shaved asparagus pizza

March 26, 2015

shaved asparagus pizzaIf we are home on a Sunday I almost always try to make a double batch of pizza dough.  This is my best attempt at plan ahead meals.  A decent one at that considering we could eat homemade pizza every other day (okay, everyday).  Typically we top our pizza with whatever needs to be used before going bad and some mozzarella cheese.  Every now and then though there will be a not so subtle hint for certain combos.  Like when Sticky brought home two bunches of asparagus.  The man had a hankering for one of his favorite pizzas and I can’t say I blame him.  This asparagus pizza is outrageously delicious.

shaved asparagus pizza Shaving the asparagus is at first fun, and then a little tedious, but well worth all of the effort.  Be sure not to break off the tough end that you typically would when making asparagus.  You need that guy for your “handle” while shaving.

I have always used a regular vegetable peeler and it works just fine, but I think one shaped like a “Y” would be even better.  (The mandolin I would avoid, don’t even entertain such a thought.)  Also, no worries if the shavings are inconsistent in depth and length.  The diversity will give your pizza a fantastic texture.

shaved asparagus pizzaWe firmly believe that the reason this pizza is so dang good is because nothing outshines the asparagus.  There are definitely little adjustments you can make as far as toppings go, just be sure not to overpower that green mound of heaven you slaved over.

shaved asparagus pizza shaved asparagus pizzaYou will be tempted to pull this guy out of the oven as soon as you smell that dough mingling with the roasted asparagus.  Drink a beer, do a dance, make out with someone – whatever it takes to not open that oven.  Wait until the crust is golden and the cheese has just started to brown.  This is the point of pizza perfection.

shaved asparagus pizza shaved asparagus pizzaRoasted, slightly crunchy asparagus on a bed of melted cheese and crispy, warm, olive-oily crust.  Finished with just spritz of lemon.  This is spring in pizza form.

Enjoy!

brandyjsig

 

 

4.0 from 1 reviews
shaved asparagus pizza
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 unbaked 12" pizza dough
  • 1 bunch of asparagus
  • ¼cup grated Parmesan
  • 4oz mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 2tsp olive oil
  • ½tsp coarse salt
  • ½tsp black pepper
  • ½tsp red pepper flake
  • ¼ red onion thinly sliced
  • ½ fresh lemon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven 500degrees. Stretch or roll pizza dough to a 12" round. Place on a pan dusted with flour or cornmeal.
  2. Shave asparagus with a vegetable peeler and place shaving in medium bowl (do not snap off the tough ends - those are your handles for shaving). Toss shavings with olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flake.
  3. Top dough with parmesan and then mozzarella. Next add onion and then pile asparagus on top. Bake in oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese begins to brown.
  4. Immediately after pulling out of oven squeeze fresh lemon juice on top. Slice and devour!

 

 

Posted in brunch, recipes, vegetarian, what's cooking | Tagged | 3 Comments

carrot coffee cake

March 25, 2015

carrot coffee cakeI love cake, especially those that are named carrot.  But it can’t be dry and the carrots absolutely must be the star (yeah, I’m talking to you raisin).   We often see carrot cake in double layer form, but that’s not something I am apt to make at home.  If a double layer cake doesn’t turn out you have wasted a good chunk of your life between the prep and mess.  That’s no fun for anyone.  This is why I prefer a good ol’ coffee cake.  One layer, minimal icing (if any) and there is usually a streusel topping involved.  Plus it was invented to go with your coffee.  It’s basically breakfast food.  Fool proof, easy to devour breakfast food.

carrot coffee cakeAs a child I was certain coffee was actually in coffee cake.  I can remember sitting at my granny’s dining room table thinking I was big stuff eating my caffeine laced dessert.  She never told me any differently…she’s pretty awesome like that.  Whoever decided there needed to be a cake specifically for coffee is pretty awesome as well.

carrot coffee cake carrot coffee cakeThere will always be a debate when it comes to carrot cake.  Some people like raisins.  Others gag at the thought.  I need the crunch from a walnut – this would make my brother in law cringe (you’re weird Chuck).  But one thing most of us agree on is that carrot cake must absolutely be moist.  And cream cheese frosting needs to be involved.  This version delivers on both counts.

