Tag: Pizza

• I Wanna Pisa That Pizza

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on November 4, 2019

  When I was a wee child, I used to enjoy watching Disney movies, as most children do. One of the movies I loved was A Goofy Movie, and in that movie is a scene I used to quote often with my friends. I thought it was absolutely hilarious when one of the characters used cheese wizz to make a leaning tower of cheese, which he called: “a leaning tower of cheeza.”

  

  

  To this day I think of that scene when anyone refers to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. After my recent trip to Rome I wanted to make a pit stop in Pisa to see the tower, because it was an easy detour on the drive back to Germany. Upon arrival there was more to meet the eye than I expected. I didn’t realize there was a cathedral next to the tower, which was just as beautiful.

  

  

  

  

  

  It took a while to find parking, and after battling the parking meter trying to decipher what it was saying (it was all in Italian) we walked about half a mile to see the tower. There were of course plenty of other people around trying to get a view of the tower as well, and it was comical watching everyone taking the popular photo of them holding up the tower.

  Guilty…

  

  It took my mom and I quite a few tries to get a somewhat decent photo, but in the end my strength prevailed. I originally planned to climb the tower, but after realizing it was nearly 20 euros to climb, I decided it wasn’t worth it. Instead we walked all the way around the tower before walking around the town of Pisa for lunch.

  

  

  

  The town of Pisa is small, but adorable. We found a restaurant close enough to the tower, but far enough away that it didn’t feel overly touristy to enjoy some lunch. We had eaten pizza twice before during our visit to Italy, and both times we were skunked by less than stellar quality. Third time was the charm, and having pizza in Pisa was the golden ticket because this pizza was AMAZING.

  

  The pizza was the side of my torso, and my mom, my sister, and I gobbled it up without a crumb to spare.  I came to Italy, and I had amazing pizza – success (although I’ve read pizza isn’t really a true Italian meal.) After we finished lunch we headed back towards the car for the long, albeit beautiful drive back to Bavaria. This was a great pit stop, and I am glad I finally got to see the tower in real life.

  

  This sums up my family trip to Italy, it was such a great time seeing my mom and my sister. This was both of their first trips to Europe, and I know it won’t be their last. It was stressful at times planning this trip, and playing tour guide, (I just want everyone to have a good time) but it was all worth it to spend a week with them abroad.

  Big thanks to my friend Pam for watching my cat, the only other soul that I trust aside from my mom taking care of my fur child. Without her this trip would not have been possible! ❤

  Q: Do you enjoy planning trips? I do this once a month, sometimes it can be a lot! 

  

  | 8 Comments Tagged Brittanys Life Abroad, Italy, Pisa, Pizza

• Donuts and Coffee

  Posted at 7:33 AM by Brittany, on June 8, 2015

  National Running Day (NRD) and National Donut Day (NDD) were conveniently set within a day of each other. Coincidence? I think not.

  I logged 4 miles on NRD, 3 miles the next day, and 9 more miles between Sat/Sun . I wasn’t kidding when I said “I run to fit into my pants.” Thankfully I have a decent handle on the whole balance thing, and have been eating greens from my garden to counteract sugary donuts. Collards, and spinach, and rosemary – OH MY!

  

  I must be honest though and admit I did NOT actually consume a donut ON NDD. I ended up working later than planned, and good vegan donuts require a bit of travel. I instead daydreamt about the ghosts of donuts past.

  

  Specifically about this epic creation from VooDoo Doughnuts in Portland. Chocolate, Oreo’s, and peanut butter. So much yes.

  I don’t follow the rules, and despite the hype and excitement behind “national” anything day, I had no problems waiting until Sunday to embark on my donut quest.

  When I think donuts, I also think coffee. A piping hot cup of Joe as black as my cat.

  

  Meow.

  SO I ventured near Seattle, climbed a mountain, and got some donuts. Good things come to those who wait. I even risked tummy woes with the chocolate flavor.

  

  If a donut does not take up the entire space of your hand when being held, you need another one. Safe to assume you’ll always need two. If we’re being honest again I actually played too long in the forest yesterday and didn’t make it to the donut shop before it closed. I had to settle for the only two choices offered at Whole Foods.

  

  

  

  Worth it.

  What I really wanted was a maple bar and an apple fritter. Looks like I’ll be going back.

