Giada De Laurentiis' Roasted Acorn Squash and Gorgonzola Pizza

Don't get me wrong, I'm an Ina Garten gal, but Giada's recipes always include irresistible, fresh ingredients-and that is always a good thing!

Here's the recipe!

Ingredients

• 1 (1- pound) acorn squash
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound pizza dough (I prefer whole grain dough)
  
• 1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella
• 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
• 1 cup arugula

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

*Slice the squash in half from top to bottom. Scoop out the seeds. Slice the squash into 1/2 to 3/4-inch wide half moons and place in a medium bowl. Toss the squash with the syrup, olive oil, red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place the squash on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the squash until tender and golden, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Keep the temperature on the oven at 375 degrees F. Roll out the pizza dough on a flour dusted piece of parchment paper to a 13-inch diameter. Place the pizza and the parchment paper on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and the Gorgonzola on the pizza dough. Bake in the oven until golden and cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Peel the skins off the squash. Top the cooked pizza with the cooked squash. Top with arugula and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Slice and serve.

*Sometimes, grocery stores have pre-cut butternut squash. It makes things a lot easier!

Summer Throwback: a REAL tomato

I'm of the school of the summer tomato: if it's not summer, it's not a tomato.

Reminiscing, I found this picture from August:



Simple and rare, tomato interspersed with fresh basil leaves and mozzarella, drizzled (okay, drenched) in balsamic vinegar, with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper is amazingness.

"Lodge Bucket" : The New G&T

During my "getting to know you" phase with gin, I was convinced that gin and tonic with three limes was the only true way to drink like someone at a classic movie bar, say Rick's Cafe.

Unfortunately, I tend to cross the line between a good thing and too much of a good thing without thinking. And no, no, no it wasn't because I had too much gin!

I tried tonic water. By itself. It was not good. And I haven't been able to go near a G&T since.

Fortunately, my roommates and I invented the mother of all gin buckets. Here is the recipe!

1. Get a punch bow, or bucket.
2. Add a handle of Seagram's gin with lime.



3. 2 Liters of Sierra Mist (we used the peach flavor)
4. Fruit Punch Concentrate
5. Limeade concentrate
6. Mango sorbet***this is key



7. Apples, oranges, strawberries, limes, grapes or whatever fruit you prefer.

Stir and serve!

It's a delicious punch and conversation piece (yes, it's THAT good) for any party, and I hope you'll like it!

It's the most wonderful Clementine of the year

There's something about Clementines that makes them so addictive. It could be the ease of peeling them, but for me it's an essential Christmas tradition.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who gets apples and oranges in her stocking. The tradition in my family stems from when my grandparents were growing up, during the Great Depression.

Fresh fruit, especially oranges, were a treat because of their rarity. Clementines, in season at Christmas time, always remind me of my grandparents and Christmas!