carrot coffee cake carrot coffee cakeFor obvious reasons carrot cake is considered a springtime dessert.  (This would make a perfect addition to your upcoming Easter brunch.)  But let’s not let a bunny sway us to believe that after April 5th any and all carrot cake making ends till next year.  It’s a dessert that can and should be enjoyed year round.  I know I will be enjoying this again and again.

xo,

brandyjsig

 

 

 

carrot coffee cake
 
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Author:
Serves: 9
Ingredients
  • For the cake:
  • 1½cups flour
  • 2tsp baking powder
  • ½tsp fine salt
  • 1tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¾cup sugar
  • ¼cup vegetable oil
  • 1 large egg
  • ½cup milk
  • 2cups shredded carrots, patted dry
  • For the streusel:
  • ½cup brown sugar
  • 2tbsp flour
  • 2tsp cinnamon
  • 2tbsp butter, melted
  • ¾ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
  • For the icing:
  • 1tbsp unsalted butter. softened
  • 2oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • ¾cup powdered sugar
  • ½tsp vanilla extract
  • 2tbsp milk
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven 350 degrees. Grease and lightly floor a 9" round or square pan.
  2. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together in a medium bowl.
  3. In a large bowl stir together sugar, vegetable oil, egg and milk. Add the dry ingredients and combine until just combined. Stir in shredded carrots.
  4. With the now empty medium bowl (that they dry ingredients were in) add the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, butter and walnuts (if using). Stir until combined.
  5. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Spread evenly and then top with streusel. Bake in oven for 25-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Allow to cool completely in pan.
  6. While cake is cooling beat butter and cream cheese together with hand mixer. Slowly add sugar until well combined. Add the vanilla and beat a little more. If you like thick frosting stop here, if you want more of a glaze add milk until you reach desired consistency (one tbsp at a time).
  7. Ice cake (I used a sandwich bag to "drizzle" icing over cake) and enjoy!

 

Posted in breakfast, brunch, Easter, holidays, recipes, something sweet | Tagged | 1 Comment

road bump

March 24, 2015

A couple of weeks ago I was walking around as proud as a peacock over my workout routine.  Then just like that the exercise gods were less than impressed by my cockiness and cursed me with a cold.  But not just any cold.  No, no, no, no, no… This was by far the nastiest cold of my existence.  My head pounded, stomach ached and nothing, I mean nothing, tasted good.  The worst of it was the fatigue – all my limbs felt as if they were made of jello.  Everyday for about a week the cold strengthened, which in turn made staying on that workout routine more difficult.

avoid_derailment_1The good news is I was determined not to allow the cold to be my excuse for falling off the tracks.  The bad news it was nearly impossible for me to accomplish what I do when normally healthy.  Typically at the end of a workout I feel good.  Really good.  Those workouts though, they were different.  I felt disappointment in myself.  What is the point if I am only doing half as much?  It felt like I had taken 5 steps forward and then 7 back.  A really annoying mind game that can squash motivation in an instant.

These are the times we need to remind ourselves to take it easy.  Be patient.  Let our bodies heal.  I kept thinking “I just need to get on that treadmill and sweat this crap out of me” but physically it wasn’t going to happen.  What did get an extra workout that week was my mind power.  It would have been easy to allow the negative thoughts to take over and in turn do zero exercising.  That zero exercising would have only caused more ugly thoughts towards myself.  A vicious path that only leads to one destination – derailment.

So yes, for a few days my workouts were pretty wimpy.  But that’s okay.  By the second day of feeling back to myself, so did the workouts.  In fact shortly after the cold left so did Sticky for work.  This meant I really had to prioritize and make sure I got that workout in with two littles on my own over the weekend.  As you can see Bingham loves to watch mommy do her thing…

PicTapGo-Image

 (Before judgement begins I swear he didn’t start looking this pathetic until the cool down part of the video.  It’s like he’s sad Jillian is over and everyone is done jumping around.  Or maybe it’s his look of sympathy for his tired and sweaty mom.  Regardless he’s darn cute.)

Illness, injury, travel, that extra piece of chocolate cake…all can cause one to veer in the wrong lane.  It’s a mind game to not succumb to these road bumps.  And another goal worth accomplishing in your path to feeling awesome.