  I also didn’t have these donuts with coffee like I had planned…so this post has turned into a whirlwind of coulda, woulda, shoulda. I did have pizza and a jam filled scone though, and I have a new appreciation for geometry. Triangles = good things.

  

  I ❤ scones.

  Q: Did you celebrate NRD or NDD? Yes, yes I do fall prey to the made up holidays, but only when they support my addictions. In reality everyday is a good day for donuts and running. June 6 was national trails day…so I just clumped them all together.

  

  | 54 Comments Tagged Donuts, Hike, Pizza, Rattlesnake Ridge, Run, Scone, Vegan

• ob·ses·sion

  Posted at 6:19 AM by Brittany, on June 9, 2014

  ob·ses·sion

  : someone or something that a person thinks about constantly or frequently

  : an activity that someone is very interested in or spends a lot of time doing

  

  

  It’s safe to say I am officially obsessed with hiking. I think about it all the time, and I partake in it every weekend, usually twice. When I’m bored I look at photos of mountains, or browse REI for new gear.

  

  I hiked not one, not two, but three mountains this weekend. Two of them in one day, I just can’t get enough. Two of these hikes were new to me. The first one was the Rattlesnake Mtn Trail. Amazing.

  

  I continue to be in awe of each vantage point I come to.

  

  

  

  

  It’s amazing to me how at peace I feel when I am in the trees. I could literally sit atop a mountain like this for hours staring at one spot.

  

  The trifecta: Mountains, trees, and water.

  Rattlesnake was about 5 mi total, but I needed more. So I ventured over to Little Si, which is a smaller version of the hike I did last week.

  

  This trail was full of the most lush foliage I’ve ever seen.

  

  

  The view at the top was like a sea of trees.

  

  

  I have found my summer passion. I think it’s time to invest in some real hiking shoes, and camping gear. As if I needed another reason to love my time with nature, back to back hiking calls for epic refueling.

   

  

  

  

  Q: Where do you feel most alive? Next to chocolate cake, and in the forest. 

  
  | 57 Comments Tagged Explore, Hiking, Little Si, Mountain, Nature, Pizza, Rattlesnake Ridge, Vegan

• Green Mountain – Par Baked

  Posted at 7:56 AM by Brittany, on May 26, 2014

  I was a hiking machine this weekend. Between Saturday and Sunday I conquered 18 total miles of pure nature bliss. Hiking season is here.

  

  

  

  

  I just can’t get enough!

  Along the way I found Sasquatch.

  

  Ah, nope that’s just me. I assure you this balancing act was much harder than it looks. I debated walking across the log for a whole second and quickly shoved that idea south. I decided I wanted to live.

  

  

  Post Sat. hike I came home and made myself the most epic pizza. I had been craving pizza for WEEKS, and finally got around to “sorta” kinda making some. I say sorta because this was a “semi” homemade pizza.

  

  I usually like to make my dough from scratch, but I also like to try new things. I snagged this gluten free flatbread on my last trip to TJ’s and OH MY it was good! I was pleasantly surprised. I mentioned a while back that too much wheat causes my stomach to rebel, so I limit my intake on breads. Next time I’ll try making my own GF dough.

  

  Most people can’t live without cheese on their pizza, for me it’s potatoes. Two years ago (I love blogging because I can dig back in my archives for moments like this) I was introduced to potatoes on pizza and I never looked back…ever. I’ve had them on every pizza since.

  First time using sweet taters, and all I have to say is yes. Just yes. I baked my sweet potatoes, my beets, and my garlic in the oven before my hike to ensure they were ready when I came home ravenous.

  For this I just sliced them thin, wiped my pan with coconut oil, topped with a little sea salt and baked at 375 for about 45 min – an hour. The garlic will need to come out after about 20 minutes. I also cheated on this pizza and used a store bought sauce! All kinds of crazy over here.

  

  I am in love with these Bolani sauces!! They are amazing, and they are LEGIT using minimal ingredients. I love making my own sauces/pesto and as a vegan I usually have to, but these are a fun treat and I totally approve of the nutritional stats/ingredients.  Random Costco find!

  

  I could have definitely eaten two.

  

  Q: Who’s embracing the hiking season!?

