Sometime around 3:30 this afternoon, I found myself craving a frosty piña colada. Now, say what you will about professional bloggers, but my work ethic does not allow for Tuesday afternoons spent sipping on blended rum drinks. It does, however, allow for this indulgent, yet simple frozen beverage. Add booze at will.

• ingredients
• 1 15 oz. can coconut milk $1.50
• 2 Naval oranges, peeled and seeded $1
• juice of 2 limes $1
• 2 tbsp honey Pantry
• 2 cups ice

Total Cost of Ingredients $3.50

Directions

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth and slightly foamy.

Pour into glasses and serve, garnished with a lime wedge if desired.

Serves 2-4.

Photo credit: John Mortimer

I love to order deep-fried tofu with peanut sauce as an appetizer in Thai restaurants, but I’m always hesitant to make it at home—mostly because I don’t love the idea of deep-frying innocent, healthy tofu. Well, thanks to my brilliant friend Kim, I found a fabulous way to fry tofu without bathing it in oil. This easy method yields tofu with a wonderful crust, reminiscent of deep-fried tofu, but with no more than a few tablespoons of oil in the whole recipe.

Today I paired it with peanut sauce, but it’ll surely be showing up in upcoming curries and stir-fries.

After teaching a pizza-making class this weekend, I have a bordering-on-absurd amount of pizza dough in my refrigerator. So, yesterday brought pizza spirals and today, I present to you: cheesy bread sticks.

Inspired by my hometown pizzeria’s delicious solution to excess pizza dough, I served these extremely kid-friendly bread sticks with tomato sauce for dipping, but they would also be right at home alongside salads, soups, or as the starch portion of a meal.

• ingredients
• flour for rolling and for pan Pantry
• 1/2 recipe pizza dough $1.50
• extra virgin olive oil Pantry
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese $3.50 for 8 oz.
• tomato sauce, for dipping $1.50 for a 15-oz. can

Total Cost of Ingredients $6.50

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly flour a baking sheet.

On a lightly floured surface, divide dough into 6-8 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a 6”-7” snake.

Arrange dough snakes on the prepared baking sheet and brush lightly with the olive oil. Top each snake with a few pinches of cheese and bake for 14-16 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

Serve warm, with tomato sauce alongside for dipping.

Makes 6-8 bread sticks.

I’m not sure why I insist on baking something every time I have more than two beers with my friend Dominic, but the arrangement seems to be working out for both of us. Last night, after a few libations, I started bragging about my amazing pizza dough recipe, and before I knew it, I was surrounded by spectators in his kitchen, clumsily frying cinnamon-sugar pizza dough donuts., while fielding requests for pizza and cinnamon rolls.

In that moment, fueled by enthusiasm and Pacifico, inspiration struck: I should do a pizza/cinnamon roll hybrid—essentially individual strombolis! (hiccup)

As you can see, I am one of those people who keeps her drunken promises.

• ingredients
• flour for rolling and for dusting pan Pantry
• 1 recipe pizza dough $1.50
• 3/4 cup tomato sauce $1.50 for a 15-oz. can
• 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone or mozzarella cheese $3.50 for 8 oz.
• about 12 slices pepperoni, chopped $3.50 for 6 oz.
• 1 handful fresh basil leaves, chopped $1 for a bunch

Total Cost of Ingredients $11

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly flour a baking sheet and set aside.

Place onto a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll it out into an approximately 18” x 14” rectangle.

Spread tomato sauce over the entire top surface of the dough. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the sauce. Top cheese with pepperoni and chopped basil.

Starting at the bottom and pinching as you go, roll the dough up tightly, so you have a 14” cylinder.

Use a sharp knife to slice cylinder into about 10 even rolls. Place rolls, spiral-side-up, on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake 12-15 minutes, or until rolls are golden-brown and cheese is bubbly.

Cool 5 minutes, then serve warm.

Makes about 10 spirals (serves 4-6).

As you know, I enjoy stuffing things into other things (I know, I know, that’s what she said), so today, since San Francisco’s gorgeous 83-degree weather is dictating that I not turn on the stove and get myself out into the sunshine pronto, I decided to make quick, vegan watermelon gazpacho, and pour it back into the watermelon for serving.

In addition to being yummy to eat and adorable to look at, my watermelon “bowls” didn’t need to be washed, and fewer dishes means more time to soak up the sun. Win.