CINNAMON FRENCH TOAST BAKE

I honestly cannot believe it has taken be this long to share this recipe. Probably because I try and focus more on heathy recipes and this isn't exactly health food. It may not be overly healthy, but it is dang good - like the absolute best french toast bake you will ever have! I first had this recipe four years ago when I went to my friend's house to visit her after her baby was born. It was amazing and I had to have the recipe. I have made it for every Mother's Day brunch, bridal shower and baby shower I have thrown ever since. Every time I make it, at least a half dozen women ask me for the recipe. THAT is how you know you have a good recipe worthy of making for every special occasion! What I love about it (besides the fact that I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner) is that it is cheap and super easy. I whip it up the night before so all I have to do in the morning is sprinkle on the topping and bake it for an hour.

Ingredients:

1 loaf french or sourdough bread (or leftover bread/buns of any kind)

8 eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla

Topping:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 stick cold butter - cut up into pieces

Grease a 9x13 pan with butter. Tear apart bread into chunks and distribute in pan. Mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, & vanilla. Pour over bread, cover & store in refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

In separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add butter pieces and cut into dry mixture until mixture resembles fine pebbles. Store in a ziplock bag in refrigerator.

The next morning (or after it has sat for several hours) preheat the over to 350 degrees. Sprinkle on topping and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes for a soft, bread pudding like texture and bake for one hour for a firmer, less liquid texture.
(I bake mine for about 50 minutes)

Drizzle some pure maple syrup on top and serve.

HEALTHIED UP ST. PATTY'S DAY RICE KRISPIES TREATS

I just found out the other day that I could send Ellis to daycare with treats for the kids. For some reason I thought I wasn’t allowed to b/c of food allergies, but it turns out none of the kids in her class have any food allergies! 

Ellis loves to watch and help me bake, so I figured it would be a fun Sunday afternoon activity for us to make some a St. Patty’s Day themed treats for Ellis’ class. Now of course I have to try and healthy everything up and let’s be honest, I can sometimes get a little carried away. I once made deviled eggs with greek yogurt for a family event and my brother in law will not let me forgot how awful they were. Lol

Anyways, I wanted them to be at least a little healthy, but I also wanted the kids to actually eat them, so I made a healthier version of rice krispies treats. What kid doesn’t love rice krispies treats? Ok, what adult doesn’t? Yeah, they are yummy! I took out the butter and marshmallows and added natural peanut butter, flaxseed meal and honey! Now they are by no means health food, but they are a heck of a lot more nutritious than the classic version.

Here is the recipe. Both Ellis and I loved them and I am hoping the kids will as well!

Ingredients

1 cup creamy natural almond butter (I buy mine from Costco)

2/3 cup honey

2 tsp. vanilla extract

¼ cup flaxseed meal

8 cups crispy rice cereal

8 oz white backer’s chocolate

Instructions

1. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Heat the almond butter, honey, and vanilla in a medium size pan on medium heat, stirring until everything is melted together.

3. Remove pan from heat and stir in the flaxseed meal.

4. Add the cereal, stirring well until everything is fully combined.

5. Pour into prepared baking pan and use a spatula or your hands to distribute the mixture evenly, pressing down firmly to ensure that the mixture is tightly packed.

6. Place pan into fridge and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into squares.

7. Once the pan is cut into squares, place chocolate into a microwave safe bowl and nuke on high in 30 second intervals, mixing between each. When chocolate is fully melted, add in a few drops of green food coloring and stir.

8. Frost the bars with green chocolate and sprinkle what sprinkles or lucky charms marshmallows.

Enjoy!

FROZEN YOGURT BARK

Happy Monday!

So here is the story about this frozen yogurt Bark recipe - I had a giant container of Stonyfield vanilla yogurt that was about to expire, so I figured I better figure out how to use it without making smoothies for breakfast, lunch and dinner. :)

So here is how you do it:

1. Pour yogurt (greek, regular, whatever you have) on a baking pan lined with parchment paper.

2. Sprinkle on topings
IDEAS:
Berries (dried or regular) – strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, cranberries, etc.
Nuts – pistachios, pecans, almonds, cashews, walnuts, etc.
Other ideas – cinnamon, shredded coconut, granola, dark chocolate, honey, etc.

3. Freeze

4. Once frozen, break apart and freeze in an air-tight container. 

Are you a fan of fast and easy? (ok, that is kind of a stupid question.)

You have to try THESE BLENDER MUFFINS I made last night. YUM!!!!!!!

