Amazing Pizza Dough

I wanted an alternative to Dijorno's for our Friday night pizza night. This recipe was so easy and refrigerated and froze well. Just take the frozen balls out the night before and leave them in the fridge to thaw. I cooked it when it was still cold so it doesn't rise too much while cooking. My boys loved it!

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (or 1 package)

1 teaspoon honey

1 cup warm water, 105 to 115 degrees

2 1/2 cups of flour, whatever kind you like 1/2 all pupose and 1/2 wheat works great (you might need to add 1/4 to 1/2 cup more)

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and honey in 1/4-cup warm water (100-110 degrees).
2.In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and the salt. (can do by hand with spoon if you don't have a mixer).
3. Add the oil and rest of the water
4.If the dough is still sticky, then simply add a bit more flour until it pulls cleanly away from the hook.
5.Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand 2 or 3 minutes.
6.The dough will be very firm. Place in lightly oiled bowl an cover with plastic wrap.
7.Let sit for about 30-45 minutes. (When ready, the dough will stretch as it is lightly pulled).
8.Take dough out of bowl and divide into either 2 or 4 balls, depending on whether you want 2 large pizzas or 4 small.
9.Work each ball by pulling down the sides and tucking under the bottom of the ball. Repeat 4 or 5 times.
10.Cover the dough with a damp towel (I just use plastic wrap, loosely fitted) and let rest 15 to 20 minutes.At this point, the balls can be used or wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days, or put in the freezer.
11.To make pizzas, I stretch out the cold dough onto greased pizza pan, top with sauce and toppings, and bake at 450 degrees for 12-16 minutes, until done. (smaller pizzas will take less time, so keep watching it)
12.I slid the pizza off the pan for the remaining 2 minutes to crisp it up a bit.

(If you want a flavorful alternative you can add 1/2 to 1 tsp garlic powder and a tsp of freshly minced rosemary, it is so fantastic!)

Couch Comfort Food

We love the Mango Salsa from Fresh and Easy. Sitting on the couch can be the worst when you are trying to leave sugar behind. Some low-fat tortilla chips and mango, or homemade fruit salsa is a great low-guilt snack. If you are trying to lose weight, make sure you measure out your chips first and put them in a bowl instead of bringing the whole bag in front of the TV. Great companion to The Bachelor or whatever your viewing vice might be!