Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Sepia Days~











Sepia days..no sun..cloud..not grey but a sepia tone it seems..the mood transferred into baking w/ breads and pizza doughs and some crafting..On Hélène's blog..her fabulous Christmas one..I noticed a vintage shoe form holding twine..I have a couple and put one to better use than just being on display by some photos of my daughters when they were Littles~
Merci ma belle Hélène~

The pizza dough recipe is from a book I recently browsed through..Truly Madly Pizza..



...is it the best? 
I make so many pizza doughs now..I cannot tell which is best..only worst..and then I never make it again..but one thing I never did..was freeze a few..well that works quite well  and now I will do that..when a recipe says makes 2..I make 4..and can you believe we can't eat a whole one anymore..so this recipe for 2..I made 4 balls..perfect size for us..

You put your dough in the fridge in the am..and by dinner you can make your pizza..so freeze some next time..

I searched the net for the recipe and cannot find it..so I am quite leery about posting the recipe in case there is a copywright..

However I can tell you that this recipe..Bobby Flay..works like magic..I make and freeze 4 doughs..a charm.

My completed dough weighs 800 grams..I divide by weighing..into 4 x 200 grams..this is more than enough for Jacques and I..

I leave in the morning..take 2 frozen balls out:)This is winter..in summer they would be in the fridge.
Just make sure they come to room temp before stretching..garnishing and baking.


We make our pizzas..in an instant..and 10 minutes later perfection.
We bake in a high heat oven..pre-heated w/ stones 1/2 hr before..
I love having our pre made dough in the freezer..a home made meal..every day...even when there are outings..appointments etc..

The bread recipe came from Karen at Lavender and Lovage..I was SMITTEN w/ her Hovis pans..and had quite frankly never heard of Hovis bread.I made half the recipe in the bread machine and yielded one loaf.Perfect for us..and truly for quite a few days..
I liked the smaller bread size I used for smaller sandwiches..go see her gorgeous post re Hovis bread..
Hovis bread is not like our artisan bread..drier..less holes..just a different experience..but GOOD.
The molds would make it even better:)






Oli and his mommy this summer @Sandbanks~



She had us over for coffee one morning..muffins and coffee♥
Her Olympus camera takes amazing pics.Photo courtesy of my daughter.

Remember my Paint Nite?

The boys were on Spring break and all 4 were kept busy w/ fun activities..

look what happened one afternoon:)

Their mommy did one..




Lucas was at a friend's home..but look at Oli's and Max's:)
WOW.

50 comments:

  1. Re Downton: I read some comments saying people didn't like happy endings for everybody. I disagree...I LOVE happy endings....for everyone!
    Re pizza: I never make pizza! I don't eat it either, oddly, not even when the kids were little. I can say for certain two of mine don't eat it ever.. the third might, the one with kids and grandkids. Will have to ask. (They're the Michigan group and I'm not as familiar with their eating habits. When they're here, they don't.) Your looks delish and the idea of freezing is a good one.
    Your young artists have your talent, Monique!

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    1. I LOVE AND NEED HAPPY ENDINGS♥

      It makes you feel so good and well up with hope for everything..
      I'm with you.

      Re Pizza..I'll tell you how we got into it..

      we have friends ..when we had dinner at their home..a few times he had made pizza..for us for dinner..and it was like a 5 star meal..their son is a chef..and they know what they are doing in the kitchen..I am sure that's where the son got the love of it..so the dough recipe was nonna's dough..so we did that..and started..Friday night was pizza night and J would make doughs..Mario's etc..we kept testing..we both enjoy fresh bread..and love different topping..just prosciutto sometimes..w/ a bit of mozz..and out of the oven..arugula.I love a fresh topping of peppery arugula.
      I you like bread even just a bit..I would try that Bobby Flay recipe..and freezeyour dough balls..
      try one:)

      just give it a try:)
      Personal piza w/ your fave topping..high heat..no 350F;)

      I think I am trying to convince you.
      Barbara I would make you one for dinner and bring it over:)
      Now I make this dough..or others..and freeze.
      But it all started in an Italian family's home:)
      Just in case you wanted to know LOL:)

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  2. I left multiple comments at your previous post...
    I just kept reading...and commented!
    I have bookmarked Bobbys recipe..I want to try it!
    We love pizza!
    Your littles are so cute...all smocked and painty!
    Few more days to go...
    Gonna go finish my book...
    Have a wonderful day!
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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    1. You too! Grey and gloomy here..enjoy the technicolor days you have left..they will start again soon where we are ..us northen folk:)
      I hope you enjoy having frozen home made dough as much as we do..I think you will..and Miss V can top her own!
      Do you read in the car?
      I read book after book..prefer it to movies..in the car..take care..

