Pizza Party with Wewalka!

As someone who has only ever used dough out of a can, I was super excited to work with Wewalka and try out their whole line of refrigerated dough. Wewalka’s packaging allows you to feel the dough,so you know it is fresh. The dough is rolled onto parchment paper inside the sleeve. The dough has live baker’s yeast which needs releases carbon dioxide, which is what the little valve on the package is for. Without the can, there are no explosions. For my entire life, I have needed to find someone to open the cans because it scared me so. No more!

Wewalka makes many types of dough for a variety of recipes all available in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, here are a few that I tried. Bistro Dough, that is thin and crispy rolled into traditional round pies. 

Classic Pizza Dough, made with European olive oil, it is slightly thicker than the Bistro dough, it provides a classic crust that is ready to be paired with your favorite toppings.

 Flatbread Dough, made with unbleached, pure wheat flour and is extra thin and crispy. It’s the first flatbread sold refrigerated and ready to use. 

And I can't forget the Puff Pastry Dough, made by layering delicate dough 64 times. It can be used directly from the refrigerator (no thawing required) to bake up exceptionally airy and flaky pastries.

One thing all these products have in common is the use of the highest quality ingredients. No artificial flavors or colors, no high fructose corn syrup, no bleached flour and no hydrogenated oils. It's suitable for vegetarians.

Last weekend I threw a pizza party to try out a few new recipes. For appetizers I made Pretzel Bites. They were easy and delicious. I will likely make them for every party from now on. The whole platter was gone in minutes! Here is the recipe.

Pretzel Bites

1 pkg. Wewalka Classic Pizza Dough

1/2 cup baking soda

Egg wash (1 egg and 2 Tbsp. water, beaten)

Pretzel salt (optional)

1 cup heavy cream

Kosher salt to taste

1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese

Cayenne pepper (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Unroll refrigerated Classic Pizza Dough onto lightly floured counter. Cut dough into thirds and squeeze each third into a log and then roll out into a rope about 1-in. in thickness. Cut rope into equal size pieces and place on parchment lined baking sheet (using the parchment from the dough package). Repeat with remaining two pieces.

3. Mix baking soda with 4 cups of water and bring to a boil, dissolving baking soda. With a batch of 6-8 at a time, drop the dough pieces into the water and boil for 20 seconds. Remove with a strainer and place pretzel bites back on baking sheet. Repeat with all remaining dough pieces.

4. Place the enclosed parchment paper on a baking sheet and spread out the dough pieces. Brush all pieces with egg wash and top with pretzel salt (salt optional).

5. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes until nicely brown in color.

6. Meanwhile, to make the dipping sauce, heat heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When cream starts to boil but before it comes to a full boil, drop to a simmer and lightly salt to taste, whisking constantly. Once cream starts to thicken, add cheese and stir. Once the cheese melts, taste and adjust seasoning. Remove cheese sauce to a bowl and top with a sprinkling of cayenne if desired.

Check out more recipes here.

I was a little nervous after baking the pretzels because the parchment was pretty crispy but don't worry. It is normal that the paper gets brown in the oven, it is oven safe up until 500F.

I made three different pizzas but because I was short on time, I used jarred sauces and precooked meats, but everything tasted amazing anyway...

I made a pepperoni pizza on the Bistro Crust and two flatbread pizzas, one that was Traditional Pizza Sauce with Extra Cheese and one heavenly Chicken Alfredo pizza.

These were so easy, just roll out the dough and parchement paper right onto your cookie sheet. Cook at 425°F. for 15-20 minutes. They were all so good, but that chicken alfredo pizza is going to be a staple in my house from now on and I have never even made a pizza at home.

I made a simple 3 Ingredient Strawberry Tart for dessert. It looked good, but it was definitely missing something. I will have to try a different puff pastry next time.

I love that I can bake recipes right on with the parchment paper on the baking pan, without the need of greasing, buttering or spraying the pan first. There are no food remnants to work around, and nothing sticks to the baking tray. Clean up is a breeze. Simply remove the paper from the pan and toss it. I love when cooking and cleaning are easy.

Find Wewalka near you!

Grab a coupon here!

Thanks Wewalka, for introducing me to the world of refrigerated dough and delicious homemade pizza and desserts. I'll be making lots of goodies.

