Good morning dear GUS everyones!!!! Ok, so I've been stupid busy but I needed some comfort music. I listened to Wagner and Berlioz and Mozart BUT then I thought about when I was a young kid in the convent with 7 other postulants and one of them was an amazing Hispanic "girl" I will name, Marita. She could dance like a ballerina or a Broadway dancer. She was a peanut of a body and I was a manatee.
What did we share? Stupid for many on this site but not for this group. We shared a desire to be good nuns, take care of the poor and welllll, be good nuns and take care of the poor. Beyond that -- we shared music and dance -- she was your perfect magic dancer and I was . . . . well, a goddamned brilliant manatee dancer.
Life is a challenge. Among the challenges are being decent, not over eating, not over drinking, not smoking, not being a gaping asshole.
What I love about GUS is that we are not gaping assholes. And we are decent.
When I was in the convent and really overweight and with Marita (you know that is not her name) we had many amazing times before she was driven out by our psycho novice mistress (a story for another time). But one moment of rebellion which I will never forget was when we danced in the novitiate room when we were supposed to be dry mopping.
Hollywood would love this moment but they would fuck it up. It was gorgeous because we danced and then got caught and then knew we were in control of our lives.
You can be in control too. But know that sometimes it takes weeks, months, years, decades and excellent friends.
We danced to
Imagine two kids in a convent having 3 minutes of joy. I remember it almost 50 years later. I remember the floor, the mop, Marita -- spinning like an amazing top. I remember I had talent for dancing as a large girl. I remember the interruption,ugly and vicious reprimand -- cracking sound of the vinyl record being broken. We survived the moment and she left. I stayed stupidly to make a point
Decades later, I have you. Truly amazing good people who would drop a mop and dance with a manatee. I've found a place where my heart and soul can be at peace and laugh at the same time.
"I'm on my way, don't know where I'm goin'." From "Me and Julio."
Incredibly true for Marita and me. And probably all of us. Scary but we now realize it is just life. Blessings, my good friends.
I'm on a cauliflower thing. Made the first recipe on Saturday (when I'm typing) and it was brilliant.
Pepperoni Pizza Cauliflower Casserole (Low Carb and Gluten Free)
Add cream/butter/herbs to get where your taste wants to be.
Ingredients
For the Puree
1 medium head of cauliflower
2 Tbsp Heavy Cream
1 Tbsp Butter
8 slices pepperoni
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper to taste
For the Casserole
12 slices pepperoni
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
For the Puree
Clean and trim the cauliflower, breaking it into medium sized pieces. Place in a microwave safe bowl with 2 Tbl of cream and 1 Tbl of butter. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 10 minutes. Stir to coat cauliflower with cream/butter mixture. Microwave for another six minutes on high (or until tender.) Remove from the microwave and put into a high speed blender or food processor along with the 8 slices of pepperoni and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. You can adjust the cream and butter to your preference for consistency.
For the Casserole
Spread the cauliflower puree into an 8 x 8 oven proof casserole dish. Cover with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, and layer with pepperoni. Bake at 375 degrees (F) for about 20 minutes. Alternatively you could microwave this for 5 minutes. Serve hot.
Notes
Approximate nutrition info per serving: 207 calories, 15g fat, 4.75g net carbs, 10g protein
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Ingredients
1 small to medium sized head of cauliflower - should yield 2 to 3 cups once processed
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
¼ cup mozzarella cheese
1 egg
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon basil or rosemary, minced (or dry)
½ teaspoon oregano, minced (or dry)
1 cup marinara sauce
1-2 cups mozzarella cheese
Make A Quick & Easy Ranch Spinach Dip
Instructions
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Remove the stems from the cauliflower and cut into chunks, Place the cauliflower into a food processor and pulse it until it resembles the texture of rice. If you don't have a food processor, you can use a cheese grater or chop it very finely.
Microwave the processed cauliflower uncovered in a microwave safe bowl for approximately 4-5 minutes on high. Remove it from the microwave and allow it to cool for at least 4-5 minutes (trust me don't rush this step!). After the cauliflower is slightly cooled, place it in a kitchen towel and squeeze all the liquid out of it. Be sure to squeeze as much liquid as humanly possible.
Combine the cooked cauliflower, egg, garlic, cheese, and seasonings. Stir until a dough texture forms. Spread the cauliflower mixture out onto lightly greased parchment paper or a pizza pan in the shape of a pizza crust.
Bake the crust for approximately 10-15 minutes (depending on your oven), or until the crust is golden and crispy. I cooked mine for approximately 15 minutes. After the crust is golden remove it from the oven and add your toppings, I used marinara sauce and cheese for a simple margarita pizza.
Place the pizza back in the oven but this time turn on the broiler, bake for about 2-5 minutes until the cheese melts. be sure to keep an eye on it because the broiler can burn the cheese quickly.
Slice and serve warm , enjoy!
Amazing cauliflower recipes can be found at
23 Insanely Ways to Cook Cauliflower. If the recipe I triedis any indication of goodness -- give these recipes a try. Ok, most work if you are on the insane Atkins diet. All can be modified for sane people