We just got back from a wonderful weekend away in beautiful California City. For those of you who think the words "beautiful" and "California City" should not coexist together, you are sadly mistaken. I think I witnessed the most beautiful sunsets, and it was incredible to watch the moon rise over the horizon into the starry sky. Sunrises and sunsets are really quite spectacular in the desert, and I love the big sky and all the stars. Our Creator is so creative!
It is so exciting for me to watch my boys enjoy the sport of dirtbiking like their Daddy has for many years. What a great thing for them to experience together, and such a "boy thing" too. I mean, what boy wouldn't like dirt, motorcycles, and soda? Pretty much sums up our trip.
Anyways, we had a great time with some great friends. Magnum loved his first camping trip, and was a great camping dog. Summer on the other hand.....I think we will leave her home next time!
Here is a video my friend's son filmed while we were there of the kids riding. See if you can spot Luke's "no-footer". Enjoy!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Pizza Dough
I have been on a quest for the best homemade pizza dough for years. I have probably blogged about it before and you are tired of hearing about it. Well, I finally gave up, because every dough I tried either baked up with an unappetizing texture, or was way too much work. I resorted to using Trader Joe's dough, which quite frankly, is cheap, easy, and pretty good! At what, $1.49 per dough, that is still a remarkable cheap way to put dinner on the table. But I have finally beat that! Trader Joe's has NOTHING on this recipe. Try .40 per dough! Take that!!!
If you follow my blog, you may have read about my discovery of the Artisan bread in 5 minutes a day...if you haven't read about that, you can find it here. Well, the pizza dough is a variation of this method. An even easier variation to boot, if that is even possible. It is so simple. Simply mix the ingredients together in a bucket, let it sit for 2 hours on the counter, then refrigerate. The batch makes 4 pizza crusts, and can stay in the refrigerator for up to two weeks! When you are ready to make pizza, you pull off a hunk of dough, roll it out onto parchment, and you are ready to add your toppings.
For years, I have made pizza every Wednesday night for dinner, since Wednesday is our night down at church for Awana/bible studies. Pizza is an easy meal to serve, and simple to clean up, so we can get out of the house quickly after dinner and be on time to where we need to be. I can now make a batch of this dough, and it will last for two Wednesdays in a row (two pizzas each week), minimizing the work even furthur. I buy a two pound hunk of mozzarella at Sam's club, which is the perfect amount for two weeks dinners. So half a hunk = two pizzas. I make a homemade sauce which is enough for 2-3 weeks, and just freeze the leftovers in little containers that I can pull out Wednesday morning. Add some pepperoni or whatever toppings I have on hand, add a salad, and dinner is served. Here is the recipe for the pizza dough. Perhaps you will institute a pizza night at your house!
If you follow my blog, you may have read about my discovery of the Artisan bread in 5 minutes a day...if you haven't read about that, you can find it here. Well, the pizza dough is a variation of this method. An even easier variation to boot, if that is even possible. It is so simple. Simply mix the ingredients together in a bucket, let it sit for 2 hours on the counter, then refrigerate. The batch makes 4 pizza crusts, and can stay in the refrigerator for up to two weeks! When you are ready to make pizza, you pull off a hunk of dough, roll it out onto parchment, and you are ready to add your toppings.
For years, I have made pizza every Wednesday night for dinner, since Wednesday is our night down at church for Awana/bible studies. Pizza is an easy meal to serve, and simple to clean up, so we can get out of the house quickly after dinner and be on time to where we need to be. I can now make a batch of this dough, and it will last for two Wednesdays in a row (two pizzas each week), minimizing the work even furthur. I buy a two pound hunk of mozzarella at Sam's club, which is the perfect amount for two weeks dinners. So half a hunk = two pizzas. I make a homemade sauce which is enough for 2-3 weeks, and just freeze the leftovers in little containers that I can pull out Wednesday morning. Add some pepperoni or whatever toppings I have on hand, add a salad, and dinner is served. Here is the recipe for the pizza dough. Perhaps you will institute a pizza night at your house!
Pizza Dough (From Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a Day)
makes 4 one pound loaves
2 3/4 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tbsp yeast
1 1/2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
6 1/2 cups unbleached flour
In a large bucket or bowl with lid, mix all ingredients except flour. Add flour, and mix with a large spoon until well combined. Place lid loosely on bowl or bucket, and let sit on counter for at least two hours. Refrigerate for up to two weeks.
