May 21, 2013

Easy Pizza Dough & Grilled Pizzas!

Yesterday I mentioned that we made grilled pizzas for dinner on Sunday night and it was some of the best pizza ever; I'm not even exaggerating, so I thought I would share the recipe with you all today :)

I normally like to buy the pre-made pizza dough from the bakery at Publix and you are still more than welcome to do that, however, since we don't live as close to Publix anymore and BI-LO didn't have it, I decided to make my own.

We made two different pizzas, but started with the same dough, of course.

Quick Pizza Dough

 Ingredients:

1-3/4 to 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 envelope Fleischmann's Pizza Crust Yeast
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup very warm water (120 to 130*F)
3 tablespoons oil

Directions:

Combine 1 cup flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl.  Add very warm water and oil; mix until well blended, about 1 minute. Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.  Dough should form a ball and will be slightly sticky. Knead on a floured surface, adding additional flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes.




Margherita Pizza with Prosciutto 


Toppings:

1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
2 large cloves fresh garlic, minced
6 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade*
4-5 Roma tomatoes, sliced to about 1/8" thick
1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella, sliced very thin or about 1/8" thick
10-12 slices prociutto, sliced very thin

*Aren't familiar? See here!

Directions: 

1. Place pizza stone on grill and preheat grill.
2. In a small bowl or prep dish, combine minced garlic and olive oil. Spread sliced tomatoes out on top of a couple paper towels. Next, take a couple more paper towels and cover the tomatoes, pressing down to absorb any water/ moisture (this is very important, otherwise, you will have a soggy pizza.)
3. Using floured hands or a rolling pin, spread out the dough on your counter, large enough to cover the pizza stone. Pinch the edges to form a crust. Once your stone is preheated, place dough on top of it.
4. Brush dough with olive oil and garlic. Place sliced tomatoes next, spread them out evenly. Next, add your fresh mozzarella and I like to do the prosciutto last because it gets a little crispy being on top.
5. Add your chopped basil at the end or really at any point that you would like.
6. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, rotating every 5 minutes.
7. Enjoy!

Grilled Pepperoni Pizza

Toppings:

1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella, sliced to about 1/8" thick
approx. 1/4 lb. sandwich-sized pepperoni, sliced very thin
3/4 cup pizza sauce or your favorite marinara (I use Trader Joe's Pizza Sauce)
1/4 sweet onion, sliced thin
2 fresh jalapenos, sliced with seeds removed (You can also used pickled for less heat)

Directions:

1. Place pizza stone on grill and preheat grill.
2. Using floured hands or a rolling pin, spread out the dough on your counter, large enough to cover the pizza stone. Pinch the edges to form a crust. Once your stone is preheated, place dough on top of it.
3. Spoon the sauce onto the dough, spreading out evenly and leaving space along the edges for the crust.
4. Place the pepperoni down, space evenly to cover the entire pizza. Next, add onions and jalapenos.
5. Evenly place the sliced mozzarella to cover the entire pizza.
6. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, rotating every 5 minutes.
7. Enjoy!


Hope you have a chance to try these out, they are delish! Grilling pizza makes them come out a little more crispy and more like a wood-fired oven. You can also do them in a regular oven or without a pizza stone. To learn more about grilling pizzas without a pizza stone, check out this link!


Also, don't forget to check out the new giveaway that I posted last night for Sassy Shortcake Boutique!!





May 20, 2013

Sassy Shortcake Boutique Giveaway!

Hi again!

This week, I am teaming up with my friend Brandy over at Sassy Shortcake Boutique for an awesome giveaway.

Brandy and I met during a taping of the show, Army Wives. We were both chosen to be extras for this one particular episode and we got sat at the same table during a cookout scene. On film, it was meant to look much warmer than it was, but we were freezing! Have I mentioned that I have actually been an Army Wives extra about four times???

That's us on the left-hand side of the screen...She's the blonde, I'm the brunette!

Anyway, my girl is opening up a brand new boutique in downtown Charleston on King St. named after the original online shop where it all began and we are giving away a $25 credit to SassyShortcake.com in honor of the grand opening!

The winner will be announced on Saturday morning as the grand opening will take place that evening. If you live locally, see the following poster below for details!!


You can also check out the SSB Facebook page, where you can find specials and new product updates almost daily. She carries the cutest dresses, accessories, and up-to-date styles. Here are some of my personal faves -








Anchors, of course!


Winner will be announced on Saturday, May 25!! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**Weekend Update, a Wedding, and a Concert!**

Good morning afternoon, happy Monday! Hope y'all had a great weekend - here is what we were up to....


