Pizza Dough Recipe

This is from the recipe book I gave to oldest son for his college graduation.  I am currently copying recipes out of this book for the younger two children.  I had him bring the book home for break just so that I could copy all of the recipes out!

This is a yeast dough, and requires raising time.  Be prepared to spend a couple of hours getting the dough ready for dinner!

Pizza Dough Recipe

Pre-Heat to 425*F

2 1/2 - 3 cups flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 cup warm water

In a large bowl, combine 1 1/4 cups flour, yeast, and salt.

Stir in warm water and oil.  Knead until smooth and elastic,working in the flour as you go.

Cover dough and let rise until double - about one hour.

Punch down dough, divide in half.  Cover and let rise 10 minutes.

Put dough onto cookie sheet or pizza pan.

Cover ad let rise 30 minutes.

Bake in a 375* oven for 20 minutes.

Cover with sauce, cheese and toppings.  bake an additional 10 - 20 minutes.

Gluten Free Pizza Dough Recipe

I use this recipe that I found at Bob's Red Mill. (External Link to Bob's Red Mill.)

The dough is very sticky, and unlike wheat flour, you need to keep your hands WET to keep the dough from sticking.  It's a really, really good recipe!

Book Review: A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety

Note: This post contains Affiliate Links. 

Jimmy Carter has always been one of my heroes.  Not because of the work he did as President.  I was entirely too young to appreciate what he did while in office.  I was 11 when he was sworn in, and like most kids in 1976, I was immersed in the Bicentennial Celebration of our country.  I was engrossed by the Olympics, watching Bruce Jenner compete and win the Decathalon, the building of the space shuttle.

Image: amazon.com

I am most impressed with what the man has done since leaving office.  The impact that he has continued to have on the world around him for more than 30 years after being unelected from office some 30 years ago.

 In this book, President Carter takes a look back at the highlights of his life.  I remember many of the events, but he shares the backstory behind the political tales.  He also shares the stories from his time in the Navy and growing up.  He is only  a few years older than my mother.  Reading the tales of growing up during the depression is much like listening to my Mom talk about the depression.  They had slightly different experiences, but they were both barely scraping by.

I found the book fascinating.  Jimmy Carter really is one of the great philosophers of our time.  He thinks deeply about his actions, and weighs their impact upon the world around him before he makes a decision.

This book is a must read if you are interested in any of the forces that have helped to shape U.S. Foreign Policy over the last 50 years.  It is fascinating to see how our world has been impacted by policies and treaties that were signed during the Nixon-Carter-Reagan years.  It's even more humbling when you realize the long term impact many of these policies have had on our world today.

I'd like to finish this with a paragraph from the book.  President Carter is talking about the impact of economic embargoes on foreign countries, and how these very embargoes punish the people of the land - NOT the people who are in power - but the people like you and me, who are living their lives, raising their children, and trying to make ends meet.  In particular, he is talking about his trip to North Korea in 2011.  He reported back to Washington that one-third of all children in North Korea are malnourished and stunted in growth, with daily food intake numbering 700-1400 calories.  (As opposed to 2,000-2,500 in the U.S.)

"There is no excuse for oppression by a dictatorial regime, but it is likely that the degree of harsh treatment is dependent on the dissatisfaction of the citizens.  Hungry people are more inclined to demand relief from their plight, and more likely to be imprisoned or executed.  As in Cuba, the political elite in North Korea do not suffer, and the leader's all pervasive propaganda places the blame on the United States, not on themselves.

The primary objective of dictators is to stay in office, and we help them achieve this goal by punishing their already suffering subjects and letting the oppressors claim to be saviors."
(Carter, James, A Full Life, page 189.)

A troubling thought to keep in mind in a world that is filled with terrorism and nations that seem to have a problem with the United States.

President Carter has some fascinating insights on the world around us, and those insights are tempered by his age.  At this point in his life, he has nothing to gain by sugar coating the truth.  I believe we all have something to learn from his ruminations - about our past, and our future. 

Changing the Name of the Blog

While we were eating dinner over the weekend, I announced to my family that I was thinking of snazzing up the name of my blog.  Maybe not changing the name of the blog itself, but possibly the tag line underneath of my blog.  It currently reads: Rambles about my attempts to herd cats, make a house into a home, craft, and find the joy in everyday things.

"I am thinking about changing it to read "Thoughts on the art of being a Domestic Goddess."

There was a simultaneous snort of derision from around the table.

"What?" I demanded.  "I am the real deal!  I can cook, clean, do laundry, and raised 3 marvelous children.  I grocery shop, plan meals, hold down a job - I am the ninth wonder of the world."

