Spring Break Pizza Party!

{photo credit: @sarah_burgart}

While I was in Indiana visiting my lovely friend Barbara, of Marilyn's Bakery fame, we had a discussion about friendship that inspired me to invite two friends to a pizza party once Groovy Girl and I returned home. Luckily the roads were clear after all the snow and we made it home safely and in good time.

My menu for the gathering:

homemade pizzas

homemade margaritas

In my message to both friends I requested they bring their top 2-4 pizza toppings. We generally don't make meat pies and we have had people unhappy with our veggie/creative toppings so it makes it easier if we can have a little help in the topping department. After we ate the pizzas the little ones made music and danced in Groovy's dance room.  We were able to sit back and sip.

{Alice, G.G., Macy, me, Mya, and Beth}

They brought:

feta cheese, pepperoni, spinach, pineapple, cheese curds, and shredded cheese.

We had: spinach, grated mozzarella cheese, whole mozzarella, basil, the dough, sautéed mushrooms, tomatoes, and red sauce.  And the margaritas of course. Kids had juice and special water.

I have many different dough I've used over the years; this time I used the one inside Katie Workman's The Mom 100 Cookbook; 100 recipes every mom needs in her back pocket. It was very easy to put together. I tripled the recipe in three different bowls so we would have plenty of dough to share.

Katie Workman's Homemade Pizza Dough

(makes enough for two 12-inch pizzas or four 6-inch)

1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsps) I appreciate when they add this in because I buy my yeast in bulk and keep it in a glass jar in the fridge.

1 tsp sugar (I omit this b/c why not?)

1 tsp course salt or kosher

2 T. olive oil, plus extra for coating the bowl

3 cups all-purpose (unbleached) flour

1. Place yeast (and sugar, if you opt in) in a large bowl, add 1 cup of warm water, and let sit until small bubbles form, about 10 minutes. Mix in the salt and olive oil. Add flour gradually, mixing until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 4 minutes (she says, you can use a standing mixer for this part). Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and cover it with damp dish towel or plastic wrap.

2. Let the dough sit undisturbed in a warm place until it is doubled in size, 1-1 1/2 hours. Punch down the dough, divide into 2 balls, and roll out on floured surface.  I let it rest after I roll it out so it can rise a bit again. Place it on a pizza stone (hot or not, your choice) and add sauce, toppings, cheese, whatever your heart desires.

Bake at 500* until crust is a little brown. Let rest after you remove from the oven for a few minute before cutting it with a pizza wheel.

{@sarah_burgart; look at those smiles}

Now for the adult beverage part of the celebration. All three of us are hard-working teachers who needed Spring Break to whisk us away even for an afternoon of play. My margarita recipe is from @sjkane11 who added it to our Highland Elementary recipe book a few years back. I've made it ever since. I prefer to make things homemade and I like to make cocktails so it was great to say adios to super sweet mixes.  I'm sure I've shared this recipe before but here it is again in case you lost it.

Margaritas (without the pain)

12 oz. can of limeade (frozen)

12 oz. tequila

12 oz. water

2/3 can or 8 oz of triple sec

1 can domestic beer

Ice and limes as desired

Use the frozen limeade can to measure ingredients. Mix all ingredients well in a gallon pitcher.  Add ice and limes. Pour generously into salt-rimmed glass.  Enjoy.