Girls' Weekend!

I am blessed with amazing friends.  Some new, some not so new (they hate when I call them "old)", some I see often and others not often enough.  Regardless we share a bond that cannot be broken by time nor distance.  It's a wonderful feeling to have friends like these.

This motley crew is "The College Girls."  At least once a year, they say goodbye to their children and husbands and make the trek to my house..... my nice, quiet, child-free home.  We drink a little too much wine, have too many cheesy appetizers, fix way too much food (it's what I do, can't help it!), talk until the wee hours of the morning, and laugh until our cheeks hurt.  It's a great escape and sometimes, just the right therapy for what might ail you.

I cleared the calendar of cooking classes and cleared the work station for the feast that was to come.  Then we had our own little pizza making party.  First step, set the stage.....

While making the dough and prepping the ingredients we noshed on the apps the girls brought - bruschetta and a brand new love for me: Trader Joe's Blue Cheese and Toasted Pecan Spread (oh baby!) with a yummy mix of tiny crackers.  Yes, my 80/20 rule was in complete jeopardy.  And I didn't care one bit!

I whipped up my super simple pizza sauce and away we go.....

First up, a classic: fresh mozzarella, basil from my garden and ripe juicy tomatoes (not from my garden yet, boooo).

And next a grilled veggie and kalamata pizza with a simple olive oil base and a little more mozz..  And of course I had to make my favorite potato, rosemary and onion pizza (you've seen enough photos of that; and I had to get it into my belly too quickly to snap another shot!)

We ate and drank, and ate and drank some more.  They indulged me a few rounds of Catch Phrase and we laughed harder than we had in a while.  We caught up on kids, renovations, jobs, love lives, vacations, etc. A wonderfull evening with some of the best people I know.  If there are friends you haven't seen in a while, grab your calendar and plan a date..... it does the heart good (not necessarily the waistline).

Suzanne's Easy Pizza Sauce
Makes 2 cups

1 14-oz can fire roasted tomatoes (or 2-3 cups chopped fresh)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon grade B maple syrup
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

• Place tomatoes, oregano, basil, garlic and maple syrup in blender and puree.
• With motor running, drizzle in the oil.
• Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Yum it up!