The Best Homemade Pizza in the World!

I have been on a quest for years to make pizza at home as good as at a restaurant. It has been a long road. I finally gave up 6 months ago on trying to make my own crust and just started using Rhoades bread dough. That made a big difference. Then this weekend I told Chris I would be making pizza this week. He asked if I'd put fresh garlic on it. He loves it. So, I agreed. The result was "The best pizza ever" (in my book anyway!) The garlic added so much flavor. I think it's what's been missing the whole time. Here it is:

1 loaf frozen dough, thawed (let it rise just a little and it's easier to shape)

I use a 16" pizza round (I like thinner crust), I have also used a big rectangle cookie sheet

Pizza sauce (I use traditional Prego spaghetti sauce, we like a sweeter sauce)

Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese (sometimes I add a little cheddar, too)

Toppings:

pepperoni

olives

mushrooms (I live with uncultured swine, who only like these 3 toppings)

Last night, I added the following to my half and Chris and I loved it:

zucchini, onions, red bell pepper, sliced thin and roasted in oven with olive oil and salt & pepper

fresh garlic, pressed and sprinkled on after the initial cheese (I used 2 med cloves)

fresh tomatoes, sliced

The order is: dough, sauce, mozz cheese, garlic, pepperoni and other toppings, more mozz and parmesan.

Bake at 425 for about 17-25 min. (give or take depending on amount of toppings) The crust needs to be nice and brown. You have to be patient or the middle will be doughy.

1 pizza feeds my family of 5, usually without leftovers.

Reheating tip: Pizza is always gross reheated...until now! Heat it up in a skillet on the stove. I put a lid on it, so the top gets hot faster. Watch it carefully, so you don't burn the bottom. It gets nice and crispy again. Closest thing to fresh pizza.

Enjoy!!!!!

Zucchini Brownies

Here's one more thing to do with your extra zucchini this year. This doesn't look like your typical brownie, but it is still delicious. As I was baking it, I thought I'd be disappointed, but the moistness and flavor are awesome!! I found this on Cooks.com.

3 c flour
4 T cocoa
1/2 t salt
1 t soda
1 t cinnamon (I used a little less)
1 c oil
1 3/4 c sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 t vanilla
1/2 c buttermilk (I was out, so I used some vinegar in whole milk)
2 c grated zucchini, squeeze out moisture
1 c chocolate chips
3/4 c walnuts

Combine first 5 dry ingredients, and set aside. Beat sugar and eggs til fluffy. Add oil and vanilla. Beat til fluffy. Mix in zucchini. Then add flour mixture and buttermilk alternating. Add chips and walnuts. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes in a 10x15 (I think that is jelly roll size) pan.

I omitted walnuts and used bittersweet chocolate chunks. MMMMMM!
I also misread the pan size and used a 9x13. (I looked at about 20 recipes before deciding on this one, and they all had different pan sizes!!) Don't do that. The middle didn't get done, and I had to chuck that part. Whoops!

Molten Cheeseburgers

These are delicious!! So juicy and oozy and huge! Come to the table hungry for this one! We saw this on The Food Network's Man v. Food last night. It's a good show. You get to watch a guy gorge himself with really good food in large portions!

Make hamburger patties really thin. They used 1/4# of burger, but I used less. I made 10 patties out of about 1 1/2# of burger. They were about 4 1/2 inches in diameter. We had a couple leak a little because we BBQ'd them, but nothing too bad. I think I might make them a tiny bit thicker, but not too much. They are huge. I cut waxed paper squares and just pressed out the meat right on them.

Place a patty on waxed paper on counter. Fold American Cheese in fourths and put in the middle of the patty. Put another patty on top leaving the waxed paper on top. Press the sides of the patties together to seal. (They had other cheeses on the menu--bleu cheese, pepper jack, Swiss. They said the original was the most popular, though.)

BBQ or cook on a griddle til done. Toast the bun, serve with ketchup, mustard, and the grilled onions are a must! We also added slices of garden tomatoes, because you must!

The only thing I would change is the bun. You need a giant one. I got the good kind from the bakery that you have to slice, but they were a little small and too delicate. Maybe a kaiser type or just the bigger Eddy's or Wonder buns would be better, though I loved the flavor of the wimpy ones.