Friday - S and I tailgated (I made the Greek Salad from last week and it was a big hit!) then went to the Jason Aldean and Jake Owen concert with some friends. We had a blast! I asked S to bring me back a water and he brought me back a water...in a cup...that cost $5. Wth??! What is this world coming to?


Not sure how much any of y'all keep up on country news, but Jake Owen had a little incident on Friday night... As he was climbing up to say hello to a fan, the crotch of his pants ripped! In the middle of a song, he had to run back stage. You can read more about that and see pictures here. I must say, it was quite a show!!

Saturday - S and I headed to Columbia in the afternoon to check into our hotel as we were going to be attending a wedding for my old roommate, Heather, that night. We had a blast at the wedding (more pictures to come, once I upload them from my camera!)



Sunday - We had a VERY productive day! We got some food shopping done, cleaned up the house a bit, did lots of prep for this week, and made some killer grill pizzas for dinner. It may have been some of the best pizza I've ever had. If you've never tried one of these, I highly suggest you do!
 It's a grill pizza stone (you can also use it in the oven.) Amazing. I don't think we'll ever get takeout pizza again.

Left: The magnolia tree in our front yard! Center: Fresh basil from our herb garden that we used on our homemade pizzas. Right: My favorite little pup.


That's about it! Hope you all had a fun and relaxing weekend :)



Related Posts -
  1. **Weekend Update, Baseball, & the Lake!**
  2. **Weekend Update & Another Florida Trip!** 
  3. **Weekend Update!** 
  4. **Weekend Update & the Big Move!**

May 17, 2013

**Fitness Friday: Week 24!**

Happy Friday, ya'll! I'm so excited for this weekend - we are going to see Jason Aldean and Jake Owen here in Charleston tonight then headed up to Columbia tomorrow for my old roommate's wedding. I'm really looking forward to both, should be a GREAT time.

My dress for the wedding (still lovinggg Shoshanna!) 



As you know, it is Fitness Friday and we are also linking up still for 50 in 30!


Honor Courage Commitment

Honor Courage Commitment


Yesterday, I linked up with Nikki for 30 in 30 and at that point, I had 3.25 miles for the week. I went for a great run last night after work and banged out another 3.01 miles.

Total for the week - 6.26
Total for the month - 15.67

Looks like I shouldn't have any problem hitting the 30 mile mark, but still pushing for 50!!
I also attended two Body Pump classes this week - feeling good! I'm hoping to get in a quick little run tomorrow morning, too, before we head off to Columbia.

Tonight before the concert, we are getting together with a few friends to tailgate. We are picking up some delicious barbeque from Jim N Nick's (one of my faves) and I decided to bring a healthy salad along as well. This would be a great salad to bring along to a cookout or to have anytime during the week :)


Greek Salad with Homemade Greek Dressing

Salad ingredients:
1 cucumber, quartered and sliced into chunks
2 roma tomatoes, diced
2-3 oz. crumbled feta cheese
2 tbsp. red onion, chopped
1/4 c. greek dressing

Dressing ingredients:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1.25 tsp fresh oregano, chopped (or dried)
1.25 tsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 small garlic clove
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Directions:
For the dressing, add to a seal-able jar (mason jars work perfectly) and shake to combine.
Chill in fridge for 10-15 minutes.

Add all chopped ingredients to a bowl and toss with dressing. Sprinkle feta cheese on top. Enjoy!

For added protein serve with grilled chicken or fish.


You can also easily double this recipe if you have a larger crowd (this is what I did!)

Special shout out to Ashley over at Turqoise & Teale for posting this on her blog recently :)


Hope you all have a great weekend!!


Related Posts:

May 16, 2013

Random Thursday Thoughts..

Yesterday was kind of a hectic day at work and since I didn't really have any extraordinary ideas to blog about, I took the day off. I took the day off from writing AND reading so I'm still working on getting through everyone's posts from the last couple days :)

I still don't really have any super fabulous topics to write about, but I do have some random thoughts floating about in my mind.

Yesterday morning, I woke up and noticed that I had a couple bumps on my forearm that were a little sore, but didn't really think anything of it. Once I got to work, they looked a little more red and swollen. Turns out I even had a couple on my forehead!

My guess is some kind of spider bite??! What the hell, on my face, too, though? I do not like the sound of that. I've been feeling fine, other than a little soreness and from what I've read online, there isn't really a whole lot you can do.

Edit: I just ran over to the walk-in clinic over my lunch break. The doc said it could be a reaction to a bug bite and it doesn't really look infected, but he gave me antibiotics anyway. Here's hoping that it goes away SOON!

