House Beautiful? Um, no.

Can you guess our decor style?

We like to call it Early Childhood.

My Optimist

In case you can't read it:

Dear Tooth Fairy,

I hope you like my tooth.

How much dollars do I want?

101

If not, that's okay.

Be Moved

Orphan Sunday is November 8, 2009.

Orphan Sunday from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

Live the Life

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams!

Live the life you've imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

Easy Pizza Crust

This dough is so awesome! It only takes a few minutes to make, no kneading or rising necessary. It works well as a crisp, thin crust or a soft, chewy crust. I even started making homemade pizza for our lunches this school year to use up some of the fresh basil and banana peppers that are growing like crazy. Lunchtime is usually a bit rushed around here, but after figuring out this recipe I don't think I can touch a frozen pizza again!

Easy Pizza Crust

1 package active dry yeast

1 t white sugar

1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)

2 1/2 cups bread flour

2 T olive oil

1 t salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes. (This is when I send one kid out to pick the basil, one sets the table, and one chops up the peppers, tomatoes, olives, etc.)

Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth (by hand, or I toss it all in my KitchenAid and let her rip.) Let rest in bowl 5 minutes.

Turn out dough onto greased pizza pan, or onto a Silpat baking mat on a cookie sheet. Use a little flour or olive oil on your hands to keep it from sticking while you pat it into shape. It will rise slightly during cooking, so make it as thin or thick as you like.

Prebake crust for 6 minutes. Assemble toppings. Top the prebaked crust with sauce and toppings, then return to bake for about 12-16 minutes until crust edges are golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes before cutting.

Note: if you use fresh Basil, don't add it to the pizza until after the baking~ that way it stays fresh and green.

Precious in Pink

At Least He's Got Manners

I saw the light shining from under the bathroom door

as my youngest son raced past me down the hall.

I started to call him back to turn it off,

then decided to just do it for him.

I reached for the switch, then

this Post-It across the room caught my eye:

It was neatly placed here:

I laughed until I cried.

Is there anything in the world funnier than 7 year old boys?