Merry Christmas!

It's a couple of days before Christmas and I thought I could share some recipes and ideas that might inspire you. I'm sure most of you have been just as busy as I have been! Shopping, baking, wrapping, more shopping! It can be overwhelming but I hope that you are all enjoying this time of year as well.


Growing up we always celebrated festa dei sette pesci, feast of the seven fishes, on La Vigilia, Christmas Eve. Over the years this celebration has evolved. Last year was the first time that I have hosted at our house. We had done the same thing as years past and ordered fish from Bradford Seafood. It's very good but my grandmother likes fried fish and the rest of us find it to be too much fried food! So my mother and I made an executive decision last year and decided that I would cook the following year. As much as I would love to continue on with the tradition of the seven fish, I don't find it necessary to make seven different fish dishes for eight people! I've decided to keep it simple but homemade and yummy of course! I'm going to make a baked haddock, a fresh salad, and to keep the peace with my grandmother we will make waffle fries! My mother is also going to bring shrimp cocktail. Sounds good to me! Should be delicious! Hopefully my fellow Italian followers will gain some inspiration from this post and realize it's okay to cut back and still stick with your traditions! Buon Natale!


I know not everyone will celebrate Christmas the same but I'm sure a lot of you will celebrate with a cocktail! Here is what I'm going to be mixing up on Christmas Eve.


Candy Cane Martini 

• 1/2 oz. Peppermint Schnapps
• 1 1/2 oz. Vanilla Vodka

Fill a shaker with ice, vodka and peppermint schnapps. Shake to mix and strain into a chilled martini glass rimmed with crushed candy canes. Garnish with a mini candy cane! Enjoy!

For dessert I'm going to make my grandmothers favorite dessert. This is a delicious cake/bread that is great for both the fall and winter seasons. I got this recipe from a former co-worker. We used to make it with the kids after a nice apple picking field trip.

Apple Cake

• 3 cups apples, peeled and chopped (about 3 large apples)
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp cinnamon

1. Mix together oil, eggs and sugar and vanilla.
2. Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices.
3. Add to oil mixture.
4. Stir in apples.
5. Add 1 cup of raisins and 1 cup of chopped walnuts. (optional)
6. Bake in two bread pans or 1 bundt pan at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

                                     

This cake is so yummy that it is gone within 24 hours! My grandmother likes to enjoy a slice with a cup of tea or coffee. You can also make a glaze to drizzle over the cake or dust with powdered sugar but it certainly doesn't need it! It is delicious just the way it is!


I am wishing everyone the happiest of holidays! Relax, enjoy and celebrate with your loved ones! 

Buon Natale!

Happy Thanksgiving... Better Late Than Never!!

I hope everyone had a fantastic, food filled Thanksgiving! I certainly did! With this busy holiday season fast approaching I have been slacking in the blogging department. I had good intentions of posting my Thanksgiving day menu much earlier but it just didn't happen. Why not post it now?! Of course these recipes are so versatile that they could be made for any gathering or even a nice family dinner during the week. So read on and hopefully you will find something that inspires you!

When I knew we were hosting Thanksgiving this year the first thing I thought of was of course.... no, not turkey, a holiday themed beverage!! I found a recipe for punch that sounded festive and delicious so I just had to try it! It was quite fabulous and I recommend you try it.

Thanksgiving Punch 

• 1 bottle of dry sparkling white wine
• 3 1/3 oz brandy
• 3 1/3 oz creme de framboise (raspberry liqueur) I used chambord 
• 18 oz cranberry juice
• 8 1/3 oz fresh orange juice
• handful of fresh cranberries
• handful of fresh raspberries
• 2 oranges, sliced
• sprig of fresh mint

1. Pour all ingredients into a punch bowl. Stir.
2. Just before guests arrive add the ice cubes, slices or orange, mint and the berries.

That simple! Okay, a couple of things. First of all you don't have to worry about getting the measurements exactly right. You're mixing a cocktail not baking a cake! Second, if you don't have a punch bowl (which I do not) use a pitcher instead. Third, you may want to add less chambord because it is very sweet. Remember, you can always add more but you can't take it out once it's mixed in the punch! And my last suggestions for this punch is to add all the ingredients (except the ice) rather than waiting for guests to arrive. I found that adding the mint earlier gave the punch a more minty taste. Delish!! So try this out at your next party. You can of course switch out the fruits to suit you liking. Enjoy!

