Uncategorized Archives - There's Always Pizza

French 75 Cocktail

Now that we are moving into Spring I am switching up my happy hour cocktail from the Manhattan to the classic French 75. It is one of my favorite drinks that is very easy to make but shockingly it is hard to find it made well when you go out. I had the BEST French 75 in Cabo at the One and Only Palmilla Resort-perfect combination of sweet and tart. I am not a huge gin fan but this drink calls for it. The gin goes so well with the champagne and lemon. And while we are on specifics you must use champagne or sparkling wine, NOT Prosecco! It is too sweet! Honestly Prosecco should be be outlawed, lol. If you are a true “champagne” drinker you cannot drink the “fake” stuff. So, when you are out and ask for a French 75 be sure and confirm that they are using champagne or sparkling wine Brut.

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Stefani Hood2022-03-10T21:58:29+00:00March 10th, 2022|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Manhattan Cocktail

The Manhattan Cocktail is an old classic drink that has stood the test of time for one reason-its damn good! Oh and its so easy! So many cocktails these days have 25 ingredients and need random things like green tea syrup. I mean who has time to make that especially if you have little kids running around or if you are old like me and just exhausted.

I have to thank my dear childhood friend, Kristy, for the inspiration to starting drinking this luscious drink again. I kinda got into a rut with dirty martinis or old fashioneds, which I still love, but needed a change. Don’t get me wrong, a Manhattan and an Old Fashioned are very similar, but I tend to not get a headache with a Manhattan.

One thing I have learned the older I have gotten is it is worth it to spend the money and buy GOOD liquor. Don’t waste your money on the cheap […]

Stefani Hood2021-03-09T19:05:15+00:00February 2nd, 2021|Starters, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Cannelloni

Cannelloni is a pasta dish similar to lasagna-the only difference is that the sheets of pasta are filled and rolled into long tubes instead of layering the sheets with the filling. This is a vegetarian lower calorie version, but is still just as comforting and satisfying as the heavier traditional version of cannelloni.

I do not put any meat in this recipe, but you can absolutely add Italian sausage or ground beef to give it more oomph. Instead of meat I put mushrooms to give it that hearty texture, but you can add zucchini, red peppers, eggplant… The only trick with adding all those vegetables is you need to sauté in a skillet until all the water it out otherwise your cannelloni will be soggy.

Now, on to the cannelloni noodles… I am very lucky to have Central Market (HEB) and several Italian markets near me so I use the “fresh” lasagna sheets I find there. BUT, have no fear if […]

Stefani Hood2021-01-18T19:01:16+00:00January 18th, 2021|Pasta, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Macho Salad

There is nothing like a really good salad, but making a really good salad is not as easy as it sounds which is why we all go out and pay $25 for $6 worth of ingredients. But, there is nothing better than a hearty, healthy salad (just watch the dressing calories). I have to admit I am not a huge fan of the Houstons/Hillstone/White House/Honor Bar/Bandera food chain only because I kinda feel like the staff is a bit rude and I really hate eating at 11am or 4:30pm or waiting 2 hours for a table, but I do love most of their dishes on the menu. One of my favorites is the Macho Salad at Honor Bar. It is filled with so many good things like roasted chicken, cornbread croutons, avocado, dates, goat cheese, corn… its just yummy!

So, one of the best things about this salad are the cornbread croutons. Do not let this turn you away from making this salad. They are not […]

Stefani Hood2021-01-12T22:02:56+00:00January 12th, 2021|Soups & Salads, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Winter Stovetop Potpourri

It is almost Christmas! This year seems a bit anticlimactic for some reason. Maybe because part of the joy of Christmas is being at home with nothing to do but watch movies, eat good food and hang with family. Yeah, well we have been doing that since March! I want OUT! I am so sick of my house! What about you?

But…, since we are at home for a bit longer I want to try and make the holidays special and a good memory to think back on. One way is holiday traditions that you have with your family and the other is smells. I have said this before and I’ll say it again-smells are SO important! Smells are so closely linked with memory. More so than any other sense. Odors take a direct route to the limbic system, including the amygdala and the hippocampus, the regions in the brain related to emotion and memory. There ya go-a bit of trivia!

Stefani Hood2020-12-17T16:04:33+00:00December 17th, 2020|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Cheesy Roasted Asparagus

Well if your kids don’t like their veggies with this recipe then they are not normal:) This ooey, gooey, cheesy asparagus is so delicious and easy enough to whip up on a crazy busy night, but still gorgeous enough to serve at a dinner party. All your guests will love it, even the ones that say “I don’t like vegetables”. And I promise your kids will love it! This is recipe is also Keto friendly so if you are on that diet then this is PERFECT for you.

In the winter it can be hard to find those beautiful thick asparagus stalks so be sure and watch your cook time if you all you can find is the skinny stalks. There is nothing worse than mushy vegetables so for the skinny stalks cut the cook time down a couple minutes. If you are lucky enough to find the thick ones then be sure to use your vegetable peeler and peel off the bottom 1/2 of the stalks (after you have cut off the tough woody ends).

Enjoy […]

Stefani Hood2020-03-30T21:57:15+00:00December 6th, 2019|Sides, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Family Dinner

Dinner Table 5

So, people assume that because I like to cook that I love to cook EVERY night and plan meals EVERY week. That is not true! I do like to cook, but yes it does become monotonous and sometimes a chore and I have to remind myself why I cook dinner for my family. I cook so that we have “Family Dinner” -a special time for us to just sit down, breathe, take a break from electronics and connect for a few minutes. And, yes sometimes it is for just a few minutes and yes sometimes it is at 5:30pm and sometimes it is at 8:30pm, depending on sports, and sometimes Dad is home and sometimes he’s out of town, but we still have family dinner on most weeknights. And, yes on occasion I say screw it and we hit Chic Fil-A!

So why do I care so much about cooking, besides the fact that I really like it? I want my family to eat healthy meals, sit and talk around our kitchen table and most importantly, I […]

Stefani Hood2020-09-30T13:22:19+00:00August 25th, 2019|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Lightened Up Spring Pasta Alfredo

I love pasta! I know it is the devil’s food, but I just love it! It is my go-to when I don’t want to cook or when I am home alone because the boys are off hunting or when I’m sick. Pasta just makes everything better. And it is SO easy to make! Lightened Up Spring Pasta Alfredo is no exception and it is not as heavy as spaghetti and meatballs or manicotti so you can still fit into your swimsuit come July-God I hate swimsuit season!!!! If I have to choose between eating pasta and wearing a caftan in 100 degrees or not eating pasta and sitting in a bikini I will choose pasta:) I mean really how many days do you sit around in a bikini? Go for the pasta, ha! I hear caftans are light and airy.

This recipe is a traditional pasta alfredo sauce, lightened up, but if you want to go even more healthy you can make this pasta with my Skinny Alfredo Sauce and it will be just as delicious. I normally […]

Stefani Hood2018-04-11T17:33:49+00:00April 11th, 2018|Uncategorized|0 Comments

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