Goodfellas Woodfired Pizza

Plano, TX
(Just South of 121 on Preston; on the EAST side of Preston)

NYC has its charms. And its reputations. Maybe you haven't heard about the curt personalities rumored to dominate the Eastern seaboard. It's not necessarily true but it is the word on the street.

Good news, the people at Goodfellas Woodfired Pizza in Plano take that rumor to the next level! Not only is the service atrocious, the pizza is sub-par at best. My mom was in town and we took the boys there for lunch at an off time, 2pm. The hostess was fine, not overly friendly but not overly rude either. The waitress, whose name we were never given, was distracted, inept, and without any sense of urgency. You would think in an area dominated by restaurants and being one of two tables with customers in the restaurant, we would be treated a little better. Not so much. The owner himself was tossing pizzas which seemed like a good sign. After being told we couldn't have bread for my one year old, flighty-mc-flighterson waitress lady brought some out like she was doing us some kind of favor.

Aside from the terrible service, the pizza itself was mediocre. There are many other places in the Metroplex that serve a better piece of pie. Better crust, better ingredients, better everything. So, needless to say, save yourself the trip and skip Goodfellas. If all of that didn't convince you then walking out of the restaurant, the owner was walking in and looked right at us without a thank you or good day. Too bad for you buddy, we're out.

Sommer's Sweet Potato Bake

My friend Sommer taught me a lot. Things about Kwanzaa, soul food, etc. So when I made this recipe for our work Christmas party that year, I was quite flattered she enjoyed it so much! This girl knows good homecookin'! So I have renamed it, I am sure Paula Deen won't mind, and just in time for Thanksgiving tomorrow...

Sommer's Sweet Potato Bake (*For Kwanzaa)
The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook

• 3 cups peeled, cooked, and mashed sweet potatoes
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, half and half, or whole milk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all ingredients together except for cream. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add cream; mix well. Pour into greased casserole dish. Add topping. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Topping Ingredients

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/3 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Mix together with fork; sprinkle over top of casserole before baking.

Happy Holiday Tip #2

Happy Tuesday Housewives! I am confident you have all of your Thanksgiving day shopping complete so you won't have to fight the masses at Central Market or the like. If not, go today, rather than tomorrow. Fierce competitors will be out tomorrow, not to mention a handful of crazies.

Now that we are officially in the holiday swing, I bring you, Happy Holiday Tip #2!

Rather than spend your annual budget on gifts this year, I challenge you to put some real planning and thoughts into your gifts. Two of my favorite places where you don't need a sale but are sometimes lucky enough to discover fabulous clearance items are: MARSHALLS and HOME GOODS. I adore the people who work at Marshalls at Park & Preston but for efficiency purposes, there is also one located caddy corner from Home Goods at Coit & Campbell.

What you can find at Marshalls includes but is not limited to:
- A wide variety of inexpensive childrens' books (titles you've heard of, not some low-budg book no kid wants)
- Yankee & Village brand candles
- Ralph Lauren children's clothing
- Various state appropriate team paraphernalia
- BCBG & Juicy jump suits for you North Dallas mamas
- Polo shirts and sweaters for the gentlemen in your life (*Saves you from hiking up to the outlet in Allen which always seems to be a production)

What you can find at Home Goods includes but is not limited to:
- Wonderful cookware
- Stemware
- A plethora of cookbooks (*Many from my dear friend Ina, or as you may know her the Barefoot Contessa)
- Melissa & Doug children's toys and puzzles
- Seasonal decor
- Great bath linens, especially in the kid department
- Gourmet food items

So, go out there, get excited, and get creative! Rather than just a candle for your friend/acquaintance, get a little color theme going and include thank you notes and a travel size hand lotion to throw in her purse. For your gourmet friend who by "gourmet" means "pick it up at Central Market" get a colorful colander filled with exotic drink mixes, fancy snacks, and fun candy. For your daughter's little friend who is every bit a princess, her own lovely bath towel in her favorite hue with a pretty travel bag filled with lip gloss and nail polish.

Stop by one of those stores and see what you think. I know you'll enjoy it!

Mimi's Cranberry Apricot Bread

Ah the holidays! With all of the hustle and bustle, every lovely Housewife needs a throw-together secret recipe that cameos as a: last minute gift, unexpected guest treat, and multiple teacher/coach gift. So here it is, keep the ingredients on hand and you will never be disappointed. If you are giving this as a gift, wrap it in colorful saran wrap or a holiday tablecloth and include a wooden spoon on top instead of a bow.

Mimi's Cranberry Apricot Bread

• 1 Package Pillsbury Cranberry Quick Bread
• 1/2 cup chopped Dried Apricots
• 1 cup Water
• 1 Egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease entire pan and flour bottom of pan only. Combine all ingredients until moistened. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes.

Fancy Dancy Chicken

Getting back to my Italian roots (if you've read before you now, ciao vino) I think it's crucial for every Housewife to have a meal she can throw together for company that makes her look like the kitchen goddess she is. And even better, a couple of meals.

I found this wonderfully easy recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks, The Sopranos Family Cookbook. With my cultural identity crisis, we became quickly addicted to the show The Sopranos. Some of our neighbors bought the cookbook for us as a Christmas gift many years ago and I am happy to report that Tony and Carmela would be pleasantly surprised at this girl's Italian kitchen. (I hope so at least)

You can make this dish and the only other thing you need is a salad or a vegetable. It's easy on the budget, the kitchen, and since it cooks for a long time, it gives you plenty of time to get ready for your dinner guests and enjoy that nice glass of chianti. Or, if you have young children, gives you plenty of time to help them put the Legos away and find the missing light sabres.

