Jessica Merchant's Blog, page 417

February Favorites: Food + Lifestyle.

February, you were a dream! This is what won my heart.

This coconut coffee smoothie. I’m absolutely in love with the flavor combo, how great I feel after drinking it and how full it keeps me. I also sometimes add a 1/2 teaspoon of spirulina. But I mean, that’s not instagrammable because it looks like murky lake water. Smells like it too. But makes me feel aliiiiive.

Gwen’s new song Make Me Like You – I still can’t stop blasting it. No matter what playlist I put on, I HAVE to listen to this song first. Max loves it too and starts bouncing as soon as he hears the first note.

Voluspa Macaron candle. AH. This scent. It’s like the mature vanilla lovers candle. I’ve been really weird about candles since having Max – not wanting to burn them when he was little because it just seemed too overpowering of a scent and then always forgetting to light them. I’ve stopped buying a bunch of Bath and Body Works candles because the scents smell SO strong to me, but almost fake strong? It’s so weird. Anyhoo, this macaron is a light yet lovely scent. It’s sweet but not overly sweet.

my Samsung nx300 mirrorless camera. I KNOW. I keep repeating this as a favorite. But it SO is. I absolutely love the wifi capability here. I used it ages ago when I first got the camera, but more recently started using it DAILY(!) so the photos go right to my phone. A note – it’s not the easiest hassle-free to connect to wifi. You have to hit the wifi button on the camera, connect to the camera wifi on your phone, open the app on your phone, then accept it on the camera. And the app HAS to stay open the entire time, you can’t even switch over to instagram or something. But it’s awesome once you get it up.

For TV – um, Billions, hands down. We absolutely ADORE this show. Cannot get enough of Maggie Siff, Malin Ackerman and Damien Lewis. Eeeep.

Pipcorn! Eddie and I are obsessed. We love the truffle flavor and can down a bag in one weekend easily.

Califia Farms Better Half. To me, there is nothing like cream in coffee. Nothing replaces it. But! This is the absolute closest I’ve come and I’ve tried a ton of coconut and almond creamers.

the Long Line sports bra from lululemon. I absolutely love how long this sports bra is. I’ve struggled finding sports bras that work since having Max, something I’ve never dealt with before. And while I usually don’t like lulu’s sports bras, the length here sold me. And it’s the best! Supportive and comfortable.

The Day Designer printables. I love my Day Designer SO much and am still successfully using it along with my bullet journal (which is sooo not fancy). But I love the printables that you can get – especially ones like the food log, the gratitude log, entertaining checklist – and they even have a bucket list! They also give me inspiration for my bullet journal.

DeLallo salad savors. These have, in a word, been SAVING me. We’ve been eating salad savors since they launched, but lately it’s the easiest surefire way I can get a salad made for lunch or dinner quickly. The flavors are unreal. My fave is the feta/olives/peppers but Eddie loves the asiago/artichokes/sun dried tomatoes. I just grab like four of them every week at the grocery store. Eddie likes them for lunches too.

these Dolce Vita cut away booties. They are comfortable. They slip right on. I love the color. (I have the lighter tan.) Now can they also please come in black?! (OMG eta: they do!) I feel like they are very mom friendly. At least more mom friendly than four inch heels.

The mini milk chocolate grahams from Whole Foods. They are bite-sized and completely addictive. And I want to make a s’mores trail mix with them or something. You need to try!

Kevita Master Kombucha Grapefruit. I am absolutely in love with this, but not for the reason you’d think. I’ve drank kombucha for years. My favorite is GT Synergy Gingerade, but my store was out of it so I grabbed the Kevita. Without looking, I drank an entire bottle one Friday night at 8:30PM (wild child). I was then up until 3:30AM because it was crazy caffeinated. I’ve never had that issue with any other kombuchas so I wasn’t even thinking. But what I realized is that drinking some of this in the afternoon as opposed to coffee makes me feel incredible. Perfect pick me up with no let down. My favorites are grapefruit and pineapple peach.

Finally, snapchat. I hate that I love it so much. But I do. You can find me at howsweeteats. I’ve been sharing my weekly menu plan there, spoiler alert.

[none of this is sponsored, just like to talk about things that I discover and love over the month. tell me your faves! there may be a few amazon affiliate links above. love love.]

Crispy Roasted Potato Wedges with Squash, Lentils and Goat Cheese.

My goal in life is to serve you a delicious pile of food. Even if it’s virtually.

