Years ago we moved from Connecticut to Florida. In Connecticut we were used to delicious pizza that you could have delivered to your house. When we first moved to Florida we could not find a decent pizza anywhere. As a result my husband learned how to make the most delicious pizza. It didn’t happen over night and we had many pizzas where the crust was too thick or too thin. However it didn’t take long for him to perfect his pizza. I am so glad he did because now that we live in Vermont we once again live in an area where good pizza can be hard to find and not close by.

Not only is making your own pizza fun but it is much cheaper than delivery pizza. Feel free to make lots of dough, as the extra will keep well in the freezer. It’s wonderful to be able to grab a frozen hunk of dough, thaw it and roll it, and create toppings from whatever you have in the pantry or fridge.

Here is the recipe my husband uses:

Pizza Dough

2 cups all purpose flour
1 ¼tsp instant yeast
¾ tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ -¾ cup warm water

In a large mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients. Stir in the olive oil.

Stir in the water, add the lesser amount first as you may not need to add all of the water. Turn the shaggy mixture onto your work surface. Knead until smooth and shiny.Let the dough rise in an oiled, covered bowl until double in size.Once the dough is risen, stretch the dough over your pizza pan.It is now ready for the toppings. Our favorite is a sausage pizza or a fresh tomato basil pizza!

Other toppings include using a combination of cheeses, thinly sliced onions, pepperoni, sliced garden tomatoes or chopped steamed broccoli, but the combinations of meats, vegetables and fruits as toppings are endless! Do you make pizza in your house? What are your favorite toppings?

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Are you a fan of spiced nuts? How about candied nuts on top of a salad? Spiced and candied nuts made great gifts. They are also a delicious, portable snack. Did you know you could make them yourself? Here are a few recipes for a no-fail method for a crunchy treat that will take you minutes to make in your kitchen!

If you have a membership to a food club like Costco or BJ’s I would suggest stocking up on a large bag of nuts. My favorites are peanuts or pecans. You could also use almonds or cashews. You can make the nuts sweetened or spiced depending on whether you are using cinnamon and sugar or spices such as cayenne pepper and garlic salt. Try a few of the recipes, enjoy them as a family or give them away as gifts!

Friday I will share a recipe using candied nuts on a salad!

Candied Pecans

1 egg white
1 Tbsp. water
1 pound of pecans or walnut halves or pieces
⅓ – ½ cup sweetened (I used ⅓ cup maple syrup)
Pinch of salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat egg white together with water until it becomes stiff and fluffy. Fold in sweetener, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Add pecans and toss to coat. Spread out on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, rotating every 15 minutes.

Spicy Cashews

4 cups roasted cashews
¼ cup butter
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ Tbsp. cayenne pepper
½ Tbsp. garlic salt
½ Tbsp. red pepper (optional)

Preheat an oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Set nuts aside. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the remaining ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the nuts and butter mixture. Toss until the nuts are thoroughly coated. Spread the nuts onto the baking sheet and bake 15 minutes. Serve warm or let cool and store in an airtight container.

Honey-Roasted Peanuts

4 cups peanuts
2 Tbsp. butter
⅓ cup honey
½ tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. salt
⅓ cup superfine or baking sugar

Preheat an oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner. In a small saucepan over medium heat melt the butter. Add the honey, vanilla and 1 tsp. salt and stir until combined. In a large bowl, combine the nuts and honey-butter mixture. Toss thoroughly to coat the nuts. Spread the nuts onto the baking sheet and bake 20-25 minutes or until browned, stirring every 5 minutes.

Remove the nuts from the oven and stir and sprinkle generously and evenly with the sugar and remaining salt, shaking pan as you go to coat the nuts completely. Let cool, then stir once more, breaking up any large chunks. Store in an airtight container.