A Wasted Friday - Italian Pinwheel Rolls

Friday - Waking up is hard to do. Actually, the waking up part wasn't the problem; it was the getting-out-of-bed part that landed me in a crappy mood. Everything hurts. Everything. Plus I have that oversensitivity to sound thing going today - the dogs barking, the lawn guy and his weed whacker, cars whooshing down Clyde Street, I hate them all.  I am completely crabby. I should be wearing a sign that says "don't start with me, you know how I get."

Also, I am worried about two of my babies. Rob and I are pretty certain that Chelsea's vision is totally gone, except for the ability to see shadows. We knew that was inevitable, as she came to us with a serious eye condition and a bunch of prescriptions. All I can do now is keep her comfortable, which means cleaning both cornea at least twice a day to remove a nasty goo which forms a gelatinous film, sort of like an irregular, opaque contact lens. Needless to say, she doesn't care for the procedure, and I can't blame her.

Woody has lost weight, developed alopecia (losing his hair, like Tuffy) and has taken to living under one of the living room couches for most of the day and night. This is never a good sign.

A big pile of clean dirt (ha, now there's an oxymoron for you!) mysteriously appeared on the garden side of the house. James is going to play in the dirt for the next few days, getting the planting beds ready and then building the second tier., which will bring me one giant step closer to putting in the fall garden. Even working on my planting graphs is not snapping me out of my misery.

You would think I had done enough cooking for a while, but I'm waiting impatiently for a turkey to defrost and in the meantime I keep prowling in and out of the kitchen like a caged lion. Rawwr. I took out 4 cod fillets to defrost, but that still doesn't solve the here-and-now.

Forget the here-and-now.  It's been a bad day for pain, never got better. I've been wasted, as the kids used to say, or at least I wasted the day. Crap.

I'm watching preseason basketball, Wizards and Knicks.  Still a Knicks fan, except when they're playing the Magic. Of course when they play the Nets, I win no matter what happens.  Basketball season, my personal salvation from endless reruns of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. I can't wait to watch my Magic.    

Whether you are busy watching the baseball play-offs or like me, moving into basketball season, you are going to need snacks, and this recipe is a good one.  Lots  of flavor, finger food that doesn't drip, and really easy to prepare. You can change the ingredients with your mood. This is a good time to wander up and down the condiments aisle in your favorite supermarket.

Italian Pinwheel Rolls

1 tube Pillsbury Crescent Dough Sheet
Prepared pesto (basil and/or tomato)
Chopped pepperoni and/or Italian salami
Chopped fried peppers from a jar of Mancini's brand
Chopped black olives
Shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a silpat on a metal baking sheet.

Roll out the crescent dough sheet so that a short end is facing you. Start by smearing some of the pesto on the dough. Sprinkle some of the mozzarella over the pesto.

Place the peppers and onions and the olives over the cheese, then sprinkle on some more of the cheese to finish. These photos show that you don't need to overload the dough with ingredients.

Carefully roll up the dough, starting at the short end. With a long, very sharp serrated knife, slice the roll into 8 pieces. Place the slices on the silpat. Sprinkle a bit more of the shredded cheese on top of each slice. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes until the dough is golden brown on top. Check that the undersides are not overbaked.

Move to a metal rack to cool.  Serve as is or with some spaghetti sauce for dipping.