by Lyn Lomasi

If you're like me, then you prefer homemade pizza to any other. But making pizza can get pretty costly if you aren't careful. There are many ways that I like to make homemade pizza. Here is my favorite quick and easy homemade pizza recipe for those on a budget.

For this quick and easy budget homemade pizza, you'll need a low-cost way to make the crust. Homemade is the lowest-costing, but unless you have prepared some the night before, it isn't very quick. The next best thing is to purchase pizza crust in a bag or box. I prefer Martha White brand pizza crust. It comes in a small bag and is usually about 75 cents per bag. Usually the ones that come in boxes are twice as much but make the same amount of dough.

Anyhow, you'll also need some low-cost pizza sauce that also tastes good. I find that the Hunt's brand tomato sauce gives me the flavor I'm looking for at a low price - usually just a little over a dollar. Plus, if you buy the plain one that is just pure tomato sauce, it can be flavored how you want. I like to add garlic, pepper, and oregano. What, no salt? Well you can add what you want, but I'm not too big on salt and leave it out of many of my recipes if at all possible. Besides, my pizza usually contains pepperoni, which already contains salt.

That leads us to the next ingredient - pepperoni. I find that the cheapest pepperoni slices that still have flavor are the Kroger brand pepperoni slices. I have a big family, so of course I am going to be buying a large package. Today I bought a large package of Kroger brand pepperoni slices for just under three dollars.

What's a pizza without cheese? My favorite cheese is actually mozzarella, so it makes sense that I make homemade pizza often. I most often use mozzarella cheese for my homemade pizza. It's low-cost and stretchy, as pizza cheese should be. Mixing Pepper-jack cheese with the mozzarella works well also and gives some variety. Parmesan is also a common pizza cheese. I find mozzarella and pepper-jack to be two of the most budget-friendly options for homemade pizza.

If you'd like toppings other than pepperoni and cheese, but would still like to keep the cost low, try mushrooms in a can, sliced black olives in a can, sliced jalapenos in a jar, and marinated artichokes in a small jar. The artichokes are usually a little over a dollar and the mushrooms, jalapenos, and olives are usually less than a dollar.

To actually prepare the pizza, follow the directions for preparing the dough. Once you have the dough flattened and shaped to your pizza pan, pour some sauce in the middle of the dough in a circle. Take a spoon and circle around the sauce until it spreads in an even circle around the crust dough at the point you want it to be.

Then, sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of the sauce at an amount to your liking. Now, because I have kids, I put the mushrooms and artichokes on first and then cover those with the peperoni. They may know they are there already, but I think it helps them forget there are vegetables on the pizza. Other parents will understand the purpose behind that.

Now, stick the pizza in the oven at the recommended temperature on the pizza crust package. It generally takes about 10-15 minutes to cook. Watch for browning crust and bubbling cheese. That will tell you that the pizza is done. The only thing left to do after that is eat. Enjoy!

-- Note that any reference to any particular product/s in the above document is based solely on the opinion of the author. The author has not been compensated by the product company/companies in monies, gifts, or monetary awards for the mention of said product/products.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons; Public Domain

by Lyn Lomasi

For many, Christmas is a time for baking and sharing traditions with family and friends. Even those who don't usually bake love to try their hand at Christmas baking. With these simple recipes I use for my family, just about anyone can try their hand at baking. I've also tossed in the traditions that we do with them for an extra treat.

Cookie Decorating Party
Once your cookies are made, you'll need to get them decorated. What better way than to have a cookie decorating party? Invite friends and family to bring or make their cookies for decorating. While everyone decorates cookies, Christmas music should be playing. Be sure to have a variety of Christmas music, so everyone can enjoy it. Singing along should be encouraged. Sipping on hot cocoa with candy canes on the side for dipping and stirring is a must.

Homemade Hot Cocoa
Heat 6 cups milk to simmering in a saucepan. Pour in 2 cups of powdered cocoa slowly, stirring it as you add it. Also add ½ cup of sugar. Stir all ingredients until blended well. Remove from heat and serve. This serves about 6 people.

Christmas Sugar Cookies
What's Christmas without the cookies? Here's a fun sugar cookie recipe that can be rolled out for use with Christmas cookie cutters.

