Tag Archives: dinner time

Mar8

Do Pickles Go On Pizza? YES!

Posted on March 8, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! Sunday is mine and Johnny’s day of rest before it’s back to the grind. We watch TV and movies all day and DoorDash dinner and it is one of my favorite times of the week. At least until 5 PM, anyway, then it starts sinking in that we have to go to work the next day! For the past several weeks, I have been asking Johnny if we could try out a new to us pizza place called the Twisted Tomato and he finally agreed to give it a shot. It was SO insanely good and pats on the back for me because right away, Johnny said we need to get it again! Check it out:

The Twisted Tomato features a pizza called the Peter Piper Pickle Pizza, which has mozzarella and provolone cheese, a white garlic sauce, dill pickle slices, and Italian seasoning. About a year ago, a Facebook friend of mine posted a picture of it with his recommendations and I screenshotted the post with every intention of trying it. Then, I forgot lol. It wasn’t until I started my new job working with an online directory at the beginning of this year when I remembered because Twisted Tomato has a listing in our food and dining section. I love my new gig and I love it even more that it led me to mine and Johnny’s new favorite eatery!

After scouring the menu on Saturday night, I decided to go with the pickle pizza and an order of their Rotini in a creamy pesto sauce on Sunday. Johnny went for a personalized calzone and cheesy bread, but it was incredibly hard for both of us to narrow our choices down because everything looked so delicious! Our food arrived quickly and even our DoorDash driver, the incomparable Frank, told us how good it smelled haha we almost invited him in for a slice and screening of HELP! 😀

I can’t speak for Johnny’s calzone because it had meat in it, but everything else in the order was freaking incredible. The answer to the question of if pickles belong on pizza is a resounding YES. The pickle pizza took my taste buds around the world with dilly, garlicky goodness and the combination was just right. The pickle flavor wasn’t overpowering and it just enhanced all of the other ingredients. Because I didn’t know if it would be a love or hate situation, I ordered a small pickle pizza. However, Johnny and I both liked it so much that we will have to get a bigger size next time!

The creamy pesto sauce for the Rotini was also really yummy and was a blend of Alfredo and pesto sauce. I have never tried anything like it before and it was good, but not as garlicky as I prefer. I will give their plain pesto a try next time so it won’t be diluted with the cream sauce. Another definite reorder item was the cheesy bread, which was probably one of the best I have ever tried from a pizza place. The layer of cheese was so thick and the dipping sauce was sweet, making for a perfectly savory/sweet blend with each bite.

Lazy Sunday was a raging success this past weekend and I think that Johnny and I will be frequenting the Twisted Tomato often. I have a feeling that I will be getting the pickle pizza every time!

What is your favorite specialty pizza shop? What are your favorite pizza toppings? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb3

Brand New Pizza Experience

Posted on February 3, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! After a whirlwind experience this past week of both good and bad oven pizza, Johnny and I wrapped things up with a brand new to me pie: Little Caesars. All of last week, we had been planning on watching the wrestling Royal Rumble on Saturday purely for shits and gigs. It was actually a hoot and we might just become wrestling people because it was so funny! Anyways, we decided to order some pizza because a friend was coming by for the big show and Johnny suggested Little Caesars. I had never tried it before and was, honestly, very ambivalent – so, you can imagine my surprise when it was the friggen bomb!

When Johnny and I order out, pizza is usually our way to go because then he can take the leftovers for his lunch at work. While we are partial to Domino’s and Papa John’s, I was totally fine with switching things up for our Royal Rumble meal purely from a cost perspective. A large cheese pizza, a large pepperoni, a meat deep dish, and crazy bread was only THIRTY DOLLARS from Little Ceasars and you just can’t beat that. For price alone, Little Caesars was already winning but I still held my reservations because how can something so cheap be good? However, one bite in made me eat my words.

Johnny recommended the cheese Extra Most Bestest (and yes, I felt just as dumb typing it as I did saying it!) and it did not disappoint. The crust was fairly thin and crisp, there was a perfect amount of sauce, and it was smothered in cheesy delight. I don’t know what I was expecting but it wasn’t that! I told Johnny that this was like a fifty percent improvement from oven pizza and he agreed. This wasn’t a putdown, though, but a compliment. Your girl loves oven pizza so if anything tastes better than that, I consider it a victory. 😀

Watching the Royal Rumble paired with Little Ceasars was the night in that I didn’t know I needed. If you haven’t tried LC and are feeling wishy washy about it, then I highly recommend going for it. I think you will be pleasantly surprised and that’s going to make it even better!