It’s leap day! What a special day. What a fun day. Even though it’s probably the first year of my life that I think it’s a “fun” day, which may be directly attributed to the little loveabug at my feet, but whatever. He makes me think Thursdays should be celebrated and heck, even Sundays. ( < saddest day of the week, and I right?)

We HAVE to do something absolutely cool and wonderful day. And I mean besides making a lucky charms milkshake.

If you missed out on a leap year cocktail, let’s have some leap year potatoes. They have lentils, which are supposedly lucky so I think it’s fair. Lucky leap day lentils. I live for alliteration.

Essentially, it’s the best day ever, and not just because yesterday I realize that there are a lot of super chunky, high platform sandals out for summer which means I can pretend to be tall again. But I know nothing and also love flared jeans so you can unfriend me now if you’d like. At least it’s (maybe?) better than 90s grunge? Let me ask my invisible internet friends. Tell me.

This meal is totally a spin off the Provision fries that I had at Smallman Galley a few weeks ago. With one look at the menu, these fries weren’t something I’d typically order, even though I liked all of the things on top of them. But while I liked all of the things… I wasn’t sure I liked them TOGETHER.

So glad I rebelled against my intuition because the flavors were so ridiculously wonderful. And different. But delicious!

And here’s the thing. Squash. Lentils. Hello? Health food.

ESPECIALLY since I made these crispity crunchity oven fries and not real legit French fries. I was afraid you might disown me since I made those a few weeks ago.

The potatoes work better anyway because they are so much more weeknight friendly and that’s the name of the game here lately. At least I’m saying that it is. Is it?

As long as you want to spend a leeeettle extra time for a lot of extra flavor, then yes. Yes it is.

So the rundown:

Sweet and rich squash puree. Crispy oven fries with a crunch on the outside and a soft potato inside. Seasoned lentils because then we can say that our fries have protein. Crumbled goat cheese. A lemon aioli drizzle. (I KNOW.) Lots of fresh herbs.

Brain explosion from flavor.

I mean, that’s how it works, right?

These can absolutely be an entrée (they totally were for me) or even just a side dish (see: Eddie) or even an appetizer. They are filling or satisfying so the real question is, do you want to share?

I’m thinking no.

Crispy Roasted Potato Wedges with Squash, Lentils and Goat Cheese

Yield: serves 4

Total Time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients:

6 russet or golden potatoes, cut into wedges
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 cups cubed butternut squash
3 tablespoons plain greek yogurt
3/4 cup cooked lentils
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

lemon aioli

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon olive oil
a pinch of salt and pepper



Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or aluminum foil.  Place the potato wedges in a large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil and once bubbling, only boil for 3 minutes. You gotta keep an eye on it!

While the potatoes are coming to a boil, place the butternut squash on one of the baking sheets cover with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping once or twice, until fork tender.

After the 3 minutes, drain the potatoes. Place them in a large bowl and drizzle with remaining oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Gently toss with your hands or two spatulas to evenly coat. Spread them out on a baking sheet in one layer. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, then flip and roast for 25-30 minutes more. You want the potatoes to be deeply golden and crunchy on the outsides!

Once the squash is finished roasting, add it to a food processor and blend until smooth. Blend in the yogurt. Taste and season additionally if desired. You can add more, salt, garlic or even some sriracha or spice.

I like to buy the precooked lentils from Trader Joes. Whether you buy or boil your own, taste the lentils and see if the need some seasoning! Again, a little salt, pepper or garlic can go a long way.

Once the potatoes are finished, it's time to build your fries. Spread your squash puree on a large plate or bottom of a bowl. Layer a few potatoes, then cover with some lentils and goat cheese crumbles. Add another potato layer, then finish with the remaining lentils and goat cheese. Cover with the cilantro and chives. Drizzle the entire thing with the lemon aioli (or use more for dipping, too).

lemon aioli

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth.

Won’t you be my neighbor.

my favorite thing about last week.

Last week Eddie traveled for work, and while I was slightly intimidated about having Max for eight days all by myself, it was actually pretty wonderful. How is a teeny little human my best friend?!

At random times during the week, Max would point upstairs and start running to the steps, thinking Eddie was up there. They always play together in his room and he loves to chase Eddie upstairs every single day.

When we face-timed (a few times a day, obvs), Max would pick up random toys (a hot wheels monster truck, a batman figure, a ball, even a cheerio) and try to give them to Eddie over the screen. The first time he saw Eddie on screen, he actually started running upstairs because he thought he was up there. Cue cuteness overload.

