Browsing Tag:

#CleverGirls

Events & Entertaining

What Makes a Fanboy’s Saturday Night Extra Fun? A Sci-Fi Marathon + Pizza!

#DIGIORNO #YouBeTheJudge #CleverGirls #ad DiGiorno pizzeria thin supreme speciale pizza

Every Saturday night in early summer, you’ll find my TV set ready to record my latest science fiction obsession: Season 3 of Orphan Black on the BBC America channel. Typically, I record it so I can watch it whenever I want. But before the season premier of season three, I had to watch the entire second season in a Saturday night marathon filled with clones, intrigue and DIGIORNO®’s new pizzeria! thin supreme speciale pizza.

#DIGIORNO #YouBeTheJudge #CleverGirls #ad DiGiorno pizzeria thin supreme speciale pizza

DIGIORNO has four new pizzeria! thin pizzas: primo pepperoni, spinach & mushroom, margherita and supreme speciale. The supreme speciale is topped with Italian sausage, premium pepperoni, red and green pepper strips, and caramelized onions. The sauce is made from vine-ripened tomatoes, basil, thyme and oregano — and it’s topped with real mozzarella cheese.

I ADORE THIN CRUST PIZZA. And I’ve been a fan of DIGIORNO’s Rising Crust Pizza. But I’m extremely picky when it comes to thin crust pizza. You want the crust to be crunchy without being dry or easily burned.

So what makes DIGIORNO’s new pizzeria! thin crust different? It’s drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and it’s proofed for almost 90 minutes before being baked in a 700° oven. Wow! When you open the freshness wrap you can see the quality of ingredients.

This new thin crust delivers on the promise of a crispy outside and a soft & airy inside. Because of the herbs and olive oil, it reminded me of a great Italian focaccia bread fresh out of a hearth oven. For the culinary-challenged, it’s easy to get these results by following simple baking directions.

#DIGIORNO #YouBeTheJudge #CleverGirls #ad DiGiorno pizzeria thin supreme speciale pizza

Preheat your oven to 375° F. It’s important to keep the pizza frozen until it’s ready to go into the oven. After the oven is done preheating, remove the pizza from the freshness wrap.

#DIGIORNO #YouBeTheJudge #CleverGirls #ad DiGiorno pizzeria thin supreme speciale pizza

Place it directly on the center oven rack. I took a wire baking rack, which I lightly sprayed with olive oil non-stick spray, and placed the pizza on that to make removing it from the oven easier.

#DIGIORNO #YouBeTheJudge #CleverGirls #ad DiGiorno pizzeria thin supreme speciale pizza

After about 18 minutes, the pizza should be ready. You’ll know it’s done when the cheese is melted and the edges are a golden brown. Let is stand for a few minutes before slicing and eating.

#DIGIORNO #YouBeTheJudge #CleverGirls #ad DiGiorno pizzeria thin supreme speciale pizza

As you slice the pizza, you can hear how crunchy the crust has turned out.

#DIGIORNO #YouBeTheJudge #CleverGirls #ad DiGiorno pizzeria thin supreme speciale pizza

I really like the square shape, which makes it easier to slice into uniform pieces. And there’s plenty of slices to share with the guys. Add in a side salad, or some humus with chips, and you’re ready for a marathon viewing session of mind-blowing science fiction.

#DIGIORNO #YouBeTheJudge #CleverGirls #ad DiGiorno pizzeria thin supreme speciale pizza

So far I have tried three of DIGIORNO’s new pizzeria! thin flavors: margherita, supreme speciale and primo pepperoni. The margherita reminded me of the margherita pizza I had in Naples, Italy, on a family trip a few years back. You could tell the mozzarella couldn’t have been any better unless you made it fresh yourself. But I think my favorite is the primo pepperoni because the pepperoni is so darned good.

If you’re a true fan (or fanboy!) of thin crust pizza, then you should try DIGIORNO’s new pizzeria! thin pizza. And DIGIORNO is so confident that you’ll agree this new pizzeria! thin is delicious that it offers a “Love It or It’s Free Guarantee” refund. If for some reason you don’t like it, you can visit DIGIORNO.com for information on how to get a refund.

#DIGIORNO #YouBeTheJudge #CleverGirls #ad DiGiorno pizzeria thin supreme speciale pizza

Now I’ve told you what I think of DIGIORNO pizzeria! thin. DIGIORNO would love to hear from other fanboys and fangirls about what you think of the new pizzeria! thin pizzas. Taste one for yourself and visit DIGIORNO on Facebook or Twitter to share your feedback and photos. Be sure to use the hashtag #YouBeTheJudge.

 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Snacks & Candies

The Pistachio Principle

Have you heard of “The Pistachio Principle?” The Pistachio Principle is a simple, mindful eating concept that can help fool yourself full, without feelings of deprivation.

The premise of The Pistachio Principle is that consumption of in-shell pistachios may help to slow eating because the leftover shells offer a visual cue about the amount of pistachios you’ve consumed. And that can potentially reduce your calorie intake.

pistachio principle

Pistachios are by far my favorite nut. For years, I’ve created original recipes using pistachios, ranging from flat breads to decadent brownies. But my favorite way to eat pistachios is right from the shell. They’re perfect for snacking along with Sunday night’s TV lineup of “The Good Wife,” “Downton Abbey,” and “Revenge.”

And I can personally attest that eating in-shell pistachios can be a great workout for your fingers. Prying open those pistachio shells helps reinforce hand-eye coordination and strengthens nimble fingertips.

