Chicago Style Thin Crust Pizza

I made this last Wednesday, but just got the pics on the computer today. One of the main things we miss about Chicago is the pizza. They make the most delicious pizza in the world there. (If anyone from New York reads this, I don't want to hear about it!) We really miss Little Joe's, Palermo's and Giordano's, just to name a few.

Over the last couple of years, I have been working hard on perfecting not only the stuffed Giordano style pizza I discussed in another post, but also a delicious thin crust with a sweet sauce. The recipe I have come up with is really good, at least my family loves it. I have realized, though, that there is no way to exactly duplicate a restaurant pizza. They use a different type of stove. In some ways, mine is not as good as their's and in some ways it is better, so I am happy. If you are interesting in making your own pizza, I learned a ton from the wonderful forums at www.pizzamaking.com

The kids all enjoy making their own pizzas, each rolling their dough to the thickness they prefer. They all know that I have one really strict rule about my pizza, though, it MUST be cut in squares, aka party cut, not triangles! The rule goes on to state that if you cut your Chicago style thin crust pizza in triangles, you are never allowed to eat it again. Stuffed is cut into triangles.

Shauna's Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies

Shauna made some really good chocolate chip cookies the day the Alex and Hannah went tubing. For our family, we make a triple recipe. We decided to use the stand mixer, even though it is small so we have to make three batches. I helped Shauna with the first batch and then she made batches two and three all by herself! The cookies were delicious! We are still trying to figure out how to make them puffier, though. We used all butter because it tastes best, but them they come out flat. I am wondering if we cook them at a higher temp for a shorter time if they would spread less. We have tried Alton Brown's puffy recipe, but those had no taste. I guess we will have to keep experimenting, darn, darn, darn!

Books

I finished Bloodlines and am now reading In Silence by Erica Spindler. So far, very good. I had hoped to get a lot of reading in at Busch Gardens, since I don't go on rides, but since it was raining most of the time, no such luck.

4th of July

Us with the Klichs on the day we went home. I think it was July 6th, 2007.

Left to Right: Steven, Joe, Luke, Jack in the chiar and Michael Summa pointing. I think that is Cherry and Brandon (Jack's friends) in the background, but I'm not sure.

Luke and Michael Summa in the foreground, Debbie bending down and me in the chair.

Joe and Luke (pre-broken leg!)

Beautiful Oak Forest fireworks! Our favorite fireworks display.

Last year, we had a wonderful time at the Oak Forest fireworks with the Klichs and a bunch of Jack's Illinois friends. We really, really wanted to go there again this year, but with gas prices and our van only getting 13 miles per gallon, that wasn't possible. So, we went to the fireworks at Busch Gardens this year. It was sort of sucky because even though the weather channel and ABC said it wasn't going to rain, we encountered thunderstorms and it rained for at least an hour and a half.

Tricia, Tim, Chelsea, Lucas and Tatum met us there. The fireworks were, surprisingly, pretty good. They only lasted 15 minutes, which is half the time the Oak Forest fireworks last, but they were beautiful. There were several really sparkly ones, that I haven't seen before, as well as some smiley faces! I'm going to include a picture or two of the Oak Forest fireworks because I couldn't take any pics this year, due to the fact that I was busy holding a towel over my head and I didn't want to get my camera soaked!

Tubing

Hannah and Alex are off tubing with some friends.  Wow, they are really growing up and getting busy social lives now.  The friend who owns the boat is from Drama, Stacy, and their friend from hockey, Drew, also went with them.  I guess they introduced Drew to Stacy yesterday at Busch Gardens and Drew and Stacy really hit it off.

That leaves poor Shauna alone, though.  I don't think she minds for the most part.  She loves to stay home and do nothing.  I just wish she would make some more friends in the neighborhood so she won't be alone so much.  I told her we could make chocolate chip cookies while the other kids are gone.  She is helping Jack with something in his car right now.

I hope the kids have fun and Hannah doesn't get seasick, since this is her first time on a boat!  

Compliments from the kids

Well, that was annoying.  I had typed up a long post and when I tried to preview it, blogger deleted it and it wasn't autosaved.  Ugh!  Now I have to try to remember what I wrote.

I got two compliments from the kids this week.  Coming from a mom who is "embarrassing, annoying, mean, etc.", that is pretty huge!  First of all Alex, Hannah and Shauna were having a discussion about what they dislike about their noses.  They all had complaints and I told them that their noses look great and almost everyone thinks there is something about their own nose that could be better, including me.  Alex told me that my nose is "perfect, it looks like people's noses AFTER they get a nose job."  LOL

Hannah as been writing rap songs as a way to release some of her pent up anxieties, anger and frustrations.  So far, it has been working pretty well, although I could do without some of the swear words that she includes.  She insists that she has to use them because they help her get her feelings out.  Since the songs aren't allowed to be shared outside of the house (especially since they often include very nasty things about neighbors and schoolmates!), I am letting the swear words slide for now.  Anyway, she wrote a song about everyone in the family.  Let's just say that it was a little negative!  Not to mention any names, but she said someone has bad breath, someone is mean, someone plays too many video games and she said that she, herself, is sometimes mean and sometimes nice.  Well, apparently I am "sweet as a strawberry".  I almost fell off my chair!  Was this a compliment from a kid who usually acts like I am more disgusting than a freshly removed drain clog??????  Wonders will never cease!

Book

I finished Plain Truth, it was really good.  I started on Bloodlines by Dinah McCall.  I'm only a few pages in, but it is excellent, so far.