Five Favorites - Volume I

I am a link-up novice - but when the lovely Moxie Wife, Hallie Lord, put a link up on her sweet blog - I decided to join in the fun. Here are a list of the five things I am loving right now:

1. In the Fiction Category:

Where'd You Go, Bernadette, by Maria Semple.

This is a quick and quirky read. I was hooked from the very first page. I got it on Grant's Kindle for some exorbitant price (should Kindle books be that expensive, or am I just being a cheap-o?) and am thinking about buying a hard copy just to have around. 

2. In the Vegan Baking category:

Link to Prudent Baby

Individual coffee cakes from Prudent Baby.  These are so simple and so delicious and they can be so easily adapted to fit your dietary needs. Substitute coconut oil for the butter and leave out the egg and you have a warm, delicious allergen-free treat.  Well, except if you're allergic to wheat. Or coconut oil. Or sugar. Then go buy yourself some chocolate and ignore this category.

3. In the I'm-Going-To-Wear-It-To-Naples Category:

Jubilant in Jade Dress (clipped to polyvore.com)

This little honey of a dress from Mod Cloth. You see, Grant and I are going on vacation to Naples, FL alone and I am building my fantasy wardrobe for our trip. I think this dress falls into the Will-Be-Reality version of my fantasy wardrobe because I love it so much. My only fear is sweat rings. I get sweat rings. Don't judge me.

4. In the Food-I've-Made-That-Actually-Turned-Out-Better-Than-Expected Category:

Pizza Margherita.

Guys, it is so good. Here's the skinny:
1. Make the dough in the bread machine with wheat with a higher protein content than AP. (I used bread flour....)
2. San Marzanos and a bit of sea salt make a fresh, tomatoey sauce. I don't like the taste of anything even resembling tomato paste - so this sauce is clutch.
3. Fresh mozzarella and fresh basil and a glass of red. (The red is for drinking - not the pizza.)
4. Heat your oven to about 550 degrees.
5. Invert a cookie sheet so you have a flat surface for cooking and heat it up with the oven.
6. Assemble the pizza on the raw dough and cook on a oiled piece of tin foil directly on top of the cookie sheet.

Enjoy.

I have a theory, though. It won't taste like a vacation in Italia, no matter how fresh your mozzarella, no matter how fragrant your basil. Because here's the truth: You aren't in Italia. You are in your own kitchen with your own mess to clean and your own children who need a bath and your own laundry to fold. And if - just if - you were in Italia eating a piece of piping hot cardboard? It would probably taste better than this divine pizza that I have provided for you above. Sorry. But that is just the truth.

5. In the Music Category:

You can eat your pizza, in your house, with your kids and your mess and listen to this song. All of this will probably come a very close second to that cardboard in Italy.

If you want to see more of these link-ups, please visit my girl Hallie at Moxie Wife. You'll thank yourself.