  

  | 47 Comments Tagged Adventure, Hike, Hiking, Pizza, Recipe, Trader Joes, Vegan

• Hold the Cheese Please

  Posted at 7:52 AM by Brittany, on August 30, 2013

  If anyone ever tells you that you need cheese on your pizza, look them straight in the eye and say, “NO, cheese clogs your colon!” Actually I happen to love cheese, I just don’t eat it these days. I promise I don’t judge those that do, but I think making pizza without cheese forces you to be more creative with your flavor combinations. I’ve had my fair share of vegan pizzas before and each time I do the flavor combinations get a little more wild.

  When deciding what to make for dinner the other night, I suddenly remembered I had some walnut cream sauce left from my dinner last week. Pizza immediately popped into my head as a way to finish up the sauce. BOOM. The only problem was that I didn’t have any yeast on deck, and I didn’t want to drive to the store just for that. To be honest I just didn’t want to use the yeast period..so I didn’t! This yeast free dough turned out great!

  

  Yeast Free Pizza Dough

  • 2.5 cups whole wheat (or all purpose) flour
  • 2 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tblsp olive oil
  • 1 cup of water (possible a skosh more)

  

  Mix your dry ingredients together and then add in your water and oil. I used a fork for maybe 5 seconds before getting my hands in there and rolling the dough around until it was well combined. Knead the dough on a floured surface for a few minutes and then roll out onto baking tray (I used a pizza stone) and top with desired ingredients!

  I topped mine with the walnut sauce, spinach, rosemary potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted beets, chopped green onions and not photographed nutritional yeast. For my veggies I roasted each of them before topping my pizza dough, the pizza will only take about 20 minutes at 400F so you want these veggies already cooked for the most part. The potatoes were roasted with the rosemary prior to topping the pizza.

  

  This pizza hit the spot, and even my non vegan family members gave it two thumbs up. The best part? Leftovers for lunch! Somehow leftovers make me just as excited.

  

  Q: What’s your favorite pizza topping? Potatoes are essential for me on pizza.  

  

  | 66 Comments Tagged Pizza, Recipe, Vegan

• When Nature Calls

  Posted at 10:33 AM by Brittany, on May 20, 2013

  Lately I have been spending a lot of time alone. Sometimes it’s peaceful, sometimes it’s not. This weekend I tried to get out and spend time around other people and bless them with my charm and wit. Friday I successfully got lost in nature, kind of. Can you get lost if you’re not alone?

  

  Oops she was mid sentence when I snapped the picture haha.

  I brought my sister with me to go for a walk in the woods because let’s be honest, I am afraid of going into the woods alone. What can I say, I’m a wuss. What I am not afraid of though, is honoring nature when it calls. I was no where near a bathroom and my bladder felt like it was carrying the entire San Diego Zoo. The problem was finding somewhere appropriate to hide. I don’t prefer this way, but I just had to.

  

  Too out in the open.

  

  Too rude to go on a bridge.

  

  Can I climb inside this tree stump?

  Finally when I thought I couldn’t hold my bladder any longer I found a giant rock to hide behind. I told my sister to block my way and she then say, “Can Tiff try?” For those of you that don’t know, my sister has autism and is very impressionable. I probably should have held it, but I REALLY had to go. I said “NO! Don’t ever do this..and pretend it didn’t happen.” She said, “Keep it a secret.” Yes..keep my secret. Sorry mom.

  
  

  I really enjoyed being out with the ferns, birds, and tree monkeys.

  Sunday I spent time with a friend that I’ve known since I was a wee won.

  

  For the record, yes I wear this jacket basically everywhere I go. I don’t know what I’ll do when the weather heats up for good. I’ll probably just cut off the sleeves.

  While driving around Seattle I spotted the most beautiful graffiti I have ever seen.

  

  I have been craving pizza, for WEEKS! For some reason I’ve had no motivation to make my own, and as a vegan it’s not easy to just walk into Domino’s and ask for a pizza without cheese. Plus who knows whats in their crust..ANYWAY. This pizza..was legit.

  

  I chose the Field Roast pizza and it had: white garlic sauce, Field Roast, fresh tomatoes, spinach, and I ditched mushrooms for potatoes. Potatoes on pizza is the best. I think they also sprinkled dill on top, which I don’t really care for..but the pizza was so good I was able to ignore the dill. Plus I dumped enough red pepper and nooch on top to plug a flood hole.

  

  

  So good I left some on the side of my mouth for later. Thanks for the candid shot my friend.

