Hi Sweetpea! That's an awesome looking pizza. Thanks for the help on my hub's new eating plan! Hopefully we'll make a dent in portions and calories! Although, I love winter, I've never done winter in Chicago--and yes, it can get us down -- and out of the needed sunshine. I hope your birthday plans will still be on course--and Happy Birthday, dear girl!! xx T.
January 30, 2015 at 11:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Your pizza looks so good! Have a wonderful Birthday!!
A routine will come soon enough and will evolve naturally around whatever rhythm you wish to create. But, for now, just revel in the freedom of days without an overall plan where you can determine your own future. It is a wonderful gift!
Your giveaway wins are delightful. Maria is clearly very talented and creative. There is nothing nicer than a gift which is handmade.
We are totally convinced that you will weather the storm come what may. You strike us as a woman of action.....you can probably drive a snow plough through foot high drifts if you have to.......go girl!
Mmm, that pizza looks great. I would also like to come up with the perfect fresh tomato sauce for pasta and pizza. I love the kind that's quickly made instead of slow simmered. Does that make sense?
Your pillows are perfect. Maria Elena is incredibly talented. I'm always amazed when I visit her beautiful house. She's a fellow Texan too, you know. :)
You are such a good cook, Jane. Your pizza looks amazing. Very cute gifts from Maria Elena - love those adorable gift tags. I hope your weekend is wonderful - Happy Birthday!
January 31, 2015 at 6:30 AM
Anonymous said...
Hi Janie! Oh, congratulations on your sweet wins. The tags and pillow covers are so sweet. I love Maria's blog! Your pizza looks so good! Yum. I'm kinda like you - not quite together since Christmas. I'll get there. Be a sweetie, Shelia ;)
Hello Jane... mmmm... your pizza looks delish!... wishing you a very happy happy birthday dear lady!... I hope all of your birthday wishes come true, and that the big blizzard kinda fizzles out for you so you can enjoy going wherever you decide to go... enjoy your special day!... xoxo... Julie Marie
Your pizza looks delicious, Jane. I'm still trying to find a gluten free pizza that makes me think of "regular" pizza. I saw you will be getting quite a bit more snow that we will here in Ohio. I think where I am we are expecting 1-3 inches, although that could change.
Have a Happy Birthday no matter what the weather may bring!
January 31, 2015 at 8:05 AM
Anonymous said...
what a wonderful pizza, congratulations on the 600 posts, my oh my, that is an accomplishment!!!! I love Pinterest and will look for you!
Yummy pizza Jane! I have been busy in January hosting parties, but look forward to getting into a routine too - I need to get back to doing Yoga in the mornings, especially when it's too cold to walk. Have a great weekend downtown :-)
Your pizza looks awesome. I love Trader Joes pizza dough but you're right, the first time we bought it and tried to roll it we ended up with pizza dough balls. I hope you enjoy your birthday. I am not looking forward to the now 10" they're predicting! We Chicagoans always get a big snow blast in February, usually around St. Valentines day, it's coming early this year. Hoping it's not as bad as they say!
I just put the hover Pin It badge on my blog this week. I'll look for the website with easy to follow instructions ane email it to you soon. Have a wonderful birthday Downtown and stay out of the blizzard!
Happy Birthday, Jane! I know you Chi folks can handle a blizzard! Enjoy your time in the city. Loved carching up on all your recent posts. As usual, I poured a cup of coffee for myself and felt like we were chatting in the kitchen. Love your blogging style. Keep warm!
Wishing you a happy birthday gorgeous. Take the shovel with you. I am hoping we do not get all that much snow....I have been enjoying this nice(decent) weather to the point that I am wanting spring already. I loved the cute pillows. Blessings to you Blondie girl. xoxo,Susie
Your pizza looks amazing! It is so much fun to make at home and so delicious too! WE have some snow headed our way tomorrow and I am excited! I do love snow and Winter and getting cozy and hunkering down inside! Wishing you the happiest of birthdays dear Jane! Here's to a year filled with sweet possibilities! Love, Sue
Congratulations on 600. You are posting more. That was interesting about the pizza sauce. i usually use whatever I have on hand, usually from a jar of spaghetti sauce. Your pizza looks wonderful!
