Friday Night Pizza Date

I love Fridays! Everyone just seems to be in a more relaxed mood on a Friday (including me) which makes the day seem a lot more manageable. No one really wants to deal with a crisis right before the weekend, so the attitude of most is usually to just put it off until Monday. At least, that is how things seem to go in my office.

Today went by sound and smooth and my 2 o’clock killed the remained of my day. Before I knew it, it was time to start the weekend. We had the perfect night planned…Friday Night Pizza/Ice Cream Date. I love starting a weekend with an evening of no schedules or plans-it’s the perfect way to unwind from a frantic week and we have also instilled the tradition of incorporating a “fun-themed” dinner and ice cream while we watch one of our favorite shows every Friday night. It’s ideal!

TGIF dinner tonight was homemade pizza that we have both been craving for awhile. Pizza is one of my favorite things to make, mainly because the opportunities are literally endless. I often feel like I am creating a work of art and mixing and pairing all different types of food into one is a passion of mine. I usually buy fresh dough; however, tonight I opted for the short cut and picked up a Boboli Whole Wheat crust. I had some leftover sauce from the meatball subs last weekend so I used that I up and got to work on the toppings. Toly requested his usual, pepperoni, bacon and cheese, but mine was a little more unique; Butternut Squash, Eggplant and Spinach with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese. I roasted the squash and eggplant in a 425* oven for about 15 min and topped the crust with sauce and then a layer of spinach. When the squash was golden brown and tender, I placed on top of the spinach and sprinkled my side of the pizza with sundried tomatoes and goat cheese. The pizza went in the oven for about 15 min. on 400* until the cheese melted.

Wow, this pie ROCKED! It definitely ranked in one of the top 3 I think I ever made. Toly even polished off his half (he usually can't finish the whole thing) and kept complimenting me on how scrumptious it was.

I served the pizza with a great little side salad of baby romaine, juicy red orange slices, avocado and dried cherries tossed in a lemon poppy-seed vinaigrette.

Here is the pizza pre-baked

And right out of the oven

His Plate

Her Plate

The rest of the night will entail cozy pj’s, a big comfy couch, a bowl of strawberry ice cream, and snuggling on the couch with my two best boys. (Sammy’s always in the middle!)

Before I go, as promised, here is the continuation of

Engaging Facts About Toly….

My husband is a SPORTS FANATIC! Toly was very involved in sports as an adolescent; however, Basketball was his true calling. He played throughout all of junior high and well into high school, but discontinued at the start of his junior year so when he landed his first job at Radio Shack. He even spent a few years coaching a team of 6th and 7th grade girls at one point. Toly still enjoys playing casually with his friends from work a few times a month but his true obsession lies in following professional sports. HUGE PHILLY FAN! Eagles, Phillies, Sixers, Flyers…you name it, we root for them all! Football and baseball season are the most intense, but it’s a pretty safe bet that if there is a Philly team playing somewhere, he knows about it and at the very least, checks the score.
This year was earth-shattering when the Phillies swept the World Series. I think my husband actually felt as though one of his life’s worth was met when this happened. We are also big Eagles fans, so football season is quite extreme as well.
To be honest, I am happy that he shares such a passion for the hobby. It gives him pride, a healthy manly edge, and we have a lot of fun with it! I do admit that there are times when I would deny ever admitting to this; however, for the most part, I enjoy it!