Booze ... in 50 Words or Less: Pinnacle Cake Vodka

A little too sweet for an everyday vodka, but worked perfectly to ring in the new year. Two parts Pinnacle Cake, one part Trader Joe's limeade, serve over ice. Like a key lime pie in a glass. Switch the proportions if you don't exactly like the taste of vodka (what I had to do for Saucy).

http://www.pinnaclevodka.com/flavors

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The Pizza Project
Just a nibble: http://twitter.com/ThePizzaProject
Single slice: http://www.facebook.com/ThePizzaProject
The full pie: http://thepizzaproject.blogspot.com/

Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Breckenridge Brewery Vanilla Porter

A sweet vanilla flavor, not to overpowering, and a low carbonation really make this porter go down smoothly. It really hit the spot after my soon to be wife tried to burn my mouth with some Trader Joe's Habanero Hot Sauce on my pizza.

The Recipe Files: Pepperoni & Marinated Mozz on a Rustic Crust

Back on the good foot after the holiday weekend, I decided to bake a healthy pizza with a wheat crust I had purchased in Giant's organic section a few weeks ago.

Ingredients:
Rustic Crust Organic Great Grains
Rustic Crust Pizza Sauce
Uncured pepperoni
Fresh mozzarella balls marinated in olive oil, herbs and red pepper (got these at Trader Joe's)
Lowfat shredded mozzarella (also from Trader Joe's)

Whole Foods—Pig in lipstick not tested on animals

After a quick trip to David's Bridal with my gals in my wedding party, we headed over to the Whole Foods in Plymouth Meeting to finally check out what all the hubbub was about their Cold Point Pub.

I am not quite sure when dining at the grocery store originated. Quite frankly, when I grew up in the 80s and 90s, we looked down on people popping grapes off displays and heaven forbid if you actually opened packaging! People crunching on potato chips halfway through the store would send my mother into a tizzy and later me, too. To eat and shop was not only dirty and germy, but flat out uncouth in our camp. I chalked it up mostly to the fact that these people were stealing or about to attempt theft. I mean, were these people actually going to hand the high school student clerk an empty bag of Fritos and say, "They were so good, I couldn't wait. But dang, I'll pay for them now."? Really? I mean really? Not at the Norristown Genuardi's, that's fo' sho'.

The Recipe Files: Irish Pizza

Happy St. Patty's Day! Although the Irish aren't exactly known for their fine cuisine, I figured I would google Irish pizza and see what came up. Not only are there several pizzerias across the country serving such a thing today, but I also came across a recipe so you can try it at home:

Corned Beef and Cabbage Pizza

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Serves: 2 medium (14-inch) pies

The Freezer Case: Trader Giotto's Flatbread Pizza

What you are about to read is both a positive and a negative review. The truth is the pizza we had tonight was very tasty. But, in the end, I'm not sure if it was worth it, because...well, let me get to the pizza analysis.

Two factors led to my consuming Trader Giotto's Flatbread Pizza on this evening. First, wifey went to pilates. This left her with no time to prepare a detailed meal so quickness was of the essence. The second is that it was a meatless pie, and meat is something that is absolutely verboten on Ash Wednesday (unless it's a KFC Double Down; then all bets are off)! Therefore, the only toppings (if you will) on this pie were its mix of cheeses. There were four of them in all: mozzarella (yes!), provolone (OK...), asiago (you're losing me!), and ricotta (EWWWW!). After a 15-minute cooking time, it struck me that there looked to be a little more cheese on the pie than I usually prefer. But no matter! I was hungry, and, in a pinch, this would certainly do!

The Freezer Case: Trader Joe's Organic Woodfired Sicilian Style Pizza

With a work call scheduled for 7 and my hubby getting home at 6:15, I was short on time to cook dinner tonight. So I threw in a frozen pie and quickly whipped up a side of spinach, bacon, garlic and pre-cooked lentils (also from Trader Joe's, those bad boys are a fridge must-have for cooking a healthy side dish in a snap).

During my last shopping trip, I noticed a new pizza in the frozen aisle. We generally enjoy their pies (minus the occasional not-enough-sauce complaint from the hubby), so I felt compelled to give it a try. In all reality, it is possible that Trader Joe's did have this pie in stock for a while and the nibble had already consumed all of his diaper bag snacks by the time we made it to that section, which means I just throw in as many items as I can before his sweet sounds are drowning out the nice Hawaiian-shirted man on the intercom inviting us to sample their spicy beef and broccoli.