Crispity, Crunchitty...

I bet you thought I was going to say Chocolatey as in the Cocoa Puffs ad. Sorry to disappoint you, but this post is about pizza. We'll talk about Sonny later. I like pizza. There was a time when I loved pizza and couldn't get enough of it. I didn't discriminate either. As I entered my 20s, I became a little more discerning (not to the point of snobbery). I just happened to attain a certain awareness of what constituted a good slice for me. While I used to love the buttery (I know greasy) richness of Pizza Hut's pan pizza, it took away from the sauce which had a good tomato flavor and wasn't too sweet. Domino's had a great crust for their hand tossed pizzas. Their toppings were fresh. The sauce was just so-so. Back in the day in Richmond, we loved the 2 fer deals at Little Caesars. Yeah, I said it. LC had great toppings. If we could have melded the three chains together, we'd have had perfect pizza.

Fifteen years later, my tastes have changed considerably. I don't want a dough so thick that I should have ordered a pretzel. And that's what you get at a lot of places. I think good pizza is about balance. The crust shouldn't be so thick that I need an extra set of dentures to chew threw it nor so thin that is drowns beneath the sauce. My preference is a cracker thin crust that shatters upon that first bite with a spicy, garlicky tomato sauce and a thin layer of cheese. Other toppings are fine, but those three elements are are the benchmark of a good pizza. So far Papa John's has the crust down. They just need to tweak the sauce a little.

What's your pizza prefrence? Have your tastes changed over the years? Or are you surprise of suprises one of those people who doesn't care for pizza at all? Inquiring minds want to know.

No Dinner Makes AJ An Unhappy Girl!

Yes, it's true. Tonight, there will be no dinner for me. I have a meeting to go to that will destroy any hope of enjoying the gastronomic delights that TY and I might prepare for dinner. Those Asian inspired wings would have been good alongside some green beans sauteed in garlic butter. I can smell it now. No, my pleasures will be put on hold until tomorrow. In the meantime, what is a girl to do? I mean I can't willfully skip a meal. That would make me cranky. That's not a good idea as I am hot enough as it is over this meeting. Should I head over to 7-11 where the hot dogs and other items look like they've been petrifying since 1976? Should I much on saltines and swig Pepsi like I was waiting on the dock for a fish to bite? I think my best plan of action is to eat one of the frozen dinners that's in the freezer at work. That won't make less angry, but it will somewhat fill my tummy. And that's what it's all about.

Does lack of nourishment affect your mood? How? Share, we'll compare notes.

A Long Time Coming

A few months ago, I tried a project from Bakerella's website. It was red velvet cake balls. Well, they looked so cute. How could I resist? Every place I looked, people were raving about them. Well, I have pictures of my foray into the world of cake balls. At the top is the before photo, one naked cake ball. At the bottom, is one fudgy cakeball enrobed in white chocolate. Visit Bakerella's site and try it for yourself.

Pay It Forward

I'll be sending a package to Greg, Lan, and Rene. I will be making up my packages this weekend as I have some shopping to do. I hope to do this again so keep checking in. In the meantime, perform your own random act of kindness. You never know who you might bring a smile to.

Prior Planning Prevents Poor Projects

I am not much of a planner. I freely admit that. I am a 'fly by the seat of my pants' kind of girl. I can't help. Something in my DNA prevents me from sticking to the rules. On the other hand, I hate wasting food. And that has happened more times than I'd like to count. In our current economic state I can't afford to throw out meat or vegetables that have gone bad. Okay, I also think it is morally wrong to waste food when there are so many out there starving or barely getting by on fast food and other junk. What does this have to do with planning? I'm getting to that.

TY and I went to Safeway on Sunday where I spent way more than I should have. This led me to think that I really needed to make a menu for the week. We had lots of fruits and veggies that we needed to use. More often than I'd like to admit, they usually rot. So, we came up with the following menu is no particular order.

Beefy Nacho Casserole-slow cooked beef, cheese, tortilla chips (leftover beef for tacos or sandwiches)

Cheese Tortellini w/Italian sausage sauce & steamed veggies

NY Strip Steak w/Mashed Potatoes & Cauliflower Bake

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Asian Style Chicken Wings w/Sauteed Green Beans

I know you usually make a menu then you go to the grocery store. I like this way better. I got to see what they had that looked good or was on sale (steaks were 50% off in the clearance bin). I'm glad we did the menu. We've got a variety. There is something for every taste and we'll have leftovers at least once this week.

Are you a planner? Or do you wait for the last minute? Will you make something special or do you not care as long as it's edible? Take a look at what you have and think about making a menu. You don't have to strictly stick to it. Look at is a preparedness plan. Let me know what you're doing. I may be able to incorporate a thing or two into my life.

Tag-I'm It! Thanks A Lot, Greg!!!

The rule is to answer the questions with the FIRST word or phrase that comes to mind.

1. Cell phone? Whose
2. Your significant other? Yes
3. Your hair? Brown
4. Your mother? Loved
6. Your favorite thing? Sugar (haven't you been reading)
7. Your dream last night? Technicolor
8. Your favorite drink? Macallan
9. Your dream/goal? Comedian
10. The room your in? Office
11. Your hobby? Cooking
12. Your fear? Being buried alive
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? North Carolina
14. What you're not? Patient
15. Muffins? Hot
16. One of your wish list items? Debt-free
17. Where you grew up? VA
18. The last thing you did? Blog Post
19. What are you wearing? Clothes
20. Favorite gadget? Hyundai
21. Your pets? None
22. Your computer? No
23. Your mood? Restless
24. Missing someone? Parents
25. Your car? Sonata
26. Something you're not wearing? Perfume
27. Favorite store? Whole Foods
28. Like someone? Maybe
29. Your favorite color? Blue
30. When is the last time you laughed? This morning.

My Mailbox Runneth Over

I know what you're wondering what a mailbox has to do with cooking. It's simple. I received two great food related packages in the mail this weekend. One was from Lan over at Angry Asian Creations and the other came from Greg, The Oatmeal Cookie Man. From Lan, I received the cutest package containing a beautiful card w/a handwritten message, handmade soap, a crocheted bookmark, and three types of ramen. I can't wait to try them. The card is going into my scrapbook. I think the bookmark will go in there as well as it is very pretty. I picked up Greg's box this morning. I made myself late for work. Was it worth it? You bet. Inside the package was a container filled to the brim with his Coffee Cake Cookies. These tasty gems are worth making and sharing with your friends. Be careful though these are really good you might find yourself hording them and locking them away for yourself. I will post pictures of these edible and non-edible delights soon.

I received my gift from Lan as she was paying forward someone else's kindness. She asked that I do the same in return. If you're reading this post, I will send out care packages to the first three people who make a comment to this post. I just ask that you pay it forward.

Have you performed any random acts of kindness recently? It could be something as simple as opening a door for someone with a heavy load. What acts of food kindness do you perform? Do you prepare meals for a grieving family or new parents? Are you the neighbor who heads over with fresh muffins or cookies when a new neighbor moves in? If not, give it a try and see if it doesn't brighten someone's day.