Pizza Pizza

I have a *thing* for pizza. It doesn't matter what kind, what style; it doesn't matter if it's low fat or heart-attack-inducing; all that matters is that there is a bread dough cooked with cheese and some kinda sauce on it.

But my all time favorite is good ol' pepperoni and cheese. This is, in fact, a complete contradiction to who I think I am as a person when it comes to food... or at least who I believe to be: I refuse corn because of Monsanto's genetically modified infestation of the crop, I don't eat meat unless I am 100% sure it lived a good life, was raised on grass and without chemicals, and I haven't eaten at a fast food joint in...oh...I don't know? Years?

So, this led me to search for a healthier version of pizza (yes, I do often make my own from scratch at home, but I'm looking for a SERIOUSLY, GLOBALLY, & ENVIRONMENTALLY HEALTHY pizza).

Instead, I found these:

Yes, it's a freakin' bacon-cheeseburger pizza. Next!

OMG, are you serious? ANOTHER burger-turned pizza?

Deep-Fried Pizza. Because a slice of Domino's pepperoni pizza doesn't already contain 14 grams of fat and 340 calories (although that's debatable: clicky)...

You guessed it, macaroni and cheese pizza.

Grilled pepperoni and cheese pizza sandwich. This one might just be dinner tonight, you know, with whole wheat organic bread and soymilk cheese and vegetarian pepperoni...of course...(psh - yah right!)

Chicago-style pizza. :O !ROAD TRIP!

Ginormous, humongous, gargantuan, mega-pizza. Wonder how many calories are in a slice of that thing (it does look like it needs more cheese, though, don't you think?)...

A Yoda pizza, it is.

I just don't know if I could traditionally just slice through these pies. I would have to take a pair of scissors and make a cut-out of the characters (Hello Kitty is my favorite, but it looks like she's loaded with WAY too many onions). Which one would you choose?

This waffled-pizza-pocket idea seems appealing as well. Definitely trying this one. Waffles are one of my other all time favorite foods, and...I mean, c'mon, you get to DIP it!

Does this look fake, or just a day-old hardened cheese slice with fresh uncooked veggies on top? Either way, FAIL.

Japanese Pizza. I wonder what those toppings are! I'd really like to try them all! And the white drizzle over some of them - is that more cheese?!

Breakfast Pizza. Oh, yes, every meal can be made into a pizza, especially if you can turn a burger into one!



The next three are the MOST appealing to me (I like to think of myself as a foodie, but then again, I am also a completely contradictory person...anyway, ONWARD - to the gourmet pizzas!

Apricot-prosciutto pizza. *droooooooool*

Artisan Margherita *swoon* !

When heartburn threatens, white pizza is always a wise choice (sans tomatoes).



Okay, now, I did find some healthier styles of pizza, although, there is a fear of the resulting "undesirable-ness" of them, so you're all invited over for a pizza party in which I'll attempt these next few and, if they ALL suck, we can just pitch in and order out. Cool?

This cheese-less pizza just seems to be lacking the whole concept of pizza. Can we at least put a sprinkling of fresh shredded Parmesan on it? Please?

Okay, this one looks to have globs of fresh mozzarella, atop of fresh basil leaves, red peppers, and, oh, mushrooms! AND PESTO! OMNOMNOM. So what makes it healthy? The crust: It's made of chick pea flour!

This one looks pretty delish, too, but again - it's the crust: Cauliflower!

And this little number could be a gluten-free dieter's dream. There is no crust! It's just slices of zucchini with traditional sauce and cheese on top! I'm pretty sure this one is fail-proof.

I just threw this in there because it's calorie-free. Wouldn't it be great though, if, when you stuck it into your USB port, it gave off the smell of pizza baking in the oven?



(I compiled these images over time, and was in too much of a hunger fit to jot down the sources for them. If they belong to you, send me a comment and I'll give you due credit or remove them upon your request)



Happy craving!

BEST BAKE SALE RECIPES

Easy, cheap, & best sellers, too!

GRANDMA'S EASY COCONUT MACAROONS
1 (16 oz.) bag coconut flakes
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. almond or coconut extract
Cherries for topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix coconut flakes, condensed milk and almond extract together in a large bowl. Mix until blended and the milk is absorbed. Drop the mixture from spoon on ungreased pan. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until bottom of cookie turns light brown. Cool on rack. Put on 1/2 slice cherry if desired. These cookies stay soft and chewy.

