{31 Days} Day 10 ~ Hands that Feed the Family

*And Day 9? Well, the list of other activities, necessities, and obligations, let alone loves, filled up the day.  I hit the pillow not one bit sad at my not posting.*

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Part of nurturing a family is feeding hungry tummies.  In my case, that means 6 other tummies grumble other than my own.  Being prepared with a weekly menu makes life so much easier!  And sometimes, making extra in order to cover a meal a few weeks down the road helps a great deal.

That, my friends, was my goal Saturday afternoon.  I was preparing pizza dough for supper that night and had decided to do a double recipe thinking that I'd have a quick-fix meal later on.

So, with pizza dough rising in the frig, our family headed out to an arts and crafts festival in our area.  I felt really glad that I had worked a little harder with my hands thinking forward a little further (which is often easiest done in the realm of meal planning).

At the arts and crafts festival, we met up with some our dear church family.  As we were leaving, Matthew looked at me and asked, "What do you think about having them over?"
It really was an easy answer, because I knew there'd be plenty to feed everyone.  Sure, my initial purpose in making extra was to supply a future meal need for my family.  BUT, these folks ARE our family.  We care for them deeply and know they care for us.  So it was a very natural, easy thing to say "Sure. Let's see if they're game."

What a blessing that evening was!  The pizza was good, but even better because the Lord had a greater purpose for me making that second batch of dough.

In light of this effort to not be idle with my hands (or time), I am sharing the pizza dough recipe that is tried and true.  I hope you enjoy it and find someone else to share it with.

Homemade Pizza Crust (from the More With Less cookbook)
1 cup warm water (just warm enough that you can still put your finger in it)
1 pkg. yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 Tb. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tb. olive oil
-whisk these together, then add:
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
-whisk until blended and not lumps.
With a spoon, stir in:
2 cups all-purpose flour
Stir in until dough comes together in a ball.  Turn onto floured surface and knead until springy to the touch, 5-6 minutes. Place in greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until double (45 min-1 hour).
This will make 2 medium pizzas or 1 large rectangular pizza.  I like to do a double batch and can get three nice pizzas out of it.
Top with your favorite toppings and bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 15-18 minutes.