| Hello Again, Romantics , it's Robin! Spring has sprung in Kansas City. Is it just me, or does time go faster as we get older? We usually spend a few weeks here each spring and fall as those are times when KC shines most brightly. The Parade of Hearts has 101 entries this year, so we're spending our weekends heart hunting around the KC metro. There's also Royals baseball, walks and bike rides along the Little Blue Trace Trail, and evenings with friends at our favorite restaurants. Last week, our friends Jim and Lucinda visited us in KC. Like us, they relocated to Florida, but love returning for visits. Below is a picture of Lucinda and me in matching shirts commemorating the iconic Western Auto sign that lights the sky above its former world headquarters. In many ways, KC will always be home, but the sea calls my name after a few weeks, and I need to be by the water. We also have family in Florida now as our oldest daughter is in Physician Assistant school at the University of Tampa. It's wonderful having our grandsons close by. And as always, you can email me here . Our Pick of Pix - Happy Birthday Fallon! That's the face of one happy little girl. Our granddaughter, Fallon, celebrated her fourth birthday this past weekend with a blow-out of a party. This little girl lives in the moment, as you can clearly see. Pizza - The Robin Paul Way A couple of years ago, we decided we were going to make homemade pizza on the grill. It was okay, but not great. A little more research led us to Ooni, a company that makes pizza ovens for home . There was a learning curve, but over the past few years we've hosted many “make-your-own-pizza” parties with our friends and family, It's always a good time. So, in honor of summer, outdoor cooking, and pizza, this month’s recipe is everything you need to know to make your own great pizza. Note: Most Ooni pizza recipes require that you cook at high temperatures. If you try this in your oven, let us know how it goes! Also, you will need to prepare the dough about 4-5 hours before you are ready to cook, so allow enough time! Trust me, it’s worth it! Good dough makes good pizza. Home-Made Beer Pizza Dough Ingredients: 400 grams strong bread flour 100 grams plain (all-purpose flour) 330 ml beer/lager (room temperature) 3.5 grams instant dry yeast (usually sold in 7g packets, so if you don’t have micro scales, simply half the packet) 15 grams fine sea salt Preparation: In a large bowl, mix the strong and plain flour together, then add the yeast. Pour all the beer slowly into the dry ingredients and either mix by hand or mix on a low setting in your stand mixer with dough attachment. When the dough has just started to come together, add the salt, and continue to knead. If the dough feels a bit dry, add a small amount of water (a teaspoon at a time) until the it feels soft and a little sticky. After 10 minutes of kneading, it should be soft and smooth. Lift up the dough and check for elasticity. If it rips easily, continue kneading for a few more minutes to give the gluten more time to develop. Once you are happy with your dough, transfer it to an oiled bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap. Then let it rest for 30 minutes. Transfer the dough to a work surface and divide it into three equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball and make sure that the tops of the balls are smooth. Place the balls in a container with enough room for the dough to double in size. Cover and leave to proof at room temperature for 3-4 hours. When you are ready to cook, turn your oven (or grill) to 500 degrees (or as high as it will go) and let it preheat so it’s very hot. Place a dough ball on your lightly floured work surface. Push the air from the center out to the edge using the pads of your fingers. Stretch the dough out to a 12-inch base. Add your preferred sauce and toppings, then cook until crust is brown, and toppings are hot. Robin's Special Cheese Blend - Buy blocks of cheese (not shredded) and grate together w hole milk mozzarella, gruyere (Swiss French Cheese – find it in the deli section at the grocery store), parmesan, cheddar, and provolone. Robin’s Favorite toppings: BBQ sauce base, shredded or chopped BBQ brisket, cilantro, cooked chopped breakfast bacon, onion, and my special cheese blend. Paul’s Favorite toppings: Pizza sauce, cupping pepperoni, cooked chopped breakfast bacon, onion, and Robin’s cheese blend. We are always up for trying new combinations, so if you would like to share your favorite pizzas (with pictures please), email me here . We would love to share your pics on our Facebook page. Hey from Lucy! One of my favorite pictures from a couple years ago. There's a bit more gray these days, but she's still the same enthusiastic girl. What I'm Reading To me, Christmas is not just a day, it's a feeling. I love reading Christmas books all year long. We'll Always Have Christmas is by Jenny Hale, one of my favorite holiday romance authors. It's sweet and squishy with all the things that make me feel cozy. There's Noelle, a single mother, the bakery her late grandmother started years ago, close friends, family, and of course the rich handsome guy who hires her to take care of his ailing father. The family is about to lose the bakery that Noelle has always dreamed of taking over, and she is trying to find a way to keep it afloat. Although a bit predictable, the story is sweet and kept my attention. If you need a little boost of Christmas feels, this is a quick read. So, turn down your air conditioner, grab your blanket and your hot chocolate, and cozy up with Noelle’s story. Did Someone Say Free Books? Want to read our latest books for free? Our Romance Review Crew is a small group of romantics who receive our books prior to publication. All we ask in return is that you leave an Amazon review within a few days of the book's debut. We currently have a small number of openings. Email subscribers - like you - get priority when spots open. We can't guarantee that everyone who volunteers will get in, but if you're interested, send Paul an email. Please note - you must have an active Amazon account that allows you to leave product reviews. We hope to hear from you soon! Did You Miss Anything...? Like our blog post about changing sides of the bed? It was quite and experience. How about our previous newsletters? There's some great stuff there. Want to be one of the cool kids who follow us on Facebook? We post lots of pics of our comings and goings. Do you have questions for us? Send them here. And of course, you can find our books here . That's all for now. Be sure to add us to your contacts so you won't miss future newsletters. See you soon! Love, Robin |
Hello Again, Romantics, it's Robin!