Hi Jane, Wow, Wow, Wow 600th post, I am at 32, lol. Nice gift giveaway win, you lucky girl! I wasn't familiar with Maria Elena so I will check out her blog. I love Arugula, served anyway, but especially on top of pizza - that way it really seems heathy! Nice recipe share.
Us too with a blizzard warning Sunday evening into Monday. But last week our threatened snow storm of a possible 2 feet turned out to be 3 inches! We lucked out. Maybe you will this weekend as you celebrate your Birthday. Best Birthday wishes for a year full of adventure and happiness, xoxo, Vera
Here's a link to get your Pinterest hover button. http://www.bloggersentral.com/2012/11/pinterest-pin-it-button-on-image-hover.html I realized that I lost mine when I made some changes to my blog so I have added it back in. It seems a bit scary, but not that hard.
Your routine will come and you'll be in your zen. You know, almost every time I visit I'm hubgry, and end up getting more so after coming here. You're gonna have to stop posting these pics and recipes Jane. My muffin top is turning into a cake top :/
Jane, that pizza sounds fantastic! I keep thinking I'm going to some serious cooking, tuck a few things in the freezer and such, and here it is evening already and nothing produced from the kitchen. I need a routine!
I love pizza and have never made it completely from scratch like that. I bet it tastes good! Congrats on winning that giveaway. You will enjoy those tags I'm sure. I can relate to what you said about craving some down time and then also wanting to stay busy. I'm fickle like that too sometimes. Hope you're not buried in snow this weekend and are enjoying your birthday weekend.
That pizza looks so good. But unfortunately, that is not on my menu right now. But as soon as I can have it again I will be making it. Be careful when you go out in that blizzard. Chicago can sure get cold. Used to travel there on business and I wold freeze to death. I had on so many layers of clothing I could hardly walk, I waddled LOL. Have fun in all the great stores - love the Miracle Mile shops. Happy Birthday dear friend and have a really good time. Hugs, Mary
Jane, congratulations on 600 posts...that is awesome! The pizza looks delicious! I try to make one about once a month, even though I would love to have it once a week. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
You must be enjoying the most wonderful birthday gathering, right about now, (it's 1:20 pm, in Chicago as I type). Your pizza, with that tasty homemade sauce looks and sounds scrumptious! It's very similar to mine, apart from the brown sugar, which I will try next time I make it.
Kudos on your 600th post; what an accomplishment! And, lucky you for being the lucky winner of Maria Elena's beautiful giveaway! Enjoy, my friend.
Hi Jane, We haven't had a blizzard, but it's been snowing here since last evening (24 hrs and counting). I think we have 10" of snow. It looks beautiful. Your pizza looks awesome. Another blogger I know does a pesto sauce and then adds things like fresh mushrooms, arugula, etc. I have fun reading about your adventures in cooking. You do a great job. It's obvious you have a lot of passion for it. I like to bake, cook - not so much. Yesterday I made a raspberry/blackberry pie and it was fantastic. We had guests over so of course it's gone (had to point out the two of us didn't pig out and eat the whole pie in a day!) lol Hope you enjoy your birthday! And soon you'll enjoy being a nana! Hugs, Beth
I hope you got to celebrate but I saw the weather forecast. Of course there would be a blizzard on your birthday. Happy Birthday. If you didn't get to celebrate maybe you can next week-end.
Well, first, Happy Birthday, dear Jane! I hope you have a wonderful time. It makes me sooo very happy to see the pillows on your sofa. Yay! :) You know they were made with love! LOL BTW, that pizza looks amazing! Can you tell I am hungry? I have been cleaning and doing laundry since early this morning, so I could used a little piece about right now. :) Have a great week and stay warm!
All of your cooking looks so good!! Hope you're staying warm!