Ingredients
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tbsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
2 tsp Natural Vanilla Extract (no imitations)
½ tsp Natural Almond Extract (no imitations)

Instructions
Some people mix the dry ingredients first, but not me. I just throw all the ingredients in together and mix it up. So, put all of the above ingredients together into a large mixing bowl. Stir them together and then once you have a shape that starts to lump together, take it out and set a pre-floured surface. Knead it a few times. If your dough seems to be sticky, add more flour by kneading it in until the dough is firm and not sticky. Next, roll the dough out to ¼ inch thickness. Now you may start using your cookie ciutters and cutting out the shapes. Once you make the shapes, place them onto pre-floured non stick baking sheets. These cookies should cook at 350 F for about 8-12 minutes. Different ovens vary in time. Once the cookies have cooled, you may decorate them with candies, icing, sprinkles, or whatever you choose

Family Baking Time
Our family enjoys baking every day of the year, but Christmas is our favorite of all. We enjoy baking breads, pretzels, and cookies. Above, you saw how we enjoyed having a party with the cookies. However, with the bread and pretzels, we prefer to just do this with close family members. Much like the cookie party, we still sip hot cocoa. However, we also talk, laugh, and play and possibly watch a good Christmas movie. Here's how to make your very own Christmas Pretzels and Christmas bread.

Christmas Pretzels
Homemade pretzels are a cinch to make. Did you ever think about making them Christmas style? Well, now you can. It's quite simple actually. First, you'll need to make this pretzel dough.

Ingredients
4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 pkg dry active yeast
1 beaten egg
2 tbsp brown sugar
coarse salt
red and green food coloring

Instructions
Get a large mixing bowl. Pour in the warm water first. Next slowly stir in the yeast until it dissolves. Next, add the flour and a couple drops of either red or green food coloring, whichever you want. If you'd like both, you can make two batches. Knead the dough until it's smooth. Cover with a towel or cheesecloth and let it rise (usually 30 minutes to an hour). While you're waiting for that, add the brown sugar and a drop of the same food color you used for your dough to the beaten egg. Once the dough has risen, you are ready to make the pretzel shapes. Flour the bottom of a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 350 F. Take out some of the dough, forming a ball that is about 4 inches in diameter. Now, roll the ball on the table until you get something long, resembling a fat worm. Shape that into the pretzel shape. Repeat this until you have used all your dough. Now, with the unbaked pretzel shapes on the baking sheet/s, lightly brush them with the egg/sugar mixture. Bake them for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on your oven. When they are done you might wish to add salt. That's it. Enjoy your Christmas-colored pretzels.

Sugar N' Spice Christmas Dinner Bread
We love baking bread together and the fresh taste and smell of homemade bread brings back many warm memories. Present this tasty bread topped with cinnamon sticks and crushed red hot candies.

Ingredients
3 cups Flour
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 tsp Salt (optional)
¼ cup Milk
¼ cup warm water
½ cup Butter
1 tbsp Cinnamon
1tbsp sugar
Maple Syrup
2 Cinnamon Sticks
¼ cup crushed Red Hot Candies

Instructions
Get a large mixing bowl. First, put in the warm water. Slowly stir in the yeast until blended. Next, put in all of the ingredients except for the Maple Syrup, Cinnamon sticks and Red Hot candies. Once stirred well, knead the dough until you have a solid ball that is neither to sticky nor too dry. You want something like the consistency of play dough. Now, cover the dough in the bowl with a towel or cheesecloth. Give it about an hour to rise. Once it has done that, place it into a floured bread pan and bake it at 350 F for about 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven. Once the bread is done, butter the top and let it cool to warm. Cover the top with a thin layer of maple syrup. Then, sprinkle the crushed Red Hot cinnamon candies over the top. For garnishing, place the cinnamon sticks atop the bread neatly in a criss-cross design.

Don't Leave Santa Out
Ever wonder if Santa's tired of eating the same type of goodies at every house? To give Santa some variety, simply arrange one or two each of the treats from above onto Santa's Christmas platter. Be sure that you arrange them nicely. For extra measure to be sure Santa's treats stay fresh, wrap the platter in cellophane and top it with a pretty bow and some cinnamon sticks. Be sure that the kids do much of preparing Santa's treat. This is generally their favorite part.