Today

Today

Puttering, knitting, cleaning the bathroom, 
sweeping the kitchen floor.  
Snow flurries, fingerless gloves, 
a fire and toasty labrador.  

A new cardigan that fits just right, 
a necklace with a cause.
The second coffee of the day,
a little time to pause. 

Picadillo on the stove, 
shoes nowhere to be found.
Tears shed for sweet old Jack 
and the world goes round and round.  

XO

Pizza Party!

Tonight we're having friends over for pizza. Homemade pizza that is. And, as promised, here is my favorite dough recipe. We'll use the whole recipe tonight but our family of five typically uses only half the dough. The other half goes into the freezer for another day. Simply pull out and thaw in the refrigerator when ready to use.

As for toppings -- here are a few of my favorites:

* Grilled asparagus, prosciutto and roasted garlic topped with parmesan (I squeeze the garlic onto the dough and use as a paste instead of sauce).
* Sauteed mushrooms and onions with fennel topped with goat or blue cheese. Sometimes I'll toss mixed greens over the top and sprinkle with white cheddar. Mmmm, mmmm!

And for the kids ... peanut butter pizza (peanut butter topped with cheese --really!)

Dough:
1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar

Combine in a food processor or the bowl of a mixer:
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour

Set aside: Small amount of corn meal

Combine water, yeast, olive oil and sugar. Set aside. Assemble dry ingredients in food processor or mixing bowl (I use my kitchen aid mixer with the dough hook).

Add the bubbly yeast mixture to the flour mixture while blending and mix for about 2 minutes. If too sticky add small increments of additional flour. If too dry add small increments of water. After two minutes turn the dough out onto a well floured surface. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a well oiled bowl. Spin dough in bowl so all dough surfaces are lightly coated in oil. Cover (I love to use pretty dish towels) and set in a warm place to rise until doubles in size (about two to three hours).

After the dough has risen punch down then divide into eight equal pieces. Roll pieces into a circle about 1/8th inch thick and store between sheets of lightly oiled waxed paper (note if dough is sticking to the waxed paper put in the freezer for a few minutes).

Place corn meal on a pizza peel (it will allow the dough to slide), place dough over corn meal and top as desired. Cook on a pizza stone in a 450 degree oven until edges golden brown and toppings bubbly.

Slice and enjoy!

+++++++++++

Have a great weekend!

Food, Family and Friends

Slow Cooker Chili and Homemade Pretzels

Mr. Peculiar is once again watching "the game" through the back of his eyelids. The remote is balanced on his belly moving up and down with each breath. I'm debating whether to confiscate it and change the channel. I can't fault his fatigue -- he's been up since five and worked all day. And now his belly is full.

This is the second time I've made these pretzels -- they are still a hit. You can find the recipe here. Serve them with honey mustard - mmmm, mmmm!

You might notice the pretzels aren't quite pretzel shaped. You see I had a bit of help in the kitchen ...

Messy Marvin making pretzels

The chili is a simple conglomeration of ingredients on hand: stew meat, kidney beans, 1/2 white onion, chicken stock, diced canned tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, salt, pepper, corn and the piece de resistance ... a smattering of cocoa powder. The cocoa adds the perfect touch of bitter sweet and gives the chili a full-bodied flavor. Instant espresso powder does the same thing. But, shhhhh, don't tell the boys at the brewery ... this year I'm entering the annual chili contest and I don't want them to have a leg up.

Ah, as I was writing this post a neighborhood friend popped by -- beer in hand. The five year old embraced the persona of a lion and began growling in our friend's face (thankfully he has kids of his own). And the hub is now up and watching the game. Good thing I didn't commandeer the remote.

This has been the perfect mellow evening - surrounded by friends and family. Nothing fancy, nothing difficult, nothing expensive. The boys are watching the game. I'm blogging and half watching the game. The baby is doing a puzzle and middle sis is coloring. Tonight is just right.