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  3. Their paintings are wonderful Monique! We love to freeze our pizza dough and so many people just don't realize how simple it is to make. The cup of tea looks perfect - and muffins - also perfect! A lovely treat to spend time with your daughter and grandsons :)

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    1. I want to make your dough too Tricia..as your pizzas are beauteous..this one is so darn simple..I agree about dough making for pizza being simple:) That's like the Paint Nites..looks harder than it is!

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  4. We love pizza but don't make it very often. I will give freezing the dough a try. It would certainly make a busy day's night meal much easier. How fun that your grandchildren have inherited your talent as a painter Monique.
    Sam
    Oh, I like happy endings too.

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    1. They loved it! I think these artworks are doable for everyone..that's one of the reasons I shwoed them..apart from the main one♥
      Give it a try..:) I hope you like..Meakin can stretch it out ..oh it's good!

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  5. Well Monique, even in grey weather, it looks wonderful where you are. Such beautiful pics, pizza and bread looks wonderful. I love bread. The boys stuck with it and did a wonderful job too. Beautiful post.

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    1. I love bread too..I didn't eat it for years..watching my weight..then for a while I could not eat it..when I could eat it again I thought..just eat it.You only live once.:)
      And so I do:)

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  6. I really should try making my own pizza dough, I pick up a ready made base at the s/market and add my own topping, as we only ever seem to have pizza when there's just odd bits of left-overs in the fridge. Your boys looked so proud of their paintings, and so they should. Loved your sepia shots, it makes a photo look so different.

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    1. In this case w/ the bad lighting..sepia was the way to go:)

      I hope you do try it,since you are not new to buying and stretching the dough..this will be a breeze..their dad bought their artwork and paid them $1.oo in US funds..=$300.00 Canadian;)

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  7. Yammie pizza....delicious Bread....beautiful painting.....sweet boys....love from me Ria x

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  8. Mon MN is having a pizza party with six of her friends and Adam will be assisting them...I'm sure turning 8 will be always remembered!��

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    1. Well w/ Adam assisting:) It will be a perfect pizza party..she is learning from the best..and he learned from you:)

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  9. Okay...maybe I could paint using the process that you did! "smile" I think freezing pizza dough is a great idea. I am loving the time factor involved in stretching, decorating and baking. Sounds like the way to go. Thank you!!

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  10. I learned something new - sepia days. Never heard that before - sounds like London - but I think you made a very good use of them.
    I love having frozen pizza dough in the oven, makes a busy day so much easier!

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  11. P.S. those boys are too...... adorable! I can see they loved their art lesson!

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    1. Your Littles would love this..Lucas..not into this anymore..:(Goes by so fast!!

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  12. Wow, indeed! Those boys are artistic!
    Love the term "sepia" day. Makes me think of my lovely brown transfer ware.
    It's been years since we made our own pizza dough. Rarely eat pizza now, unless we grab a slice out on occasion.

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    1. I find we eat less and less..it may become the demise of foods here..;)
      I have an aquaintance that collects brown transerware..so beautiful in her country kitchen!

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  13. what great little artists they are . Those are lovely.

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    1. They look like Paris to me for some reason..yet it's probbaly Coney Island;)

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  14. Sepia, the transition between Winter and Spring. It's not quite Winter and not yet Spring. I love the term Sepia Days. Thanks! Have enjoyed all the photographs and the words. Hovis is a very popular brand of bread here in the UK, and probably one of the best of the store bought breads, their whole wheat and stone ground being very well done. Nothing beats a homemade loaf however. Bread over here is quite different from bread over there. It is not as sweet and more rustic I think. I must try the pizza dough recipe. I do love a pizza. Smaller batches of dough that freeze would be perfect for us as Todd hates Pizza. (I know he hates pizza, pasta, lemon and chocolate! He's not human!) Love, LOVE the photos of your littles enjoying some paint time! How sweet and how talented they look already! Apples/trees . . . not far from. That last photo .. . how very beautiful. Again apples/trees. Hope your Wednesday is a special one all the way through! xoxo

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  15. Thanks Marie..I think it was her molds that made me get up and make her bread..LOL..

    in Italy we found the bread very bland..in France very tasty..we are used to a bread that has salt in it..I would be hard pressed no pizza no pasta:)
    But he'sgot so many great qualities:)

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    1. Yes he does. I make them anyways and he suffers through them! xo

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  16. Your grandchildren have inherited your talent, Monique! Of course they have! What a great post, though I must admit you had me at pizza :-)
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. :) I LOVE kids.. we can learn so much from them..:)
      You have that youthful quality..

