The Perfect Summer Pizza

As I glance up at the title, I'm reminded that summer is packing up, rubbing it's tired eyes, and getting ready for a long, long nap. It's almost Fall which means in San Francisco, it's almost summer here. We've endured the foggy, 50 degree days and nights for all of July and August and finally, some sun! Our Indian Summer has arrived.

And to all my loved ones on the East Coast or wherever you may be, think of this pizza as a toast to Summer as you give her a "sleep tight" nod and greet Fall with a big hug for an old friend.

The reason I really like this pizza is that it has no cheese which for a lactose intolerant gal like me, makes my tummy extremely happy. On top of that, it's topped (pun intended) with fresh, delicious and healthy Ratatouille.

photo source: http://www.cafejohnsonia.com/

Alright, alright. There is one more pretty brilliant thing about this pizza. It's gluten free. I know, I know...I'll say it again for those of us in disbelief. Deliciously. Gluten. Free. And the good news continues...you can absolutely make this non-gluten free. Pizza for everyone!

Making pizzas always reminds me of my Grandma who I used to make sausage pizza with when I was younger. Now, Bri and I have date nights where we pull whatever we have in the fridge and dump it on our pizza like goat cheese (tummy approved), black berries, arugula...and the list goes on.

Oh but that, my friends, is a whole other blog post.

A Jumper and a Circa '67 Baby Blue Beatle

This baby blue Volkswagen Beatle has been parked down the street from us for quite some time now. It makes me nostalgic and reminds me of college when Brian had a baby blue Beatle and I would hold on to the back fender (for dear life) as he pulled me on my long board (sorry, Mom!).

So today, we decided to cease the opportunity and pose with the beaut. I've got to admit, these are some of my favorite photos.

This snazzy little jumper I'm wearing was something I picked up a few weeks ago in a boutique in Sausalito. There's a funny story behind it, as there is with all great finds: I bought it and then went and laid in the grass with my man on the beautiful, sunny day and my poor little jumper ran off with the spoon (or maybe the fork...). It wasn't until we got back to the car that I realized the bag must've blown away. Still, I loved how playful and different it was so I went back and bought it again. It was definitely worth it. And this time, she decided to stay.

Flowers just make everything prettier. 

Goodbye, Beatle! We'll be back! xx

Photos by: Brian Loftus

shirt: Urban Outfitters (old):: jumper: Sans Souci:: heels: Michael Kors:: bag: Tory Burch (old):: earrings: Stella & Dot:: leather jacket: Lucky Brand

Better Than Sex Cake

Don't let the title throw you off.... it may just be true.

Caramel, cool whip, Devil's Food Cake...I mean *come on*! That sounds just about better than anything to me. I'm easily amused.

photo source: Brown Eyed Baker

Yield: 10-12 Servings
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 box devil's food cake mix
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) jar caramel ice cream topping
8 ounces Cool Whip
½-1 cup Heath toffee bits

Directions:

1. Bake the cake according to the directions on the box.
2. Remove the cake from the oven and immediately poke holes all over the top using either the bottom of a wooden spoon, a skewer or a fork.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk and caramel sauce, then slowly drizzle the mixture all over the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
4. Spread the Cool Whip over the top of the cake, top with the Heath toffee bits and refrigerate again for 1 hour. Serve cold and refrigerate any leftovers.

With the heath bar crumbles on top of the cool whip topping, it will put you over the top. Just like something else I know... dig in!

PS: You can thank Brown Eyed Baker for this delicious recipe...and any innuendos. Okay, okay, the innuendos are all mine. I take full responsibility.