Homemade Pizza That Tastes Good

I’m not exactly a pizza connoisseur, but I love me a good pizza. I’m terribly spoiled, because I live in Upstate New York, where there are more pizza parlors than people (so it seems). I have tried my hand at making a good homemade pizza, but have failed miserably.

My daughter, however, makes GREAT homemade pizza! OMG this is amazing!!!

We made the crust in the bread machine, a simple white bread dough. We allow it to rise and then we stretch it out in a pan. Allow it to rise again.

I always failed in the next step– from there, I always spread the sauce and cheese and baked it. But the daughter baked the bare dough for just a few minutes before she added the toppings. The crust turned out perfect.

Her toppings are amazing. She used canned pizza sauce (not spaghetti sauce!). She chopped up and cooked frozen meatballs. She used plenty of pepperoni. She steamed fresh broccoli. She slathered on mozzarella cheese (I think she used about 45 ounces of cheese for 4 pizzas!). She spread freshly chopped garlic and plenty of Italian seasoning (dried) herbs. And she baked it all again.

IT WAS MARVELOUS. The pizza was very filling and so delicious. It wasn’t greasy like pizza-parlor pizza, either– the cheese was more like the consistency of egyptian magic cream– smooth and flexible but not oily and runny.

Yeah, it was a lot of work. And yeah, it was expensive. The cheese alone costs $10 per 30-ounce bag. Ouch. Pizza is just an expensive meal, which is so ironic because it was invented as a cheapo means to use up leftovers.

I also think homemade pizza is more healthy. Which gives us another excuse to make it again!

In the Kitchen

*snicker*

I’m on a spree, a tin-sign-hanging spree. I’ve decided to fill my kitchen walls with tin signs, usually referring to cooking, cleaning or wifely duties in general. This one just came in the mail yesterday. I love it!!!

HAHA!!!

I also got this one. We don’t drink Coca-Cola (or any soda, actually, except ginger ale when we’re sick), but I like the Victorian flair and the color. The color perfectly matches my red dining room. I’ve hung this on the wall in the kitchen that leads into the dining room, for a nice transition.

My favorite is this one:

I have tons more but I didn’t feel like taking photos. :-p But believe me, they are all very funny, even the rv repair one. HAHA!

Do you decorate your kitchen? What style do you like best? I guess mine could be considered “eclectic retro.” LOL

Apple Season Commences!

I don’t know, it seems kind of early for apple season. Or maybe September has just kind of caught up to me very quickly…. at any rate, all my local news outlets are reporting that Upstate New York has a bumper crop of apples this year!

What’s really amazing is that the apples survived the crazy weather we’ve had this year. A soaking spring, super hot and super dry summer, tornadoes, TWO hurricanes, and now a blight. :-p Gotta love New York apples! They’re hardy little things!

By the way, if you are like me and can’t remember if Spys are for pies or for fries, or what’s a best eating apple versus the baking apples, see this website: Pick Your Own. They have a huge list of all the apple varieties, when they are in season, what you can use them for, and more. They also have some yummy recipes, places to find PYO apple farms, and loads more information on their site. The varieties list is long, though, beware. Better print it out or load it on your pc tablet for easy access…. I had no idea there were so many apple varieties!

Back in Business

The smell of the oven is wafting upstairs into my study.

Mmmmmmmm.

My daughter is cooking. It’s a zucchini, cheesy, something or other casserole bake-y thing. It smells so good. I think our oven has missed us.

It poured rain today and it’s been rather chilly this week. I have LOVED every second of it. I can’t wait to make my pot roasts and baked apple cobbler and beef stews and ham and black beans soups, yum! I just love fall!

Summer food is good, too. I like hamburgers and sausages, macaroni salad and the abundance of fresh fruits and delicious vegetables. I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of salads. And the husband has become an expert in Beer Merchandise with all this summertime feasting. But I miss the smells of the crockpot simmering a pot roast. I love baked potatoes and steamed broccoli and brussels sprouts. That’s what fall means to me.

So I think today is the start of another beautiful cooking season. How about you? Have you got any fabulous cooking plans this fall?