What is it About a Horse?

I was born without a horse.  From the moment I could talk, I began asking--no, begging--for a horse.  Yet, birthday after birthday, and Christmas after Christmas would come and go, and still no horse.

"You'll never take care of a horse," my mother said.  What did she know?  Of course I would take care of it!

Marriage and children would take up the next twenty years.  And while I still dreamed of having a horse, there was no time or money for such a luxury.  I may have stopped talking about it, but I never let it go.  I was convinced my time would come.

. . .

It is a common fact that you can learn a lot from looking into a horse's eye.  It will reflect everything you need to know; fear, caution, anger, anxiety and tension.  It also reflects kindness and wisdom.  And if you're lucky, it will reflect your soul.

. . .

I had sixteen years with my "horse-of-a-lifetime."  Sixteen years of morning feeds, evening feeds, mucking stalls, mending fences.  Then there was the fox hunting, trail riding, parades, and even stage performances.  You name it, we did it.

. . .

He is gone now.  There are still times when I can hear my mother say,"You'll never take care of it."

You were right, Mom.  I would  never take care of him.

As it turns out, he would take care of me.

Pizza Anyone? You Can Do It!

First--If you do not have a pizza stone, go buy one!

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  (Not for the pizza, but for the pizza stone.)
While the stone is heating up, get out the ingredients.

Tomatoes.  Thinly slice about five small tomatoes and place slices in a bowl.  Drizzle with really good olive oil.  My choice?  B.R.Cohn Olive Oil (This not only adds great flavor, but also keeps the tomatoes from becoming dry during the baking time.)  Add a bit of sea salt and freshly ground pepper to these tomatoes.

Thin pizza crust.  I like "Mama Mary's Thin & Crispy".  It's almost a flatbread crust, and it is really good!

Now, spread a thin layer of Prego Veggie Smart Pizza Sauce on the crust.

Then the cheese . . . a blend of provolone, Mozzarella, and a little shredded cheddar.  Spread this evenly over the sauce.

Place the sliced tomatoes on the cheese.  Be generous.

Add some sort of artichoke.  In this case I used "Gia Russa Artichoke Bruschetta Topping" that I had in the pantry.  Why not?  Use it sparingly . . . a little here, a little there.

And then--just because--sprinkle some Crushed Red Pepper over everything.  Go easy on this, as you can always add more after it's baked.

I would have added fresh basil IF I had any.  But I didn't.

Okay,  BEFORE you place the pizza on the hot stone, TURN THE HEAT DOWN to a respectable 350 degrees and set the timer for 8 minutes.

Remove the pizza from the stone and place it on a cutting board.  Let it rest for a short time.

Time to slice and enjoy your signature pizza!!!


You can thank me later.