For me, one of the things that summer is all about is doing things that you just don’t have time to do during the busy school year. Summer is a time to slow down and enjoy.
Recently, I was inspired by a post done by Casey and her triplet girls. They made pizza together. She and the girls made the dough from scratch and had a very fun time.

So one night, when I was sitting on the floor trying to think about what to have for dinner, Claire came up to me and said, “Let’s have pizza.” I thought, sure. But I did not just pick up the phone and call for one, I took Casey’s advice and we made pizza.

First, I made some dough. Now I did not make it from scratch like Casey. I used a box, added water and stirred.

But Jeff did let his inner pizza guy come out as he tossed the dough to stretch it out.

Next, Hayden chopped
and I gathered all the toppings.

You can use what ever pizza topping you like best but I think this would be a good way to introduce veggies to your kids that they think they might like. For us, it was peppers. The kids always tell me that they don’t like pepper but when given the choice, they all added some to their pizzas and ate them.

Jeff and I then gave small, individual pieces of pizza dough to each of the kids so they could make their very own pizza.

First they added sauce. I just used a jar of spaghetti sauce because that is what I had on hand.

Next it was time to choose the toppings.

Then once every one had their pizza just how they liked it, it was time to cook them in the oven. We baked them on large cookie sheets at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.

The kids could barely contain their excitement as they watched and waited for the pizza’s to cook.

And finally, it was time to eat.

Even though, this meal was pretty labor intensive on mine and Jeff’s part, it was totally worth it. The kids loved making their own pizzas and I think this statement from Hayden pretty much sums up the whole experience,
“Mom, this was the bestest dinner ever!”

If you want to try and make your own dough, here is Casey’s recipe.

Pizza Dough Recipe

  • 1 package active dry yeast (2 teaspoons)
  • 1 cup warm water (105° to 115°, no more)
  • 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little for coating

Instructions

1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Set aside and follow the instructions below for the method you choose.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the olive oil and yeast mixture into it. Stir until it begins to form a ball, then turn it out onto a clean, floured surface and knead for about 4 or 5 minutes.

3. Lightly oil the ball and the inside of a large glass bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour. For better crust, punch down the dough, reshape into a ball and let it rise again. You can refrigerate or freeze the dough at this point.

4. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions, about 6 ounces each. Roll each portion into a ball, then, working on a lightly floured surface, stretch the dough and work it with your fingers or a rolling pin to form an 8-inch circle. The outer edge of the circle should be a little thicker than the body, forming a rim. Add toppings.

5. Transfer to a pizza pan or pizza stone. Bake in a 500° pre-heated oven until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted, 10 to 13 minutes, or perhaps a little longer if your oven does not reach 500°. (I cooked our pizzas at 450 degrees for 13-15 minutes and it came out perfect).