Pizza Margherita with a Twist!
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 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!
Portion Distortion!
Happy Friday ~ the day I’ve been waiting for ALL WEEK! Well, really, I was waiting for the weekend, but, it’s all the same
You know I actually managed to RESIST opening my Nut Barn CRUNCHY Almond Butter jar until this morning. I scooped up a heaping Tablespoon and split it between two slices of Orowheat Light Whole Wheat Bread (3 points). Do you see the BIG pieces of dry roasted almonds ~ LOVE!
Plus banana “chips” (1 pt).
Mid morning I decided it was time to get some BOOTY ~ Aged Cheddar Pirates Booty that is.
The entire bag is 3 points.
There are a bunch of these funky shaped crunchy, fluffy, cheesy booty pieces that taste a lot like healthy Cheetos. I LOVE ME SOME BOOTY and am totally getting more! They totally satisfied my need to crunch!
For lunch my co-worker and I headed to Mammarella’s for that AWESOME BEET SALAD that I LOVE and a fun chat session in the sunshine! I have been missing some freshly roasted beets in my life lately
However, we both were totally bummed with what came out…Flashback to the last time I was here on December 14, 2009 and this was the AMAZING BEET SALAD with Grilled Chicken I ordered. Beautiful, no?
This was the SMALL salad I got today
12/14/2009 ~ Mounds of Beet, Orange, Chicken Goodness!
03/26/2010 ~ Flat, lifeless, hardly any beets or oranges or chicken. I was SO SAD especially since this salad cost $12. It’s ok if they want to downsize their portions, but, seriously, they should downsize their price too, don’t you think?
I went back up and ordered a cup of Tomato Basil Soup to go with my salad because I knew I’d still be hungry This soup was so flavorful ~ it definitely filled the void my salad left
And, my co-worker went up and ordered Tiramisu since her entree only included 9 pieces of Gnocchi that she ate in like 5 minutes LOL. The plate her cake is served on is the same size plate they used for my salad. Lucky for Mammarella’s I LOVE them enough I might give them one more chance, but, hopefully they bring back their BIGGER salads to make them worth the $$ or drop the price.
I stole 4 bites of this ~ AMAZING and I don’t usually pick Tiramisu ~ I pick the GIA!
Dinner tonight was based on this Tex Mex Calzone Recipe I saw on Cooking Light’s Dinner Tonight Menu. You can also find it in the March Issue (told you that THIS ISSUE has a TON of great recipes in it) It’s definitely a 30 minute or less meal.
I chopped up half a red onion plus two bell pepper halves.
I measured out 8 oz of Ground Turkey on My FAVORITE FOOD/POSTAGE SCALE
Then, cooked up the peppers, onions and garlic. Topped with Homemade Taco Seasoning and Big S Fire On The Mountain Salsa.
I shredded some low fat sharp cheddar cheese and pulled out my FAVORITE Trader Joe’s Corn and Chile Salsa.
Slice my pizza dough into 4 pieces. (Yup, got a little too crazy with the flour).
Then, my camera died *sigh*. I layered in a 1/2 cup of the meat mixture, topped with 2 Tbsp corn salsa and 3 Tbsp of cheese before making my “abstract” shaped calzones. I am challenged rolling dough out.
Baked for 12 minutes at 425 ~ totally fluffy and golden.
9 points and totally LOADED with goodness! I LOVED the spice and cheese ~ it was totally like a taco pizza minus the beans LOL.
I whipped up a mini taco salad for a side.
This afternoon when I stopped at Trader Joe’s to pick up the bell peppers I forgot yesterday, I saw that they had some Easter Candy out. I couldn’t resist picking some up for The Husband. I ate a couple of the gum drops tonight for dessert when he opened them ~ eh, ok…..they taste healthy
If you missed this post earlier this week- CALLING ALL SF BAY AREA BLOGGERS! Come meet up with us! Check out THIS POST for details!
Happy WEEKEND ~ wheeeeeee!!!!!!!
“Lavish” Mexican Pizza Recipe
This morning I knew I wouldn’t get a chance to have breakfast until late so I made sure to stop for a Grande FF Decaf Latte with Caramel Drizzle (2.5 pts) to make sure I broke “the fast”
When I finally got into work after my morning appointment, I couldn’t wait to dig into breakfast. My Smiley Egg Whites started out cute, but, turned sorta creepy by the time I took pictures LOL….
