Mini Pizzas in No Time!

My best friend introduced me to these wonderful English Muffin Pizzas.  They are super easy to make on a night when you don't have much time or energy.  They are completely customizable and perfect for those days your kid brings some unexpected friends over!  I've added a few extra steps if you would like to make them taste a little better than basic kid food pizza - but they're great no matter what.  I also buy "light" versions of some of the ingredients to make it a little healthier.  This is one of those things I just make on the fly without a recipe - so feel free to tweak it to your liking.  Hope you enjoy!

English Muffin Pizzas
Makes 12

1 pkg 6 English muffins
1 jar (8-12oz) Pizza sauce
1 pkg shredded mozzarella cheese (you will not use the entire package)
1 pkg pepperoni (you will not use the entire package)
Optional: Other pizza toppings of your choice
Optional: Garlic salt or garlic powder and Italian seasoning

1.  Slice muffins and lay each slice face up on a baking sheet.  (I recommend to line it with parchment paper for easier clean up from the melted cheese.)  Optional:  Sprinkle seasonings on each muffin.  Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes to lightly toast the tops of the muffins.  (This helps prevent the sauce from making the muffins soggy.)
2.  Optional:  Place pepperonis in a single layer on either a broiler pan or crinkled foil on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 5 minutes to help heat and crisp them.
3.  To assemble pizzas, first spread about one tablespoon of sauce evenly on each muffin.  Place a small handful of cheese on top.  Then place 3-5 pepperonis and/or other toppings of your choosing.
4.  Cook in the  preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and the muffins are toasted.

Higher-class American

Yard House

Yard House is a modern restaurant in the heart of Old Town Pasadena with new twists on traditional family and steakhouse style foods.  I have been twice now for special evenings.  It is a bit on the pricey side, but they can charge more because of their location - they are always packed full!  Their food is of a slightly higher class than those of a similar genre - take for example their truffle fries or lobster-artichoke dip.  The menu has many unique and diverse options.  Most of the dishes I've tried are pretty decent, but nothing has blown me away.  The service is a bit slow - yes they are always busy, but since they are always busy they should have learned how to accommodate that trend.  The atmosphere is nice - very lively to fit with its location, but also quite noisy.  If you can afford it, it's a great place to go try something new and unique, but if you're looking for a special date night location to really wow you, I think there are better options.

Eat Fresh!

Saladish

Last Sunday, our church group headed into Old Town, but found it difficult to find a cheap restaurant open on Sunday, a holiday, with enough seating for all of us, since people were already filling the streets for the upcoming Rose Parade.  We walked past a place called Saladish that was completely empty.  I popped my head in to check the prices and it seemed decent so we entered.  The have wraps, salads, and potatoes.  Most of my friends loved their wraps; however, I wasn't the biggest fan of my Greek wrap with chicken.  It lacked much sauce, so I ended up adding hot sauce to the wrap.  They have several good-looking options, so I think I just might have preferred something different.  It was a decent price, since I was able to save half for another meal.  Unfortunately, the biggest downside to Saladish was that you cannot substitute items.  You can switch which type of leafy green is in your meal, but if you want to change anything else you must pay.  They have every item listed under an amount (from 50 cents on up), but you cannot even change between items at price point.  To me, that doesn't seem like great service or a great business plan for today's society.  I might return if I want something light, quick, and cheap in the area, but because of the no-substitution policy, it would not be my first choice.  If you will eat things however they are put together, you would certainly be fine - I'm just a bit too picky.  The ingredients themselves were decent though, and the greens were all very fresh, which is important at a place like this.  The manager who took our orders was very friendly - he even knew what I wanted before I ordered because he overheard me saying it to my friends :)

My Favorite Pasadena Restaurant!

Louise's Trattoria

Louise's Trattoria in Old Town Pasadena (with other SoCal locations) has fabulous food at great prices!  It has a romantic, but not overly fancy, atmosphere.  They start you off with terrific, warm rosemary focaccia bread served with a balsamic-oil-herb dipping sauce.  I could just eat that and be satisfied!  They did recently change their menu and took off one of my favorite dishes, which was disappointing, but I'd find it hard to order a bad dish at Louise's.  My current favorite dish is the "chicken balsamico"- which comes with a great spinach side dish and I substitute the veggies for potatoes - delish!!  I have taken many friends there who are now big fans also!  The service has generally been great (just a little slow for our large group on New Years Eve, but that is to be expected).  I don't like to head into Old Town much because of parking issues, but this place is worth it!  What I like best is that for the quality of the food and portion sizes compared to the prices - it's really a great deal compared to similar Italian restaurants.  (The first time I went, my pasta - the one that's no longer available - lasted me 3 meals!)  If you're in the area looking for good food and a good value - Louise's is the place!  The only real downside for me is the dessert menu - nothing really to my tastes, but there is a fabulous gelato shop right next door!  Louise's is my go-to local restaurant whenever I want great food at a good price!

Our friends after the meal :)