PIZZA

This is a quick rise pizza dough recipe that my mom used to make quite a bit when we were kids. I stumbled on it last night and David and I worked together to make it. It was fabulous. And really quick. About 20 mins to get it in the oven unless you use pre-shredded cheese and quick toppings. Total time, including baking - less than 40 mins.

Dough Ingredients
2 ^1/4 tsp yeast
1 cup warm water
2 ^1/2 cup flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

Directions
Dissolve yeast in warm water in mixing bowl. Stir in flour, oil, sugar and salt. Mix with fork or use a stand mixer, just until dough forms. This dough is a bit sticker than most bread doughs. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for about 5 mins while you prepare your toppings.

Roll out dough (it's sticky so grease or flour the surfaces and rolling pin - I use a pastry mat with a little butter and a pin, also with a little butter - rinse rolling pin with hot water if you butter it as the butter can go rancid). This dough makes one thick crust 16 inch in diameter pizza or two thin crust 16 inch pizzas. This dough also works well on a cookie sheet if a pizza stone isn't avaliable.

Spread sauce and other toppings on top of dough and bake at 425. A single pizza stone, thick crust pizza needs about 20 mins. A cookie sheet or two thin crust pizzas need about 15 mins. Cook times will vary if ovens run hot or cool to temperature.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
^1/2 cup granulate sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1^1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups oats
1 cup raisins

Directions
Pre-Heat oven to 350
Beat together butter and sugars
Add eggs and vanilla
Add cinnamon, baking soda
Add flour
Stir in oats and raisins
Scoop onto cookie sheet
Bake 10-12 minutes
Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet
Continue cooling on wire rack

*This is a fabulous recipe for David because it doesn't call for any baking powder or chips. He can have everything in this recipe but make sure that the vanilla is CORN-FREE!!! Most vanillas, even the 100% vanilla extracts are made with corn syrup.*