  The pizza is made to order, so you know it’s fresh. They don’t sell by the slice so I had to purchase a small, but that just means more for later. I love supporting small businesses.

  

  I need to move to Seattle. Happy Monday everyone, I’m off to yoga!

  Q: Have you ever used nature as a bathroom? Be honest…

  

  | 67 Comments Tagged Adventure, Nature, Pizza, Seattle, Vegan

• Grill Love

  Posted at 8:40 PM by Brittany, on May 7, 2012

  It’s finally time. The grill has been dusted off and used for the first time this season. Browned veggies and crispy pizza make for an unbeatable combination. I went to a friends house to make some grilled pizza’s. We made these last summer, but they ended up burning on the bottom (I still ate every last bite.) After some research we found that the pizza’s need indirect heat, opposed to being placed directly over the coals.

  First things first, prepare the toppings. Grilled veggies, vegan sausage, and homemade pizza dough.

  

  There were 7 small/medium pizza rounds prepared, and there were 4 people. Not everyone gets two, but I made sure I had two. Normally I have to shank people to get two pizzas, but fortunately the host knows I throw away a lot of food. While the dough was setting we took part in some appe-teasers.

  

  

  

  Grilled peppers, grilled eggplant, and grilled oysters (for the non veggiebites.) Did I mention we used the grill? The eggplant was seasoned to perfection. After inhaling this produce, the main course was prepared.

  

  

  

  Two vegan pizza’s, and a garden fresh salad full of Swiss chard, beets, and tomatoes.

  If you haven’t tried a grilled pizza, I suggest you do this immediately. The flavor is unlike any pizza I have ever had. Be sure to indirectly heat the dough, and before applying any toppings quickly grill the side you’ll top to ensure crispy-ness on both sides.

  Perfect Piadine Pizza Dough

  • 1 active packet of yeast
  • Half a cup of lukewarm water
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1 cup cool water
  • 2tblsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2tbsp salt

  -Mix the yeast, warm water and 1/2 cup of flour. Let dough rise, about 20 minutes. Add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup cool water, olive oil, salt, and start kneading the dough. Continue until the flour is mixed in, and then add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour as needed to produce a moist and soft dough. After a fair amount of punching and kneading leave the dough on a floured surface and let rise, about an hour. Once ready to use the dough, roll out individual pieces and let sit for about 15 minutes to spread out completely.

  This is some of the best dough I have had for a pizza base. Make this dough, and then buy a grill. Grill the dough and use it as a pillow. Do this because the dough is fluffy, and because it will make a great midnight snack. Hooray for foodie friend adventures!

  Q: Have you had pizza made on a grill??

  

  | 28 Comments Tagged Grill, Pizza, Recipe, Vegan

• Re-creations

  Posted at 6:35 PM by Brittany, on April 20, 2012

  I have often asked myself, “what’s a pizza without cheese?” I never had an answer for that question..until now. I decided to go on a cheeseless adventure to Hawaii, pizza style.

  

  These two amoeba like pizzas are vegan friendly and oh so delicious. We’ve got BBQ sauce, pineapple, tomato, spinach, green peppers, onion, and vegan sausage.

  

  Two slices were all I could muster because I got mind bogged by my appe-TEASER. Appetizers tease you before the main meal. I always eat too much of the pre-meal goodness.

  

  Olive oil, garlic, and jalapeno bread.

  

  Paired with salsa, artichoke antipasto, and pineapple. I didn’t stop for air. Fortunately my cat knows CPR.

  Another new vegan friendly creation was french toast (don’t click that if you’re sensitive to foul language.)

  

  That little guy on the left, browned to perfection and topped with chocolate. Simple recipe..banana, almond milk, cinnamon, and vanilla. Bam. Blend it all together and coat the bread. Cook in coconut oil (or vegan margarine) and bam BAM! Banana explosion.

  I recently purchased a pair of Tom’s, and I am a bit disappointed because they smell as if they have been sprayed by the ass juice of a skunk. They are horrific. Does anyone know if this is normal? I messaged the company, but no reply. Fortunately for me my mom pays Manfriend to hangout with me every month, because these shoes could scare away an embryo. The funny part is that my cats are obsessed with rolling their faces on them…my destiny has been confirmed. Crazy Cat Lady.

  Q: Favorite pizzaaaa toppings? 

  

  | 33 Comments Tagged New food, Pizza, Recipe, Vegan

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