St. Patrick's Day Extravaganza

Corned beef and cabbage?
Boiled potatoes?
Irish soda bread?

Check, check and check.

Chick flick, neighbors and an ice cold Guinness?
Natch.

Weekend Getaway - Seattle

I ran up to Seattle for the weekend to visit one of my favorite cities and some of my favorite people.

I fell in love with this city in 1995 and moved there in 1997.  Every time I visit it still sucks me in.

The ferry boats ...

A gorgeous downtown skyline ...

Ms. Pac-Man on the ferry and swinging at the playground (this girl tackled both).

The coffee ...

And conversations with people who have always loved me for exactly who I am.

These things mean home to me ... it also doesn't hurt that it's stunningly beautiful.

Two new favorites ...

The Jewel Box Cafe
Frost Doughnuts 

The Little Things

Today I was walking back into my office and ran into a colleague I haven't seen for a while.  He's a gay guy, so we're able to flirt RIDICULOUSLY knowing that it means nothing.

Flirting is fun.

He opened his arms and I gave him a big hug.

Later that day I had to run $2 down to him and told him I'd only bring it if he danced for it.
Which he did.

And I whooped and hollered shaking my $2 in the air before we both doubled over laughing.

And that goes decidedly in the "pro" column of working at the cube farm.

Wide Open Spaces & The Grocery Report

Cinque Terre, Italy

Kind of wanting wide open spaces this morning.

This upcoming weekend I'm heading to Seattle and when I was planning the quick trip I realized I haven't been out of town since my trip in October to Italy.  No wonder I'm feeling the need to get away for a bit!

This week's menu is short but I went over budget by quite a bit.  To recap:
I want:  To spend $40/week
Last week:  I had a surplus of $9
This week I spent: $56

I bought a bunch of pantry ingredients that will save me some moolah next month.  I think my plan is to have a budget of $160 and just use that through the month as needed.  So I'll try that for March!  This month I spent $143, so I definitely call that a success!

On the menu for dinners this week ...

Sunday - Ham & Swiss Rolls with Roast Asparagus
Monday - Twice Baked Potatoes with Salad
Tuesday - Taco Tuesday!
Wednesday - Burger & Fry Night
Thursday - Homemade Pizza

Have a great week!

Let's Talk Pizza

Pesto Smothered Pizza in Vernazza, Italy

I love pizza.  The simpler the better.  Thin crust, a great sauce, fresh mozzarella and a sprinkling of freshly chopped basil and I'm in heaven.

Homemade pizza?

Meh.

It's too puffy.  Too soggy.  Too complicated with the trying to get it just like your favorite pizza joint.  Use "00" flour, it's what they use in Italy!  Pizza stones!  Crust that takes two days to make!

WHY BOTHER?

But there was something about getting already made dough that didn't sit well with me either.  I KNEW crust was made from simple ingredients that I had in my pantry so if at first you don't succeed then try try again.  And again.  Aaaaand again.

I finally stumbled upon the perfect (for me!) crust that is easy.  Easy to throw together.  Easy to work with.  And easy to eat.  Because DANG, with the right mix of toppings it's tasty.

Not only is it easy, but it falls under a few of my favorite categories "From the Pantry", "Minimal Effort/Delicious Payoff" and "Does it's Thing While I'm at Work."  And oh yes, "Cheap."

SJB's Pizza Crust

3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup warm water (hottest water from your tap is fine)
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon oil (so far I've just used canola, but I imagine olive oil would be good too)

In a large bowl whisk dry ingredients together and make a well in the center.  Pour in hot water and olive oil and stir well to combine.  There will be no traces of flour left, dough will be slightly stiff and will pull away easily from the sides of the bowl.

While still in the bowl, take your dough and fold it over in half onto itself.  Turn the dough one quarter (or 90 degrees to the right or left) and fold over on itself again.  Turn the dough 90 degrees again and fold onto itself.  Continue rotating the dough and folding it over onto itself for a minute or two until the dough is smooth.  In other words ... knead the dough for a couple of minutes.

If it sticks to your hands, add a bit more flour.  Up to a tablespoon at a time.

