Happy Tuesday all! I don’t really know what to call today since Biggest Loser is on break…any ideas? Happy it’s not Monday?! Happy Hump Day Eve? Happy Monday +1?! LOL. Hmmm, I never really gave it all that much thought til now.
Monday ~ I did spin class and today was an unwanted rest day because….
I somehow managed to get a HUGE muscle knot under my shoulder blade and attempted to rub it out with my foam roller last night. I do NOT recommend this at all ~ OMG ~ it was awful. I couldn’t move my neck or back all night. So, I busted out my Tiger Balm patches and took some Motrin ~ My shoulder is still really sore today, but, I hope it gets better soon ~ I have some GYM dollar days to earn 😀
Since I have A LOT to catch up on, I am going to do my best to stick to pictures & not too many words. Think I can do it???? Probably not, but, here it goes 🙂
ADDICTED ~ TJ’s Whole Wheat Sour Dough + Laughing Cow+ POM Jam (3.5 pts).
Plus deliciously sweet watermelon & cantaloupe. 1 1/3 cups for 1 point
MMMMM….repeat # 5 million and it never gets old.
My FAVORITE NEW Trail Mix at Trader Joe’s ~ Nutty American Trek Mix.
Only 3 points a serving ~ weigh it, don’t measure it, you get more!
I LOVE EVERY ingredient and wouldn’t change a thing.
But, really it was the HUGE CHOCOLATE CHUNKS that sold me on it.
1 delicious 3 point serving ~ that’s a lot, huh?!
Another lunch repeat ~ I heart Amu Lu’s Chicken Burgers + Spicy Black Bean, Chipotle Harissa Hummus & Chile Lime Corn Tortillas (4.5 pts)
Crunchy Spicy Peanut Salad (Mixed Greens + TJ’s Spicy Peanut Dressing + Sesame Cajun Sticks) (2 pts)
My co-worker offered up some Meyer Lemon Crisp Cookies she bought at Trader Joe’s. I should’ve NEVER looked at the nutritionals because you get NINE for 3 pts (150 cal). No worries, I went back for my other 5 after I ate these 🙂
The cookies did NOTHING for my hunger so I had my planned snack of Cabot plus Olive Oil/Rosemary Triscuits (3 pts)
Dinner last night was AWESOME, but, I need to tweek a few things with the recipe. There was a lot more moisture than I thought there should be, but, I am sure it had to do with the fresh mozzarella having water in it that is release when it cooks. Maybe that’s why you only see patches of fresh mozzarella cheese on a pizza in restaurants 🙂
* I’d slice my fresh mozzarella thinner and use less
* I’d use LESS fresh tomatoes
* I am not sure if I’d add as much or exclude the fresh pizza sauce…maybe the tomatoes should be the sauce?
I started off using Trader Joe’s Garlic & Herb Pizza Dough. Make sure you poke holes all over the crust to keep it from bubbling up.
I had originally planned on making this Pizza Margherita from the May 2010 issue of Cooking Light. But, I was REALLY, REALLY lazy craving TJ’s Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage.
I LOVE Fresh Mozzarella, but, I’ve only had it raw, never cooked.
The stats are impressive ~ I figured Whole Milk meant more calories/fat/points, but, it’s just the same if not better than regular Mozzarella 😀
While I precooked the pizza at 450 for 8 minutes, I sautéed the sausage and sliced the tomatoes, cheese and basil.
I broke out my FANCY TJ’s homemade Pizza Sauce 😀 Told you I was feeling lazy!
Then, I layered it up!
Final toppers ~ freshly shaved parmesan & crushed red pepper flakes.
MMMMM, I think I may have drooled at this point and it wasn’t even cooked.
Baked at 450 for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted & the crust is browned.
I had 2 slices (10 pts)
With a side salad with balsamic (0 pts)
FAST FORWARD TO TODAY!!! My eats were not as exciting, but, still pretty tasty!
Berries (1 pt)
Plus TJ’s Seeded Sour Dough with Pomegranate Blueberry Jam & ICBINB spray (because I forgot my laughing cow :() (3 pts)
Another fun new Trader Joe’s product was involved in my mid morning snackage ~ REDUCED GUILT PITA CHIPS!
ONLY 2 points (vs 3) per serving – LOVE it!
They look just like Stacey’s!
3 point snack (cheese & chips) 😉
Since I wasn’t able to work out, I decided I NEEDED to go to to the Napa Farmer’s Market and say HI to my FAVORITE PEOPLE!
First up ~ The Hummus Guy was back ~ More Spicy Black Bean, Chipotle Hummus with Harissa. This is honestly the BEST hummus I’ve ever had.
Then, I stopped to visit the Bolani Boys! I think I could have lunch there with just the samples ~ they let you try anything/everything. OH and well, I pretty much buy everything too 😀
PUMPKIN & SPINACH BOLANI BREAD ~ 1 point a SERVING! 😀 😀 😀
Oil-less Cilantro & Sun Dried Tomato Pesto!
My FAVORITE SAUCE EVER!!!! This is like the sweet chili sauce you get with Thai or Chinese food but BETTER ~ not too sweet and super H-O-T!
Even though I carry my re-usable bags to the Farmer’s Market, I HAD to get one of their bags….have you all ever seen these Bio-Bags?? How cool ~ I think ALL grocery stores should carry them!
Same lunch as yesterday, KICKED up with some Sweet Jalapeno!
