Pizza at Home - Kids make the pizza tonight

Happy Sunday! It's pizza day! Christmas was just a couple weeks ago and their cousin Aubrey knew how much they liked helping out in the kitchen. She gave them a present of a Young Chef cookbook plus a cute pink apron for Alli. As the kids were looking through it, they came across a recipe for pizza and asked if they could make pizza on Sunday. I think that's a fantastic idea! 

They've got their cookbook in hand and we're ready to go! 

After lunch on Sunday, the three of us took over the kitchen. 

First we'll be making the dough. For these recipes, instead of using the stand mixer, the food processor will be our workhorse. We're needing 3/4 a cup of water. Alli is helping Ian with the measurement line by using her finger to show where he should stop. 

Ian is slowly adding the water and oil to the flour, sugar, and yeast that he measured into the food processor. Pulsing it a few times, it all came together as a dough. The recipe says to let it sit for 10 minutes (I'm guessing to hydrate the dough). While that's sitting, it's time for Alli to make her batch of dough. 

Each batch makes 4 mini pizzas, so we're going to need two batches of dough in order to make pizzas for everyone. Ian is helping Alli with the "finger line" for how high to fill it. Once Alli's dough came together, it was time to add salt and knead the dough. 

Ian getting his hands oiled up to knead the dough. 

After kneading, it then gets worked into a ball. 

Then tossed into a greased bowl. 

Alli followed Ian making her dough. After letting it sit for 10 minutes, you add a teaspoon of salt and let it knead in the food processor for 1 minute. 

Video is mostly just for me. The kids counting out 60 seconds for their dough to mix, kneading the dough, etc. 

Pizza isn't just dough though. We've got to have sauce on top. Good thing the recipe book gives us instructions for that too. 

The food processor comes into play again here too. We'll use some diced tomatoes. 

Letting it run for 30 seconds along with garlic, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper.  

Giving it a taste, it gets a thumbs up from our two chefs. 

It's a relatively chilly day here in So Cal, being in the low 60s. The dough benefitted from sitting in a warm oven to help it rise. 

Ian punched down the dough and then split it into fourths. 

Alli did the same thing with her dough, using the pizza cutter to split it in half and then half again. 

The kids formed the dough into balls and they'll sit for another 10 minutes to rise again. 

Next it's time to roll out the dough to form pizza crusts. After flouring the counter, they took turns rolling out the dough balls into flat rounds. 

Alli is taking her turn. 

They're not perfect, but they don't need to be. They'll taste just as delicious no matter the shape. 

Using the sauce they made, Alli used a spoon to spread it onto her pizza round. 

Then spread cheese onto it. No other toppings for her. Just sauce and cheese. 

Now she's making my pizza! Since these are individual pizzas I can get whatever toppings I want on it! I'll take bacon, ham, pineapple, and goat cheese!

I don't know how it happened, but flour I guess gets everywhere. 

Ian came and made the next batch of pizzas. Starting with his, just a little sauce. 

A light sprinkling of cheese, then as many pepperonis as he wants. 

Ian made Theresa's pizza next with half alfredo sauce (last night we made Olive Garden at home), and half red sauce. Then it gets loaded with some ham and lots and lots of olives. 

Grandpa was really happy with all the toppings Ian gave him. All the veggies, plus pineapple and goat cheese. Yum!

Kids, you did an awesome job in the kitchen today (like usual, you guys are pros). But of course they love hearing all the praise, just like we all do. 

Ian - Daddy, is it okay if it's not as good as yours? 

Buddy, either way this pizza is going to be fantastic. 

From 12 o'clock and going clockwise. Ian's pepperoni pizza, my ham bacon pineapple garlic and goat cheese pizza, a random pizza Alli made with some meats and garlic, and Alli's pizza with just sauce and cheese. 

Again from 12 o'clock, Richard's pizza with all the toppings, an alfredo cheesebread Alli made, Chi's veggie pizza that Alli made, and Theresa's half and half pizza with light sauce and lots of olives and ham. 

The kids were happy with their pizzas, but who are the real critics tonight? 

The adults all gave them a thumbs up for the personal pizzas. It's nice to have our own pizzas with our favorite toppings!

Seeing as it's Sunday and we're wrapping up the winter break from both school and work, we're celebrating with a tasty dessert of chocolate drizzled strawberries and pretzels. We've had a really good time together being off work and school. Spring Break can't get here soon enough!