Spring has sprung in Kansas City. Is it just me, or does time go faster as we get older? We usually spend a few weeks here each spring and fall as those are times when KC shines most brightly.
The Parade of Hearts has 101 entries this year, so we're spending our weekends heart hunting around the KC metro. There's also Royals baseball, walks and bike rides along the Little Blue Trace Trail, and evenings with friends at our favorite restaurants. Last week, our friends Jim and Lucinda visited us in KC. Like us, they relocated to Florida, but love returning for visits. Below is a picture of Lucinda and me in matching shirts commemorating the iconic Western Auto sign that lights the sky above its former world headquarters.
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In many ways, KC will always be home, but the sea calls my name after a few weeks, and I need to be by the water. We also have family in Florida now as our oldest daughter is in Physician Assistant school at the University of Tampa. It's wonderful having our grandsons close by.
And as always, you can email me here.
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Our Pick of Pix - Happy Birthday Fallon! | |
That's the face of one happy little girl. Our granddaughter, Fallon, celebrated her fourth birthday this past weekend with a blow-out of a party. This little girl lives in the moment, as you can clearly see. | |
Pizza - The Robin Paul Way | |
A couple of years ago, we decided we were going to make homemade pizza on the grill. It was okay, but not great. A little more research led us to Ooni, a company that makes pizza ovens for home. There was a learning curve, but over the past few years we've hosted many “make-your-own-pizza” parties with our friends and family, It's always a good time.
So, in honor of summer, outdoor cooking, and pizza, this month’s recipe is everything you need to know to make your own great pizza. Note: Most Ooni pizza recipes require that you cook at high temperatures. If you try this in your oven, let us know how it goes! Also, you will need to prepare the dough about 4-5 hours before you are ready to cook, so allow enough time! Trust me, it’s worth it! Good dough makes good pizza.
| |
Home-Made Beer Pizza Dough Ingredients:
400 grams strong bread flour
100 grams plain (all-purpose flour)
330 ml beer/lager (room temperature)
3.5 grams instant dry yeast (usually sold in 7g packets, so if you don’t have micro scales, simply half the packet)
15 grams fine sea salt
Preparation:
- In a large bowl, mix the strong and plain flour together, then add the yeast. Pour all the beer slowly into the dry ingredients and either mix by hand or mix on a low setting in your stand mixer with dough attachment. When the dough has just started to come together, add the salt, and continue to knead.
- If the dough feels a bit dry, add a small amount of water (a teaspoon at a time) until the it feels soft and a little sticky. After 10 minutes of kneading, it should be soft and smooth. Lift up the dough and check for elasticity. If it rips easily, continue kneading for a few more minutes to give the gluten more time to develop.
- Once you are happy with your dough, transfer it to an oiled bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap. Then let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a work surface and divide it into three equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball and make sure that the tops of the balls are smooth. Place the balls in a container with enough room for the dough to double in size. Cover and leave to proof at room temperature for 3-4 hours.
- When you are ready to cook, turn your oven (or grill) to 500 degrees (or as high as it will go) and let it preheat so it’s very hot. Place a dough ball on your lightly floured work surface. Push the air from the center out to the edge using the pads of your fingers. Stretch the dough out to a 12-inch base.
- Add your preferred sauce and toppings, then cook until crust is brown, and toppings are hot.
Robin's Special Cheese Blend - Buy blocks of cheese (not shredded) and grate together whole milk mozzarella, gruyere (Swiss French Cheese – find it in the deli section at the grocery store), parmesan, cheddar, and provolone.
Robin’s Favorite toppings: BBQ sauce base, shredded or chopped BBQ brisket, cilantro, cooked chopped breakfast bacon, onion, and my special cheese blend.
Paul’s Favorite toppings: Pizza sauce, cupping pepperoni, cooked chopped breakfast bacon, onion, and Robin’s cheese blend.
We are always up for trying new combinations, so if you would like to share your favorite pizzas (with pictures please), email me here. We would love to share your pics on our Facebook page.
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One of my favorite pictures from a couple years ago. There's a bit more gray these days, but she's still the same enthusiastic girl. | |
To me, Christmas is not just a day, it's a feeling. I love reading Christmas books all year long. We'll Always Have Christmas is by Jenny Hale, one of my favorite holiday romance authors. It's sweet and squishy with all the things that make me feel cozy. There's Noelle, a single mother, the bakery her late grandmother started years ago, close friends, family, and of course the rich handsome guy who hires her to take care of his ailing father.
The family is about to lose the bakery that Noelle has always dreamed of taking over, and she is trying to find a way to keep it afloat. Although a bit predictable, the story is sweet and kept my attention.
If you need a little boost of Christmas feels, this is a quick read. So, turn down your air conditioner, grab your blanket and your hot chocolate, and cozy up with Noelle’s story.
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Did Someone Say Free Books? | |
Want to read our latest books for free? Our Romance Review Crew is a small group of romantics who receive our books prior to publication. All we ask in return is that you leave an Amazon review within a few days of the book's debut.
We currently have a small number of openings. Email subscribers - like you - get priority when spots open. We can't guarantee that everyone who volunteers will get in, but if you're interested, send Paul an email.
Please note - you must have an active Amazon account that allows you to leave product reviews. We hope to hear from you soon!
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Did You Miss Anything...? | |
That's all for now. Be sure to add us to your contacts so you won't miss future newsletters. See you soon! Love, Robin | |
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