Life & Style for Less

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Greek Pizza

During a recent weekend trip to Maine, my husband and I had the best pizza at a Greek restaurant. The combination of feta cheese, tomatoes and spinach really gave it a unique flavor! I decided to try making a healthy version of it at home.

Ingredients:

pizza dough (recipe below)

extra-virgin olive oil

2 fresh basil leaves, chopped

fresh spinach, washed, stems removed

sm. jar pizza sauce

8 oz. can diced Italian-style tomatoes, drained

8 oz. lowfat shredded mozzarella cheese

8 oz. crumbled feta cheese

1 sm. can sliced black olives, drained

Directions:

Prepare the dough ahead of time according to the directions below. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Coat a large pizza pan with olive oil. Roll out the dough. Add some olive oil to your fingertips and gently spread the dough evenly on the pizza pan, turning up the edges to form a crust.

Add spoonfuls of the pizza sauce to the center of the dough and spread it evenly with a large spoon. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the sauce. Arrange the diced tomatoes, spinach leaves and olives on top. Add the crumbled feta cheese. Sprinkle freshly chopped basil over the top. Bake for 25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Pizza Dough

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (110°F )

2 1/2 to 3 cups flour plus more if necessary

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the yeast with water, olive oil, sugar, and salt; stir well to proof. After 5 minutes, add half of the flour and mix well. Add all remaining flour except 1/2 cup and mix well with your hands. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead, adding enough additional flour as necessary to form a smooth and elastic dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and turn it to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size.

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Design Tip: Fall Table

Setting a beautiful table adds ambience to any meal. You can do this easily and inxpensively, if you know where to shop. I was delighted to find an assortment of fall dishes, table linens and centerpieces at our local Christmas Tree Shop. Additional items were found on eBay and at TJ Maxx.

Choosing Colors

These beautiful fall leaf plates ($1.50 each) were the inspiration for the color scheme. Their colors of burnt orange, gold, green and cream made selecting colors for the table linens easy. I found these burnt orange cloth napkins for $1.50 each. The gold matelassé placemats really made the colors in the plates pop.

Layering

Setting a pretty table is all about layering colors and textures. I started with the gold matelassé placemats, then added some ivory stoneware plates underneath the leaf plates. Ivory porcelain napkin rings casually hold the textured burnt orange cloth napkins on top. A centeripece of silk foliage and gourds ($3.99) adds more color and texture. Simple stemware, a hand-crocheted doily and Grandma's silverware complete the look.

Jane

Resources:

matelassé placemats - TJ Maxx

napkin rings, stemware - eBay

napkins, leaf dishes, stoneware, centerpiece - Christmas Tree Shops

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Greek Pizza

Fall Table

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Greek pizza

Greek Pizza

During a recent weekend trip to Maine, my husband and I had the best pizza at a Greek restaurant. The combination of feta cheese, tomatoes and spinach really gave it a unique flavor! I decided to try making a healthy version of it at home.

pizza ingredients

Ingredients:

pizza dough (recipe below)
extra-virgin olive oil
2 fresh basil leaves, chopped
fresh spinach, washed, stems removed
sm. jar pizza sauce
8 oz. can diced Italian-style tomatoes, drained
8 oz. lowfat shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz. crumbled feta cheese
1 sm. can sliced black olives, drained

Greek pizza ingredients

Directions:

Prepare the dough ahead of time according to the directions below. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Coat a large pizza pan with olive oil. Roll out the dough. Add some olive oil to your fingertips and gently spread the dough evenly on the pizza pan, turning up the edges to form a crust.

Greek pizza

Add spoonfuls of the pizza sauce to the center of the dough and spread it evenly with a large spoon. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the sauce. Arrange the diced tomatoes, spinach leaves and olives on top. Add the crumbled feta cheese. Sprinkle freshly chopped basil over the top. Bake for 25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Greek pizza

Pizza Dough

1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110°F )
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour plus more if necessary
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the yeast with water, olive oil, sugar, and salt; stir well to proof. After 5 minutes, add half of the flour and mix well. Add all remaining flour except 1/2 cup and mix well with your hands. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead, adding enough additional flour as necessary to form a smooth and elastic dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and turn it to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size.

Setting a beautiful table adds ambience to any meal. You can do this easily and inxpensively, if you know where to shop. I was delighted to find an assortment of fall dishes, table linens and centerpieces at our local Christmas Tree Shop. Additional items were found on eBay and at TJ Maxx.

These beautiful fall leaf plates ($1.50 each) were the inspiration for the color scheme. Their colors of burnt orange, gold, green and cream made selecting colors for the table linens easy. I found these burnt orange cloth napkins for $1.50 each. The gold matelassé placemats really made the colors in the plates pop.

Setting a pretty table is all about layering colors and textures. I started with the gold matelassé placemats, then added some ivory stoneware plates underneath the leaf plates. Ivory porcelain napkin rings casually hold the textured burnt orange cloth napkins on top. A centeripece of silk foliage and gourds ($3.99) adds more color and texture. Simple stemware, a hand-crocheted doily and Grandma's silverware complete the look.