The LAST PERSON I visited is MY FAVORITE PERSON at the market ~ ANNIE THE BAKER! Umm, I pretty much planned my ENTIRE week around getting this beautiful RAINBOW sprinkle cookie 😀 (3 pt estimate).
FUN FACT ~ she says that she uses 1/2 the butter and 1/3 less sugar than most recipes 😀
I have a serious Farmer’s Market addiction….but I think you all already sorta knew that too 😉
You can actually BUY the BOLANI and ANNIE’S COOKIES at Foodzie if you don’t have them around you~ Pretty cool, huh?!
When I got home I had a FUN package waiting for me.
Awhile back I entered Michelle’s Food For Thought Giveaway.
But, I actually WON! How good do these ORGANIC Jams sound ~ Strawberry Basil & Blueberry Merlot….I have a feeling they are both getting opened tomorrow 😀
Thanks Michelle and the Food For Thought Peeps! I cannot wait to dig in and try them….reviews coming soon!!!!
Since The Husband had lunch at dinner time, I decided to have a little Bolani Bread and Spread Party. I had an entire 1/2 (ONLY 2 SERVINGS = 3 pts) of a PUMPKIN BOLANI BREAD! I definitely topped it with more Sweet Jalapeno Sauce!
It’s sweet, spicy and a little salty….imagine reheating it to be crispy again!
PHEW!!!! Just know you are a super amazing, dedicated blog reader if you are STILL reading at this point :D Thanks for that!!!
Stay tuned tomorrow for another Wordless Wednesday Picture and possibly a GIVEAWAY if I can find some time to type it up!
holy moley danica! i love fresh mozzarella – but melted it’s just GORGEOUS
Hi Danica! I love your eats as they are always creative and do a great job of inspiring my meals 🙂
I am still working on my perfect pizza but I found when I use fresh mozz/tomato – I use less to get a less soggy crust in the middle. My tricks are to get the oven HOT like 515F and once its fully heated, wait 10 more minutes. Cook for 12-15 minutes depending on doneness. I sometimes broil the top for 1 -2 mins to get the last of the moisture out. I also use tomato paste (the entire small can) – I tried it once as I was out of another sauce – and it was awesome. It’s naturally sweet, low sodium, etc. I doctor it up with some garlic, basil, and oregano. The paste cuts down on the wetness.
Enjoy your week!
That pizza is absolutely beautiful! I want to eat it right now – and I’m writing this at 6:45 in the morning…haha! 🙂
Wow, way too may good things in this post!!! First, that pizza looks amazing!!! I love those TJ’s apple chicken sausages. It’s funny that I don’t eat meat, but for some reason, I eat the TJ’s chicken sausage. I don’t ever really think of them as meat. Isn’t that weird? 🙂
Sounds like a wonderful few days. Glad I could catch up with you! 🙂
Mmm, fresh mozarella is incredible. That pizza looks AWESOME!
xo
K
wow, that pizza is amazing! it looks so much better than the one i made! i bet it tasted better w/ the mozzarella too! nom nom!
and i’m totally craving sourdough now…too bad it upsets my tummy. weird.
Ok your posts make me crave a full time job so that I can find where your farmer market is at and buy those things!! My goodness how delicious!! I have never tried Margherita pizza either, and holy smokes does that look amazing. i could eat pizza everyday…
i am a huge fan of the TJ’s pizza dough and i buy it often! But i swear i have the hardest time ‘molding’ it into a flat pizza like thing. lol. I even bought a roller but it sticks to everything. I know i should use flour.. but the flour I have is pretty high in cals… I used it once and I still was having a hard time handling the dough. I didnt take notice, but I dont think you mentioned using flour to get rid of the sticky factor. Any tips? Thank Danica!!! <3
Hi Annalisa,
Thanks for the compliment and for the tips!!! I am definitely going to try your method next. I’ve heard of using tomato paste but thought it was weird to use it as is – I like the idea of doctoring it up – that makes a lot more sense. I thought about broiling the top to get it golden brown but was worried it would create more water.
My favorite Quick Pizza Margherita is this one….but it doesn’t use the sauce and uses regular mozzarella – it’s easy and delicious. I was sorta thinking of it when I made mine, but, then, I ventured off the deep end 🙂
http://danicasdaily.com/pizza-margherita-a-quick-balsamic-salad/
Hmmmm….I definitely need a repeat!!!
Danica
Hi Emily,
You definitely need to use flour to roll out your dough. It doesn’t take much maybe like a tablespoon or two. The process I typically use it to put a little flour down on the counter, add the dough and let it rise for 15-20 minutes. Then, I pour like 1 Tbsp of flour on the dough and rub it all around. I put a little oil on my pizza stone with a paper towel to keep the dough from sticking. You could use cornmeal too but that’s too much work for me.
Then, simply rub your rolling pin with a little flour and roll away. I start from the middle and roll to the outsides going in both directions. If you find it starts sticking, just add a little more flour. To roll the dough out, you will probably use no more than 4 tbsp (1/4 c) which shouldn’t kill your calorie budget especially when it’s divided over 6-8 slices of pizza.
good luck and do tell if it works better for you.
Danica
I love making my own pizzas and this one looks great. Usually margherita pizza is a little too boring for me, but this one looks fantastic. Can’t wait to try it this weekend!
Your pizza looks great I can never get my pizza’s to turn out that way. The laughing cow, jelly, toast combination seems like a treat.
I need to introduce it to my mother I’m sure she would fall in love.
Try the TJ’s Meyer Lemon Crisps drizzled with chocolate…..same stats I think. Too good….
all this post did was make me wish i had a TJs!