Last night, we surprised him at the airport and he cried every time Eddie went to put him down. And this morning, he was wide-awake at 6:15, and I’m almost SURE it was because he knew his daddy was home. He wakes up at 7am like clockwork, but this morning he was wide eyed and up, looking around curiously.

Cannot even take the adorableness. I love how he loves him.

Currently Crushing On.

{via}

Hi! How are you? How are things? IT’S THE WEEKEND. I’m only kind of super excited because Eddie was traveling last week for work and I’m a smidge more exhausted than usual. Props to all you single parents out there. I’m going to sleep haaaaaard tonight. After I scroll through instagram and play on my phone for 72 minutes once I get in bed.

Last night I totally binged on Fuller House and watched the ENTIRE thing. With a margarita. I should probably watch it without a margarita before disclosing my thoughts, other than I’m still crushing on Uncle Jesse. What what.

Also: february beauty favorites! Don’t miss it.

internet goods this week:

whoa whoa whoa. reverse seared steak with garlic butter OMG. these pictures.

how could i ever pass up elvis brownies?

these pearl sugar pretzel waffles… oh my gosh. yes yes.

hibiscus jalapeno pickled veggies. wanting to try these so badly.

ooh ooh this mediterranean 5 grain rainbow salad. so pretty.

black sesame banana bread! craving it.

have no shame about wanting pigs in a blanket.

i very much want to eat all of the chai tiramisu.

loving on this whole grain poppyseed loaf with meyer lemon glaze. so citrusy.

chicken, beat and arugula salad for a lovely lady lunch!

it’s no secret i’m a sucker for all things banana so: banana layer cake.

these montreal bagels look divine.

having to stop myself from making a big batch of these unbelievable double chocolate cookies.

is your oscar ballot printed out?! leeeeooooo.

Chocolate Dipped Mini Champagne Marshmallows with Blood Orange Sugar.

Special pink sprinkled cutie cubes!

I’m making these little bite-sized beauties in hopes that I can watch my secret boyfriend named Leo take home an Oscar this Sunday.

Leo wasn’t really my FIRST celeb crush. That title (honor?) most definitely belongs to Patrick Swayze circa the Dirty Dancing era and Zack Morris with his big ass cell phone.

But between Leo and Devon Sawa, I was swimming in a sea of Teen Beat and Bop magazines in my tween years and definitely had a VHS of Remeo and Juliet that was practically worn out and fuzzy from constant play.

I mean, I even saw The Beach in theaters and still sometimes watch it if I randomly find it on a movie channel, and I’m pretty sure it was a terrible horrible movie. But I’m a terrible, horrible critic. TRUTH.

Are you an Academy Awards party type of person?! I wish I was super fun and could say that I am, but I am most definitely the at-home-and-done-by-2pm-on-Sunday type of person. No matter what, on Sunday afternoons, I’m just done. I like to get my ducks in a row and prepare for the week like the old lady that I am.

I still get the Sunday blues EVERY week, going strong since I was about seven years old.

Not this Sunday! We’re changing it.

Apparently this is the year of champagne desserts over here. Champagne caramels covered in potato chips for the Golden Globes and now champagne marshmallows covered in blood orange sugar for the Academy Awards. HOW is awards season coming to a close? How is it almost March? What is happening in this life?!

Let’s solve it with champagne and dessert.

I don’t think it’s any secret that I ADORE homemade marshmallows. I’ve made tons of them over the past few years, as evidenced by…

chocolate coconut!

vanilla bean

BEER.

pistachio (for, um, savory s’mores)

buttered popcorn

what’s one more?!

These have become one of the only things that I almost always make at home before purchasing. Even now, when I choose my spend my time in other ways outside of the kitchen. But!

Store bought marshmallows don’t do it for me anymore and my family goes crazy over the homemade ones. Especially when dipped in chocolate. And now flavored with champagne. And covered in citrusy, adorable pink sugar.

And they are so super simple. You can make them ahead of time and have them ready to go for parties, packaged treats, edible gifts and airplane snacks. Dip in chocolate, serve with champagne and more potato chips. Sweet and salty.

Sooo. I haven’t see as many of the nominated movies that I’d like to see, but still plan on making a few bites and pretending like I know what’s going on. Eddie will probably crash by 9:30 and I’ll stay glued to the TV until 11:02.

I’m thinking some cheesy fontina arancini, maybe some butternut squash goat cheese dip and as always… a killer cheese plate.

