Hamburger Pizza= A finnnneee alternative to your standard hamburger

One of my favorite things to do when I procrastinate is make pizza (the GRE is tomorrow folks... yelp!). What about pizza is there not to like... carbs+ cheese = open canvas. You can do anything you want with pizza, plus the best part is, you control the amount of cheese, toppings, sauce, etc.

The inspiration for this pizza came from the fact I had hamburger meat I had to use, but, I didn't want a hamburger. LIGHT BULB. Hamburger pizza. The first thing you have to come up with is, what goes on a hamburger? Lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mayo, cheese all make up the standard hamburger. However, lettuce isn't going to cook well, and neither is mayo.

Fixing the lettuce and mayo problem was easy; I just would not put it on. But that also leaves me with the questions of decided the kind of base the pizza would have. Ketchup? Eh, it just doesn't sound right. Thousand Island? It has the same problem as the mayo.Perplexed on what to do, I went grocery shopping and waited for inspiration to hit me.... which it did.

Caramelized onion dip. Who does not LOVE caramelized onions on thier hamburger. Plus, the dip was creamy and cheesy, which was perfect. All that was left was the pizza construction.

Ingredients (All from Trader Joe's): 1 red onion, 1 steak tomato, 80-20 ground beef, Sharp White Cheddar Slices, Jack Blue Cheese Slices, Pizza dough, Caramelized onion dip. I also used minced garlic I had in my kitchen.

Ode to Plain Yogurt

Just like my new dog, I too am a mutt. I grew up eating plain yogurt, and have it for breakfast a few times a week. It is a great breakfast item for a number of reasons. One, it is delicious! But not only for its yummy factor, plain yogurt should be enjoyed for is benefits to your body. Those include: yogurt is easier to digest than milk, yogurt contributes to colon health, yogurt improves the bio availability of other nutrients, yogurt boosts your immunity, yogurt aids healing intestinal infections, yogurt decreases yeast infections, yogurt is a rich source of protein and calcium, yogurt can lower cholesterol, and yogurt improves your skin. Need I say more?

Not all yogurt is created equal, however. There are a list of things you should look out for, but eating plain (Greek or Mediterranean is the best) yogurt is a safe bet to acquiring the benefits above. For more information on yogurt and what kinds to not eat, check out Yogurt.

There are a number of ways to eat yogurt. My favorite is with a drizzle of honey. This gives you that tart, sweet factor that so many of us look for.

The New Addition to my Family

In a few of my posts, you have seen my precious cat Missy.

Studying for the GRE = Procrastination Baking

I know I know... I haven't written a post in forever. Work and life have been busy, but here are some updates:

* I have decided to get a raise at work. Having a difficult system in place like the California School System will make this challenging, but I am determined to get it done. Therefore, the appeal has been long thought out.
* I applied to Graduate School!!! Barring I don't fail the GRE, I should get in no problem. Get excited for me :)
* I am working heavily with HDSA to get their upcoming fundraiser in August. They do such a good job with Huntington's Disease, that I equally have to do a good job and work my tail off for the cause.
*Did I mention I am taking the GRE May 27th? What is most difficult about this, is I made this decision 5 1/2 weeks before the test date. And I get one shot, as my application is all due June 1st. If you care to send me good vibes, I will take them!

One of the best parts about studying is the fact that is makes my baking/cooking better. This, my friend, is solely due in part to the fact that I would rather procrastinate than actually study. Last night in fact, I made a delicious vegetable frittata and butternut squash risotto for me and my mom. We had plans to go out to eat, but I offered to cook... wonder why.