Day 354 - Pizza Parlanno (and Drive Thru Bethlehem!)

Last night David and I reprised our roles of Mary and Joseph in Drive Thru Bethlehem!!  It is held every year at the Drive In Church of Daytona Beach, FL.  We first noticed the church when we drove by it one time and couldn’t believe our eyes – a DRIVE IN CHURCH??  I researched it a bit and it is a legit thing:  people drive in, park, and stay in their cars for Sunday service, listening on the radio tuned into a specific channel.  :)  Then I found out they have a DRIVE THRU BETHLEHEM, and well, how could I pass that up??? 

Drive Thru Bethlehem family photo 2015:  Joseph holding Black 'n' White, me holding plastic Baby Jesus, and depressed donkey Forest behind me.

The first year I signed us up to be an angel (me) standing waaaaay high up on scaffolding and wearing beauuuutiful wings, and a Wise Man (David) pointing at the star.  Only when we got there, they had an emergency:  NO MARY!  So they asked if I would play Mary, and the rest is history (or her-story, as the case would be).  J  Last night was year number 3 for me to play Mary and year 2 for David as Joseph. 

Mary and Baby Jesus in a quiet moment, getting PHOTO BOMBED by Salt the bunny

Typical manger photo scene - camera proppped on the ground in hay and poop,
Mary runs to her seat to get there before the camera timer goes off, and the GOATS start eating the camera,
necessitating Mary to LEAP UP to save the camera and both of us to crack up.

We only do a 2 hour shift, but it is so lovely!  Cars turn off their headlights, tune into the right radio station, and drive thru to see basket and rug weavers, angels on high (scaffolding, which looked quite dangerous in high winds last night!), a baker, candlemaker, wise men, and of course, the grand finale of MARY and JOSEPH with little BABY JESUS (who is played by a doll that has really strangely demonic looking eyeballs and Elvis like hair…  Every year I want to bring my own doll but am afraid to look like a Mary prima donna so I don’t…).  Our stable has REAL LIVE ANIMALS in it and they are always hilarious.  This year we had geese, a duck (we can’t tell ducks and geese apart mind you), 2 baby lambs, 2 bunnies (named Salt ‘n’ Peppa!!), a one month old donkey named Forest who seemed extremely depressed and we suspect needed medication, a mini bull named Kai who became fast friends with David/Joseph, 2 tiny goats (one who had devil like horns that we named “Satan” but later learned was actually named Cain), and a sheep.  For someone who has not really been around animals, this is my yearly exposure!!  For 2 hours I am surrounded by farm life!!  I even pet some of them last night.  The little black and white goat (who we named Black ‘n’ White) was super cute, and the mini bull and baby donkey were so surprisingly SOFT. 

Mary in a moment of PANIC - the animals were going nuts!!

I love that evening every year.  I always suspect I get more out of it than the people in the cars driving through.  Last night we got the most genuine “God bless you” that I have ever heard directed at us, and a woman who sounded as if her breath was actually taken away by it all managed to squeak out, “It is so be-auuuu-ti-ful…..”.  We have never attended church there but are glad they let us volunteer every year.

Peace on earth, good will to man.  Joseph signing off for the year.

I am late writing today’s review (it is 4:00 pm) because I am feeling so lazy.  I finally showered (with TJ’s Refresh Body Wash, of course, reviewed here just yesterday) and am now sitting out on the patio to write.  It is 71 degrees so this is a lovely excuse to get some fresh air and write.

Let’s review Pizza Parlanno, shall we?

  

It's a frozen pizza, do look in the frozen section to find it.  Duh.

I didn’t think this pizza was great.  it was a FROZEN PIZZA, not much better than any you would get at another store.  I don’t have a lot of frozen pizza eating experience to compare this one to, but I don’t think it is much better than the BBQ Chicken one we ate the other night with our guests

(reviewed here). 

David added extra mozzarella to this one, which helped.  I added garlic powder and crushed red pepper which also improved the taste. The main taste I got out of this pizza was SAUSAGE.  I didn’t really taste the pepperoni at all (even though I could see it).  the only tastes I got were SAUSAGE, cheese, and crust. 

Just because it wasn't my favorite dinner doesn't mean I didn't eat a lot of it.

This pizza will do the job if you need a quick dinner but I could not call it “gourmet” food.

David agrees that this is a “do the job” type of dish.  He says, “It is a meat enjoyers pizza.  The sausage and pepperoni both seem like high quality meat and not gristle.  The extra mozzarella cheese is nice but may not be necessary because the crust tastes good.  It’s a frozen pizza, but it is a good quality one.  I would give it a 4.”

I would use the five bucks to buy one of TJ's better tasting pizzas/flat breads if I were you.

Neither of us could taste the peppers, but David could taste the pepperoni.  This is a fast, quick, and easy dish.  It is not one I want to eat every week (I probably won’t buy it again), but if you are a family that likes PIZZA a lot, you might dig it.  I give it a 3.

Price – $4.99

Rating (average of 2) – 3.5