Pizza on the griiiill

Pizza on the grill is one of my favorite meals to cook. Its not only FUN, but you can also make it as unhealthy healthy as you want.

The first time I ever had pizza on the grill was in Savannah when a friend of a friend cooked it. He made one with red sauce and sausage and.... mmm... it was good. But my favorite out of the two he made was a white pizza. It had garlic spread instead of red sauce and chicken and cheese.... and more I am sure.

My favorite kind to make is Greek pizza. I have an unhealthy olive obsession and so my greek pizza might as well be called Olive Pizza. I can slap kalamata olives on just about anything.

First, I went off to get my ingredients (and a whole ton of Lara Bars).

1. A regular piza crust or wheat crust (I got both)
2. Pizza sauce
3. Mozzarella cheese
4. Turkey pepperoni
5. Large white onion
6. KALAMATA OLIVES!!!!
7. Homegrown tomatoes

 not shown...

1. Feta cheese
2. Pickled jalepenos
3. garlic salt
4. olive oil

The best, the homegrown tomatoes. I didn't use them on my pizza, but I did put them in my accompanying salad. 

The first thing I did was put Olive Oil on the top AND bottom of the crust. Then I put a ladle full of sauce on the pizza crust and spread it around. 

Then I sprinkled garlic salt along the crust of the pizza.

Cut up one large onion. I like to slice mine.

Then sprinkle a thin layer of Mozzarella.

Add your sliced onions

Then add your pepperoni. I usually use regular pepperoni, which is awesome, but this time I went for the turkey.

Then I added my sliced Kalamata Olives (I would typically add a butt-ton more, but of course... I ran out. The horror.)

Next, I spread my pickled jalepenos

A layer of crumbled feta cheese. All those years working in Greek restaurants (Hey there, Old Towne) made me a die hard feta fan. 

One more final layer of Mozzarella....

TO THE GRILL! I put my grill on low, about 400 degrees. I've done it hotter before, but then you risk burning the bottom. 

After about 5 minutes, I check the bottom to make sure its not burnt. Also, you definitely want the cheese melted. 

Look at those yum grill marks. 

Then, serve it up! Sooooo easy!

It is a jam-packed, pizza crust + cheese of flavor!

Here is my side salad of homegrown tomatoes with romaine and parmesan. I love Brianna's Salad dressing. The one I used tonight was the Homestyle Balsamic. 

On two other notes...

While I was making my pizza, bf was busy making his famous Gazpacho. 

It looked too delicious not to take a picture of it. This is a meal we will leave in the fridge for about a week. We eat it for breakfast, brunch, lunch, lupper, supper, and mid-night snack. Mmmm... and so healthy. 

We can't eat without feeding the dogs, Stellbell and Chumble Pie. Usually I feed them the Rachel Ray Nutrish for dogs. But, as I so often do... I ran out of dog food. Usually, there is some chicken or SOMETHING I can feed the beasts, but my cabinets were bare to the bone. 

So I whipped up some brown rice, pepperonis (from the pizzas, duh), cheese, and chicken broth. It must have been so delicious because the kitchen was dead quiet besides the jingling of collars hitting the bowls. 

I think StellBell may have growled at me a bit. He was not into having his dinner disrupted. 

Chumble Pie was knocking her bowl against the wall, hence the cheese and rice everywhere. 

They love little treats like that. Looks like everyone in my household had their own thing going on tonight. 

Do you ever feed your dogs "people food?"

RED all over

I know the first day of fall was last Wednesday, but Sunday's rainy weather got me thinking fall.

I only left the house once to go to the grocery store and I had to run through the (cold, fall-like) rain. Autumn was definitely on my mind. 

I love how PUBLIX has those bins of cheap-o flowers 3 bunches for $12. I always have a go-to choice: white mini roses, white carnations, and sometimes yellow or pink mini-roses. But as I went over to the flower section, my eyes were drawn to RED RED RED. Oooo... its so fall!

The mini-roses have a red-ish orange-ish hue. I break up the bunches and scatter them through the house. I took a few and put in a Jameson glass on my coffee table.

They are so pretty. They are almost pumpkin colored. 

