This group of lovely women are all incredible and I am blessed to know them! They are hard working, successful, compassionate women who also know how to have a good time! You know what our mother’s used to tell us, “you are only going to be as good as the people you surround yourself with” …….I think I’m going to be just fine!

Everyone has so much going on so, we decided we were over due for a Girls Getaway! No kids, no husbands! My friend Amy and I came across this unique house, high up in the hills of Mill Valley while searching Airbnb.com and we could instantly feel our blood pressure decrease as we scrolled through the photos on line.

So we booked it! After a quick stop at the Marin Country Market, we headed up the windy road to our destination and there it was, our airbnb, nestled high up in the hills of Mill Valley……..our beautiful Mid-Century Modern Hideaway! We only needed to climb over 100 stairs to get there! Keep this in mind when packing!!!!!

Stairs……..stairs……

…..and more stairs.

 The Tree House

Once we trekked all the way up to the top and inside, it was all worth it! Plus, we just had an intense stair climbing workout, so now what ever we eat or drink for the remainder of our trip doesn’t count, right? The home exceeded our expectations! Beautifully furnished, the kitchen was fully stocked with every amenity a foodie, home cook, like myself could desire and the views…….breathtaking!!!! We really felt like we were up in the trees, a million miles from civilization.

 

 

Courtesy of Angela Spiller Photography

Courtesy of Angela Spiller Photography

Courtesy of Angela Spiller Photography

Courtesy of Angela Spiller Photography

Courtesy Of Angela Spiller Photography

Courtesy of Angela Spiller Photography

Courtesy of Angela Spiller Photography

Courtesy of Angela Spiller Photography

Courtesy of Angela Spiller Photography

Cocktails

Once we were all settled, time for cocktails! Like I said, we know how to have fun!

We started off by enjoying a chilled KYLA Hard Kombucha on the patio. I had never tried hard Kombucha! So gooood! We were actually fighting over the last one! The hint of Grapefruit is light and refreshing, perfect after climbing up all those stairs! Perfect drink for a Girl’s Getaway. Great call, Angela! You can have a fun adult beverage and feel like you’re doing something good for you at the same time! HA! I don’t know how true that is, but it makes me feel better.

 

 

 

Grapefruit Rosemary Spritz

If you’ve been following my recipes on Instagram, you will notice a trend……everything I make is simple and quick. I have no patience for a lot of steps, especially when it comes to whipping up a cocktail for me and my friends. This Grapefruit Spritz is no exception!

• fill glass 3/4 with ice
• Add 1-2 shots Vodka or Gin (I prefer Titos Vodka or Bombe Sapphire Gin)
• Cut one slice of Ruby Red Grapefruit, cut into wedges, add to glass and muddle to release the juice
• Fill glass to the top with club soda
• Toss in a sprig of fresh rosemary

Enjoy!

This simply perfect Bulleit Bourbon with a slice of orange zest was too pretty not to get a picture of. Can’t get more simple than that!

 

Raspberry Rosemary Rosé Sparkler

We can’t forget about the bubbles! Relax, this wasn’t all in one night……this was the next morning, and they were divine!!! There was something about the way the fragrant fresh sprigs of rosemary filled your nose as you sipped on sparkling rosé…and the drunkin raspberries at the end were delish! (starting to realize why we never did do any yoga as planned, hmmmm……)

I saw these Rosemary Raspberry Skewers on Pinterest and had been wanting to try them for a while. I think I was a little intimidated, thinking it was going to be harder than it looked and I was going to wind up with a mess of mutilated raspberries…..if that was the case, I would not be posting. It was in fact, quite easy and looked oh so pretty!

 

Pizza Night

Nothing makes me happier than to feed my friends, besides maybe, joining them at the table to enjoy good food, a bottle of delicious wine and some laughs! Our choice of wine for the night was McGrail Vineyards, Austin James Cabernet, out of Livermore Valley, Ca.

I made three different pizzas, but for all three, I used Safeway’s pre-made pizza dough found near the deli section where they sell the pre-made pizzas. I discovered this dough years ago and after several failed attempts at making my own, as well as, trying other brands that would rip and tear, it’s the only dough I use. It rolls out and shapes so easy!

The Dough

1. pre-heat oven to 425° and place pizza stones in the oven
2. flour your surface and allow dough to rest, 5-10 minutes
3. begin to roll dough out with a rolling pin and shape your pizza
4. once shaped, place on your pre-heated pizza stone drizzle with olive oil and a light dusting of salt, place in pre-heated oven
5. cook about 15 min. Or until golden
6. (the fun part): add sauce and toppings

I put my friends to work and we made three different pizzas. I can’t decide if we had more fun making them or eating them!

 

Prosciutto & Arugula Pizza

 

Ingredients:

• Pre-made pizza dough, already pre-cooked to golden crust
• 1/4 lb Prosciutto
• 1/2 cup Ricotta cheese
• 8 oz Fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup Arugula
• Drizzle of Balsamic Glaze
• Red Pepper Flakes

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425 ° Spread a thin layer of ricotta cheese on the pre-cooked pizza crust. Tear prosciutto into large pieces and layer over ricotta cheese. Add fresh mozzarella, leave enough space for cheese to melt. Bake for 10-15 min, until cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and immediately top with arugula, drizzle with Balsamic Glaze and some red pepper flakes if you want a little heat.

Here is the Prosciutto and Arugula pizza just prior to going in the oven.

Classic Margarita

Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 (6oz) can tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/2 tablespoon dried basil

1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed

Directions:

Mix together tomato paste, water and olive oil. Mix well. Add garlic, salt, pepper and dried herbs. Mix well and let stand for several hours to let flavors blend. No cooking necessary, ready to spread on dough.

Margarita Burrata Pizza

Ingredients:

• Pre-made pizza dough, pre-cooked

• Sauce (recipe above)
• 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese
• 4oz Fresh Mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup Fresh basil, chopped or torn
• 8oz Burrata cheese (2 small balls) optional

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425°. Spread thin layer of sauce onto pre-cooked dough. Sprinkle parmigiana reggiano evenly onto sauce. Place fresh slices of mozzarella cheese onto the pizza and place in pre-heated oven. Cook until cheese becomes melted and golden about 15min. Remove from oven and cover with fresh basil and optional, top with burrata cheese balls and break apart.

Caramelized Onion, Bacon & Spinach Pizza

Ingredients:

• Pre-made, pre-cooked pizza dough
• 7 slices of thin bacon, cooked and chopped
• 3 Tbs olive oil, divided
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 large clove garlic
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 6 oz fresh mozzarella cheese
• 2 oz parmigiano reggiano cheese
• 3 Tbsp Ricotta cheese

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425°.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add Spinach and sauté until just wilted. Transfer to several layers of paper towels removing any excess liquid and set aside.
3. Add another table spoon of olive oil into the skillet and set to medium heat. Add onions, lightly season with salt, and sauté 10 minutes. Add sugar and cook until they begin to caramelize, about 5- 10 min longer, adding a fdew drops of water to prevent them from burning. Stir in balsamic vinegar and cook 1 minute longer and set aside.
4. In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour milk into the flour mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste and bring mixture just to a boil, stirring constantly, then remove from heat.
5. Spread a thin layer of ricotta cheese over your pre-cooked crust, then drizzle white sauce and top with half of the mozzarella and half of the parmigiano reggiano. Then add spinach and caramelized onions and bacon. Top with the remaining mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano
6. Bake for 8-12 min, until cheese is melted and golden

Recipe Source: recipe found on Pinterest and inspired by Cooking Light

 

Courtesy of Angela Spiller Photography