A Lunatic Guest Post!!

I have a huge surprise in store for you guys this morning!!  A guest post from none other than Kim from Cravings of a Lunatic herself!!  She honors us with one of her famous pizza's!!  I am uber excited about this folks.  I love pizza and when we make pizza at home I always go to Kim's for her crust recipe(s).  Yes, plural folks, she has many different crust recipes!  So, sit back, relax and let's dive in to some dough and pizza toppings!

If you're looking for me, I'm guest posting on Kim's blog - Craving's on a Lunatic as well.  You can find me over there talking about my Apple Cranberry Quick Bread!

Hi folks. I am so very thrilled and honored to be here guest posting at Dee's today. For those who don't know me I am Kim, the crazy person behind Cravings of a Lunatic. My motto is I crave it, I make it, I eat it. Words to live by. Unfortunately they make your butt bigger. So I like to stop by Dee's often for healthy options to help me shrink my butt so one day I can be all bendy and gorgeous like her. Her blog is such an inspiration for anyone looking to healthy up their lifestyle. Add to that she is the da bomb and all kinds of funny. I love stopping by and hanging out here. Now that I've taken over the place for the day watch out world. No telling what kind of mischief I'll get in to. Make sure you swing by my blog to see what gorgeous treat Dee has cooked up for you. Visit her, then me, then her again, then me again. We will keep you entertained I can promise you that. No telling how silly the comment section might get. Going to be all kinds of crazy happening down there. 

Now let me get all sentimental on you for a second. Dee is the reason I am still blogging. I was considering quitting the blog world. Then I talked to Dee and my whole world changed. We had been commenting on each other's blogs here and there. Then one day I got an award from her. Could not have come at a more opportune time. I was not having fun blogging. I was really struggling and I confided in Dee that I was thinking about quitting and feeling out of sorts. I had a couple of fellow bloggers be kind of rude and was just not feeling the love. Dee  talked to me and gave me some advice. She told me to "write like no one was reading". It was like a light bulb went off. When no one was reading I was having fun. It's when I started to worry and over think what I was doing that I got discouraged. I also got caught up in the land of twitter where some people were not nice. So she told me not to worry about the other stuff and find my voice. So I went back to blogging my way, having fun and enjoying the process. I fell in love with it all over again. Her advice changed everything for me. So I adore her and am thankful to her for being my guru girl. Okay so enough sappiness. On to the funny!

I could not resist. I had to make pizza. It's who I am, what I do best I think. We eat it all the time. I am always trying to find new fun ways to jazz it up. I make up fun dough, we do it on bread, we make it on pitas, you name it and we'll turn it into pizza. So when me and Dee decided to blog swap I knew I had to do pizza. I also wanted it to fit in with Dee's lifestyle and blog. Add to that we're swapping on a Monday so it just made sense to do a meatless one. So I dreamed up a nice combination for you. And a new dough. Yup, you heard me. I add stuff to my dough. I've done a few now. It's so much fun. So this one was perfect, but only if you like onion. Which I do. I hope you do too. So enjoy! I know we did.

Lunatic's Pepper and Caramelized Onion Pizza with Onion Crust:

Ingredients for the dough: 

*Bread Machine Used*

1 cup water (beer can also be used)

1 tablespoon shortening

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2-3/4 cups white flour

1-1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

1 tablespoon dried onion flakes

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon basil

Directions for the dough:

Combine all ingredients in your bread machine baking pan in order.

Put the baking pan in the chamber.

Set the machine for dough.

Remove and put in a bowl and cover it for at least 30 minutes.

Roll out on a lightly floured surface. Or if you are good with dough you can hand stretch it. This takes some practice but is fun to try.

Tips and hints:

This yields two thin crusts or 1 thick.

This can be frozen and used later.

This can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

I find storing it for a day then using it makes it easier to stretch it and work with it. 

When rolling or stretching dough it is good to roll it out, then let it sit for about 5 or 10 minutes then come back and finish it. Not sure the science behind it but it works. I tend to cut up ingredients and preheat my oven during that time.

You can always dial back the spice if you are sensitive to it. 

Only use dried spice in my opinion. Fresh might alter the dough and make it gummy.

Ingredients for the pizza:

Pizza Dough

Pizza Sauce (I use store bought and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar to it)

1 green pepper, sliced thinly

1 red pepper, sliced thinly

1 vidalia or sweet onion, sliced thinly

1/2 cup swiss cheese, grated (buy the good stuff)

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (I used that new pizza one)

1/4 cup parmesan reggiano (buy the good stuff)

1/4 cup grated parmesan (I used the Kraft one) 

Directions for the pizza:

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. (some days I go 450, some I go 500)

Toss the onions in pan with a little olive oil and cook over medium heat until they caramelize. It usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Which is ample time to roll dough.

Roll out or stretch your dough. Spread it on a pizza pan or stone.

Add some sugar to your sauce and stir.

Smooth on a generous amount of sauce.

Now add your swiss cheese.

Now add your parmesan reggiano.

Now add both your green and red pepper.

Now add your caramelized onions. 

Now toss on your mozzarella cheese.

Now sprinkle the Kraft parmesan over top. 

Stick in the oven and the lowest or second lowest rack. You want it close to the bottom so the bottom of your pizza cooks well.

Leave for about 10- 15 minutes depending on your temperature and the way your like your pizza. I like mine crisp and the bottom brown. 

Remove from oven.

Cut with a pizza cutter.

Dive in!

Hope you enjoy. I thought a nice Meatless Monday option would be nice. This crust is is full of flavor and the pizza is incredible. I will be making this one again. 

Thank you so much to Dee for agreeing to blog swap with me. This is my first time being a guest on some one's blog. So glad Dee was my first. She is the uber cool, uber funny, uber bendy, uber supportive person who rocks my world in a big way. I am ever thankful I met her, confided in her and listened to her advice. So you can all now blame Dee for unleashing my crazy on the world and you. It is completely her fault. 

Toodles and smoochies.xx