~Crystal Vicious

STRICTLY BRIKS

Strictly Briks play nice with other toys and are 100% guaranteed to be compatible with all major brands like LEGO, DUPLO, Mega Bloks, and K'NEX brand sets.There are so many options and colors and at a great price. You can let your imagination run wild!

I was able to try out a bunch of different products from Strictly Briks and passed them on to my nephews, except for the small briks. Those are for me. 

The Bag of Small Briks I received were in the basic colors. These are so fun, they have pink and purple. There are many other color options, the clear ones are super cool.

I was also given a pack of Flat Bottom Base Plates. These are way sturdier than I expected. Perfect fit for classic sized bricks a great to build off of.

The Bag of Big Briks are great. Just like Duplo blocks. Great for the little ones. Such an awesome option. These go great with the Big Brik Trap & Gap. Super fun playing with cars and the trap doors. 

A small Trap & Gap 4 Pack to go with the classic sized bricks is so fun. You can build a parking garage and drive your cars up and down. Super study and easy to build.

My favorite product is the AlphaBriks. These tiles are a little tough to pop on an off and they are small, so I didn't pass this on to the 3 and 4 year olds. I like using it as a message board. I think it looks really cool and will probably use it for hashtags. It's so fun.

~Crystal Vicious 

Sweet New Products from Suave Professionals

Rose Oil Infusion Volumizing Shampoo & Conditioner

At first I was turned off by how ROSY this shampoo smelled. I am more of a fruity person, and this whopping Rose Oil scent was too much. The second time I used it I had a scent memory of these little rose shaped soaps my grandmother had in her bathroom back in the 1980's and guess what? Now I enjoy the smell. Thank goodness because this shampoo really does add volume. I have very thin hair and after only two uses my hair feels twice as thick. It definitely delivers on that promise. The scent stays in your hair for quite a while, so if you hate the smell of roses I wouldn't recommend it. I gave it another shot and warmed up to the scent, so who knows. I dig it.

The scent of this conditioner is way less fragrant than it's counterpart. It adds a light scent to your hair after rinsing out. The volume of my hair doubled after two uses. Can't wait to see extended results, my thin hair needs the extra oomph!

Suave Professionals Natural Hold Compressed Micro Mist Hairspray

I don't really use hairspray for anything other than my bangs, but this hairspray changed me.

It makes my hair feel nice and soft so I actually bought a new curling iron to see how it would hold curls. I love it. It doesn't leave a gross, sticky film all over the place and it smells divine! I sprayed all over my head and it held my bangs and my curls all night. I love the packaging, it's cute and easy to hold. A++

Here's a photo of my hair after using the Rose Oil Shampoo & Conditioner for one week and with the Hairspray holding my curls in! Please excuse my first attempt at using a curling wand. 

~Crystal Vicious

What's Cracking?

Halloween is over...which means it is time for Christmas shopping and decorating! It really is the most wonderful time of the year! I like to add new pieces to my holiday decor every year. For 2017 I thought nutcrackers would be a great addition. My Uncle Ricky used to collect all types. Every Christmas I would help my mother pick out a new one for him. I'm excited to continue this tradition in his memory. 

The Clever Creations Christmas series is the best in holiday home and office decor.  This series features a wide array of unique and whimsical home décor perfect for celebrating the holiday season. They offer over 175 nutcrackers to fit any decor theme, or area of the house. Our traditionally designed nutcrackers come in many different colors, outfits and nationalities. Every Nutcracker is built from 100% real wood, painted and coated for durability, and decorated with care. Buy with the confidence that each nutcracker is long lasting and durable.

This Beach Santa Claus is my absolute favorite! He is 14" tall and wears a snowflake covered Hawaiian shirt. He carries an umbrella and an adorable stripped beach chair. His sunglasses are great and his flip flops on the "sandy" glitter base are the perfect touch. I love all things nautical so this one hits it out of the park.

The Lady in Red Nutcracker is 16" and super sassy. I love her red dress and furry hat. Her blond hair flips up into a fun style. The best part is her leopard print purse and trim on the base. Perfect for a fashionista. 

I also love this Traditional Chubby Scottish Nutcracker. He is smaller at 7" tall. He wears a kilt and has bagpipes. He is perfect down to his painted on teeth. 

I'm thrilled to add these guys to my shelves when the Winter comes. I will definitely be back next year to see what Clever Creations has. I will want another and may want to give some as gifts.  