"Right," said daughter.  "Did you forget the time you set my cake on fire two hours before my 13th birthday party?  We were expecting guests in 2 hours, it was the middle of January, and you had every single window in the house open, with fans blowing in each one trying to get the smoke out before anyone actually showed up at the door.  I'll never forget the sight of the flaming cake that you tossed out of the back door and into the pile of snow in the back yard.  Wow, did that sizzle and pop."

"That was a one time thing." I protested.

"Don't forget that when we were first married, you were on a first name basis with the fire captains of all three shifts of the local fire department because we set the smoke detectors in the apartment building off so many times."

"That's been over 20 years..."

"And do you remember the time when you made a peanut butter sauce to go over rice noodles.  The dog wouldn't even eat those."

"The sugar cookies that the ducks wouldn't touch."

"The bread that never rose because you forgot to proof your yeast."

"That time you tried to make Baked Alaska and the ice cream melted inside of the oven and not only smoked up the house, it rolled out of the oven door and all over the floor."

"The time you fixed the toilet and ended up with the parts all over the living room floor - because you couldn't figure out how to re-seat the tank."

"Now wait a minute, I would have gotten that tank back on if I'd had another half hour before you woke up from your naps."

"Oh, and let's not forget WHY we're eating dinner out tonight.  You were making dinner, and you managed to set the onions in the pan on fire instead of just browning them.  I mean really, Mom..."

"This is what I mean.  This takes TRUE talent.  Anyone can saute onions, but to set them on fire?  While cooking them over low heat?  THAT is a feat that can't be duplicated by many people.  I am a true Domestic Goddess.  Other people only pretend that they want to be housewives who can do it all.  Not only have I done it all, but I have FAILED more often than most, and I openly admit it.  How many other people have failed at these simple tasks?  Not many, I tell you.  I am a LEGEND in my own house.  I am truly a divine inspiration to those around me."

And I swear, I heard one of the kids mutter "A divine inspiration of what NOT to do...."

I tell you, it's hard to pull off this kind of fabulosity on a daily basis.  But I struggle through and fabulous on.  It's what I do!  

Musings on the art of being a Domestic Goddess.... It has a certain pretentiousness about it, doesn't it?

My Top 5 Books from 2015

Disclaimer: This post contains Affiliate Links.

I read 75 books last year.  I covered a lot of ground in the course of those 75 books.  I thought it would be fun to revisit my favorite books one last time.  In no particular order, here are my top five reads from this past year.  Wow.... when I looked back through the list of titles and the reviews, holy cow did I cover some literary ground!  This year, I'm not going to try to set a goal on the number of books read, but I am going to continue to review the books I do read.  I do enjoy a good read!

image: amazon.com

1) Earthquake by Aprilynne Pike.
Tavia lost her family in a plane crash a few years ago.  The sole survivor of the crash, she doesn't remember much except for a few earth shaking details: 1) Someone is trying to kill her.  2) She is an Earthbound eternal being, searching for her eternal mate, who is somewhere in the world and must be found, soon.  3) The earth is being destroyed by a continent eating virus.
and 4) She is the only one who can save the planet.

image: amazon.com

2) The Wright Brothers by David McCullogh
The detailed story of the Wright Brothers, and the work that went into getting the Wright Flier off of the ground and into the air that magic day in Kitty Hawk.  Sure, we all know that they were the first to achieve manned flight.  But, do you have any idea about all of the work that went into getting that airplane into the air, and how hard they had to fight to get the recognition for the work that they did from the United States?  Like all stories, this is a much deeper story than we were ever taught in school.





3) Capital Days: Michael Shiner's Journal by Tonya Holden

If you know anything about the history of slavery.Michael was outstanding in so many ways.  As a black man, he was able to read and write at a time when it was against the law to be able to do so.  He kept a book where he detailed small happenings in and around the place where he worked - the Washington Naval Yard.  He met people who have since become staples of United States History.  His journal runs from around 1812 - 1870.




4) Bear in the Back Seat by Kim Delozier

Picture: Amazon

Kim Delozier reflects upon his 30 years of service to the NPS in this wonderful romp down memory lane.  Kim worked with the wildlife, and the love that he has for the park, for his job, and mostly for the bears in the park come through on every single page.

The Smokies are my favorite National Park, and we have been there many times.  We have been to talks given by Kim back when he was a ranger working at headquarters.  (As opposed to out in the field, where the real action is going on.)  I had never stopped to think about the wildlife management aspect of working in the park.  Kim brings the very real struggles that park rangers have, maintaining the safety of the animals when millions of tourists are walking obliviously next to them, and how many tourists are unwittingly endangering the lives of these bears with their actions.

image: amazon.com

5) The Accidental Empress by Allison Pataki
This fascinating tale is based upon the life of Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) of Austria.  She was beloved by her people, and considered to be the most beautiful woman of her time.  The author has done endless research into the intrigues of the Hapsburg Court at this time, and it shows in the rich attention to detail: from the court protocols, to the clothing, to the descriptions of the castle and the countryside.  You will find yourself swept into 19th century Vienna.

