Wednesday night I got brave and let the kids help me make pizza from scratch while Lily napped. I even used a rolling pin – a goal for last year that I achieved only once. Our bread maker kindly mixed the dough (we used the pizza dough recipe from my favorite bread machine cookbook). Emma helped roll the dough flat while Johnny stole bits of dough to eat. I’ve learned that pizza dough rolls out much more easily if you flatten it and then let it sit that way for 10-20 minutes before rolling.
Both kids added sauce. I’m convinced that the secret to good pizza sauce is to puree fresh tomatoes instead of using canned ones. I actually like to pre-cook the crust a bit, but skipped it this time as dinner was already running late. I usually cook my pizza on parchment paper, but I skipped it because I wanted to try setting it on rice flour instead. I definitely prefer the parchment paper method, so we’ll go back to that next time.
Next came the cheese. Emma was (predictably) much more attentive about seeing that the cheese made it onto the pizza.
I added the rest of the cheese, pineapple, and BBQ pulled pork for a dinner that was happily eaten by all – including Lily, who managed to nab somebody’s crust to gnaw at with the single tooth that made its appearance Tuesday evening after a day of clinginess.
MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
pizza making with the kids looks like a lot of fun… i want to try that but hmm i dont think we get parchmnt paper here
.-= Nadia´s last blog ..Weekend Fun and Thoughts on Motherhood =-.
Oh my goodness, this looks delicious. :) I love making pizza from scratch, though my husband prefers ordering out. boo.
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You are brave! :) That is a very fun project to do with the kids!
.-= Adriana´s last blog ..Evidence of Learning =-.
Homemade pizza is one of our favorite meals. And I will tell you the secret that we have finally perfected for getting the pizza to not stick to the pan (we also use cookie sheets). This works so well – not a bit of sticking! First, put a little olive oil on the pan and rub it around with a rubber spatula so it covers the surface (a really light coating works great). Then sprinkle cornmeal over the top. It doesn’t have to be perfect or cover each part, but it honestly works so well. We have been so excited to discover this method just within the last few weeks.
Looks like a fun and yummy cooking activity! :)
.-= sunnymama´s last blog ..Bundled Up =-.
Cute pictures and delicious looking pizza too.
You are so good at helping your kids learn and letting them help you too.
I’d been wondering if Lily had any teeth yet.
.-= susana´s last blog ..Happy Birthday Sweet Jack! =-.
Wow! They did a great job making pizza, and looks like they really had a great time! Hooray for Lily’s 1st tooth!!
.-= Valerie @ Frugal Family Fun Blog´s last blog ..Welcome Birds with a Bird Nester =-.
Yum! This pizza looks awesome. Congratulations on Lily’s first tooth!
.-= Natalie´s last blog ..The School Corner – March 12, 2010 =-.
Looks delicious! This is something we need to try as well.
Congrats to Lily on her tooth! Love the image of her snagging a crust. :)
.-= Elisa | blissfulE´s last blog ..drink pink =-.
Cute! This is my almost four year old’s favorite dinner to cook (and eat). I actually make the big pizzas myself and then give her a small piece of dough to make whatever shape she wants. My twenty month old joined in for the first time the other day. It’s a lot of fun.
.-= Jaimie´s last blog ..Kid-sized Clothesline =-.
That looks yummy! How cute that Lily has her first tooth!
.-= Jenny´s last blog ..Links I Like: 5th Edition =-.
yum!
.-= Ticia´s last blog ..Mommy pictures of my boys’ birthday =-.
mmmm we love making pizza!
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