COCONUT RAISIN BRAN CEREAL (PALEO)

Cereal - I loooooooove it. I could eat it breakfast, lunch and dinner. Ellis and Logan love it too. We are just a bunch of cereal eating monsters over here.

I would have to say we have done a pretty decent job of cutting out processed foods in our home, but cereal just kind of stuck around. I have developed a bad habit of eating a bowl of cereal EVERY night before I go to bed and sometimes even in the middle of the night. (hello! nursing mom over here! I am always hungry, oh, and always up in the middle of the night... multiple times... like three times last night to be exact. ugg)

Anyways, I was determined to come up with a better solution, or I guess a substitute for our cereal addiction. Someone a while back (when I had tried eating paleo for like a day and it didn't stick what.so.ever) told me about toasting coconut flakes in place of cereal, so I gave it a go!

I loved it! Don't get me wrong, it isn't exactly like eating a bowl of raisin bran, but it sure is close! I eat mine with good ol' cow's milk, but you can eat it with nut milk if you are choosing to eat paleo. Not only is it good, it is SUPER easy to make.

Ingredients:
- Thick Cut Coconut Flakes
- Cinnamon
- Nuts (optional -I used slivered almonds)
- Raisins

Directions:
1. Preheat the over to 325°
2. Spread out your coconut flakes evenly on a rimmed baking sheet
3. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nuts
4. Bake for about 6 minutes, mixing every two minutes. Make sure you watch them closely b/c they can burn fast. You will want to take them out when they are a toasty brown color.
5.Let cool
6. When cooled, transfer them to a sealed jar or container
7. Pour some in a bowl, add your raisins and milk of choice (coconut or almond milk if sticking with a paleo diet)

Enjoy!

SUPERFOOD SALAD (with salad base from Costco!)

I started making this salad this past summer and have continued to make it on a regular basis ever since. I used to make it with baby spinach base (which is fine and works just as well) until our little dinner party with Debbie. Debbie introduced me to the Sweet Kale Vegetable Salad from Costco. The Sweet Kale Vegetable Salad Kit includes broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, chicory and comes with a packet of dried cranberries, roasted pumpkin seeds and poppyseed dressing! I love it because it is super crunchy!

Want an idea for a super fast dinner? Buy this salad from Costco, mix it all up with the packet of dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds, add some pieces of rotisserie chicken (also from Costco) and avocado, top with the packet of dressing (or any dressing) and you have dinner. I do this all the time. :)

Ok, now back to this salad. For this salad I discard the dressing and packet of dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds (though you could totally add them if you want), add in a few other things and make my own dressing.

For the Salad:

- Sweet Kale Vegetable Salad from Costco (or baby spinach or mixed greens)

- Cut up Avocado

- Fresh Blueberries

- Crumbled goat cheese (just a little - you do not need a lot)

- Cashews (I use unsalted and I buy a big canister of them from Costco)

For the poppyseed dressing:
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup apple vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon poppy seed
- 1/4 cup chopped onion (I used a red onion which gave it the pink color)
- 1 cup canola salad oil
Stick it all in your blender and blend!

Enjoy!

PUMPKIN APPLE MUFFINS

Made these and I LOVE them. Seriously! They are super yummy! Here is the recipe from Eating Bird Food. The only thing I did differently was doubled the cinnamon to 1 tsp and skipped the topping.

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• ¼ cup (1/2 stick) Earth Balance Buttery Stick or butter, softened
• ¾ cup sucanat or dark brown sugar
• ¾ cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
• ¾ cup pumpkin (roasted or canned)
• 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed + 6 Tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup quinoa flour or all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1½ cups peeled and finely chopped apple pieces (about 2 apples)
• Topping
• 2 Tablespoons sucanat or dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners or coat with cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed with the 6 Tablespoons of water and let sit while you start preparing the other ingredients.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the topping – 2 tablespoons of sucanat with 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the quinoa and whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
5. In a large bowl, mix the ¾ cup sucanat with the softened butter until combined. Add the flaxseed/water mixture, pumpkin and vanilla. Stir in yogurt.
6. Fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture. Gently stir in the apple chunks.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan and sprinkle with the brown sugar topping. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of 1 of the muffins comes out clean.
8. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Store any leftover muffins in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

BANANA | COFFEE | CHOCOLATE CHIP | WHOLE WHEAT MUFFINS

I made these today and they were fantastic! I am curious if using espresso vs. coffee would bring out the coffee flavor a bit more, so I will have to try that sometime and report back.  I was surprised at how soft they were. I was expecting them to be possibly a bit dense b/c of all the whole wheat flour, but they are actually super moist! I will be making them again for sure!