What is your go to take out order? What is your favorite pizza franchise? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan30

Oven Pizza Success!!!!

Posted on January 30, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! At chez moi, my refrigerator and cupboards were almost completely bare and a curbside order was most definitely in order. When picking up groceries, I always schedule it for when Johnny is getting home from work. Then, he brings the groceries in and I put them away. Our process runs like a fine tuned machine! This past time, however, my day finished earlier than expected so I got my order ahead of time and carried the entire haul up to our second floor apartment and put it away all by my lonesome. After all of that hard work, the last thing I felt like was cooking! But, hey – that’s what oven pizzas are for amiright? And, after the massive failure of the last Red Baron pizza we tried, things really turned around with this pie:

Lol, I know that I said yesterday that lifewithlilred is not going to become a pizza review blog and I still stand by that… After this post! I just had to share this GREAT SUCCESS with all of you. 🙂 Have you ever noticed how even the simplest meals can taste amazing if you are hungry or tired enough? Because that was definitely where I was at when digging into the Red Baron Brick Oven cheese pizza and it was so satisfying both on an emotional level and in the taste department.

The crust of this pizza was way thinner than the previous Red Baron catastrophe and it was a welcome change of pace. The sauce was sweet, the cheese was poured with a heavy hand, and it was the friggen bomb. Johnny and I have had this pizza several times before but I never appreciated its majesty so fully and completely until now. Was I dog tired and hadn’t ate since breakfast? Yes. Did this affect the way the pizza tasted? Probably. Am I going to buy it again to experience it through fresh eyes? Abso-freaking-lutely!

In my youth, my dad was the king of oven pizzas and fostered my love of mine and Johnny’s go to lazy day meal as an adult. With friends like the Red Baron and Digiorno, who needs enemies? Or however that saying goes!

How often do you grocery shop? What do you make when you don’t feel like cooking? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan29

Worst Oven Pizza Ever!

Posted on January 29, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Johnny and I consider ourselves to be oven pizza connoisseurs. It is my go to when I don’t feel like cooking and it is Johnny’s favorite thing to make so that he feels like he’s cooking lol! I recently saw a commercial for a Digiorno pizza that had the entire crust (not just the edges) stuffed with cheese and it really blew my mind. I told Johnny about it and he decided to investigate when he ran some errands. Unfortunately, the pizza was only available in pepperoni and that wouldn’t do for my vegetarian self. So, Johnny purchased the Digiorno for him and this for me:

I don’t know if you guys are familiar with the show Community but there was a character named Leonard who was a senior citizen and attending the community college. He had a vlog in which he reviewed different oven pizzas and would declare it to be “a buy” if he liked it. Lol, while lifewithlilred is not turning into a pizza blog any time soon, I just had to get my Leonard on one time for the one time because the Red Baron pizza Johnny got for me sucked on ice!

When my sweet husband returned from his shopping, he was so proud of himself for the substitution of the Red Baron Fully Loaded Five Cheese Pizza. And, I have to admit, it looked awesome and I couldn’t wait to pop it into the oven. After it was cooked, it was still looking good with all of that glorious cheese. Then, I had to cut it and it ended up being a very difficult feat. I kid you not, this pizza was literally all crust. *Face palm*

Once I freed some slices and plated it up, I lost most of my original zest for testing this pizza out. And, I don’t blame myself one bit because it was the worst. The crust was so thick that it tasted like eating a brick with a thin layer of sauce and cheese on top. I had to douse it in Ranch dressing to soften it up – it was that bad. The Red Baron truly missed the mark with this one and I couldn’t even bring myself to eat the leftovers, which is something I pride myself on. If only the crust were stuffed with cheese like Johnny’s pizza because he was living his best life with his!

lifewithlilred is all about giving honest reviews on products and I guess that goes for pizza too! Haha, I just felt obligated to warn all of my oven pizza fans out there about this epic failure before buying it. You’ll thank me later when you are enjoying an oven pie with a normal sized crust!

