Christmas Eve 2010

Ryan had to work till 7pm, so I started a 'new' tradition for our little family (since we weren't going anywhere!).

We made Homemade Pizza, that was TO DIE FOR!  It was delicious!

The best part, was the cheesy crust (I put cheese in it, per Tanner's request) and the fact that the kids ate ALL their food!  I got a couple extra peppers, and we were all happy and fed.

I can't remember where I got the recipe for the dough, but it was SUPER easy.  And pretty good, too.

Christmas Eve Pizza Dough
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp yeast
4 to 4 1/2 cups flour (I think I used 4 and then added more when I kneaded it)

Mix all ingredients, and gently knead 10 times.  Let rise 60 minutes in a greased bowl, covered with greased plastic wrap (I just used Pam spray). (You could let it rise for 30 min with a towel over it in a very warm place, or with a small heating pad under it set to LOW.)

The directions said to roll out, but after trying to roll and toss and making a mess, I just hand pressed it onto a lightly greased (Pam, again) pizza pan.  I made sure it went slightly over the edge, because I cut 'strips' of mozzarella cheese to encase in the crust.  You can see in the picture with Tanner and Taylor that I just pinched the dough around the cheese.  Tanner was SUPER excited about the 'cheese-bites' crust.  (He had seen a commercial for Pizza Hut's Cheese-bites crust, which gave us this great idea!)

Before I put the sauce and toppings on, I got a fork and jabbed the dough about every inch so we wouldn't get big air bubbles.  Then we piled it on!  We just used a generic brand of sauce, did 3/4 lb grated mozzarella cheese, 1/2 pkg pepperoni, 1/2 pkg ham/Canadian bacon, 1/2 of a chopped green pepper, and 1/2 of a medium finely chopped onion (so the kids didn't notice them, even though they put them on!) and then more cheese.  I totally forgot to prep and put on the olives and pineapple...but hey, whatever works!

Bake @ 500* F for 10 minutes (I did 15-ish, because of the stuffed crust and abundance of toppings).

This dough recipe makes enough for a VERY LARGE pizza (the crust was nice and thick), or you could do a medium one and bread sticks...that's my plan for next time.  (Super cheap, super fun, and super yummy!)

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After cleaning up dinner, we sat down to watch "The Nativity", a 5 minute film on Christs' birth, and then "Mr. Krueger's Christmas", another 26 minute film put out by the Church; one of my favorite Christmas movies, with many fond memories from my childhood.  Plus, Jimmy Stewart is just so sweet, and old, and lonely.  I always wanted to be Clarissa, and leave my mittens, in hopes that I might be the recipient of that gentle reminder, the piece from his Nativity, the baby Jesus.

Every year my parents would take us around to grandparents' and great-grandparents' homes to 'be' a nativity...we usually grumbled by the 4th time, but it was so worth it.  :)  Such a neat tradition my parents held true to every. single.  year.

The boys then got to open one present that Santa had brought earlier that day, and then we left him a little snack - even one for Rudolf.

After family prayers, we turned on the Christmas tree lights and everything else off and snuggled in our beds, hoping we'd hear reindeer hooves on the roof in our sleep!