Pull apart Pizza

I recently tried this great recipe for Pull Apart Pizza from Six Sisters Stuff. They have great kid and family friendly recipes. As Millie grows older I am really concerned that she learn to be a good eater. My parents made us eat everything and now I love almost everything and am willing to try almost anything. I find myself give Millie the same basic food all the time. So I started recipe hunting. Millie tends to be a little apprehensive about new things.. food, shoes, swimming lessons, big slides. I knew I had to find something that had aspects of her favorite foods. She loves cheese and ketchup in particular these days. So this recipe totally jumped out at me!
I would say it turned out pretty well. Millie still isn't sure she loves it but she will eat it. I call that success. :) I did have to cook it a good 20 mins longer than called for but my oven tends to do that. And baking it longer made the outside edges really dark but otherwise the middle wasn't done. I also froze about half of it and it's re-heated well.

Pepperoni Pizza Pull-Apart Bread (a.k.a. Monkey Bread)
Adapted from: Copy-Kat Recipes
Ingredients:
-3 cans refrigerated biscuits (each cans should have 10 biscuits)
-1 (24-26 oz) jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (we love Prego Traditional)
-1 (6-8 oz) package of pepperoni
-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
-1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
-Other favorite pizza toppings: green peppers, olives, onions, cooked ham, cooked sausage, etc

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Open canned biscuits and cut into quarters and place into a large bowl. Pour spaghetti sauce on top of biscuit pieces and add Italian seasoning. Mix all together. Then add about 3/4 of the pepperoni pieces (reserving 1/4 to put on top) and 1 cup of cheese and stir well. Pour the pizza pieces into a greased 9x13" baking dish (check out my cute helper! She did the stirring and the dumping into the bowl). Sprinkle remaining cheese, pepperoni, and other toppings on the top of pizza. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the biscuits are fully cooked. They will be slightly firm when you press down on them.

Shellac nails

I can't believe it! On Saturday, I used my Living Social deal to get a mani and pedi. I got a shellac french mani. I never get manicures. Never. One time I went in to a salon to get a french manicure for a special occasion and they wouldn't do it. They said my nails were too short and brittle. Thanks. Just take my money people.
So I never get manicures because they chip immediately, and so it's not worth the money. But my shellac nails are still perfect. Perfect! It's been 5 days!
Yippee! I love it and totally recommend it.

Worst blogger. Ever.

I am so bad at this. It's just so hard to decide what to write about so I don't at all. I'm so aware that whatever I share is out there for anyone to see. I'm not so sure I want to share my family or my personal thoughts with everyone and their dog.
And I don't have an amazing hobby or at home business I can talk about.
I take horrible pictures too. And that seems to be important because I know I'm less likely to keep reading a blog without nice pictures.
I don't want to just link to and share other peoples projects even though I enjoy reading boots and browsing Pinterest.
And I always want to change my layout or design. There are so many cute options! So I get caught up more in that than actual posting.
When it comes down to it, I do have opinions about life. Lots of them. But I just don't think so highly of myself to think that everyone should listen to them. And maybe I'm a little afraid of mean comments too. Believing in right and wrong isn't very popular or worldly these days.

So hi. Maybe I'll post again in another 6 months. :)

NYC Food Tour

 This fall we took a trip to NYC. Earlier this year, Southwest had an amazing sale and we took advantage! Our NYC trip pretty much revolved around food. We made one of our resturant reservations before we made our hotel reservation! :) My sweet hubby is a total foodie and I love to enjoy all his picks. He always picks the best places and proves me wrong when I'm skeptical.

Clinton Street Bakery
   This was the only day we made it out for breakfast and it was fantastic! I am not exactly a morning person. So between my slow going and trying to figure out the subway on our first day, we had breakfast at about 11am. I started with a super chocolatey mug of hot chocolate. It started raining-- link and I was already cold so this hot chocolate was the perfect remedy. And is was so rich! I love me some chocolate so this thick and creamy beverage was right up my alley. For the main.course I ordered their famous pancakes. Best. Ever. Even better than Cracker Barrel. Now I know this is hardly a fair comparison but I really like the nice crispy buttermilk outside and soft inside of Cracker Barrel pancakes. J ordered a delicious omelet and bottomless coffee. 

Babbo

   We had to call a month in advance to get in here! This is one of Chef Mario Batalli's 5-star returants. And they take reservations only a month ahead. J called exactly a month before our trip and after an hour of redialing, got thru and we had to rsvp at either 5:30pm or 8:30pm. So we had to eat at 5:30pm. But it worked out well because we also took in a Broadway show--link that night. This is the most expensive and the best meal I've ever eaten! We had Warm Lamb’s Tongue Vinaigrette, Pig Foot “Milanese”, Goose Liver Ravioli, Black Spaghetti, Grilled Pork Chop, and Olive Oil Geliato.

Russ & Daughters
    Bagel
Scheshwan Gourmet
  Chinese
Shake Shack

   Burgers and chocolate shake
Katz's Deli

   Pastrami sandwich
Totto Ramen
   Ramen.. to die for.
I think I'm going to have to seriously consider going on a diet now.

Celebrating Halloween?

I have long been conflicted about celebrating Halloween. I grew up not participating in Halloween in any way. I am perfectly fine with that and do not feel like I missed out at all. It was rather easy, in fact. We lived in the country and so no one came knocking on our door anyhow. Now my family and I live in town and I find there are more aspects to consider about Halloween. We have neighbors that are going to come knocking on our door whether we have our light on or not, I realized when we first moved in. That year I wasn't prepared and had to give out candy bars to our new neighbors. :) oops! Though I don't like Halloween, I do love to give. (It's one of my favorite things about Christmas.) So even before we had kids, we decided that we would definitely turn on our light and hand out candy and be friendly. We needed the opportunity to see our neighbors more! Now that we have a child of our own, the questions only grow. This year we will be handing out candy and if Millie would like to dress up, she can. I always loved dressing up as a kid. Halloween or not, imagination and dressing up is always encouraged at our house!
I will always be opposed to the dark, sinful aspects of Halloween. And for now, we choose not to go trick or treating.
Do you trick or treat? Do your kids? Did you as a kid?

Here are a couple articles from Focus on the Family president Jim Daly I've read recently on the subject..

Halloween and Christianity
Halloween: Trick or Treat or Abstain?
He makes some very good observations and the comments are also quite interesting, good and entertaining. :) 

Beauty of a NE sunset

Thursday Thoughts on Romans

Today I started reading through Romans via a reading plan on my YouVersion Bible app. It's supposed to be a 8 day plan. I am sure I won't finish in that short of a time frame but I intend to do at least a chapter a day.
I've always loved the book of Romans. There are so many bold verses! Paul speaks so strongly about Christ and what being a Christian is all about. He doesn't mince words.. my kinda guy. :) I was blessed to study Romans at Bible college and it only deepened my convictions. And I haven't read entirely through this book since then.
After only the first day and the first two chapters, I am encouraged and convicted. Here are a couple verses that jumped out at me...

Romans 1:24-25 NKJV, especially verse 25.
Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
   I always have heard that line about worshipping the Creator rather than the creation and didn't know it was actually a verse.

Romans 2:29 NKJV
but  he is  a Jew who  is one  inwardly; and circumcision  is that  of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise  is not from men but from God.
   Beautiful picture and such a convincing reminder.

Wow. I love how any time I read the Word, I'm moved and encouraged. What have you been reading and learning?