February 5, 2015 at 10:57 AM
[Image]I was surprised to look at my blogger dashboard today and see that this is my 600th post. My gosh, that's a lot of writing considering most of my posts are like essays! Have you noticed I'm trying to write more often? And I've been spending an hour in the morning and most times, an hour in the evening visiting blogs. It's a nice balance. I want to thank all of you ladies who have followed me on Instagram, I've followed all of you back (I think). I'm a little new with it all so bear with me. I'm also working on getting a Pinterest button on my pictures...the sort that pops up in the corner when you hover over the picture. It's difficult and I've failed a few times figuring it out. I thought everyone had a Pin it button their toolbar! Well, if I ever get the button up and running, I'll let you know.
[Image]Maria makes the most beautiful pillows. The first three pictured here are the ones she made for me. I love the Paris theme on the fabric in the first one, and then the red and gray pick up those colors. I had a stash of pillows that I wasn't using so I just popped out the forms and everything fit! I love how bright they make my family room look on these dull days. Thank you, Maria!!
[Image]Oh, goodness (I can hear you saying), she's cooking again. I just don't know what else to do with myself all day long. I wake up to an empty house and then The Husband and Abby don't arrive home until about 6 or 7 p.m. I hope to get into a better routine by next week; gym first thing, cleaning, laundry, make ahead meals for the weekends and getting more reading in. I've felt like I've been floundering around since Christmas. I can't seem to focus on one thing for very long. When I'm busy running errands and preparing for this or that, I long for a lazy day at home. And then when I'm home for a day or two without plans, I'm climbing the walls. Do you feel that way at all in the winter or is it just me?
Last week Emily made a delicious and healthy pizza and I shared it with you on my last post. I was in Trader Joe's Wednesday for just a handful of things as I was in the area, and I saw a bag of arugula. I remembered Emily using it on her pizza, so I grabbed a bag along with some other things that sparked my idea for a healthy pizza and out the door I went with my little brown bags. This is a couple of big handfuls of arugula softening and shrinking in size in just a few tablespoons of water in a hot skillet. It literally takes about a half minute.
[Image]I've made pizza dough a few times but I was sort of intrigued by the bag of Trader Joe's fresh dough so I grabbed one. The instructions say to roll the dough out but believe me...that never works. Pizza dough needs to be stretched...that's why you have that iconic picture in your head of the Italian, mustached man in a chefs jacket, tossing and twirling the pie in the air. S-t-r-e-t-c-h it! Smack the ball of dough down in the middle of a lightly oiled pan. Use one hand to hold the pan down firmly and the other to push and pat the dough towards the edges. It will tear and you'll have holes but you just have to keep at it. Patience. ;-)
[Image]What I really wanted to fiddle with was the sauce. I've never made my own pizza sauce and I wondered, what's the difference between the sauce you might have on spaghetti or ravioli, and what you have on pizza? I scanned thorough a lot of recipes on the Internet and in some of my cookbooks. The common denominator? The texture, the use of tomato sauce and the addition of brown sugar for sweetness. The tomato sauce gives you a smooth creaminess that spreads well over the pie. I always use a pinch of sugar in my tomatoes when I make a sauce as they can be bitter when cooked slowly. Brown sugar is a bit of an earthy sweetness. The catch here is that I didn't have tomato sauce so I used a large can of crushed tomatoes. It's a different result but I'll happily make it again this way.
Healthy Pizza Sauce
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Add 1/2 cup chopped onion, and 2 chopped garlic cloves. Saute until onion is softened. Add a large (14.5 oz) can of crushed tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon each of dried basil and oregano, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of dried fennel, and a pinch of salt. Let the sauce simmer on low heat for a least an hour. Remove bay leaf.
[Image]I put the pizza together by spreading most of the sauce over the pie, then I added sliced mushrooms and arugula that I had steamed a bit together, sliced tomatoes, shredded pieces of Prosciutto, a palmful each of Parmesan and Mozzarella. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before cutting. This was so good. I wish I had doubled the sauce to freeze. Next time!
Tomorrow we are leaving for downtown at about 9:00 a.m. And wouldn't you know it..my area has not seen more that 3 inches of snow since winter hit. And this weekend they are warning us of a blizzard!! Well, as our weather people say, "A winter storm warning." Well, I have a warning! This is my 'winter weekend birthday' and no amount of snow is stopping us. Take that, you 5-9 inches of white stuff!
