Part TWO of pizza madness.
Chris’s pie – pizza sauce + cheese + jalapenos + bacon + garlic scape pesto on 1/4 of it
My pie
1/2 one – pizza sauce + cheese + shrooms + spinach
1/2 two – garlic scape pesto + pizza sauce + shrooms + spinach
I topped it with a pile of raw spinach. I loved this as a topping! I have also added kale to the top of my pizza before too 
I made a rectangular pizza for myself. I like rectangle pieces better than triangle. Does anyone else have that strange preference?
The pesto 1/2 was all vegan and all delicious. SO much flavor packed into that pesto!
I topped the whole pizza with vegan parmesan cheese, which I have been throwing on everything but my oats! Although it would be good on a bowl of savory oats as well
Speaking of oats, here were Thursdays!
I did my regular mix with steel cut oats, banana, vanilla, water, milk, + cinnamon. My toppings haven’t been varying too much lately as I seem to have a found a summery style that I’m in love with.
mix ins:
- blueberries
- raspberries
- Love Grown Foods granola [sooooo good!!! love this company!]
- glob of homemade pnut butter
- glob of homemade salt kissed cashew butter
- Crofters blueberry jam
Have I mentioned that it’s been at least 2 months since I’ve purchased a single jar of nut butter?? I have at least 6 different kinds of nut butter in my fridge right now. I’m not sure why I would need to buy them ever again. They are cheaper to make at home and definitely more delicious.
Remember I was sent 4 boxes of Lundberg’s brown rice couscous to try out and review? This was box #2. Chris + I loved it! The texture was great as was the flavor. The ingredient list is impressive as well as the nutrition label. We are loving these mixes! I think I am still a fan of buying the grain in bulk and then adding my own seasonings. It usually ends up being more cost effective. However, if you don’t have a lot of seasonings or never get the ratios right, definitely check out this product! Deeelicious!
Fluffy with a little crunch!
Another new product! The bright green jumped out at me as I was walking the aisles at Whole Foods. This was not the normal Amazing Grass! It is a new energy drink product that is infused with Matcha + Herba Mate along with a lemon lime flavor and all of the other normal AG SuperFood ingredients. I just love this company!
I was a little scared to mix this grassy packet with just water.
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It was actually pretty tasty! The lemon lime was definitely noticeable but nothing was overpowering. It was earthy but not as much as some of their other flavors, surprisingly. I think it would be awesome mixed into a smoothie!
We finally made it back to the rock gym today! It’s been over a month. It’s frustrating being on such a long climbing hiatus because you lose your strength so fast. Just when we were really noticing a lot of improvement, I pulled my quad, Chris cut his hand pretty bad, I went to Ohio, and Chris went to Ecuador. Hence, our month long hiatus. It was good to be back but we were tuckered out pretty quickly. We met our friends there that drove down from Ft. Collins. They just moved from Reno and we couldn’t be more excited!! We invited them over, after climbing, for an impromptu dinner.
A super easy + always delicious meal that you can usually pull straight from the pantry/fridge/freezer.
Pasta Bake 101 – Really this couldn’t be any easier!
Preheat your oven to 350*
In a 9×13 baking dish empty a bag of frozen organic peppers or any frozen or fresh veggie you prefer.
Then dumb a 16oz bag of pasta on top. [You do not have to precook the noodles!] Whatever pasta you prefer. I love whole wheat and my favorite shape might be the shells because they trap all of the saucy goodness
Pile on as much spinach as possible. This was probably about 6 huge handfuls worth of spinach.
Empty 2 jars of pasta sauce on top. I used 2 jars of Whole Foods Organic Four Cheese blend. It’s pretty tasty and only $2.99 per jar. Stir everything together + top with foil. Bake in the oven for 30-45min until the pasta is cooked through. I stir it up about 2 times during cooking to check on it and make sure it’s all getting cooked.
After it’s fully cooked, I top with cheese + broil at 500* for about 3-5min. Our oven doesn’t actually have a “broil” setting, so I just bake it at 500* for a few more minutes until the cheese is bubbly.
So easy. So delicious. A crowd pleaser!
With the rest of my leftover whole wheat pizza dough I made garlic knots!! I tore chunks off and rolled them into a long strand and knotted them together. I coated them with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, oregano + basil. I baked them at 350* for the last 10min the pasta cooked and then at 500* for the last few minutes as well. SO yummy!
This week has been pretty crazy for us. Too many things to even get into, but we’re both looking forward to some R+R this weekend. Aaaaaand Saturday is my 27th Birthday!! I feel like 27 is a lot older than 26! Eeeek! I have always been a big birthday person. Whether it’s mine or someone else’s, I just love birthdays. Definitely keep your eye out for a fun post on Saturday 
Chris has a little something planned Saturday night but I’m not really sure what else we’re going to do. I would really just like to go to the Boulder farmer’s market Saturday again and stroll around without thinking of my to-do list. Wouldn’t that be so nice! Pat + Natalie are having a 4th of July + Birthday Bash on Sunday, which will be super fun! Wish my family could be here this weekend but at least we just had a nice long visit.
I’m off to bed. I’ve been ravenous + sleepy ALL day. Oh, but not before a little yoga!! Gooooooodnight!
