Super Bowl Inspired Cauliflower Pizza

I’m sorry but it is just not Football finals or even Super bowl season without pizza and wings (and beer too).   I wanted pizza to go along with my new amazing Buffalo Chicken Balls, but I just had a killer hike and didn't want to ruin my weight loss momentum.   So I went searching for an alternative to the calorie and carb loaded pizza just hoping to find something to satisfy my craving.  I was skeptical but curious about the ‘Cauliflower Pizza’ recipe I found… football finals were on and I was feeling adventurous so I gave it a go.  I was pleasantly surprised that this basically ‘veggie’ pizza was packed with flavor and best of all didn't leave me with that regretful guilt feeling of cheating on my weight-loss goals. 

Here is the recipe to this pie, you better believe they’ll be one in my oven his coming Super bowl Sunday.

3-4 c cooked cauliflower, mashed or pureed
2 eggs
2 C low fat mozzarella
2 t oregano
2 t parsley
tomato or Alfredo sauce
toppings
mozzarella
Combine pureed cauliflower, eggs, mozzarella, oregano & parsley well. Using a spatula, spread evenly onto a pizza stone or greased baking sheet to the edges. If you make the crust thicker, you'll be able to hold it like a piece of pizza. The round individual pizzas are easy to hold too.
Bake in a preheated oven of 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Remove and spread sauce on then toppings and mozzarella. 
Place under broiler until cheese is melted.

You're Welcome!

Buffalo Chicken Balls

Like millions of other Americans one of my New Year’s resolutions was to shed some much needed curves off my lovely figure.  Also to cook from home as often as possible.  With these two thoughts in mind,  I have been trying to cut out carbs and sugar…dreadful I know, but a girls gotta do it!  It never fails about two weeks into a great new routine I ALWAYS crave pizza and wings!  ALWAYS!  Seriously, pizza and wings is this girls kryptonite.  While I was on Pinterest looking for new recipes to inspire my weeks cooking I fumbled on a delightful little recipe, ‘Buffalo Chicken Balls,’ AY, they sounded amazing, and were packed with veggies. I knew I had to give them a try, and I am so glad I did, these are priceless gems specially when you are having endless hankering for buffalo wings! 

Recipe: 

1 pound lean ground chicken

1 egg

1/2 c of panko break crumbs (I used crushed up melba toast)

1 carrot

1 stalk celery

2 green onions

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup Frank's Hot Sauce (or your favorite), divided

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Line a cookie sheet with foil and coat with nonstick spray.
Cut the celery, carrot and green onion into large chunks and throw into a food processor.
Pulse to chop into small bits.
In a large bowl, combine the vegetable mixture, chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, salt, 1/2 the hot sauce
Gently fold together to combine, but don't overmix.
Form the mixture into small meatballs - you should get about 28 small meatballs.
Place the meatballs on the cookie sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the meatballs from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Place the meatballs onto a serving dish and drizzle with hot sauce.

Enjoy

Time Flies

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t taken a little by surprise when I received the Face Book message request from Hollianne to shoot her senior photos.  I feel like it was just last summer that this sweet, little girl would  tag along with her older brothers  and come volunteer at VBS running the preschool  games.  In the blink of an eye she has grown into this beautiful woman that is graduating HIGH SCHOOL.  I’m so excited and proud of her as she will me embarking on her journey to NAU in the tourism and hospitality management program.  We shot her Senior Photos at Trilogy, here are just a few shots of this gorgeous girl! 

Choosing Truth in the Battle: This Single Girls Anthem for Strength and Sanity

I have been thinking about this blog for months and I have wrestled with my emotions and God regarding this topic for a long time.  But it is time to feel, deal, heal and now reveal.  

Over the past couple months the following interactions have been a few of my experiences with men: First, I have been relentlessly hit on by a married man at work.  These weren’t passive flirtations that can be taken with a grain of salt, these were forward uncomfortable passes.  Second, the most recent man I dated communicated that if he wasn’t in his current relationship, he would be extremely interested in me (as if it were a compliment). Lastly, I asked a friend to join me for a wedding so I wouldn’t have to attend alone and I received absolutely NO response.  We carried on like the question wasn’t ever asked. 