I'll be back next week to tell you all about it.
Jane x
posted by Blondie's Journal at 10:25 PM on Jan 30, 2015
"PIZZA TIME AND A WINTER WEEKEND BIRTHDAY BLIZZARD WARNING"
49 Comments -
Hi Sweetpea! That's an awesome looking pizza. Thanks for the help on my hub's new eating plan! Hopefully we'll make a dent in portions and calories!
Although, I love winter, I've never done winter in Chicago--and yes, it can get us down -- and out of the needed sunshine.
I hope your birthday plans will still be on course--and Happy Birthday, dear girl!!
xx T.
January 30, 2015 at 11:53 PM
Your pizza looks so good! Have a wonderful Birthday!!
Kathy
January 31, 2015 at 5:44 AM
Hello Jane,
A routine will come soon enough and will evolve naturally around whatever rhythm you wish to create. But, for now, just revel in the freedom of days without an overall plan where you can determine your own future. It is a wonderful gift!
Your giveaway wins are delightful. Maria is clearly very talented and creative. There is nothing nicer than a gift which is handmade.
We are totally convinced that you will weather the storm come what may. You strike us as a woman of action.....you can probably drive a snow plough through foot high drifts if you have to.......go girl!
January 31, 2015 at 6:15 AM
Mmm, that pizza looks great. I would also like to come up with the perfect fresh tomato sauce for pasta and pizza. I love the kind that's quickly made instead of slow simmered. Does that make sense?
Your pillows are perfect. Maria Elena is incredibly talented. I'm always amazed when I visit her beautiful house. She's a fellow Texan too, you know. :)
Have a great weekend!
January 31, 2015 at 6:17 AM
You are such a good cook, Jane. Your pizza looks amazing. Very cute gifts from Maria Elena - love those adorable gift tags. I hope your weekend is wonderful - Happy Birthday!
January 31, 2015 at 6:30 AM
Hi Janie! Oh, congratulations on your sweet wins. The tags and pillow covers are so sweet. I love Maria's blog! Your pizza looks so good! Yum. I'm kinda like you - not quite together since Christmas. I'll get there.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)
January 31, 2015 at 6:33 AM
Hello Jane... mmmm... your pizza looks delish!... wishing you a very happy happy birthday dear lady!... I hope all of your birthday wishes come true, and that the big blizzard kinda fizzles out for you so you can enjoy going wherever you decide to go... enjoy your special day!... xoxo... Julie Marie
January 31, 2015 at 7:13 AM
PS Your giveaway wins are wonderful!... I especially love the Paris themed pillow...
January 31, 2015 at 7:13 AM
Happy Birthday, Jane!
January 31, 2015 at 7:52 AM
Your pizza looks delicious, Jane. I'm still trying to find a gluten free pizza that makes me think of "regular" pizza. I saw you will be getting quite a bit more snow that we will here in Ohio. I think where I am we are expecting 1-3 inches, although that could change.
Have a Happy Birthday no matter what the weather may bring!
January 31, 2015 at 8:05 AM
what a wonderful pizza, congratulations on the 600 posts, my oh my, that is an accomplishment!!!! I love Pinterest and will look for you!
January 31, 2015 at 8:06 AM
Yummy pizza Jane! I have been busy in January hosting parties, but look forward to getting into a routine too - I need to get back to doing Yoga in the mornings, especially when it's too cold to walk. Have a great weekend downtown :-)
January 31, 2015 at 8:28 AM
Your pizza looks awesome. I love Trader Joes pizza dough but you're right, the first time we bought it and tried to roll it we ended up with pizza dough balls. I hope you enjoy your birthday. I am not looking forward to the now 10" they're predicting! We Chicagoans always get a big snow blast in February, usually around St. Valentines day, it's coming early this year. Hoping it's not as bad as they say!
January 31, 2015 at 9:22 AM
I just put the hover Pin It badge on my blog this week. I'll look for the website with easy to follow instructions ane email it to you soon.
Have a wonderful birthday Downtown and stay out of the blizzard!