Now f only I had a Leo cookie cutter.

Chocolate Dipped Mini Champagne Marshmallows with Blood Orange Sugar

Yield: makes about 48 mini marshmallows

Total Time: 4 hours

Ingredients:

2 packets of gelatin
8 tablespoons champagne
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup cold champagne
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
powdered sugar for sprinkling
8 ounces high-quality dark chocolate, melted

blood orange sugar

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup coarse raw sugar
1 tablespoon blood orange juice
1 teaspoon blood orange juice



Directions:

Place the gelatin in a small bowl and stir in the 8 tablespoons of champagne. Set aside. Spray an 8x8 pan with nonstick spray, then sprinkle some powdered sugar in the pan and shake well, dispersing it all over the pan, covering the entire thing.

In a small saucepan, combine the remaining champagne and sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved and bubbly, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the gelatin mixture, whisking, and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, immediately remove from heat. Add to the bowl of an electric mixer attached with a whisk. Let sit and slightly cool. Add vanilla and salt. Beat on medium-high speed for 10 to 15 minutes, until white and glossy and shiny and thick. Spread in the 8x8 pan and top with a sprinkle of powdered sugar if desired. Let sit for about 4 hours, or even overnight.

Remove the marshmallows from the pan in one square and cut into pieces. You can cover the marshmallows with some of the  sugar now, but it won't fully stick until the chocolate is on.

Dip a corner of each into the melted chocolate and place on a piece of parchment to set. Let the chocolate cool and firm up slightly, but before it fully sets, cover it in a sprinkle of blood orange sugar! These last a few days if kept in a sealed container.

blood orange sugar

Combine the sugars, juice and zest in a bowl and stir until combined. Spread the sugar out on a piece of parchment paper to dry and let it sit for 30 minutes being using.

http://www.howsweeteats.com/2014/12/chocolate-covered-coconut-marshmallows/

[adapted from these chocolate coconut marshmallows]

long live Leo.

February Favorites: Beauty.

Hello favorites time!

I’m still using and loving EVERYTHING I mentioned last month. That freaking Burt’s Bees cream cleanser?! So good. The Tom Ford Noir Pour Femme? Love. Bite Beauty Pastille? Stunning and I have it on right now.

Currently trying out the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water and I’m just not sure how I feel about it. I love my cleansing oils so much and using the cleansing water takes FOREVER because I need about 54 cotton pads to remove my mascara and can’t just massage it into my skin and wash off like I can with the cleanser.

I did try a few things this month that I just don’t love. I got suckered in by packaging and bought the YSL neutralizer in violet (isn’t it gorgeous?!) mainly because the Touche Eclat was a huge beauty staple of mine for years. I like the formula but that shade just did nothing for me. It didn’t brighten. It almost WHITENED! my skin and I’m already so pale. Also, I just don’t understand why all of these companies are coming out again with nuetralizing shades of green and yellow and coral and stuff – for me, personally, the more I put on my skin, the cakier it looks. I can’t even put on a coral corrector shade and THEN use a concealer. It just looks like I have on pounds of makeup! Maybe it translates well on screen, but def not in real life.

I also tried this Herbivore Coconut Rose lip balm and I seriously could put coconut oil in a jar with some rose oil and make it myself. It was so underwhelming. Whomp whomp.

But anyhoo. Here are some things that I’m nutso over right now.

Caudalie Moisturizing Toner. Favorite forever. Best toner and removes every last bit of dirt from my face. Love to use with exfoliating cotton pads!

Formula X Erase Cuticle Cream. I’ve talked about this stuff a bunch of times before (totally thought it was being discontnued and bought like four tubes, but it’s not) and LOVE it. I have never tried a cuticle cream like this – it works almost instantly. Consistent use cures your cuticles of any dryness. I use Solar Oil during the day multiple times and then use this once or twice a day. Always at night!