Celebrate The Year of the Skinny Nut™

Pistachios have been acknowledged as a top food trend for 2015. Considered to be “The Nut of the Year,” pistachios are known as the “Skinny Nut” because they’re one of the lowest calorie, lowest fat nuts, and among the highest in protein. Pistachios can make for a great, everyday healthy snacking choice for those who are looking to satisfy a salty snack craving in a smarter way. Incorporating in-shell pistachios into a snack routine can help to get you back on track in 2015 after an over-indulgent holiday season.

To kick off 2015 – The Year of the Skinny Nut – I wanted to share a few of my favorite snack pairings that include in-shell pistachios.

Pistachio Snack Pairing #1

pistachio skinny nut yogurt mango pairing pistachio principle

In-shell Pistachios + Fresh Mango Slices + Raspberry Yogurt + Low-Sugar Mango-Orange Juice

For a snack to satisfy, it needs to have flavor, texture and hit all the right sweet, savory notes on the palate. My first perfect snack pairing with in-shell pistachios includes fresh mango slices that refresh and provide a mild sweetness. A few spoonfuls of creamy, low-fat raspberry yogurt provides a nice balance to the mango, while also adding back good bacteria into your body’s immune system. Top it all off with a hydrating low-sugar mango-orange juice blend.

Pistachio Snack Pairing #2

pistachio skinny nut apple carrot pairing pistachio principle

In-shell Pistachios + Carrot Chips + Honeycrisp Apple Slices + Earl Grey Tea

For an afternoon snack that adds a mega-satisfying crunch, pair in-shell pistachios with chilled carrot chips, some Honeycrisp apple slices and a calming cup of Earl Grey tea. If you love crunch in your snack, every food component in this pairing really delivers.

You can learn more about the benefits of incorporating in-shell pistachios into your 2015 snacking plans when you enter “The Year of the Skinny Nut Sweepstakes” hosted on the Pistachio Health Institute Facebook page. The sweepstakes runs from January 7 – January 31, 2015, and you have a chance to win a year’s supply of pistachios. YUM!!!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Gifts & Gadgets

Cleaning Up After Four Crazy Pugs With Swiffer WetJet

I was beyond excited when a #BigGreenBox arrived at my doorstep. Little did I know that its contents would make cleaning up after four (yes, four!) crazy pugs an easier task – and leave more time for fun with Bing, Baxter, Della and Marlo.

Swiffer Effect Campaign

Inside was the Swiffer® WetJet. Now I’m a long-time Swiffer Sweeper user, but I’ve never tried the Swiffer WetJet.

Swiffer WetJet

The Swiffer Sweeper is great for picking up dust and dog hair.  With four pugs, there’s dog hair everywhere. If you didn’t know, pugs actually have two coats of fur (an overcoat and an undercoat), so they SHED BIG TIME. Bing and Baxter, my boys, are dark apricot fawn pugs so their fur is easy to spot on the couch but not so easy to see on the hard wood floors. And Marlo and Della, my black pug girls, leave a trail of black fur everywhere. Keeping the floors clean from dirt and dog hair is a daily chore.

Readers of Baked Chicago know I hate doing dishes, and really any type of clean up. But I like having a clean house and especially a clean kitchen. I do have a weekly maid service that comes in to “power clean” the bathrooms and dust everything (I’m highly allergic to dust and pollen) but in between the weekly cleanings life happens.

So I’m constantly cleaning up muddy paw prints, shedding hair and the occasional human spills. [Yes, even a neat freak like me has been known to drop an egg on the floor or spill baking ingredients while whipping up a batch of brownies. What can I say? Culinary artistry isn’t always pretty.]

Prior to getting the Swiffer WetJet, I’d either use a wet rag or my Swiffer Sweeper with a wet cloth to clean up a dirty mess. But the Swiffer WetJet is so much more convenient because it’s got the cleaning solution built into the handle. And when you store it with the attached pads, you literally can grab it at the first moment a spill or dirty accident happens and use it immediately.

I used it on my kitchen hardwood floors and I was able to attack the dirt faster than any other method I’ve tried before. Less time cleaning means more time to play with the pugs. And everybody in my household likes that!
We take turns in this house with weekly chores. It’s Marlo and Della’s turn to help clean the floors. Bing and Baxter are supervising our work from the couch. That counts as a chore, too! 

Swifferdialogue_bubble3

When I think back to growing up, my mom pretty much took care of cleaning the entire house until we all got old enough to help out. With two sisters and three brothers, there was no division of labor along gender roles. Everyone helped make the mess, so everyone had to help clean up. Admittedly, I wasn’t the tidiest kid until after college. Suddenly when you’re the only one responsible for taking care of yourself you learn that it doesn’t get done if you don’t do it.
 This floor is sure to pass the #MomTest thanks to help from Della and Marlo. 

Part of this product review for #CleverGirls was to spread the #SwifferEffect by giving a second #BigGreenBox to a non-Swiffer user who could use some cleaning help. I immediately thought of my younger brother, who has two pre-teen sons and more pets than I can count. [Don’t be insulted, Sam, but I chose you!]
It’s time to spread the #SwifferEffect and I’ve nominated my brother Sam. No shade. Just sayin’. 

Check out this fun video with Eric Stonestreet and his mom.

I know exactly how he feels. Like Eric, I’m glad I’ve got my “army of Swiffers” to count on to keep my house clean and give me more time to play with my pugs.

Fall in line Swiffer Duster, Swiffer Sweeper and Swiffer WetJet. Forward march!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.