Pizza Love

The great Dean Martin once sang “When the moon hits your eye like a big-a pizza pie that’s amore.” I have to agree with him. I looooove Pizza. My family and I will drive miles out of our way to get good pizza. It has been said that there is nothing like a good slice of New York style pie and I have to agree. When I heard from a friend of mine about the opening of Grimaldi’s Pizzeria in my hometown at Westfield Citrus Park Mall I had to go check them out. It was love at first bite and we have been back so many times that when we visit, the hostess says “welcome back.”

The thing that makes them stand out is that their pizzas are cooked with coal to give it a unique, smoky flavor and a crisp crust that is just not possible from gas, convection or wood ovens. Their fresh ingredients, handmade mozzarella, “secret recipe” sauce and hand tossed dough make Grimaldi’s the most award-winning pizzeria in the United States. Another unique aspect of their success is believing that the secret to true New York-style pizza is the water. They go as far as hiring a chemist to analyze and recreate the mineral content and exact composition of the water in Brooklyn. A custom water system pumping “New York water” is installed in every Grimaldi’s Pizzeria to ensure that the dough tastes as authentically New York as possible.

On our last visit, we had the Caesar salad that is to die for. A large order was enough to serve all three of us. My five-year old scarfs it down every time we go.

 

 

 

 

 

We ordered a large pizza and the thing I love is that they can personalize it anyway you want. We had Pepperoni and sausage on the whole thing but three quarters of it also had Jalopeno peppers for the grown ups. As you can see I was so anxious to dig in I forgot to take a photo when the pizza arrived 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

They are kid friendly and will bring out some dough for the kids to play with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mommy ended up with a unique dough bracelet Take that Tiffany 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check them here: http://www.grimaldispizzeria.com/ to see if there is a restaurant in your area and show them some love.

BUON APPETITO!

Meatball Sliders

Leftovers….how do you feel about them? Most people love them. Me, not so much. I tend to be a once and done person when it comes to leftovers.When I go out to eat and bring home a “doggie bag” it stays in the fridge until it gets thrown out unless my husband eats it. Same with food I cook. My husband will tell you that when it comes to deciding what to eat I am very indecisive so for dinner I was standing in front of the fridge with the door open trying to figure it out. I realized that I had some leftover meatballs and spaghetti sauce so I decided to look online to see what I could do with that. I came across a recipe for Meatball Sliders and voila…dinner!

Here is the recipe that inspired me:

http://addapinch.com/cooking/2013/01/30/meatball-sliders-recipe/

Here is a photo journey of my creation:

Leftover Meatballs in sauce

Kings Hawaiian Rolls

Open-faced with provolone cheese and one meatball

Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes and add a dash of grated parmesan cheese

Yumminess!!!

In the future I may have to use my leftovers as do-overs 🙂

Comment with how you have used your leftovers in ingenious ways.

All’s “Fair” in love and Funnel Cake

Well it’s that time again, the state fair is in town.

 

There is something to delight everyone. Rides, exhibits, animals, cheer and dance competitions, you name it.

                            

This is also the time to indulge in among other things Corn Dogs, fried cheese, cotton candy and my favorite funnel cakes. There is always the promise of various dep fried oddities like butter, Oreos, cereal, candy bars and everything on a stick that you can imagine. This year I decided to take the plunge and try the fried Oreos. I love Oreos so I felt it had to be good. I got 5 in on order and it was drenched with powdered sugar.

I took a bite……

and did not like it 😦

It was too much dough and not enough Oreo’s.

I think it would have been better with a double stuf Oreo because everyone knows the cream is the best part 🙂

I think from now on I will stick with my old favorite.

If you want a funnel cake fix and don’t want to fight the crowds at the fair, here is a recipe I found online. I will be trying this one of these days.

Funnel Cake

Servings: 6-8 (depending on the size of the cakes) Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 10 min Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon vanilla 1   egg, beaten 2 cup milk 1/2   (4 tablespoons) melted butter Powdered sugar, for topping

Directions

Combine milk, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar and gradually add to wet ingredients. Beat with a mixer until a smooth batter forms. Fold in melted butter. Pour batter into a funnel or squeeze bottle while using your index finger to stop the flow of the batter. Bring the funnel over the hot oil and release your finger to start a stream of batter while moving the funnel in a circular motion to create spiral-like shapes. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown and slightly puffed. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

100th day of school

My son is in Kindergarten and it has been quite a journey. There is so much going on that calls for me to get my non-existent creative juices flowing. The latest was a project for the 100th day of school. Parents were asked to make a T-Shirt at home with their child to wear to school on the 100th day. It had to have 100 of any items on it. Of course the activity was “completely optional.” Yeah right. I am going to let my kid be the only one showing up without a shirt. I was at a loss so I called upon my best friend since she is the creative one and she provided me with a wealth of ideas. I took off to the store and came home $20 later. I thought about it and decided that was too much to spend for this project.  After regrouping I went back out the next day and spent $6 total…yeah me!!! We did 100 sport stickers. In the end my son and I had a blast putting this together.