Have fun with these. I think these would be fun for a party. Just give the kids regular burgers or hot dogs, though all three of my boys loved them. Two just had trouble finishing the whole thing!!!

Apricot Leather

This recipe can be adjusted for any kind of fruit you want to use. Just add the sugar slowly to taste. Dad's tip on drying them in the hot car worked like a gem! That way you won't heat up your house.

8 c blended apricots
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 c sugar or to taste

-Wash apricots, pull apart and take pits out. Put in blender and blend until smooth.
-Pour into bowl and add lemon juice and sugar. Mix thoroughly.
-Prepare pans by covering with plastic wrap. If you use large jelly roll size pans you'll need to use two strips of plastic wrap and overlap them in the middle really good. Leave a little extra hanging off all sides.
-Pour fruit on pan. You want it to be about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. This is a little hard to gauge but use your best judgment. Keep in mind that the thicker it is, the longer it will take to dry, obviously. I kind of move the pan around and shake it on a flat surface to get it nice and even and smooth.
-Now, you can dry this a few different ways. You can use the hot car as I previously mentioned. Just crack your windows and set the pans in but try to make sure they're as level as possible. Also try to use an alternate car if possible when you need to go somewhere. I drove Pierce down to his cousins, just down the road, and we had flying fruit leather. The car method took me about two days to get it completely dry and this was with very hot temperatures. You can also obviously use a food dehydrator if you have one. You can also dry this out in the sun but will need to put screens over it to keep the bugs out. They say this takes 24 hours but I've never tried it. You can also use your oven. Just turn it on a very low temperature like 140 degrees. Let dry in the oven for as long as it takes to get the puree completely dry. It should not be sticky to the touch. This may take 8-12 hours or you can just do it overnight. I've also heard of people tenting it with cheesecloth and drying it in the sun, or putting it in your BBQ with the lid closed in the hot sun.

-One thing you want to be careful of is don't let your plastic wrap fall down on the sides over the puree. It will not dry where the plastic wrap covers it. I know this because this happened to me. If you do it the long way in the car, the puree will start to ferment and mold and you don't want that, believe me. If necessary, tape your plastic wrap up on the sides of your pans to prevent this.

-When leather is ready, roll it up in the plastic wrap. I cut mine in serving size pieces and rolled them up. It really felt like I was cutting a piece of leather! Anyway, you can store these in an airtight container and they can even be frozen!

-4 c fruit yield about one large baking sheet of fruit leather.

Zucchini Relish

This is a wonderful way to use up those big zucchinis that you let get away from you in the garden! This recipe is Ryan's Great-Grandma Charlotte's recipe. We love it in tuna sandwiches, on hot dogs, or anything...be creative! Oh, and get ready for lots of chopping. At least you'll be giving your arms a little work-out! It's a lot of work but worth it because this stuff will last you forever!

5 large zucchini, diced (I know this is vague..lg. but not too lg.)
3 red bell peppers, diced
3 green bell peppers, diced
5 large yellow onions, diced
1/2 c salt
1 t alum
ice cubes

5 c sugar
2 T celery seed
2 T mustard seed
1 T turmeric
5 or 6 c white vinegar, to taste

-Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl except ice cubes. Mix well. Cover with ice cubes. Let stand overnight.
-Next morning drain veggie mixture. Wash in cold water. Drain again.
-Cook spices and vinegar in large pot. Add veggies and simmer for 30 minutes.
-Put in jars with rings and lids and boil in cold-pack canner for 10 minutes to seal.

I really wish I could give you an exact amount of how much this makes but I can't remember! This year I'll write it down for sure. Depends on if you use pint or quart size jars. Pints are nice for something like this, but I've also used quarts if it's all I have on hand.

Bean and Cheese Quesadillas al a Erin

OK. I know it sounds easy, but these where a huge hit at our house tonight. Harrison had these at Erin's last week and requested I make them! I used the raw tortillas from Costco. I don't like refried beans from a can, so I just mashed up pinto beans and added garlic powder and simmered about 5 minutes. Put the beans on the tortilla then cheese (I used the Mexican blend and plain cheddar because I didn't have enough) and another tortilla. Heat and eat with salsa. Next time you need something fast or nothing else sounds good, here's your answer! Thanks, Erin, for another delicious and practical dinner!!!

