Potato-Leek Pizza

I invited the girls over last night for a mini Oscar viewing party, plus snacks.  After combing through several cookbooks for tasty treats to eat while watching the show in our sweatpants, I landed on The Pioneer Woman's Potato-Leek Pizza and red wine, followed by Parmesan Popcorn and Junior Mints (the ultimate movie candy).  The show was entertaining and the dresses were gorgeous (hello, Halle and Gwyneth!) but the pizza stole the show.  The potatoes gave the pizza the perfect amount of crunch, while the leeks, bacon, and several varieties of cheese gave it a great mix of flavors.  Since I couldn't find the recipe on her website, I'll give you the quick version here.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
1/2 recipe Pizza Crust (first part of the recipe found here)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
6 slices thick cut bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces and cooked over medium heat
3 leeks, rinsed well and thinly sliced
5 small Yukon gold potatoes, sliced paper thin
1 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
4 oz goat cheese crumbled
Grated Parmesan cheese
Black Pepper

Instructions
1.  Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.  Prepare pizza crust in baking pan and sprinkle lightly with salt.
2.  Cook bacon over medium heat.  Remove.
3.  Pour off most of grease.  Return pan to stove on medium-low heat.  Place leeks in pan and saute about 3 minutes until soft.
4..  Arrange potatoes in a single layer all over the crust, slightly overlapping potato edges.  Sprinkle lightly with salt.
5.  Lay mozzarella slices in single layer over potatoes.
6.  Place leeks on top of cheese, then sprinkle on the fried bacon.
7.  Add a generous amount of the crumbled goat cheese, then top with grated Parmesan and ground black pepper.
8.  Bake for 8 to 11 minutes until edges of the crust are golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

homemade pizza dough

potatoes, leeks and mozzarella

adding bacon

top it with cheese

yummy!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Oscar Weekend

With Oscar weekend upon us, I'm amazed that I've actually seen 6 of the 10 films nominated for Best Picture this year.  In honor of one of my most favorite nights of television (who doesn't love ooh-ing, aah-ing, and laughing over the dresses, secretly tearing up at a few acceptance speeches, and maybe practicing your own speech for when you inevitably win one someday?), I'm going to give you my quick reviews of the movies I've seen that are up for the big award.  Enjoy!

When I first walked out of Black Swan, all I could think of was "why did I put myself through that?"  However, as the days went on and I thought more and more about the movie, I realized that I loved it.  Except for a few certain close-ups of fingers and toes (if you've seen it, you know exactly what I mean), the movie was flawless.  The dancing was gorgeous, the acting fabulous, and it left me wondering what the heck just happened?  

Another "what the heck just happened?" movie, Inception kept me thinking long after it was over.  Sometimes hard to keep up with, and I'm still not exactly sure what was a dream and what was reality, but anything with Leo in it has gets a thumbs up from me. 

I saw The Kids Are All Right during the one day last summer when the temperatures reached 100 and the coolest (literally) place to be was the movie theater.  I absolutely adore all of the actors in this film, and it was both terribly funny and heart-wrenching at the same time. 

I just recently saw The Social Network, and it was so much better than I thought it would be.  The movie makes you both hate and love Mark Zuckerberg at the same time, and it brought me back to my days in college, when Facebook (or should I say "The Facebook") was just starting to gain popularity and you wondered what you were going to do when you graduated, since at that time it was for college students only.  Since Facebook has now taken over the world, it's interesting to look back at it from the beginning.

I went to see this movie to make my brother happy, thinking I would sleep through the whole thing.  Boy was I wrong.  True Grit ended up being one of my favorite movies of the year!  Jeff Bridges is perfect in his role and I found myself laughing and smiling throughout the entire film.  I could watch this movie over and over and never get bored.

But, if I have to pick a winner, The King's Speech is it.  The film had me laughing throughout, but Colin Firth's portrayal of the King is so moving that if he doesn't win for Best Actor, there is something seriously wrong with the voting.  If you haven't seen this one yet, please go see it.  Now.  It is inspiring and heart warming (and the scene near the end where he is practicing his speech will have you laughing so hard you will be wiping tears from your eyes).

What was your favorite movie this year?