What is your favorite brand of oven pizza? What do you make (Or order!) when you don’t feel like cooking? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov3

3 Ways To Make Cooking More Exciting

Posted on November 3, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Everyone loves indulging in delicious meals that have been prepared with passion. But not everybody loves cooking these meals. According to a study, nearly 90% of people hate cooking. While eating out might be a solution for most people, it’s not the healthiest option and can increase your expenses. Spending time in the kitchen is a great way to use that space in your home, explore your culinary skills and creativity, and eat healthier meals. Sometimes, you cannot avoid cooking, but if you want to turn it around from a boring and time-consuming chore to a fun activity, here are some ways to do so:

Play some music while cooking:

Playing some of your favorite songs and playlists is a great way to liven up your ambience and make your kitchen more exciting. Cooking can be stressful sometimes, especially after spending a long day at work or school. However, creating a fun cooking environment can make the experience a breeze and boost your mood. You can create a fun cooking playlist with all of your favorite songs. It’s even more enjoyable if you have a portable speaker that you can place in a safe area of your kitchen. You can easily turn your time in the kitchen into a party.

Try new recipes:

Even if you enjoy cooking, it can get very boring, especially when your menu consists of the same recipes. Although you might master making those meals, you will likely lose interest in preparing and eating them. So, why not make your cooking more adventurous by including new recipes? Trying out new recipes is a great way to break your routine and challenge yourself. But don’t be so hard on yourself when you make mistakes. It could take some time before you master any new recipe. You can also switch things up in your regular menu by switching out some ingredients and giving it a new taste. You can check out new recipes by checking out blogs, watching cooking shows, buying a new recipe book, or following a recipe page on social media.

Use quality kitchenware:

Another way to elevate your cooking experience is by using quality kitchen products. When you cook with the right utensils, it saves you a lot of time in the kitchen, which can be especially useful if you have a busy schedule. Using quality kitchen products can also improve the taste of your meals. Plus, you could measure your ingredients better to improve your food’s consistency and texture. It can help you create some of the most beautiful food presentations if you are concerned with appearance. You must also ensure that any leftovers are properly stored, using the correct storage containers to maintain their freshness. Brands like OXO have amazing containers and other utensils that make cooking and storing food a snap.

Cooking might not be your favorite household task, but it is vital, especially if you want to better manage your finances and health. These tips should help you enjoy the entire process of cooking and make the experience a fun one!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Oct5

Sarah’s Vineyard Date Night

Posted on October 5, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! The fall is when Johnny and I thrive and we have been making the most out of the lovely weather through weekend date days. This typically involves taking OOTD pictures, running an errand or two, and then going out for a late lunch or dinner. It is the best! This weekend, we decided to go to Sarah’s Vineyard for dinner and it was delightful and delicious! Check it out:

There is nothing like some quality time with my main squeeze to lift my spirits and we had a blast at Sarah’s Vineyard. It is a beautiful property and we both haven’t been in years. Also, whenever I have gone with my friends, it’s strictly for the wine and not the food lol! I was so excited because everyone in my neck of the woods raves about the vineyard’s wood fire pizzas and I couldn’t wait to have a slice or ten. 😀

I don’t know about you guys but whenever Johnny and I go out to eat, I look at the menu hours in advance. This gives me ample time to decide what I want because it can be overwhelming to choose from a menu I haven’t experienced yet. It didn’t take me long to know what I wanted from my pre-screening and everything was just as good as I imagined it to be.

For wine, Johnny went with the not too sweet Sweet Elisa, which kind of tasted like church wine but was still pretty tasty. We also got to make use of the vineyard’s bottling service since Johnny haphazardly ordered a full carafe SMH! I was disappointed that my favorite, their white sangria, wasn’t available so I chose the sweetest option, Golden Solstice. It was light, refreshing and much better than my usual Barefoot!

