There are definitely some family traditions not worth keeping up with (example #1 Sauerkraut on New Year's, yick), but one we have kept in our family is that of Friday Night Pizza. When I was growing up Fridays were celebrated like no other day, because along with weekly pizza Friday meant my dad having a couple of days off work, high school football games, and the arrival during football season of my aunt and uncle in town for the Penn State games just to name a few. My mom would alternate between her homemade pizza (known pretty well by family and friends), ordering, or us going to a local pizza shop. I can remember many a swim practices wishing I hadn't eaten so much pizza prior to practice, but it was just that good. Unfortunately (and fortunately) things change, and my replica of Friday Night Pizza is not always hit with high marks. Take for example tonight when I attempted to do the homemade pizza bit. Comments from my soon to be six year-old included, "Mom, please don't try this again," " Next time bake the crust alone for 40 minutes," and " Mom, I taste nothing but flour," (have I mention my un-love for cooking or how my husband thinks my next blog should be about my adventures in the kitchen?) But it is about the thought and consistency, right? The knowing that whether daddy is out of town or not, whether a football game is being played this weekend or not (although now cheering for another team), we will eat as a family and on Friday night we we celebrate the coming weekend and have pizza (even if this means children do not eat the pizza and mom must make pb & j as to not sacrifice their nutrition). I will keep trying to hold on to this tradition (even if I surrender and just order some Papa John's) and pray my children continue it when they are mom's and not think of Friday Nigh Pizza as I think of Sauerkraut on New Year's :)
I love your tradition. Our pizza night was Thursdays at our house growing up and we still do pizza night here a few times a month. One thing I always fall back on when a new crust recipe fails is to use a can of Pillsbury Breadsticks or Crescent Rolls as the crust. They work equally well and I like them better than the Pillsbury Pizza Dough. Quick, cheap and no worries about rising, kneading or things like that. Another fun idea is to use the crescent rolls and let the girls add their own toppings, sauce and cheese and roll them into pizza crescents. Easier for little chubby hands to hold.
ReplyDeletegreat ideas, thank-you!
ReplyDeletewe always did Friday night pizza growing up too!! and the sauerkraut on new year's.. though more recently, maybe 8 years or so, we started doing shrimp- which in my opinion is much better than sauerkraut!
ReplyDeletep.s. i'm glad someone shares my un-love for cooking!!