Homemade Pizza

I love this pizza. The crust is made a little differently then some recipes. But it makes a world of differences in the taste.

 Crust recipe:
7/8 cup of warm water. ( I use a cup ,since we are in a high altitude  )
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil ( a lot of recipes call for cooking oil but this gives it a better taste and texture.)
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons yeast
In a kitchen aid or mixer ( With dough hook) place your sugar, water, olive oil, and yeast together in a bowl. Add your flour then your salt on top.
Knead for 7 min. Place in a bowl greased with olive oil. Roll your dough in the bowl to coat it. Cover with plastic and let rise for one hour. Place on flour surface and roll out in to any shape you desire.

  Making the pizza:
                                                  Preheat oven to 550 or as hot as you can get it.
Garlic butter
 3 cups mozzarella cheese ( Grate your own. It melts so much better then the pregrated. This will also give you a great stringy cheese consistence to your pizza.)
Fillings of your choice.
Can of diced tomatoes with garlic and basil added.
Place   1/2 of the can of tomatoes in a food processor of blender. Lightly puree.
      
Butter the outer edges of your crust with the garlic butter. Spread your puree tomatoes over the crust. Drain the rest of the tomatoes and add to the crust. Sprinkle 1/2 of cheese on top of the tomatoes, then add your fillings. Add the rest of the cheese.  Place in oven and cook for 7 to 8 min. Check after 6 min( all ovens cook different).

Enjoy.

Looking back at how my life has changed.

I have been thinking a lot about the life I led and how I got here. I stated out as an Army Brat. I grow up traveling all over the US and several other countries . After leaving home I worked and played in large cities. I loved it, couldn't see myself any where else.  I spent my high school years in a small town near where my dad was stationed and totally hated it. The guy I started dating in my 20's lived out in the country while I lived in the city . I was surprised to find I enjoyed being out there. It was like a mini vacation.
A couple years later I moved to Vegas where I met my husband. He grow up on a ranch but was now stationed at Nellis Air Force base ( Vegas). Where my family and I lived  I really enjoyed Vegas . There is so much to do no matter what the hour.
A couple of years later he got stationed in Germany. We end up living in a small village. It was even to small to call a town. At first I was lost. The streets closed up at 5. Everything in that village closed at 5 except for the guest houses ( they only had one.).   The Guest House is a restaurant, hotel, and gathering place. It  closed by 9.
Stienvienden ( Sorry can't remember how to spell the village name ) was a beautiful place and the people were very friendly.  To live there was like taking a walk back into time. If you want meat your went to the butcher, who also owned the guest house . For bread you went to the bakery. They even had a little candy store. There was only one very small convenient store. Twice a week a truck would come into town and sell veggies out of the back. In the mornings a guy would come door to door delivering  milk, soda,water, juices, and yes even beer. All you had to do was leave a note for him telling him what you wanted.Every Saturday people would come out and sweep the streets and side walks. They took great pride in their village.
 We were stationed there in the early 90's I know  this sounds like something from the far pasts ,but it was totally real and charming.

The reason I am telling you this, is because they started me on this journey  along with my husband.
 I learned to slow down to relax. To enjoy what was around me and the people I met. Even they festivals were centered around friends and enjoying what life had to offer. I was blessed with great friends ( thankfully a lot of them spoke English) Germany  taught me how to live rather then just run thru life with my eyes closed. Fast forward and My husband took what I learned and added a new level. He was able to start a little garden with out me rolling my eyes at him. Which as time went on turned into bigger gardens and me learning how to can. My husband had always loved the simple life, me not so much. But times were a changing.  Germany taught me to slow down. He was slowly teaching me  simple living.

 Over the course of time and  wonderful experiences I have come to love small towns and the life it offers. I now live on a homestead with three gardens , chickens, and this spring we will be adding goats,  We raise our own meat birds, turkey, and pig( with help from our friends since we can't have a pig where we live.). I am canning, cooking everything I can from scratch, and learning new skills every day. Did I mention and loving it!
 Germany started my journey by teaching me to slow down and my husband took me the rest of the way.  My parent never thought in their wild's dreams I would turn out this way. When I asked my mother how she  expected me to turn out she commented Died. To her defense I was a wild child when I was younger. Plus I had married a very violent man. Now my ex and long forgotten ( Love does really hurt some times) So I can understand that answer totally.  Being a city girl all my life, this was a BIG change.  Even to this day a lot of my friends and family are scratching their heads over my path in life.   What they didn't  know was there was always a uneasiness and discomfort about me. I was never quit comfortable in my life. Now I wouldn't change a thing. I am enjoying every thing about my life and there is no longer a uneasiness or discomfort. It may not be the life everyone one envisioned for me,but it's the one I need. As For city life. YOU CAN KEEP IT. Not my cup of tea. At one time I loved being around a lot of people and activity . Now it just makes me jumpy.

 If you had told me when I was young that I would led this life I would of laughed at you.
  Funny how your out look and life can change.