The Simple Truth is I love Pizza!

I was lucky enough to get a free sample of Payless/Kroger's house organic brand, Simple Truth.  Tonight I used their New Simple Truth Organic™ Classic Thin & Crispy Vegan Pizza Crusts. I've tried and am a fan of many of their line of products, but I've never had their pizza crusts before.  This time I'm trying their 2-pack thin pizza crusts.  This came at a great time for me, since I'm trying to jump back on the wagon and lose a bit of weight.  Last year I lost 50 pounds and I've since gained about 10 pounds back.  Since I like the new clothes I bought after losing weight last year, I've decided to try and lose those 10 pounds again (and maybe a few more).

So it's a great time to try some thin pizza crusts (though at heart, I definitely prefer the deep dish variety).  I've got some turkey pepperoni and shredded cheese to top my Chef Boyardee pizza sauce (it's a sentimental favorite... and super affordable!).  The crusts come in a pack of two, so there's enough for the whole family!

This was a quick and easy to prepare meal, which was perfect on a busy holiday weekend.  Most families around us celebrated Thanksgiving this weekend, and so did we... twice.  We have Thanksgiving lunch with my husband's family and Thanksgiving dinner with my family.  Then on Saturday we celebrated Christmas with my in-laws.  They're snowbirds who like to winter in Arizona, so we celebrate Christmas before they leave.  All of this to say that there's been a lot of elaborate, rich food eaten these past few days, so pizza is a nice simple treat tonight.

Our pizzas were delicious!  I followed the directions for the crisper crust, and I was really pleased.  The best news is that one serving of crust (which equals one third of the pie) is just 150 calories!  Even if I overindulged and ate the whole crust, it would only be 440 calories.  Yes, that's still a lot, but these are good sized crusts.  Knowing the crust is so healthy, I leave the indulgence for the toppings, but still I'm in good shape (even though my calorie allowance for the day isn't what I wish it were).

It's great having healthy options, especially for convenience meals like this one!

Summer (and all year round) suppers

Ah, summer!  It's one of my favorite times of year.  It might get too hot to enjoy being outside, but my job observes summer hours and lets us off an hour earlier than the rest of the year.  So I love having that extra hour of daylight, even though it means going into work earlier.

But there's something about having that extra hour of sunlight that makes me want to make the time I spend cooking dinner as quick as possible.  So one of my favorite meals in summer anytime I'm in a hurry to get out of the kitchen is homemade sloppy joes.  Kroger and MyMagazineSharing sent me some freebies to try out, and when I saw that McCormick's seasonings were included I knew that it was time to make these again.

If you knew me as a kid (Hi, Mom!), this might come as a surprise.  I grew up hating sloppy joes.  But it turns out that what I didn't like was the purchased sauce.  Canned or jarred, it didn't matter.  I was not a fan (um, hello again, Mom... this is getting awkward...).  But I watched a cooking show a few years ago that did a homemade sauce and I realized I could make my own and leave out the things I didn't like.  Yes, I'm a genius.

My "recipe" isn't precise.  This is something I make to taste.

I use a small can of tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, Apple Cider Vinegar, brown sugar, granulated or powdered onion (real onion or too much of these and I will have major #regrets), and McCormick's Montreal steak seasoning.  I add these to browned ground beef:

As a side note: if you don't have one of these "choppers," you should get one ASAP.  It makes crumbling ground beef as it cooks so, so simple!  It's also awesome for "pulling" or shredding other meats.  I use it on chicken and stew beef all the time.  I picked this one up at Payless/Kroger with my groceries and have now even convinced my MIL to get one too.

Once that beef is cooked, you add in your sauce ingredients and adjust to taste.  The brown sugar vs. apple cider vinegar is probably the trickiest part.  If you like a tangy sauce, you'll want more vinegar.  If you want it sweeter, you'll want more brown sugar.  It's not rocket science, but it can take time to find the taste you love.  I also tend to add some water to thin the sauce a bit.

Putting all this together takes about 20 minutes, so it really is quick.  I like to add a slice of cheddar or colby jack cheese to my sloppy joes to help keep the bun from getting too soggy.  Then you can cook whatever sides you like or just go the easy route and have some chips.

I also recommend having plenty of napkins or wet wipes (or an eager pet) on hand to help clean up any dropped bits.  This batch of sloppy joes turned out to be the sloppiest I've ever made.  I wore half of this meal.  And when I took some leftovers to work the next day, I wore it again... And dropped a fourth of my sandwich on the carpet.  Oops.  Maybe I'll add less water next time.

I loved the McCormick's seasoning, the Keebler Chips Deluxe, and Kleenex wet wipes Kroger/Payless and MyMagazineSharing sent me to try.  I wasn't as crazy about the jalapeno chips, but I'm not really into that flavor in anything else either.  Give sloppy joes a whirl next time you're in a hurry or looking for an easy dinner, and get yourself a ground beef chopper next time you go to the store.  Both are totally worth it!

Salad summers

There's just something about summer that says salad to me.  Maybe it's the opportunity to eat something light and crisp when it's so stinking hot and heavy outside.  Maybe it's all the fresh produce.  Or maybe it's any excuse to use the grill.  I love grilling.  But I don't really enjoy running back and forth to the grill when there's snow on the ground.