RICE CRISPY TREATS 
1 or 2 bags miniature marshmallows
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups Kellogg's Rice Crispy Cereal
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add marshmallows. Stir until mixture becomes difficult to stir any more. Mix in the Rice Crispy Cereal and stir until hot. Butter a pan (a square pan like a brownie pan) and spread mixture evenly in the pan. Allow to cool and cut into squares.

FLOURLESS PEANUTBUTTER COOKIES
1 CUP Peanutbutter
1 EGG
1 CUP Sugar.
mix together, Scoop with a Teaspoon and form into a ball bake these on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 for 10 minutes. cool.

Meet my Campaign!

21 days left to reach my goal!

The Toothbrush Fence!

There is a fence in New Zealand, referenced in Flight of the Concords, made with toothbrushes!


-source unknown

The fence, created by Laird McGillicuddy Graeme Cairns in Te Pahu, New Zealand, is a real thing. He’s wired the toothbrushes on a fence as a rival to another infamous fence located in Cardrona Valley, New Zealand, made with bras. Cairns believes that just a few hundred more toothbrushes would attract tourists from all over the world to witness his fence.

He had his own hoard of used toothbrushes, and got the idea to use them on his fence. Soon after, others donated their used toothbrushes to the fence, and the fence has become Cairns' claim to fame. With so many positive reviews on his fence, he began accepting used toothbrushes from around the world! So, even you can have your toothbrush hanging from his fence. Just mail the used toothbrush to the following address:

The Toothbrush Bucket 294 Limeworks Loop Road Te Pahu, R D 5 Hamilton New Zealand.

Random Dump Spots En Masse

Today, we have an eclectic mix of embarrassing dump spots that currently live throughout the house.



An assortment of jewelry I've been akin to wearing lately, my e-cig charger, essential oils, frames with projects awaiting them, a notebook and earbuds. Oh, and your guess is as good as mine as to how long that coffee mug has been there…blech.



There's a little sprig of basil on top of the dog crate…remains of a printing/paper craft project…and a hammer? Dunno how that got there…



Future sewing projects (note to self: you must remove the fabric from the sewing machine in order to actually DO the projects).



What remains of my canopy bed after Dutch pulled it down. I'm still going back and forth with the bedroom colors and after changing my sheets and duvet from a deep purple to a calm light blue…I think I still have an attachment to the blue. So now I have all these curtains…*sigh*



This has been my "office" for the last few days: sitting on the edge of my bed and using this giant hassock as a surface…the phone, camera charger, some books on natural magic, and my, uhm…"happy bottle"…Tobi's Kindle and mp3 player have been placed here as a sacrifice to his groundation as well.



AND his laptop…



THUNDERCATS, HOOOOOOOOO! Do you remember them?



Yes, this is all completely random indeed. Blonde hair dye? I haven't made up my mind yet. Power tools and fishing line…and a prescription bottle. Right next to the oats…seems legit.



Ironically, the table that usually holds many of my prior dumping zones, is free and clear, save for nail polish remover and a box cutter...I like to think the blue glass belongs there. :)

While this is something I'm very ashamed of, I would like to share that just days prior to this posting, my home was spotless (except for the pile of Dutch-murdered bed canopy), as I had a guest...and also, even since photographing and typing up this blog, some of these "dump spots" have either moved or been removed...I really am a homebody.

EYE CANDY from a loved one!

I'm pretty sure by now, most of my reader(s?) are aware that I'm an artist of sorts. So, when a family member who has made a HUGE influence on my talents and pursuing them showcases her own mother's work, I feel inclined to advertise.

I refrain from advertising on this blog for many reasons, so, let's just perceive this as a promotion and a "sharing" of beauty, if you will...instead of an advertisement.

But ANYWAY, here it is:

Hardwick, VT's White Water Gallery Presents:
Looking Back: Hardwick in the 1950's
Paintings by Hazel Hall Rochester (1918 – 1988) who is fondly remembered for her paintings which focus on subjects in and around Hardwick in a former time but which are still very evident in the 21st. century. And in the photo gallery, a car show by N. Wasco
Opening Reception: Sunday, June 3rd. from 4 till 7pm.
Show runs through Sunday, July 8th @ White Water Gallery, 5 River Street, East Hardwick, VT.
Gallery Hours: every Sunday from 11-3 or by appointment
For information call: 802-563-2037

And also, a link to the White Water Gallery's blog:

CLICK ME!