 

2 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk (I didn't have any on hard, so I made my own using whole milk and lemon juice - super easy and I am sure any kind of milk would work)
3/4 cup olive oil
1 cup banana mashed, plus 1 cup diced (2 large bananas smashed and 1 diced)
1/4 cup strong coffee, room temperature
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 - 1/2 cup chocolate chips or cacao nibs
sugar for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 350. Grease or line 2 muffin tins. (Makes 24 muffins)

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together, and make a well in the center. Combine the oil, milk, mashed banana, coffee, vanilla, maple syrup, sugar, and egg. Whisk the wet ingredients together and pour over the dry ingredients. Stir the ingredients together until almost mixed. Add diced banana and chocolate chips and finish mixing until just combined, being careful not to over mix. (Remember, lumpy is good!)

Scoop the batter into the prepared pans, filling the muffin cup about two-thirds full. Sprinkle with a bit of sugar. Bake until the muffin edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out with the very tiniest bit of crumb, 16-20 minutes.

(Recipe slightly adapted from The Vanilla Bean Blog)

STRAWBERRY APPLE FRUIT LEATHER

A few years ago my mom gave us her food dehydrator and I knew right away I wanted to make fruit leather (fruit roll-ups) like she used to make for us when we were kids. Well, it sat in our cupboard for years and we never used it for a darn thing. During our cleaning and organizing spree we came across the box it came in along with the recipe book, so we decided to not only use it to make fruit leather, but Logan made beef jerky as well! :) Both turned out amazing. Neither of us followed a recipe in the book. We both made up our own. Here is my recipe for (simple & healthy!) strawberry apple fruit leather. Now I understand not everyone has a dehydrator, so now is a good time to add it to the Christmas list! The one we have is an American Harvest Dehydrator.

RECIPE:

• 16 oz (1lb) frozen strawberries (I get mine from trader joes. Strawberries are one thing you should try and buy organic)

• 4 fuji apples - peeled and cut into 1 in pieces (any sweet apple will work)

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

• 1/4 cup honey

• shaved coconut - sweetened or unsweetened (optional)

Simmer the frozen strawberries and apples in a saucepan with the 1/2 cup water for about 15-20 minutes or until the apples are softened. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend with the lemon juice and honey.  Lightly spray two of the fruit leather sheets (they come with the dehydrator) with pam and pour the mixture from the blender onto the sheets. Sprinkle the shaved coconut on top.  Set the dehydrator to 140°F and dehydrate for 4-8 hours. 

Note: Mine took way longer than that. It will depend on how thin or thick you pour your fruit puree. The recipe above makes either three thinner rolls or two thinker ones. I decided to pour mine thicker and made two and that is why my dehydrating time was longer. You just kind of have to watch it. Once you do it a few times and figure out how thick you want your fruit leather, you will know how long it takes. 

PUMPKIN OATMEAL BREAKFAST COOKIES

Like I have mentioned so many times before, my sister in law, Ashley, is always making the most delicious food. She is always experimenting with yummy snacks and treats for the kids and I get to sample them from time to time when I pick up E after work. (Ashley runs the Buell family daycare and yes, we are so lucky to have her!)

She found a recipe for pumpkin oatmeal breakfast cookies, changed it, gave it to me, I changed it a little more and here it is. I love them! They are fast, easy, seasonally appropriate (we are all crazy for anything pumpkin in the fall), perfect for breakfast or a snack and not overly sweet.  

1 can pumpkin

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour

3 cups rolled oats

2 tablespoons flax meal
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp cinnamon


1/4 tsp salt


Bake 350° for about 12 to 14 minutes

THE BUELL ZA (MEXICAN STYLE)

The traditional Buell Za is a staple in our house. In fact, we had it last night. :) Here is a little twist on it that is SUPER yummy. The sauce is made of black beans and roasted red peppers! YUM!

For the Sauce:

1 cup back beans, rinsed

1/2 cup chopped jarred roasted red peppers

1 medium clove garlic, quartered

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Toppings:

Monterey jack cheese

Red bell pepper

Green onions

Black olives

Tomates

Crushed tortilla chips

Jalapenos

Sour cream

THE CRUST

Directions:

- Preheat the oven, with a pizza stone on the lowest rack, to 550 degrees F. Lightly dust a pizza peel with flour.

- Using one ball of dough at a time, lightly dust the dough with flour, and flatten with your hands. Continue to flatten with a rolling pin until it is about 1/4 of an inch thick. Place the rolled out dough on the floured peel.

- To make the sauce: Place beans, peppers, garlic, chili powder and salt in a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

- Spread the sauce over the pizza leaving about an inch around the edge.