Purple Flurp

This recipe is from my Grandma Brown. I grew up eating this at all the summer family get-togethers. I haven't had it for many years because I haven't been home in the summer in a long time. I have been craving it, so I finally called and got the recipe from Gram. It's light and easy and good! PS--I don't know what the recipe's real name is. It's probably something boring like blueberry dream dessert. The story goes my uncle called it Purple Flurp the first time Grandma made it and it stuck.

2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I buy the crumbs because I like how fine they are)
1 stick butter, melted
6 T sugar
Mix above together and set aside.

1 large box Dream Whip (have 4 envelopes in it)
1 cup milk
Mix these together and add 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1 t vanilla. Then add 1 8 oz cream cheese that has been whipped. Mix til blended well.

1 can blueberry pie filling

Layer in a 9x13 pan in this order: 1/2 the graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 the dream whip mixture, whole can pie filling, remaining dream whip mixture, remaining graham crumbs. Chill and serve.

Chocolate Toffee Crunch Fantasy

This is a lighter version of the "Better than almost anything cake". It's a Duncan Hines recipe I have carried around for years, but never made. It rocks!

1 pkg Devil's Food Cake Mix

12 bars (1.4 oz each) chocolate covered toffee bars, divided (I only used 8 total)

3 cups whipping cream, chilled

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an flour 10-inch tube pan

Prepare, bake and cool cake following package directions. Split cake horizontally into 3 layers; set aside. Chop 11 candy bars into pea-size pieces. (I only used 7 candy bars, and I thought it was great) Whip cream until stiff peaks form. Fold candy pieces into whipped cream.

To assemble, place one split cake layer on serving plate. Spread 1 1/2 cups whipped cream mixture on top. Repeat with remaining layers and whipped cream mix. Frost sides and top with remaining filling. Chop remaining candy bar coarsely. Sprinkle over top. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (I'd chill for 3 or so hours so the cream gets the toffee flavor.)

Helpful hint: Chop toffee bars in food processor fitted with a steel blade.

Pasta Milano (from Dick's Grocery)

12oz bag egg noodles
6 T butter
12oz sliced fresh mushrooms (I used an 8oz presliced pkg)
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 lb. prosciutto, chopped(prepackaged in deli case)
2 cloves garlic, pressed
Grated parmesan
salt and pepper
Cook pasta, drain and rinse a second in hot water. In large skillet, cook 4T butter, mushrooms, prosciutto and garlic 5-7 minutes till mushrooms are tender and meat is a little toasted. Add peas, remaining butter, cooked pasta, salt and pepper and a handful of parmesan. Heat through. Serves 6. **This would also be awesome with a chicken breast sliced thin and cooked in the mix. But the prosciutto ROCKS on it's own!! TRY IT TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!

Salsa Turkey Grill

I have had this little ditty since just after we were married, but I am just getting around to trying it now! This is yummy, and greazzzy!! Yet, it's light enough for a hot summer day. We had cold watermelon with it.

2 slices bread (I used sturdy white)

2 Kraft singles

1 T thick and chunky salsa (they suggested Taco Bell, it's good, but I love the salsa I get from Costco best! I was out.)

2 slices turkey deli meat

Put down in this order: bread, cheese, salsa, turkey, cheese, bread.

Butter outsides and cook in skillet til golden.

Marinated Green Salad (from Father's Day)

Dressing:
1/2 cup vinegar (I use apple cider)
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup canola oil
1 T poppy seed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 T dry minced onion
Whisk all together, then cover and marinate overnight in fridge.
Salad:
3-4 heads salad greens, like romaine, red-leaf, spinach etc.
1 red onion chopped or sliced thin
1/2 - 1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 lb. bacon fried and crumbled
8oz shredded swiss cheese
Toss dressing and salad together before serving. Makes a lot.

Easy Creamy Gratin Potatoes

So good, and all ingredients you probably already have at home!

4 large russet potatoes, sliced thin.(I peeled mine)
1/2-1 onion, sliced thin into rings
salt and pepper
4T butter
3T flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
1-2 cups shredded cheddar or cheese of your liking
Preheat oven to 400. Grease 1 1/2qt dish. Layer 1/2 the potato slices on bottom of dish. Top with onion slices, season with salt and pepper (I added garlic salt too) and dot with 1T butter if you like. Add remaining potatoes and season again. In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in flour and salt and stir constantly 1 minute. Add milk and cook till thickened. Stir in cheese till melted. Pour over potatoes, and cover with foil. (I added a crunchy topping made of corn flakes and butter and it rocked). Bake 1 1/2 hrs. Serves family of 6.

