The way we buy Cheese

We buy cheese in bulk from our local Costco. I say local we do have to drive a little bit to get to it but it is well worth the little drive. I only go once a month and I purchase items in bulk that I know are good buys. I purchase shredded cheese in bulk, come home and divide it up and freeze it. Yes freeze it. Many have asked do you then have to use it in cooking, the answer is no, it thaws nicely and can be used in anything.

The two kinds of shredded cheese I like to purchase in this manner are Colby/Jack and mozzarella. I use the Colby/jack in place of cheddar in most recipes.

I use a larger bowl and dump some of the cheese into it and measure out 2 cups of cheese into freezer, quart size, ziplock bags. This is the amount that you get in the supermarket.

I then label each back with it's contents and the date. Cheese almost never lasts over 6 weeks in our house so I really don't have to worry about this but if you use less cheese it will help you know when you need to use it up.

By purchasing the cheese this way, I save alot of money each month. Each package of Colby/Jack costs me about $.67 and the mozzarella costs me about $.87 per package.

Peanut butter, tuna, Parmesan cheese, and bread flour just to mention a few things also are purchased in bulk.

Pizza Pizza!

This is our homemade pizza...we are no longer sure there should ever be any other kind of pizza!!

I mix the dough from scratch using the bread machine but you could do this without a bread machine if you wish...I just like the dump it all in there and let it do it's thing aspect of the bread machine!

This is the dough after the "dough" cycle is done in the bread machine...if doing it without the machine this would be the first rise!

Once you remove the dough from the machine you will have "knocked" it down and then you will place it in a bowl that you have rubbed with cooking oil and then cover it and let it rise again for 20 minutes. (the bowl isn't dirty the black mark is actually part of the bowls coloring)

This is what your dough should look like after 20 minutes or so.

You are now ready to grease 2 pans...I used pans that are commercial size cookie sheets (12 3/4 X 17 1/2) I divide the dough in half and then I just start stretching and pulling gently and lay it in the pan. Then I repeat with the other half of the dough.

I then place the pans of crust in a 425 degree oven for about 5 minutes or until the bottom of the crust is stating to brown but not the top. Once they are at this stage I take them back out of the oven and let them sit while I prepare the toppings.

Yep you guessed it I make my own pizza sauce...I refuse to pay extra for a can of pizza sauce that is only tomato sauce with seasonings...I do my own! This is 1 16 oz can of tomato sauce.

This is the pizza season mix that I use. I love Penzey's spices...they are located in Overland Park KS but you can order from them on line also!

I would guess that I used about 1 tablespoons of the seasoning...start with a little and keep tasting till you get the desired flavor.

Now that it is well mixed let you sauce rest while you prepare your other toppings.

honey ham and pepperoni

ground beef

I use Parmesan, colby/jack and Mozzarella cheese.

I then divide the sauce between the two crusts and spread it around.

I sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese first

I then sprinkle on a little bit of the mozzarella cheese.

Then you add all the toppings you want...there are many options...add what you like!

And finally your last layers of cheese. I put on some more mozzarella, and then add a sprinkling of the colby/jack which is optional...we just like it.

You then bake in a 425 degree oven until your crust is a light brown and your cheese is melted and starting to brown. Remove from the oven and slice it up and watch it disappear!

Crust recipe

1 1/4 cups plus 1 Tbsp water (80 degrees)
4 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil
4 cups flour ( I use bread flour)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Place in bread machine in the order given and program for dough cycle. Once cycle is complete, remove dough from pan and place in a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise in a warm draft free place for 20 to 25 minutes.
Divide the dough into 2 balls and spread it out evenly onto to greased baking sheets.

New Blog

Hi everyone! This is going to be our new blog about all things yummy!! My new Daughter in law to be and I have alot in common and cooking is one of them. We love to try new recipes and want to share our love of food and cooking we others. We are going to post food we make and we will try to provide money saving tips and help everyone with meal planning and wonderful recipes from the midwest.We are going to try to post at least one new recipe each week. Stay tuned we will post our first recipe soon.