A Girl And Her Grill

It's hot here in Texas right now and I don't like to be hot (and still dream about moving to the Pacific Northwest). So, in order to keep things nice and cool inside my house I cook outside so I don't have to turn the oven on. I absolutely love to grill. I'm not saying I'm a pro at it but I have fun when I do it. My first grill I purchased several years ago. Unfortunately...it got a little rusty which I am not certain is the safest to grill on. I am still on vacation..my last day...so to help cope with that I decided it was time to move on. Out with the old and in with the new...Infrared Grill is where its at! 

Mr. Lucas LOVES when I purchase things that take hours to put together...I am sure you sense my sarcasm here right? But, no matter what project I have him piecing together he always does it for me willingly and does a mighty fine job I might add! I'm a lucky gal.

I present, my new infrared grill! 

I have been very interested in grilling pizzas. Now, I have the proper grilling equipment so that is exactly what I did. 

I made whole wheat pizza dough in the bread oven. It is a very simple recipe and the bread machine does all the work. 

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe:

1 1/3 cups water

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup all purpose flour

3 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons yeast

finely chopped garlic (as much as you want)

Put all the ingredients in that order making sure to put the liquids in first. When you add the yeast make a "well" with your finger in the center of the flour (making sure not to breakthrough to the liquid) and add the yeast in the well. It mixes better that way. Then, put your machine on the proper dough setting.

Once my dough was done I divided it into 3 parts and rolled out to make individual sized pizzas. You can make one big pizza or several small ones.

 

 I coated the dough with an olive oil and garlic salt mixture.

 

Place on the grill. I cooked 2 minutes per side. Infrared grills cook a few minutes faster so if you have charcoal or a regular propane grill you may need to cook longer. You don't want the dough to be fully cooked at this point because you need to put your toppings on then place back on the grill for a few more minutes to complete cooking.

You have to be quick when cooking the dough/pizza so its good to go ahead and have all your toppings outside with you. Once the dough is almost done, take it off the grill and add your toppings. I made a mozzarella, garlic pesto pizza; veggie pizza (I sauteed the veggies prior to cooking the dough) with goat cheese, and pepperoni herb pizza. If you want sausage or anything else that needs cooking, do that prior so you can have it ready to go. I also had my citronella candle burning to keep those pesky mosquitoes away! 

There you go, that's it! The pizzas are so much fun to make, super easy, and super yummy! It is amazing how different the dough tastes when its grilled. It has a great flavor!

 

Cheers!

R&R

A little rest and relaxation can do a person some good.  I loved being tucked away in the Ozarks with not really much to do except relax. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty to do in the Ozarks where my sister lives but...I just wanted to chill out and that is exactly what we did! I just got back this evening. I had the pleasure of flying first class both ways (sorry, I had to brag about that even though to most people its probably no big deal). I pimped my flight! I have never flown by myself and I really have not flown that much before either but I think flying first class helped (well, psychologically anyway)! I was able to get in the quick security line and I was able to board the plane first. Plus, trail mix a plenty! Sweet deal...oh, and a glass of wine on the flight home. 

Of course I had to take a snapshot of my snack mix and OJ (my flight there was in the morning otherwise that would have been a snapshot of snack mix and a cocktail).

Once my plane landed in the teeny tiny Little Rock Airport...well, teeny tiny compared to DFW anyway, I saw my sister waiting at the Starbucks sucking down the rest of her caffeine...she had to drive 2 hours to the airport to pick me up! 

Our first stop was Target to stock up on some resources...since she is tucked away in the Ozarks and all. I bought Violet a new sheet set for her new bedroom. My sister and her hubby are working on building their house, from the ground up, by themselves and help from some really talented friends and family. Violet's room is done and super cute too!

After Target we had to take care of serious business...stopping at Oscar's Liquor store. They sell moonshine. Ha! In a Mason Jar in fact! I think since it is in a mason jar that must make it authentic. :)  

Then, a few hours later we arrived to our peaceful Ozark destination. The house is covered by lots of trees and is nestled down in a mountain hillside so it is about 20 degrees cooler...that's what I'm talkin' about!

During my visit we surprised Violet with decorating her room while she was gone fishing. When she came back she was very surprised about her new sheets! It was too cute.

I also got a tour of the garden. It was fabulous. I even managed to keep all the mountain ticks off me. :) They are growing so many things and it is amazing to see how huge the veggies are.

They were growing zucchini 4 times the size of this one! You can't get them like that in the stores folks. This is home grown right off the vine.

They also have loads of peach trees! Peaches aplenty! They are wonderful and juicy. So, what better way to enjoy my garden tour than to enjoy a peach daiquiri along the way? 

On Saturday we went into Mountain View for the Farmer's Market. I can never pass up a good Farmer's Market! We came away with lots of goodies and I cannot believe no pictures were taken! After a bit of shopping and a trip into Ritsy Rags...

....the best little sewing/quilting shop in the Ozarks....

Of course shopping worked up an appetite so we went over to Woods Soda Fountain for lunch. I had a grilled pimento cheese sandwich. Sounds kinda strange...yes...but is kinda good...yes!