Pinrose Petal Packs. I’ve wanted to talk about these FOREVER!! And I kept forgetting. I mentioned them in my gift guides last December, but not in my favorites. I bought a petal pack when I was Christmas shopping back in the winter. You know my severe obsession with rollerballs and trying new perfume constantly? Well half of that is that I really love having something in my purse to put on, because I end up leaving the house without perfume often so it doesn’t irritate Max. These are like little perfume “wipes” – and a variety pack! I chose the Charmer pack because I’m such an amber/musk/vanilla scent person. I don’t like florals. I found mine at Nordstrom but it looks like you can buy online too. These are my favorite things for gifts. Plus… they are adorable.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream. I have held back from buying anything from Charlotte Tilbury because nothing seemed to appeal to me. Last fall my friend Natalie bought a few things and RAVED about them, but I still didn’t bite the bullet. Then on New Year’s Day, she came over and immediately my mom and I both were like WHAT IS ON YOUR FACE?! She looked so glowy and dewy and gorgeous. Everything she was wearing was by Charlotte T and she couldn’t say enough about the magic cream. I place it in my Nordstrom online cart for a few weeks then used a gift card. I was afraid it would smell too rose-like for me (it doesn’t) and that it wouldn’t be moisturizing enough. I have been using it every morning before makeup and am obsessed. It makes any sort of makeup completely glide on to my skin. It’s probably not enough moisture on it’s own (for me), but I do a big time moisture routine at night and just use the toner above in the mornings, so my skin is pretty good. I’ve read reviews both ways on this, but so far absolutely love it. Downside is the price and that there is no SPF – but the tinted moisturizer I use has SPF.

Farmacy Deep Moisture Coconut Gel Masks. This is by far the best sheet mask I have used, ever. The sheet fit my face just right, it actually stayed on my face and didn’t slide off, serum didn’t run down my neck and the serum sank into my skin so nicely. These come in a three pack and I got the moisturizing one. The thing with sheet masks is that I often want to be able to DO things while using them. I don’t have time to just lie around and let it sit on my face. (I mean, I guess I do, but I choose to spend my time otherwise.) I also thought the price point on these was nice and not completely horrific, like some of the $65 one time use masks at sephora. I found this in the aisle of doom while waiting to check out.

Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Phone Call. Still been wearing it a TON. Love love love. Super moisturizing and the prettiest color. Should I get Firebird?? I’m debating.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer. This is huge because I have been a slave to MAC prolongwear concealer and Maybelline instant age rewind for years – like almost since I’ve started my blog. I’ve never been tempted by these concealers but then my friend Kristen told me how great they were. I bought the second to lightest shade and it was just a bit too dark. So I bought the lightest and it was barrrrely, maybe too light? I’ve been mixing them and they are perfect. I can’t get over how much I love these. They are pretty much what I have wished the MAC concealer was because they are no where near as dry as prolongwear. And they cover great. (And yes, I have tried Nars Creamy Concealer and found it to be… meh.)

Tartiest Lip Paint in So Fetch. So! Remember how I was talking about my favorite Maybelline lipstick in Shocking Coral?! Um, this is like the exact same shade in liquid lipstick. I LOVE IT. I really like this formula and don’t find it as drying as some liquid lipsticks. But the color is also perfect. And it lasts forever. Last weekend my mom could not believe how long this was lasting. She was running around Nordstrom asking everyone at the makeup counters how she could find something that lasted so long. Ha.

Tartiest Lip Crayon in Amaze. The perfect coral liner. Seriously, the best I’ve found in a long time. Feels really good on.

So tell me! What are you loving this month? What Spring things can you not WAIT to get your hands on?

{as usual, none of this is sponsored and all of these products were purchased by me. i am not affiliated with any of the companies above, nor do i accept free products. just love to talk about what i like, makeup junkie to makeup junkie. there are a few amazon affiliate links above. thank you for being here!}

Leap Year Cocktail Slushies.

As if we need a once-every-four-year excuse to have a cocktail.

But we do! It’s too special to pass up.

Yesterday I checked out what I made on February 29th, 2012 and it was white bean gratin.

How boring. I mean, it’s delicious. But also boring. Too boring for leap day!

Glad I have my priorities straight four years later.

I was doing some research on leap years and desserts (that was the original plan) and came across a recipe for this cocktail on the kitchn. An actual cocktail for leap day? Don’t mind if I do.

The original was created by a bartender at the Savoy Hotel during prohibition, which really just made me miss Boardwalk Empire and my weirdo crush on Steve Buscemi. I know, right?

If you’re short on time, lacking a blender or freezing since it’s February (really, what am I doing here with a SLUSH), then I suggest stirring the chilled cocktail version up instead of a homemade icee. It consists of sweet vermouth, gin and grand marnier with a touch of citrus. It’s super tart but a teeny bit sweet, and since I’ve taken a bit to gin and no longer feel like I’m drinking liquid pine needles, I really liked it. I also LOVE grand marnier, so that helps.

