Back to School Mode

Friday…Woo Hoo! Back to school mode has officially been activated. Early alarm clocks, real clothes, functioning brain by 8:00am, the works- and while it’s not been easy, it sure has been nice seeing my work family again. It’s funny how easily we teachers slip in and out of teacher mode. I was totally relaxed this summer and didn’t feel stressed or tense and could operate at a slower pace. Now that we’re back on campus, I feel the tension between my shoulder blades, my brain is constantly firing off, I’m even a little bit stressed already. It’s a strange transition we teachers go through and one that no one else can fully understand. Also, the pic above is the only one I’ve taken this week. It’s been busy.

Let’s Talk Food

Have you ventured back out into actual restaurants? We haven’t done too much of that here in the Norman house…a few times here and there but for the most part we’ve been sticking to cooking. Pinterest and Half Baked Harvest have been giving me all the ideas lately. I wanted to share some of the better ones we’ve tried and made multiple times.

5 Good Things No. 2

Monday again! However, this is sort of my last workday Monday. Woo Hoo! Today is my day to head to school and clean up my classroom and close out the school year. I’d say the 2019-2020 school year will go down as the strangest year I’ve had of my teaching career. I’m sure that goes for most of us teachers. We did get some good news in finding out that the Hamilton movie, which is just the Broadway stage production with the original cast filmed, will be coming to Disney+ on July 3rd! My theater nerd self is stoked! Who else is excited?

Currently Loving- September 2019

I sure hope October is bringing some cooler temperatures! So long, September and your record highs, your drought, and your ridiculous power bills. We are all done with you! October, please bring us highs of 80 instead of 100, the desire to drink hot coffee instead of iced, the need to wear the sweaters we’ve all been buying but haven’t been able to wear, and better attitudes because we’ll no longer be drenched in sweat. Please and thank you.

I’m not as bitter as I sound, but I sure am ready for October. October really signifies fall to me. It’s essentially the beginning of the holiday season, and let’s face it, there’s just something about this time of year that can make you feel hope and happiness like no other time of the year can. It’s a time of new beginnings and opportunity, and I always have a sense of optimism inside when October rolls around. I am trying to set my intentions for this season since I’m already realizing how busy it’s going to be. But for now, let’s reflect on some of the greatness of September.

Meatless White Pizza Recipe

MEATLESS WHITE PIZZA RECIPE

This idea came to me when Paul told me that his mom was trying to think of some meatless meals for Fridays during Lent. He told her that I make a pizza that I often don’t put any meat on, and that it’s really good. It’s very simple, and I’d like to share the recipe with you if you’re tired of ordering cheese pizza during Lent or if you just don’t want to pay for delivery or have all those extra calories that seem to pile on with take-out pizza.

First, you must know that I am a pizza lover. If I had to have a last meal, it would definitely be some form of pizza. Probably several forms of it, if I’m being honest. I won’t proclaim this pizza to be super healthy. It just tastes good and isn’t take-out.

I start with a store bought thin pizza crust. You can obviously go with a regular crust or the pizza dough in the refrigerated section. But I usually do the thin crust like this.

I brush a little olive oil on the crust (mostly because the package tells you to) and then add a little Alfredo sauce. I don’t go crazy on the sauce. I don’t like a lot of sauce on my pizza, so I just use a regular spoon and stop when I feel like I’ve got enough. This actually looks like a lot of sauce, though. Oops!

Then I’ve got to doctor it up a little. I sprinkle Italian seasoning onto the sauce and a little garlic powder and red pepper flakes.

Then I pile on the spinach. I usually go with the bag of spinach, but I have used the frozen stuff if I’ve had some left over from another recipe. I prefer the fresh spinach because you can add a good amount, and it wilts down beautifully. I feel like I’m getting more of the spinach when I use the fresh.

Next comes the mozzarella cheese. I like using shredded or fresh mozzarella. And sometimes I’ll add some Parmesan too. It just depends on what I’ve got in the fridge. Usually it’s just mozzarella as was the case tonight.

Lastly, and maybe my favorite part is the sliced Roma tomatoes. They cook really well on top of the pizza and taste so delicious.

Then I bake until the cheese is nice and melted. If you’re feeling fancy, turn on the broiler for a few minutes to get the cheese really bubbly. Take it out and let it rest for a few minutes. Then cut and serve. I don’t typically top it with anything else because all of my favorite toppings have been cooked into it. Fresh parsley would be nice, though.

Simple right? And so yummy!

Now, let me tell you of a few changes you can make that tastes delicious also.

Instead of alfredo or whatever white sauce you like, you can do marinara sauce or, my favorite, basil pesto. Now don’t overdo the pesto, but just a little spread over the crust is a different and scrumptious flavor if you’re tired of red and white sauce on your pizza.
Use other greens instead of spinach. Arugula would be very good in place of spinach, and of course, kale would be a great substitute too.
Add meat! You don’t have to on Fridays during Lent, obviously, but I often add canned chicken. Yep, you read that right, canned chicken. It’s amazing! And cheap and easy and sometimes it’s what works and I’m not apologizing for it.
Add your favorite cheese. If mozzarella isn’t your favorite cheese, by all means, add your fave. I’ve even added ricotta with my mozzarella which is super tasty.
I only added Roma tomatoes, but please add whatever toppings you like. Add some onions, black olives, mushrooms, peppers, the list goes on.

The point is that you can add anything to your pizza that you like. This one just happens to be one of my favorites to make. Below is a picture of all the ingredients and the recipe. Let me know if you make this pizza and if you changed it in any way! I’d love more inspiration for more delicious pizzas!

Ingredients:

Thin Pizza Crust
Jar of Alfredo Sauce
Olive Oil
Italian Seasoning
Garlic Powder
Red PepperFlakes
Spinach Leaves
Mozzarella Cheese
Roma Tomato (2)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450° for this particular crust
Brush olive oil onto the crust
Spoon on desired amount of Alfredo sauce
Sprinkle on Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes
Add desired amount of spinach
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese onto pizza
Cut tomatoes into medallions and spread over the cheese
Bake until cheese is melted (15-20 minutes)
Serve and Enjoy