Healthy Ricotta & Peperoni Pizza!

 I am Italian, so of course I love pizza.  Lately I have been experimenting in the kitchen to come up with healthier versions of my favorite pizzas.  Today's recipe is for a ricotta and pepperoni pizza. By adjusting a few ingredients you can totally change the calorie and fat outcome of this restaurant favorite. I use whole wheat pizza dough and instead of regular cheeses I opted for lesser fat versions. I also chose to use turkey pepperoni.  I was very nervous about how it would taste but was pleasantly surprised.  As you know I don't like foods that taste "diet" but it actually taste just like regular pepperoni, even straight from the package.

What You Will Need:

• 1 pkg Whole Wheat pizza dough (you can find this in the refrigerated section at your local grocery store) 
• 8oz Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
• 1 1/4 cups Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese
• 17 slices of Turkey Pepperoni
• 1/4tsp Oregano
• 1/4tsp Basil
• 1/8tsp Parsley
• A pinch Nutmeg
• 1/8tsp Salt 
• A pinch of Pepper
• Sauce (you can use a jar of sauce or your own, I include a recipe for sauce for this recipe)
• A round pan, pizza stone or cookie sheet
• Corn Meal

To make a quick yummy pizza sauce you will need:

• 1tsp Olive Oil
• 1 Clove of Garlic minced
• 1/4tsp Basil
• 1/2tsp Oregano
• 1/4tsp Salt
• A pinch of Parsley
• A pinch of Pepper
• A pinch of Thyme
• 1can of plain Tomato Sauce
• Sauce Pot

• To start you want to put your dough in a bowl and allow to rise.  I like to give it 24hours to rise.  I usually put it in a bowl and cover it with a damp paper towel and leave it on the counter overnight.  In the morning I take the risen dough and form it back into a ball and allow it to rise again.  If you don't have that much time you want to allow enough time for the dough to rise at least once. (TIP: to help your dough rise faster you can turn your oven on to 400 degrees for 10 minutes then turn it off and put the bowl of dough inside with the oven door slightly open, the heat will help speed up the process) 

Before

After

• Pre heat your oven to 375degrees

• To make the sauce you want to put the pot over medium heat and add the olive oil and garlic till it begins to brown.  Next add the Sauce, Basil, Oregano, Parsley, Pepper, Thyme & Salt. Stir and allow for the sauce to become hot. then reduce heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.

• In a small bowl add together the Ricotta Cheese, Basil, Oregano, Parsley, Salt, Pepper & Nutmeg. I know nutmeg may sound weird but it's an old trick my mother taught me years ago.  You don't actually taste the nutmeg but it helps bring out the flavors of the cheese.

•  No matter what surface you are using to cook your pizza you want to coat it with a thin layer of Corn Meal.

• Next you want to form your dough.  Depending on the type of surface you are using this can be a square or circle.  To stretch the dough you can hold it in the air and pull out from the center while rotating the dough.  You can also lay it on a flat surface and push it out using the balls of your fingers.  You want to stretch the dough and big and flat as you can since it will rise a little while baking. (TIP: fix any holes by just pinching the dough around the hole together)

 

• I like to pre bake the crust to ensure it cooks all the way through.  To do this I simply stick the crust in the oven first for 10 minutes.

• Once the dough is pre baked you want to remove it from the oven and add your sauce leaving at least a 1/4 inch of uncovered dough around the edges for your crust.

•  Next using a spoon add the ricotta in dollops and using the spoon gently spread out.

•  Then evenly spread your mozzarella cheese

•  Lastly you want to add your turkey pepperoni.  (TIP: The pepperoni will shrink a little during cooking so if you like a lot of pepperoni on every slice you may want to add a little more)

•  Then place in the oven for 30 minutes or until the crust begins to brown and the cheese bubbles.

 FINISHED PRODUCT

ENJOY!

Weight Watchers PointsPlus value of 6 points per serving.  Recipe yields 8 servings

Wordless Wednesday! Snow Day With Ozyy!

Tuesday's Tip! Other uses for Olive Oil!

Olive oil is a “healthy fat” and when consumed in moderation, it can help to reduce your risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. Olive oil is healthy for our insides, but it also has all kinds of other uses.

Today I have compiled 10 other unique uses for this common kitchen staple.

• Un-stick A Zipper

This is something good to remember when your in a pinch. You can loosen that pesky zipper by dabbing a small amount of olive oil onto the zipper’s teeth to help it slide along smoothly.