While I was grabbing nutcrackers I also jumped on these Pickle Ornaments. My friend had one on her tree a few years ago and I thought the tradition sounded fun. I'm going to start doing a Pickle Present this year and I will be stashing the extra pickles in my mother and sister's trees. These are shatterproof, shiny green and has gold glitter.

Check out Clever Creations on Pinterest.

Happy Decorating!!

~Crystal Vicious

Easy Peasy Pasta

John and I had fun hosting our last Dinner Party so we decided to have another one. We even picked up some new chairs so more people could fit at our tiny kitchen table. My best friend Tammy made her famous "Gravy" with meatballs while I made with my favorite, Broccoli Aflredo. Garlic Bread in the oven and wine in our glasses. We were ready to talk about Barilla Ready Pasta.

 Ready Pasta is available in 4 cuts: penne, elbows, rotini and gemelli. I used Elbows for the meat sauce and Gemelli for the alfredo. We made Penne the week before with a yummy tomato basil sauce. They are all so good. 

Barilla Ready Pasta is a delicious, fully cooked pasta that is ready in just 60 seconds. Simply heat the pouch in the microwave then top with your favorite ingredients for a delicious dish in minutes. Each packages contains 2 servings, so they are perfect for a couple, kids or as a side. Great for people who have there hands full or are busy, because you don't have to wait around for water to boil.

I am not a fan of microwaves, so if you are like me, you can easily heat up Ready Pasta without the microwave. Just toss it in a skillet with some olive oil and heat it up for 2-4 minutes. Perfect! Not as convenient as the microwave, but still much faster and using a skillet keeps my pots free for cooking other things on the stove top. 

Barilla Ready Pasta has no preservatives and is made with 3 simple ingredients. A dash of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of sea salt & authentic Barilla pasta. Simple, Fast and Yummy. Everyone loved it. 

You can pick up Barilla Ready Pasta in Grocery Stores and Walmart.

It is even available on Amazon.

I love having Ready Pasta on hand in my pantry. It's the perfect way to whip up something quick and easy.

~Crystal Vicious

Follow Barilla on Facebook.

Swap Out Your Pasta For Something Better

My sister refers to me as a health nut, but I'm really not one. I just try to make better choices when it comes to food. I try to limit my gluten intake to help manage my autoimmune diseases. Sadly, I just discovered a love of a bunch of sauces other than the tomato sauce my mother made growing up, but I'm trying to avoid wheat noodles. Then I discovered Banza Pasta. It is made from chickpeas! 

I had never heard of a chickpea until I met my boyfriend's mother, who can basically make anything out of chickpeas. This legume is a secret super food, gluten free, low on the glycemic index and Banza's chickpeas are certified non-GMO. Just replace regular pasta in any recipe with Banza and you get double the protein, four times the fiber, and half the net carbs. 

This past weekend I did just that. Three Days, Three Recipes and Three Pastas.

Day One: Linguine

We invited a few friends over for a Pasta Game Night.

We made some turkey meatballs with a tomato and basil red sauce. The Banza Linguine cooked just like regular pasta.

Dinner was delicious.

Day Two: Shells

We visited my sister and brother-in-law with ingredients in tow. We whipped up some Chicken Alfredo and added Banza Shells. This one was also a hit.

Day Three: Rotini

This recipe was my favorite! Butternut Squash Alfredo! A perfect fall dish. The Banza Rotini cooked perfectly and held the sauce well. In this sauce, I couldn't even taste that the pasta was not wheat pasta. 

I wasn't the only one fooled by this dish. Even the kids loved it! That's a big deal. Totally a hit, I will be making this one again.

Banza is such a great alternative for those that are health conscious, have dietary restrictions or just want to add a great superfood to their repertoire.

You can find several varieties of Banza Pastas or their boxed Mac & Cheese at Target, Whole Foods or Wegmans.

Find Banza near you.

~Crystal Vicious

I Finally Signed Up With Birchbox!

Birchbox is a New York City-based online monthly subscription service that sends its subscribers a box of four to five selected samples of makeup, or other beauty related products. 

It's one of the least expensive beauty subscription boxes at only $10 a month. I've heard good things so I signed up. It's not a huge investment and you can cancel at anytime.

I love trying out new products, so I'm really excited about recieving my first box! Plus, getting a package of surprises in the mail is always fun! 

Use this link and get 50% OFF your first Birchbox!!!!

That's only $5 for a box full of awesome products! 

Stay gorgeous! 

~Crystal Vicious