Last weekend my parents came to visit. It was really nice having them here. We didn't do anything too exciting but the weather was nice enough that we were able to show them around town a bit and mom made good use of the trail by our house. Hopefully when they visit again the weather will be warm and we can do some outdoor activities or even visit a city near by. They got to be the first people to stay in our odd little guest room. It worked out well.

Next weekend, Lauren may be taking a train to visit. The weather should be a bit warmer by then too. However, you never can tell that far into the future with weather. Hopefully it will hold up so we can take her around and have some fun.

I am tired of the snow and the cold. I started indoor seeds so they will be ready to plant for a garden. However, between the good sun in our south window and being in the warmest room in the house (also the smallest) the seeds are growing like crazy. My baby tomato seed I used as a tester is already taller than the small window it sits at. I had to build a platform on top of a bookcase to make sure the plant gets enough sun without crushing itself against the top of the window/ceiling. The seedlings in my tiny green house are only a week old and they are all growing fast. They are too tall for me to use the green house lid anymore. I am probably going to need to plant them somewhere before the weather is ready.

We've started using the bread machine a lot more again. Although much of it is just using the dough setting. It is nice to not have to kneed dough. We made some delicious French bread baguettes to use for sandwiches. I've also found a good recipe to make ciabatta rolls as well. Krustez bread-machine mixes have been great for quick pizza crust and sourdough as well (Italian herbs and cheese is a great mix for pizza crust). I haven't found a sandwich bread I like to make yet. They always seem to come out denser than I like but I'll keep trying and find one that works!

We made one of our favorite pizza's today. It's so easy and great for a lazy night like tonight. I LOVE caprese salad and although it isn't Ryan's favorite salad, he is in love with the pizza.

Flat bread (we use garlic naan)
Basil Pesto
Fresh Mozzarella (sliced thin)
Fresh basil leaves
tomato (sliced thin)
balsamic vinegar

Spread pesto on the flat bread. Cover pizza with mozza, tomato, and basil. Heat in the oven until crust is crispy and cheese is melting. While the pizza is cooling, drizzle a small amount of balsamic over the pizza. I place my finger over the nozzle to slow the flow even more.
It's that simple!
I have found that shredded mozzarella also works but I never get as good of a flavor from shredded as I do from slicing some fresh mozzarella from a ball.