January 31, 2015 at 10:01 AM
Happy Birthday, Jane! I know you Chi folks can handle a blizzard! Enjoy your time in the city. Loved carching up on all your recent posts. As usual, I poured a cup of coffee for myself and felt like we were chatting in the kitchen. Love your blogging style. Keep warm!
January 31, 2015 at 10:53 AM
Enjoy your Winter Birthday Weekend - blizzard or not!
And congratulations on your 600th post.
January 31, 2015 at 11:20 AM
Your homemade pizza looks fantastic! Yum!
Happy Birthday to one of the sweetest bloggers I know.
Travel safe!
Judy
January 31, 2015 at 11:24 AM
I was so happy for you when I saw you won Maria's giveaway! The pillows are darling! Enjoy your weekend!!!
January 31, 2015 at 11:26 AM
Wishing you a happy birthday gorgeous. Take the shovel with you. I am hoping we do not get all that much snow....I have been enjoying this nice(decent) weather to the point that I am wanting spring already. I loved the cute pillows. Blessings to you Blondie girl. xoxo,Susie
January 31, 2015 at 11:50 AM
Birthday wishes to you pretty lady. I am a lover of pizza and that looks so yummy. Enjoy, Francine.
January 31, 2015 at 12:06 PM
That pizza looks amazing!
Hope you have a really wonderful weekend!
January 31, 2015 at 12:20 PM
Congratulations on a milestone post…that is terrific. Love the look and sound of your healthy pizza.
January 31, 2015 at 1:19 PM
Happy Birthday Jane! That pizza looks so good!
January 31, 2015 at 2:02 PM
Your pizza looks amazing! It is so much fun to make at home and so delicious too!
WE have some snow headed our way tomorrow and I am excited! I do love snow and Winter and getting cozy and hunkering down inside!
Wishing you the happiest of birthdays dear Jane! Here's to a year filled with sweet possibilities!
Love,
Sue
January 31, 2015 at 2:40 PM
Have a Happy Birthday, Jane! I know the snow will not stop you.
Brenda
January 31, 2015 at 2:52 PM
That's it! After seeng this,I am buying a pizza stone!...:)JP
January 31, 2015 at 3:53 PM
Congratulations on 600. You are posting more. That was interesting about the pizza sauce. i usually use whatever I have on hand, usually from a jar of spaghetti sauce. Your pizza looks wonderful!
January 31, 2015 at 4:05 PM
Hi Jane,
Wow, Wow, Wow 600th post, I am at 32, lol. Nice gift giveaway win, you lucky girl! I wasn't familiar with Maria Elena so I will check out her blog.
I love Arugula, served anyway, but especially on top of pizza - that way it really seems heathy! Nice recipe share.
Us too with a blizzard warning Sunday evening into Monday. But last week our threatened snow storm of a possible 2 feet turned out to be 3 inches! We lucked out.
Maybe you will this weekend as you celebrate your Birthday. Best Birthday wishes for a year full of adventure and happiness,
xoxo,
Vera
January 31, 2015 at 4:08 PM
Here's a link to get your Pinterest hover button.
http://www.bloggersentral.com/2012/11/pinterest-pin-it-button-on-image-hover.html
I realized that I lost mine when I made some changes to my blog so I have added it back in. It seems a bit scary, but not that hard.
Love your giveaway wins.
xo Laura
January 31, 2015 at 5:28 PM
Happy birthday my beautiful friend!
Your routine will come and you'll be in your zen. You know, almost every time I visit I'm hubgry, and end up getting more so after coming here. You're gonna have to stop posting these pics and recipes Jane. My muffin top is turning into a cake top :/
XXX
January 31, 2015 at 5:31 PM
Jane, that pizza sounds fantastic! I keep thinking I'm going to some serious cooking, tuck a few things in the freezer and such, and here it is evening already and nothing produced from the kitchen. I need a routine!
Karen
January 31, 2015 at 5:44 PM
I love pizza and have never made it completely from scratch like that. I bet it tastes good! Congrats on winning that giveaway. You will enjoy those tags I'm sure. I can relate to what you said about craving some down time and then also wanting to stay busy. I'm fickle like that too sometimes. Hope you're not buried in snow this weekend and are enjoying your birthday weekend.
