Great Vodka Mixer

It comes in several flavors plus diet and regular.

http://www.oceanspray.com/Products/Juices/Sparkling.aspx

Pizza Dough Survey

I am a huge fan of homemade pizza. I use store bought dough with fresh ingredients. Recently, I have tried several different brands of dough. Here is what I have found.
Pillsbury Dough (+) Keeps for a long time. (-) It has that canned Pillsbury taste.


Safeway Select Brand (Vons/Pavilions) (+) This dough tastes good (-) It is hard to shape with a rolling pin and cooks up thick.  If you like Chicago style pizza, you will like this one.


Trader Joe's (+) This dough tastes great and it is easily manipulated with a rolling pin. (-) It goes bad quickly. If you like New York style pizza, you will like this one.



** Pizza tip**  Before you add anything to the pizza dough, brush the dough with a light layer of EVOO and truffle salt.  It makes the pizza crust extra yummy.

Easy Seasonal Favorite

Over the years, I have tried many versions of black bean soup.  This recipe is by far the easiest BUT it needs to be jazzed up.  I added taco flavoring, chicken and garlic directly into the soup.  When I served the soup, I placed a layer of steamed rice at the bottom of the bowl and poured the soup on top.  I gave my guests several topping options... tortilla strips, bacon, queso fresco, sour cream and chopped avocado.  I served quesadillas on the side.  All told, it was a great Sunday night dinner that took about 20 minutes to prepare.

http://www.homemadesimple.com/en-us/foodandrecipes/pages/spicy-black-bean-and-bacon-soup.aspx 

Vons Wine Sales

Don't miss out on this great sale.  You can pick up some great wines at a great price. If you buy 6, you get an additional 10% off.  Happy Halloween.

Mac and Cheesier

This weekend, I tried a little experiment by adding cream cheese to my mac and cheese.  I suggest you try it out.  It made the sauce thicker and added to the savory flavor.  I added about 4 tablespoons after I combined the butter and flour to create the beginning of the cheese sauce.