Comments (17)

By kilax, December 26, 2009 6:13 am

We LOVE making homemade pizza! It’s so fun to pick your own toppings, and it’s especially fun to make pizzas with a group of people and see what everyone puts on theirs!

But for the longest time, we were using store-bought crusts (we are still using store-bought sauce – that’s the next step!). They’re okay, but nothing special. When my coworker told me she had a great vegan pizza crust recipe, I made her send  it to me ASAP! We tried it, and oh boy, it does NOT disappoint!

The ingredients are:

• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 cup warm water (110F-115F)
• 1/4 oz (1 envelope) active dry yeast
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 c margarine or oil
  

Step 1: Dissolve the sugar in the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast on top and stir (if the mixture stays clear, and the yeast clumps together, the water is not warm enough – throw it out and start over). Let the mixture stand in a warm spot for 5 minutes until a thin layer of creamy foam covers the surface.

Step 2: Mix 3 cups for flour with the salt in a large bowl. Make a hole in the middle of the mixture and pour in the yeast mixture and the margarine or oil. Stir the flour into the well with a wooden spoon until it is mixed in and the dough holds together.

Step 3: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead in the remaining flour. Continue to knead, adding more flour if necessary, until the dough is smooth and elastic (10-15 minutes). Form a ball with the dough and place it in an oiled bowl. Cover with a clean towel and place the bowl in a warm area to let the dough rise (45 minutes for quick yeast, 60-90 minutes for regular yeast).

Step 4: Pre-heat the oven to 500F and get your toppings ready (we use a pizza stone, so we preheat the stone with the oven because the actual bake time is so short). Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Roll the ball out to form a pizza crust.

Step 6: Load up that bad boy with your toppings and slide it onto the stone – make sure to put LOTS of flour underneath the crust so it will slide. Bake for 10-15 minutes (or until the cheese starts to brown on the top for non-vegan pizza – usually more like 20 minutes).

Step 7: NOM it up! (Note: the pizza in the photo below looks messed up because we did not follow our own advice about the flour and it stuck to the sheet when we tried to move it to the stone! Oops! Live and learn!)

What are your favorite toppings to put on pizza?

I like zucchini, tomato, green pepper, lots of onion, spinach, and Morningstar crumbles. Steven likes all of that, plus olives and cheese. (Hmm, how did that olive end up on my slice in the top picture, Steven?)

We like to put garlic powder (not fresh garlic), cumin (yes mother – it can be used on pizza, it’s not just for chili), crushed red pepper, oregano and salt and pepper on for spices.

What I love about this crust is that it tastes like a crust you would eat in a restaurant! And you can make a big chewy crust on the end. Yum oh yum.

The only problem? It’s really hard to only eat one piece!

Comments (15)

By kilax, October 26, 2009 7:43 am

I distinctly remember spending the night at my grandma’s house as a kid, and having her ask me if I wanted butter on my food – my toast, my (plain) pasta, my pancakes in the morning, etc.

Because of this, I grew up thinking butter was healthy for you. I figured, with my kid logic, that you added it to your food because it contained vitamins that you needed. I mean, why else would Grandma be asking me if I wanted some?

I also thought that fresh broccoli could only be served with melted cheese. Because every time I had broccoli at her house, it had cheese on it! Who ever knew these two items could be served apart!

Of course, now I realize those meals were just treats! And my grandma loved to treat us! And just so I don’t tarnish her name, I will let you know that she always made us eat a salad before dinner (loaded with ranch dressing – my choice, ha!), and that the food she cooks now is actually much healthier… uh, sometimes too healthy.

I think of this story every time I hear someone say something like “I don’t know what foods are healthy and should be in my diet” or “I can’t eat carbs!” Because my immediate reaction is surprise that people don’t have a general idea of what is healthy to eat, and that they fall for food myths like “carbs are evil” and “you can never have treats.”

But then I remember – I once believed butter was a health food! So, we only really know what we are told or witness first hand as we grow up. Some people probably end up with really distorted views about food, depending on how they are raised.

And even as we do become adults and try to do our own research and live a healthy life, who really knows what source we can trust? It seems like different “findings” come out each week, contradicting one another. Get 2-3 servings of fruit a day versus Limit your fruit intake! Too much sugar is bad for you!

Even when you eat a somewhat healthy diet, there are people telling you to eat raw, eat organic, eat less of this, eat more of that!

I think we all just need to do the best we can, with the tools/resources we have. Sure, you want to nourish your body now, so you get the most longevity and comfort out of it throughout your lifespan, but food shouldn’t be stressful. Too much stress can be just as unhealthy as a bad diet!

Hmm, this post took a strange turn! I actually wasn’t planning on those last few paragraphs. That is what happens when you forget your filter. I just meant to ask – did you have any silly food beliefs growing up? Or even as an adult?

Comments (20)

By kilax, April 23, 2009 5:32 am

Update: Aron is right – the Chicago Marathon is now closed. Funny thing is – it was open this morning when I checked it. Total bummer. Steven wanted our first full to be local – time to look into Wisconsin!

Earlier this week, a coworker (who is also a runner) asked if I will be excited when the May 2nd Half Marathon is over.

No way! I will be SAD when it’s over! I am having so much fun training. I love being on a schedule. I love having a race to look forward to.

And yes, I am a little bit worried of keeping my mileage up when I am NOT training for something specific. I feel great when I get at least 25 miles in a week.

My guess is, I will spending most of May 3rd convincing Steven to sign up for the Chicago FULL Marathon before it’s too late. (Wait, is it a good idea to give away my reasoning for signing up? Ha ha.)

Related story: On Saturday, after I got my medal, Steven said to me, “That medal is pretty cool. A lot better than a block of cheese.”

Ha ha. Yes, the Kenosha Half Marathon Medals are blocks of cheese:

And… today is the first day that weather.com is showing the forecast for race day. Let the worrying begin! I have absolutely NO faith in weather predictions. But I still look at them, and somewhat plan my life around them. Why? I am not sure.

Looks good so far…