Once the dough is smooth, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and stick it in your fridge for around 8 hours.  I make mine in the morning before I go to work and then use it when I get home that night.

After your dough has rested in the fridge, preheat your oven to 500 degrees and put a sheet pan on the middle rack.  Your oven should preheat (with the sheet pan) for a good 10 - 15 minutes.

Cut your dough in half.  This recipe will make two roughly 10-inch pizzas.  I usually freeze the second ball of dough in a ziploc bag and take it out to thaw the night before I want to use it.

On a piece of parchment paper or foil sprayed with a bit of cooking spray, start stretching out your dough.  No need to be perfect, just go with whatever shape it wants to take.  Sometimes mine are rectangular, sometimes they're perfect circles.  Over Valentine's Day it was a heart.  Whatever works!

Top with whatever you like!  Keep the toppings and sauce on the light side though and then slide your parchment paper (or foil) onto the hot sheet pan.  I usually just take the pan completely out of the oven and throw the pizza and paper right on top ... otherwise I imagine a big fat mess at the bottom of my oven.

Bake for about 10 - 12 minutes or until crust is brown and cheese is bubbly.

A Drive in the Country

Yesterday I went out to see a coworker's litter of puppies.  She breeds and shows Mastiffs which are HUGE and sweet and make the cutest puppies ever.  She lives about 45 minutes away from me and so I hopped in the car, threw on the soundtrack to Midnight in Paris (thanks Digs), got some coffee and set out.

There is NOTHING better for me and my mental state than driving through the country.  My shoulders fall away from my ears.  Inspiration starts to rise to the surface and a smile easily comes across my face as I slow down and say hello to sheep, cow, horses and goats.  Add to that a litter of ELEVEN squirmy, pudgy, adorable puppies and it's just the way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

I thought a lot about this site and my hopes for it but mostly about my absence from it.  Mainly I just want to write.  Roll some thoughts around my head, string a few sentences together and have a space to put it.  Sometimes it feels too random ... not "focused" enough.  My interests feel like they're all over the map and yet sometimes it feels like I REALLY need to get more hobbies.  So I don't know.  But I do know this.  I'll continue to show up even when I worry I'll be boring.  My hope is that maybe this space will be like a slow, lingering drive through the country.  Simple.  Fresh.  Occasionally surprising.  Sometimes uneventful.  But always authentic.

I neglected to give a grocery report last week.  I had a budget of $35 to spend after going over budget by $5 here.  I managed not only to stay under budget, but only spent $30, so I had $45 to spend this week and then hit only the $30 mark again yesterday.   I do have to run down and buy some chicken this afternoon, but that nice little cushion will be good for next week when I need to buy coffee.  I like the good stuff and it ain't cheap.  


On the menu for dinners this week ...


Sunday - Tomato soup with cheesy rolls
Monday - Chicken Cacciatore 
Tuesday - Pizza & salad
Wednesday - Burger, fries and salad
Thursday - Taco Tuesday (on Thursday!)
Friday & Saturday - Playing by ear

In My Makeup Bag

Last year around this time I went to the makeup counters at Nordstrom with a bare face and said "have your way with me."  Normally I need a few dinners and a cocktail or two before we get to that stage, but I was needing some new makeup and a little February perk up.

I left there with WAY TOO MUCH stuff on my face for a minimalist like me.  I start getting twitchy if it takes me more than 5 minutes to put on makeup.

And while the bronzer and blush and 16 different shades of eye shadow brought some MUCH needed color to this girl's face that is needed come February, I also felt a bit like I should be making my debut on Dancing With the Stars.

Where my sequins at?

The one product that stuck from my little makeover was Bobbi Brown's tinted moisturizer.  It's a little pricey at $40, but I'm just now running out a year later.  I've worn it in every season and taken it on the road with me too.

A little goes a long way and it doesn't look like you're wearing MAKEUP.  It just smoothes out your skin a bit and evens out your coloring.  And bonus!  It has a built in SPF.  Which normally isn't a concern for us in Portland in February, but this year we've been gifted with a little sunshine reprieve and it has been lovely.

You can get it at any of the major department stores like Macy's or Nordstrom or find it online here.