When Life Hands You a Wedding, Make Portobello Pizzas

To say my blogging skills are rusty would be a gross understatement of the truth. Given that it's been nearly 4 months since my last post, I opened wordpress today only to be greeted by a dashboard of unknown -- and might I add fancy -- gadgets that I'm not quite sure my rusty blogging fingers can finesse.  My girl, Blissful Basil, also greeted me with a sass slap to the face as if to say You do that again and I'll put typos in all of your old posts. Girl knows my achilles heel, and she's not afraid to use it.

I think the title of this post explains why in the heck I've left you all for so long, but I'll make you privy to the nitty gritty just in case you're interested.  I have spent the last 4 months in a state of wedding planning frenzy/bliss/chaos/awesomeness.  Yes, it's all of those things and if you've planned a wedding, you completely catch my drift.  Given the dangerous combination of not having a planner and being a perfectionist far too attuned to details, I've learned that when it comes to wedding planning I like to bite off more than I can chew.  But isn't that the fun of it all? Here are some things I've learned and some words for the wedding-planning wise:

1) I love Martha Stewart and all her craft-makin', wedding creatin', and DIY lovin' but, dear goodness, I can't keep up. That woman must have 1.2 billion crafty, perfectionistic wedding elves working for her.

2) Ladies, your groom doesn't care what color your grandmother's corsage is, whether your venue bathrooms have "his" and "her" signs adorning their doors, or whether you use Arial or Arial Narrow on your wedding programs. They just look forward to seeing your lovely face in a pretty dress and dancing like a fool to "Don't Stop Believin'" with their friends. So, save your breath and rock on with your independent decision-making self.

3) The guest list is the hardest part of wedding planning and if you have arguments this is what it will be about. Yes, I love your great great uncle Boris' son's stepdaughter's cousin once removed, but she's not getting an invite.  Sorry.

4) Budget?! Ha! What budget?! You will go over your budget, but you'll find a way to make it work.

5) If you sweat the small stuff, you're gonna be doing a whole lot of sweatin'.  Sit back and enjoy the ride -- you only get to endure this chaotic bliss once (hopefully) in a lifetime.

6) Go easy on yourself if you can't keep up with your usual routine of cooking nightly meals for you and your loved one. After the wedding, your kitchen will welcome you back with open arms and a boat load of Crate & Barrel utensils that you probably won't know how to use. Egg poacher? Mandolin? Mortar and Pestle?

Bottom line, I've learned to enjoy this very precious time {10 days to go!!!} and, perhaps most importantly, I've made portobello pizzas. They're simple, delicious, and healthy and they're just what Martha Stewart or one of her elves from Whole Living would probably urge you to make.

Portobello Pizzas (Makes 2)

For the sauce:

◊ 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, liquid drained

◊ 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

◊ 2 garlic cloves, minced

◊ ¼ cup red wine

◊ sea salt and red pepper flakes, to taste

Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add minced garlic and cook until tender and fragrant.  Add red wine and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Pulse tomatoes in a blender until a chunky puree forms.  Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper flakes and bring to a rapid simmer.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

For Portobello Pizzas:

◊ 2 portobello caps, stems and gills removed

◊ ¾ cup sauce

◊ ¾ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella

◊ fresh basil leaves, torn

◊ sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

◊ extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place portobellos, gill side up, in a shallow baking dish.  Drizzle portobellos with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Pour ¼-1/2 cup of sauce in each portobello and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.  Top with fresh basil and bake in oven for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with more fresh basil, if desired.  Enjoy!