In order to slush it, I added a bit of lemon seltzer so it wasn’t just 100% booze and ice in the blender. I almost added blood orange juice, but I’ve been quite obnoxious with that citrus this season so far and figured to let it be. You should try it though! Instead I threw a little blood orange wedge on top and called it a day. These are super fun and should definitely be added to your weekend plans.

And then again, of course, of Monday! To celebrate. Best excuse.

Leap Year Cocktail Slushies

Yield: serves 2 to 4

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

6 ounces lemon-flavored seltzer
1/2 cup gin (london dry is suggested)
1/4 cup grand marnier
1/8 cup sweet vermouth
the juice of 1 lemon
2 cups ice
orange wedges for garnish



Directions:

Add all ingredients to a high-powered blender (that can crush ice!) and blend. If you find that you want sweetness, I suggest adding some simple syrup or even honey. Scoop into glasses and serve with a straw! Garnish with an orange wedge, if you wish.

if you make this recipe, be sure to post a photo on instagram and tag it with #howsweeteats to share!

[cocktail base from the kitchn]

But we never need one. An excuse, that is.

On Doing.

I did one of these posts back in September and have wanted to do one ever since – here’s what we’ve been up to lately.

Wishing: that every morning could look like this.

Reading: through Kate Hudson’s book, Pretty Happy. I adore her, I have such a fascination with her, and maybe it’s because my mom always loved Goldie Hawn when I was growing up? I just think she is adorable. Aside from that, I’m really enjoying the book!

Deciding: to post whatever the heck I want on instagram. I don’t like what instagram has become, and I’m just as guilty – reposting content from my blog. I find it so boring. And I know, I’m doing it too. I’ll probably even continue. But then if you want to post something else it’s like OMG DOES IT FIT MY THEME that I don’t even have? and is it really even instagram-worthy? blah. I look at my insta feed and I’m like my entire life is not food, whyyyy am I doing this. I’m not going to repost all my old blog content from years ago because it brings me followers. I completely respect it from a true photographer’s point of view, but I’m definitely not that. So there.

Seeing: if I can drink my coffee black and seriously I just cannot do it. No no no no no.

Tasting: allll the things at Smallman Galley. Oh it’s so, so good! I love the idea of it. A few weeks ago my cousin and I ordered the Chicken and Toast from Josephine’s Toast (YES, and entire TOAST PLACE!) which basically tasted like Caesar salad on garlic toast and was incredible. We also ordered the fries and burger from Provision, and I made my own version of these fries that will be coming up on my blog soon. So flipping good.

Plus, um how super cute is it?

Consuming: everything blood orange, still. I’ve been absolutely blood orange crazy this season. Max loves it too, even though it stains everything to high heavens. On Monday night, I made these blood orange champagne margaritas and wanted to down about seven of them.

Hoping: that Leo wins the Oscar. I’ll totally DVR his speech and probably listen to it 37 times.

Making: these Easter egg topiary tree things. YES, I made these! And I totally hate crafts! A few weeks ago my sis-in-law and I made these one Saturday afternoon and I didn’t even throw a massive tantrum. They are super cute annnnd I might want to make a neon one. And a metallic rose gold one. We followed this tutorial right here.

Feeling: so wonderful after getting outside and running around in the fresh air the past few days. It’s been… invigorating! Or something.

Dreaming: of sushi rolls. I’ve been craving them weekly. Many of you have asked where my favorite sushi is in Pittsburgh and that would be Umi, hands down.

Wondering: how I really feel about the OJ Simpson series on FX. Are you watching? I was at the beach when we watched the live chase on TV and it was CRAZY. I was so young but old enough to understand, and that’s what I know OJ from, not sports. But the show? I have a really hard time taking Ross Gellar seriously. Same with John Travolta.

Snacking: on Cheerios with bananas and almond milk. So boring, simple and classic, right? Eddie and I have been on a huge Cheerios kick thanks to Max and have been eating bowl after bowl with different fruit daily. I love it for an afternoon snack.

Remembering: this time last year when I binge watched Parenthood. OMG I miss it so freaking much.

Flipping: out over what a great little shopper Max is. I think I’ve talked about this on the baby page, but my mom and I will go shopping for hours on end and he is so super chill. And happy. And that’s not just because my mom gave him about fifty four sips of her milkshake.

Chasing: him constantly. We both look forward to bath times, for different reasons.

Throwing: an internal tantrum that I 1. lined up these pencils incorrectly by day (do you see it? I cannot stand it.) and 2. that there is only one pencil for “weekend.” I mean really, how difficult would it be to include ONE MORE pencil for Sunday? And how did I not see what I did?

