Life should not only be lived, it should be celebrated.
I'm a big believer in bringing celebrations into the everyday, ordinariness of things. So what if a day isn't necessarily special? So what if there isn't a calendar reason to party and celebrate and do something unique? There is always a reason to celebrate, and finding those moments in the small things brings tradition and fun to otherwise ordinary moments.
Back in September, one of our favorite shows was premiering a new season. This is the only show we all watch together as a family, as my dad has very different tastes in things than my mom, sister and I do. However, for this show, we can all come together and watch and enjoy. I got to thinking, "Why not make the night of the season premiere a pizza party?" Then, of course, you just have to make dessert, so tiramisu was added to the menu as well. I spent a Friday afternoon and evening making pizza dough and cutting tomatoes and olives, preparing chicken and bacon and gathering all the necessary ingredients. We decided that three different pizzas would be fun...a traditional pepperoni, one with tomatoes and black olives, and finally, my favorite, bbq chicken.
For dessert, we knew we wanted to stick with an Italian theme, but with a spin since the pizzas had a bit of a personal spin as well. The classic tiramisu is made with coffee, however, this gal here doesn't usually care for the flavor of plain coffee. My genius sister came up with the idea to use hot chocolate instead...and let me tell you when we tried this for the first time several years ago, we were blown away! It was freaking awesome!
Traditions and celebrations are the things that make up the fabric of family life. They are the things that build a family culture...even if they are small and ordinary and unique to your family. It's a way to put a stamp on "this is who we are". Whether it be a traditional holiday like Halloween, Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, July 4th or New Year's, or something more unique or ordinary, such as celebrating the first day of autumn, or the beginning of a TV show's new season, or having a special meal on the first snowfall of the year. Whatever it is, it's made special because it tells part of your family story, and it makes you who you are. These things are what gets carried on from one generation to the next...these are the things stories are made of when you're sitting around the couch sharing parts of your family quilt together...each story a block and each memory a piece of thread woven through them, binding them together.
To make our family's favorite pizza crust, simply follow these easy instructions...
In a large mixing bowl, combine:
1 tbsp. active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
Stir to combine. Then add in:
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
Stir until all mixed in and then add in 1-2 more cups of flour until the dough comes together to form a ball. Knead the dough for 6-8 minutes on a lightly floured surface. Then place in a greased bowl and turn once to coat all sides in oil, and allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Once doubled in size, punch down and divide dough in half. Spray two pizza tins with a bit of nonstick spray and sprinkle with a tablespoon of cornmeal each. Then gently press the dough out to fit the tin and allow to rise for another 10 minutes.
In the meantime, preheat your oven to 400*F and once the dough has risen the second time, bake for 10-12 minutes, or just until barely browned.
Once the dough has cooked, brush each crust with olive oil and follow the directions for the pizza you want to create:
Tomato and Black Olive
Sprinkle a little garlic powder over the oiled crust and then top with mozzarella cheese, sliced fresh tomatoes and black olives. Sprinkle fresh or dried basil over the top and finish off with a light covering of Parmesan cheese. Bake for another 10-15 minutes.
BBQ Chicken
Place 1-2 chicken breasts on a baking sheet tray. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and brush on a good amount of your favorite BBQ sauce. Bake at 350*F for about 25-30 minutes or until done. Chop into small pieces.
On your oiled crust, spread a good, even amount of BBQ sauce over the top. Sprinkle mozzarella and cheddar cheese, BBQ chicken, cooked and crumbled bacon, sliced black olives and banana peppers over the top. Bake another 10-15 minutes.
Hot Chocolate Tiramisu
3 tbsp. cocoa powder
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. water
2 cups milk
Combine all, except milk, in a sauce pan, and bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, continue to boil for two minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk. Stir until completely mixed together. Cool to room temperature.
3 egg yolks
1 cup sugar, divided
2 cups mascarpone cheese
1 cup heavy cream
13 ounces (about 45 cookies) ladyfingers (this can vary according to the size of your pan)
In a heatproof bowl, combine the egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar. Place over a pan of simmering water and continue to whisk until a candy thermometer reads 160*F. Remove from the heat.
Using a hand held or stand mixer, beat the yolk and sugar mixture for about five minutes, until thick and pale yellow. Add the mascarpone cheese, and continue beating until thoroughly combined.
In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream until it begins to thicken. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Continue to beat until soft peaks form.
Fold whipped cream into the yolk and sugar mixture. Do this very gently.
To assemble:
Spread a thin layer of the cream on the bottom a 9x13 inch pan. Lightly dip each of the ladyfingers in the cooled hot chocolate mixture and place an even layer on top of the cream. Spread half of the remaining cream mixture over the cookies. Repeat again, using up the ladyfingers, hot chocolate, and cream mixture.
Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and lightly sift cocoa powder over the top for garnish.
Chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours, but overnight is best.
Celebrate today friends! Make something ordinary fun and special!
♥