POTATO PIZZA

A couple of you have expressed interest in Potato Pizza, a family favorite. I don't really have a recipe; it's one of those "as you would" kind of things. Anyway, here's how I do it:

Use two large pre-baked pizza crusts. I either make my homemade yeast pizza crust and bake till just starting to brown or, if I'm looking for something quicker, I buy Mama Mary brand pre-baked crusts. I know there are other brands, but haven't tried them.

Peel and boil six large potatoes. Cook one pound of bacon and break into about 1/2 to l inch pieces. Chop one meduim onion. Grate one pound of mozzarella cheese.

Spread crusts with sour cream, not too thick...about one half cup per crust.

Slice potatoes evenly on the crusts to cover all but very edge. This layer of potatoes will be more than one slice deep. Salt and pepper to taste.

Divide first the onion between the two pizzas, distributing evenly, then do the same with the bacon pieces, followed by the cheese.

Bake in preheated 400 degree oven until cheese is melting and beginning to brown, about 12 - 14 minutes. I bake one pizza at a time because they don't take long and that way the second one is still hot when served.

You can tweak any and all of the ingredients to your preference...more or less sour cream or bacon, leave off the onions...whatever. Obviously, this is a high calorie and fat pizza but I have taken to using fat free or low fat cheese and sour cream and it's just as good. We have added other toppings at times...some were good, some not. Whatever you would like on a baked potato is best. Remember, it's not a tomato sauce pizza so nix the mushrooms and oregano. I would love to hear from any of you who come up with your own variations. Enjoy!

PS - this pizza is great left over

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

Just when I've made my re-entry into blogging I am forced to retire temporarily (only a matter of days this time; not years) as my computer has to go to the doctor for routine maintainence.

Think of everything I'll get done around the house without the computer luring me away!

SO SOON, WRITERS' BLOCK

You'll have to bear with me; there's a lot swirling around in my head these days but little of it alights long enough to be formulated into anything remotely blog-worthy.

I could bore you with the mundane details of my week:

Sunday: Sang on the worship team during the morning's worship service, celebrated Tessa's 16th birthday with my folks, played cards at friends while the kids had Sr. High Bible Study.

Monday: Went to visit and provide care for friend, Florence, in her home; made potato pizza and a strawberry-rhubarb pie for Tessa's birthday dinner while enjoying the company of future daughter-in-love, Mandy, and future official grandson, Damon. Celebrated Tess's birthday again, then went to church for Bible Study.

Tuesday: Mandy called at 8:30 and asked if we wanted to go swimming. Swimming! It's 8:30 AM and -35 degrees out. At the local pool, silly. Sure...why not. In the afternoon, did aforementioned favor for Ramsey and delivered roses to Mandy at work.

Wednesday: Pretty much just did school with Tess and Wy and housework. Woohoo. Mandy and Damon came over.

Thursday: Are you bored yet? I am. School, laundry, zzzzzzzzz ........

Friday: Back to visit and care for Florence. Cards and pizza at the home of Pastor Joe and Sue.

Saturday: Family Council meeting at local nursing home where my grandmother is a resident, worship team practice, errands in town, home to knit...hopefully.

There you have it. They say sometimes you just have to put your time in to get past writers' block. I've done my time...hopefully I'm rehabilitated.

SUPPORT OUR TROOPS

People ask us if we ever hear from Ramsey who is currently stationed at Camp Shelby, MS. My reply is, "Not often and usually when he needs a favor."

"Hi Mom, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure, what's that?"

"Can you go to Griders and buy a dozen red roses for Mandy and take them to her at work?"

"...Sure..." (why not?) "What do you want the card to say?"

"Just because I love you."

That's how I found myself driving into town, buying red roses, driving to the next town, delivering said roses to my future daughter-in-love, and driving back home...on a day when I had no plans to leave the house.

Funny what we do for love.

OK, SO WHERE WAS I...

...Oh, yeah! Now I remember. April 8th, 2006. Mark and Ramsey were heading to Tennessee to hunt turkeys. That was almost three years ago. I feel like Rip Van Winkle. Quite a lot has happened since then:

We've all gotten older. Big surprise to ya'll, I know.

I enrolled in college for the first time. Part time associate degree RN program at the area technical college. This spring semester I will complete the required courses to be licensed as a Practical Nurse. How practical is that?

Ramsey is deployed with the 951st Engineer Battalion out of Rhinelander/Tomahawk. He is currently at Camp Shelby, MS, and will leave for Afghanistan later this month. More on that later.

Taylie began her freshman year of college at Crown College in Minnesota. She is pursuing a BS in Elementary Education. She looks forward to spending Spring Break on a mission trip with the Crown women's volleyball team in the Dominican Republic.

Tessa turns 16 (!!) TODAY. She has grown into a lovely young woman with many gifts and a tender servant's heart. She loves to cook, bake, make jewelry, and watch movies. She spoils me with her willingness to help in the kitchen and around the house in general.

Wylie has shot up, relatively speaking, to be the tallest in our family at a whopping 5'8" and he'll turn 15 next month. A man of varied interests, he loves to duck hunt, turkey hunt, ice fish, read, draw realistic pictures of semi trucks, and avoid doing schoolwork. Wylie also has the opportunity to go on a short-term mission trip next month to Budapest, Hungary, with a group from church.

Mark left Viking Builders in April of 2007 to go on his own doing carpentry and guiding. It has been an interesting time with the economic downturn, but God has provided in amazing ways and we are growing in our walk with Him.

Well, that's it in a nutshell...I s'pose I can expound on some of this in future posts. For anyone who might happen to have been left hanging three years ago, wondering about the results of the Tennessee turkey hunt: Mark and Ramsey each bagged a bird.