The One with Friday Nights

This is a topic that is favorite of mine.

And I'm sure I've talked about it before.

But I feel like it's totally worth a second (or third) mention.

Pizza and a Movie Friday Nights. 

And I'm not talking about going out to a $15 pizza and a $20 theater show. 

Nope.

Neither am I referring to a Blockbuster or Netflix deal with Little Caesar's Hot & Ready $5 pizza. 

I'm presenting you with our idea of a perfectly spent Friday evening.

One that begs for no additional spending.

(Aside from special toppings you might desire.) 

And very little planning. 

And total customization.

Borrow a movie from your local library.

And bake your own homemade pizza.  

If you don't have a library card, make haste and pick one up.

Then leisurely browse the dvd collection and select one (or three).

OR go to the online catalog from the comfort of your home computer.

And search for movies on your "I want to watch these movies sometime" list. 

Then simply request the movie to be sent to the library nearest you.

(Our county has a large collaboration of library branches, allowing us to choose from hundreds of movies.) 

Swing by the local branch on your way home from school or work or shopping and grab your movie.

In the meantime, plan your pizza.

If you do pizza every Friday night like we do it's so much easier to remember what you need to keep your pantry stocked. 

If you're making your own crust, you'll need to plan ahead at least 5 hours. 

Start the dough with plenty of time to rise and roll and bake before dinner. 

As an alternative that perfect pizza crust recipe, I like to throw these 5 simple ingredients into my bread machine and hit "dough" cycle. 

Two hours later it's ready to be rolled out and topped with any toppings we desire.
(I also like to divide the two in half or thirds and freeze the extra for the next two weeks.
Can't beat that type of preparation!)

Make sure you preheat your pizza stone to 450-500 degrees while preparing the crust.

The transfer to the hot stone is quite a challenge.

I use a silicone baking mat for easy transfer, but I'd like one of those pizza peal thing-a-ma-bobs. 

Now, go crazy! Cater to your family's craving.

BBQ pizza.

Our classic pepperoni, green peppers, onions, and garlic variety.

Thin crust.

Deep Dish. 

Fancy pancy pizza.

Or the traditional red sauce and mozzarella. 

It's ALL up to you! 

Once the movie is cued and the pizza is plated, the night is yours.

You get to wear your favorite sweats or pjs.

Bundle up on the couch with your loved ones. 

Pause the movie whenever you need to. 

Eat a healthier version of an American favorite. 

Order movies way ahead of time for free.

And the cost for your Friday night is all but zero (if you use ingredients already in your pantry/fridge.)

THAT works for me.