Once I had a nice cocktail I was ready to start cooking! First things first... appetizers. We weren't having many people so I decided to keep it simple. Some easy things that your guests can snack on before the big meal are mixed nuts and cheese and crackers. This is a nice easy way to have something on your table that doesn't require a lot of preparation. Just open a can of nuts and pour them into a pretty bowl. For the cheese and crackers all you have to do is slice the cheese. You can get fancy when arranging them on a plate to add a little extra 'fancy' to a simple appetizer! Along with the nuts, cheese and crackers I did make one appetizer that is always a huge hit whenever I make it! Here it is.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

• 14 oz artichoke hearts
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 cups of freshly chopped spinach
• 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
• grated white cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix everything except the grated cheese together.
2. Place the mixture in an oven-proof dish, then top with the cheese.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until spinach is tender and the cheese is nicely melted. 
4. Serve with tortilla chips.

This recipe is so easy to whip up and it's so delicious!! You can always use frozen spinach if you don't have fresh spinach. I usually defrost it in the microwave before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. Make this at your next gathering or bring to the next party you attend and I guarantee it will be a big hit!

To start our dinner off nicely I made a butternut squash soup. Well actually that isn't exactly true! I had picked up our CSA share the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and to my surprise there wasn't any butternut squash in my box! Oh well, that is part of the fun of participating in a CSA. There are no guarantees as to what you will receive each week. We did however get calabsa squash. I had never heard of it either!! It was a very large squash that looked like a pumpkin. I did a little research and found out that it is similar to butternut squash so I figured I might as well use it. It took me quite some time to peel and cut this large squash and when I was finally finished there was a total of just about 8 pounds! Much more than I needed for the soup but that's okay. Now I had a bag of cubed squash in my fridge for  future recipes! My mother in law found this recipe and I really like it! Here it is.

Butternut Squash Soup With Gruyere Toasts

• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large Gala apples, peeled, cored and chopped (you can substitute the Gala apples for another kind of apple,use what you have!)
• 3 pounds of butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 8 cups)
• 1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 1 box (32oz) of broth, chicken or vegetable
• 1 cup of apple cider or juice
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Gruyere Toasts

• 16 slices (1/2 inch thick) baguette
• 2 oz of Gruyere cheese, finely shredded

1. Melt butter in a 5 quart pot over medium-high heat. Stir in onion and apples. 
2. Saute 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.
3. Add butternut squash, ginger, broth, cider or juice, salt and pepper. 
4. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until vegetable are very soft. 
5. Let cool for 5 minutes.
6. Process soup in very small batches in a blender or food processor until smooth(alternately, use an immersion blender to puree.) 
7. Return soup to the pot and add cream. Season with the salt to taste. Warm over low heat if necessary.
8. Heat broiler.
9. Place baguette slices on foil lined baking sheet. Broil 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Take toasts out of the oven, turn over and sprinkle each slice with some Gruyere. Broil 2-3 minutes until cheese is bubble and melted. 
11. Serve soup with one of the Gruyere toasts.

I love the toasts with this soup! It is so good! If you don't have an immersion blender you should consider getting one. It comes in very handy if you like to make pureed soups. When you are able to puree right in the pot there is one less thing to clean and that is always a bonus!

Since we are vegetarian I did not make a turkey for our Thanksgiving dinner. Some of our guests do eat turkey though so my mom made the turkey and brought if over with her. I know that turkey is a huge part of Thanksgiving dinner but I have to say that I don't miss the turkey when there are so many delicious sides to fill my plate and my belly! Here is a vegetable recipe that I love because I can use a variety of veggies in one delicious dish! Plus it calls for Gruyere cheese which I used on the toasts in the soup recipe. This way we, and by we I mean my husband, can shred the cheese all at once!