Here's a preview:

-source

ENJOY!

Chair modification!

I have these kitchen chairs, right? They are from a set that I've had for...EVER. They've been taken apart, re-assembled, packed away in storage, moved four or five times from one home to the next, and they have taken a beating. My son has left his mark upon the cushions many times, and I, too, have spilled food stuffs on them repeatedly. The original cushions were a very light beige, so it was bound to happen that they'd show their age at some point.

Below, a picture of the original chair is on the right.

I re-upholstered all of them, in two different styles, to brighten up my kitchen and give these sturdy old-timers some new life.

Would you believe the upholstering fabrics are pillowcases from the thrift store? Yeah! I'm not sure I'm happy with the blue fabric on red, but when I tried the green fabric on red it looked far too "Christmas-y".

Then there's the mess I made with the spray paint...*sigh*...which my landlady refuses to let me live down. This is kind of annoying, because the red grass will grow out and she'll mow it, and I protected the rocks with cardboard, and only some of the paint made it on about thirty pebbles in the driveway. She tells me I'm going to "pay for those rocks"...so I just kicked them around, but I couldn't resist taking a picture to share here, first...LOL!

Yeah, I can hardly see the yellow either...oh well.

Random...not so random....

It has come to my attention that I am incapable of being an active part in many of the projects regarding Climate Change that I would like to be. This is all due to my limited income. Yes. I am on a fixed, limited income...otherwise known as Disability. I receive this Federally-funded income due to my diagnoses, both physical, as well as emotional...BUT - I don't let it stop me from taking part in activism where I see fit. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia last year. The first doctor I went to insisted it was Lyme disease, but I couldn't accept it - due to the fact that I had never had the onset symptoms of it, such as a tick bite with a red ring around it, and spirochetes in the bloodstream that would indefinitely diagnose me properly, as well as Flu-like symptoms, irregular heartbeat, eye inflammation, and temporary paralysis of one side of your face (Bell's palsy). Finally, I saw a specialist who diagnosed me correctly (at least to my current knowledge) with Fibro. As devastating as this news was, I was also undergoing severe symptoms of mental illness. I had already been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after the attempted murder from my son's father (if you REALLY wanna know that story, I'm going to have to hear a LOT of requests for it via messages to this post, as it is an EXTREMELY difficult story to write about and re-live), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Anxiety, Depression, Panic attacks (another fun story, oh the joy!), and the most recent diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Don't get your panties in a bunch, as BPD is in no way connected or affiliated with Multiple Personality Disorder, otherwise known as Schizophrenia. BPD can most easily be explained as a a person who has an emotional volume knob which is ALWAYS turned to the HIGHEST output, whereas most people's "emotional volume knobs" are turned to just the right amount of hearing level...not too loud, nor too quiet. People without BPD have "balanced" emotional levels. People like me, living with BPD, are constantly dealing with emotions that are "turned up" to the highest degree. We have the unfortunate gift of feeling every emotion to the highest degree. When someone is hurting, we feel their pain immensely, and cannot understand how others can be immune to the pain. When a discriminatory political view is made public, we cannot separate purselves from teh immense emotion that it may be disgustingly wrong, or inarguably correct! Those who suffer (and yes, suffer is the most accurate description of the disorder) from BPD are constantly conflicted with uncontrollable emotions and feelings that are so intense...it's almost as though we will just DIE if we cannot find a fix to the problems we see as painful to any other humans. It's the same as if it were painful to an animal...or even a laboratory rat...we cannot simply detach our emotions from situations as others can so easily do. It is not only our REASON for living, our motivator and inspiration, but also our bane and anguish to our lives. We feel more pain than many, and happiness comes at the same price: as soon as we realize the repercussions of said happiness, we are filled with pure sorrow and taken over with sadness, much to our demise. It is a most debilitating disease, as we have no control over our feelings and emotions, and live basically at the will of all who have the ability to influence us with sentiment and passion. We are the weak, but we are also the ones who make differences inthe world, based on our strength of emotions... You have now been informed...do NOT take advantage of us.

Random # 25 - I am Sigourney Weaver.

There is something SERIOUSLY wrong with my finger.

Ingrown nail...or ALIEN TRYING TO BURST OUT OF MY FINGERTIP???????