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Beef with Snow Peas

My mom found this recipe for Beef with Snow Peas from The Pioneer Woman a few months back and has not stopped talking about wanting to try it, so when she came to stay last weekend, I immediately suggested it for dinner.  It was incredibly simple to make (especially when you have the butcher at the grocery store cut up the meat for you) and only took about 20 minutes before we were enjoying our dinner.  I made a few small changes (red wine vinegar instead of sherry, no red pepper flakes for mom), but the main ingredients (soy sauce and lots of ginger) helped keep it especially fragrant and yummy.  Mom agreed this is one we will definitely be trying again. 

sauteed snow peas

beef with green onions

mixing it all together

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Crazy for Coral

When I saw a fellow shopper trying on these shoes a few weeks ago, I knew they had to be mine - especially when I found myself making excuses to stop by Nordstrom just to walk past them. When I finally purchased them last week, I couldn't help but strut around my apartment in them all evening long.  The heel height is perfect for running around the office all day, and the fun coral color will surely help to brighten up this dark and dreary winter season (hello, February snow!).  I can't wait to pair them under wide-leg black trousers for the next several months, then transition them as my go-to summer wedding shoes.  Now if only I could find the perfect wedding guest dress.

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Volunteer Park Cafe

caramelized banana brioche french toast

After a busy week at work, my mom came down to stay with me for a few days of girl time.  We went shopping, made dinner, watched "Julie and Julia" - all of the typical things that we do when it's just us.  Sunday ended up being a beautiful sunny day to drive around Volunteer Park and dream about which houses in the neighborhood would someday be mine (I'll take any of them).  We went to Volunteer Park Cafe for brunch and it was absolutely delicious, especially my mom's Caramelized Banana Brioche French Toast.  Next up - I want to try one of their Sunday Night Dinners.  Who's with me?

bacon and egg panini with gruyere and roma tomato

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Tulips

My mom brought me these tulips from Skagit Valley to brighten up my apartment this weekend.  It was a beautiful, sunny, and sometimes even slightly warm weekend in Seattle, and it made me so anxious for spring.  While the rain doesn't really bother me (signs of a native Washingtonian), the sunshine sure makes me smile!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

***note - while writing this with the tv on in the background, I just heard the weatherman say "snow in the forecast again...." 

Sunriver....2010

This weekend, several girlfriends are heading down to Sunriver, Oregon for the annual girls trip of skiing, hot-tubbing, cooking, shopping, and bad Miley Cyrus movies.  Unfortunately, because of work conflicts, I can't make it this year but thought I would share some favorite pictures from the trip last year.  I know the girls are going to have a fabulous time, and I hope they break out the champagne to celebrate a long awaited engagement (yay!).  Have a great weekend ladies - can't wait to hear all about it!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Crème Brûlée

I had been waiting for the perfect excuse to use my favorite Christmas gift - my kitchen torch.  When Maddie suggested that we stay in for Valentine's Day and have a girl's night, I immediately volunteered to bring dessert, knowing full well it was the excuse I needed to test out the torch.  Without a second thought, I immediately picked The Pioneer Woman's Crème Brûlée because, well, let's be honest - the woman cannot fail.  I rushed home from the airport in plenty of time create this simple yet delicious dish.  I brought the cooled servings to Maddie's so everyone torch their own dessert (and frankly, I wanted assistance in case something blew up).  We all had a great time with the torch (and no smoke alarms went off!), and the Crème Brûlée turned out to be mouth-watering good.  The recipe was surprisingly simple, and is definitely one of those recipes that will be made over and over.

combining the cream mixture with the eggs and sugar

ready to go in the oven

I left mine in the oven a few minutes too long, so they were slightly brown - make sure to watch them closely!

torching the desserts

mmmmm........

xoxo,
stephanie marie

A Piñata, a Torch, and Leonardo DiCaprio

I rushed home on Monday from Vegas to attend the girls-only Valentine's Day party at Maddie's house.  It was everything it promised to be, and then some.  We started out the evening with Indian take out food (one of my faves) and champagne to celebrate Amanda's recent grad school acceptance.  We watched a Leonardo DiCaprio movie (it was no Titanic, but it did have a Middle Eastern Andy Garcia look-alike, which we all appreciated) and took a break to torch the Creme Brulee I had brought.  The night ended with us all taking turns swinging at the strawberry piñata that Maddie had picked up for the party (we all agreed that piñatas need to be incorporated into more of our get togethers).  Great food, great friends, great fun- it was a perfect Valentine's Day.

indian take-out

Amanda testing out the torch

with no ceiling hooks, we opted for taking turns holding the piñata on a golf club...