Root Vegetable Gratin 

• 3 pounds of assorted root vegetables, peeled and cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
• 3 table spoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 cup of thinly sliced shallots
• 1 1/3 cups low fat milk, divided
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups finely shredded Gruyere cheese, divided
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. If using parsnips, quarter lengthwise and remove the woody core before cutting into slices. 
3. Cook vegetables in a pot of boiling water until barely tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until light brown, 3-4 minutes. Add 1 cup of mild and bring to a simmer. Combine flour and the remaining 1/3 cup of milk in a small bowl to make a smooth paste. Stir into the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in 3/4 cup cheese, thyme, salt and pepper.
5. Combine breadcrumbs, the remaining 3/4 cup cheese and 1 tablespoon oil in a bowl.
6. Layer the vegetable slices in the prepared baking dish. Pour the cheese over the top and top with the breadcrumb mixture.
7. Bake the gratin until it is bubbling and the top is golden, 30-40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

I could eat this as my meal and be completely satisfied! So yummy and you can use whatever root veggies you have on hand. I used parsnips, red and golden beets, turnips and carrots.

Of course we had mashed potatoes, corn and peas but I don't think I need to include any of those recipes! The other thing I made was cranberry sauce. It's so easy to make and it's better than the canned version. Plus you can easily make it ahead of time and not have to worry about it Thanksgiving day. Give it a try! 

Cranberry Sauce

• 1 pound of fresh cranberries, washed
• 1-2 cups of granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup of water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 orange, zested and juiced

1. In a medium pot, combine the cranberries, sugar and water. Stir to blend.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
3. Reduce to a simmer and add the cinnamon stick, allspice and nutmeg. Stir to blend and simmer for an additional 5-7 minutes.
4. Some of the cranberries will burst and some will remain whole.
5. Add the orange juice and zest, stir and allow to cool before serving.

It's that easy! Fresh, homemade and no preservatives! Can't go wrong there. I found that it's best to make this ahead of time so that the sauce has time to congeal in the fridge before serving. Personally I find that 2 cups of sugar is way too much! Start by adding 1/2 cup and go from there. Remember, you can always add more but you can't take it out once you put it in. Try this out and add other ingredients such as nuts and soon you'll have your own signature cranberry sauce.

Of course no meal is complete without fresh baked rolls, well at least at my house! Fresh baked rolls are not as difficult to make as you may think. You can use active dry yeast but I prefer the rapid rise because it's faster and so much easier!

Classic Dinner Rolls 

• 1 envelope of rapid rise yeast
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 2-2 1/2 cups of flour
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl (starting with 1-1/2 cups of flour).
3. Combine wet ingredients in a saucepan and heat on low until butter is melted.
4. Add milk mixture to the mixing bowl and beat at medium speed.
5. Add more flour 1/2 cup at a time until a soft dough forms.
6. Continue to knead with the mixer for an additional 2 minutes. If the dough is sticking to the bottom of the bowl you need to add more flour.
7. Cover the dough and let sit for 10 minutes.
8. Grease an 8 inch round pan.
9. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces and shape into balls. Place in the pan.
10. Cover and let rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
11. Uncover and bake rolls for 20-25 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown of the top. Remove from pan and serve.

These fresh rolls are so yummy, especially nice and warm right out of the oven! I always make these with lasagna! Try it out and you may not ever buy rolls in a tube again!

Last but not least... dessert! I don't know about you, but by the time I was done with my meal there was no room left for dessert. But none the less we had plenty of it! I decided to make a festive trifle for Thanksgiving dessert. This is where I strayed slightly from my 'homemade' approach. I know, I know... tisk, tisk!! You can make this one from scratch if you like but packaged gingerbread and pudding is what I used. Oh well! Here it is.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

• 1 package of gingerbread mix
• 1 package of vanilla pudding (I used instant)
• 1 (30 oz) can of pumpkin pie filling
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 (12 oz) container of cool whip
• 1/2 cup gingersnaps

1. Bake the gingerbread according to the packager directions. Cool completely.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and store in the fridge until ready to use.
3. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar and cinnamon into the pudding.
4. Crumble some of the gingerbread into the bottom of a trifle bowl.
5. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of cool whip.
6. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding and cool whip. 
7. Sprinkle the top with crushed gingersnaps.

