WEEKEND SALUTE

We're headed for a long weekend, folks. But before we get there, here's a re-cap of what happened at Tomfoolery & Bright this past week:

an ode to the exquisite words-nor-pictures-can-do-the-real-thing-justice Paris
'33 Ways to Stay Creative'
the Olsen's exclusive new T shirt line, StyleMint

and since tonight is pizza night, here's the recipe for my favourite pizza dough ever--my own (or Martha's, same thing):

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe

3/4 cup warm water
1 packet active dry yeast
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tsp. agave nectar
1 tsp. coarse salt
2 cups whole wheat flour

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place water in a large bowl and sprinkle with yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Brush another large bowl with oil.

2. In bowl with yeast, whisk oil, agave, and salt. Stir in flour with a wooden spoon until a sticky dough forms. Transfer to oiled bowl; brush top of dough with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm spot until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

3. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface. With floured hands, knead dough until smooth, about 15 seconds. Using your hands, stretch dough until it forms a large disk, and using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is large enough to fit the pizza pan, about 1/4-inch thick.

4. Add toppings of your choice to the rolled dough. Bake in oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbling on top and/or the crust has turned a golden brown all around. Let cool before slicing, and enjoy!

Makes 1 large pizza.

Try This: If you prefer a thinner crust, after you have kneaded the dough, divide into two balls and roll from there. Because the crust will be considerably thinner, the time it takes to bake your pizza will decrease to anywhere between 12 and 15 minutes.

As for toppings, this is where you get to be creative and go wild! I love a basic margherita pizza: tomato sauce, fresh buffalo mozzarella, and large, fragrant basil leaves from my garden. But also, I love a good chicken sausage and caramelized onion with gouda--so delish. Experiment with different ingredients and see what yummy combinations you can come up with!

After enjoying your healthy, delicious homemade pizza, get out there and enjoy the sun! As the days already begin to get shorter, it's only a matter of time before we're wearing scarves again.

Stay cool this weekend. Cheers!

images via whole living, dude, you're hot, and pinterest