PIZZA! PIZZA!

It's that time of year again. I have Barnaby's pizza tickets for one of the greatest deals in town. A large 4 topping pizza for just $10! And who doesn't love Barnaby's pizza?

How it works: The tickets cost $10. You purchase the ticket from me, and then when you go to Barnaby's for your pizza, you just hand them the ticket, no money. A large 4 topping pizza would normally cost about $20. The tickets are only good for the Grape Road location and are good through August 30, 2011.

Why they do it: This is how the Barnaby's softball team earns money for their yearly fee and also to buy equipment for the team. My brother and dad play for the Barnaby's team on Monday nights and I've been selling these tickets for them for years. Mostly to people at work. My goal this year is to sell at least 100 tickets. I've sold 34 so far.

My Secret Ingredient

So with us going to Disney in two months, I'm trying to make better decisions about what I eat. Maybe shed a pound or two. I'm not full on dieting, but just making better choices. No more Starbucks and a donut on my morning breaks. I munch on baby carrots at work and am getting unsweetened black tea from Starbucks instead of coffee. Unsweetened tea is not a change for me. I make it at home often and drink it all the time. Tonight I made turkey burgers for dinner. They weren't super healthy because I did put Swiss cheese on them, but they are a better choice than the usual pasta that we eat regularly. I took fresh ground turkey, sprinkled in a little bread crumbs, onion powder, black pepper and chili powder. Then I added my secret ingredient--crisp, dried onions. I find them at the deli at Target. They are basically dehydrated onions used for soup or salad topping. But they are amazing in my burgers. They give it some texture and a lot of flavor. I top my turkey burgers off with sauteed mushrooms and Swiss cheese and then put them on a toasted wheat bun. I don't even put any condiments on them they are so delish.

Spring is in the air!

I notice a couple days ago that it is actually starting to show daylight when I go in at 7am. Finally! But if I'm figuring it correctly, that will be set back an hour in 10 days. Right? Because we'll set the clock forward, which means I'll be going in earlier than I am now. Right? Damn you, Mitch. But I love to see wonderful sunrises when I drive in to work. It can set my mood for the day. Positive thoughts!

I am also changing my music on this page to a spring/summer mix. If you have any suggestions, let me know. But I plan to put on some upbeat, jazzy, fun songs.

A Little Piece of Apple Dumpling Heaven

I happened upon this recipe for apple dumplings and was a bit skeptical. It includes Mountain Dew, which I can't stomach. But since it had 924 reviews and has maintained a 5-out-of-5-star rating, I thought I would give it a try. Let me tell you this. They were phenomenal. I made them exactly as the recipe instructed. And there was a lot of liquid remaining at the bottom of the dish. So next time, I think I will halve the liquid portion of the recipe. Which, in turn, will cut down on a lot of the calories. (As if someone counting calories would make these anyway.)