So not necessarily homemade but yummy and festive! This trifle can be made so many different ways. You can use chocolate cake, chocolate pudding and as an extra treat add crushed skor bars! This could also be made as a 4th of July trifle by using angle food cake, cool whip and strawberries and blueberries. Try it out, modify it, make it your own!

Here is a picture of my plate on Thanksgiving. I didn't even have turkey but my entire plate was full... along with my belly! Sadly I was not a member of the clean plate club! Oh well, maybe next year!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving dinner along with good company. Please try out some of these recipes and let me know what you think. Check back soon because I am going to try my hardest to post some Christmas recipes before Christmas actually arrives! Look forward to another festive cocktail and a delicious dessert! Happy cooking!

Recipes taken from:
www.womansday.com
www.foodnetwork.com
www.eatingwell.com
The Complete Home Bartender's Guide http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Home-Bartenders-Guide-Recipes/dp/0806985119

Super Sweet Potatoes!

No your eyes are not playing tricks on you, that is one gigantic sweet potato!! This big boy was in our CSA box last week. I already had a bunch of sweet potatoes from the previous week so I knew it was time to start making something with sweet potatoes in it! My mother in law had been telling me about a Sweet Potato Flatbread she had made a couple of times so I figured it was time to try it out. It was delicious! Even Tyler liked it! So since it was such a huge success I though I should share this fabulous recipe with others. Try it out... you won't be disappointed!

Sweet Potato Flatbread

Ingredients

• Cornmeal, for the baking sheet
• 1 lb. pizza dough, thawed if frozen (I of course made mine. Refer to http://homemadejess.blogspot.com/2011/10/october-is-national-pizza-month.html for my pizza dough recipe)
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 4 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• Kosher salt and pepper 

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Dust a baking sheet with cornmeal.
2. Shape the dough into a large 14 inch long rectangle or oval and place on the prepared baking sheet.
3. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potato, shallots, cheddar cheese, thyme, almonds, oil, salt and pepper. 
4. Scatter the potato mixture over the dough and bake until golden brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with salad, if desired.

                                                  

Easy and so yummy!! Try it out and let me know what you think. Did you make any changes to the recipe that was really good? Tell us what you did so other's can try it too.

*Here's a tip for slicing the sweet potatoes and shallots. Use a mandolin slicer if you have one. It makes slicing easy and as a result you get really thin, consistent slices. 

Recipe from Woman's Day 

www.womansday.com

My Newfound Love Affair With Squash

With the change of the season brings the excitement of new seasonal vegetables. As much as I miss heirloom tomatoes, basil and zucchini, I look forward to welcoming broccoli, sweet potatoes and winter squash into our home! Believe it or not I haven't always been a fan of squash. I know... crazy right!?! Well now that I am fully invested in CSA I have made it my mission to try to enjoy squash. I wanted to try incorporating squash into recipes rather than just having pureed squash, not that there is anything wrong with that! I am happy to say that I found a winner!! This recipe, like all the recipes on this blog, can be adapted to suit your taste. 

Penne With Braised Squash and Greens

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces smoked tofu, cubed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes(about 3 cups)
• 1 small bunch Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves cut into 1 inch pieces
• 8 ounces whole wheat penne, rigatoni or fusilli pasta
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil for cooking pasta.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tofu and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. 
3. Add onion to the pan; cook, stirring often, until softened and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
4. Return the tofu to the pan and add broth and squash; bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Add chard and stir to immerse. Cover and cook until the squash and chard are tender, about 5 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, cook pasta until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and return to the pot. 
7. Add the squash mixture, Parmesan, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

I'm so glad that I found this recipe because I LOVE it! The best part about this recipe is that it is easy to adapt to your liking or change it according to what you have for ingredients. For example, I have never seen smoked tofu nor do I have any interest in trying it anytime soon! My family loves tofu so I always have it in my fridge. So for this recipe I use firm or extra firm tofu. Now I'm sure a lot of you are thinking, 'I hate tofu!', and that's fine. I have not tried this recipe with chicken, since we don't eat meat, but I don't see any reason why you couldn't use chicken in place of the tofu. Of course you could also leave the tofu out completely and not substitute it at all. The recipe calls for Swiss chard but kale or spinach would work as well. As for the cheese, Parmesan is great, but the first time I made this I didn't have any Parmesan. I did however have some Gruyere left over from another recipe. Personally I think the Gruyere was even better than the Parmesan! Gruyere cheese has a slight nutty, earthy flavor that pairs really well with the fresh vegetables.

