Tasty, Healthy Pizza Alternative

Truth be told, I love pizza. It’s one of my favorite indulgences. But, as Father Time marches on, I have come to realize I am not 22 anymore. Indulging in even one slice of pizza can equal 400 calories or more.

I have to watch what I eat, when I eat it and how much of it I’m consuming. And, that usually means no more than one indulgence a month. I was pretty bummed about giving up pizza altogether, so I needed an alternative.

Enter my salvation from a pizza-free diet: Lavash Bread. This recipe is so easy that it’s done in a matter of minutes. There is no pan required, no dough to let rise and the tasty results are a little over 100 calories for the entire thing-depending on how much feta cheese you require.

Hallelujah.

Here’s all the you’ll need to make your very own Tasty, Healthy Lavash Pizza:

Lavash Bread-I prefer Jospeh’s (they come 4 to a pack for about $2)
1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Garlic Salt
1/4 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/8 C Red Onion
6 Cherry or 3 Grape Tomatoes
1-2 TBS Feta Cheese
6 Medium Leaves of Fresh Basil

Preheat the oven to 425.

Tear off a large enough square of aluminum foil to place the lavash bread on. Pour about a Tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) in the center of the bread.

Using the back of a spoon, spread the EVOO out into a thin layer, covering the entire piece of lavash bread.

Sprinkle the entire piece of lavash bread with Garlic Salt.

Next, sprinkle the entire piece of lavash bread with Italian Seasoning.

Chop up about a handful (about 1/8 Cup) of red onions and distribute them around the bread.

Quarter the Grape Tomatoes or halve the cherry tomatoes and place them evenly around the lavash bread.

Add about 1-2 TBS of crumbled feta cheese. Place the lavash bread with aluminum foil underneath on the middle wire rack in your preheated oven.

Cook for 5-6 minutes or until the edges are turning slightly brown.

Add the fresh basil leaves and return to the oven for 1 more minute.

Slice up into manageable squares and enjoy. So simple, so inexpensive, so healthy and sooooo tasty.

If these parties are up, I link to them! (Here’s my complete Linky Party Page):
Monday: Crafts Keep Me Sane, The Better Baker, Skip to My Lou, DIY Showoff, Say Not, Sumo’s Sweet Stuff, Etcetorize, Sew Chatty, Brassy Apple, Flour Me With Love, Creating my Way, Mad in Crafts, Our Delightful Home, Sew Can Do, It’s So Very Cheri, Craft O Maniac, Polly Want a Crafter, Tuesday: Craft Edition, Inspiration Board , New Nostalgia , Lettered Life , Coastal Charm, Tip Junkie , Ladybug Blessings, Hope Studios , Todays Creative Blog, Wednesday: Someday Crafts , Day2DayJoys, Jillify It , Junk in the Trunk, We are that Family , Frugally Sustainable, Sew Much Ado, Fine Craft Guild , The Thrifty Home, My Girlish Whims , Quick, Easy, Cheap & Healthy, Trendy Treehouse, Thursday: Somewhat Simple, No Minimalist Here , A Glimpse Inside, The Mommy Club, The 36th Avenue, Cheap Chic Home, Beyond the Picket Fence, Fireflies and Jellybeans , House of Hepworths , The Shabby Chic Cottage, Friday: My Repurposed Life, It’s a HodgePodge Life, The Shabby Nest, Just Wingin’ It, One Artsy Momma, French Country Cottage, Finding Fabulous, Passionately Artistic, Petals and Picots, Simply Designing, Little Becky Homecky, My Romantic Home, Bacon Time, Simply Living, Saturday: Polkadot Pretties, Tatertots and Jello, Create and Inspire, Be Different, Act Normal, Craft Envy, Funky Junk Interiors, Petites Passion, Sunday: Under the Table, Natural Mothers, Mopping the Floor

Grandma Broke Her Neck and her Nose and….

Dear Readers:
I have heard from many of you through private emails that you are encouraged by the times I talk about God, his Word and his faithfulness. Today, I am reaching out to those that call God their Lord and asking for prayer.

My sweet, wonderful Grandma-who is going to be 97 next month-broke her neck, busted her nose, managed to get two black eyes and lacerated her noggin.

She was doing extreme sports, getting ready for the upcoming snowboarding season and didn’t quite stick her landing.

She’s a tough old bird and didn’t go down without a fight. As she crawled to the phone, she left a trail of blood behind her. I’m telling you, she’s tough.

The doctors have said it’s a miracle she survived, let alone survived without being permanently paralyzed. We know just who had His hand in that. I don’t think she’s ready to go home, she still has so much she wants to do here on earth.

After all, we are promised 120 years, so she’s got at least another 23 years of active participation in this life. (I secretly think she is waiting for me to pop out a great-grandkid or two.)

So, please be praying for her quick recovery and the ability to go home soon. Thanks so much!

Glamorous Toilet Repair

Oh yes-repairing toilets is glamorous. “What isn’t glamorous about a toilet?”, is what I ask myself on a daily basis.

Today, we will tackle the repair of a “Glamorously Running Toilet” and I give you a “No Nail Broken” Guarantee.

All you need is the right outfit, the right tools, a little know how and the right mind set. I will provide you with the little know-how. You are on your own for the outfit, the tools and the right mindset. Come on-this is going to be glamorous!

I received a concerned call from one of our tenant’s: their glamorous toilet was running constantly and their last water bill was in the triple digits.

Of course, I asked if they jiggled the handle. The tenant stated it was beyond jiggling.

Photo Source
I assessed the problem-the “vintage” handle on the toilet would get stuck in the “up” or the “down” position and not allow the rubber flapper (bottom right) to either seal or to release water from the tank.

