When the moon hits your eye...

...like a big pizza pie...

Love pizza?  Ever make your own?  This was something my family did fairly often when I was growing up, as a weekend supper, where no matter how many picky friends we dragged in, everyone could eat exactly what they wanted, since everyone helped cut and load the toppings.  Our friends loved it!  In fact, I'm pretty sure all of us Lara kids shamelessly used our homemade pizza skills to snare a heart or two in our first years out on our own.  These days, I make it to take to movie nights with "the girls", a few of us who meet once a week to watch movies the rest of the world saw years ago, but we somehow missed.  Pizza isn't hard to make, but it is a little time-consuming.  You need to start the dough about 2 1/2 hours ahead of time, so it takes some planning, but it's worth it.

Crust ready to rise

For the crust, refer to the recipe in this post: http://theartofthehome.blogspot.com/2010/12/bread-lovers-workout.html.  I added about a tablespoon of crushed rosemary and about that much basil with the egg and butter.  After the dough has risen, instead of shaping loaves, divide it into thirds and roll it as thin as possible.  Place each on a cookie sheet that has been dusted with a handful of cornmeal, stretch it out as big as possible, and roll the edge, to create a drip lip.  Allow these to rise about 15-20 minutes, then bake in a 425 degree oven for about ten minutes.  You want the bottom to be firm enough to sit on the rack, but not fully cooked, or the crust might burn before the pizza toppings are hot.  If you like soft crust, skip the prebake, and bake your assembled pizza on the cookie sheet about 25-35 minutes.  Extra dough can be frozen as is, or baked and frozen.

For the sauce, you can use your own favorite recipe, a commercial sauce, or whip up a quick sauce for one pizza with a can of tomato paste, a couple spoonfuls of minced garlic, chopped sun dried or fresh tomatoes, Italian herbs, and enough water to get the consistency up to spreadable, but not runny.  Simmer a few minutes to blend.

Ready to take 'n' bake.

Top with your choice of cheese and veggies.  I made a quick pass through our farmer's market for fresh tomatoes and onions, used some of the peppers remaining from last week's overflow, and mushrooms from the grocer.  I like to put some of the cheese on the crust when it comes hot from the oven, on the theory that the oils protect the crust from getting soggy, layer on the sauce and toppings, then use the bulk of the cheese on top to hold all the toppings in place.  I usually put on way too many toppings for any sane amount of cheese to ensnare, but it's probably somewhat helpful.  Slide the pizza off of the cookie sheet onto the oven rack (prebaked crust only!), placed in the center of the oven, and bake at 425 about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.

Fresh out of the oven...it disappears quickly.

Still hungry?  This blog http://ordinarylife-mk.blogspot.com/ has some yummy recipes, including one for a caramelized onion pizza, if you scroll down past the salmon prepping adventure.  It's written by a woman in Southwestern Oregon, across the mountains from where I grew up, and there are lots of gorgeous scenic photos.  Western Oregon is a different climate than Eastern, so her side of the mountains gets more of a cold rainy winter, while the eastern side of Oregon is more like Minnesota in the winter...except with mountains.  I miss mountains.  Sigh.

When I'm not feeding my friends and pining away for ponderosas, I splash paint on things for people.  You can see my portfolio at theartofthehome.com. 

If you are working on a home dec project and run into a snag, feel free to email me.  If I can help solve the dilemma, I would be delighted to do so.  dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.