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Pizza Pizza

School started for me this week, so I've been crazy busy. Every afternoon, I have been too tired to go to the store, so cooking hasn't really been an option. After eating bread and cheese for dinner last night, though, I decided I had to go to the store after work today. I knew I'd want to keep my meals fast and simple, so I bought lots of fresh veggies and ingredients for the crock pot. 

But I digress, so let me interject here that I LOVE pizza. I love all of it, from Pizza Hut to Totino's frozen delight. However, now that I'm an adult with a cranky stomach, I don't love the sick, grease-laden feeling I'm left with every time I eat it.  I rarely indulge in pizza unless I make it myself because it's just not worth it. Anyway, I've been craving pizza lately, so I just had to make one tonight. While I've always used refrigerated dough in the past, I decided to make a crust from scratch tonight. It was SO worth it!  It was so easy and delicious that I can't imagine buying pizza dough again. I used a crust recipe from the "Eat, Live, Run" blog, and I'll share the link with you.  It truly was the perfect crust...I'm so glad I outsourced this part of my pizza!  I've listed my favourite toppings here, but of course you can add whatever veggies or meats you like.  Here's my recipe:

Perfect Homemade Pizza

Wheat crust from www.eatliverun.com/the-best-pizza-dough/
(I used the white/wheat flour mixture)
1 8 oz. can Hunt's tomato sauce
1/2 t. minced garlic
1/2 T. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1 T. olive oil
1/4 c. diced mushrooms
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 small Roma tomato, chopped and seeded
1/2-1 c. shredded mozzarella
Fresh basil, shredded (to taste)

Make crust according to directions.  Preheat oven to 425.  While crust dough is rising, prepare the vegetables and make the sauce. Chop the bell pepper and tomato and roast in oven until slightly brown (around 10 minutes). For pizza sauce: sauté garlic in olive oil until slightly brown. Add tomato sauce and stir in sugar and salt.  Let simmer for about 5 minutes and set aside. When crust dough has risen for about an hour, divide in half. Reserve one half (I froze mine) and roll out the other half onto a greased pizza pan. Spread sauce evenly over crust, leaving edges clean. Sprinkle half the mozzarella over the sauce, then add the mushrooms, tomatoes, and peppers evenly.  Sprinkle basil around the pizza and top with remaining mozzarella. Bake for 15 minutes and enjoy!




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