So if you are not a squash lover, as I was, I encourage you to try this recipe because I really think you'll enjoy it! As always let me know what you think and let me know if you made any substitutions that I didn't think of. Good luck and good eating! 

Recipe adapted from http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/penne_with_braised_squash_greens.html

Pancakes, Pancakes!

So I saw an article on Yahoo the other day about whether or not there is a difference between pancakes made from scratch or from a mix. Basically the end result from their "research" was that there wasn't much difference so you might as well use the mix in a box and save yourself some time. No, no, no, no! I'm not sure who they asked or who made the pancakes, but I can assure you there is a difference and it is totally worth it to make them from scratch! I don't remember the last time I bought a box of pancake mix but I can tell you that I bought buttermilk last week to make my own pancake mix.

You don't need to be a master chef to make your own pancake batter and it doesn't take much time either! I make homemade pancakes every weekend and I'm challenging you to try it at least once and tell me weather or not you think there is a difference. Here is an easy recipe.

Ingredients
2 eggs
2 cups of buttermilk(You can use regular milk if you don't have buttermilk but I recommend the buttermilk!)
2 cups of flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2-3 Tbsp. sugar
1tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 Tbsp. of vegetable oil

Directions
Use just one bowl.
Slightly beat eggs.
Add buttermilk, baking soda and baking powder and mix.
Add flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir.
Fold in oil.
Do not over stir. It's best to leave a few lumps!
Lightly grease a griddle with oil.
Spoon batter onto griddle and turn when they are puffed up and full of little bubbles.
Makes 12-15 pancakes!

Easy enough right? Of course you can add blueberries or chocolate chips if you want. My dad used to add bits of apples to his pancakes! YUM! Try whatever you like! Serve with butter and syrup and a nice cup of coffee! So please try this at least once. You won't regret it and I bet you won't be buying pancake mix in a box any more! Enjoy and please leave a comment to let me know how your pancakes turn out.

Community Supported Agriculture: Are you a member?

I only learned about Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) two years ago. I was frustrated that I could not afford to buy all local, organic fruits and vegetables for my family. What do you do when you are faced with a dilemma in this day and age? Post it on Facebook of course! Immediately someone suggested that I look into CSA's in our area. I like to do research so I began a search online to see what CSA's were all about and how I could be a part of this wonderful concept. Little did I know that this would be the beginning of a wonderful new adventure for me and my family! I find that belonging to a CSA has greatly influenced my 'Homemade' approach. I highly recommend considering joining a CSA. At least do a little research! For those of you who are unfamiliar with CSA's here is some information.


A farmer advertises their CSA program offering a certain number of shares. Consumers purchase a share for the season and in return they receive a box of seasonal produce each week. There are benefits for both the farmer and the consumer. When the farmer receives payments in the beginning of the season, they are able to buy seeds and supplies needed to produce the food. Consumers benefit by getting local, fresh produce each week. Delicious, organic produce is not the only benefit of being a CSA member. By participating in a local CSA you are helping the environment. Your produce is not traveling as far as grocery store produce, which travels an average of 1500 miles. (National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service) You will be eating what is in season in your local area. And you are also investing in preserving local farmland.

Some of the reasons I love being part of a CSA:

• Trying new vegetables. Have you ever had Tatsoi or Kohlrabi? Have you ever enjoyed the flavors or beauty of Garlic Scapes and Romanesco? If you answered no to those questions then you're missing out!
• Experimenting with new recipes.
• Having the ability to can or preserve vegetables for the winter season.

Hopefully I have sparked some interest and you will consider becoming a CSA member! Here are some links to help you get started.

