Fangirly fun, #LetsLunch

Spring photos by Laura Mercer

Spring break is a staycation this year, due as much to a lack of inspiration as a lack of budget. It’s a holiday cut short by work obligations, the school week grind broken by silenced alarm clocks, easy evening meals, and after-dinner strolls through the neighborhood. All told, I’ve been busy, but haven’t gotten a whole lot done. The laundry mountain is reduced and the kitchen is clean, and that’s about all I have to say for myself.

While it seems that most residents of our little town are sticking their toes in squeaky Gulf Coast sand this week, there are a few folks left, and that means opportunities to try new things. Or, in this case, maybe a very old thing ~ joining in with a few hundred screaming girls at a teen dream concert, in this case 16-year old Australian cutie pie Cody Simpson. 

Cody Simpson

The Australian teen idol was in Atlanta for the NCAA March Madness and a friend invited my 14 year old daughter and me to join her for the concert followed by a meet and greet. Now, there is a certain blond Australian with initials C.S. that I would love to meet...

Curtis Stone

...But Cody Simpson is pretty darn cute, too. With a mid-century Bad Boy pompadour and a guitar, he’s a throwback Teen Idol with chops. And he puts on a great show. 

To be honest, I felt a little bit old. I worried about embarrassing my daughter by clapping too much,  or cheering too much. Standing up, sitting down. And that sound, that screaming teen girl sound, it’s hard to believe that I once knew how to make that sound.

At the meet and greet, Cody was very sweet and looked impossibly young. I guess I’ve done a 180: it doesn't seem like that long ago that I was a teen girl squealing “isn’t he just cuuuuute?” and now I'm smiling at this young man and thinking “oh my goodness, his parents must be so proud.” 

And so I send out this long distance dedication to Cody.

 If Google is to be believed, Cody’s favorite foods are  pizza, hamburgers and milkshakes. In other words, typical teen boy food. If that cutie pie ever came to my house, I’d feed him my pizza muffins and a Nutella milkshake. And I’d lock my daughters in their rooms.

Pizza muffins. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Pepperoni Pizza Swirl Muffins

These muffins are endlessly adaptable. I go old school with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese, but you may add whatever pizza toppings float your boat.

2 (6.5 oz. packages) pizza crust mix                    

1 cup warm water

Flour for rolling out dough

1/2 cup pizza sauce

1/2 cup shredded Italian blend cheese

1/2 cup chopped pepperoni

Extra pizza sauce for dipping

1.       Heat the oven to 425. In a bowl, stir together the two packages of pizza crust mix and 1 cup water. Let rest. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan.

2.       Turn dough out onto a floured counter and press into a rectangle. Spread pizza sauce over dough, then cheese and pepperoni. Roll dough lengthwise, jelly roll fashion. Pinch together the edges. Slice dough into 12 pieces.

3.       Place each dough round into a muffin cup. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 5 minutes, then serve with extra pizza sauce for dipping.

Pepperoni pizza roll. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Nutella Milkshake with Toasted Marshmallow Topping

3 scoops chocolate ice cream

¾ cup whole milk

¼ cup Nutella

1 cup mini marshmallows or 6 regular marshmallows

1. In a blender, combine the ice cream, milk and Nutella and blend until fully incorporated. Top individual servings with marshmallow topping:

2.       To make marshmallow topping: A toaster oven is ideal for this, but you may use a regular oven set at 350. Spray a piece of foil with vegetable oil spray. Sprinkle marshmallows in an even layer on the foil. Toast at 350 for about five minutes. Keep an eye on them! When marshmallows are tan and puffy, remove from oven and let cool. Top milkshake with marshmallows. 

Nutella milkshake with toasted marshmallow topping. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

 This post is my April contribution to #LetsLunch. This month's topic is spring break food. You may follow my #LetsLunch Pinterest board here and check out these great posts from other #LetsLunch writers:

Jill's Basil-Infused Cotillion Cocktail at Eating My Words
Lisa's Beetroot and Salmon with Horseradish at Monday Morning Cooking Club
Linda's Instant Carrot Cake at Free Range Cookies
Karen's Sourdough Sandwich Bread at Geofooding
Linda's Guide to Eating in Cancun at Spicebox Travels
Ann Marie's Mofongo with Ground Beef at Sandwich Surprise

Text and images copyright 2013, Lucy Mercer.