Gym Wildlife

In honor of everyone who goes to the gym for the first two weeks in January!

Split Pea Soup

Finally, the weather on the East Coast is getting chilly, and soup weather has begun!  We needed to use up the ham bone from Christmas, along with a few of the odds and ends that we had left. (celery, onion, carrots left over from the Christmas Day veggie tray)


Split Pea Soup
6 cups water
4 chicken bullion cubes
(see my recipe for bullion cubes here.)
2 cups split peas. dried
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp thyme
1 Bay leaf
1/2 tsp pepper
1 ham bone, make sure it's got meat on it.  If it doesn't have enough meat, chop up some leftover ham and add it.

• In the slow cooker, add all of the ingredients listed above.  Add the split peas, and make sure that the ham bone is snuggled down in the beans.  If the water does not completely cover the soup with two inches to spare, add more water.  For every extra cup of water, add another bullion cube.
• Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
•  Stir well before serving. 

We served this with homemade gluten free cornbread.

A wonderfully warm way to start the new year?

New Year's Resolutions 2016

I love the beginning of a new year.  A time full of promise - when we all look forward to what is yet to come, and make plans for what grand and wonderful things we shall accomplish.  As I reflect back on what I did last year, I realize that I had some grand accomplishments that I should be proud of.  One of my kids graduated from college with honors and went on to graduate school.  I know I didn't do the work involved in earning the degree, but I do believe that the way in which he was raised, as well as the work ethic we instilled in him, helped him to achieve his goals.  Husband and I celebrated 25 years of marriage this year - no small feat in a culture that emphasizes quick fixes and easy outs if things get difficult.  The past 25 years haven't all been rosy, but we've worked together to make them meaningful, and we've worked through our issues and problems TOGETHER.  There are a few unforgiveable offenses in a marriage that call for immediate dissolution - spousal abuse being the biggest one - but fortunately, husband and I don't have those issues.

Do you set resolutions every year?  I do, and then I promptly forget them.  I began keeping track of my resolutions in 2014, and I was impressed with the job I did in actually remembering all of my resolutions and keeping them!  By publishing them publicly and coming back to them monthly, I am better able to keep track of what grand, fantastic ideals I had for myself, and to gently nudge myself back on track.

How did I do last year?  Pretty well, I think.  I have one item on the hit parade that's been on there for 2 years now.  I refuse to cave in and take it off of the list.  This one is staying on until it gets done!
After much thought, I have set my resolutions for 2016.  I tried to make them realistic, but I wanted to make sure I listed things that would broaden my horizons.


1) Remodel the Hall Bathroom

Third year is the charm, right?

2) Improve my Health
For 2 years now, my goal has been to lose weight.  Over the last two years, I have lost weight.  But I need to lose more weight.  Instead of focusing on the number on the scale, I am going to focus on some larger goals that are a bigger indication of overall health.

a) Lose inches off of  my waist.
These inches around my waist contain visceral fat - fat that is hanging around my internal organs and is impacting my overall health.  Bad fat, bad, bad, bad.  Go away fat!  Unfortunately, the only way to get rid of that fat is to eat right and exercise.  Hard truth there.  This year, my goal is to lose 3 inches off of my waist before the end of the year.

b) Get my blood pressure down into the normal-normal range.
It is currently in a "high-normal" range.  I want to get it down to the point where I do not get a lecture from the doctor about it every time I walk into the office. 

c) Go down at least one clothing size. 
I am currently shopping in the plus section.  By the end of this year, I want to be able to buy clothing from the "normal" section.  What size is that?  I'm currently a 2X.  Given 12 months, I think this is a realistic goal.  In the meantime, I'm setting that expectation low - at one size, before the end of the year.  The dream is to be wearing something in the "regular" (read: NOT the plus size) section of the store for Christmas 2016.

3) Re-Start my Vegetable Garden
I used to have a decent garden in my back yard.  And then, I was invaded by Appalachian Mounding Ants.  Nasty little buggers, with a nasty little bite.  I ended up abandoning that side of the yard a few years back.  I will relocate the garden this year, and actually plant things! 

4) Learn to Pressure Can
I water bath can on a regular basis.  As I get older, I am finding that commercially processed foods agree less and less with me.  It would be very, very nice to have food that I have canned myself in a jar on a shelf so I can pull it out and make dinner when I need it.

5) Daughter's Quilt
You'd think I'd just sit down and finish them instead of having to think about it and write it, wouldn't you?  Hers is going to be a cat quilt.  I'd really like to finish this before she graduates from college.... I didn't do so well with the oldest kid.  I got it to him in time for a graduation.... College graduation...