If you are interested in finding a CSA in your area as well as more information about CSA's in general:www.localharesvt.org/csa/

Here is the CSA where I am a member:www.farmerdaves.net

I hope you will do some research to learn more about this wonderful opportunity. Let me know if you decide to become a member of a CSA in your area!

This is an example of what you might get in your share.

Kayla enjoying an ear of corn at our CSA member appreciation pot luck party!

October is National Pizza Month!

Buongiorno!

Who knew October was National Pizza Month? Well, my husband did! He let me know via a text message yesterday. I'm pretty sure he was hinting at the fact that he wanted pizza for dinner last night. Unfortunately we were having leftovers. I really shouldn't say unfortunately because leftovers was eggplant parmigiana, homemade of course! No problem though, we always have pizza on Friday nights.

We had always ordered our pizza on Friday nights from various pizza shops near our house and enjoyed it. The only problem was that we were not only ordering pizza. We got into the habit of getting french fries or onion rings or mozzarella sticks to go along with the pizza. I'll admit... onion rings are my weakness!! I love them but I really do not need to be eating them once a week! So instead of ordering our pizza, with various sides, I decided to start making my own homemade pizza and a healthier side dish. This would be our new Friday pizza night. Fresh, homemade pizza and salad!

So in honor of National Pizza Month, I would like to encourage everyone to make their own pizza at least once! It's a healthier, tastier, family friendly option to ordering out. And since you're making your own, everyone can choose their own toppings! Let's get started!

First things first... the dough. The easiest way to make pizza dough is with a mixer. If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, use it! You will be so thrilled at how easy it is! You won't have to knead the dough by hand because the mixer does all the work for you. The best part of this recipe is that you don't have to roll the dough out! I know I haven't always had an easy time rolling out pizza dough! Here is a recipe for basic pizza dough that I use (from the Kitchen Aid stand mixer recipe book).
Ingredients

• 1 package of active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons if you have a jar of yeast)
• 1 cup of warm water
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 2 teaspoons of olive oil
• 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1 table spoon of cornmeal

Directions

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl (I warm the bowl by filling it with hot water from the tap).
2. Add salt, olive oil, and 2 1/2 cups of flour. Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer. Turn to speed 2 and mix about 1 minute.
3. Continuing on speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix until dough clings to the hook and cleans the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes.
4. Kneed on speed 2 for about 2 minutes longer. At this point you can tell whether or not you need to add more flour. If the dough is still sticking to the bottom of the bowl you need to add more. 
5. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top. I remove the dough from the bowl and grease it with olive oil then place the dough back in the bowl and turn to coat. This way you will only have to wash one bowl!
6. Cover. I use saran wrap, actually stretch tight. It's the best brand!
7. Let rise in a warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.
8. Once dough has risen, punch the dough down, gently! You want to remove air from the dough but you don't want to press too hard because then you will have thin spots in your dough.
9. Brush a 14 inch pizza pan with olive oil. Sprinkle with cornmeal.
10. Press the dough across the bottom of the pan, forming a collar around the edge to hold toppings.
11. Add toppings.
12. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

If you don't have a stand mixer that's okay! You can make the dough by hand as well, it just requires a little more work. Use the same ingredients as listed above.

1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the olive oil and yeast mixture into it. Stir  until it begins to form a ball.
4. Take the ball of dough out and place it on a clean, floured surface and knead for about 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Place the ball of dough into a greased bowl and turn to coat.
6. Cover with saran wrap (stretch tight is my brand of choice) and let rise in a warm place free from draft for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
7. Brush a 14 inch pizza pan with oil. Sprinkle with cornmeal.
8. Press dough across the bottom of the pan, forming a collar around the edge to hold toppings.
9. Add toppings.
10. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

That's it! Super easy! Once you've made the dough a few times you'll be able to make it very quickly. It only takes me about 10-15 minutes for me to make it now. Of course I love to use my own homemade sauce on my pizza but you can use jarred sauce as well. Fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and basil makes an amazing margarita pizza! Roasted red pepper and artichokes is yummy too! You decide how you want to top your pizza. The options are endless! Give it a try and let me know how it turns out. Hopefully you will enjoy your homemade pizza better than that pizza shop down the street. A more yummy and healthy option for you and your family!

Buon Appetito!