Keep moving!  I will be too…

brandyjsig

 

Posted in health & fitness | Tagged | Leave a comment

what the pants…

March 23, 2015

For some women that postpartum haze is gone by the time they go in for their follow up obgyn visit.  There are even a few freaks of nature out there who could throw their skinniest of skinny jeans on and happily host a houseful of people within a week of childbirth.  (They must have unicorn hormones and a uterus made out of memory foam.)  Then there are people like me.  My haze holds on for dear life the entire duration of nursing.  It’s not that I am depressed, or hate my life or want to kill my husband or anything.  It’s just this constant nagging oddness that doesn’t go away until a few weeks after nursing is done.  The good news is I buy pretty much nothing for myself except easy access nursing tops and discount sweatpants.  The bad news is I have been wearing those tops and sweatpants for months – and you know what Eva Mendes says about those sweatpants…(Sorry, couldn’t help myself.)

Being a few weeks post nursing I am so eager to buy something new for my closet that doesn’t involve the words stretch or knit or “this can easily be lifted and a baby thrown under”.  To be honest with you though guys, I am not feeling this season.  Like at all.  Not even a little.

First off, I have no plans of going to Coachella which pretty much rules out half of what’s being shown for spring.  Second of all, what the hell is with the pants?  It’s like the designers got together and said “let’s use every pant anyone has ever made fun of and make them the trend for 2015.”  Not cool.

Alright, maybe I am being cynical.  Or maybe I am turning into a fuddy duddy.  So be it.  Regardless let’s talk about these pants – starting with the palazzos.

Okay, at first glance I absolutely hated these.  But as I was putting the below graphic together they started to grow on me.  An easy breezy summer pant.  Especially good for a beach vacation.  My apologies to the palazzo…I guess you’re not so bad.

spring 2015 pants1New York & Company paisley palazzo/2Forever 21 kaleidoscope palazzo/3H&M wide leg pant

Next up, culottes.  Yes, I said culottes.  Here’s the thing about culottes – they are super wide and cropped at the largest part of the calf.  AKA, hard to wear.  If you are 5’10”, size 2 with itty bitty ankles culotte away!  The rest of us really need to shop around before braving this trend.  Again, these grew on me a little more after I looked into them, but I’m not saying they will find their way into my wardrobe.

spring 2015 pants1Nasty Gal culottes/2Forever 21 linen culottes/3ASOS culottes

Oh but did I save the best for last.  Ladies you can now purchase yourself some trendy mom jeans.  Yep.  Mom Jeans.  They are literally called “mom jeans”.  Isn’t that fabulous news?  I mean who doesn’t want an extra long flat booty and shapeless hips?  I feel uncomfortable looking at these.  In case you haven’t guessed these did not grow on me, and never will.  (#1 is a skinny, destroyed version – still doesn’t do it for me.)

spring 2015 pants1ASOS slim mom jeans/2H&M mom jeans/3Forever 21 mom jeans

So ladies, I want to know what you think about this season of pants.  (And who’s rocking the mom jeans?)

xo,

brandyjsig

Posted in style, trends | Tagged | 3 Comments

bunny party inspiration

March 20, 2015

Hip, hop, hooray!  Could there be a sweeter party theme than a bunny rabbit?  I think not.  Last month I listed a brand new bunny invite design in the PPJ Shop and much to my delight it has been a hit.  I’m kind of obsessed with this adorable bunny head and polka dots, makes my heart sing to know others love it too:

bunny party inspirationWhen it comes to themed birthday parties I really do not think there is such a thing as overdoing it with the details.  Every little something you add will impress your guests and make you look like you have some serious event skills.  Details do not have to be difficult.  I think half the battle is figuring out exactly which ones you want to pull off.  Here’s some inspiration in case you are contemplating a hip hop-pity bunny celebration:

bunny party inspiration1bunny dress/2polka dot bunny cake/3bunny napkin tutorial/4diy bunny headband/5spring inspired cookie cutter set/6marshmallow bunny tails

You can also find coordinating party printables in the PPJ Shop to really pull your bunny’s celebration together!  These add a ton of impact with very little effort.  A great way to set your party apart.

bunny party inspirationI’ve got one more tip for anyone planning a bunny party.  Shop now.  Even if your party is not until September.  Why?  Because Easter is a couple weeks away and bunnies are a plentiful this time of year.  Target’s Dollar Spot in particular is an excellent place to find find favors and decor.

Here’s to fantastic weekend and super cute parties!

Cheers!

brandyjsig

Posted in etsy shop, let's celebrate | Tagged | Leave a comment