- Sprinkle the cheese on top followed by the toppings of your choice (excluding the tortilla chips)

- Bake for about 12-15 min or until the edges start to brown.

- Take the pizza out of the oven and sprinkle on the crushed tortilla chips.

Enjoy! :)

SUPER MOIST CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI PROTEIN MUFFINS

A muffin recipe from me. Weird. ;)  Yes, if you couldn't tell, I make a lot of muffins. They are fast, freezable, my go-to breakfast and snack food, you can hide vegetables in them for picky eaters and Ellis loves them. Do you need any more reasons?! 

I have been trying to perfect a chocolate protein muffin for a while now and I think I finally did it! It uses protein powder and almond flour, so it packs in the protein making it a great breakfast option. It isn't overly sweet, but I like that. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/2 cup chocolate protein power (or unsweetened cocoa)

2 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk (I use 1%)

2 large egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup honey

4 Tbsp coconut oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cup grated zucchini, unpeeled

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375° and spay two cupcake pans 
Mix together all the dry ingredients (flour through salt) 
Mix together all the wet ingredients (milk through zucchini)
Combine dry and wet ingredients together and mix in the mini chocolate chips
Pour batter into cupcake tins and bake at 375° for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted into the center and comes out clean.

* Makes 24 (sorry, I make everything in big batches so I can freeze half :)
* You can use any kind of chocolate protein powder. I have used both Plant Fusion protein powder and Arbonne chocolate protein shake mix and they both worked great.

AFRICAN CHICKEN PEANUT STEW

I AM BACK! I just wanted to say thank you again to Amy of 5th AND VINE for holding down the fort while I was in Ohio. Not only did she guest post for me, but she was featured on The Budget Babe and did a guest post for the Midwest Style Bloggers! Yay Amy!!! Make sure you follow her on facebook to keep up on her latest fashion finds on a budget.

Ok, now back to what I do best... cook healthy stuff. ;)

This is one of my very old 'tried & true' recipes that has been on the menu at our house for a few years now. It is healthy, hearty, simple (with some chopping, of course) freezable, and calls for peanut butter! Yes, the perfect fall meal!

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
2 medium sweet potatoes - chopped
1/2 onion - chopped
1 red bell pepper - diced
2 garlic cloves - minced
1 jalapeño pepper - seeded and minced
2 cooked chicken breasts - chopped
1 cup salsa (I use Pasqual's)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup whole grain rice - cooked with 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (I use Royal Blend Whole Grain - can be bought at Woodman's)
2 (15-ounce) can black beans - drained
1/3 cup creamy/or chunky natural peanut butter

Directions:
Place a large Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Add sweet potato, onion, bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeño; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in chicken and next 5 ingredients (chicken through beans); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes. Add peanut butter, stirring with a whisk; cook 2 minutes.

Adapted from cooking light - September 1999

BAKED PASTA WITH SAUSAGE & SPINACH

Like I said in this post, Skinnytaste is one of my go-to sites for meal planning. I tried this baked pasta dish last week and OOOMMMGGG was it good. Logan said it made his 'top ten favorite meals I make' list. ;) Only thing is, when I was shopping for the ingredients, I made a mistake and bought the wrong kind of cheese. I bought 'pepperoncino provolone zesty blend' instead of 'Pecorino Romano'. Do not even ask me how I screwed that up, except for the fact that the Woodman's cheese isle is a bit overwhelming if you ask me. I could stand there and look for a certain kind of cheese for 15 minutes and it will be right in front of me.  Anyways, I used the pepperoncino provolone cheese anyways (there was no way I was running back to the store) and it was AMAZING! It gave the dish a some kick. Logan 'lover of all things spicy' gobbled it up. I loved it too! I wouldn't make it any different. Put this recipe on the meal planning list people! DO IT! You will love it aaaand you can freeze it. Stock up that freezer kids!

(I made a few changes to the recipe - the cheese being one and I used fully-cooked chicken sausage so I could skip the browning the meat. I would also suggest making the marinara yourself. It is really simple.)

Ingredients:

olive oil spray
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano pepperoncino provolone zesty blend
8 oz part-skim ricotta
8 oz part-skim mozzarella, shredded
14 oz fully cooked chicken sausage - chopped into bite-sized piece (see image below)
12 oz rigatoni pasta
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess liquid
salt and fresh pepper to taste
4 cups Marinara Sauce  - or make your own - See recipe HERE.

I used the applegate brand, but either will work just fine.)