I also put some on my kitchen window seal. They'll be gorgeous once they open up. 

I put an identical bunch on the table at the front door. They say "Welcome! Its fall!" 

The bunch of leaves are from a bush in my yard. I have no idea what kind of bush it is, but i think they are so pretty with those green and white leaves. 

I put another bunch of leaves in a fish bowl on my kitchen table. I plucked the leaves off and covered the water with them. Then I stuck some small red flowers in between the leaves. 

I think they look almost Christmasy. This would be good decor for then.

I love love love carnations! They are so happy. Like I said, I usually get white, but the reds at PUBLIX were sooo red. I had to have them. 

They almost look like they are made of paper. 

I used my blue birthday glasses as a vase and proudly have them displayed on my antique hutch.

I had also pickled some onions and tomatoes this summer and well, I can't get the darned thing opened. So it was just sitting in my fridge, looking pretty. I thought (since I wasn't going to be eating them) that they would look fall-ish on my hutch. 

My pedicure was even fall-ish (on my monkey toes). 

My polish colors are slowly drifting from pinks and super bright colors to reds (duh) and dark dark colors. 

I have a red room at my house that we call (surprise) "the red room." I have been wanting to paint it super bright blue for months, but all of my friends have been successfully talking me out of it. And on a rainy fall day, it just makes me want to cuddle up and hang out. Red is cozy....

I can sit peacefully looking out the window with my pal, the ram, staring over me (creeeeepy and dusty... ick). 

My "red room" wall of original art. 

On a related note of all things red... it's HONEY CRISP apple time!

Waving goodbye to pink lady apples and welcoming Honey Crisps. They even carried them in a special bin at publix. I had one on Monday and boy was it crispy. 

Crispy and Saweeet!

I look forward to scarfs and new jackets when it becomes fall. I also like to lie in the leaves in the yard. 

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FORWARD TO MOST ABOUT FALL?

I like comments... I do... don't be shy.

Sunday Supper

I thought I'd do a quick blog about one of my favorite weekend traditions: Sunday Supper.

Usually, me and bf eat them together while watching a mash up of Iron Chef/Desperate Housewives/choice movie On Demand, but this Sunday I was on my own.

In honor of my bf's Man's Nights (a.k.a. a side of beef, bag of salad, bottle of red wine), I did my own spin and this Sunday had a woMan's Night.

Instead of getting a huge ribeye or some kind of steak with a bone in it, I got a nice cut of a filet mignon.

I made sure to let my steak sit out for a while and let warm in the room temperature.

I have to set the steak above my microwave. A filet on the counter with two large dogs... you learn from experience. 

Once the steak warmed up a bit, I heated up my pan with a pad of butter. Now, I know... "You are going to cook a steak in a pad of butter?!"..... chill, its Sunday Supper. Not diet Monday. 

Then I cracked salt 'n pepper on each side of the steak and placed one side of the steak down in the heated pan. 

After about 2-3 minutes on each side, I place my steak in a 400 degree oven (but I definitely think you could go hotter). 

Meanwhile, my red taters were boiling...

I was sipping on a cool glass of white vino...

I like ice in my wine. I know... then it was time to flip over.

That side got a good char. 

Into the 400 degree oven it goes. Apparently there is grease and a ball of tin foil in the bottom that I never have noticed.

Once I got my steak going, I poured some beef stock into a sauce pot to get crackin' on my blue cheese sauce for my filet.

I let it get hot, hot, hot and then dumped in a 1/2 tablespoon of butter, a handful of blue cheese crumbles, and a splash of heavy cream. 

Then bring to a boil.

Along with my blue cheese sauce, I also wanted to dip my steak in Dale's. This is one of my favorite meat marinades. 

After about 7 minutes in the oven, my steak was medium rare-ish and ready to go. I let it rest for about 5 minutes before diving in. 

I had my steak, my taters, my vin, my sauces, my brand-new mags, and... a GREAT movie on Showtime. 

Look at that char.

Mmmm.... perfect. Keep in mind that was an end piece, so the rest was less cooked, even though I like the well-cooked ends. 

It was awful, I hated it. 

Oh, and that GREAT movie... 

I'll do a woMan's night anytime....