Baked Chicken with Potatoes, Lemon, and Oregano
Adapted from The Sopranos Family Cookbook

• 4 lemons (original recipe calls for 2)
• 3 1/2 pounds of chicken cut up or a mix of your favorite chicken pieces (breast, thigh, etc)
• 3 medium potatoes peeled and cut into wedges
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2-3 teaspoons dried oregano
• 4 garlic cloves chopped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Squeeze the juice from 2 lemons and slice the other 2.

Put the chicken and potatoes in a baking pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Mix the lemon juice, oil, oregano, garlic. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the chicken and potatoes and turn the pieces to coat evenly. Tuck the lemon slices and potatoes in between the chicken pieces.

Bake the chicken for 45 minutes. Baste with the pan juices. Continue to bake, basting occasionally, for 15 to 30 minutes longer, or until the chicken is browned and the potatoes are tender.

Transfer the chicken, potatoes, and lemon slices to a serving platter. Tip the pan and skim off the fat. Pour the juices over the chicken and serve.

Happy Holiday Tip #1

In t-minus 9 days it begins. Not only do I get to listen to Christmas music all day, everyday (to my heart's content), but I get to do everything I love about the holiday season. And I do LOVE Christmas! All of it! The people, the music, the food, the shopping, the craziness! In planning for my Thanksgiving meal which we are having here at home next week, I thought I would pause and take a minute to outline what I would like to talk about as the festivities begin for December! I will try to include fun holiday recipes, shopping tips, gift giving ideas, and general sanity promoters in the upcoming weeks.

Today we will have Happy Holiday Tip #1! THE MIGHTY LIST

As Black Friday looms in the distance (not too distant, since it's next week), I am happy to report that I too have become a bit addicted to said day. Or said middle of the night really. I grew up with a Mom who was definitely not going out at 3am for any kind of good deal so when my sister and I decided to try it two years ago, it was quite novel. We had NO idea the freakshows we would witness first hand (*best one will be found at Walmart). And now, we are the freakshows! Granted, this year my sister will be in Colorado and I will be here in Texas so we will venture out without our teammate into that dark night.

But this year, I am making some changes. The last two years, I relished in the ads and made somewhat of a list but went more for entertainment value than anything else. This year, I am not even cheating by checking the ads online. I am waiting until they come out in good old fashioned newspaper print to see the deals that await me. I will go, I will shop, I will triumph!

If you are wondering how my Tip #1 will tie into the insanity that is Black Friday, do not worry it's coming. As a reformed full price shopper, the true deals in my book are the ones you were going to buy anyway. Not buying something just because it was on sale. That is just ludicrous. Plan ahead ladies, make your lists now. You never know what you are going to come across and even having just a list of who to buy for is better than no list at all. Spread out that shopping and your bank account and sanity will thank you.

Rather than drag yourself through the retail nightmare Christmas Eve Day, buying whatever is in front of you so that poor gift recipient can return it December 26, take a little time. Your list will help you. Isn't that why we give gifts, to show our love and appreciation? Not the, I love you but could only find this at Walgreens type of gift? Challenge yourself to be an organized, creative, budget conscious, and thoughtful gift giver this year. And the magical list is the foundation of it all friends.

Puffy Apple Oven Pancake

It's mornings like this one where I am longing for home. Fall in Colorado where the morning can be so brisk it catches your breath and by afternoon you shred a layer to enjoy the sunshine and Rocky Mountain blue skies. It's hard to embrace Fall sometimes when it's 80 degrees and the air is suffocated by humidity. But, in a little more than a week we will celebrate Thanksgiving here in Texas where no matter the temperature, we have so much to be thankful for.

This recipe is from one of my new favorite cookbooks which is all about family traditions in your kitchen. I had a puffed pancake for the first time when visiting my boys godmother, M, in Minneapolis a couple of years ago. I thought my five year old would get a kick out of watching the batter transform in the window of our oven and sure enough, he did! I also got to use what is now one of my favorite kitchen tools, my new apple peeler! My husband picked it up for me at Harbor Freight Tools (random) and it was less than $20. Best ever! Not only did it clamp easily onto the lip of my counter, it peeled, cored, and SLICED the apples in no time flat!! Hand crank apple peeler, that's what I'm talkin about folks. Make this for your immediate clan for a special Sunday breakfast and you'll be shocked at how easy it. You'll want to serve it the next time friends sleep over.

Puffy Apple Oven Pancake
Family Meals
Maria Helm Sinskey & Williams-Sonoma

• 2 baking apples (I used honeycrisp) peeled, cored, and sliced
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons sugar (I think it needs more, so try 4 tablespoons)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled PLUS 4 tablespoons more
• confectioners' sugar for dusting or maple syrup

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In small bowl stir together flour, cinnamon, sugar, and salt. In stand mixer or blender, combine eggs, milk, vanilla, and the 2 tablespoons melted & cooled butter and mix until smooth. Add flour mixture just enough to make a smooth batter.

In an ovenproof 10 inch saute pan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. When butter begins to brown, add the apples and cook turning as needed until golden on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and heat until it is melted and bubbling. Pour batter over the apples and immediately transfer the pan to the oven.

Baked until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes. When you remove and handle pan make sure to use an oven mit. I didn't once it was out of the oven and that was not smart. Dust with sugar if desired. Serve directly from pan. It will look like a big bowl, all puffed up around the sides. The batter becomes a thick/dense custard consistency which is wonderfully delicious with the tang of the apples. Happy Breakfast!