Quote of the Week

Photo Credit:  Wikimedia

If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint," then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced. - Vincent Van Gogh

What is the first thing you think of when someone tells you that you can't do something?  You want to march right out and do it, right?.  This is one instance when you shouldn't listen to your inner voice either, so march right out there and prove yourself wrong!
 

An Early Arrival

The wind carries fragile seeds far away from the mother plant to gently land and take root in the rich soil.  Spring arrives and the sun, in all its warmth, forces the seeds to sprout.  Soon another generation has begun as blossoms of yellow dot the landscape.  For good or ill, so grows the dandelion.

Photo Credit:  John Charlton

Written for Friday Flash 55.

How to Make a Great Pizza Crust

Do you love a hot, fresh homemade pizza, but haven't been able to make a good pizza crust?  Now you can.  Follow these simple instructions and you'll be baking up delicious pizza in no time.

Pepperoni Pizza

Start with: 

1 3/4 cups of bread flour (all-purpose will work too).

1/2 teaspoon rapid rise/instant yeast.

6 ounces hot water - 110-120 degrees.

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil.

In large bowl, mix all ingredients until all liquid is absorbed and no dry flour remains in the bowl.

Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.  This makes the dough easier to work with.

Knead the dough on a floured surface several minutes until it is pliable and not sticky.  

Form into a ball and place in an oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for about two hours or until doubled in size.

Turn the risen dough onto a floured surface and stretch or roll to the desired sized.  Top with your favorite toppings and bake in a preheated 500-degree oven for about 8-10 minutes, depending on the heat of your oven.  For a crispier crust, use a pizza stone as shown in the photograph.

Makes one 13 to 15-inch pizza.

Updated: 9/2020

Quote of the Week

Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Louis Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Da Vinci, and Albert Einstein.  - H. Jackson Brown

This is true - there were 24 hours in every day of the lives of these people, just as there is today.  What we have today are days filled with demanding jobs, kids with extracurricular activities, and family and social obligations pulling us in different directions.  We need to find a balance in our busy lives that will allow us to make the most of our time and accomplish our goals.

Going, Going, Gone

The skies cleared, the sun came out and down the road a school bus slowed to a stop.  Do their brakes always squeal?  Kids stared gloomily out dirt-streaked windows.  Yesterday’s snowman, once tall and proud with gravel eyes and a very distinctive nose, was now a hat and scarf  atop a melting pile of snow.

Original Artwork of Roses to Rainbows

  Written for Friday Flash 55