Making Pizza

Thanks for the encouragement. Please forgive the delay.  Integrating into three school districts, two falls sports and four children in Susuki violin along with the usual piano times six children, laundry and grocery shopping for ten makes posting difficult but I am aware each day and sending mental encouragement.  I hope that mothers and fathers who feel overwhelmed by schedules, inadequate because of low self esteem, or simply at a loss because of lack of knowledge will make family dinners a priority.  There is no compensation for the unity that comes as we feed each other socially, emotionally and physically.

Last months we made Pizza.  I assigned the 8 year old to make the dough, the ten year old volunteered for the sauce and the six year old relished the pleasure of preparing the crumb topping for the apple crisp.  The results were astounding.  The food was wonderful but the compliments that flew and the glowing eyes that spoke "I did this!" and the sheer pleasure of squishing the butter and the sugar and flour together made the experience priceless.  We price compared a 12 inch pizza on sale for $3.30 (I've also seen them for $2.25 at the discount stores) with a homemade version.  Our homemade pizza with  1 cup of real cheese per pizza cost about $2.30.  Our homemade meal  was well worth the effort to watch the growth in our family.

Pizza Dough ( out of  Betty Crocker's Cookbook 1978)

1 package dry yeast ( 1 TBSP)
1 cup warm water (Baby bottle warm - slightly warm on the wrist)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups flour  ( can be white or wheat or mixed)

Pour water into bowl, Add yeast, sugar, flour, salt and oil.  Mix.  That is all.  We let it sit while we grease a stone, an old glass turntable from a microwave, or a cookie sheet.  Then we roll it to desired thickness of crust - thin or thick.  It raises a little as it bakes.  Crispier crusts are made in hotter ovens (425 degrees F) on stones or glass.  Bake for 12-18 minutes depending on toppings.

Tomato Sauce in the next post-