Recently, I tried making my own pizza dough from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook. It turned out so nicely that I have made it several times since! It’s so rewarding making things like this from scratch. I simply make a batch and freeze half to use at another time. It’s worth the little effort to have something fresh and tasty. Here is a similar recipe to the one in the book. Frozen Pizza Dough.

For this Margherita Pizza, I use one container of Domino’s Marinara sauce (we had one leftover), fresh mozzarella slices and fresh basil leaves. First, I roll the dough out. I like mine on the thinner side. Sprinkle cornmeal on your cookie sheet. Place rolled dough onto sheet. Brush with olive oil, top with marinara, mozzarella slices, basil leaves and salt & pepper. I also grated a little asiago (or any hard cheese) I had in my drawer, just to add a little more flavor. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Throw a few more basil leaves on top and enjoy!

If you don’t want to make your own dough, buy some to use. You could also make your own pizza sauce. I just haven’t gotten around to perfecting that. Might be next on my list of things to learn.

This is such a tasty dinner. It has become a staple in our home. Try it! There are so many combinations of flavors out there. I favor simplicity, but these would be super tasty with meats if that’s your thing.

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We’re enduring a record-breaking snowstorm here in the Baltimore-D.C. area. Will post updates of the snow! It’s just lovely.
Have a warm and happy weekend!

Hello to anyone out there who is still checking SewTrashy! Bill, my most loyal fan, this post is for you.

I can’t believe it’s been (almost) three months since I posted last. Does anyone else feel the year flying by? Sheesh! Life has been good, busy and full of fun things. Although, not much time for making and creativity. Hopefully that will change soon.

Most recently, Dustin and I went to New York City for a quick 2.5 day weekend trip along with some of my family. We took the bus, which was super fun and only cost $4.50 roundtrip TOTAL for both of us. I mean, you can’t beat that! We had a blast while we were there. Dustin took all of these photos. Enjoy!

Grimaldi’s Pizza was amazing! Totally worth the wait. We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge which certainly worked up our appetite for pizza! I would recommend trying Grimaldi’s (and walking the Bridge!). The space is quite small and a little noisy, but it’s also cozy and fun. You can watch them cranking out the pizzas in the back. Super thin crust, baked in a coal brick oven. YUM!

Amazing cupcakes. Well, at least they look amazing! We tried the Mini Pumplin Whoopie Pies and Coconut Nutella Macaroons which were both pretty spectacular. These baked goodies come from Street Sweets. A blue lunch wagon bakery on wheels! Try it if you see it. Bring cash, unless you want to buy $10 worth of goodies on your debit card.

Here’s my lovely Mom and super cool brother. We went through craziness trying to get tickets to see West Side Story. Finally, we lucked out and paid $35 for balcony seats and ended up with center orchestra seats! Amazing. Great show. Super fun. Made me want to dance!

The only photo of Dustin the entire trip.

Wrong stop. Lots of extra walking.
Definitely earned all the yummy food we ate during the trip.

Do you have a favorite New York City restaurant or activity? I’m going back in a couple weeks, and would love your input!

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I am a sucker for a lovely, useful vessel. Whether it be glass, metal or any other material, I have a very hard time refusing it. And, around $1-$2  a pop (some as low as .69 cents!), I certainly can’t turn that kind of a deal down! I splurged a little on the white tea tin I found on Etsy ($6). But, it was totally worth it!

I’ve decided to share some of my favorite pieces that I’ve accumulated over the last 6-8 months or so. I find these jars and tins so useful around the kitchen as well as the rest of the home. The glass flip top jars are perfect for food storage. I like to keep my nuts, seeds, snacks, dog treat, and baking items in them. Everything looks much prettier in a glass jar! These metal tins I typically use to contain my numerous teas. However, I have also been know to empty a few containers out and use them at a Craft Show as seen in this post.

The possibilities are endless. Enjoy!

paula_deen, originally uploaded by easement.

Although, I have never made a single recipe from Paula Deen, I thoroughly enjoy watching her on The Food Network. She has so many silly sayings that always make me laugh, but my favorite so far came yesterday. “Love comes in the form of butter.” ha! I love that!

Granted, I would die young if I ever cooked like her, but boy those recipes do sound so stinkin’ good, don’t they? Sometimes, Dustin yells at her on tv because he can’t believe how unhealthy she cooks. (He is a personal cook, you see, for a Coast Guard Admiral.)

I just love her. Don’t you?