BLING YOUR THING: Epic CHEESE (Aka Chicago Pizza)

It's National Pizza Month! (I'm all for that.) Are you a pizza lover?

When I was 15, I worked in a pizza parlor, and it has forever defined one thing: the world is incomplete without pizza. While living in NYC, I fell in love with their pizza pies--thin crust, just the right amount of sauce, wicked-awesome toppings, cheese... (Need I say more?) BUT pizza pie meets its true definition in Chicago.

That's two whole inches DEEP of cheese. (Aka, heaven.) Mmm... 

Here's the problem: I'm a consumer, not a maker. (Giordanos is my local source of heaven.) So here's a snazy tutorial to walk you through how to make it at home! *gasp* (Except he used preshredded cheese. DON'T DO THAT. They put potato starch on that stuff to keep it from sticking, and it changes the consistency of the cheese.)

Now, the biggest difference between restaurant pizza and homemade is the oven. (I kid you not--remember I worked in a pizzeria.) Home ovens have a limit on the heat they can produce, for safety reasons. Commercial ovens have no such restrictions. (Think 900 degrees Fahrenheit and up!) They cook a traditional pizza in 3 to 5 minutes. See the problem? 

Life hack! There is a way to modify your oven. *gasp* It deals with jimmy rigging the lock on your oven so that you can put it on "clean" and still use it to cook. (This can be dangerous.) Another option is to put your oven on broil for about 45 minutes before baking. We've done this. Pizzas cook in about 4 to 6 minutes and the crust is epic--but you have to use a high heat cooking stone because pans will warp.

Are you a pizza lover? Chicago style? NYC style? What's the best pizza you've ever had?

Crystal Collier is a cheese-loving blogger & author who pens out funnies, deep thoughts, and book giveaways. She's the author of the Maiden of Time series, a 2012 winner of PitchWars, and a 2016 IWSG writing contest winner. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, four littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese.

The third book in her Maiden of Time series releases November 1, 2016. Find her and her books online.

BLING YOUR THING: Being You and Proud

This week we are Proud as Provolone & Parmesan as we welcome the Cheesy Queen CRYSTAL COLLIER to the House!

It's National Wear Something Gaudy day! (Do it!) 

What will I be wearing? Something like this:

Source

Cheese makes me happy. It's my THING. 

You have a thing too, so what is it? What makes you happy just thinking about it? What brings you fulfillment or sets you apart?

In the marketing world, we're told to brand ourselves so we stand out. (That was never my intention, btw, I just love cheese.) I think in life we do the same thing. When we're young, we search for what it is we love. Sometimes that shuffles us into categories or cliques. The older we get, the more that thing begins to define us, to shape us--not because we relinquish control, but because we build our lives to encompass it. (I'm not talking about sociopolitical issues.)

My other thing looks something like this:

I haul 4 kids around with me everywhere. Each individual personality teaches me so much, and they've completely changed my outlook on life. They also challenge me well beyond where I thought my sanity line stood. Each one provides me the opportunity to be fulfilled through service to them, AND each is growing my capacity. (That shaping thing really comes into play.)

However, it seems like the predominant mentality these days is for people to look down their noses at large families--like the parents couldn't figure out birth control or are single handedly trying to bankrupt the country. (Because those kids will have to end up in poverty due to neglect or something, right?)

I have news for those people. SOME OF US LIKE BIG FAMILIES--and man do they keep things interesting.

But they're not for everyone. Obviously. ; )

So here's your permission today. Love your thing. Let it define you. Don't apologize for it or diminish it because your neighbor feels differently. Bling proudly.

Are you blinging your thing? What bling would you be wearing today if you could express yourself on your sleeve?

Crystal Collier is a cheese-loving blogger & author who pens out funnies, deep thoughts, and book giveaways. She's the author of the Maiden of Time series, a 2012 winner of PitchWars, and a 2016 IWSG writing contest winner. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, four littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese.

The third book in her Maiden of Time series releases November 1, 2016. Find her and her books online.