Food, Glorious Food!

You may or may not know that in addition to my vintage treasure hunting I have a passionate love affair with baking and all things involving sugar. And while I’m not the greatest culinary chef, I also like to dabble in cooking sometimes. I’m always looking for new recipes to spice up the routine, so I thought I’d share a couple that I recently gave a whirl.

First is my signature pizza. Our friends came over for a pizza party and they all raved about it. I started with my aunt Nada’s pizza crust, which she got at TastyKitchen.com. It’s wonderful and so easy! It has a really simple flavor that goes with any kind of pizza. Plus, you can make it the night before, throw it in the fridge and let it rise until dinner the next day. Really, so easy.

Then, for my signature pizza top with the following:
Alfredo sauce
Spinach
Asiago cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Cooked bacon
Sun-dried tomatoes

The tomatoes add a touch of sweetness to all the salty flavors and the healthy spinach is hidden so kids (and some adults who will remain nameless) barely even notice it’s there. Try it and tell me it’s not the best pizza you’ve ever had.

I also made this cookie pizza for the party.

Next I tried my hand at homemade Pop Tarts. My brother and I love Pop Tarts, so this was a no-brainer. The recipe uses ready-made pie crust, but you could easily substitute your own recipe. Roll out the dough, cut into squares, fill with jam, seal the edges and bake! Then the best part, top with frosting and sprinkles. I love sprinkles. Not too bad for my first try. I made blackberry and strawberry.

Now I’m gearing up for my Christmas baking extravaganza. It’s the one time of year I have an excuse to make a lot of things and give them away. I’ve got my recipes lined up and am excited about a few new things I’m trying. I’ll include all the recipes after the holidays. Here’s a peek at last year’s truffle extravaganza for the girls at the office. They said they looked professional and I think they were impressed. I had a lot of fun making them! From the left are raspberry dark chocolate truffles, orange chocolate truffles and oreo truffles.

I can’t wait to get started on this year’s baking madness and share it all with you. I love this time of year. Family, friends, love, joy, it’s easy to get into. Happy holidays everyone!

P.S. Tell me your favorite holiday recipe below. I’m always in need of new inspiration!