6) Clean Out and Organize the Carport
The carport has become a catch all for everything.  I want to add steps - with a handrail to get in and out through the kitchen door next year.   It's difficult for my Mom to get in and out of our house, and I know it will eventually be difficult for us to get in and out.  This year, I need to clean out and organize the mess.  Snow shovels, rakes, the recycling bins, and other miscellaneous junk congregates here and never gets put away.  Since this is obviously the best place for these items, it's time to organize them so we can find them easily and not trip over them.

7) Exercise Consistently
I have the more part down.  My goal for this year is going to be consistency.  Making certain that I continue to get at least 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week.  I need to be consistent, and I need to make certain that there's enough variety that I don't get tired of doing anything. 

8) Clean Out 23 Things Each Week
My husband hates to throw things away.  We bought my in-laws house, which was full of stuff that she couldn't throw away.  If you remember last year, I participated in the 40 bags in 40 days challenge- wherein I got rid of 40 trash bags worth of stuff during Lent.  I did do it, but it turned out to be overwhelming because of the vast quantity of crap I have to sort through.  So this year, I'm going to focus on 23 things a week.  Hopefully, smaller doses will be more manageable.

Throw it out, donate it, sell it, organize it and put it away so I can find it again - whatever I choose to do, I need to take care of 23 things each week.  Why 23? Years ago, I took a library training class entitled 23 Things.  The class was run out of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library.  We were to learn 23 Things about Web 2.0 Technologies.  Since that time, I've always stuck with the number 23 when I need to do something.  It's an odd enough number that I remember it.

Here's a humbling number - 23 Things, every week for 52 weeks?  That's 1,196 things I plan on taking care of this year. You laugh, but I'm pretty sure I have well over 2,000 pieces of junk that can leave our house forever.

9)Participate in the NoSpenduary Challenge
I found this challenge last year on a wonderful little blog entitled Frugal, Debt Free Life.  In short, aside from bills and the gas that is required to get to and from work, you spend no extra money during the month.  No Starbucks runs.  No fast food.  NADA.  I am curious to see how this pans out for us! 

10) Visit One Place on my Bucket List
I have a long list of places I want to visit.  So many of them are here in the United States.  I need to visit one of them this year.  (But which one?)  I'd like to do this one with the entire family.  How do you work this out when you've got kids with jobs and professional commitments?  This is going to be a challenge!

11) Get at least half of the CEU's I need to keep my teaching certificate.
Like most professions, teachers have to have a certain number of CEU's every few years in order to keep teaching.  I am a certified teacher in Maryland. Public Librarians are required to take CEU's to retain their job, too.  Since I am not teaching nor currently working in a public library, finding CEU's is more difficult.  They're not offered as part of staff development.  This year, I will find a total of at least 3 CEU's.  I really want to keep those certifications. I worked hard to earn them, I don't plan on throwing them away.  I have until 2019 to earn my CEU's, but I'd like to have the work done before the end of 2018.

12) Scrapbooking
It's funny.  I've been very diligent about keeping scrapbooks.  When the kids were little, I finished our scrapbooks every year.  I completed albums for each of their school levels, scouts, and graduation albums.  But somewhere along the way, I lost track of finishing up our own family albums.

I have several years of scrapbooks that are not completed.  I have the pictures- either digital or paper, but they are not in albums.  I need to complete those gap years.  I'm not sure how many years are missing.  It could be as many as 10, but I think it's 5.  Either way, I need to get them organized and finished before I forget the events and names of the people involved!  EGADS!  I sincerely hope I don't have 10 years worth of albums to catch up on! 

13) Walk or Bike a portion of at least 6 Rail Trails
I love the Rails to Trails movement.  Old railroad tracks have been converted into walking/biking trails all over the country due to the diligence of volunteers and community organizations dedicated to bettering the life of the people they work with.  There are many rail trails in Maryland and Virginia.  I don't think I can tackle the entire length of a trail, but I do think I can handle going out, spending a few hours on a trail, eating lunch, and then heading back home. 


14) Pay off the big debt and one smaller one-
The bills that are still hanging over our collective heads from husband's accident 3 years ago. 
I really did think that we were going to get the big one paid off in 2015, but we missed that goal.  This years' goal is to not only pay off that debt, but another one of the smaller debts as well. 

I have other goals I'd like to meet this year, but I don't think they're going to happen, so I'm not going to write them down.  I'll just call them secret plans for now.  I have 2 of them.  Let's see if I can accomplish either one!

15) The Recipes Tab
I've been working on and off on the recipe tab on the side bar for a year now, and it is a disaster.  I post many of my own favorite recipes on here so that I can come back to them later.  I am going to sit down and fix the recipe tab so that it matches the image I have in my head of what it should look like - mostly so that I can come back and find my recipes when I want them!

What are your resolutions for this year?