Artisan Free-Form Loaf

This recipe comes from my friend Jennefer Haight. I love how basic it is. After you've made it once, you won't need all these instructions but they come in handy the first time! This is a crusty on the outside, chewy on the inside type of round loaf. I love it! I'm not afraid of yeast bread anymore! You will need a pizza stone and peel!

3 C lukewarm water
1 1/2 T yeast
1 1/2 T kosher or other coarse salt
6 1/2 cups unsifted, unbleached, all purpose white flour, measured with the scoop-and-sweep method
Cornmeal for pizza peel

1. Warm the water slightly: It should feel just a little warmer than body temp, 100 degrees.

2. Add yeast and salt to water in 5-quart bowl or, preferably in a resealable, lidded (not airtight) plastic food container. Don't worry about getting it all to dissolve.

3. Mix in flour-kneading is unnecessary. Add all of flour at once, gently scooping up flour, then sweeping the top level with knife; don't press down into flour as you scoop or you'll have too much flour! Mix in standing mixer with dough hook attachment until mixture is uniform. Don't knead! No dry patches! This will yield a dough that is uniformly moist, wet, and loose enough to conform to the shape of the container.

4. Allow to rise. Cover with lid but do not put on air tight. 2 hours. Fully refrigerate dough-3 hours or overnight.

5. The gluten cloak: Don't knead, just cloak and shape a loaf 30-60 seconds. First, prepare a pizza wheel by sprinkling it liberally with cornmeal to prevent your loaf from sticking to it when you slide it into the oven. Sprinkle the surface of your refrigerated dough with flour. Pull up and cut off a 1 pound (grapefruit size) piece of dough, using a serrated knife. Hold the mass of dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it doesn't stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter turn as you go. Most of the dusting flour will fall off; it's not intended to be incorporated into the dough. The bottom doesn't need to look pretty but the correctly shaped loaf will be smooth and cohesive on top. This should only take 30-60 seconds.

6. Rest the loaf and let rise on pizza peel. 40 minutes-don't cover.

7. Preheat oven and pizza stone on middle rack at 450. Place a broiler tray for holding water on any other shelf that won't interfere with the rising bread.

8. Dust and slash. Dust top of loaf with flour and cut with serrated knife in cross pattern about 1/4 inch deep. Or tick-tack-toe looks nice too.

9. Baking with steam. After preheat, slide loaf onto pizza stone. Quickly but carefully pour 1 cup hot water from tap into the broiler tray and close oven to trap steam. Bake for about 30 minutes or until crust is nicely browned and firm to the touch. Let cool on wire rack. You can store remaining dough in refrigerator for 14 days. Leave in plastic container with lid on but not airtight.

Strawberry Shortcake

There are so many kinds of strawberry shortcake. This one is my very favorite!!! This is a sweet biscuit-like cake. I got this from my friend in Weiser many years ago.

1 qt strawberries plus 1 cup sugar

Cake:

2 c flour
2 T sugar
3 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/3 c shortening
1 c milk

Mix dry ingredients, then add shortening and milk. Mix just til blended. Spread in greased round cake pan. Bake @ 450 for 15-20 mins. Let cool. Top with strawberries and whipped cream. Can make individual shortcakes, 4-6 depending on size. (cook those 15 min, if you make six)

Lemon-Lime Cookies

These are my favorite summer cookies! So fresh and tangy! Shaylin gave me this recipe after she made these for a family party and I've been hooked ever since!

1 C sugar
2/3 C shortening
1 T grated lemon peel
2 T lemon juice
2 t grated lime peel
1 T lime juice
1 egg
1 3/4 C flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
Lemon-Lime frosting

Heat oven to 375. Beat sugar, shortening, lemon peel, lime peel, lime juice and egg in large bowl with electric mixer on med. speed. Stir in flour, baking powder and soda, and salt.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 11-13 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool 1-2 minutes, remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost with Lemon-Lime frosting.

Frosting:

2 C powdered sugar
2 T butter, softened
1 t grated lime peel
1 T lemon juice
2-3 t water