| Just about any time is a good time for kids to make | | | | the toppings onto the saucy crust. Your child can |
| pizza, don't you think? Here are some steps to help | | | | sprinkle mozzarella, or experiment with provolone, |
| create a positive pizza-making experience for you | | | | feta, gorgonzola, or parmesan. |
| and your children. | | | | Don't forget the all-important toppings. Kids have |
| Plan it out ahead of time and talk it over with your | | | | their standard favorites but let them know there are |
| kids. Give them options - kids love choices. What | | | | more toppings available and they can taste pretty |
| exactly do they want their pizza to be? What do | | | | good! Again, they can use their wonderful |
| they want on it? Do they want it baked on a cookie | | | | imaginations. |
| sheet and cut in squares? There's no one type of | | | | Here are some ideas for toppings: |
| pizza, and they may even want to make a couple of | | | | Vegetables green onions, garlic, red peppers, potato |
| different ones. Maybe they'll invent their own | | | | chunks, asparagus tips, red onion slices, broccoli, |
| signature pizza! | | | | cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh spinach, |
| Start with the crust. There are simple recipes for | | | | red onion slices |
| crusts in your favorite cookbook that kids can easily | | | | Herbs oregano, basil, rosemary, cilantro, dill, parsley, |
| do, but if that seems like too much, grab a | | | | sage, thyme |
| ready-made crust from the supermarket. Help may | | | | Meats hamburger, sausage, pepperoni, grilled chicken, |
| be needed to get the dough spread out evenly with | | | | Canadian bacon, breakfast bacon, ham, taco meat |
| the homemade crusts. The kids will get better at it | | | | Help your child be successful with the pizza-making |
| the more they do it. There are some tricks to help | | | | process by assembling all the ingredients before they |
| them such as greasing or flouring their hands first, | | | | start. Depending on their abilities in the kitchen, plan |
| and letting the dough rest halfway through the | | | | on helping with the washing, chopping, and cheese |
| stretching-it-out process. | | | | shredding. |
| The next step is the sauce. It doesn't have to be | | | | Before they know it, the pizza will be out of the |
| from scratch, nor does it have to be traditional pizza | | | | oven and on the table ready to be devoured. Your |
| sauce. It can be a bottled pizza sauce, alfredo sauce, | | | | kids will be proud to serve up their signature |
| barbeque sauce, pesto sauce, or olive oil glaze. Let | | | | creations. Maybe every other Friday will become |
| your child decide. | | | | pizza night at your house. |
| Third in line is the cheese. It's like the glue that holds | | | | |