Whatever the reason, I love salads in the summertime.  I don't like dressings, so I do get a bit generous with the croutons.  I regret nothing.

So when Payless/Kroger and MyMagazineSharing sent me some coupons for free samples of some of their delicious produce, I was excited to try something a little different.  I am a big fan of romaine lettuce, but am not the most adventurous eater when it comes to new foods (and I've only been eating salads at all for about 3 or 4 years...).  I really liked the Living Lettuce (it really did stay fresher longer with the roots attached) and the Artisan Lettuce.  I added some tender, grilled steak, croutons, and a little shredded cheese.  It was delicious!

I highly recommend the produce section of Payless/Kroger and will definitely buy these items again.  I also love their baby potatoes.  If you get the chance to grill out, I heartily endorse the good, old-fashioned foil packet meals.  I first made these in scouts, but now I use steak instead.  Some thinly sliced steak, baby potatoes and carrots, a bit of light margarine, and seasonings wrapped up in a little foil package, grilled to tender perfection...

I really do love summer foods.

The price of beauty

Anyone who sees me regularly knows that my look is perhaps best described as "low maintenance."  It's rare for me to wear makeup.  And it's also been sadly rare for me to devote any time at all to skin care regimens.  But Kroger/Payless and MyMagazineSharing sent me some free samples to try to change all that.

Behold:

I definitely hope you can tell I'm wearing a mask in this picture.  It was a Neutrogena® Deep Clean® Purifying 100% Hydrogel Mask, and it was glorious.  It was cool and slippery, but then it felt lovely just letting it all soak in as I watched a movie (which may or may not have involved Harry Potter).

I also received some other free samples.  The TRESemmé® Compressed Micro Mist Hair Spray has been a nice way to add some control to my hair without the usual tangling that hairspary causes on the ends of my hair.  The Love Beauty and Planet® Lavender Shampoo and Conditioner Tandem Sachets smelled wonderful and made my hair very soft, while the Aveeno® Absolutely Ageless™ Daily Moisturizer and Restorative Night Cream has helped develop a new habit of moisturizing my skin and thinking about sun protection.  

Some of these products, while lovely, are a bit to pricey for my budget.  So while I might pick up another Hydrogel Mask as a treat, I'll have to pass on the shampoo and skin creams while I look for more affordable alternatives.  I have seen improvements in the fine lines around my eyes, but the truth is that these lines don't really bother me.  I'm happy to say that most of my wrinkles seem to match what forms when I smile, and I don't regret smile lines.

Finally a good use for peas...

If we've ever shared a meal, it will likely come as no surprise that I'm no fan of peas.  They don't taste good and tend to smell like feet.  These are proven facts.  Proven by me, over the span of my entire life.  But then Payless Grocery sent me a coupon for a free sample of Ripple.  Ripple is a non-dairy milk made from peas.

Whenever I'm given the chance to try a new kind of "milk" I tend to go for chocolate. It feels like a lower risk to me, because I looooove milk.  I love regular milk, so chocolate seems like an easier route to try.

I do have to say that this isn't my favorite non-dairy chocolate milk.  That would probably be dark chocolate almond milk.  But this is certainly an option.  My oldest daughter has become lactose-intolerant so we're always on the lookout for other options.  This is definitely a possibility for her.  It's the best use of peas EVER, but it doesn't sound appetizing to offer someone "pea milk."  The regular price of Ripple is a bit concerning to me as well, but when you need options this is still a good candidate.

A Dog's Life...

The word "dog" often has a negative connotation in today's world.  Sick as a dog.  He's a dog.  She's a dog.  Low, down, dirty dog.  They've been dogging my every move.

But this has always been strange to me when you consider just how cute dogs can be.  Those puppy dog eyes.  The soft ears.  The wagging tail (!).  And so many free kisses!

This is Bella, she's our 6 and half year old, overgrown chihuahua.  She loves to snuggle and sit on the highest, fluffiest thing in the room.  If you stack the throw pillows on the couch, she will scale those heights to claim the coziest seat with the best vantage point.  This helps her see out the front window, where she likes to dispense doggie justice.  If you dare to drive down the city street, she will warn you away.  And so far she has kept us alive by barking at every mail carrier potential serial killer who approaches our house.

But really, she's a lover.  She loves her people very much.  And she loves the treats we give her.  I had the chance to try some free samples of some treats from our local grocery chain.  Payless (a subsidiary of Kroger) has been my grocery of choice since I bought my house sixteen years ago.  They sent me some coupons and free samples to share with Bella.

If this picture showed Bella's belly, you would see that she not only loves us but also loves food.  And what you also can't tell in this picture is that I'm holding one of the Nudges in my hand to encourage Bella to cooperate and smile pretty for the camera.  She nearly died waiting for me to take the picture, but soldiered on and was rewarded with some yummy chicken jerky.  She also loved the Purina One True Instinct Trios treats, Pup-peroni, and nearly lost her mind over the Nature's Recipe Wet Dog Food (a true treat for a dog used to dry kibble).  There was a sample of Blue Buffalo Dog Food, but this wasn't one of Bella's favorites.  I guess my fur-child's palate isn't sophisticated enough for that, but she was otherwise happy to try out all these goodies.