Wegmans, Part II

I made my pizza tonight.  It was different than the one I had at Wegmans, but it was still pizza inspired from my trip and lunch at Wegmans.

I used the Wegmans pizza dough, shredded mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce and pepperoni (not shown in the picture).  Then I added some cherry tomatoes and jalapenos from my garden along with a green pepper (also from Wegmans-straight from the farms) and some smoked fresh mozzarella.  It turned out really good.  Next time I should probably use a little bit less cheese, but I really love cheese. 

When I make my pizza, I spread out the dough and then put it in the oven at 375 for about 15 minutes.  Then I take it out and put on all the toppings.  I have found it is best to put all the veggie things under the cheese.  This is where I have to admit, I am not a fan of veggies, so the peppers go on only half the pizza for my husband.  I did put tomatoes on the entire pizza... so I did get at least some veggies.  I bet mom will be proud!  Once everything is on, the pizza goes back into the oven at the same temperature for around 15 more minutes.  I wait until the cheese is all bubbly and starting to get just a hint of a brownish color in some spots.  Take the pizza out and let it sit, just so that when it's cut, the cheese doesn't all ooze off. 

The final product:

Wegmans, Part I

Ok, so Wegmans is really not a restaurant, it's more of an experience!  Today I had lunch at my local Wegmans here in Fredericksburg before doing some grocery shopping.  I had pizza.  Just plain old cheese and pepperoni pizza... oh wait, it had sausage on it too.  It was good.  It hit the spot.  I was hungry after volunteering at a local clinic and needed something before I did my grocery shopping.  It did make me think... hum, how about pizza for dinner tonight.  I really enjoy making pizza at home.  I picked up some fresh smoked mozzerela cheese, pepperoni and the Wegmans premade pizza dough.  I'll comment later to let everyone know how it turned out.

:) Rachel

What Restaurant Challege really means.

I've decided to challenge myself.  I want to do something fun, something enjoyable, and something that can help me learn to do more.  I love to go out and eat.  I grew up in Buffalo NY where you could go to a non-chain restaurant every night for a whole year, and even some days for lunch, and NEVER go to the same place twice.  It was a vast treasure chest of amazing food.  Then, I moved to a small town in Virginia.  I admit, I love it down here, but, I do miss the food of Buffalo.  Fredericksburg was once a very small town (it is an independent City here in VA).  Over the last 10 years or so it has grown by leaps and bounds... and with growth comes chain restaurants.  I didn't know where to eat when I first moved down here, so I would ask my new friends.  They would recommend the chain restaurants, mostly because they were the "latest and greatest thing."  I spent way too much time at Applebees and TGI Fridays in my college years.  Now I want chef owned restaurants where the menu changes seasonally.  Don't get me wrong, I do still head over to the chain restaurants when I'm just not in the mood to cook and I want some familiar comfort food.

I've lived in Fredericksburg for almost six years now.  I did, over time, and thanks to my previous job in tourism, learn that Fredericksburg does have a number of chef owned restaurants.  Downtown is a great hub for these little places.  My favorite so far is Bistro Bethem.  We go there for special occasions: birthdays, anniversaries, and any time we have great news to celebrate.  One special occasion was when I found out I was accepted into nursing school at the local community college.  School is great, and I really think nursing is my calling in life.  But a person needs hobbies, right?

I have decided to take on a two part challenge.  Part I involves the restaurants themselves.  I am challenging myself to not eat at the same restaurant in at least a six month time span.  If I do, I have to try something different on the menu.  (I really like to order the same things when I go to a restaurant... like Buffalo Wild Wings and my honey bbq and medium wings, always the flats with blue cheese and extra celery for Darryl).  The goal is also to stay away from chain restaurants as much as possible.  I will review the restaurant on my blog, and talk about my meal.

Now for Part II: After eating at a restaurant and reviewing it here, I will then attempt to make that meal at home.  This is where my hobby comes in.  I want to learn how to make all different dishes, not the same six meals I make every week.  I think both my husband and I are really bored of the same thing, week after week.

So, my plan is to start over the next few weeks.  I am going to be traveling for the next week, which means a lot of eating out.  I'll keep those notes and write all about it when I return.  And then I'll cook.  Feel free to recommend some of your favorite restaurants and your favorite meals.