Sunday pizza party

Blanche and Bob have built a pizza oven in their garden and today was its inaugural firing.  Pizza party for about a dozen!  Neighbor Nelson came over this morning for a pizza dough lesson, made one batch.  I made two batches and took down some pesto and fresh basil to garnish the pizzas.

This is the best pizza dough recipe I've ever found.  Thin, crispy crust, delicate interior, great flavor.  Quick, easy, failure-proof, delicious.

We went down to the party site to inspect the new oven.  Very nifty!

It is heated by both charcoal and wood and the temperature got up to about 850º.  There was a big table covered with dishes and platters of trimmings ~ veggies, cheese, meats, pesto, sauces, flavored oils ~ and bowls of dough ready to be pinched off, shaped and layered with toppings.

Two of the cooks, Sibyl and Neighbor Nelson, preparing a pizza for the oven

it took about 15 minutes for each little pizza to cook.

Ready to eat!

And to wash it down . . .

Much good conversation, good food and drink, good fellowship.  After the pizzas were finished and the place cleaned up, it was time to haul out the fixings for margaritas.

Sibyl, Blanche, Mrs. Neighbor Nelson

Here's to women behind the bar . . . and everywhere else, too!