Directions:

If you are going to make your marinara, do it now. See recipe HERE.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Spray a 9- x13-inch baking dish with olive oil spray.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, 6 tablespoons of the Pecorino Romano cheese and half of the mozzarella cheese.

Add oil to a heated skillet and sauté garlic about a minute, careful not to burn. Add spinach and season with a little salt and pepper and cook another minute. Add sausage and the marinara sauce to the skillet; cook on low about 2-3 minutes.

When the pasta water comes to a boil, cook pasta according to instructions for al dente, but undercook them by 4 minutes less; drain and return to pot.

Put half of the cooked pasta into the prepared baking dish and top with half of the meat sauce. Spoon the ricotta mixture on top of the sauce in an even layer. Coverwith the remaining pasta and the remaining sauce. Top with the remaining mozzarella and Pecorino Romano pepperoncino provolone cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 6-7 minutes or until the mozzarella is melted and the edges are lightly browned.

'WHAT'S UP WITH THE BUELLS' HOMEMADE PIZZA

I am 1/4 Italian and 3/4 all kinds of other stuff. I may not look Italian, but it shows up in other places, like my fiery temper. ;) My Grandfather, on the other hand, is 100% Italian. He is from a small town in northern Italy called Bormio. Logan and I actually had a chance to travel to Bormio a few years ago and meet my family who still lives there. It was, without a doubt, an experience of a lifetime.

Having an Italian family, I grew up eating pizza. My family's favorite pizza joints were Paisans (before it moved locations), Gino's on State Street and the GreenBush Bar in the basement of the Italian Workman's Club. Greenbush was the name of the old Italian neighborhood in Madison before they knocked everything down to build Meriter Hospital. That is where my grandfather grew up.

So I guess that was my unnecessary history lesson/intro to try and make you understand how much I LOVE authentic Italian pizza. Nothing beats the real deal in Italy, but this recipe is the closest I have come to making it myself. I really must give credit to my sister in law, Ashley, for the crust. She makes the most amazing pizza. After I had her pizza crust, I did away with my old recipes and now only make hers. The rest of the recipe, much like the crust, is actually really simple. It doesn't have to be complex to be delicious.

CRUST INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup cold water
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups bread flour

DIRECTIONS:
Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes to proof. Stir in salt and cold water, then stir in the flour about 1 cup at a time. When the dough is together enough to remove from the bowl, knead on a floured surface until smooth, about 10 minutes. Divide into four pieces, and form each one into a tight ball. Coat the dough balls with olive oil, and refrigerate in a sealed container for at least 16 hours. Be sure to use a big enough container to allow the dough to rise. 

At this point you can either freeze the balls of dough or use them right away. I always make a double batch (makes 8 balls) and I make two for dinner (one for Logan and one for Ellis and I) and freeze six so they are ready for quick week night dinners. If using right away, remove the dough from the refrigerator one hour prior to using. If frozen, take it out of the freezer and place it in the refrigerator the night before. Take it out an hour prior to using.

NOTE: This picture shows a double batch.

PIZZA INGREDIENTS:
Homemade crust (above)
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
Fresh mozzarella balls
Fresh basil
Olive oil
Dried oregano
Cracked black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven, with a pizza stone on the lowest rack, to 550 degrees F. Lightly dust a pizza peel with flour.

Using one ball of dough at a time, lightly dust the dough with flour, and flatten with your hands. Continue to flatten with a rolling pin until it is about 1/4 of an inch thick. Place the rolled out dough on the floured peel. 

Place thin slices of mozzarella over the crust, then grind a liberal amount of black pepper over it. Sprinkle with dried oregano. Randomly pour the crushed tomatoes over the pizza, leaving some empty areas. Drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle a few basil leaves on top.

With a quick back and forth jerk, make sure the dough will release from the peel easily. Place the tip of the peel at the back of the preheated pizza stone, and remove peel so that the pizza is left on the stone.

Bake for 10-15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the crust begins to brown. MAKE SURE that the edges are brown and crispy before removing the pizza from the oven. The slightly crispy crust is what makes it so yummy. Remove from the oven by sliding the peel beneath the pizza. Sprinkle a few more basil leaves randomly over the pizza. Cut into wedges and serve.

After writing this post, I went back and looked at some of our pictures from our Europe trip. We went to Switzerland with Jodie and Luis and then split off and traveled Italy ourselves - Bormio, Venice, Cinque Terre, and Rome.

I pulled a few pictures from Bormio, where Logan and I got to meet my Italian relatives and eat really, REALLY good Italian pizza. :)

Going through our pictures gave me a severe case of the the travel bug. 

Who am I kidding? All I ever want to do is travel. I have so many places to go...

AMEN!