Yesterday, at work, we had a picnic and I had to run to Costco to pick up some desserts for our department. I have a membership and really need to get over there more often. I forget how much awesome stuff they have! I have been desperately needing some new sports bras and they had some really nice Champion ones that were 2/$25! I was thrilled, to say the least.

Even though I should've been headed back to work, I decided to puruse through the outdoor furniture section. They have some really nice stuff there, way nicer than what I've seen other places carry. Someone buy this for me?


I'm not a huge fan of the cushion color, but how comfy do those over-sized armchairs and ottoman look??! They were, and I know it, because I tested them out myself.

Lately my favorite mid-morning snack has been some Cinnamon Pecan Special K. That stuff is soo good! Have y'all tried it??

 

 
As for today, I'm linking up with Nikki over at The Pink Growl for 30 miles in 30 days. I've completed 3.25 miles so far this week and I'll hopefully log a few more today! I haven't done any actual "runs" this week, I've just added in doing 15-20 minutes of intervals on the treadmill right before my Body Pump class. Talk about turning it up a couple notches...

Mon - 1.71
Tues - 1.54
Total - 3.25
Total for the Month - 9.41




Link up with Lindsay and I tomorrow for Fitness Friday and 50 in 30!


Honor Courage Commitment

Honor Courage Commitment

Until tomorrow...Ciao!

May 14, 2013

Keep Calm and Go for a Run (:

Over the last couple days, I've been listening to Pandora's 'Pop Fitness' station, trying to put together a good running playlist.


What I have so far:

  1.  22 - Taylor Swift
  2. Ass Back Home - Gym Class Heroes
  3. Beauty and a Beat - Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj
  4. Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen
  5. Die Young - Ke$ha
  6. DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love - Usher, Pitbull
  7. Drive By - Train
  8. Feel this Moment - Pitbull, Christina Aguilera
  9. I Knew You Were Trouble - Taylor Swift
  10. In the Dark - REV
  11. Some Nights - Fun.
  12. Starships - Nicki Minaj
  13. Super Bass - Nicki Minaj
  14. We Found Love - Rihanna
  15. What Makes You Beautiful - Glee Cast
  16. Wild Ones - Flo Rida

Anyone have any other good suggestions??? As you can probably tell, I like poppy, upbeat, catchy songs. I swear they help improve my time :p




May 13, 2013

**Weekend Update, Baseball, & the Lake!**

Gah. Why does Monday always have to come soo soon?

On Friday, I had lunch on the patio at Mellow Mushroom downtown with the girls from work. It was a beautiful day and I feel so fortunate that I can do things like that during my workday.

On Friday night, we met up with a couple friends at Joe Riley stadium for a RiverDogs game. It was a perfect night for some local baseball and there was even fireworks after the game!


On Saturday, S volunteered to help run a softball tournament on base for his students. We spent most of the day at the field. The weather was pretty nice and I got to hang with Lindsey and baby Liam and chit chat all afternoon so it seemed to fly by!

Saturday night, we were both pretty tired so we decided to stay in and I baked dark chocolate chip cookies with walnuts. They were sooo good.


My stand-up Kitchen Aid mixer is now out of commission though now :( It had been making a kind of grinding noise lately that did not sound good so I decided I should stop using it until we figured out the problem. S took it apart to see if he could figure it out. Once he put it back together, it no longer even turned on! Looks like I will have to make some calls to try and figure out how to get it fixed?? Anyone know anything about that?? (It is no longer under warranty)

We also got to spend lots of qt with this little guy. He's my favorite!

Sunday was bittersweet as I as not able to spend Mother's Day with my mom or grandma since I live so far away. I am very happy and grateful though that I was able to talk to them over the phone though and happy to hear that they were having a great day.

I was also very excited to hear from my mom that both of my grandparents are doing very well. They have had a few health problems over the course of the past year. My grandmother was admitted the hospital a couple times for intestinal problems and underwent a couple surgeries. My grandfather was diagnosed with lymphoma and underwent SIX rounds of chemo. After talking to my mom yesterday, she said that they are both home and doing very well. She said that my grandma is getting around very well on her own (after recovering for several weeks in a nursing home) and my grandpa has gained back all the weight he lost during chemo and his hair is growing back. He had a pet scan very recently as well and she was happy to report that it came back clear and his is in remission! At 86 years old, no less! He has such a strong spirit and we are convinced that is what got him through.

Even though I don't write about it often, the last year was a very tough one for my mom's family and I am so happy and feel so blessed that the outcome was a positive one. It very much makes me want to book a flight home to CT as soon as possible to visit my grandparents, especially now that they are much healthier and happy! That is exactly how I always want to remember them.