• Make A Sugar Scrub

Olive oil can be used to create a moisturizing and exfoliating scrub that helps heal and sooth dry winter skin. To make just mix sugar with enough olive oil to form a paste. If you want you can scent the scrub with essential oils. To use just massage the scrub into your skin in the shower, bath or use on your hands in the sink. You can also get the same effects by making a salt scrub. You can see how I made my own Salt Scrub HERE

• Sooth A Sunburn

No one likes getting sunburn but if you are like me you will try anything to help sooth your skin after spending too much time in the sun. Now you don’t want to use oil on your skin the same day you notice a sunburn, but you can start using olive oil to moisturize your skin a day or two later. This will also help prevent your skin from peeling and help to heal the damaged skin.

• Moisturize

During the winter especially your hands and feet usually call for some extra TLC. To help soften your dry winter skin massage a small amount of the oil after your shower. For extra soft skin you want to wear socks and gloves afterwards to help the moisture absorb into the skin. You should feel and see results right away.

• Hairball Prevention

This was new to me since I do not own cats. But apparently even cats can benefit from the many uses of olive oil. Depending on your cat’s size you can feed them 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of olive oil to help prevent them from getting hairballs. Also a plus, the olive oil will also help their coats look shiny.

• Oil Your Hair

Oiling your hair seems to have been around for awhile. A lot of instructions use coconut oil but olive oil will work just as well. Just put a few drops of oil onto your hands and massage evenly into your scalp. Next just comb your hair to evenly distribute the olive oil. You want to let the oil absorb for about an hour before washing it out with your regular shampoo.

• Rejuvenate Your Furniture

Make your old dresser shine like new again. Mix 2 parts olive oil to 1 part lemon juice. Using a soft cloth add a small amount of the mixture and wipe down your wood furniture. This trick will keep your wood from drying out and help hide any small scratches.

• Remove Makeup

Makeup removers bought in stores are often expensive and usually full of mystery ingredients. Now you can use olive oil instead. Using a warm, damp wash cloth or a cotton ball just add a few drops of olive oil. Not only will it remove makeup but you will also moisturize your face at the same time.

• Treat Dandruff

For a dry itchy scalp forget buying expensive shampoos, just massage a small amount of olive oil onto your scalp. This will help moisturize and fight those pesky flakes.

• Wash Your Face

It may sound funny to use oil to wash your face but many "green" beauty experts swear by OCM (oil cleansing method) For more information and to find out what mixture of oils works best for your skin you can go HERE
 




What other uses to do you have for Olive Oil outside your kitchen?

Music Monday! We Found Love!

This is the song and video that I have been obsessed with the last few weeks. It’s that feeling like you are screaming and no one can hear you. You feel almost ashamed that someone could mean so much to you and be that important that without them you feel like nothing. You feel as though no one will ever understand how much it hurt you are feeling. You feel a sense of hopelessness, like nothing can save you. It's an intensely captivating take on the opiate-infused pull of love and the loss of it. She knows she loves him, but she has to do what is right for her life. In the beginning Rihanna is missing him, but in the end it shows her making a stand, moving on and getting back on track. truly inspirational.




Thoughts?

Guacamole!

Guacamole is one of my favorite foods and it is actually good for you!  Avocados have gotten a bad reputation for being a food that is high in fat, while they are high in fat, the oil it contains actually ranks among the healthiest types of fat. Plus all the other ingredients in Guacamole are highly alkalizing (means they help promote weight loss, increased stamina and strength, a stronger immune system and a greater sense of well being) and loaded with nutrients. It`s important to make Guacamole fresh though. Here is a simple and easy recipe.

What you Will Need:

4 ripe avocados (soft to the touch)

1/2 red onion

1 tomato

1 Jalapeno

1 Lime

4 Cloves of Garlic

A Handful of FRESH cilantro

1/2 tsp of Salt and Pepper

 

You Will also need: A large bowl, large knife, small knife, spoon & hand grater

• To start slice up the avocados.  I like to take a small knife and slice a few time horizontally and vertically  to create chucks to start from.  Then using a large spoon scoop out the avocado into a large bowl.

•  Next you want to "De-Vein" your Jalapeno. This is done by simply by taking a small knife and removing the white stem and seeds from the pepper. TIP if you like HOT you can add some seeds to your guacamole

Once the vein is removed you want to grate the Jalapeno using a fine hand grater.  If you don't have one you can finely dice the Jalapeno.

  I like the flavor you get from using this method.

•  Now using a large knife you want to dice your onion. 