Struggling: to listen to my intuition and DO certain things and GIVE UP on other things.

Trying: not to let me heart melt over how much Max loves to color. I tape pieces of paper to his high chair tray and give him the big, fat crayons daily. Also, I haven’t been able to throw away any of his random scribbles on the pages. I cannot even BELIEVE that I am this person.

Wearing: this dress to a wedding next weekend. I think!

Loving: how wonderful a new fresh bouquet of flowers is feeling in our house each week. It makes the atmosphere spring-like, even though last week I was super excited to buy a $1 bouquet of tulips for them to fall apart the next day. $1 people. $1.

Vowing: to learn how to spell bouquet correctly. Because for the third time I just typed out B O Q U E T. Nope.

Wanting: to tell you about these macarons that came from… wait for it… Sam’s Club. Yes, Sam’s Club. They have two huge variety packs for a fairly low price (I think $20?) and they are actually pretty good! I needed a bunch of macarons for a photo shoot and these fit the bill perfectly. Plus, this pack has a red velvet one AND a speculoos flavor. Pretty darn good.

Saying: how much I value you! Thank you so much for being here.

Pizza Supreme on Cauliflower Crust.

Ohhh yes we’re doing this.

Wait! Don’t go. We can make it work. And compromise.

There’s still a lot of cheese. And you can add bacon and make up for the cauliflower.

DEAL.

If you’ve been a long-time reader, you might remember a few years ago when I made a cauliflower crust pizza for Tasty Kitchen. It was the cauliflower crust that changed the cauli crust game for me. For sure.

It’s not like we eat cauliflower regularly, heck I can’t even say that we eat it OFTEN. But the thing was that years ago – and I’m talking YEARS, probably twelve? – I tried cauliflower crust and it was absolutely horrible.

I mean, as terrible as terrible could be.

I wasn’t reading blogs at that time. I only found recipes in cookbooks or in my mom’s recipe box and maybe sometimes somewhere on the internet, but never a regular blog. Pretty sure that somebody at the gym gave me that recipe or told me about it. I didn’t care for cauliflower at the time and I’m almost positive that I took the cauliflower, pulsed it in the food processor, didn’t drain any liquid, combined it with egg whites and salt and tried to bake it.

Um what.

Kill me now. That seriously sounds atrocious.

So when the cauliflower crust came on the scene, I was all “absolutely not, no no, never ever in ten billion years and then no again.” Constantly.

But then!

I ended up trying the recipe for Tasty Kitchen, originally found here on Michelle’s blog, and actually… liking it. Enjoying it. It was even semi-crispy like traditional pizza crust. Not the same at all, but much closer than I’d ever come.

Here’s one of the things that gets me about the cauliflower crust. I think it’s a fantastic option if you’re gluten free. Fantastic. It’s definitely a fork-and-knife pizza (unless your slices are super short), but that doesn’t bother me. But the crust needs some cheese to stick together and for the flavor of… not just cauliflower. I have tried multiple crusts and no cheese? It doesn’t work for me. In texture OR in taste.

So lots of cheese in the crust and cheese on the pizza? That’s a cheese lover’s (hello, me) dream and I don’t hate it. But I would never call it light. Or super healthy. I actually find it to be a bit dense and heavy (in a not-so-bad way, if that makes sense) – and it has loads of flavor.

But a healthier, lighter, less caloric option? Not always the case, in my experience.

Then again, I’m the cheese QUEEN. (P.S. though, there IS a dairy free version of this exact crust that you can try!)

Last February, this crust came back into my life because I taught a cooking class about pizza and my favorite crust varieties. This made the list so we had a gluten free option but also so we had a different type of crust, and I had forgot how good it was. In fact, some members in the class deemed this crust their favorite of all the pizzas we made.

Which in my book, is crazy. But it IS loaded with flavor, cheese and when done right – is crispy and crunchy!

Now, the toppings. A supreme pizza? This is super new to me.

It should come as no surprise that I loathed even the appearance of pizza supreme when I was growing up. Because so.many.veggies.

That’s precisely why I wouldn’t touch it – after all, I’ve ranted before about my appreciation for plain and only plain pizza. Pepperoni MAYBE, but never vegetables.

The only thing that remotely appealed to me were the olives, which I freaking love. And funny enough, I feel like the olives are what turn MOST people off from the supreme pizza. At least it does for Eddie. And my brother. They will gladly eat everything else, but no olives.