On Sunday, we went up to the lake and went sailing with another couple that are we good friends with. We were having a great time; us girls were taking full advantage of the weather and were up top sunbathing until I started to get seasick! AGAIN!

S and I have done lots of sailing and on some pretty rough waters. I had never gotten seasick up until our last trip out last year. I got so sick that we had to get back immediately and all I could do was sleep for the rest of the afternoon. This time it wasn't as bad, but needless to say, it cut our time out on the boat a little short :( I definitely need to invest in some kind of precautionary meds or device that will keep that from happening again!

Does anyone have any recommendations to keep from getting seasick???

The view from our front yard last night. I just love our new, cute little neighborhood!


Related Posts:

May 10, 2013

**Fitness Friday: Week 23!**

Wow, I have to say, this week flew by! I really thought that it was going to drag on, but I'm happy that it didn't. I am also SUPER excited that we have finally had some warmer weather around here and it looks like we'll be hitting the beach before we know it!

With that in mind, along with the new bathing suits that I ordered from VS, right now is no time for messing around. I am happy to report that I got in two sessions of Body Pump this week (Mon/Wed) and two good runs so far (Tues/Thurs). I'm hoping to get in another run and/or Body Pump again this weekend.


Honor Courage Commitment

Honor Courage Commitment

My run tally for the week:


Tues - 2.62 miles
Thurs - 3.54 miles
Total - 6.16 miles

And to think, I almost didn't go for a run yesterday :p

As I mentioned earlier in the week, S started the Paleo diet on Monday and has been doing really good. Even though I am not following it strictly, I am still trying to eat clean, cut out processed foods, and cut back on carbs. I'm convinced that I'm a carboholic though and if I'm going to eat healthy and work out, there is no way I can survive on no carbs.

Some of the meals that we've had over the past week included barbeque chicken with sweet potatoes and a big salad; grilled mahi with brown rice and a big salad; sausage stuffed zucchini; and shrimp fajitas.

So far for next week, the menu consists of -

Mon - Baked Chicken & Veggies
Wed - Breakfast for Dinner (my fave!!)
Thurs - Slammin' Salmon?? Maybe?
 Fri - Crockpot Pulled Chicken


Hope you all had a great week and have an even better weekend!! I'm looking forward to a Charleston RiverDogs game tonight, S's softball tournament tomorrow and hopefully the beach at some point!



May 9, 2013

**Chicken (or Shrimp) Fajitas & VS Bikinis**

Since Summer is upon us and I, as well as most other people I know, am hitting the gym hard getting ready to put on that swimsuit. S started the Paleo diet at the beginning of the week and although I am not strictly following it, I am trying to eat as clean as possible and cut out processed foods and some carbs.

I wanted to share this recipe because it's a great go-to weeknight meal and can be adapted to each individual based on your personal preferences/ diet.

Chicken (or Shrimp) Fajitas


Ingredients:
  • 16 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used 16 oz shrimp, peeled and de-veined)
  • 1 bell pepper, cut into strips
  • 1 poblano chile, cut into strips
  • 1 onion, cut into strips
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ancho chile powder or chipotle chili powder, to taste
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 4 low fat, low carb tortillas (I used iceberg lettuce)

Directions:

1. Marinate the chicken with lime juice, and season with chile powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cumin.
2. Season vegetables with salt and pepper and toss with olive oil.
3. Heat George Forman grill. Grill chicken until well browned, but not hard to the touch. Transfer to a plate when done. Cut into strips. Grill vegetables until tender (about 15 minutes). Once cooked, combine with chicken. Serve immediately with tortilla and toppings.

Optional toppings: Salsa, chopped serrano chiles, chopped fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, avocado, fat-free sour cream or non-fat plain greek yogurt.


S topped his fajita lettuce wraps with onions, peppers, avocado, jalapeno, and chopped tomatoes.
I used chopped tomatoes, avocado, jalapenos, onions, and sour cream.

Using iceberg lettuce to make the wraps instead of tortillas is a great way to cut down on calories and added carbs. I actually prefer the lettuce because it provides a nice crunch :) You could also pile the shrimp or chicken and toppings on top of a nice big salad.


I also just put in my order for a couple new bathing suits from Victoria's Secret. I love the mix-and-match options that they have and ever since last year, I have been a huge fan of mixing up colors and patterns. Their prices aren't bad either!



2013 Swim



Fitness Friday is tomorrow and Lindsay and I will also be linking up for 50 in 30 again for the month of May!

Honor Courage Commitment

Honor Courage Commitment
 
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