TIP 

 An easy way to dice an onion is to first hold the onion with one hand flat on top and make horizontal slices

 Than starting with the tip of your knife make vertical slices

 Now all you have to do is slice the onion and its diced for you

•  Next you want to add four cloves of garlic.  Again I like to use a fine hand grater, this really adds to the flavor of the final guacamole.  If you don't have one you can use a garlic press or finely mince the garlic using a sharp knife.

•  Again using the fine hand grater you want to zest half a lime

• Than using a juicer, juice the whole lime into your Guacamole

•  Using a sharp knife you want to mince the cilantro.  This consists of just the leaves no stems

• Add 1/2 tsp of both Salt and Pepper. Then using a large spoon mix the ingredients together in the bowl while also mashing some of the avocado into more of a paste.   

Before

After

• Now using a very sharp knife you want to dice your tomato

•  Using a large spoon gently fold in the diced tomatoes

Now all you need are your favorite whole wheat chips to enjoy your fresh homemade Guacamole! I like to use Weight Watchers wheat chips because I know they are healthy and its also a pre measured portion.

Enjoy!

Yields 12 servings: Each serving has 3 WW Points Plus Values

A Quick, Easy, Filling Snack!

Finding a healthy snack that will also fill you up can be a challenge. The best nutritional value provided by snacking on popcorn is that it is high in fiber. Most people don't get enough fiber in their daily diet so its an added bonus.  Plus it helps fill you up and keep you full longer. It's quick simple and easy.

POPCORN!

What you need:

large pasta pot with lid

2tbsp popcorn kernels

1tsp Vegetable oil

• Place pot over high heat with 1tea spoon of oil and 3-4 kernels

• When the kernels begin to pop add 2 table spoons of kernels and recover

• As the kernels begin to pop gently shake and or move the pot around over the heat
• Once the popping stops (for at least 3 seconds) remove from heat and pour into a bowl. 

(I like to sprinkle a little salt on top)

For added flavor you can add flavor with a variety of different spices like Cinnamon, Garlic Salt, Paprika, Parmesan Cheese, calorie free popcorn toppings or for a buttery guiltless topping you can spray a few sprays of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter.

4 WW Points Plus Value

78 Ways To Cut 100 Calories! Featured Post From Women's Health Mag..

 I found this article and thought I would share it with all of you. it was a very easy way to cut calories from your diet everyday, no matter the situation.  They have a bunch of great ideas to help you tackle all kinds of situations.

78 Ways to Cut 100 Calories from Your Diet 

From: Women's Health Magazine

Calories can be cruel. Sweat through a 30-minute workout and you can torch 200. Take three gulps of a foamy frappuccino and you're right back where you started.But slashing those suckers can be as effortless as piling them on. We've found 78 ways you can cut 100 or more calories at a pop. From picking the right slice at Pizza Hut to skipping the whip on your latte, they'll add up so fast, you won't miss a thing—until poof! Your love handles are gone.

Cut 100 Calories...

At Breakfast:
• Ditch the Pop-Tart for a slice of high-fiber toast with strawberry jam.
• Gotta have carbs? Split a bagel with a coworker.
• Drink your two cups of joe black. Or order a single espresso instead of your usual latte.
• Swap OJ for the real deal—one fresh orange.
• Trade a side of regular sausage for turkey.
• Top your waffles with Reddi-Whip instead of syrup (or use sugar-free).
• Skip the whip on any Caribou Coffee 16-ounce drink.
• Eat your granola from a 4-ounce mug, not an 8-ounce bowl.
• Lose the Yoplait Thick & Creamy and have a Yoplait Fiber 1.
• Order pancakes, but hold the butter.
• Scramble together 4 egg whites instead of 2 whole eggs. 

At Lunch:

• Leave the Swiss cheese out of your sandwich.

• Slather your bread with mustard rather than mayo and save 80 calories per tablespoon.

• Pass up croutons at the salad bar.

• Use up to 10 pumps of ranch dressing spray instead of pouring 2 tablespoons from a bottle.

• Devour a slice of Pizza Hut cheese pan pizza instead of the meat lover's variety.

• Take your iced tea unsweetened.

• Reach for a Snapple raspberry white tea instead of a Snapple raspberry iced tea.

• Stuff chicken salad into a whole-wheat pita instead of between slices of multigrain bread.

• Make your burger turkey, not beef.

• Slurp minestrone soup instead of cream of anything.

• Go bunless—shed your hamburger roll.