Random # 24 - Fairy Homes

I wanted to share some Fairy houses. I've been obsessed with these since I was a little girl, and recently saw them online selling for upwards of $100.00.

I am gonna make one, and that's that...but first, a little inspiration!

-source

-source

-source

Random #23 - smorgasboard.

How's this for lucky?

That's 5 (count 'em, FIVE) four leafed clovers I found on yesterday's walk with Dutch. The ironic part? I found them in his usual poop-spot...

Dutch's breakfast is on the right: Oatmeal cooked in leftover kale/okra/cabbage curry soup, mixed with egg yolks and shells for a good crunch-factor. I threw in the refuse of a green pepper and some baby carrots, too. He eats more than I do for Pete's sake.

Dinner last night was Vegan Potstickers and Salad with a topping of flax seed and chopped boiled eggs. The Sesame Ginger dressing made it all meld properly.

Dutch committing Elmo murder...

...and poor Elmo. I don't think that tickled at all.

Random #22 - Renaming Dutch: Douche.

And here we have another episode of "my dog ruined my day."

I made these perfectly delightful Indian spice "biscot-tea" cookies for all my mama friends for mother's day...

And that &*($-ing dog ate them all in the middle of the night. Ripped them right out of the boxes they were packed in for mailing, as well as the baggies they were wrapped in to keep them fresh.

He spent the day in the crate for that. I used REALLY EXPENSIVE spices, too! Indian coriander, Gourmet Saigon Vietnamese Cinnamon, and fresh nutmeg that I grated myself. I know, I'm complaining (get over it!), but I spent HOURS putting this together and setting intentions for my mama friends to be really happy with their snail-mail surprises.

RUINED. And he didn't even savor them.

What's worse is that I can't afford the ingredients to make them again.

Random #21 - pointe

I am just about DYING to see the film, "First Position."

Here's the trailer:



Let me know if it sounds interesting to you...

I've been contemplating starting a book of "quotes" that just resonate within me. Then, I realized how many quotes I have stored and how many I just love, but don't have record of, and decided not to...simply because, finding new ones every time I feel the need for them, is ever so much more FUN!


~♥~ “We are all like the bright moon, we still have our darker side.” ~♥~
~Khalil Gibran~

Random #20 - Goosebumps!

Just watch it.

Random #19.1 - Auschwitz Super Spy

As I mentioned in a previous post, I wanted to take more images of that creepy factory that sits on the major brook running through Attleboro - you know, the one that looks like a holocaust camp? Well, I finally got around to uploading the images, although they didn't turn out as well as I had planned because I was trying to be uber-ninja about it. It was a bright day, and the sun's positioning made for some awkward shots, but anyway, I got what I needed to convey the eeriness of this industrial eyesore...

The windows are all boarded up, yet there we have some fiberglass insulation exposed behind the broken panes of an unused window. Wonder what they're hiding back there?

Whatever they're doing, it includes three major chemicals. 1., Mineral Spirits...which is a cleaning solvent derived from paraffin and used for degreasing oily machinery, among other things.

2., Alkyl Resin...another crude oil or natural-gas derived paraffin or "saturated hydrocarbon" used as paints, marine paints and baking enamels. And 3., Ethyl Acetate...the ester of ethanol and acetic acid, it's uses are in glues, nail polish removers, and cigarettes. Yummy.

Okay, these things are pretty common and we use them quite often...right? Well, most of us do, anyway. But here's the kicker...

Those pipes lead directly to those tanks, and it looks like they are used to drain out and/or fill the tanks...OVER A STORM DRAIN.

Let's zoom in on those signs, shall we?

If for some reason you can't read the signs in the image, this is what they say:

"Danger: Check wheels before loading or unloading"

"Deactivate storm drain shutoff switch while tanks filling"

"Spill drain cover"

"Stormwater spill kit"

Uhm...if that stuff spills into the storm drain...there's really no cleaning it up, folks...and remember, this plant is RIGHT ON THE MAIN BROOK that runs through the city...so the storm drain right there is about 200 or so feet from the brook, and probably runs directly to it. AWESOME!

Last, but not least, there's a huge dumpster/container thing, covered by industrial grade sheet plastic. What the HECK is IN there that they need to cover with plastic? And what are they trying to keep OUT of there? Birds? Squirrels? PEOPLE? If either of those, I'm pretty sure plastic isn't keeping anything out...nor IN, for that matter.

What do you think? Am I just over-suspicious or is there a problem here?