After lunch I came across this sign. Pretty much sums up the little town. :)

On Sunday my BIL smoked ribs for a fathers day feast. I caught up with his family and ate some good food, incliuding fried zucchini from the garden and green beans from the garden too. 

I had such a nice time and I can't wait until my next visit! 

Cheers! 

VACATION!!!

Hi ya folks! I am going to visit my sister in Arkansas! They live in the Ozarks and don't have very good internet connection so, I will be posting about my visit as soon as I return! I can't wait. I even got to upgrade my plane ticket to first class, hey hey hey! Mr. Lucas is about to take me to the airport. I have never flown by myself. It will be an adventure!

Cheers! 

Fun Weekend With Friends

Typically, I like to just stay home and work on various projects around the house during the weekend. But, come on folks, there is only so much of that one can do! This weekend, was full of fun and friends. It is always healthy to get out and do things with those that you love the most. I feel very privileged to not only have a great family but great friends too. In the work that I do, I know that not everyone has that which makes me cherish it even more.

Every month during the late spring through early fall Fort Worth hosts an even called Friday on the Green. I started going with a good friend of mine a few years back. Now that Mr. Lucas is out of school and not working at the Bucks anymore, he was able to go this time! What is First Friday? Well, it consists of some great local bands that get together and put on a free concert. It it like a mini music festival that is family friendly. There are always 3 bands that play starting at 7p and ending about 10p.We have a few friends in a few of the local bands and tonight, The Apache 5 were playing. There are also food trucks too so all you need is a blanket...the food, wine/beer, and music are ready and available. 

Saturday, a few of us girls got together for sushi and fun! We went to Piranha's which is a local favorite. The sushi is melt in your mouth and the environment is so festive. So, Martini's and Sushi all around! 

Then, off to Pete's Piano Bar we went. I have never been before but it was tons of fun. We even got a table right up front! The entertainment was great...and talented! 

Cheers! 

Farmer's Market and Junk

I am a sucker for a good Farmer's Market and for Vintage junk. So, since my sis is in town we went to the Cowtown Farmer's Market and then on a whim decided to go Estate sale shopping. The Market has grown a lot over the past year. The vendors grow the best produce too. From goat cheese to tamales, this Market has it. 

We were pretty hungry this morning so we stopped at the Artisan Baking Company and picked up some of the best scones I have ever eaten and biscuits. Both melted in our mouths.

There were tons of blackberries too...we couldn't pass those up!

We tried to hit up a few Estate sales afterward, however, it was a complete bust. Our first stop should have been a sign. It was a bit disorganized. The house itself was really cool...in a 1970's way. I do like old houses, mine was built in the 50's. But, there was one room that was really needing the cast of Studio 54 or Boogie Nights to top things off. We left because frankly...it just got creepy.

A few more bad Estate Sales later, we decided to check out a few new shops. Bingo! We should have done this first! There is a cute new Vintage/Antique store that is only open on the weekends and I have been wanting to go check it out...so we did. Junker Val's, it is the cutest and Junker Val is so super sweet!! Her prices are pretty fair considering how people like to crank up the price on Antiques since it has become really trendy.

After Junker Val's we went to the Junketeria which is just down the street. 

This place is awesome. There are so many things which again are really fairly priced. The man that runs it is really nice too and terribly creative with his layout and how he has decorated. 

Next time, I am going back with more cash because there are some diamonds in the rough in this place.

After a long day of shopping, I needed a pick me up. So, since I had a plethora of blackberries from the Market, I made cobbler! 

The recipe is super easy and so delicious. Courtesy of the Pioneer Woman.

Cheers! 

Time to Celebrate!

Finally, after many years of hard work, studying, and dedication, Mr. Lucas has graduated (again)! You see, he actually graduated a few years back with a degree in Biological Sciences. But, come to find out...you really can't get a job. So, right before we got married, he applied for a 16 month program to become a Medical Laboratory Scientist. Anyone that knows him knows that this profession is perfect for him. The result, after working hard through a very rigorous program, is a Bachelor's degree in Medical Laboratory Science! He sat for his licensing exam and now his is official. His internship hired him and the best part...he got to quit working at Starbucks! 

To celebrate his new found success...we went to dinner. He wanted Italian food and we couldn't decide where to go. But after a bit of research on Yelp, the little whole in the wall down the street that we have never been to won. It is BYOB or in our case BYOW (bring your own wine). So, we hopped on over to Prima's Pasta Pizza, with out happy little celebratory bottle of wine. 

We were completely surprise about how busy this place was! The service was good and the food was even better.

They brought garlic bread...I ate too much of that.

We had to have an appetizer and what could possibly be better than fried ravioli? 

I have a thing for Fettuccine Alfredo. Once I see that on a menu I am set (I do the same thing with crab cakes). Let me tell you, this was some of the best Fettuccine Alfredo I have had in some time. 

We discovered on the menu that you can order out family portions. This could be good or it could be very very bad...for my waistline. 

Cheers!