Pizza Recipe

I figured I'd share my homemade dough recipe...and share a pic of the pizza's final result.  It's been a regular part of my recipe rotation for a while.  I love knowing everything that is in my food...and this is one of those easy ways to avoid shit we don't need to eat.

Basic Dough:
3 cups flour (white or wheat, depends on your mood)
1 teaspoon salt
1 Cup warm water (110 degrees)
1 packet quick yeast
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Oil

- Place the packet of yeast in the water and stir.  Add the sugar to feed the yeast and help it bloom.  Stir the flour and sugar in the mixer bowl with the dough hook first.  Once the yeast begins to bloom and it has that great fresh bread smell, add the EVOO to the water/yeast and then pour into the mixer.  Mix until it comes together in a ball.  I sometimes have to adjust and add a touch of water or flour depending on the moment.  You don't want it too sticky, but you want all the flour to come together into the dough. With the quick rise yeast, you really can just go right the pan and spread out the dough.  When I have time, I oil ,a bowl and place the ball in it, cover it with a towel, and let it rise.  This one I did a double rise since Mr. was coming home late and I was trying to be good and wait for him.  When it rises, it is a bit fluffier and more like focaccia.  :-)  Sometimes I pre-bake it at 350 for 10 minutes, then add the ingredients, other times I just top the raw dough.  Makes it a bit different, but I like both options.

- Options:  I always incorporate other flavors to add depth since I don't like a lot of heavy sauce second the top.  I mix in garlic, herbs, and what not to the flour mixture before I add the water/yeast.  I play around with the add on's depending on my toppings.  The options are limitless.

So, here's a pic of my most recent one. I used Trader Joe's Pesto Chicken Sausage, roasted red & yellow peppers, spinach, & mozz.  It was delish.  I put rosemary and garlic in the dough.  Enjoy!

Friday Buzz

First call back!!!  Let em roll in!  Called them back and already have an in person interview set for Tuesday.  They said they have multiple positions that they feel fit with my background and experience and think that from my resume I'd be a great fit in any of them.  Woop Woop!  And on top of that...it's Friday!  So, to celebrate I left work way early.  Buzzed home.  Grabbed the boys and hit the trail.  Took a long hike and found a path back along the cutest little nature center near my house.  It's tucked in the hill along the creek and apparently is used for school groups and education programs.  Either way the boys had a blast lifting their leg on any log or leaf they sniffed and exploring the new path.  

Back in my little zen pod and brewing a pot of decaf for the evening.  I am hoping Mr. gets home soon so we can have the evening.  He arrived home last night just as I was pulling the home made pizza out of the oven.  The dough came out great.  I mixed in some garlic and rosemary and let it rise twice.  Baked up like focaccia and then topped with pesto chicken sausage, mozz, spinach, and roasted peppers.  Mmmm...I want more.  Making risotto stuff peppers and accorn squash tonight.  Speaking of, I should get that rolling.  After a sip of coffee and a cuddle with my couch pillow.  mmm...nap!

Mkay.  Happy Friday.  Happy Weekend.

- Rin

Abs Fabs

I'm sure I'm not alone in saying, "What the Fuck...it's December?!?!"  Seriously, I'm not 80 years old, and saying this makes me feel that old...but time is flying by!  It's been such a crazy year, and here we are at the last 30 days of it...amazing.  Blink...it's gone. And onto the next year of amazingness...with hopefully more solid footing on the career front fo sho.

No  movement on the job front here, but I think the shit will hit the fan at work tomorrow...with good boss confronting douche-hole on how he's been treating me and making threats that are obviously rooted in his unprofessional response to my statements made e to court.  I'm not one to threaten the hand of law, but in this situation I do have a lot to go on.  But alas, I'm not wanting to open that can, especially when douche-hole obviously thrives on that sort of thing and has found an equally crazy lawyer to support his psycho ideas of superiority and lofty ego.

So, I continue to throw the old resumes out the door hoping someone grabs on and reels me in.  While I would love to stay, with one sane boss, and see the office at it's best...and on an actual clear path...the idea of a new start with new potential is beginning to excite me.  I never fear change...it actually usually fuels me to be better, so I see this moment as one of those great leaps of taking on bigger and better things.  So, here's to that.  Of course, I still bought lottery tickets hoping to just win big and tell everyone to eat it....cuz i'm going on a perma vacay!!!  Cross your fingers and legs on that wish!

Mr. is working again...on his day off.  Tis the season of making peoples homes and events fabulous.  I made homemade pizza dough, it's on its second rise.  I'm hoping that he can get out in time to enjoy it fresh from the oven, but at least it'll still be yummy tomorrow.  It'll be dressed with olive oil, mozz, spinach, pesto chickan sausage, and a few dollops of ricotta.  mmmm...so hungry!  I took my boys on a really fun new hike on a very unmarked trail.  I may have even been off the trail to be honest.  up through the woods with all the leaves covering the ground.  They get so excited when I give them the cue to go up off the paved path.  Like sending search dogs off on the hunt for a criminal.  So, I'm ready to eat after that type of off roading.

Here's some fab abs to get you through the evening. - Rin