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mozzarella

5 Ways I Spoil Myself + Self-Care Tips for You

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Sometimes you have to put yourself first.

Pampering yourself is necessary to regain perspective, to boost your confidence, and to hit the reset button now and then. If that means that you spoil yourself by splurging on a night out with friends or restocking your closet with a new wardrobe, then by all means – celebrate you!

I used to do nice things for myself only when I thought I deserved it. For example, if I passed a major college exam or got a raise at work, I would convince myself I had “earned” the right to do spoil myself. As I matured, I realized that self-preservation doesn’t mean I have to justify buying a new spring wardrobe or a vacation somewhere. Giving back to yourself is a part of self-care.

Is it time for you to pay it forward to yourself?

I bet you’re like me in that you give so much of yourself to work, family, and your household that you seldom give thought to yourself and how you’re feeling. Time constraints keep so many of us from giving back to ourselves. Check out 5 Ways I Spoil Myself below and I’ll bet you discover at least one way you to pamper yourself without spending a ton of time doing it!

  1. Birthday Meal. I always treat myself to a delicious lunch at one of my favorite restaurants on my birthday. Even if I have to dine alone, because all of my favorite people are stuck at work, I’ll dine on my city’s best nachos, fattoush salad, or pizza. In my twenties, I once filled an entire table at The Mad Greek in Lawrence, Kansas with a spread of Mediterranean  favorites including a cocktail on my birthday! Why? Because I was celebrating me!
  2. StitchFix. Life is too short for me to spend another minute hating myself for having to cut through crowds at the mall to find staple clothing items. Enter…StitchFix! Every month I receive my “fix” in the mail that includes five clothing or accessories to add to my closet. I’m like a kid on Christmas when the green and white box arrives with hand-selected items from my personal stylist. If I don’t like something, I simply mail it back. It’s great!
  3. Hair Color. The first time I had an Aveda stylist color my hair and give me a scalp massage at the shampoo bowl, I was hooked. I didn’t need to spend another minute contemplating hair color options in the drugstore aisle. Now my trusted stylist colors my hair and you can see the difference. The cost of paying a professional to color my hair leaves it feeling soft and looking healthy.
  4. Flowers. Ain’t nobody got time to wait for someone else to buy them flowers! Buy them for yourself! Every month I purchase a bouquet of marked down flowers to add to our home. It makes me happy to see bright colors across the room and that level happiness is worth $5 any day.
  5. Gourmet Food. You know me, I love yummy food. So it’s no surprise that I would spoil myself by throwing some fancy cheese or a few expensive condiments into my shopping cart. Why deny yourself sushi or fresh mozzarella? Just buy it every once in a while and relish in the satisfaction of your purchase while you devour it!

You deserve to walk around in this world a happier person even if it means going the extra mile to spoil yourself. I’m not suggesting you waste your next paycheck on all of your favorite things in the name of “self-care.” Instead, select one or two activities that bring you joy and add them into your life on a regular basis. You’ll feel more delightful overall!

 

Thin Crust Alfredo Pizza with Bacon and Kale

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Restaurant pizza is yummy. But homemade just-the-way-you-like-it pizza is far more delicious even decadent especially when it’s topped with bacon.

I live with a native New Yorker so you can bet we eat a lot of pizza. We’ve made homemade crust and purchased a case of Sam’s frozen pizza crust. No matter how you slice it, preparing homemade pizza crust is labor intensive and messy. By the time the pizza was on the plate, we were exhausted and the kitchen was a flour-covered mess that we didn’t want to clean. Then, I discovered Mama Mary’s oven-ready crust! My Thin Crust Alfredo Pizza with Bacon and Kale doesn’t take more than 30 minutes to prepare.

You can find oven-ready pizza crust in medium to large sizes in your grocery store next to store bought sauces and near ethnic foods. A lover of white garlic pizza, I created my version of Granite City’s bacon flatbread pizza. Topped with Alfredo sauce, crumbled pork-bacon sausage, thinly sliced red onion, finely chopped kale, sliced mushrooms, shredded mozzarella, and crumbled blue cheese, my homemade pizza took minutes to prepare and less than 10 minutes to bake. Now that’s decadent!

Since the New Year, I’ve taken the time to prep my vegetables and recipes starters during the weekend so I’m ready for the work week. This dedicated time in the kitchen has helped me so much! I don’t throw out half-rotten produce and I’m preparing more flavorful, healthier meals. My energy level during the day has improved because my intake of nutrients and fiber comes from prepared lunches stocked with fruits and vegetables. So, this pizza was easy to get on the table because I already washed and sliced my produce.

