So, What Have You Been Cooking Lately?

I get asked that question a lot! As of late I haven't had much "reason" to cook in that it is official now...we are empty nesters! If I talk about it too much I'll start to cry so let's keep moving!

We had a nice long weekend at the beach for our Anniversary and needless to say we ate out a lot! My shorts are uncomfortable today so that proves it! 

Once we unpacked I did my usual grocery store run but I still didn't feel any inspiration....until I spotted the "home made" pizza dough in the bakery section! 

Kudos to whoever thought that up because it is truly delicious! 

I tried the multi grain dough for the first time and I am already craving it again! 
(oh wait...I get to have leftovers tonight!)

I hope you'll give this a try!
 Let me know what you think of it! 

I started the toppings by sautéing the mushrooms in a little bit of Olive Oil for just a minute or two!

Then I quickly added the baby spinach

I only stirred it around for a second because in no time at all it had shrunk to almost nothing!

I cut up the grilled chicken into bite size pieces

I spotted this new pizza sauce and decided to give it a try! It looked really good but I still wanted a splash of the real stuff so I mixed them. I did...I admit it!

If you will let the pizza dough sit out and come to room temperature it is MUCH easier to handle!

Here is the Artichoke sauce

Then I added the regular pizza sauce

Topped it with some parmesan cheese

I added the chicken and then the vegetables came next

I love sliced Roma tomatoes on a pizza!

The fresh mozzarella is one of my most favorite parts!

Then I topped it all off with the 6 Cheese Blend they make for pizzas

Baked it at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes and then I turned the heat up to 400 degrees to finish it off! Mainly because I was hungry! 

Hope you Enjoy!

Mushroom, Spinach and Chicken Pizza

1 Multi Grain pizza crust

1-2 T Olive Oil 

1 jar of Reese Artichoke Pizza Sauce

1/4-1/2 Cup regular pizza sauce

2 grilled chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces

( ours was marinated in greek spices)

1 Cup grated parmesan cheese-divided

1 small carton sliced fresh mushrooms, washed and drained

1 6oz. bag Baby Spinach, stems removed

4-5 Roma tomatoes, sliced thinly and drained on paper towels

Sliced fresh mozzarella cheese

Italian 6 Cheese Blend

red pepper flakes if desired

Place pizza dough on a greased pizza pan. Sauce the mushrooms for 2 minutes in the olive oil and then add the baby spinach. Stir until mixed in and remove from heat. Lay out on paper towels and squeeze out the excess liquid as best as you can. Top the prepared crust with desired sauces. Add 1/4 C of the parmesan cheese. Top with the grilled chicken, the spinach and mushroom mixture and the sliced tomatoes. Next tear of the mozzarella and distribute evenly and top with all of the Italian 6 cheese blend. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes and then turn heat up to 400. Bake until done. Let sit for a minute before slicing. 

Bon Apetit! 

The Sweetest Things Sunday…"Did We Just Have An Anniversary?"

This Sunday I really don't have any one particular thing to write about….I'm very thankful that we got to help Holly and Brad find a house in New Orleans, I'm very glad that Miller came home this weekend  after only being gone for a week and I'm extremely grateful that I got to share a 29th Anniversary with my best friend and husband!
Happy 29th Anniversary, Jim!

What more could I ask for? Well, the only thing I can think of is that I wish I could've seen Mitch and Britney and my precious Layton!

Other than that…it's been a great week getting back in the groove so to speak and learning how to cope with this new life that we seem to have been forced into! The life of being an 'Empty Nester'!

Which makes me begin to question what an Empty Nester really is? I haven't googled it except to try and find a few cute pics for my blog…that wasn't fun at all! They were all very elderly people that looked like they could be my grandparents and didn't seem to fit my description of what I think an Empty Nester should look like! In my mind when I hear the phrase Empty Nester I will admit that my first thought is sadness! Why? I'm not quite sure except that it means change and I don't like change!

 Other than that…I don't really know why I'm sad because I pretty much enjoy a quiet, very straight, peaceful house when I come home from the shop! I also enjoy being able to make a tiny dinner if I want to or just running to pick up something at the very last minute. I really enjoy just sitting on the sofa with my husband of 29 years and watching what ever we feel like watching on tv! I REALLY love being able to go to bed whenever I feel like it and not fretting too much over curfews. I love getting up when I want to and exercising or not…if I WANT to! And besides that….as Miller said as he was heading back to Auburn today…

"See, we do come back"! And he is oh, so right!

 He was such fun this weekend…all one and half days we were with him! We drove in from New Orleans Saturday at 2:00 and he was here by 2:30….we spent the afternoon with him, took him and precious Sarah out to dinner, went to church on Sunday and by the time we got home, ate lunch and I made food to send back it was time for me and Jim to go to dinner for our "official" Anniversary dinner! Mind you, we've just returned from New Orleans where one is NEVER hungry thanks to the over abundance of spectacular food but nonetheless, we went to dinner to celebrate! 

 As Miller headed back to the Plains it hit me that yet another week is ahead of me that I will have to get used to…it's always something! Now, Holly and Brad are returning to live with us for almost a month before he takes on the position of owning his own store with Chick Fil A. After that I see visions of moving them again…and decorating their cute new home!

( it's the one in the middle!)

 So, my life as an Empty Nester was really quite short lived….I should have savored it, I suppose!

 Oh well, surely after 29 years we can roll with the punches so to speak!

I don't have an actual recipe this Sunday…I'm too tired to be "sweet"! But I will show you all of the incredible desserts that were compliments of John Besh and his AMAZING restaurants in New Orleans…one being Domenica and the other, Restaurant August. They were all divine!!!

Hope you've had a great weekend and that your week ahead will be filled with joy! That's what I need for sure! His joy that can see me through even the emotions of being a new Empty Nester!