Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in heavy 4-quart saucepan; stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to full rolling boil. Boil, without stirring, until mixture reaches 234°F on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water, forms a soft ball which flattens when removed from water. (Bulb of candy thermometer should not rest on bottom of saucepan.)
3. Remove from heat. Add butter, vanilla, and pecans. Beat with wooden spoon until fudge thickens and just begins to lose some of its gloss. Quickly spread into prepared pan; cool completely. Cut into squares. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature.
4. If the fudge doesn't set right the first time, boil the mixture again or eat it with a spoon (I kid you not, that's exactly what Grandma's recipe says).

Alamogordo, New Mexico

Here are some pictures from my vacation. I had a blast and can only wish it lasted longer. Check back in tomorrow for my grandma's fudge recipe.

This is first stop on the way up into the mountains. In the very far background, just before the next set of mountains, you can see White Sands National Monument

This is the tunnel leading into Cloudcroft, NM, which is a cute little western style town that I love to visit

A very old train track bridge; people can now hike down to the actual tracks which of course, I still haven't done

Dad, his twin, Uncle Ants, Grandma, and my little cousin, Joshua

Six Guns and Shady Ladies; these actors were a blast to watch and touted gun safety; we happened to arrive in Cloudcroft just in time for their performance; they were great

White Sands National Monument; the sand is made of mica and gypsum; still one of my favorite places to go, you can sled down the dunes!

The mighty Yucca plant; these things are almost as prolific as the cacti, just not as painful to fall into

My dad photobombed me!

Grandma with her dog, Dakota; I told you I'd force her to write down that dang recipe!

Aunt Shawna, my dad's sister, my mom and dad, and Joshua along with Harley, the doberman

Vacation Time!

I just wanted to give everyone a quick update. I know I've been really lax around here, but life has been very crazy and stressful. I'll be leaving this evening to drive 12 hours with my parents to see my dad's mom in New Mexico for the holiday weekend.

A few months ago, she had had some really terrible news from her dr that got us all thinking. I ended up missing out on a family trip to Yellowstone this summer (one of Grandma's requests of my dad and his siblings) and didn't get to see her. So now, I'm taking advantage of the Labor Day weekend and going for a road trip. Of course, we'll be driving all night long to get there early Friday morning so no pictures or stops along the way (except for gas), but after, I'll have some awesome pictures to share with you of where my dad and I both grew up.

I'm also going to chain my grandma to the stove and force her to make me some fudge. I have to give you all at least one recipe. I'm only looking out for you. I remember calling and asking her for the recipe and for whatever reason she thought it came from the back of a Hershey's bag. I think Grandma might be crazy cause I never saw her read that recipe off of the back of anything. It always was written down on a yellow legal pad in her awesome handwriting (I'm gonna get her to write it down too so I always have a little piece of her).

One more thing, my next dr. visit is schedule for next Tuesday. I didn't tell you all about my last one because I was kind of sad. You see, the doc told me he'd be able to tell us the gender, but of course my baby took after me and didn't want to cooperate. This time around, I'm trying to just stay calm and serene and will hopefully have good news for you. Aloysius will hopefully finally reveal what's hidden between two tiny legs.

Have a great weekend! I look forward to sharing another recipe that I grew up with as well as pictures of the mountains and the dessert (White Sands, here I come!).

CSN Winner!

I just couldn't wait any longer to tell you all who the winner for my little giveaway was. So here it is, via random.org:

Lucky Number 5! Susan

I will send you an email right away to get your information. Thank you everyone for entering. I so wish I had enough that each of you could have won, but now that I know there are more people reading, perhaps I'll host another giveaway. Who knows? You'll just have to stick around and see!