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  17. Sephia days, a great way to describe the transitioning of seasons. Our weather keeps changing here, w arm and then cold and rainy. thank you for sharing this pizza crust. My husband is a pizza guy, he loves bread. I found the recipe online, however I will order the book. The littles look so proud. Clearly hey are equally talented. Love the idea, sharing with the kids.

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    1. Your Littles are in for a treat this Easter..my first Easter in a long time not hosting.....Have a ball:)

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  18. The weather here has certainly been a roller coaster ride so far this month. Snow then 70F! Such is March :) I don't have a wooden show form but I do have a wooden shoe stretcher from my mother and still use it. Love the vintage postcards and the coffee mug at your daughter's house - so pretty! The boys are budding artists too, what a wonderful job they did and what a great idea to have their own paint nite party. Oli's smock ♥ We love pizza but don't eat it very often and when we do, we have such good take-out nearby that I've rarely made it at home. Something I need to try, for the Big Littles :) Love the name of the cookbook!

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    1. I thought he smock was cute too..as you have guessed she sent me these pics..taken w/ her phone...They all need smocks LOL..
      Can you believe in more than 42 yrs together..never take out. Not once..not once ordering in.
      Well there was a once..but we were in Fl maybe? hard to remember after all these yrs.
      It is a cute name for a cookbook:)

      It's so gloomy here right now..but snow is melting..

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  19. Gray here as well, loving the mood of your pictures - and then the pop! of color with the boys, how fun that must have been! And I pinned the pizza dough recipe you suggested, since I don't have a favorite - in the past I haven't eaten pizza very much, but yours look so pretty that may change:)

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    1. Would be fun to freeze bobby's where you are..is there a gluten free dough that would taste as good?

      We love taking this out in the morning..and thinking about arugula.. buffalo mozz...figs..whatever!:)

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  20. It seems to me they found a good frozen GF shell for Isadora - thankfully:) Can't wait to find good mature arugula around here - everything seems to be baby leaves. I also LOVE using a lot of leafy herbs on mine. Thank you again!

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    1. That is good for Isadora..what a beauty of a name:)

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  21. What proud faces! I know sepia days and what a proper name for it. I grew up in Illinois and there was no color from November to March!
    So glad my blog is now coming. Some things have no explanation.

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  22. Every time we go out with family we have to order two pizzas, a cracker thin and a regular crust. I will have to make this because I love having food in the freezer I can make quickly. Sounds delish. I hope the sun shines on you soon. I used to suffer from sepia days when I lived in the Midwest, but now in Southern California we only have a few days and then back to the sunshine.

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    1. California..I used to dream of getting a green card and living there or Florida..now I am so settled..this goes back 40 yrs ago;)

      Today there's fog w/ the sepia..yummy.

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  23. Your photos are gorgeous :) Thank you for highlighting the beauty of sepia tones. The boys did a wonderful job at their own paint night. How special!

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    1. Fun little boys..had two of them over this aft..
      Thanks Gail!

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  24. This pizza looks delicious as well! It's always hard to find the perfect recipe, but I guess we come to it after personal modifications :)
    Wow! Your grandchildren are real artists, they have great potential :)

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    1. Fun to be encouraged when young:) Even at school..
      Thank you Camille..

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  25. Lovely-)) Our spring break is in couple weeks, kids still at school counting days-)) Your boys are very good with drawing.

    Y.

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  26. Mais de rien, Monique ! :-) Tout est tellement beau, par ici ... Et c'est vrai que la couleur sepia les rend encore plus attractives, tes photos ! Toute une ambiance tranquille et joliment désuète que j'adore ...

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    1. Je trouve toujours..tellement de jolies vignettes chez toi..toujours.

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