The Last 48 Hours

It is my final countdown to 30. While it is hard to believe my roaring 20's will soon be over, I must say that it isn't so bad. I realized that in the last ten years I am in a much better place. For instance, I'm married, have a house, and I have a job. I have a suitable car that gets me around and I'm much more responsible. Not to mention the fact that I am much more comfortable in my skin. Now, I really could kick myself for every thinking I was "fat" ten years ago because it really wasn't responsible. My thinking has changed and I really try to do what is best for my body because I like my liver and want to be around for my husband and children.

Now for the good stuff. Because I've learned in my life that you can have really good stuff without starving. One of my favorite comforts, pizza. I think if I ever own a restaurant someday, I will serve pizza. Especially, these guys:

Recipe #1- Spiced Pear Flatbread w/ Goat Cheese and Mustard Cream
Adapted from Bon Appetit September, 2009 Woodberry Kitchen


Mustard Cream:
6 T. heavy whipping cream
3 T. dijon mustard
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 t. honey

Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl. I whipped the cream using an electric mixer until it had soft peaks and then folded the rest of the ingredients in until combined. This will act as your sauce.

Spiced Pear Topping:
2 ripe Bosc pears sliced thin
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
Salt
Pepper
2 C. fresh baby spinach
8 oz. crumbled goat cheese

Flatbread:
1 package pizza crust mix
1/2 C. warm water

Follow the directions on the package for the mix. I used a generic Hy-Vee brand and rolled the dough out very thin into a 12" disk. Bake the crust for 5-7 minutes or until very light brown. Remove from the oven and spread the mustard cream and add the toppings. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Recipe #2- Sicilian Sausage Stuffed Pizza
Adapted from Weight Watchers Pizza, Pizza cookbook


1/2 lb. Italian chicken sausage (I use the Isserino brand. You can find this at Super Target)
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 package 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1/4 C. Parmesan cheese
2 packages pizza dough mix (make two separate crusts following package directions)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Spray nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Cook sausage until lightly browned; transfer to a bowl. Add the mushrooms and onion to the skillet. Cook until mushrooms are golden. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the mushroom mixture to the sausage and let cool for 5 minutes. Then, stir in the cream cheese and Parmesan until thoroughly mixed.

Roll out one disk of dough for the bottom crust in a 12" circle. Spread the filling onto the dough. Leave 3/4 of an inch from the edge. Brush the outer edge with water.

Roll out the second disk of dough into a 12" inch circle. Place on top of the filling. Press the edges together to seal. I pulled the bottom crust and folded the top crust to make somewhat of a braid. Cut 5 2" slits in to the top of the dough to let the steam out while baking. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden. Let the pizza cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. I served my pizza with a side of marinara.

Enjoy!