It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, eeevvvery where yooouuu go … You sang it too, didn’t you?
I’m in a holly, jolly mood, even though the house still isn’t decorated.
I’m also loving the wide array of Christmas tree and outdoor light pictures folks are posting online. I’ve never seen so much Christmas spirit in November.
Given the year we’re having – I’m all about it.
“Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.” — Peg Bracken
I’m also all about keeping it low key at Christmas. Low key does not, in any way, mean less. It simply means it’s ok to gift yourself a break and enjoy the moment — which includes giving yourself a foodie break.
Typically, Christmas is filled with all sorts of delectable food, sweets and beverages. In the hustle and bustle of the season, I suggest you find ways to give yourself a break. Perhaps this year, a good place to start is in the kitchen.
Think about some of your favourite “go-to” foods you enjoy all year long. Got them?
So, why not take those favourite foods and dress them up for the holidays?
Take pizza for instance.
There are a lot of pizza lovers out there and it’s easy to understand why. No matter how many mouths you are feeding, pizza is a treat for one or the entire family. Plus, you can put just about anything on it. Pizza is fairly inexpensive to make and is extremely versatile.
Not just when it comes to flavouring either, you can have fun with the shape.
Today’s column is about making a pizza wreath. It’s an easy process — no foodie expertise necessary. Come on, if so, I wouldn’t be writing this column. What this comes down to is having fun with holiday foods. Food that has the added bonus of tasting delicious as you can personalize with all your favourite, yummy toppings.
“Exercise? I thought you said extra slice.” — Unknown
I chose my ingredients based on, well, a few things. The decision came down to what I had in the fridge and keeping with a Christmas colour theme. Aside from the pizza dough and sauce, I chose mozzarella, pepperoni, spinach and red pepper.
You can make this into a fun Christmas foodie event by either making your own pizza sauce and dough or head down easy street with a can of sauce and store-bought dough, completely up to you. Either way, you can make Christmas pizza wreath making an event for one or the entire family. You can choose to make a big one or small individual sizes so everyone can customize to their own palette.
The only thing you really have to do is cut out a hole in the middle so the dough ends up looking like a big donut before you put your toppings on. I used a big soup mug to press down on the dough, then took a small knife and cut the shape out. Super simple.
“Why can’t someone look at me the same way I look at pizza?” — Unknown
While your pizza bakes in the oven, cut three long stripes of red pepper and one chunk for the main body of the ribbon and place the pieces together to form a bow. This is where your artistic talent will come in handy. If you’re having difficulty in this area, take a closer look at the picture to help you out. Better yet, if you have a big bow cookie cutter – giver! Remember, we’re keeping this stress-free.
Who says you need a four course meal to set a lovely table. Don’t think of your holiday pizza like a quick grab and go in your hands. I mean, it can totally be that if you want it too, but it can also be fancy pants pizza too.
Aside from treating yourself by turning one of your favourite, simple meals into a holiday theme, break out your best table setting, beverage of choice and enjoy to the fullest. Why? Because you deserve it.
Christmas wreath pizza is definitely fit to eat. Happy holiday cooking foodie friends.
Erin Sulley is a self-confessed foodie who lives in Mount Pearl. Instagram: @erinsulley.