While, I admire the women who could have these interactions and think nothing of them, I of course couldn’t possibly be that simple.  These exchanges rocked my world.  You see in high school all my friends had boyfriends, but me.   I was always the best friend, the great girl to hang out with but not to date, the one that was never desired or chased and always felt invisible when it came to guys. These recent interactions only fueled that fire.   They became lies that sounded like, ‘if it wasn’t for my wife, I would choose you,’ ‘if it wasn’t for my girlfriend, I would choose you,’ or bluntly ‘I’m not interested in you, you’re not even worth a response.’ These experiences painfully affirmed what  were already my tender insecurities. I couldn’t help but have the thoughts, ‘Why am I ALWAYS second runner up?’ and the typical ‘What is wrong with me?’   On a drive to work I was struggling with why this was happening to me when good ol’ K-Love, a radio station, played JJ Heller’s song titled “Who You Are.”  Her wise words state:

‘Lord, I don’t know what you are doing, but I know who You are.’

With one simple chorus I understood what God was teaching me in the midst of all this painful chaos.  All I can say is ‘Jesus, I really don’t know why these crazy interactions are happening, but I do know who you are….and that is enough for me.  The God I serve says, ‘For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope.”  Jeremiah 29:11.  I will choose to stand on His truth over all my crazy emotions and lies this world tells me .  So in this tough, sometimes lonely and frustrating season of singleness, I have chosen to make this my anthem.  “Lord, I do not know what you are doing with my singleness, but I know who you are and I couldn’t ask for more.  

Fatherly Love

This is the second time I have had the joy of shooting Nate and Griffin.    I must say I just adore their bond: playful, sweet and filled with love!  And I have to admit, if it were legal to kidnap a kid…I would choose Griffy.  Common, look at that face!  We went to my favorite downtown spot for a morning shoot…here are a few moments we captured. 

'Send Me'

A manager at my work was going on a trip to Jerusalem and offered to take our written down prayers to Jerusalem’s Western Wall.  So excited at the opportunity, I wrote on a little yellow post-it, with two simple words: ‘Send Me.’  While I know the Lord hears my prayers, I think He used the little yellow post-it in a major way….

Since high school I have had a weird attraction/pull to Africa, anytime someone would speak of Africa, or a news channel would cover a story on Africa I would find myself completely captivated.  I have always desired to serve internationally to experience and understand other peoples view on who God is, how they worship and love Him.  I have watched and greatly admired many peers go and be sent out on many great adventures, crazily following God’s call.  But I lacked the belief/confidence that God had something that incredible for me.   I don’t have a degree, or a valuable trade like medicine or a background in construction that would be valuable on mission trips.  I have always felt like I wasn’t equipped, talented or skilled enough to go.  However, the truth is God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.  I believe that God has called me into a season that requires me to get off my knees and pray, to be courageous enough to go boldly in the direction of my dreams and pray God will bless the journey.  By no means can I afford to go to Africa to serve on my own, but living by faith alone I know God will open doors and provide. 

Is it scary, HECK yea!

Self-Doubting, been there.

Am I right where God wants me to be, ABSOLUTELY. 

As I blew out the candles to my 27^th birthday cake, my wish was to “ always be in God’s Will,”  what a beautiful feeling to know I am there….

Sweet Spot

It’s been a while since I’ve been this excited for a shoot!  But last night I was SOO wound up I couldn’t go to sleep.  You see I was early to a birthday party last night, so I decided to drive around downtown to look for new locations to shoot and found this gem!!  It’s a welding building that is currently for rent and it just so happens to be me new FAVORITE place to shoot.  I literally felt giddy  when I drove past it….as I circled around the location I knew it would be perfect for Greg and Nellie’s sweet family.    Here are a few shots from this sweet little family.  Enjoy!