Pizza Dough

This is a good, easy recipe for pizza dough. I like to double the recipe and make 2 pizzas out of it, which makes for thicker crust. If I want a thinner crust, I'll double the recipe and make 3 pizzas. Also, be sure to read the chef's note about salt and sugar at the bottom of the recipe. I follow his instructions and reduced the salt and sugar slightly since I don't care for overly salty pizza crust.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_13823,00.html

Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza

This turned out really good!! I like making homemade pizzas, but sometimes I get bored with my usual recipe. I found this one and David said it tasted very close to the deep dish pizza he tried once when he was in Chicago!

Note -- I didn't have any fennel seed, so I omitted that from the sauce and we didn't miss it at all.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_21802,00.html?rsrc=like

Good Breakfast Foods

I think I end up making hot breakfasts about 5 or 6 days out of the week. Cereal and milk just never seems "meaty" enough, plus sometimes I like to give the boys dry cereal for a late morning or afternoon snack, so I don't want to give them cereal twice in a day. Anyway, I've come across some great hot breakfast recipes that we really enjoy:

Yeast-raised waffles. These you start the night before, and just add eggs and baking soda in the morning, stir up the batter, heat up the waffle iron, and you're ready to go! It's a nice time saver. And, something about the yeast makes them extra light and tasty. I do usually add more sugar than the recipe calls for (1 use 1 Tb, the recipe calls for 1 tsp) because I like just a little more sweetness.

Whole grain waffles. These are also very tasty, and very healthy. I just use regular whole wheat flour, not pastry flour, and they turn out great!

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

2 small bananas, mashed
1 large egg
1 C milk
1 C whole wheat flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vegetable oil
A few shakes of ground cinnamon (~1/2 tsp) and a pinch of nutmeg
About 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Chopped nuts (optional)

1. Mash bananas in a large bowl. Whisk in eggs and milk. Beat until as smooth as possible. Add flour, baking powder, salt, spices, and vanilla. Whisk again. Stir in nuts if desired. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto hot greased skillet.