Wordless Wednesday

Pear and Goat Cheese Pizza

Last night, I made a personal-sized pear and goat cheese pizza and it was sooo yummy.  (I also made a personal-sized pepperoni pizza for my hubby).  I had never heard of putting goat cheese and sliced pears together on a pizza before, but I am so glad that I gave it a try!  I got this amazing idea and recipe from E at Untilyoutri.  I always think that pizza and salad taste delicious together, so we had salad last night too.

Pear and Goat Cheese Pizza Recipe
(makes two small pizzas)

Ingredients for crust:
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons white sugar

Directions: 
Mix the yeast in the cup of warm water, and let sit until creamy (about 8 to 10 minutes). Then, combine all dry ingredients, and add in the remaining wet ingredients. Mix until a stiff dough forms, then cover the mixing bowl with a dish towel moistened in warm water and let the dough sit until it doubles in size (approximately 30 minutes).

When the dough has risen, take half of the dough and roll it into a crust shape on a well-floured surface. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the crusts (with no toppings) on a cookie sheet or pizza stone (I sprinkle a little corn meal to keep pizza from sticking to the sheet) in the oven for about 5 minutes, then remove and add toppings.

Ingredients for white pizza sauce:
Makes enough for two small to medium pizzas
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, or 1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced, or 1 tablespoon dry basil
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:
On medium heat, melt the butter in the bottom of a sauce pot. Add in flour and stir until blended, then slowly whisk in milk. Then add the remaining ingredients, stir, and turn off heat. The sauce will thicken as it stands.

Ingredients for pizza toppings (covers two small pizzas):
1 cup mozzarella (1/2 cup per pizza)
1 pear, thinly sliced
Goat cheese to taste (about 1/8-1/4 cup per pizza)
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions:
After spreading a thin layer of white pizza sauce on the crust, sprinkle with half of the mozzarella, half of the pear slices, and a sprinkle of goat cheese. Bake the pizza in at 350 degrees for another 15 minutes.

While the pizza is baking, put the 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar into a sauce pan over low to medium-low heat, and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly. Liquid should reduce to about 2 tablespoons (although mine was slightly more, but it still tasted good:). Be careful to keep the heat low and keep stirring the liquid, so it does not burn. When the pizza is finished, remove from the oven and drizzle with the balsamic reduction.

ENJOY!

Our Simple Yet Wonderful Weekend

We started the weekend out with a playdate with Ryan's friend, P.  The babies did a project with homemade edible fingerpaint while us mommies stood by and "encouraged" them.  The great thing is that even the littlest babies can use this paint, since it is non-toxic, made with only corn starch, water, and food coloring.  Ryan kept putting it in his mouth, and was uncertain about what else to do, but P had a good time!  She is 15 months old and always seems to be in a happy/fun mood.  They are so cute together and I think that Ryan really looks up to her.

I noticed that when this fingerpaint dries, it breaks apart into small pieces that start to come off the paper.  I'm not really sure why, or what that is actually called. (See picture below).  I originally planned on peeling off the felt letters (with the babies' names/ages) afterwards to reveal the white space underneath.  But it turns out that the paint has caked over the letters, making them impossible to unstick without ripping the paper.  It is interesting how craft projects don't always turn out how you first envision them, especially when babies are involved!

Ryan recently got a front-facing "big boy" stroller.  I love the bright, happy color of this new Peg Perego.  Up until last week, we were still using Ryan's carseat attached to the Graco stroller frame.

I have to admit that when we first brought the new stroller home, I was a little uncertain about it.  The Peg Perego strollers have something called a "freedom of movement" five point harness that allows the child to sit more comfortably in whatever position he/she wants.  When I saw how the shoulder straps come unattached to the back of the stroller, I was concerned that my active 10-month-old would be able to get himself out of it.

But after taking Ryan out for a long walk around the mall, I realize how much he really enjoys being in this stroller. The straps do keep him safely inside, and he can choose whether he wants to sit forward and drink his sippy cup, turn around to watch things, or lay back and rest.

Some positives about this stroller: it's lightweight enough for me to lift into the trunk by myself, easy to fold up with one hand, has a parent cup holder, baby tray, and a large space in the bottom to fit a diaper bag.  A few negatives: it is hard to push/turn when the baby is sitting all the way forward, there is no convenient place to put my keys, baby can reach out of the stroller to grab things easier than he could in a more restricting stroller.
     

Later this weekend, I got a chance to see my best girlfriends.  Since J is visiting from Ohio, we decided to get together for some girl time (which included eating cheesecake and celebrating J's birthday). Also, congrats to E for finishing grad school and best of luck to J and K, who will soon be applying for their residency and internship for next year. They are all such beautiful, intelligent ladies!