Pizza Grilled Cheese

Good Tuesday morning!

The Gallery Pics are of the dogs... again. They are very active these days because they are under the false impression we have totally skipped winter, and it is SPRING! That's right. SPRING! Flowers are blooming. Birds are singing. The temperature is just perfect... not too hot and not too cold. If and when WINTER comes a-callin' this year, it is going to be met with open hostility in Alabama. I just wanted to give fair warning.

RANDOMNESS #1 - Tonight Roxie will play her last Junior Varsity basketball game of her Freshman year. It is bittersweet, but since she has been playing either volleyball or basketball since August, she's looking forward to a much-needed break.

RANDOMNESS #2 - Only 148 more posts until I hit 1,000! I know. That big number is ages away, but I did want you to know I decided on the PRIZE for the 1,000th Post Contest.

I'm giving away a copy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks, Food From My Frontier Cookbook! It comes out mid-March, and when I finally reach the magic number (1,000), I will have a contest. And the winner from that contest will receive this new cookbook. And it will be great.

I know this because I have the first cookbook, and it is great, too.

I just wanted to give you something to look forward to in the not-so-distant future!

RANDOMNESS #3 - I'm reading The Hunger Games in short spurts. The movie comes out in March, so I want to be knowledgeable before I purchase that $10 movie ticket.

(And even if I go during the cheaper matinee, I will still be dining at Mugshots, so those savings will be irrelevant.)

RANDOMNESS #4 - Things I've Learned While Raising Teens... A Humbling Experience

To take a picture, or not take a picture? That is the question. - One of my favorite things about being the Mother of a Teenage Girl would have to be the pictures. Or the taking of the pictures. Or the willingness teenage girls exhibit to have their picture taken not once, not twice, but hundreds and hundreds of times on any given day.

I have had a camera hanging around my neck for well over 20 years now... 24/7. Mikie calls it my third breast.

I love, love, love taking pictures.

I thought babies were by far the easiest subjects. They do not know how to fake smile or turn away, and if they make faces or pout or cry, it just makes a better picture.

As the boys got older, candid shots became my friend. I hid in shrubbery, under beds, behind doors... always waiting to get that perfect "candid" shot. I had to be quick. I had to be nimble. I had to be ready to "get outta there" seconds after I was discovered.

It was risky business, I tell you.

But then came Roxie Lee. She LOVES having her picture taken. Even when she was a little girl, preteen and teen. Loves it!

Of course, it has to be on her terms.

Perfect hair.

Perfect make-up.

Perfect lighting.

No flash.

Flash.

Closer.

Farther away.

Full-length.

From the waist up.

Head shot.

The list goes on and on. (I'm not kidding.) But it's worth it, because she enjoys it, and I enjoy it... tremendously.

And sometimes she even insists The Brothers have a picture taken with her. And they come willingly and quietly, and have their picture made with their sister. No whining. No eye rolling. Just the "let's-get-this-over-with" attitude I have learned to accept as part of being the Mother of Teenagers.

There are two things I do not care for when it comes to taking pictures of teenage girls.

1. They must look at each and every picture the second after you take it. They will not wait until ten or so pictures have been taken and then review them. EACH AND EVERY PICTURE!

I'll just tell you now, if you take 100 or so pictures, you're talking about a two- or three-hour "experience." (Code for BE SURE AND GO TO THE BATHROOM BEFORE THE PHOTO SHOOT!)

2. While you are driving the teenage girls home after a photo shoot, they will inevitably ask for your camera to review the pics. Even though you specifically say, "DO NOT DELETE ANY OF THOSE PICTURES UNLESS I OKAY IT!" through clenched teeth, they do not hear those words, and you hear click after click after click as unworthy photos are erased... never to be seen again... even by the Mother Unit.

And because you haven't gone to the bathroom in three hours, you can't stop the car and get the camera away from them. You have to find a clean bathroom, and quickly. That becomes the most important task at hand, even though part of you is dying inside with every click of the camera in the backseat.

Other than those two things, it is a blast taking pictures of teenage girls.

A blast, I tell you!

Pizza Grilled Cheese

Guess where I found this recipe? That's right. Pinterest!

You will need the following:

4 slices of bread
Butter
4 slices of mozzarella cheese
Pepperoni
Italian seasoning
Parmesan cheese
Pizza sauce for dipping

1. Warm a medium/large skillet over medium heat. Butter each piece of bread on one side. When skillet is hot, place a piece of bread (butter side down) on the skillet. Then add one slice of cheese and a small shake of Italian seasoning (add a small shake of Parmesan cheese, too).

2. Top with desired amount of pepperoni.

3. Add another slice of mozzarella and top with a slice of bread (butter side up). Repeat with second sandwich. When bottom slice is golden brown, flip over carefully.

4. Once both sides are brown, remove from pan and serve with pizza sauce, if desired.

Wouldn't these be perfect on those freezing cold winter... I mean, wouldn't these be perfect on those balmy spring days?

Have a very special Tuesday. I will be back in the morning with a Seasonal Tradition, Wednesday Wisdom and some final basketball pics.

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda