Tonight’s dinner was such a fun one… and one I think kids would absolutely love.
Flatbread pizza buffet!
My mom, sister and I had the idea to make various flatbread pizzas for dinner. When I suggested that we all take one pizza to top the way we wanted and then have my dad judge the best tasting pizza winner, everyone was game.
I made a BBQ chicken pizza…
My mom’s entry into the pizza competition was a Hawaiian pizza with Canadian bacon and pineapple…
And my sister made a caprese pizza with mozzarella, basil and cherry tomatoes.
I think my sister should win on appearance alone! Dang.
We all gobbled up the pizza and some rotisserie chicken while my dad debated the winner.
The first one he ruled out?
Mine! 
When my dad wants pizza, he wants pizza, pizza with cheese and marinara… not BBQ sauce as a base. He said he really liked mine, but didn’t realize the sauce was BBQ sauce and that threw him for a loop.
I imagine biting into a pizza topped with BBQ sauce when you’re expecting marinara sauce is a bit like taking a big gulp of milk when you think it’s water. Bleh.
In the end my mom’s Hawaiian pizza took first prize.
It was a brutal blow, but I nursed my bruised ego with some cherry vanilla ice cream.
Ice cream makes everything better. That is a fact.
The Next Bachelor
In other news, did you hear that they chose the next Bachelor?
Here he is ladies and gentlemen…
Ben F. – also known as “Not Constantine.”
Thoughts?
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Wow those look delicious! Your family is so creative!
Try slathering Thai peanut sauce on the flatbread or pita, topping with fresh spinach, shredded chicken, mozzarella, a sprinkle of green onion & broiling until the cheese is golden & bubbly…. Yum!
I loved Ben F. on The Bachelorette but I almost wish he wasn’t going to be the next Bachelor – he seemed like such a nice, down-to-earth guy, I think he should just go back to enjoying a normal life! That said, I’ll totally be watching 🙂
I was also inspired by your granola recipe from this afternoon and found a jar of maple pumpkin butter at a farmer’s market today… I’m hoping to put my own spin on your classic recipe soon! 🙂
i totally agree w/ your comment about ben f. i worry that the process will ruin him!
I agree with you both, I think he’s great and such a normal, likeable guy, but think that this could really mess him up. You’ve got to be so tough to do this! I’ll definitely watch, though:). I hope it works out for him.
I’m a total sucker for BBQ chicken pizza, but the rest of my family hates it. More for me 😉
I made granola today for the first time. total yum. Julie, I made a bbq pizza, but mixed the sauce with mariana sauce as well. It was a nice balance!
you’re making me miss my family! thankfully I’m going home this weekend so I can hang with my mom and sis and dad and cook and eat all the live long day 🙂
and ice cream really does make everything better– I just took myself for a froyo date because i’ve been having a rough week!
Yum! All of those look super good…I’m not sure I would like Hawaiian pizza, I’ve never had it haha. And I kind of like that ben f. will be the next bachelor! He totally deserves it and I think he seems so real…thank god we won’t get another jake and vienna!
i thought it tasted like feet. pineapple on pizza = nasty!
Mmm, your sister’s does look really good! I love pizza that’s either really simple like that, or really, really out there.
I’m a sucker for Hawaiian pizza! Love the sweet and salty combo!
As for Bachelor, I did not watch all of Ashley’s season, I was turned off from the first few episodes, but did catch the finale, when poor Ben had to be taken off the island in a dingy boat. That HAD to be adding salt to the wound…after getting turned down, he had to ride in a tiny boat, sweating his ass off. Poor guy, hopefully this season is better!
I am fully addicted to Bachelor Pad though…what is UP with Erica’s slow, raspy drawl? And the crystalized gavel!?
Haha! That darn gavel! I’ve been wondering the same thing! What a weirdo 🙂
omg the dinghy boat was the most fabulous display of unintentional comedy i’ve seen in a long time.
OK, Erica: dingy? Yes. annoying voice? Yes. But you have to admit, that was a pretty awesome display of manipulation on Monday. I didn’t think she was that crafty! As for the next Bachelor, I would have rather seen Michael. But of Ashley’s guys, Ben F. is my favorite. Actually, Ames is my favorite, but he’d be a terrible bachelor.
I’m ready for someone new on the bachelor! Ben is ok, but I’m not super excited.
I’ll probably still watch though 😉
Ummm hello Ben F (person I thought was Constantine)!
Hopefully the season airs when I’m back at home with a TV…otherwise I’ll be visiting friends with a TV!!
you can also watch the episodes the next day online at abc.com!
That is so fun! Its a great family activity!
Icecream does make anyday better…true fact….goodcall..ill go have a bowl of homemade White Chocolate icecream now..thanks..ps..your sister pizza should have won, if pictures where any justification on taste 😉
homemade!? get out of town with your homemade ice cream!
Ha…indeed…i make 3 or 4 batches at a time and this time i made a white chocolate…fat free sugar free to be exact! I made a base fat free sugar free with egg whites and spleda and fat free white chocolate creamer, and then melt a bag of white chocolate chips in it and then to thickin it since there are no egg yolks or heavy cream..i add a box of fat free sugar free package of dry mix jello pudding…its so so on point….ps..i just got a present in the mail…I have been using my parents icecream maker..and wanted on pretty bad and found a heck of a deal on one and it came in the mail this evening…oh the possibilities…homemade gelato, frozen yogurt…more of my famous strawberry..and this weekend its peach season at Marsh Grochery….89 cents a pound for those ripe Michigan Peaches…guess what icecream gettin made this weekend..white chocolate peach…way stoked
why all of the fake ingredients? Ice cream tastes so much better when it’s made with real food. Just my opinion!
Well my folks make the full fat icecream after im done churning out my version so I by no means stay away from it. But the way I make it, the lighter version tastes just as good. I promise. People say they cant tell any difference in the end product. So why not remove all the fat if it tastes the same and you can eat 4 bowls in one sitting instead of one and not feel to to bad. But long story short. I have lost over 140 lbs since my Freshman year in college and have kept it off the last 4 years, thus loosing that much weight really makes you try and turn all your comfort classics into healthier versions! Plus. Icecream is the greatest food group ever, and I could eat it 24/7.
Ahh I love Ben! What a cutie pie. I hope he finds love and that the fame doesn’t go to his head.
I’m totally in the mood for pizza now ! 🙂
Icecream seriously DOES make everything better! Tonight after dinner I had blue bunny’s monster cookie flavor..so delicious! Also, your pizzas look great! Often times I make mine on Indian naan bread so it’s a bit softer..just an idea for you! 🙂
Ben was my favorite! How did you hear about his being the next Bachelor?
Your blog is very fun to read, I have to admit I have been reading it for a couple of months now… this is coming from a seventeen-year-old haha.
Lily
i heard about it first on twitter, but here’s an article that confirms it: http://www.usmagazine.com/moviestvmusic/news/ben-flajnik-is-the-next-bachelor-2011248
First of all, Ben F is such a sweet-heart. Second of all, I love the post you did with Nutella! I lived off its chocolatey goodness when I backpacked through Europe. It’s just so good!
and if he’s this upcoming bachelor then it would’ve been him!!! So sad now 🙁
sorry, I’m commenting in all sorts of wrong places!! haha That was supposed to be a comment on my post… oops!
LOL!
love love love Ben F.!!! 🙂 Small secret… I actually had 2 chances to try out to be on the bachelor as one of the girls that gets chosen…and I chickened out twice…:( Main reason is because I’m a teacher and they film in September for several weeks and I just couldn’t risk losing my job. Also, I just had a gut feeling it wasn’t a smart move to make with my type of profession… so sad now though! I absolutely adored Ben F.!!!
that is awesome!!
I’m siding with your Dad on this one..when I crave pizza, I need the marinara / cheese combo. Although I do like to mix it up when I’m in the mood for pizza, but not really pizza 😉
I LOVE Ben F so I am super pumped!!! Bachelor Pad is sooo drama filled it’s great 🙂
Julie did you know a bunch of bloggers saw Ashley and JP in Philly over the weekend at the HLS?? It was Friday night getting fro yo. I wasn’t with them but when I heard I was so jealous!!
yes and i just about DIED that i wasn’t there. died.
I actually heard that it’s still just a rumor about Ben.F on “Access Hollywood” – it’s not confirmed yet….
I think I would have your pizza – BUT with marinara…sorry, but I’m with your Dad- I hate BBQ sauce on pizza – but LOVE chicken 🙂
Although – your sister’s is definitely the prettiest 🙂
Do you live with your parents?
nope. my life is literally all over the place right now. to make a long story short: my husband got offered a new job. we lived in a hotel together for 2 weeks but our dog wasn’t allowed there, so she stayed with my parent. my husband’s company stopped paying for the nice hotel so now he’s staying in a not-as-nice hotel and i am staying w/ my parents & our dog until we move into our new rental house when it is available on sept. 1. ryan will be coming in town to my parents’ house on the weekends! phew!
i know you miss ryan, and are probably ready to be in your own place again, but is it kind of fun to be back home for a little bit with your “original” family? i moved back home temporarily after college and my mom and i would wake up for a 5am body pump class (LOVE!), and she’d pack me a lunch for work (which would be pathetic since i was 23, but it was kind of endearing since i was only home for a little while).
it is. 🙂 the “original four!” 🙂
What did you guys used as the dough for the pizza? It looks yummy, I want to try to make my own pizza.
we used flat out flatbreads.
I was totally going to ask if you used Flatouts! They are super tasty. What was your cook time on them? I’m feeling a marinara, chicken, feta, spinach, and red onion flat bread.
Those pizzas look delish! BBQ pizza is my fav so I totally would of picked yours! Fruit on pizza is a big no to me… Well except for the exception of baked pears..;)
Ben was a weird duck… I’m not to excited about that and he is so warmhearted I don’t think he can say no to anybody..
I think it’s about time they chose a Bachelor/Bachelorette NOT from a previous season…
Haha “not Constantine.” I straight up thought they were the same person. Like, until the last episode.
