Pizza...the Perfect Finish to a Good Ride

Pizza...in less than 45 min.

I love pizza....even the greasy, cardboard-crusty stuff they served at the college cafeteria. The only things I don't like about homemade pizza are the cost (why make my own when Little Caesars will sell us one for $5?) and the time. So many homemade crusts require a rising time...and premade crust is at least $2 a can. That's almost half the cost of a Little C's pizza! Anyway, I found a recipe that can be made in 40 minutes (give or take 5 min) which allows me to throw it in the oven after riding.

Preheat the oven to 400. While it's heating, make the crust:

2 1/2 c flour
1/2 t. salt
1 pkg. yeast

Mix those and make a well in the center. Add:

1 c. lukewarm water
1 T. olive oil

Mix well. Spread in a greased 9x13 pan. (I recommend investing in Pampered Chef pans. They are SO heavy and durable. You won't regret it!) Let the dough rest for 10 min and pop it in the oven to bake for 5 min. While it is baking, pull out some mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and pizza sauce. I used this time to make my own sauce. I used 1 8 oz can tomato sauce and 1 tsp marinara spice blend (from Market Spice).

When the crust comes out of the oven, coat it with sauce, put on about 4 cups of cheese, and add some pepperoni. Now for the good part. Lightly sprinkle with black pepper, generously sprinkle with oregano, and drizzle with about 2 tsp. olive oil. Bake for 15-20 min.


Awesome result--melt in your mouth and perfect seasoning. The perfect dinner after the perfect ride.

Bathroom happenings....

This winter we are working on remodeling (well, let's just say 'adding') our 3rd story bathroom. Why do I call it 'adding' a bathroom? Well, let's just say that referring to the space up there as a 'bathroom' was using the term loosely. Yes, there was a toilet, sink, and vanity mirror. These amenities were separated from the rest of the room by a half wall and...no door. The reasoning (a door was too much trouble?) the space had been used as a master bedroom. The couple apparently decided to eliminate midnight trips downstairs for the, ahem, facilities. My husband and I, on the other hand, much prefer the space on the 2nd story for our master bedroom. So....we decided to rip out the existing fixtures and wall, add a full height wall, and replace the half bath with a shower, new sink, and new...umm...crapper.

I will post pics when it is done-for now-what do you think of my shower inspiration? I found it in lowes.com gallery of pictures...check out their website for some great ideas!

Our layout is simple: door in the middle, shower on right, sink and toilet on left. Across from the door are three windows (which will be frosted to prevent peepers!) They will add lots of light to supplement the two additional lights we plan to add. The windows have original woodwork and some gorgeous crown molding. They have been a little dinged up and had a few paint splatters from somebody being sloppy. (It wasn't us, I swear.) After I lightly sanded a piece to get the paint off, I applied Miniwax Gel Stain. That stuff is awesome! I ended up brushing it on the entire piece. When spread thin it showcases the natural wood grain. When applied more thickly, it covers the paint splatters/drips, so NO sanding required!

The gel stain is Walnut over our house's original wood...I believe it is American Mahogany... but it could be something else. The dark finish is what it originally had, but someone had stripped the original finish, leaving a lighter wood. We prefer the original look, so we are trying to go back to that.