Grilled Pizza Night (w/ a spectacular new dessert...)

time for you to vote on which one would YOU eat...
 


*edit: how could i fail to include the dip we made! no picture, sorry.

some hints for grilling: not too hot otherwise the bottom chars, smaller pies for easier placement and removal of pies 

a close up of the spinach, onions, and feta w/ fresh-picked basil leaves! 

an official favorite: smoked salmon, capers, and carmelized onions on top of cream cheese. with dill and freshly ground pepper 

here's M. our official pizza cutter in action, workin' on the last pie. 

and let us NEVER forget dessert: s'more coffee ice cream cake. this was only the first try. the next time it'll be better... 

several feastings behind. so sorry. this is from Tuesday night. here we are: first official chinese dinner out. the usual nine dishes. hong fu's is innovative, delicious, and repeatable. 


and of course...dessert! little mice filled w/ red bean paste. tasty! 

Highlights of an End of 1st Year Pizza Celebration... 8 pies, with only three pics for balloting. next time i have to delegate someone to take pictures...

at any rate, highest honors goes to this pesto, tomato, provolone pizza.


1 dessert pie...

Apple Walnut Cinnamon pizza 

and here is the last pie:

 
with almost 20 people, only a single square was left over. a tasty, tasty game. sorry i couldn't present all 8 pies for viewing pleasure... 


and the finishing touch to the night, another crazy huge loaf of banana bread, with chocolate chips! i left it out and this morning, a third of it was already gone. 

and now that i'm home...let's eat all this here!

this must be one of the worst desserts i've ever eaten. and even though I had my doubts i had to eat it because it's part of a research study. this piece is titled: Chocolate PB Cake, batch 2: 30 gm. thankfully, tomorrow it's not on the menu. 

one more brunch, one more week of classes...


we split our order because they both appealed to us. tell me, how're you going to turn down smoked salmon, caper cream cheese, haricot verts wrapped in a two egg omelette with whole wheat toast and home fries...dear Jesus, have mercy. 


so this was a STUPENDOUS dish of wheat-germ encrusted croissant french toast w/ raspberry sauce and lemon mousse. included was a side of two eggs and bacon. 

and there was some very tasty pizza eatin' at the Low's, but there are no pictures of that...sorry, folks. but next time, salmon and cream cheese as a topping is being seriously considered...

i have been SCHOOLED. look at A's stupendously beautiful salad. I was filled with beans, salsa, AVOCADO!!, cottage cheese, and romaine. to make things even better, i sat on the couch and watched Rachel Rae make risotto, grill lettuce, and whip together a stupendous walnut dip. What a miraculous appliance is the food processor... 

NO MORE STUDYING! you know it's coming to a head when i bake in the middle of week...introducing peanut butter crisscrosses according to the King Arthur Flour Baking Book again...
except that i STILL have no vanilla extract. so i just left it out. and i didn't have any shortening, so i just used margerine...what's a poor, starving student to do? otherwise i simply halved the recipe. the chew is perfect. and next time...CRUNCHY peanut butter! 

1 stick of SOLID FAT ;)
1/2 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of peanut butter
1 egg
(and here's where the vanilla should've gone, i never measure vanilla, so i dunno how much)

then i sifted together and added the following
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1/4 tsp of salt

Oven at 350: 10-12 minutes. my oven took the extra two minutes. i would make these again.

ice cream and banana bread. this didn't taste as great as the last time we tried this adventure...it wasn't as sweet. on another note, the loaf is practically GONE... 

a ginormous loaf of banana bread per my roommate's request as her bananas were depreciating rapidly in the humidity and heat. (no, steph, i did not buy bananas, but you cannot let bananas go to waste...think of the starving children...)

 


I used the recipe from the King Arthur Flour Baking Book. It was a STUPENDOUS present. there were just a few ingrediants that I didn't have on hand.

You start w/...
1 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of vegetable oil (i used canola)
2 large eggs

Then...
1 cup of mashed bananas (i used three; two is ok, apparently)
1 tsp of vanilla extract (i used lemon extract instead)

this is supposed to be whisk and sifted together:
2 2/3 cups of flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

after dumping that in all at once, and only stir til it's JUST mixed up
Add: 1 cup of yogurt

and after that's just mixed in, pour into a greased and floured loaf pan (i didn't flour mine, HORRORS.)

350 for the oven. If it browns at 40 minutes, put an aluminum tent over it. and it should bake for an hour. I had to extend my baking time 15 minutes. poke it w/ a sharp object and it should come out clean. Make sure you hit bottom. I used the biggest loaf pan ever and it STILL was huge.

It is recommended that it be eaten w/ ice cream on top or toast it w/ cream cheese. I have a mind to try french toast. or make these into muffins.

a fine ending to a tasty meal... i fished the lemon outta the water and wiped the orchid clean and brought it home to grace my room. It's lovely. i wish i could i have fresh flowers every week. ok, i'll take the discards... 

sunday brunch at sneakers! they don't close until three! it was MARVELOUS. i want all the waffles i eat afterwards to be like this one 

and to balance out a day that began w/ a FINE breakfast (see post below), a tasty salad to tie up a nerdy day of studying. I'm working on perfecting the fine art of making a tasty salad. newest lesson, dried fruit in salad is really a very pleasant perk. 

Saturday brunch at Shelburne Farm: Cinnamon Raisin O-bread French toast. They make their own whipped cream. their own JERSEY cows. it was deliciously tasty. 

EOMEOTE #7!

this is what's left, after i come back from a weekend away at a lovely, and tasty wedding. So...

left over pieces of my own made up sourdough, which goes REALLY nicely with jalopeno cheese. Some shredded mozzerella to melt on top of a a fried egg. grapes just to be purty and off set the spiciness of the cheese. more grapes would've worked well...o well...still highly edible. :D 


and just for kicks...