...but were careful to aim away from the tv

demolished piñata

I hope your V-day was as entertaining as ours! :)


xoxo,
stephanie marie

Viva Las Vegas

downtown vegas

With rain in the forecast for Seattle and a wide open weekend, I decided to pack my bags and head to sunny Las Vegas for a few days.  I spent the weekend eating yummy food, lounging in the hot tub, winning $100 in the casino, and being followed constantly by my precious (and now huge) orange dog.  Though it was my first trip to Vegas without stepping foot on the legendary strip, I enjoyed the relaxed days and late nights discovering new places in the city.  I'm already plotting my next trip back.

hot tub

we devoured these mussels too fast to get a 'before' picture

ollie

view of the strip from the airplane

I hope everyone had equally lovely weekends :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy Valentine's Day

Here's to a Valentine's Day filled with lovely ladies, piñatas, Leonardo DiCaprio, and creme bruleé :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

picture via

The Force

Superbowl commercials can be epic.  Who can forget "The Doritos Girl" of 1998 or "The Budweiser Frogs" from 1995.  Each year has one or two that really stand out and have people talking for weeks afterwards.  This year was no exception.  My absolute favorite, along with many others, is Volkswagen's "The Force".  The little kid is absolutely adorable and I can't help but smile at his reaction when the car finally comes alive.  Watch and enjoy, and I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy Birthday Susannah

Dearest Susannah Nellie Bea,

Happy Birthday love!  I wish I could be celebrating with you in San Francisco this weekend, but instead I'm sending my love via this message.  You are one of the kindest, funniest, most selfless people I've ever known, and I feel so lucky to call you a best friend.  We've made some great memories ("I love love", road trip to CO, surprise trip to LA - just to name a few) and no matter how far apart we are, I know I can always count on you for a good laugh and honest advice.  I love you so much and miss you more than I can say. I hope you celebrate your day just for you, and that it's as fabulous as you are.  Now quit studying and go have a big glass of wine! :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

photo by diana camera in Santa Monica 2010

Rock of Ages

After a delicious dinner at Icon Grill (mmm....bacon wrapped meatloaf), Leslie and I went to see opening night of the rock musical Rock of Ages at the Paramount Theater.  The show was amazing!  We were laughing and singing the entire time to the classic hits of the 80's, and enjoying (probably a little too much) the fake lighters they hand out for you to light during the power ballads.  Constantine Maroulis from American Idol played the lead character, and he was fantastic, but I think my favorites were rock legend Stacey Jaxx and "I'm not gay, I'm German!" Franz.  If you get a chance, I highly recommend checking out this show  (and I dare you not to stand up and belt out Journey at the end).

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Puffy

For months I've been saying that I want a puffy coat.  I've been eyeing them on fellow Seattleites and they always seem to look so warm and cozy.  When Maddie, Kimber, and I finally booked our trip to Iceland a few weeks back (much more on that to come!) I knew it was the perfect excuse to find the perfect puffy.  I love The North Face brand, and after hours of web searching, I settled on this coat.  It's fitted and not too bulky, and the logo is stitched in black so it doesn't scream "North Face."  I can't wait to bundle up in it while wandering the streets of Reykjavik - or while sitting in my Seattle apartment (where I've officially turned off the heat after getting my latest energy bill).

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Dip-A-Palooza 7

Dip-a-palooza is an event not to be missed.  It's more like an institution.  For the past 7 years (4 of which I've attended), Holden has thrown the party of the year on Superbowl Sunday.  To gain entrance into the party, one must possess a dip to share with other party-goers.  Some are in it to win it, while others tend to sneak in with a less than desirable contribution.  The rules are simple: bring a dip, vote for your top 3, and winners will be announced at half time.  Before this year, the best finish I've had was 5th place.  Not bad, but not good.  I've seen great friends (Erika, Jaison, James) win year after year, and this year, I decided I was going to step it up a notch.  I went with a no fail recipe, The Pioneer Woman's Chile Con Queso Revved Up.  Though never having personally tried it, what can go wrong with Velveeta, sausage, and lots of peppers.  Nothing.  Nothing can go wrong.  I had guest after guest approach me, telling me how amazing my dip was and how they couldn't help but go back for seconds, thirds, and then some.  I was confident that this was the year my name would be engraved on the coveted DAP plaque.  When Holden and I were called up to the front of the room at halftime, having the top 2 dips of the day, I knew I had it in the bag.  Holden had made a dessert dip - "a dessert dip?" you say -Those never win!  I waited for Aaron to call my name and declare me DAP 2011 champion.  I even had my winners smile ready!  Alas, it wasn't meant to be.  Perhaps it was the plethera of cheese dips that made people run for the sweet one to cleanse their palate.  Or maybe it was that mine was stuck in the corner of the kitchen, where some didn't dare to venture.  Or it could've been that my friend Holden made one heck of a dip.  Either way, 2nd place is ok with me.  Even though my dad says that 2nd place is actually 1st loser (thanks, Dad), I walk away even more determined to kick butt in 2012.  With a year to plan, the possibilties are endless.  I'll see you next year, DAP. 

voting

"football, food, glory"

may the best dip win

the anticipation builds

a champion is crowned

the second place dip

xoxo,
stephanie marie