Normally when we go out to a restaurant, we never order appetizers. However, I just couldn’t say no to the Artichoke & Asiago dip. Sign me up for anything that involves artichoke and cheese because I love it oh so much. I’m glad I tried it out and it was SO yummy but I wouldn’t order it again next time. I hate to be the one to complain about prices but I thought ten dollars was steep for the tiniest bowl ever of the dip. Hey, sometimes you just have to live a little. 😀

As our main dish, I got the Margherita pizza and Johnny got the Pepperoni & Banana Pepper. In fact, he’s currently eating his leftovers for breakfast as I write this! Johnny really liked his pizza and I was happy overall with mine. It actually tasted much better the next day. The garlic oil sauce and toppings on mine were so light that my pizza just tasted kind of doughy. Next time we go, I plan on just doing a cheese pizza with a couple of veggies on top and I think that I’ll like that much better.

Johnny and I had such a great time at Sarah’s Vineyard and we are eager to go back – especially since it’s close to our apartment. The vineyard has such a charming, cozy atmosphere and it really is the perfect date night setting!

Where was the last place you went on a date? What is your favorite restaurant? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep24

First Attempt At Homemade Alfredo Sauce

Posted on September 24, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! I love to cook and try out new recipes and during my last curbside order, Johnny requested fettuccine Alfredo for dinner. I have never made it before but I figured that it couldn’t be that hard! As per ushe, I consulted Pinterest for a recipe and settled on one by Self Proclaimed Foodie. Although I wasn’t blown away with the end result, it was still pretty good. Check it out:

^^^ Obsessed with my tomato butter! YUM!

The Alfredo sauce recipe by Self Proclaimed Foodie only had four ingredients to it – butter, garlic, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese. I went with this recipe for its simplicity but I think it was a little too simple for my liking. Even after adding parsley, salt, pepper, and way more garlic than necessary, it tasted really bland overall. I definitely plan on making Alfredo sauce again but I think that I will find another recipe for it.

During my next attempt at Alfredo sauce, I will also be steering clear of the Kraft Parmesan cheese! I didn’t even think about buying the thinly shredded kind, which probably would have made a big difference. The Kraft cheese didn’t fully melt down and that gave the sauce a slightly gritty texture. It didn’t make as much of a difference once it was poured over pasta but taste testing from the pot left a lot to be desired!

On the bright side, Johnny ended up really enjoying his requested dinner so that made me happy. I just hate when something I make doesn’t turn out exactly how I want it so here’s to a more flavorful and creamy sauce next time around!

What recipe do you recommend for homemade Alfredo sauce? Have you tried cooking anything new recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug28

Breakfast For Dinner

Posted on August 28, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! I am a huge fan of breakfast food and used to love cooking big breakfasts for myself and Johnny over the weekend. This hasn’t happened in a while because now we usually just skip to lunch lol. But, that doesn’t mean that you can’t have breakfast for dinner, instead! This past week, I whipped up our favorite spread when I got home from work and it hit just right:

My go to breakfast foods for me and Johnny are dippy eggs, MorningStar sausage patties, biscuits and gravy, and hashbrowns for Johnny. Biscuits and gravy was something that I always wanted to try but never got the opportunity to because it’s always made as sausage gravy in restaurants. However, inspiration struck several months ago and I finally thought to look up a vegetarian recipe for it.

During my search, I found this recipe by ammiface and it is, easily, one of my favorite dishes morning or night. The white gravy recipe is SO quick and simple to make with only six ingredients. It turns out amazing every time and tastes just as good leftover as it does freshly made. Not only is it a must make for me but I now have to make it for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners because the other vegetarians and meat eaters alike in my family love it too.

I suppose I could incorporate MorningStar sausages into this gravy recipe but I like it so much as is that I never have the heart to. Regardless of any tweaks you might make, the vegetarian white gravy is perfect for breakfast, dinner, or in this case – breakfast for dinner. Enjoy!

What is your favorite breakfast food? What is your favorite vegetarian dish? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug26

Yummy Asian Cabbage Salad

Posted on August 26, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Johnny and I have several favorite go to meals that I make pretty much every time I do grocery shopping. This is all well and good but it can get kind of boring cooking the same things with no variation. So, I have made it a point to try making new side dishes to enhance the meal even more. It’s amazing how much the dinner transforms with just one different thing, like when I made a pot of cilantro lime rice with a taco dinner.

