Calm and Happy

Tonight was homemade veggie pizza. I am not a big fan of pizza normally but found that I really enjoy my version of a veggie pizza. I simply roll out the refrigerated pizza dough to fit the pan, prick it with a fork and bake it for about 5 minutes. Then I top it with pizza sauce and sprinkle a little garlic salt on it before I begin topping it with fresh onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and Roma Tomatoes. Then sliced black olives and banana peppers are added along with chopped fresh oregano and Italian Seasoning. Lastly, I add shredded Mozzarella and Sharp Cheddar cheese. The pizza is rich with flavor but not greasy and isn't harsh on the stomach.

Tomorrow is Coq au Vin, a recipe I saw on Food Network yesterday. It requires marinating the chicken for 24 hours so I prepared the marinate as instructed and the chicken is now marinating. Coq au Vin is a French braised chicken with Lardons (fat), mushrooms, and sometimes garlic. This recipe uses bacon for the Lardon and does include garlic. Unfortunately the marinate is a combination of red wine, garlic, and fresh herbs. Today being Sunday, I was unable to purchase a bottle of wine. Crazy I know but that is the south for you. Fortunately we had a bottle of Rose Wine on hand so I had to improvise with it.

My mood has been calm and happy the last few days. Finally having days off where I can focus on things I love, like my family and cooking, is the cause. I wish I could afford to not go back to work but when February comes, I will have another 4 months on the job before beginning my next seasonal break.