To bake, preheat pizza stone or pan in oven at 550. Make pizza by stretching dough onto parchment with floured hands. Add flour if necessary to prevent sticking. Add toppings and slide onto hot stone. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly and crust is browning.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Lately
I have SO dropped the ball with this blog. I just can't seem to keep up on it, and then I find myself with SO much to say that I am overwhelmed. This school year has really ramped up our lives. Having a high schooler, a junior high student, and an elementary student has us all over the place. It is busier than I am used to being, but I am slowly settling into life and rearranging my once very organized schedule to accomodate for all the activities. I still remain confident that in order to homeschool, you actually need to be home! I am still sticking with my healthy fear of overcommiting and being careful that all of these things don't get in the way of being able to effectively serve my husband and my family's needs, and that our home is still clean, organized, and running efficiently. And I am most happy when that is the case! With all that said, we truly are enjoying all of our wonderful opportunities this year, and the boys are thriving. We are so blessed.
I never did blog about my Dad's wedding! He got married last month to a sweet and wonderful lady, Mili. My sister and I threw them a magnificent 50's themed reception at Karen's house. There is no need for me to go into details, because Karen blogged it perfectly right here.
Dave has been super busy at work, which is SO good, and SO God. He is choosing to prosper Handmade in ways we could have never imagined. And Dave gets to build incredible works of art! We are so thankful. And we love his schedule....he has Fridays off!
Austin ran for ASB secretary of our homeschool group, and is now enjoying serving in that capacity. He is really enjoying planning and recording all kinds of fun events for our group, and I am enjoying seeing him grow and learn to be a leader.
Luke started drum lessons a couple week ago. Wow! He is doing so well. He went from making ridiculously irritating noises in the garage to playing beats in a matter of one week. His teacher is awesome, and he is really enjoying it so much. I love listening to him play now! It will be such a great outlet for Luke's energy, and I look forward to how he can use his skill in the future.
It's camping season! We are going to ride dirt bikes this weekend in Cal City, and we are starting to plan our big annual Thanksgiving Camping Trip for next month. So fun. And when I say "We are going to ride", I really mean "Dave and the boys." I enjoy being the "trailer Mom"....and no, that is not a redneck term. I don't ride anymore, after my seemingly harmless rides usually end up with me being confined to a bed in pain for a week. "Why do you have to be soooo OLD??!!" That's from the movie Despicable Me, and it seems to be my motto these days. Yeah, I just prefer to provide the meals, snacks, and activities for all my happy riders, and let boys be boys. I just stand at the trailer door and ask "Do you want a cookie?" It's exactly where I like to be.
Our little puppy Magnum, or "Num-Num" for short, it getting so BIG! He is now six months old, and it's as if we never knew life without him. Summer and Magnum are buddies, although both probably prefer people before each other. Magnum is such a good dog, and Summer is, well, not like that. Summer just doesn't get along with other dogs, but she loves people. And barking. And gophers. Nuff said.
So that's my update. I'm sure you are better off for knowing it. Sure. I promise to provide something valuable in the near future. Maybe some new recipes? Pictures??? I'll work on it!
I never did blog about my Dad's wedding! He got married last month to a sweet and wonderful lady, Mili. My sister and I threw them a magnificent 50's themed reception at Karen's house. There is no need for me to go into details, because Karen blogged it perfectly right here.
Dave has been super busy at work, which is SO good, and SO God. He is choosing to prosper Handmade in ways we could have never imagined. And Dave gets to build incredible works of art! We are so thankful. And we love his schedule....he has Fridays off!
Austin ran for ASB secretary of our homeschool group, and is now enjoying serving in that capacity. He is really enjoying planning and recording all kinds of fun events for our group, and I am enjoying seeing him grow and learn to be a leader.
Luke started drum lessons a couple week ago. Wow! He is doing so well. He went from making ridiculously irritating noises in the garage to playing beats in a matter of one week. His teacher is awesome, and he is really enjoying it so much. I love listening to him play now! It will be such a great outlet for Luke's energy, and I look forward to how he can use his skill in the future.
It's camping season! We are going to ride dirt bikes this weekend in Cal City, and we are starting to plan our big annual Thanksgiving Camping Trip for next month. So fun. And when I say "We are going to ride", I really mean "Dave and the boys." I enjoy being the "trailer Mom"....and no, that is not a redneck term. I don't ride anymore, after my seemingly harmless rides usually end up with me being confined to a bed in pain for a week. "Why do you have to be soooo OLD??!!" That's from the movie Despicable Me, and it seems to be my motto these days. Yeah, I just prefer to provide the meals, snacks, and activities for all my happy riders, and let boys be boys. I just stand at the trailer door and ask "Do you want a cookie?" It's exactly where I like to be.
Our little puppy Magnum, or "Num-Num" for short, it getting so BIG! He is now six months old, and it's as if we never knew life without him. Summer and Magnum are buddies, although both probably prefer people before each other. Magnum is such a good dog, and Summer is, well, not like that. Summer just doesn't get along with other dogs, but she loves people. And barking. And gophers. Nuff said.
So that's my update. I'm sure you are better off for knowing it. Sure. I promise to provide something valuable in the near future. Maybe some new recipes? Pictures??? I'll work on it!
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