To keep going with this, I decided to try a new salad recipe when I cooked a veggie lo mein meal for my entire family. I found the recipe for Asian Cabbage Salad with a peanut ginger dressing on Well Plated By Erin. I had scoped out many Asian salads on Pinterest but I went with Well Plated’s because it used the fewest ingredients and looked so easy to make. Check it out:

I love going on Pinterest but it can sometimes be disheartening because there are a plethora of recipes that I would like to try but use SO. Many. Ingredients. I just can’t justify buying twenty plus things for a dish that I might not even like. I already had about three fourths of the ingredients that I needed for this salad so it was the obvious choice to go with and I am glad I did!

This Asian Cabbage Salad was to die for and, much to my surprise, Johnny even liked it. That is really saying something because I truly thought that he was going to tell me that there were too many vegetables in it lol. The salad had so much crunch, flavor, and texture and it was delicious as a side or mixed into the veggie lo mein. It also kept for several days leftover and that was another huge plus because of how much the simple recipe made.

I definitely plan on making Well Plated By Erin’s recipe again but there is one thing that I will be tweaking. While I liked the peanut ginger dressing well enough, it didn’t pack much of a punch against all of the colorful veggies. I would have liked for the dressing to have a bit more bite and I’m not sure if that can be solved by making more of it or adding something new. I’m thinking of substituting a tablespoon of the honey for brown sugar and adding one more tablespoon of soy sauce to see if that will make a difference.

Overall, I am really pleased with this new recipe and it was a hit at dinner… It was also a hit every time I had it leftover too and you can’t beat that!

Where do you like to find new recipes? Have you cooked anything new recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug18

Delicious Guacamole Recipe & Cilantro Lime Rice

Posted on August 18, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Delicious Guacamole Recipe & Cilantro Lime Rice

Hello! This past Saturday was a very busy one. We visited my mom at the Cleveland Clinic, I cooked up a feast, and watched my niece while her baby sister was born. For dinner, I treated my dad, brother, and Johnny to homemade Cheesy Gordita Crunches. This is the second time that I have made them and the meal turned out excellent. And in the words of Emeril Lagasse, I definitely kicked things up a notch.

The last time I made Taco Bell style Cheesy Gordita Crunches for dinner, I used the beef crumbles by MorningStar. While I didn’t care for it, Johnny liked it well enough so I just decided to use real beef for the guys and vegetarian refried beans for me. I have never cooked ground beef in my life and apparently it turned out good lol. Not that I was surprised because, I hate to toot my own horn, but Johnny says I cook bacon better than someone who eats meat. GREAT SUCCESS! 😀

Not only did I make all of the fixings for our taco dinner but I also prepared some extra additions to enhance the meal. I made a new Pinterest recipe for cilantro lime rice, which can be found here at Downshiftology. I also whipped up a batch of my own personal recipe for guacamole that I think is simply the best. Check it out:

^^^ Obviously I should have taken a picture of my guac before we chowed down!

Of course, Taco Bell was the source of inspiration for this meal and my life in general. However, I was also trying to serve major Chipotle vibes. The recipe that I used for the cilantro lime rice claims to be a Chipotle taste alike and I completely agree. It. Was. Delicious. The zingy lime and cilantro balanced out the garlic and salt perfectly and I honestly think that I could have ate the entire bowl. I highly recommend making it during your next taco dinner!

I also hate to toot my own horn again but I truly believe that my guacamole is a Chipotle taste alike too. It is SO easy to make with minimal ingredients and tastes divine. This is my recipe:

Ingredients:

2 mashed avocados
A small portion of red onion, finely chopped
Juice, pulp, and zest from one lime
Several sprigs of cilantro
Course sea salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste

While you can add anything you please to your guacamole like chopped olive or tomato, I always say that simple is best. All of the different flavors and textures in my recipe blend together so well and that extra dose of lime in the zest and pulp sends it over the top. I also just mash up my avocado with a spoon, which makes it very similar in texture to Chipotle’s, which is definitely more chunky. Now, if only I could make a taste alike for their tortilla chips. YUM!

As you all know, I love cooking for Johnny but it was SO nice to be able to make a meal for my dad and brother too. Cooking soothes my soul and watching people enjoy what I make makes it even better. ❤

What are some of your favorite taste alike recipes? How do you prepare the perfect taco? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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