Ashley
PDF 
So many recipes! I don’t really like pizza- but I agree with you, the squares do look better. Sometimes a bit of change is nice:)
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wow some really great recipes over the last post and this one, i’just took 6!!! thanks for that! x
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Ashley Reply:
July 2nd, 2010 at 11:00 am
Welcome!!
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That pasta bake one is such a great idea!!!! I had no idea you the combination of frozen veggies + uncooked pasta shells could produce a seriously great-looking casserole. You just blew my mind.
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Ashley Reply:
July 2nd, 2010 at 11:00 am
Amazing, right!?
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I think I would take down Chris’s pizza in minutes! They all look so good. And the garlic knots sound amazing! You are so creative.
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Ashley Reply:
July 2nd, 2010 at 10:59 am
As are YOU!
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Those pizzas look wonderful! I love that you make everything from scratch! And what a great idea with the knots!
Your so domestic. 
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Ashley Reply:
July 2nd, 2010 at 10:59 am
hahaha, I try!!
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I think we have a lot of the same dishes…I have the little pin dot ramekins, too.
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Ashley Reply:
July 2nd, 2010 at 10:59 am
hehehe looove crate + barrel!
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mmm, looks amazing!
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pesto on pizza is one of my all time favs! Great thinking with the garlic knots… they look great.
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Ashley Reply:
July 2nd, 2010 at 10:59 am
Thanks!!
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LOVE the idea of using leftover pizza dough to make garlic knots. Genius!
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I love the idea of topping your pizza with spinach (looks great!) and the pizza knots are adorably cute, which I can’t wait to try with some of my gluten free pizza dough (I hope it stays together!)
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What awesome pretzel twists! And cool about the couscous — I’m a huge Lundberg fan
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i need one of everything you made, please. ok, fine, but 20 of the garlic knots!
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I’m so jealous of everyone’s pizzas on the blogosphere! And you’ve got the garlic knots to boot!
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OMG so much good food. I almost don’t know what to say. Those pizza’s look amazing! I think I lean more towards the first pizza more than the second, visually, but I know I would enjoy the taste of the second one more. I am also not a big fan of pasta ‘salads’ or bakes, but this one sure looks good with all those delicious ingredients packed in there!
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No wonder why the pasta bake is a crowd pleaser…looks fantastic! Love the garlic knots too, so creative. Oh, and happy birthday! Don’t worry about the number, you are still young
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i am using your pizza dough recipe for dinner tonight, my daughter has been begging me for pizza the past few days! yours looks delicious.
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That pizza looks so good. I’m also really impressed by that pasta dish, I can’t believe you don’t have to cook it beforehand at least just a little. So easy!
Btw, I have become obsessed with those sprouted bagels from WF, they are so delicious.
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so many recipes!! that pasta bake is seriously SO easy and I have all of the ingredients! i agree about that pasta shape! it traps all the good stuff in there!
I bet it would be fun to make with speghetti too!!! cant wait to try it!
since I failed on my first homemade nut butter experience, I am so scared to try again!!
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hello italian ashley. nice to meet you
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THAT looks like a great day of eating!!!! I like pizza cut in fun shapes. It doesn’t really matter though, because I love pizza and will eat anything that’s put in front of me
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so.much.good.food.
I love how that pizza looks!
and that pasta dish sounds amazing, I can’t wait to make some.
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Your pizza looks so good but I’d have to go with triangles over squares if I had a choice! I don’t know why thought, I guess I’m just a traditionalist! I love the pasta bake receipe and will have to give it a try. I am so impressed at all of your homemade food.
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your garlic knots look AMAZING! i love the shape of the dough. youve got the knot-tying technique down perfectly! (pizza looks good too! i want to make garlic scape pesto now!)
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Wow! I’ve never heard of garlic knots! I’m going to have to try that sometime!
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That pasta looks soooo good! what a great idea!
I put spinach on my pizza, too! I make mini pizzas with pesto and spinach and feta… oooohhhhh delish!
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Love the pasta bake. Such a great idea!
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that new A.G. flavor sounds awesome! I can’t wait to try your pasta bake too – so simple and sounds delicious!
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Love that you don’t have to cook the pasta!! This is going on my menu ASAP!
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Yay it’s back!!!!!
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Love the idea of being able to throw everything in a dish and be done with it!! Yum!!
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I have those same crate and barrel little bright colored bowls and those cups too, so funny.
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i’m totally making that pasta bake! i saw something similar on martha stewart but i didn’t know you could do it with frozen veggies – awesome!
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I found your blog through Kath Eats and I’m def. adding it to my reader!I make pasta bakes but I always cook the noodles first. I’ll have to try it this way.
Your pictures are gorgeous! And your pizza looks so good!
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I just made this today and it was really good! It took a bit over an hour to bake however but that’s okay. Maybe because I used the w/w twist noodles that are larger than the ones you used. I also halved the recipe. I will definitely make this again. Thank you so much!
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I am all thumbs in the kitchen–but love the simplicity of your Pasta Bake 101 recipe. I’m having the family over for Mother’s Day and wondering how many servings the Pasta Bake recipe makes. I love peppers. Have you had success with any other fresh or frozen veggies? Thanks in advance for any advice!
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