Pizza Fanatic

Anyone that knows me knows that I love Pizza. I love making it, i love eating it, I've loved it for a long time and it loves me.

I especially like the kind of pizza I make and here goes nothing...

Gooey Sweet Pizza Dough:
3 Cups Flour
1-2 tsp Garlic Salt
2 tsp Yeast
1 tbs Light Corn Syrup or Honey your choice
1 tbs+ Olive Oil
1\2 Cup Milk
1 Cup Water

This is my starting point to be honest. It usually takes more flour than I list here. I also add Wheat Gluten because well when it comes to breads - gluten is good

I combine all this in the ol' Kitchen Aid and turn it on - I start with the dry stuff and mix it for a bit just because it seems logical to me then the syrup or honey then the liquid.

I like a wet dough - some people dont and its okay to be wrong.

Run it around till you get what you are looking for - i run mine till its running up the hook but still sticking pretty good to the sides - I turn the mixer off and let it set for 5 minutes or so.

I have a special little pyrex glass bowl I use for rising my pizza dough. The dough takes exactly half of it - so, when it gets to the top its time to punch it down right. No guessing if its doubled or not.

Any one who knows me knows I am not a patient man. It used to be that I would let it rise once, then shape it out into my pie and let it rise for a couple minutes on the pan and start baking away, well not any more. I have gotten wise in my old age. It tastes soooo much better the longer it rises, just keep pushing it down. I do it 3 times or so. Maybe I use too much yeast, whatever, I like it.

I use this particular recipe or most bread items I do. add some melted butter and an egg, take away some liquid and viola, cinnamon roll or sweet dinner rolls.

Its risen, several times and its roll out time. - well in this case I just kind of pressed it out

Here are your options.
1. Cast Iron Skillet and a Chicago Style deep dish yummy goodness -

If you are going to do this add some corn meal to your dough. not a lot just some for texture. It makes it seem more real.

In this option i divide dough into two parts 75\25 - The 75 is for the bottom and the 25 is for a nice thin top

Roll out and place into your seasoned cast iron skillet with corn meal sprinkled in it for additional non-stick-ness. Sauce, cheese (lots of it) toppings, top crust, slice some breather holes, more sauce and more cheese and wow, yummy goodness. - Oh 375 or so for however long it takes to brown er up.

2. Regular ol' yummy pizza -

Roll it out, put it on your pie pan, make a nice thick edge and top to your hearts delight.

I am a meat guy so its my opinion that only sauce, meat and cheese should go on a pizza. Just my opinion sorry if I am always right.

I bake this magical food vessel at 450 until I cant stand it anymore and take it out and eat it.

Ill go into sauces and all that good stuff next time I make it but for now this is all I've got. Pictures to follow as soon as I get them onto the computer.

Till next time..

James

Broken Heart

     Happy New Year everyone!  I hope that 2014 is settling nicely upon you all.  My little family is feeling quite blessed as we are together for the winter :)  My prayer for you all is that you appreciate those you share your life with.  Living apart from my SO while he worked out of state this last year has brought on a new appreciation for him.  Even his simple presence in the house is a gift, and one not to be taken for granted.  Each year we lose loved ones, due to life circumstances, or those that pass on.  I thank the Lord fr each and every day I have with my family and friends.  I thank Him for carrying us safely through our day, and for keeping precious hearts beating through the night.
     The hearts in my house are very precious.  The hearts of my littles are also of special concern for me.  As many of you know our oldest DD was born with an ASD.  She had open heart surgery at the age of two to repair the hole.  I was pregnant at the time with our third child, our second DD.  Time would pass, and we would discover that our second daughter also had an ASD, but much smaller.  Our little angel grew her wings before it could be repaired.  She passed of SIDS just before turning six months old.  We prayed, we talked to the doctor.  We waited for the right time to have our fourth child.  All the planning in the world went out the window when our DS was born early and sent to the NICU. Months later, we discovered he too has an ASD.  During all of this, I always thanked God for my one child that was healthy.  Our oldest.            He is fit.  He is very healthy, and amazingly strong.  Our cardiologist wanted to check his heart out even though he was healthy.  At our appointment this week they had Bubba hop up on the table and did a quick look at his heart.  The image wasn't great, but there it was, a small hole in the wall between the two atrial chambers of his heart.  Thank you Lord for keeping watch over this boy while my focus was so intensely upon my other children!  It is a small hole, and one that will not cause any problems until he is older, but one that will need to be repaired at some point.
     As the mother of these four beauties, I felt a pain so deep inside of my being, I am sure the feeling will never leave me.  How could I give birth to FOUR broken hearted babies?  I am calling calling myself a broken baby maker, the cardiologist says it is in our genes somewhere, and it is very likely my grandchildren will suffer from the same condition.  We did get the go ahead for upcoming wrestling season, and I will watch with a new found anxiety I am sure.  I wish, no I pray, that I can have the courage to lean on God through this.  As far as heart conditions go, this is simple, easy to fix, and would not cause issues until later in life now that we have made it through the major risk of SIDS.
     Thinking about this week, really almost nine years of motherhood, makes me wonder, what else am I missing? What is distracting me from being a better mother?  I know I will never be perfect, but I strive to be better every day.
     Thanks for reading my rant of the day.  Prayers for you and your families for today, for this new year, and for blessings upon your lives.