Fresh Veggie Pizza

This is one of those meals I crave in the spring and summer when the weather is nice and the fresh veggies are great. It's something my mother used to make for us and was an easy way for her to get us kids to eat our vegetables. Also, several of the items I use come in low-fat or non-fat options, helping to make it healthier. The only downfall is that it doesn't save well so leftovers aren't that great - of course we never end up with any leftovers anyhow!

INGREDIENTS

1 can crescent rolls

4 oz cream cheese

8 oz sour cream

powdered ranch mix

shredded cheddar (or other cheese of your choice)

diced fresh veggies

DIRECTIONS

Roll out the crescent dough onto a cookie sheet and make sure to press the pre-cut edges together to form your pizza crust. Bake it according to the directions and allow to cool.

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and ranch mix together to form the sauce of the pizza. Spread it on the cooled crust. Top with your shredded cheese and fresh veggies.

Another option is to top it with the ranch sauce, then cut it into pieces and allow everyone to top it with the cheese and veggies as they like.

WARNING - this can be messy if you load it down like we do, so make sure to have forks and napkins handy!

Valentine's Dinner

Let me start by saying I married the best man in the world. Valentine's week was a bad one this year, not because of my husband, but because of other things that we had to deal with. However, this year my husband decided that he would take care of Valentine's Day and luckily, he had the evening off. We had decided a while back that we would NOT be going out to eat since it seems most places have a set menu and jack up the prices for everything - this along with the crowds just is not what we consider a nice, relaxing night. We'll save our trip to the Melting Pot or other yummy restaurant for another night. Meanwhile, my husband decided to make this scrumptious dinner for us at HOME that we could easily enjoy in our pajama's. So while I had to work late, he was able to start dinner.

We ended up having quick broiled Filet Mignon with sauteed mushrooms, steamed asparagus topped with butter and garlic powder, and garlic mashed potatoes boiled with chicken bouillon. He also bought a bottle of Cline Red Zinfandel that was really pretty tasty. We had ever intention to follow it up with the chocolate souffles with hot fudge sauce I tried earlier, but we had already stuffed ourselves as well as ran out of time. All in all, we didn't miss it anyhow! I have included some of the tricks used for this meal below.

Steak - marinated with steak season and a little Worcestershire, broiled on each side for about 8-10 minutes (depends on thickness and how you like it cooked).

Mashed Potatoes - boil them with a few cloves of garlic and a couple chicken bouillon cubes. Drain most of the water once the potatoes are done and mash with butter and milk. These have enough flavor that gravy is NEVER needed.

Asparagus - cut off the hard ends, place in a steamer in a pot of boiling water. I usually turn the stove off once I put the asparagus in and let the heat from the burner and the water cook the asparagus. This keeps it from getting over-cooked so it is still crunchy. We then switch it to a bowl and top it with butter and garlic powder.

I have to admit, there is nothing better that a marvelous steak, grand mashed potatoes, yummy asparagus, a nice glass of wine all served on your wedding china and enjoyed IN pajama's with the one you love. I couldn't have asked for a better Valentine's Day.