Soon after first meeting the BF, we bonded over our mutual love of cheesy niblets. After perfecting our buffalo chicken dip recipe, we moved on to make THIS our favorite Friday night feast:
As a kid, pizza was one of my favorite dinners. When mom or dad would come home exhausted from their days, too tired to cook, with just enough energy to utter the words “let’s just order pizza for dinner” my heart would pitter patter with excitement as an uncontrollable cheshire-cat style smile spread across my face.
Pizza was cause for celebration in my family, and back in the day I was a straight up pepperoni and cheese gal.
Pepperoni and Cheese
I remember the day I got my braces. I was 13 years ripe, and I think my dad felt bad that I was in so much pain… Or perhaps he felt bad because he had just assisted in adding more metal to his poor teenage daughters head (as if my GIANT glasses were not enough).
So, in an attempt to cheer up his little girl, he decided we’d order pizza from our favorite hole in the wall pizzeria for dinner. I remember opening that steaming box and seeing the thick pepperonis all curled up into little cups of grease heaven, and that amazing pizza smell that made the pain suddenly start to melt away. I was so excited, so high from the pizza induced endorphins, that I grabbed a slice and chomped down without hesitation.
I remember the horror that immediately washed over me as I ripped my hand back from my mouth like a kid who’d just high-fived a hot stove as I burst into tears. My newly bedazzled mouth was too sore to eat the pizza. Too sore to enjoy the crunch of that buttery crust or the spice of the pepperoni. Too sore to even nibble on the oozing cheese. Through my tears, my dad and I painstakingly cut the pizza into pebble sized swallowable bites and I proceeded to toss them into my mouth followed by long swigs of Coke like a real pizza pill poppin addict.
Why was adolescence so cruel?!
Yes… that just happened.
But let us focus on what’s important here.
Pizza.
It brings people together.
It puts a sparkle of happiness in your eyes and warm and fuzzies in your belly.
Heck, it even puts hair on your face.
Hahahaha… That’s my nephew Dylan. LOVE that pic. He’s almost 13 now… and sadly, no longer a pirate.
I can count on one hand — strike that — one FINGER the number of people I’ve met in my life who did not adore pizza. (crazy man, that Tim is)
Pizza is the jam. The cat’s meow. The shiznit, if you will.
A couple years back, my sister and I were brainstorming ideas for a Father’s Day present for our dad. We decided we would take dad out to lunch to the restaurant of his choice. Mexican or seafood or a big Italian feast. Whatever his heart desired.
When we presented him with his present, he got a big smile of his face and then told us where he’d like to go.
Yes.
Sometimes all a father really wants is to pig out with his children at the pizza buffet
I haven’t been to CiCis Pizza Buffet since then, which is very sad given how enamored I was with their macaroni and cheese pizza… So wrong, but SO right!
When I was contacted a couple weeks back about doing a giveaway for Cici’s, I HAD to jump on it (in secret hopes that my one of my siblings will win a free pizza buffet for my pa, of course).
Here’s the scoop: CiCi’s Pizza Family Funtacular summer scratch and win contest runs through August 28. The scratch off tickets give you the opportunity to win movie tickets, family fun packs, children’s movie tickets, CiCi’s gift cards, free buffets, carry-out pizzas and beverages.
Oh man… my dad would LOVE LOOOOVE to win this….
Grand prize for two lucky families: an all-expense paid trip for four to Universal Orlando Resort Vacation…. Ok… Shut the front door!!! Now I really REALLY hope one of my siblings win!
I have SIX scratch off tickets to give away, and I’ll send them ALL to the winner. TWO ways to enter: 1.) leave a comment (or link) on this post with your favorite pizza topping or recipe AND 2.) Follow me on Twitter @Fervent_Foodie!
I’ll use a random # generator to select a winner Sunday at midnight!
37 Comments
I love myself a veggie pizza! More veggies the better! 🙂
Wahoo…my first time commenting and there just happens to be a giveaway…if that’s not fate I don’t know what is. You might as well go ahead and address them to me! 😉
I’m a boring pizza eater…I always get cheese and pepperoni. Occasionally an extra meat here or there, but definitely no veggies! I wish I had a good make-at-home pizza recipe, but I just haven’t found it!
Mare, First of all, I was watching Julia and Julia the other night and thought of you. Secondly, I have decided that although I love a pizza with pepperoni, green peppers, and onions… on a pizza, from a trusted authority (that I have come to know and love), I have decided a couple things as of late. 1) If you are trying pizza from someplace new, plain cheese is really the best way to go. This way you can really taste the important elements…sauce, cheese and crust, as they play off each other. 2) Boursin cheese on pizza (instead of mozzarella) is the most. wonderful taste revelation ever.
I LOVE that movie!! And I adore boursin cheese, but have never had it on pizza! That sounds awesome!!!
I love red onions on my pizza…
You know I follow you on twitter 😉
I love the cheeseburger pizza at Cici’s!
I already follow you on Twitter 🙂
That picture of my little pirate brought tears to my eyes ( so Im going to have to snag that!)
My Favorite pizza recipes that I use would be this AWESOME made from scratch crust
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/jays-signature-pizza-crust/detail.aspx I use half whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour.
For the sauce: Can of whole tomatoes and I crush them ( or chop them up) Tons of garlic, basil, green pepper and hot pepper flakes,little bit of brown sugar and I simmer it down until it thickens up a bit.
Toppings: mozzarella, onions,mushrooms,more green peppers and pepperoni and sprinkle the whole thing with tons of parmesan cheese.
Bake at 400 for 20-25 mins and its face stuffing time!
Best pizza topping–> buffalo chicken!!!! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!!
And you know I already follow you on twitter!! 🙂
margarita pizza is mah FAVE. I could eat it every. single. day.
already follow you on twitter 🙂
ANCHOVIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
your blog posts make me giggle and brighten up my work day. haha! i love olives and pepperoni on my pizza. heck, i love everything on my pizza!
Awwww thank you!!
following you 🙂
Fave pizza toppings are spinach, tomatoes and bacon…because bacon makes everything better!
Annnd I’m pretty sure that I have the exact same old school photo;)
Hmmm, I LOVE veggie pizza!!
I’m a pepperoni and cheese girl too!
I love pizza with veggies on it! 🙂
I follow you on twitter!
And I follow you on Twitter!
My favorite pizza ever is a BBQ chicken slice they make at my local pizzeria, followed closely by their veggie slice. They make really cool original slices that I haven’t seen anywhere else. Living just down the block from it makes it extra hard not to stop in there on a daily basis.
I’m also following you on twitter!
I’m a cheese and onion girl. Every now and then I get crazy with black olives. WOOT!
Mmmm Iove onion on pizza. Onion on everything, actually 🙂
I already follow you on Twitter. 🙂
I just had cheeseburger pizza for the first time this week & loved it. So my new fave toppings are hamburger, mustard, & pickles!
WHAT?! That sounds ridiculous! I need to try it!
veggie lovers! oh wait, i have to choose just one? okay okay, olives it is 🙂
I LOVE sausage!!
LOL me too!
I love extra pepperoni and pineapple!
Follow you on twitter!
One of my favorite gourmet pizzas is prosciutto and fig, with a little goat cheese sprinkled on top. Yum!
That sounds yummy!