I don’t know why, but none of the guys stood out to me on this past season’s Bachelorette. I’m hoping that Ben won’t be so boring and same old, same old. I’m not going to lie, the drama queens and the psychos definitely make for a much more interesting season!
As much as I do think Ben is cute…I am ready for a new, random guy to be the next bachelor. I am tired of the “second chance” ones….gimme someone new!
As for that pizza pary…I LOVE bbq pizza, but your sister’s looks yum-o.
BBQ chicken pizza is my favorite although my fiancé was at first skeptical he loved it!! I love Ben f!!! I just hope he doesn’t get heartbroken again 🙁 he is too sweet
Ben F and Constantine look so much like twins I would take either!! …and def would consider it if I wouldn’t have to be on national TV
Oh. I totally love the pizza contest plan!!!!!!!!!!!! So fun. I want to steal that idea next time I see my family. I would love all three flavors. Those are some of my favorite combos! yuuum!
I don’t quite know how Ben is going to do as the Bachelor. I dd like him a lot on Ashley’s season, but I think he may be a little too laid back to be a sucessful and interesting bachelor! We will have to wait and see I guess….
Oh and I def. would have voted for the caprese pizza! Yumm!!!!!!
My roommate has some of those wraps in the fridge…I may have to steal one and make one of those pizzas! YUM!
Sounds like fun! I don’t know how I’d choose between the three. They all sound delicious!
That’s a fantastic idea! When we go to our favorite pizza restaurant, we each order something different and then share. I love tasting a little of everything. Makes it interesting.
Aww I loved Ben F so I’m super excited. Maybe I should sign up? Hah 🙂
Those pizzas all look great. I make a delicious prosciutto and pineapple so I think I may have leaned towards your mom’s as well. Although I usually make mine with an olive oil and fresh garlic base, so I don’t know that mine would have been picked by your dad either. And, about Ben F. I guess i’m fairly indifferent. I wish they would pick someone outside of The Bachelor/ette family for once.
Ben is a QT – can’t wait for a new season!
My husband loves to make a buffalo chicken pizza with buffalo sauce (obvious, yes) chicken and some ranch dressing. Very good! I don’t watch the Bachelor but I can’t help but think that the new guy looks a lot like Josh Groban.
Hi Julie!
I have been loving your website and I can’t believe you live in Orlando! I’m from Orlando myself but go to school at UGA in Athens, GA. But about Ben being the next bachelor- i’m so happy! He is so cute and genuine, I hope they have a nice group of girls this time around… I will definitely be watching! Also very glad its Ben over Ryan or Constantine- if it had been Ryan there is no way I’d watch it, he’s too cheesy!!
-Shelby
I made these pizzas (using flatbread) and it was SO fun. So easy, simple, and delicious. Glad you guys made it into a competition, that is SUCH a good idea!
SOrry you lost…..but that ice cream fixes everything!
oh dear. With Ben we will be in for some agony again.
The pizzas all looks great, but a bit raw?
Hmmm… not sure how I feel about Ben F. I loved him, thought he was a cutie pie BUT I also thought that he was in wayyyy over his head the first time, not sure how he will handle all of the stress from this. Guess we will find out because I WILL be watching 😉
Aw sad! I love BBQ Chicken Pizza and actually have a great recipe for it! I think yours looks great!
LOVE flat bread pizzas. I was actually just in the grocery store and almost bought whole wheat naan for that same reason. Have you ever tried naan for pizzas? SO good!
All of those flatbread pizzas looked delicious! I think it sounds like a super fun idea. I’m sorry your’s lost. 🙁 I love BBQ chicken pizza. I really enjoy all of the “unusual” and “unique” pizzas though.
I’m totally with you on ice cream making everything better…so true. 😉
Ben being the next bachelor… hmm. I liked him, and I figured it would be him, Ryan, or Constantine. What do you think??
BBQ chicken pizza is one of my favorites, I would’ve voted for you Julie! I just emailed you a link to this recipe I came across for PEANUT BUTTER OREO ICE CREAM! Oh.My.Word. it looks divine!! Can you believe my husband isn’t crazy about peanut butter? SInce he loves oreos, I’m thinking I can convert him with this ice cream 😉
I’m excited that I get to see Ben F again! (I loved both J.P. and him) but the Bachelor’s always seem like the bad guy in the end..
My friends and I were out celebrating Canada Day in SF and one of my friends bumped into Ben in the bar! He was apparently super awkward as it was before the final show had been aired – he made a quick escape before anyone could quiz him about it, poor guy 🙂
How fun! We made three pizzas last night and they were actually very similar to y’alls. We had one with barbecue sauce, onions and pineapple. Another like your sister’s with grape tomatoes, basil and onions. And the last with onions, bell peppers and garlic. Mmm making and eating pizza is the best!
Did you use those Flat out tortillas? i’ve been thinking I need to make homemade pizza soon (in a cast iron skillet no less).
That new bachelor needs to cut his hair!
yes!
You guys are so cute with your pizza competition. I’d take a piece from all 3…they look awesome.
I hope you had some sprinkles on that cherry vanilla ice cream because, you know, sprinkles make everything better 😉