• Use south-of-the-border savvy: Have a quesadilla made with two 6-inch corn, not flour, tortilla 

At Happy Hour:
• Nurse a single glass of wine instead of downing 2 beers.
• Ask for your rum and cokes in a highball glass. Bartenders pour an average of 20 percent less liquid into taller tumblers, so you'll swig less per round.
• Drizzle extra hot sauce, not blue cheese or ranch dressing, on your wings.
• Ordering a cocktail? Make it on the rocks instead of frozen. Slushy fruit drinks tend to be made with bottled mixers that contain added sugar and syrups.
• Blending your own? Have a daiquiri, not a piña colada.
• Pop the cap off of an MGD 64 instead of a bottle of Killian's Irish Red.
• Sip a glass of water between drinks—pacing yourself can help you cut back by a glass or more.
• Dip your nachos in salsa rather than guacamole.
• For automatic portion control, sip wine from a Champagne flute, not an oversize goblet. 

On Your Snack Break:
• Drink sparkling water instead of soda.
• Move your stash of Hershey's Kisses at least 6 feet away from your desk—you'll dip in half as often.
• Drain the heavy syrup from your can of fruit cocktail and then rinse the fruit with water before digging in.
• Have 1/2 cup of fresh grapes instead of that little snack box of raisins.
• Lay off the Lay's Classic potato chips and have a handful of Rold Gold pretzels.
• Munch on a bag of Orville Redenbacher's Smart Pop Kettle Korn, not Movie Theater Butter.
• Chase down the ice-cream truck for a Good Humor vanilla sandwich, not a King Cone. 

During Dessert:
• Stop eating when you hit the crust. The edges and bottoms of baked goods are especially caloric because they absorb the butter used to grease the pan.
• Fill your bowl with sorbet instead of ice cream—you can have an extra 1/2 cup of the former and still slash calories.
• Next time a cocoa craving hits, ditch the dish of chocolate ice cream (about 3/4 cup) for a Fudgsicle.
• Have sugar-free Jell-O instead of pudding. Better your nighttime treat jiggle than your thighs.
• Go ahead and have that piece of birthday cake—just scrape off the chocolate frosting first.\
• Eat 5 meringue cookies instead of 2 chocolate chip ones.
• Pass on the à la mode and savor that brownie au naturel.
• Can the cone. Have your ice cream in a bowl.
• Top your dessert with 1/2 cup of fresh berries instead of 2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup. 

In the Kitchen:
• Substitute nonfat Greek yogurt for a serving of sour cream.
• Use chicken broth (low-sodium is best) instead of oil to sauté meat and veggies.
• Making homemade mac 'n cheese? Cut 2 tablespoons of butter from the recipe.
• Replace the oil or butter in cakes with Sunsweet Lighter Bake prune-and-apple mixture or any brand of unsweetened applesauce.
• Next time you make meatballs, meatloaf, or burgers, go half-and-half with ground beef and turkey.
• When preparing packaged foods that call for butter or oil, like rice and stuffing, use a broth instead.
• Swap low-fat cottage cheese for whole-milk ricotta when you make lasagna or stuffed shells. 

At the Drive-Thru:
• Pass up a Wendy's baked potato with sour cream and chives and chow down on value fries instead. Amazing but true.
• Have a McDonald's cheeseburger instead of a Quarter Pounder with cheese.
• Downsize your drink: Trade a large fountain soda (with ice) for a medium.
• Go for grill marks. Order a flame-broiled chicken sandwich rather than one that's breaded (and usually fried in oil).
• Treat yourself to an ice-cream cone at McDonald's instead of Dairy Queen.
• Crunch on one Taco Bell regular taco instead of a Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco. And all the hot sauce you want.
• Slurp a cup of Panera Bread's low-fat chicken noodle soup instead of the cream of chicken with wild rice.

• Make your daily pick-me-up at Starbucks a skinny vanilla latte, not a regular. 

When You're Not Cooking:
• Request the lemon chicken with white rice, not fried.
• Skip the crunchy noodles with your bowl of wonton soup.
• Ask for an order of Szechuan Shrimp instead of your usual General Tso's.
• Choose the pasta with 1/2 cup of marinara instead of 1/2 cup of Alfredo sauce.
• Indulge your inner carnivore with beef stroganoff, not meat lasagna.
• Go with the baked potato (butter only), not the mashed, as your side of choice.
• Dip your dinner roll in marinara sauce instead of olive oil.
• Avoid anything breaded. Flour and bread crumbs not only add calories but also absorb more cooking oil.

Find the original article on the Women's Health Magazine website HERE

What do you think? Have any other tips to share?