Happy 4th of July + Gluten Free Fruit Pizza

 Happy 4th of July everyone!!!  I thought I would stop by & wish you all a happy & safe holiday weekend, and share a few things with you guys.  I took a few pictures throughout my day yesterday, and also have a quick & easy recipe to share for my fruit pizza.  

It's not a Paleo recipe, but it IS gluten-free, and absolutely delicious!  I love bringing it to parties, as it's a total crowd pleaser.

This was the first holiday my boyfriend (Dathan) & I spent together in our new town, and I loved it!  It's so family-oriented and festive here, and I love that there's always so much to do.  This year was my favorite 4th of July yet :)

Dathan had to work during the day, and I had lots of errands to run- so we both stayed busy until later in the afternoon.  I made not one, but two fruit pizzas; one for us (mostly him), & one to bring over to his parents' house for them to enjoy!  Dathan's dad unfortunately had to work & couldn't go out to celebrate- so we brought a little 4th of July to them :)

When we stopped by, we got to visit with Dathan's mom & check out the new baby kittens that were born in their backyard!  They're not even two weeks old yet, and they just started opening up their eyes.  

I tried to steal one, but unfortunately they squeaked too loud & their mom heard ;) 

This little guy is so adorable- but probably the loudest squeaker of them all!  But isn't he precious!?

We got home & mounted our TV in our new apartment (finally! yay!!!) & I made steak fajita salads for the two of us.  So tasty!

Then we had a little wine, & got ready to walk to the local high school for some football field firework action.  First, we tested out the timer on my new camera ;)

The weather was awesome, we found the perfect spot for our blanket on the grass, the fireworks were beautiful, & the company was even better!

Once we walked back home, it was fruit pizza time!  Here's a picture of it in all it's Red, White, & Blue glory- complete with a strawberry star center ;)  I had to capture its beauty before we dove in & destroyed it!

If you're interested, here's my recipe!  Like most of my creations, I don't use an actual recipe- I just eyeball it & taste as I go... but here's a guide in case you want to try it out :)  It's a crowd-pleaser for sure.

Jessie B's Gluten Free Fruit Pizza

Ingredients:
For the Sugar Cookie Crust

• 2 3/4 cup gluten free all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups organic cane sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• 12 oz cream cheese 
• 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
• 1 to 2 Tbsp of almond or coconut milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Fruit Topping

• fruit of your choice! (I used strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, & blackberries)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar until smooth.  Add the egg and vanilla, and mix until well incorporated.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients:  flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the large bowl of wet ingredients until fully combined.
4. Press the sugar cookie dough into a large non-stick pan (mine was a 12" circle pan) or a cookie sheet.  Leave an inch or two around the edges, as it will grow when it bakes!
5. Bake the cookie crust for about 15 to 18 minutes, or until it turns light golden brown around the edges.
6. Remove the crust from the oven, & allow it to cool completely.
7. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, almond or coconut milk & vanilla until smooth (this is your frosting).
8. Spread the frosting over the cooled crust in an even layer.
9. Decorate with sliced fruits of your choice!  It's fun to get creative... I even spelled out "Happy 27th" in blueberries once!  
10. Refrigerate until you're ready to serve, and enjoy!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, & enjoy the rest of your weekend!  
Thanks for stopping by,