Labor Day weekend wrap-up

I am already enjoying September. The walks into work in the morning have been nice and crisp and I cannot wait until the leaves start to change... Although I have to say, the warm, breezy weekend weather was a dream and I was sorry to see this past weekend go.

As promised I have some pictures of the goodies that K and I baked over the long weekend.
Friday night we arrived and immediately began making homemade pizzas. This of course came after some tasty cocktails were mixed. The drink of the evening was sweet tea flavored vodka and club soda. Perfection. Albeit a bit dangerous. The pizzas were basic but totally delicious. I love that you can make them your own by adding whatever you want from the fridge or pantry. We started by using thin crust pizza dough, then we just began throwing anything we could find on top. Cheeses included, fresh parm, mozzarella, and feta. Veggies included, spinach, shittake mushrooms, spinach, and K's homegrown tomatoes. Add plenty of olive oil (in lieu of red sauce), garlic, and basil and you have a tasty treat! We added a side salad to complete the meal.

At the Rivah, snacks are always in abundance as well. K made my personal favorite snack, spinach dip. I am not quite certain of everything that was made to concoct this fine dip but I know that the amount of cheese was enough to send anybody into a lactic shock ( I don't think this is an actual medical condition, it's just something I could imagine happening after too much cheese intake).

I have to say that Saturday's dinner took the prize thanks to a joined family effort. On the menu was crab cakes, whole wheat cous cous, and creamed spinach topped with panko crumbs. I have to say I was pleased with my first attempt at making creamed spinach (family, expect to see this at Thanksgiving). I stole the recipe from Food & Wine and absolutely loved every bite. Panko crumbs add an extra hint of salt and an almost tempura like texture and I was unaware, until Saturday, that they were available in "Italian" flavor. We ended the evening with my mother-in laws chocolate explosion cheesecake. Words cannot describe, oh wait, diabetic attack, there you go.

Sunday, we decided to take it easy with a simple hot dog and hamburger cookout. We substituted bison meat for the burgers and I of course had to throw in my favorite veggie, brussel sprouts! That meal was completed by my homemade apple pie.

Super easy recipe:

2 refrigerated pie crusts (I know I should make my own crust, but I like to cheat)

6 Granny Smith apples (peeled and sliced)

1 cup of sugar

1 tbsp flour

1 tsp cinnamon (you could add a little nutmeg or some chopped nuts in there if you'd like)

Combine ingredients and pour into pie crust. Bake at 375 for 25min with foil surrounding the edges. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20min until golden and bubbly.

(I tend to brush some butter and sugar over the top crust for a little extra goodness)

Oh man, I am getting hungry all over again! All in all, the food was great, the Rivah was warm, and the breeze was cool. A perfect ending to another summer was had by all.