Centro Woodfired Pizza - Cedar City, UT

Yum! What a nice surprise to find such fresh, tasty food in this cute, little town. 

The decor was really cute. The perfect mix of modern and reclaimed/rustic. Lots of natural light and super friendly and knowledgeable staff. 

Fresh decor complimentwd their food really well. This place is great for eating with 1-2 people, or I believe they would accommodate larger parties as well. 

Their special was proccuttio and dried apricots! I didn't get brave enough to try it, but I'm sure it would be good!

Reclaimed wood and pallete went throughout the place. 

And, now the food! We ordered the bruschetta and it was awesome! The bread they used was a cool and crunchy compliment to the diced fresh tomatoes and the balsamic sauce. We are every bite! 

Next, we ordered the pizza! Topped in something that resembles pepperoni, this Woodfired pizza was crunchy, soft, cheesy, just the right amount of greasy, and really tasty. The crust was nice and bubbly thick, and thinner towards the middle. It was topped with some Asiago or super strong Parmesan, almost a bit too strong towards the end, but all the ingredients really complimented each other well. 

I also liked how they give you a large bottle of water so you can refill your own glasses with nice, cold water - something you need a lot of when you're in Utah! 

I definitely recommend this restaurant and if you have ever been, please feel free to comment below! 

Take care and happy eating! 

Tater Tot Horseshoe Sandwich

Horseshoes originated in my hometown of Springfield, IL. They're essentially made up of toast, a burger patty, french fries (I used tater tots!!!), and topped with cheese and tomatoes. They're super tasty, and really filling. 

INGREDIENTS FOR 2 HORSESHOES

* 1 Bag of Tater Tots (160z.) 

* 1/2 Lb Ground Beef (to make 2 patties)

* Add-Ins for burger - I used salt, chopped onion, and garlic powder. Jalapeños also welcome!

* Organic Tomatoes to top 

* Bread for toast (1-2 pieces each)

Cheese Sauce Ingredients 

* 1/2 to 1 C. Farmers Cheese or other mild cheese

* 1 Tbsp corn starch

* 1 can evaporated milk

HOW TO:

1.) Preheat oven and bake tatted tots as instructed.

2.) Heat grill, and grill burgers to desired done-ness.

3.) Begin your cheese sauce. In a medium sauce pot, heat all Cheese Sauce Ingredients until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and seasoned salt if desired. Stir Frequently.

4.) When everything is almost done, toast 2-4 pieces of toast.

TO CONSTRUCT:

Place 1-2 pieces of toast on plate, then add burger, tater tots, cheese sauce, and tomatoes!

Enjoy!!!!

Fun substitutions can be made by swapping out the burger and adding: Chicken, Bacon, Turkey, and more!

Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Rings

I have a real treat for you! The perfect mid-afternoon snack to eat on a snowy Sunday... 

Bacon-Wrapped Pineapple Rings! They taste super good and are actually fun to create. 

It took a little bit of time, but they were easy none the less. 

WHAT YOU NEED:

* 4 - 5 Pineapple Rings (We bought a fresh pineapple that was packaged near the fruit coolers, and cut them into super thick slices). A Can of pineapple also works. 

* 10 slices (1 Package) of Thinly Sliced Bacon (I like Applegate Organic)
* Toothpicks or short skewer sticks.
* Metal Baking Rack - place into baking dish
*Shallow 9x13 Baking Dish

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 Degrees.
Open the package of bacon, and prepare/cut/or drain your pineapples.
Set out a decent amount of toothpicks into a shallow dish so they are easy to use.

Set one pineapple ring onto a cutting board or clean surface. Take the first slice of bacon, begin to wrap it around the pineapple, and continue with 1-2 more pieces of bacon per ring. Secure with toothpicks.

Now, place each Bacon Pineapple Ring onto the Baking Rack.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, on the top rack of the oven. You may need up to ten minutes more, depending on your oven. Make sure you do not burn them, and enjoy!

  

Thai Dishes on Broadway - Santa Monica, CA

YUM! I would definitely recommend this awesome Thai restaurant if you are in Santa Monica, CA. At Thai Dishes on Broadway, I was even able to sit outside on a heated patio and eat dinner. This is a real treat if you're from Illinois! I just loved this place! I got my usual Thai favorite, Broccoli Beef, but the sauce was not too thick, just like I like it. The flavors weren't overpowering, and the beef and broccoli were cooked perfectly! I also had a Singha beer with dinner, and I really enjoyed just sitting and people watching. The place is just over a block to the entrance of the Santa Monica Pier.

 This place is very classy, but not super dressy. It would be perfect for a date, dinner with friends, dinner with family, a medium-sized group, and great for lunch and dinner.

What's For Dinner? Onion Ring Chicken Fingers + Caesar Salad

Let's start with the Caesar Salad! Check out my favorite ingredients, below.

CAESAR SALAD INGREDIENTS:

Organic Romaine Lettuce, Marzetti Supreme Caesar Dressing, Hormel Bacon Pieces, NewYorkBrand Texas Toast Cheese & Garlic Croutons and Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese. This has been my go-to recipe for a few years now, and it's so good! Mix all ingredients, adding dressing last. Top with a little bit more cheese. 

TIP:

Use the dressing sparingly at first, stir salad with a large spoon, and then see if you need more. The dressing is pretty strong, so you don't need much!

Next, is one of my favorite new recipes! Onion Ring Chicken Fingers. These are good beside the salad, or cut up inside of the salad. 

ONION RING CHICKEN FINGERS INGREDIENTS:

6-8 Organic Chicken Tenders

1/4 Cup Dijon Mustard (I mixed two types together)

1 1/2 Cups Regular Bread Crumbs

1/2 Cup French's Fried Onion Pieces (That's why I call them Onion Ring Chicken Fingers)

And to season breadcrumbs, I added a bit of garlic powder, salt, and pepper. 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.) Preheat oven to 450F. Spray metal rack with non-stick spray (I use the rack from my toaster oven). Set the rack onto a foil-lined baking sheet.

2.) In one shallow baking dish or Pyrex, add mustard. In a second dish, mix bread crumbs,  seasonings, and French's onions. 

3.) Prep the chicken. Dip each side of the chicken into mustard. You want just a light coating of mustard, or the breading will end up squishy instead of crisp, so use a fork to remove any excess. 

5.) Next, coat each side of the chicken tenders in the breadcrumb mixture. Transfer to metal rack. Try to leave a little bit of room between each piece.

4.) Bake 12-15 minutes, flip and then bake another 5 minutes or until done and crispy, with no pink inside of the chicken. 

Serve with ketchup or BBQ sauce. These are so good! 

One Pot - Super Easy and Tasty Pesto Pasta Recipe

Pasta couldn't get much easier than this. It's nice and light, and super fresh. 

Here are most of the ingredients. You will also need grated parmesan cheese, 2-3 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil (or your favorite), as well as some salt and Italian seasoning, to taste. 

How To Make This Super Easy Pesto Pasta:

Boil noodles as directed. Strain and return to original pot. Scoop about 3-4 tablespoons of Pesto onto noodles. Also add your olive oil, Italian seasoning, and salt. Stir together, combining well. Turn the heat back on to low. Add mozzarella pearls, and stir. They should melt pretty quickly. Once they're melted, sprinkle past with parmesan cheese, and stir once more. 

Serve topped with more parmesan cheese and chopped tomatoes. 

Enjoy! 

Ingredients Via: Pesto / Mozzarella Cheese Pearls