on the down low

I could eat these everyday

If you are like me, you are always looking for easy dinners.  Also, if you are like me, you like pizza.  Finally, if you are anything like me, you love the muffin that comes from England.

I can't seem to get enough of the English Muffin.  I already eat one for breakfast every day.  And recently, I've rediscovered another use for the English Muffin.

I remember eating English Muffin Pizzas pretty regularly as a kid.  Now I now why.  They are super easy to make.  And they are cheap (hello six for a dollar)!  Plus they are so yummy.  And yet, for some reason, the EMP became non-existent once I left home and ventured out into the real world.

I appear to be making up for lost time now.  Let's just say, in the past few weeks, I've made these for dinner more times than should be legal.

I love these almost as much as my son loves quesadillas, which, for those of you that know the extent of his love for the cheesy grilled tortilla, is saying a lot.

Without further ado, I give you the directions for the goodness that is the English Muffin Pizza:

Step 1:  Preheat oven to 400°F

Step 2:  Gather a grand total of 4 ingredients (although it could be more if you like to complicate things).  You will need, at minimum:

• English muffins
• Pizza (or marinara) sauce
• Mozzarella cheese
• Turkey Pepperoni

Step 3: (This is optional) Lightly toast english muffin to dry it out.  This will make your pizza crispier.  I like crispy pizza.  If you prefer a softer crust, or if you are just lazy, you may omit this step. 

Step 4.  If you haven't yet chopped up your pizza toppings, now's the time to do it (but don't forget about that english muffin in the toaster)!

Step 5.  Assemble.  Pile it on.  Be messy if you like.

Step 6.  Place the english muffin directly on the oven rack.  Again, this is to ensure ultimate crispiness.  If you don't like the crispiness, then fine.  Use a baking sheet (But that messiness from Step 5 will burn on your baking sheet.  I'm just sayin).

Step 7.  Pizza is done when cheese is melted (which only took a mere 5 minutes at 400°)

Step 8.  Cut up into cute little pieces and enjoy!  There will be no leftovers.

From start to finish, these can be made in oh, 15-20 minutes tops.  Including oven preheat time (my oven is really old and is slow to heat up).  If that isn't fast and easy, I don't know what is. 

If you are serving this to your family, you could add a lovely salad on the side.  Or if you are eating alone, you can just eat the pizza straight from the cutting board.  Not that I would ever do that... 

I can't be the only one who has such love for the EMP, right?  If you make them and love them, let me know.  If you make them and don't love them, please lie to me and tell me that you did, OK?  It would really make my day.

The Corner of Death, etc.

Earlier today, I had to climb into the Corner Of Death, also known as the COD.  The COD is the corner of my living room in which my media cabinet resides.  Inside the media cabinet, one might find my TV, TiVo, DVD player, and well, all other things media related.

Because it sits in the corner, there is a triangle of space in the COD (can you picture it?).  Every so often I have to get back there to wire something media related, or adjust things, or what have you.  But, the media cabinet is 5 ft tall, and well, I am 5 ft tall.  And there is not enough space to simply walk around from the side.

So I grab a chair from the dining room, and hoist myself up until I'm sitting on top of the damn thing (do you sense bitterness?) and then I have to shimmy myself behind it, so basically I am completely trapped behind it.

When it's time to emerge from the COD, I step on the window sill behind the cabinet to give myself a boost back onto the top of it.  Then I swing my legs around the front, feel for the chair, and lower myself down.

Sounds like a foolproof plan, right?

Well last weekend when my mom was visiting, I had to get back in the COD to do a few things.  In the middle of my routine, she said to me:

"Don't kill yourself."

I gave her my best flat tire: "pssshhht."  (Like, please, mom) (I've done this a million times) (Roll eyes)

Well please don't tell her that today, as I was descending, I did not have good footing, fell on my ass, injured my foot, and now can not walk.  (And I'm pretty sure the guy that was walking his dog outside at the time saw the whole thing go down).

Ok, so I can walk, but it HURTS!  How does one know that they have a broken toe?  Really.

However, there is good news:  I can now wirelessly stream my iTunes from my laptop through my stereo system AND be connected to the internet at the same time.  This is big stuff.  AirPort Express, I really do heart you.  But you really made me work for this one.   Lucky for you, I forgive easily.

Cabin fever was beginning to settle in this afternoon, and between a break in the "STRING OF STORMS!  2007!  (SNOW!  in SEATTLE!), and even with a possible broken toe, I ventured out to cross some items off the ol' Christmas list.

And even though I only have approximately two readers, I am going to follow in the tradition of a few other bloggers this Christmas Season, and post some gift ideas that I came across tonight.  While I prefer to shop locally when possible, I will post internet links for your convenience.

I'm just here to help.

For the person that you can not, for the life, think of something to buy for (or who already has everything, but not necessarily):

• Book:  101 Things to Do Before You Die.  A few of my favorites:  Stay in the Best Suite of a Five Star Hotel, Milk a Cow, Get Something Named After You, Conquer Your Fear, Throw a Dart into a Map and Travel to Where it Lands.  After all, you only live once, right?
• Book:  Listography:  Your Life in Lists.  Lists include:  Guilty Pleasures, The People You Wouldn't Mind Having Sex With, The Best Things About You, Things People Should Remember You For, Things Most People Probably Don't Know About You, The People You Love the Most.  I think I want one of these for myself, come to think about it.  I love lists.

For your child who wants a pencil sharpener for Christmas:

• Robot Pencil Sharpener The robot winds up as you sharpen.  And will then walk across your table.  And he's cute!  Genius.

Stocking stuffer for the child (or adult) that wants to be just like you when you're using chopsticks but starts to freak out and cause a scene in public (and possibly starts to cry) because they can't quite master the skill (not like I would know or anything):

• Chopstick Kids  Hinges for your chopsticks!  Why didn't I think of this?

For yourself that special someone in your life with limp, lifeless hair:

• Aveda Volumizing Set (selection varies in retail stores).  The salesgirl was possibly feeding me a total line of bull (which I, of course, fell for), that customers hoard the volumizing tonic like it's going out of style.  We'll see if it actually works.  And if I become one of those hoarders.

For the family with kids that, when you ask at the dinner table, "what did you learn at school today, " you get the response, "I don't know":

• Table Topics Conversation Cards - Family Edition  If you talk to your kids now, chances are, they'll talk to you later.  LOVE this concept.

Also, I am buying several gifts off of Etsy this year.  I have too many favorites to list in this post (are you still with me, even?).  But I just have to say that my first order arrived in the mail last week and I am SO happy.  I can not post links because well, then you might not be surprised when you open your gift from me, and that's no fun, right?

So!  If you are reading this and are thinking of buying any of the above items for someone that may be on both of our lists, please do not.

Also, do not buy anything for yourself until Dec. 26.  Thank you.

Have you found any great gift ideas this year?  Do share!