January 31, 2015 at 7:43 PM
Fun new pillows. Congratulations on the win! Happy Birthday! Winter birthday celebrations! Yea!!!
January 31, 2015 at 7:57 PM
Hope you took your snow boots to town - celebrate and have a fabulous birthday Jane dear!
Hugs - Mary & Bob
January 31, 2015 at 9:18 PM
That pizza looks so good. But unfortunately, that is not on my menu right now. But as soon as I can have it again I will be making it.
Be careful when you go out in that blizzard. Chicago can sure get cold.
Used to travel there on business and I wold freeze to death. I had on so many layers of clothing I could hardly walk, I waddled LOL. Have fun in all the great stores - love the Miracle Mile shops.
Happy Birthday dear friend and have a really good time.
Hugs,
Mary
January 31, 2015 at 9:43 PM
Jane, congratulations on 600 posts...that is awesome!
The pizza looks delicious! I try to make one about once a month, even though I would love to have it once a week.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
January 31, 2015 at 10:39 PM
Yammie puzza...!!!...i wish i could taste it....lovely sunday....love Ria...x!
February 1, 2015 at 6:09 AM
Your pizza looks amazing! You're making me hungry. Wishing you a wonderful birthday weekend, and hopefully, not a blizzard. Happy Birthday!
February 1, 2015 at 6:21 AM
oh MY !! Serious pizza craving going on now here :)
February 1, 2015 at 9:04 AM
Wishing you a Happy Birthday, Jane, and a wonderful year ahead!
Helen xox
February 1, 2015 at 9:16 AM
Hope you are having a great birthday weekend!
February 1, 2015 at 11:55 AM
Happy Birthday, Jane!
You must be enjoying the most wonderful birthday gathering, right about now, (it's 1:20 pm, in Chicago as I type). Your pizza, with that tasty homemade sauce looks and sounds scrumptious! It's very similar to mine, apart from the brown sugar, which I will try next time I make it.
Kudos on your 600th post; what an accomplishment! And, lucky you for being the lucky winner of Maria Elena's beautiful giveaway! Enjoy, my friend.
xo
Poppy
February 1, 2015 at 12:20 PM
Happy Birthday :-))
I would love to follow you on Instagram
I am skigirlcarla
Enjoy the day!
Carla
February 1, 2015 at 2:39 PM
Hope your trip went well Jane! That pizza looks and sounds Delish! Love the Paris pillow too!
February 1, 2015 at 3:24 PM
Hi Jane, We haven't had a blizzard, but it's been snowing here since last evening (24 hrs and counting). I think we have 10" of snow. It looks beautiful.
Your pizza looks awesome. Another blogger I know does a pesto sauce and then adds things like fresh mushrooms, arugula, etc.
I have fun reading about your adventures in cooking. You do a great job. It's obvious you have a lot of passion for it. I like to bake, cook - not so much. Yesterday I made a raspberry/blackberry pie and it was fantastic. We had guests over so of course it's gone (had to point out the two of us didn't pig out and eat the whole pie in a day!) lol
Hope you enjoy your birthday! And soon you'll enjoy being a nana!
Hugs, Beth
February 1, 2015 at 5:51 PM
I hope you got to celebrate but I saw the weather forecast. Of course there would be a blizzard on your birthday. Happy Birthday. If you didn't get to celebrate maybe you can next week-end.
February 1, 2015 at 8:01 PM
Well, first, Happy Birthday, dear Jane! I hope you have a wonderful time. It makes me sooo very happy to see the pillows on your sofa. Yay! :) You know they were made with love! LOL BTW, that pizza looks amazing! Can you tell I am hungry? I have been cleaning and doing laundry since early this morning, so I could used a little piece about right now. :) Have a great week and stay warm!
February 2, 2015 at 12:28 PM
Congrats on winning that lovely giveaway! And...happy birthday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend.
:-)
February 2, 2015 at 3:19 PM
All of your cooking looks so good!! Hope you're staying warm!
February 5, 2015 at 10:57 AM