THE AMUSED LIFE BLOG

Originally written for and published in Elephant Journal 12/24/15.  I’ve worn only black pants since age 22. Seriously. Black. Friggin’. Pants. No jeans. No noisy corduroys. No fun colorful or patterned stretchy leggings. Black pants. All because I’m in a completely consuming relationship. He’s everything I want and he’s always there when I need him. He’s socially acceptable and gets along with almost everyone. Frankly, most people fall in love with him upon first meeting him. He’s irresistible! I can take the parents and friends to meet him. He makes me smile and lust after him no matter if he’s heated or ice cold—I still want him just as bad. In fact, he slides inside me with such familiarity that I ache when he crosses my lips. It’s that knowing ache. I know I’ll be satisfied. He knows me. He wants to please me. He can be bad and he’s still good. He’s pizza and I have been in an all consuming relationship with him since the age of eight. Perhaps you’ve been in love too? It’s tha...

FIND If you are a pizzahaulic like myself you learn that eating out is going to quickly result in a budget crunch. Now, I would NEVER in a million years not tell you to enjoy your take-out/delivery but I do suggest trying, on occasion to make your own at home. You can get all creative with the toppings and customize it to your heart's content. I've been making pizza since I was 15 years old and my first home economics teacher taught us how to make dough from scratch...and trust, from-scratch dough is THE BEST there is. However, we live in a relentless world where we're competing for time and energy so learning a few shortcuts is nothing to be mad at. That's what leads me to this week's foodie find. I've experimented with various pre-made doughs. I love Pillsbury's pizza crust when I want to make a quick calzone; but I never cared for Boboli (always had a weird "preserved for shelf life" taste to it), and as much as I wanted to LOVE the pre-made cru...

We're going to start a journey with dinner planning.  Chicken Margherita  with Spaghetti and Italian Bread (Anna)  - Completed 8/10/20 Amazing!!! Polska Kielbasa with Rice (Erik)   - Completed 8/9/20 Delicious and quick!   Breakfast for Dinner: Pancakes with Breakfast Sausage (Erik)   - Completed 8/11/20 So Yummy! Sunday 8/9/10 We had a later than planned night and it was my 2nd night off of a weekend so Erik took over dinner tonight with a quick and easy Polska Kielbasa with Rice and the addition of some herbed stuffing. Quick, easy and hit the spot. Monday 8/10/20 I was exhausted today but I was dedicated to making this meal tonight. When I cook, I improvise a LOT. I don't measure so if you follow the recipe above (underlined); you can follow the instructions to the letter or just allow the magic to happen. It was so good that this Chicken Margherita will be in my regular menu rotation after tonight. For sure! Tuesday 08/11/20 In the world as we know it, ...