Austin's Easy Sunday Night Pizza

Thank goodness for 14-year-old boys who are willing and able to cook -- and equally willing and able to bail their Mom out of a tight fix. Bless them, even if they sometimes drive you crazy too. Because otherwise, quite possibly, I would have had nothing to post here today since the closest I've been to a kitchen for most of the week has been grabbing a drink from the fridge in the photocopier room at work.

I promise that today's post will be the exception rather than the rule, but since Jen, Carole and I have promised to "keep it real" and admit our successes and failures during this challenge for the next year, this week is one such confession on my part. We haven't repeated a meal but I also just haven't been around to cook in person because of crazy work, so after we ran out of the make-ahead options from last weekend, it's been a matter of resorting to make-your-own creations in order to survive. (Good life skill for kiddies anyway.)

So instead of my usual personal offer, I have the contribution of my guest blogger... the ever-impressive, master in the kitchen, Austin, who offered to make dinner on Sunday night. He grabbed my handy-dandy issue of Martha Stewart Everyday Food and found two recipes to make: this pizza and also the delicious marshmallowy and nutty 'smores brownies.

With a few teen adaptations (pesto on one side and tomato sauce on the other), Austin pulled out some pizza dough, tossed it with flour and gave it a few twirls in the air (if the state of my floor was anything to go by), then threw on his choice of yummy toppings and, presto, a hot meal was on the table when I walked in the door. He even took photographs and tore out the recipe page so you can indulge in similar bliss. It's a rare day that someone else makes me dinner in my own home so, after several days of eating takeout at my desk, this really hit the spot and was greatly appreciated by all the starving members of our family.

Austin's Fabulous Sunday Pizza

adapted from Martha Stewart's Spring Vegetable Pizza

1 pound pizza dough, thawed if frozen

pizza or tomato sauce

pesto sauce

cheese of choice (he used cheddar)

vegetables of choice (he used chopped peppers and mushrooms)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out the pizza dough to a large oval shape. Transfer dough on parchment to a rimmed baking sheet and top half with pesto sauce and half with pizza sauce. Top with vegetables and cheese. Bake for 10 minutes, turning halfway through to cook evenly.

Serve and enjoy.

Rest of the Week

March 12 Q and kids were out at family event

March 13 Austin's lifesaver pizza

March 14 Sandwiches or eggs for dinner