Meanwhile, I’m over here wondering when an all-olive covered pizza will debut in my life. Soon please.

Double up on the olives for me.

So last fall, we were ordering pizza on a Saturday night and my sister-in-law wanted the dreaded pizza supreme. Everyone gave her a hard time and we were like THAT IS SO GROSS and then the pizza came and… we all ate it.

Like everyone. Like, even Eddie.

In fact, I think out of four different pizzas it was one of the first to go.

It was so delicious. So SO wonderful.

That inspired the topping for this crust and while I knew I wanted to make a different sort of cauliflower crust pizza since I’d already made a plain one, I was super lost. Enter pizza supreme! I almost even added anchovies. Buuuut I thought that cauli crust, olives AND anchovies may be crossing the line. Crossing your line.

But if you’re gonna cross it, go all the way! So what else would be on YOUR pizza supreme? Please say bacon.

Pizza Supreme on Cauliflower Crust

Yield: makes one 12-inch pizza

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

crust

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon dried italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

pizza

1 1/2 cups pizza sauce
1 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated fontina cheese
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup pepperoni
1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup sliced banana peppers



Directions:

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F and place a pizza stone inside. Note - a large cauliflower will make a LARGE crust! Go smaller and use only 1 egg if you want to serve fewer people.

Put the cauliflower florets in a food processor and pulse until crumbs remain - you want it to almost look like snow. Place all of the cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl and cover it with a paper towel. Microwave for 5 minutes. Remove the cauliflower and spread it on a towel to cool.

Once cool, wrap the cauliflower in a towel and squeeze every last bit of water and liquid out of it over your sink. When you think you're finished, squeeze again! You want all of the moisture out. Place the cauliflower in a large (dry) bowl. Stir in the cheeses, seasonings and spices and eggs, mixing until combined. You want to end with a ball of cauliflower dough, so you might need to use your hands to pull it together.

Place the dough ball on a piece of parchment paper (no larger than your pizza stone) and press the dough into a circle, making sure the crust is thin. I like to go about 1/4 inch in thickness. Gently pick up the parchment paper and place the entire crust (parch and all) on your pizza stone. Bake for 10 t0 12 minutes, or until golden.  They key here is make the crust crisp and sturdy enough so it doesn't crumble or break apart.

Once the crust is golden, (gently) remove it and cover it in your desired toppings. I do sauce first, then cheese and everything listed about, along with more cheese on top. Make the pizza however you'd like! Very carefully transfer the pizza (again, still on parchment) back to the pizza stone. Have someone else help you or use a pizza peel. Bake the pizza for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Cover with extra parmesan. Serve immediately!

Note: large slices are difficult to *pick up* - you may need a knife and fork.

[crust from the lucky penny blog (check out her step by step pics! and learned from when I featured it on tasty kitchen.]

I want all the bites.

Tuesday Things.

1. No matter how organized you are, I truly believe in the power of the kitchen junk drawer.

2. My weekly struggle is that I really want to be classy, but I also want to buy neon hair ties while grocery shopping.

3. This DIY cereal cake?! How, what, where?! Now.

4. How do you listen to a new album that you download (or, um, a CD that you just bought, hello 1999). Do you listen to a few moments of each song all at once, or do you listen to the entire album, no matter how long it takes (even if it’s multiple days before you get through it)? I definitely do the first option in my impatient millennial lifestyle. Eddie does the second.

5. Holy freaking TV this week. Wow wow wow. Billions? SO good. I think Wendy is going to be in trouble though. GIRLS is back, and I love Adam, didn’t get enough Elijah, still felt embarrassed for Hannah and really wanted to do Marnie’s makeup. Also, Ray! My heart breaks. The freaking Walking Dead. OMG. Finally, that ending. I can hardly stand how much I just… loved it. And had waited for it. It was like I got butterflies. See also: I’m a loser.

6. I’ve accidentally on purpose (but mostly accidentally) been using a standing desk (aka, my kitchen counter) and I’m sort of… loving it. It feels GOOD. I seriously feel 62% more productive.

7. Can we talk about my complete freak out after realizing that Dolce Vita has a line at Target this Spring? DV makes some of my favorite shoes ever and I can hardly stand this. Eeeep.

8. 50 of the happiest feelings. How fun.

9. Um, how (in)appropriate would it be to respond to “what number can I call you on?” with “can’t we just do this over email?” I’m the worst.