He proudly wore his shirt to school and had a great time.

Now I have to work on yet another project for Valentine’s day…..a mailbox for all his goodies.

Here we go again 🙂

Woolzies Dryer Ball Review +Giveaway

Laundry to me is a dirty word (pun intended). I don’t like doing it.

I know it’s necessary, unless you are a celebrity who does not wear the same outfit twice (rolling my eyes). I have often contemplated becoming a Nudist to avoid doing laundry but decided that I did not want to scar anyone who had to see me naked 🙂 I am always up for anything that can make my life easier so when I heard about Woolzies Dryer Balls I was excited to try them. Woolzies sent me a complimentary box of their dryer Balls for testing and review purposes.

Here is some information on the company and their product:

Soft By Nature, Inc. is a small family  owned company nestled in the picturesque Hudson Valley region of  Southern  New York State. Our mission is straight-forward; we intend to pass down this  earth  to our children in the same beautiful condition that we received it from our parents. We accomplish this by developing all natural eco friendly products and sharing them with our fellow citizens.

Woolzies are pure handmade New Zealand wool dryer balls that soften your laundry naturally without any of the chemicals of conventional fabric softeners. Unlike the plastic dryer balls, they are PVC free and won’t fall apart  or melt on you. Woolzies save time and energy by cutting down on drying time by an average of 25% per load. They also help reduce static and wrinkles.Use Woolzies to snuggle up with naturally downy soft laundry that’s completely free of harmful chemicals. Woolzies are also  hypo-allergenic and totally safe for people with wool sensitivities as they will  not shed onto your laundry.

Unlike even natural dryer sheets and liquid fabric softeners, Woolzies last for 1,000 loads and are therefore extremely eco friendly. So why risk your health and waste your money with regular fabric softeners when you can  save time, energy and money with all natural pure Woolzies!

To  use you just toss all six balls in the dryer. I started with a small load and was disappointed that I could hear the balls tumbling around. After all the box says it is noise free. I decided to give it another shot with a large load and it was so quiet…touchdown!!! My clothes came out feeling so soft and wrinkle free. I love that I don’t have to remember to add fabric softener since I just leave them in the dryer.  Thank you Woolzies.

WIN IT!!!

Woolzies has graciously offered to send a box to one of my readers. Here is how to enter:

1. Like Woolzies on Facebook

2. Follow @Woolzies on Twitter

3. Subscribe to my blog posts via email (right hand side of this page)

Please leave a separate comment for each of your entries!

There are 3 chances to win!

This giveaway will remain open till 3pm EST on 2/7/13.

Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal

I received a complimentary Apple Walnut Oatmeal from Influenster. I do not like oatmeal but for testing and review purposes I tried it. Oatmeal in general makes me gag so I only took two bites. I did not like the texture of the oats but the fruit and nuts tasted fresh. While I would not necessarily purchase this for myself I would recommend it due to it being healthy and quick and easy to make. Here is some information on the product:

“Packed with wholesome multi-grains and chunks of real fruit and nuts, Quaker Real Medleys are an oatmeal experience beyond your expectations. It comes in a convenient, portable package so you can eat it anywhere! It’s so easy to make… Just add water and microwave. No mess, no bowl to clean up. Enjoy all four delicious flavors – Apple Walnut, Cherry Pistachio, Peach Almond and Summer Berry.”

Here are some helpful links:
Quaker Website: http://bit.ly/SisCEf
Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal Product Page: http://bit.ly/U1EaIY

NYC New York Color Liquid Lipshine

I was sent a complimentary complimentary Nude NYC New York Color Liquid Lipshine for testing and review purposes from Influenster. When I first saw the color I was not impressed as it was not something I normally wear. I tried it and was first surprised by the scent. It was lovely. The applicator was nice and it felt good on my lips. Not sticky at all. I tried it alone at first and as expected it did not suit me at all. So I applied it after my lipstick and loved the way it looked. Here is some information on the product:

“Have you heard the gossip? There’s a new gloss in town! NYC New York Color Liquid Lipshine is getting headlines with seriously high-drama color at a seriously low price. Pure pigments give a 3-D effect that’s off-the-charts glossy. Tons of hot new shades, from preppy nudes to bold statement hues – all for less than your weekly fashion magazine.”