The “vintage” handle was shot. Off to Lowe’s for my $3 part, which is much cheaper than a $79 house call from a licensed plumber.

I grabbed my glamourous tools-channel lock pliers (center) and two vice grips (left and right). The vice grips proved to be unnecessary, but I wasn’t sure how stubborn the vintage handle and years of mineral deposits might be.

First step, unhook the chain that connects the handle lever to the flapper.

Next, using the channel lock pliers, I gently loosened the nut that locked in the handle, on the inside of the toilet tank. *Tip-to loosen the nut, you turn it to the right. (NO righty-tighty, lefty loosy here.) After it’s easy to turn with the pliers, removed the rest of the way by hand.

Completely remove the old nut and the handle.

The toilet tank will now look like this-with a hole that needs fillin’.

Next, grab the glamorous new handle and remove the nut by hand.

Insert the new handle into the tank and tighten the nut by hand.

Next, tighten the nut using the channel lock pliers until it’s snug. Don’t get too crazy and crack the tank. Please. I beg of you-that is not glamorous.

Finally, attach the chain and test that everything is working correctly by flushing it several times. Adjust the placement or the length of the chain if necessary.

I told you-repairing a running toilet is very glamorous. And I delivered on the “No Nail Broken” Guarantee.

Flush away!

If these parties are up, I link to them! (Here’s my complete Linky Party Page):
Monday: Crafts Keep Me Sane, The Better Baker, Skip to My Lou, DIY Showoff, Say Not, Sumo’s Sweet Stuff, Etcetorize, Sew Chatty, Brassy Apple, Flour Me With Love, Creating my Way, Mad in Crafts, Our Delightful Home, Sew Can Do, It’s So Very Cheri, Craft O Maniac, Polly Want a Crafter, Tuesday: Craft Edition, Inspiration Board , New Nostalgia , Lettered Life , Coastal Charm, Tip Junkie , Ladybug Blessings, Hope Studios , Todays Creative Blog, Wednesday: Someday Crafts , Day2DayJoys, Jillify It , Junk in the Trunk, We are that Family , Frugally Sustainable, Sew Much Ado, Fine Craft Guild , The Thrifty Home, My Girlish Whims , Quick, Easy, Cheap & Healthy, Trendy Treehouse, Thursday: Somewhat Simple, No Minimalist Here , A Glimpse Inside, The Mommy Club, The 36th Avenue, Cheap Chic Home, Beyond the Picket Fence, Fireflies and Jellybeans , House of Hepworths , The Shabby Chic Cottage, Friday: My Repurposed Life, It’s a HodgePodge Life, The Shabby Nest, Just Wingin’ It, One Artsy Momma, French Country Cottage, Finding Fabulous, Passionately Artistic, Petals and Picots, Simply Designing, Little Becky Homecky, My Romantic Home, Bacon Time, Simply Living, Saturday: Polkadot Pretties, Tatertots and Jello, Create and Inspire, Be Different, Act Normal, Craft Envy, Funky Junk Interiors, Petites Passion, Sunday: Under the Table, Natural Mothers, Mopping the Floor

No Fuss, No Sugar Applesauce

It’s getting colder-both inside and outside of my home. Before my little toes hit the barn wood floor in my bedroom, I locate my robe and house shoes, while still underneath my comforter. (Things change in the middle of the night when you own two naughty kitties.)

I love this time of year-hot tea is a must while watching the leaves changing. And of course, heartier meals are on my dinner table, along with desserts filled with spices-like my Skinny, Ginger Puff Cookies.

One of my favorite things to make this time of year is a No Fuss, No Sugar Applesauce. With a few ingredients and a crockpot, I have chunky, spicy, yummy applesauce without any fuss. Have it as a dessert or as a side dish. Get crazy. Do what you want!

Biceps would like to try it warm over ice cream. We’ll see about that-kind’ve defeats the purpose….

Here’s all that you’ll need to make your No Fuss, No Sugar Applesauce (printable recipe at the bottom):

10-13 Apples (I had Gala’s on hand in the freezer)
1 tsp liquid Stevia or to taste (you can add more later)
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/8 tsp Ground Cloves
1 1/2-2 Cups Water

Crockpot

After thoroughly washing the apples, core the center.

Then cut each apple into quarters.

Throw all of your apples in the crockpot, and add 1 tsp of liquid Stevia.

While adding the 1 tsp of Cinnamon to the crockpot with one hand, try taking a picture of it with the other hand, so that your picture looks like this. Nice and shaky.

Next, add the 1/4 tsp Nutmeg.

Now, add the yummy 1/8 tsp of Ground Cloves.

Pour 1 1/2-2 Cups of water into the crockpot. You’ll need enough water so that the crockpot is half full of water. It doesn’t need to cover all of the apples.

Put the lid on the crockpot and turnn on “Hi” for 5-6 hours, or on “Low” for 9-10 hrs.

After a few hours of allowing the apples to cook, I use a hand potato masher and squish the apples every hour or so. Add more water if necessary.

The applesauce is finished when it’s still a bit chunky but has the consistency of, well, applesauce. Serve warm or cold. You can freeze half for later or eat it all in one sitting. (Although, I will warn you that since the peels are on these apples, you can over-apple. If you know what I mean.)

This No Fuss, No Sugar Applesauce is so tasty that you’ll feel like you’re indulging each time you eat it-you can even trick the wee ones into eating their daily dose of fruit.

I hope you enjoy this spicy No Fuss, No Sugar Applesauce as much as we do. And boy howdy, do we ever enjoy it.