Home is . . .so many things

Today I am linking up to Sandy's Home is . . . Party over on Reluctant Entertainer. Her theme for this week is scent. There are so many scents to me that mean home, every season I have a new scented candle that reflects what that season means to me. Spring usually means lilacs to me. My grandparents lived across the street from my school and they had a whole hedge of lilacs for us to pick from. Also, the smell of baking bread invokes Grandma's house. It is a new scent in my home as well. Yesterday, was the first day I had ever made homemade bread. I made it again today. Eight loaves total. Some have been given as gifts. Some have been used for sandwiches and french toast. Home is baked bread.

Home is the smell of fresh cookies, like the ones I am making at this moment for our church's Resurrection Celebration this afternoon. I am in charge of helping 40+ children decorate their "Easter Eggs." I remember getting off the bus and opening the door to the aroma of chocolate chip cookies or any other variety that Mom would have waiting for us. I don't do that as much as I should for my own dear children. Something I am working on rectifying.

Home is chocolate cake. The cake of choice for birthdays or other celebrations for many members of the family. This particular cake is being sent to feed the youth group this evening.

Home is also the smell of a clean kitchen or bathroom. Home is the scent of fresh clothes right from the dryer still smelling of April flowers and warm to the touch. Home is the clean scent of a freshly bathed child snuggled onto your lap. Home is my husband's cologne because home is where he is. But, I think most of all the scent of home is whatever is cooking in the kitchen, because not only does it fill my home with the scent of love, but it can be given away so that we can share our home with others.

**Oh, and normally I do not do this much baking. This just happened to be one of those days when everything happens at once. Know what I mean? So, please take some time and check out the other 'scents' at Reluctant Entertainer.

Our Take on Homemade Pizza

BBQ Chicken with Banana Peppers

Pepperoni with Green Olives and Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce


These two examples of our homemade pizza were incredibly tasty, but they are not our favorite form of homemade pizza. The family favorite is Bacon Cheeseburger. Our Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza consists of a garlic Alfredo/mustard sauce, hamburger, pieces of bacon, diced pickles, Roma tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and several types of cheese. But, since it is sorta a family secret I can't tell you specifics, so I have given you the list of ingredients to play with and make your own. I promise you will not be disappointed. I AM going to share with you the recipe for the pizza dough, you will be able to create all kinds of pizza, bread sticks, Stromboli, and whatever else your little heart imagines. That is what I love about cooking, it is your imagination and creativity that takes something from good to unforgettable! Please use this recipe and imagine away and please share with me what you have done!

Pizza Dough

1 TBSP honey
1 TBSP yeast
1 cup warm water
1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups flour
1 tsp kosher salt

Combine warm water, yeast and honey in a small bowl and allow yeast to rise. (I find that water that matches the temperature of my wrist, maybe slightly warmer, has not failed me when coaxing yeast to rise.) Once yeast mixture has doubled in size add it to the flour, salt and EVOO. I use my stand mixer fixed with a dough hook. Mix (if dough is too sticky add a little flour; if too dry a little water) until dough clings to the hook and there is no dough on the sides of the mixing bowl. Pull dough off hook and set bowl aside with a damp towel over the top, to let rise. Once it has doubled in size, punch the middle of the dough down and let rise again. This recipe will make two decent sized thin crust pizzas or several individual sized pizzas, your choice. Shape into pizzas either by rolling dough out or shaping with your hands, depends on the thickness of the crust desired. We top with the ingredients of our choice and bake in a 500 degree oven for about 10 minutes.

Enjoy!