DIY Mini Pizza Bar

Life is going by so quickly. My children are growing up. They are changing. And each and every day I send them out into a world that seems a little less safe than it was when I was little. Because life is changing so quickly, I find myself cherishing the little moments that I’ve so often taken for granted; the hugs, the kisses, the sing-me-one-more-song-mommy moments that will be gone all too soon. As I look at a teenager who seemed to have just been a toddler yesterday and tuck in a kindergartner who I thought I just brought home from the hospital, it becomes so apparent that these little moments are the ones that I will cherish. They are the times I will remember. And they are the memories that I want to carve into my mind forever. Because while I’ll always remember first steps and first words, the truly magical moments as a family are the ordinary, everyday moments when we come together in love and laughter. The moments when we play games. Or pick up hickory nuts and roll them down our hill to see whose can go the furthest. Or even the moments when we create a DIY Mini Pizza Bar where we can all come together over food and talk about the things that matter to our family. Those are the moments that I savor. Those are the miracles in my life as a mother.

I’ll be honest though…sometimes these special moments seem to pass me right by. I’m too busy or I’m too wrapped up in what I’m doing to realize that the little things are some of the most precious gifts. But I was reminded of that all too well when I recently watched the movie Miracles From Heaven. I have to say every since seeing it advertised, I’ve been excited to see the story of the Beam family. I had watched the promo many times and found myself sucked into the real life story of faith, love and spirit. So it stands to reason that when I recently saw the DVD on a shopping trip to Walmart, I stopped to pick it up.

I have to say, I was prepared for an emotional story before I ever even popped it into my DVD player. What I wasn’t prepared for was the heart-wrenching sob that escaped from me at multiple times in the movie. Yes, I did the ugly cry. Yes, it touched me down to my very soul. Because in those moments of the movie I was Christy Beam and I was experiencing the unimaginable pain of life with a sick child where I couldn’t make things better and I couldn’t change the situation but could only fight and savor each little moment that I was given. And while the entire story seemed to speak to some part of me deep within, it was the end of the movie that really changed me. Now, I don’t want to give anything away because I think everyone NEEDS to see this movie, but at the end there is a speech given by the main character where it is said “Miracles are everywhere. Miracles are goodness. Miracles are love.” And right then and there, it hit me. Miracles are in the little moments. Miracles are time with my family. Miracles are laughter. Miracles are the gift that we’re given of everyday. Inspired by this thought, I decided I wanted to create a memory with my family inspired by the movie that had so inspired me. And since pizza plays a pretty special role in this amazingly special film (again, you’ll have to watch to see what I mean), I couldn’t help but grab my youngest, put together a DIY Mini Pizza Bar and start creating a moment that we would always remember.

What You Will Need:

2 Packages of Yeast

3 Cups of Water

3 and 1/2 Cups of White Bread Flour

3 and 1/2 Cups of Wheat Flour

4 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

3 Teaspoons of Salt

2 Teaspoons of Sugar

1 Cup of Pizza Sauce

Toppings of Choice

1 Cup of Shredded Cheese

How to Make It:

Because everyone in my family has different tastes, I decided to make two batches of pizza dough - one with regular white bread flour and a wheat version as well. The recipes for both are the same except for the type of flour used. To start, I added one package of my yeast to one and a half cups of hot water and allowed it to dissolve. While it was dissolving, I added one of my types of flour, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar to my mixing bowl.

After ensuring that my yeast was dissolved in my water, I poured it into my mixture.

Next, I used a bread hook to mix together all of my ingredients, forming a sticky dough. *Note: If you don’t have a mixer this step can be done by hand in a large bowl.

Once my first batch of dough was ready, I removed it from my mixer, added it to a bowl and repeated the process with my second type of flour, allowing my littlest to get involved and help me with the fun job of mixing the dough.

After adding my second dough to a second bowl, I covered both bowls with plastic wrap and set them in a cool, dry place to rise for about two hours.

After giving my two types of pizza dough a chance to double in size, I punched them down and pulled off fist sized portions, rolling each portion into a ball.

I added my balls of pizza dough to a plate, alternating between the wheat dough and the regular dough and added a bowl with my pizza sauce to the middle.

With my pizza dough ready, I needed to prep my toppings. Now, part of what makes this DIY Mini Pizza Bar so much fun and so memorable is that everyone can make their own pizza exactly like they want it! After chopping up some of our favorite toppings like peppers, onions, black olives, spinach and pepperoni, I added each topping to a small bowl and finally added my cheese to the last bowl.

By this point my family was pretty excited, and I have to say I can’t blame them. While this pizza bar seemed like such a little thing on a regular afternoon, it was really a way to connect and spend time together creating a tradition and a memory that we will all treasure. Because in front of us was not only the makings of a special meal but by taking time to create our own pizzas as we spent time together, we were turning a simple meal into so much more.

After placing all the items for my DIY Mini Pizza Bar on the table, I let everyone choose the type of crust they wanted. My little guy of course went with the regular crust while the adults opted for the wheat version.

After placing the dough on a prepared baking sheet and using our fingers to stretch it into the shape of a mini pizza, we were ready to start adding our toppings.

To start, we added a generous amount of pizza sauce to each piece of prepared dough.

Then we were each able to add the toppings we wanted for a Mini Pizza that was just perfect.

Since my mom was in town, we even invited her over to get in on the fun and help create some family memories of her own with us.

After everyone had a chance to top their pizza with the toppings and cheese they wanted, we were ready to put our Mini Pizzas into the oven.

We placed them into the oven that was preheated to 450 degrees for six minutes until the crusts were crispy and everything was perfectly cooked.

After removing our mini pizzas from the oven and allowing them to cool slightly, they were ready to enjoy.

I have to say, my little guy thought we had had the best meal ever and he was thrilled that I had taken the time to get him involved in creating a memory of making the perfect Mini Pizzas.

And after our dinner was done? Well, I may have watched Miracles From Heaven again as a reminder that even a seemingly small thing like a DIY Mini Personal Pizza party can feel like a miraculous way to spend a day.

Because while it’s easy to forget with the craziness of everyday life, it truly is the everyday moments that we’ll all one day cherish. So, as my kids get older, as life changes and as moments pass us by, the Beam story will be my reminder to savor the little things. To cherish the moments that don’t seems so amazing until you look back on them and realize that they are the story of your life.

Are you ready to discover a movie that will inspire you and show you that miracles happen in a variety of ways each and every day? If so, be sure to pick up Miracles From Heaven on BluRay, DVD and Digital at Walmart. Even better, when you buy Miracles From Heaven DVD, $1 of your purchase will be donated to the Children’s Miracle Network! So pick up the movie today. Then watch it with your family, plan your own DIY Mini Pizza Bar and rediscover that sometimes it’s the little things in daily life that are really worth being thankful for!

Tell me, how could you plan a special movie night for your family featuring Miracles From Heaven?