Lucky Star Homemade Pizza

My mom says a lot of things. I listen to about half of them and hear all of them. She is wise, like my father, but I like to figure things out for myself because I am stubborn and determined. I never prove my parents wrong. They are always encouraging of things I set out to do. I think this is important to note because I hardly admit it. I am re-living my twenties because I refuse to get old, not because I regret anything. I can't get older than my mom. She's 20 1/2 she told me this week. I liked it better when she was 29. My father has a BIG birthday coming up. I think he's going to be 30! So exciting!!

I know I write about my parents a lot, but I like them. They make me laugh. They keep me sane. The younger (haha!) I get, the more I love how my strange family dynamic seems to just work for me. We are happy and I don't just say that lightly. We smile and laugh EVERY day now matter what is thrown at us. I see joy in everything. My mother would call it, "looking at the world through rose colored lenses". It's pretty.

My mother has told me many times to, "count my lucky stars".
I almost died yesterday.
I went out in the rain to pick up some things from the store. About a mile from the house, around a sharp corner, I saw the back of the jeep sliding the same direction of the turn I was making not following me. I was hydroplaning on a steep hill and sharp curve. I turned slowly and watched the back whip around the other way. I was floating on air and it was all in slow motion. I tried to straighten it out and just went back around the other way. It was a strange feeling. I finally came to a stop and had to decide wether to go on, park and cry, or turn back home. I took a breath and decided I was going to go on down the crooked road. Crying didn't cross my mind at the time but I assume it was an option. This whole journey is an adventure. We've had over twelve inches of rain in the past two days. I know it's not like the hurricane my friends and cousin's families had to endure but it is more than Orange County sees in a year. It has filled my empty pool to the top.

My father has a quote posted in his office area, "Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "Holy SHIT...WHAT a ride!"". This was sent to him by a friend about two weeks ago enclosed with a gift. The irony of it amazes me. I am not worn out yet. My journey shall continue.

I made the trek down and back with no further incident. I counted my lucky stars though. When I came home I made pasta and pizza dough without a machine or mixer. I find solace and comfort in the kitchen. Kneading dough is better than any anxiety pill medicine can create. The repetitive motion causes one to focus and the transformation of ingredients to food has a productive outcome unlike any other kind of therapy.

I went out today for errands and drove down toward the package store. I was looking for wine and came upon Lucky Star Pinot Noir. I am familiar with it. My dear friend Marie and I, whom I've known since third grade, had dinner with our mothers several months ago. It was if no time had passed since all of us were together. It's one of those great connections in life that just keeps giving happiness throughout the years. Marie ordered a wine neither of us had tried. It was the 2009 Lucky Star. I loved the name. I found it at the package store today after looking at everything else, trying to find something for around the same value that I can find in California. Everything here with regard to wine is more expensive than in California. Lucky Star is the only one that is less expensive and I think has more value in the bottle. I scored. I'm not afraid to spend money on good wine but I know great values can be found when you find what you like. It's not about the price tag.

Cheers to good friends, good family, adventures, and counting "Lucky Stars".





Lucky Star Homemade Pizza

Dough:
2 1/2 cups AP flour
2/3 cup water 120-130 degrees
1 tsp salt
1 Tablespoon "Pizza Spices" (I found them in San Francisco. King Arthur also has some online)
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 package "Pizza Crust Yeast" (it's sold in the grocery store)
3 Tablespoons good olive oil

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and then turn onto a board to knead for two minutes or until dough is shiny. Place in bowl with additional olive oil to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Punch down to deflate the dough and place in a plastic bag in the fridge overnight. It tastes so much better after a day of rest.

Pizza:

1 recipe dough
1/2 cup of pizza sauce or tomato sauce of choice (I make my own)
2 cups grated cheese of your choice
Any toppings you want
Cornmeal
1 bottle of Lucky Star Pinot Noir, Vintage 2009
Salt & Pepper to taste

Remove the dough from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature. About 45 minutes. Dough will "rise" again in the fridge overnight. Pour yourself a glass of Lucky Star. Split the dough into two or you can make one large pizza. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. If you are using a pizza stone, heat it per the directions. If you have a pizza screen, you are in luck. Mine are in California but they are the best $3 you will ever spend. Turn the dough onto a floured board and shape. After you form it into the thickness you prefer sprinkle some cornmeal under it and make sure it slides around on your pizza paddle if you are using a stone to cook it. Top with sauce and cheese and toppings, salt & pepper etc.
Bake 8-11 minutes. Allow to cool 2 minutes before you cut it. Enjoy with good company and another glass of Lucky Star followed by a RomCom for dessert (Romantic Comedy Movie as Monique has coined it). recipe yields 2- 8 inch pizzas or 4 total servings and can be doubled for a dinner party.

After that enjoy the cutest picture ever of Myles who is about to turn three. He's my BFF Monique's little boy and I miss him and his gorgeous hair bunches but got to chat with him and his mama on Skype which makes me smile. Myles loves Aunt Mandy's homemade pizza. So much better to make your own with out the preservatives and junk you find in the frozen stuff or from delivery places.