Pizza Heaven

Yesterday the temperature barely made it above zero and currently it is a nose burning, breath stealing -18 (without wind) in Missoula......or what I like to call the frozen tundra of Montana. However, it hasn't stopped me from venturing out into the frosty world! 

Yesterday I met a friend for some tea at Break Espresso, a local coffee shop and bakery downtown.  I ordered a hot apple cider, which was truly hot, but not in the way I expected. After my first delicate sip I found myself rushing to the counter, squeezing the life out of the little honey bear smiling back at me. Once I squeezed a few teaspoons of honey into my cider I was able to drink with satisfaction. I don't know what foreign spice they added to the cider... an exotic form of hot ginger? Fresh chile powder? Needless to say it was not my cup of tea and I found myself longing for the hot apple cider at Wild Joe's Cafe in Bozeman. If only I could disapperate and find myself sitting in their cozy couches indulging in a steaming mug of heartwarming cider.....will anyone ever invent a teleportation device??? 

On another note, you may be wondering why I am going on and on about hot apple cider when my title for this post says Pizza Heaven. I'll let the following picture explain that title for you. 

Thanks to a pizza crust from Bob's Red Mill and some fresh toppings, I created another delicious and I think nutritious, homemade pizza! I know have blogged about my pizza making in the past but I thought I wanted to share this pizza venture as  I think this might be the best pizza I have ever made.  I used hot water for the yeast mix and let the dough rise in a covered bowl for the alloted 20 minutes on top of the warm stove. I also used a smaller pan, making for a thicker and chewier crust. Here are my other ingredients: 

• Trader Joe's tomato and basil marinara sauce 
• Amaltheia sun dried tomato goat cheese 
• Canned pineapple chunks
• Walnuts
• 1 orange bell pepper chopped into bites size pieces 
• Dried basil leaves

Once the dough had risen in the bowl, I wetted my hands with warm water and spread the dough out in the pan. I baked the naked dough for 9 minutes at 425, just until the edges were a light golden brown. I then layered on my favorite toppings. I started with the sauce, smoothing it out with the back of a spoon. Then I added the chopped bell pepper, pineapple, and walnuts. The goat cheese came next, although I am never quite sure how to embellish my pizza with it. It is not a block of cheese, so it can't be shredded. Instead I usually find myself spooning out small dollops on top of the other ingredients. It works out though because the cheese does melt and meander its way through the other toppings. Finally, I sprinkled a heavy dose of the basil for extra flavor and a smattering of greenery. 

After baking my carefully decorated pizza for 18 minutes, I was ready to savor the sweet pineapple and peppers, crunchy walnuts, earthy goat cheese, and lively basil on a bed of moist, chewy pizza dough.

Oh. By the way, my friend is an amazing photographer but new to the area, so you should check out her blog here Bea Hufman Photography. She is fantastic and I know she will be very successful.

I  will leave you now with some words from Elizabeth Gilbert that continue to resonate with me, and I think many of us at certain times in life:

"I'm choosing happiness over suffering, I know I am. I'm making space for the unknown future to fill up my life with yet-to-come surprises."