Paleo Pizza Take 2

I decided to make the paleo pizza crust again tonight (see BBQ Pork Paleo Pizza post). But tonight things were a little different....
I added freshly chopped basil into the crust instead of Italian seasoning
The toppings were completely different and utterly dee-viiine!

• 1 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, reduced 
• 5 slices prosciutto (best quality you can find)
• 1 medium yellow onion chopped
• 10 spears asparagus chopped into thirds
• 1 1/2 cups arugula
• 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola

To reduce balsamic...

Bring 1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low until balsamic reduces to about 1/2 cup. Drizzle onto crust after the primary baking, but before you place the other ingredients on. Crumble the Gorgonzola on last to kind of hold everything together.

Follow all the same instructions for baking and prepping and baking again...and enjoy!!

Once Upon a Time...

Once upon a time...

In a land far away...

In a time not so long ago...

Something amazing actually happened...

This land is a place called Italy...

In a little town called Bobbio Pellice...
In a big yellow building called Forterocca...

With a group of people called artists...

Who walked around in socks...

Frolicked in flowers...

Danced and sang in the woods at night...

Painted with their feet...

Used hair for art...

Made moss graffiti on stone houses...
Threw the most awesome birthdays ever...

Organized photo-shoots in the wilderness...

and 

Worshiped with the entire beings.

They became artists fully alive and awakened to who God created them to be...creators for the Creator's Kingdom...



And it really happened...

Once upon another time...

In another land far away...

In a time very, very long ago...

Something else amazing actually happened...

This land is a place called Israel...

And the man who the "something amazing" is all about is Jesus...

And he really lived...

He baptized...

He saw value and invited the lowest of society to follow him...

He turned water into wine...

He healed the broken and hurt...

He brought the dead to life...

He talked to masses, and he talked to a few...

He was honest, faithful, and merciful...

He ate, drank, and celebrated...

He also died...

Then he came back to life. 

And it really happened.

And because it happened...

Our lives can really happen...

And they all lived...really, really lived.

Mother's Day Meal

My mom is fantastic and we share quite a lot. No matter how much I tried to deny it over the years, there are many ways in which "I am my mother's daughter." And that's fine...I really like her...
So to help celebrate her, my dad and I made dinner tonight. We enjoyed a crisp Prosecco out on the back patio, table set with birds of paradise and the summer breeze blowing through..
For dinner we had...
Strawberry Cucumber Salad
serves 6 (yay leftovers!)

• romaine lettuce
• purple cabbage
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled
• about 10 strawberries, sliced
• 1 medium avocado
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Dressing...

• Pomegranate balsamic vinegar (if you can't find it, regular balsamic is also good)
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Rinse and chop lettuce, cabbage, cucumber, and strawberries. Throw in a large bowl. Just before serving add sliced avocado and crumbled blue. Dress to taste and enjoy! This is a really nice, light salad to enjoy on a summer evening...

Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus

serves 3-4 as a side

• 4 red potatoes, skin on
• 1 bunch asparagus
• chopped garlic (about 4 cloves)
• 2-3TBS. olive oil
• 6-7 sprigs fresh rosemary
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450F/230C. Line baking sheet with foil. Rinse and chop potatoes into cubes, about 1-1 1/2in. in size. Rinse and cut off woody ends of asparagus. Cut into three even pieces about 2in. in length. Place chopped potatoes and asparagus into a large freezer bag. Add garlic, olive oil, rosemary (left whole), and salt and pepper to bag. Tightly seal and give it a good mix around. Pour entire contents of bag onto baking sheet and bake at 450F/230C for about 25 minutes, checking during the baking process.

Apricot, Pistachio, and Sage stuffed Pork Loin

serves...way more than 3...

I don't know the exact ingredients, because my dad did this dish. But here is the basic idea...

Stuffing

• dried apricots, finely chopped
• raw pistachio meats
• sage
• white wine vinegar
• salt and pepper
• a few other seasonings and spices..

Marinate pork loin ahead of time. I think he used white wine, but I'm not sure what else. Mix all ingredients well (maybe in a food processor?). Preheat oven to 350F/180C. To stuff and bake, make a cut through the pork loin and open enough to stuff mixture inside. Once you've prepared it, place in glass baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for about an hour at 350F/180C. After this first hour, check for doneness. We had to bake ours for another 20 minutes, uncovered. It was extremely tender and the combination of spices with the sweetness of the apricots really complemented each other...

Now, go tell your mom that you love her. Sincerely, mom...you are loved!

Pre-Processing Meal

Ok this is only a little post to celebrate the first meal I made upon returning from Italy. I'll post a more lengthy, detailed version of the end of things in Italy plus getting smacked in the face with life post-Italy this week...just need time to (say it with me now!) PROCESS!!!! So here it is..a nice, refreshing salad to round out this stinkin' hot central valley day (after Olive got mad at me for not driving her and died in the heat on the side of the road..)

Clean and Fresh Summer Salad
makes one big salad
adapted from Detox Salad

• half broccoli crown
• half head cauliflower 
• 1 medium carrot
• 6 leaves kale, stems removed
• 1/4 cup raw, shelled sunflower seeds
• 1/4 raw, sliced almonds
• 1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries (or mixed berries of choice)
• 1 tsp. kelp powder
• juice from half of a lemon
• 1 TBS. rice vinegar
• 1 TBS. raw agave syrup
• salt and pepper to taste

Wash and rinse all of your ingredients. Cut broccoli and cauliflower into florets and place in food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, then place into a large bowl. Process carrots and kale together the same way, and add to bowl. Throw seeds, almonds, berries, and kelp powder into the bowl and stir gently to combine. Finally, pour on lemon, vinegar, agave, and salt and pepper. Give it a good mixing and enjoy! You'll feel quite refreshed afterwards, I promise :)