For more information see these links:

NYC New York Color Website:  (http://bit.ly/ZmNfMI)

Product Page (http://bit.ly/10cwV7v)

I would recommend this product.

 

Kiss Nail Dress

I received my complimentary Kiss Nail Dress in Babydoll from Influenster as part of their holiday VoxBox. I have been wanting to try this type of nail “polish” so I was excited to try it. I was somewhat hesitant though because of how flashy it was. I found it easy to apply and did not have to worry about it smudging. Here is some information about the product:

“Introducing Kiss® Nail Dress™, ultimate nail fashion for tips and toes! Just peel, apply, and shape for a manicure that lasts up to a week. On in minutes, off in seconds without remover. Nail Dress is available in 21 different styles, many of them featuring 3-dimensional jeweled designs. Check out Peplum, a deep silver with multi-colored gems for a pop of color, or Babydoll, for a golden and glamorous jeweled look. Skip the topcoat, Nail Dress has it built in.

With 28 strips in each package, you can cut up your extras to create designs that can be used on top of polished or artificial nails. Add some pizzazz and use with imPRESS® Press-On Manicure™ by Broadway Nails for the ultimate DIY manicure. Nail Dress doesn’t dry out the way other polish strips can, so you can save them to use on your next mani. A nail design booklet is included in each package, just in case you need a little inspiration.

And don’t forget about your feet! Nail Dress looks awesome on toes, too – just use the square side of the sticker for a perfect fit.

Kiss Nail Dress’ suggested retail is $6.99 and is available in all major drug chains and mass retailers like WalMart, CVS and Walgreens. Visit KissNailDress.com to learn more!”

Visit them at the following links:

Kiss website: http://bit.ly/SipR5S

Reviews: http://bit.ly/11cEdY7

If you need a fast way to have your nails looking glam, this is the way to go.

Goody QuikStyle Brush

I received a complimentary Goodie QuickStyle Brush through Influenster’s VoxBox program and I was very excited to try it. Styling my hair is not my favorite thing to do and so anything that can cut down on the time spent doing it gets my attention. Here is how the brush works:

“The GOODY® QUIKSTYLE™ Paddle brush works like a towel and brush in one. The super absorbent (and antimicrobial) microfiber removes 30% of water from wet hair to help speed your drying time!  You can effortlessly detangle right out of the shower and continue using it while you blow dry!”

I shampooed my hair and used the brush and true to the word it did remove the excess water. Unfortunately I found that more hair than normal was left in the brush than I would generally have if I used a detangling comb. I will not be using the brush again but as stated above it did serve its purpose which is to help remove water and speed up the drying time.

If you are interested in checking out this product see the following links:
Goody website: http://bit.ly/REp8ue
Goody Product Page: http://bit.ly/Sis8Oi

EBOOST Natural Energy

I am a mother to a little energizer bunny of a boy and I often find myself drained throughout the day. I am always looking for something to boost my energy and I have found that most of the products I try leave me with jitters. I received a complimentary Pink Lemonade EBOOST natural energy drink mix from Influenster and not only did it have a great flavor but it left me with long lasting energy, no jitters or that dreaded crash.

“EBOOST is a boost that does more.  It’s a mood boost, focus boost, natural boost, a no-crash boost that also supports the normal function of the immune system.

EBOOST uses real ingredients, stuff you’ve heard of like Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Green Tea, Vitamin B-12 and Folic Acid.  And the stuff you might not have heard of:  Quercetin, 5-HTP, Resveratrol, Huperzine-A — it’s all good too.  What could be sweeter than that?  Well, we even sweeten our product with Stevia, a plant, not a chemical.

What started as a celebrity secret for A-Listers like Madonna, Shakira, Oprah Winfrey and Amar’e Stoudemire is now a necessity for the multi-tasking generation.  We took the time to formulate a multi-purpose product that really works so you don’t have to waste time with mediocre products that sort of work.

Get your boost with the convenience of a shot, or an easy-to-mix powder packet in four delicious flavors:  Super Berry, Orange, Pink Lemonade and Acai Pomegranate.  No matter how you boost, you’re sure to feel great.  All day, every day.”

Visit EBOOST at http://bit.ly/WrjF6M or http://bit.ly/VQQ87d

I would definitely recommend this product.