The Perfect Saturday Night Menu

I'm back home in Connecticut and LB was happy to see me.

I have talked in this blog about how I watch politics the way some people watch sports. Today was like the Superbowl Sunday, the 1st Saturday in May (Kentucky Derby), any Saturday during March Madness, and New Years Day (bowl game heaven) all rolled into one day of non-stop political viewing!

It started with a lazy Saturday in bed reading Friday and Saturday's Times articles on the Iowa Caucuses and the march to New Hampshire. Then on to the gym where I spent forty-five minutes sweating on the treadmill to C-Span's coverage of Obama's and Hillary's events and commentary on McCain and Huckabee. After that I went grocery shopping with the ever explosive and entertaining McLaughlin Group podcast where I love to hear Pat Buchanan and Eleanor Clift go back and forth. When I got home, it was sorting through the mail to more C-Span where Dennis Kucinich made some good points about ABC freezing him and the lessor Republican candidates out of the tonight's debates. Finally, I finished the afternoon baking a loaf of bread, making some pizza dough and doing a little laundry to "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me".

Tonight, I settled down for dinner with a go to for a light and tasty pizza recipe from Cooking Light with a glass of sparkling water with lime and watched both debates on ABC. My pizza was as good as the exchange between John McCain and Mitt Romney on illegal immigration and Obama and Hillary on health care.

Best of all, for dessert I'm having a George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon sandwich cookie in the form of "Ocean's Eleven" on TNT.

The perfect whipped cream with three cherry topped way to end a great day...

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Adapted from Cooking Light

Makes one (1) 12" thin crust pizza

1 tsp instant yeast
1/8 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1 1/4 to 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 clove minced garlic
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
Cooking spray

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add one cup all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, oil, and salt, garlic, basil, and oregano to yeast mixture, stirring until well-blended. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth; add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands.

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until doubled in size. Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. roll each half into a 12-inch circle on a floured surface. Place on pan prepared with cooking spray and sprinkled with corn meal. Prick top of crust with fork and brush with 1/2 tbsp olive oil.

Bake in 450 degree preheated oven for seven minutes. Top with your favourite ingredients and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese golden brown (if using cheese).