1 1/4 c Watermelon/Cantaloupe (1 pt)
1 serving Instant Grits (2 pts)
1/3 c Liquid Egg whites with a “HOT” Sriracha Smile (1 pt)
I ventured out at lunch for a quick 2-3 mile jog/walk to keep my legs loose for the race on Sunday. I warmed up walking for 10 minutes, then, starting jogging and my left hip immediately kicked in. GRRR…I tried doing a few 1 minute jogs but decided after the first mile it wasn’t worth hurting my hip again. So, I walked a total of 2 miles, stretched a bunch and called it good.
I couldn’t wait to get back for the salad I dreamed up last night. It was entirely centered around my latest obsession ~ The Harvest Grain Salad (4 pts).
Plus 2 oz leftover BBQ Chicken and 1 Sargento Low Fat Colby Square (3 pts).
Crunchy baby bell peppers.
Topped with just a drizzle of Anniie’s Lite Herb Balsamic Dressing. This salad was so good I was sorta sad when it was all gone
I didn’t really wait for the afternoon to bust into my afternoon snack. I pretty much had it as dessert for my lunch. It all started with a few tastes of frosting from a chocolate cake my co-worker made (she had me at double the frosting) ~ 2 pts. So….I HAD to have a few pieces of my favorite ChocoLOVE ~ Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt & Almonds to keep me from eating more cake See the logic ~ chocolate takes chocolate cravings away (3 pts).
I ran around after work enjoying the 67 degree SUNSHINE before I came home to make this AWESOME, FAST and very ‘”LAVISH” dinner.
“LAVISH” MEXICAN PIZZA
INGREDIENTS:
1 Whole Wheat Lavish Wrap (save pts, buy the ones at Whole Foods!)
1/2 c heated fat free salsa refried or whole beans
1/4 c enchilada sauce
2 oz or ~ 1/2 c cooked LEAN Ground Turkey, beef, veggie crumbles seasoned with Taco Seasoning & a little Salsa
1 oz low fat finely shredded colby cheese
Favorite toppings: tomatoes, avocado, bell peppers, jalapeños, cilantro, salsa, sour cream, etc.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Start out placing foil or parchment paper on a cookie sheet and preheating your oven to 400 degrees. Add one Whole Wheat Lavish Wrap and top with a 1/2 cup prepared Fat Free Salsa Beans and 1/4 c enchilada sauce.
2. Add 1/2 c of prepared “turkey” taco meat and 1/4 Trader Joe’s Corn Salsa.
3. Top with 1 oz Low Fat Colby Cheese and bake at 400 for 7-10 minutes. 7 minutes for a slightly crispy crust and 10 minutes for a super crispy crust. While your pizza cooks, chop up your favorite toppings.
4. Remove your pizza from the oven. Add your toppings. Slice into 6 pieces Enjoy!
Makes 1 BIG serving for 8.5 points, but, you save 2 pts if you use the WF Lavish Bread !
To save this recipe to your collection, click the 
Button!
STEP-BY-STEP:
Start out placing foil or parchment paper on a cookie sheet and preheating your oven to 400 degrees. Add one Whole Wheat Lavish Wrap and top with a 1/2 cup prepared Fat Free Salsa Beans and 1/4 c enchilada sauce.
Add 1/2 c of prepared “turkey” taco meat and 1/4 Trader Joe’s Corn Salsa.
Top with 1 oz Low Fat Colby Cheese and bake at 400 for 7-10 minutes. 7 minutes for a slightly crispy crust and 10 minutes for a super crispy crust.
While your pizza cooks, chop up your favorite toppings.
Remove your pizza from the oven.
Add your toppings.
Slice into 6 pieces
And Enjoy it ALL! You don’t have to share if you don’t want to….The Husband stole 2 slices of my LAVISH Mexican Pizza even though he said he didn’t want any
That is sort of one indicator I know a healthy recipe is good….He is totally anti-wheat so if he eats it, you know it’s tasty
Dessert was a couple of my LAVISH Agave Cinnamon Chips! I made up a batch for my guest post on Snack-Girl ~ recipe to be shared with you all soon.
Off to relax and enjoy Iron Chef a movie with my “Oak-Y” Husband. He finally caved today and saw the doctor so hopefully he will get better soon!
Just one more day…..I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS WEEKEND ~ AHHHH ~ SO EXCITED! My sis picked up our race packets today!
Night all!
Sponsors
MY OPEN SKY SHOP
Just a few of my favorite things