Tip: After slicing the red onions, place them in a bowl with water for at least 30 minutes and then drain. This reduces the robust raw onion taste that can overpower other pizza flavors. I do this in advance and store my onions in the refrigerator for later use.

If you want another pizza recipe, you’ll also enjoy my semi-homemade Grilled Greek Pizza!

5-6 pizza slices

Thin Crust Alfredo Pizza with Bacon and Kale

This thin crispy crust is the platform for delicious white pizza flavor you won't be able to resist.

15 minPrep Time

10 minCook Time

25 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

  • 1 Mama Mary's thin crust
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • Toppings:
  • 1/4 c. Barilla Creamy Alfredo pasta sauce
  • 1 c crumbled Farmland pork bacon
  • 1 c sliced mushrooms
  • 1/8 c. diced kale
  • 1/8 c. sliced red onion
  • 1 diced garlic clove
  • 1/2 c mozzarella
  • 1 T crumbled blue cheese
  • shredded parmesan (optional)
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Brush crust with olive oil.
  2. Add half the mozzarella.
  3. Add the remaining toppings.
  4. Add the other half of the mozzarella.
  5. Sprinkle with light coating of parmesan.
  6. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
  7. Bake for 71/2-10 minutes until the crust edges are golden brown. (Bottom of crust will not brown but will be crispy.)
  8. Allow to cool a few minutes before slicing to serve.
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https://onedelightfullife.com/thin-crust-alfredo-pizza-with-bacon-and-kale/

Nutrition

Calories

277 cal

Fat

8 g

Carbs

32 g

Protein

3 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Sausage Caprese Stuffed Portobellos

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It’s no secret that I love cream cheese. I add it to everything from pasta to desserts. And if you’ve ever attended one of my parties, I probably served you a cream cheese based dip hot and bubbly from the crockpot. While that sounds creamy and dreamy (like, who doesn’t love chips dripping with warm cheesy artichoke dip?), I have to make healthier food choices.

When a recipe called for cream cheese stuffed mushrooms, I knew I was going to have to flip the script, people.

My recipe for Sausage Caprese Stuffed Portobellos received rave reviews from my guy. I know one of my recipes is a keeper when “Babe, you need to remember this one” is heard between bites from the kitchen. Score one for me and healthy eating!

I may just try this healthier food thing again tomorrow.

Intended to be a side dish, these mushrooms are filling enough that they could be one's lunch meal.
Intended to be a side dish, these mushrooms are filling enough that they could be one’s lunch meal.

I eliminated the cream cheese and used low-fat mozzarella. There was no need to use olive oil either. Clean the mushrooms using a paper towel rather than under the faucet, a tip I learned from Rachel Ray. I do not remove the outer skin. Remove the stem and the inside texture using the edge of a spoon.

Sausage-Caprese-Stuff-Portobellos Sausage-Caprese-Stuff-Portobellos4

After cooking off the country sausage and mixing the remaining ingredients, stuff each mushroom firmly and top with more cheese before baking.

Sausage-Caprese-Stuff-Portobellos2

Bake in an 8″x8″ glass baking dish, uncovered at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until tender.

Intended to be a side dish, these mushrooms are filling enough that they could be one's lunch meal.
Hubby and heart-health approved.

Ingredients

  • 2 cleaned portobello mushrooms
  • 1 pkg cooked and drained country sausage
  • 1 c. diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 c. low-fat mozzarella
  • 2 T shredded parmesan
  • 1 T Italian seasoning
  • 6 springs fresh chopped basil
  • 1 chopped green onion
  • pinch black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cook country sausage according to package directions in a skillet under done and crumbly.
  3. Transfer sausage to a paper towel lined plate to drain any grease. You may want to use another paper towel on top of the sausage to rid it of any more grease.
  4. Transfer dry sausage to a medium sized bowl.
  5. Add tomatoes, half of the mozzarella, parmesan, Italian seasoning, basil, green onion and stir until well mixed.
  6. Clean portobellos with a dry paper towel. Remove the stems and hollow out the center fibers using a spoon. Place mushrooms top-side down in an 8"x8" glass baking dish.
  7. Stuff sausage mixture into each portobello firmly. Top with black pepper.
  8. Add remaining mozzarella on top of mushrooms before baking.
  9. Bake 10-12 minutes until mushrooms are tender.
  10. Serve hot.

Notes

The parmesan and sausage already give a salty flavor, which is why a pinch of salt is not included in this recipe.

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https://onedelightfullife.com/sausage-caprese-stuffed-portobellos/

Nutrition

Calories

71 cal

Fat

3 g

Carbs

8 g

Protein

2 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Share your favorite mushroom recipe in the comments section below. You will find more recipes like these posted several times at week on One Delightful Life’s Pinterest page!