DIY Pizza Party

Calling up your local pizza place and ordering a quick pie is a perfectly fine "Mom-what's-for-dinner?" solution. But I've found that making your own pizza can be a fun activity for the whole family. Invite over a few friends and their kids, offer up a selection of fun toppings, and you've got an instant, at-home pizza party.

Sure, making your own dough can seem daunting—all that kneading and proofing—so feel free to leave that step to the pros: Some pizza shops will sell you a ball of dough, so ask around at your favorite parlors. Or just pick some up at the grocery store.
Lucky for me, I'm friendly with a fantastic chef who handles the dough making for me.

Chef Gino can make pizza with his eyes closed.  We were introduced by our friends at the Garden School Foundation when he made fresh tortellini at our first ever Family Festival. In our area, Chef Gino's fun and educational Pizza Parties are a huge hit. I asked if I could tag along to a recent party to find out if mere mortals (read: non-Italian chefs, just multi-tasking moms like us) can do this at home. Turns out, yes we can! Although this party was geared toward families with kids, I can imagine this as a fun baby shower activity or even just something different to do on an evening with friends.
Here's how it works:

Prep, Prep, Prep 
 

By making (or buying!) the dough and sauce and pre-shredding the mozzarella cheese the day before, you can avoid frantically running around the day of the party.

Of Course all mini-chefs must have clean hands to cook. Remember: 20 seconds minimum of scrub time.

Lining the table with aluminum foil makes clean up a breeze, or even better, use freezer paper instead of aluminum, you can wipe it with a wet cloth while it's still on the table, then roll or fold for reuse, instead of throwing away!



Dust each pizza 'station' with flour so the dough won't stick to the work surface, then measure out about a cup-sized dough ball for each person. Next, either place the dough at each station—or do like Chef Gino and make a game of passing out the dough by rolling it down the table to each mini-chef!

Let's Get This Party Started!

Forming the pizza pie is easy enough: Simply shape and flatten out the dough with your hands. Giving it the old toss and stretch is fun too!

Put some tomato sauce in the center, then spread it out over the dough, leaving about a half inch border. Add some cheese and a few toppings or fold everything up to make a calzone. Yummy!

Oven Time 

Be sure to label the pizzas before putting them in to bake. Write each chef's name on a piece of foil with a sharpie then place next to his creation.

 

Making Pizza and Memories

Let guests savor the memory of your pizza party long after the last slice has been devoured with a fun gift. Personalized, pint-sized aprons are a unique take home for the goodie bags.

You can also have kids make a pizza-themed picture frame while the pies bake. Just use different colors of construction paper or craft supplies (think beads, string, etc.) for the toppings, cheese and sauce and place everything on a round piece of cardboard. Take a photo of each chef working on her edible masterpiece, then send the print home the following week to add to the frame.

Another option: Have kids decorate their own chef hat. Use paint, markers, glitter—whatever—to jazz up paper hats.

Buon Appetito!

Here's a how to video :


Ingredients (serves 2)
1 cup warm water (between 100° and 110° so you don't kill, or chill, the yeast)

1 package or 2 tablespoons active dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 cups all-purpose flour or whole-wheat flour

toppings of choice

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°.

Measure warm water into a large bowl. Add the yeast to the water and stir until dissolved. Add sugar, salt, and oil and stir well.
Add the flour in small amounts and stir well after each addition. Add just enough flour so the dough is not sticking in clumps to your hands or the bowl, winding up with a well-formed ball.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and, using your hands, knead for 2 to 3 minutes. Let the dough rest 5 to 10 minutes to rise roughly double in size before using.
Once the dough is ready, spread it on an oiled pizza pan (or pie pan or aluminum foil). Apply toppings of choice. Bake in oven for 20 minutes.

Visit Chef Ginos Website

How to sanitize a bottle

Recycling, reusing and refilling are always at the forefront of my mind when I am creating products for California Baby. This is one of the reasons why I created bulk sizes of some of our best-selling products. Buying in bulk allows you to refill rather than re-buy and it’s a money saver! Refilling is a cinch, but many people don’t know that you should always sanitize the bottle or container before refilling, which is why I created this video. It’s a step-by-step guide on how to sanitize correctly so you can get the best results out of your favorite California Baby product! Take a look!

Food for Thought

When I became a mother, I went a little crazy about what goes in, on, and around my child. Many women do. So we read labels, we research ingredients, we make ourselves the guinea pigs... and we buy organic.

Nowadays, there is organic everything. Almost anything you can find in a conventional grocery store has a correlating natural or organic product… organic cheese puffs, organic TV dinners, even organic wine!

But does an “organic” label on the package mean it is the best product out there for you and your family? As the natural foods movement becomes mainstream, more and more companies try to get in on your dollar. For example, lately I’ve been seeing “organic” produce from as far away as China at my local health foods store. Why are we importing – and more importantly – why are we buying imported organic produce?

I have been going to two farmers’ markets a week for the last twenty years. I admit, going to the open market can be a pain. I can’t just show up with a list, I’m never sure what the farmers will show up with, and all those bags can get so gosh darn heavy! But you know what? I do know that the produce I buy Sunday afternoon was picked on Sunday morning. I do know that when I have a question, I can ask the farmer standing in front of me. How can you do that when your farmer is on the other side of the world?


After a while, one gets used to the pace and soon it’s not too hard to figure out what’s in season. (My biceps even got a little stronger.) I love the fleshy heirloom tomatoes from Ed in Santa Monica, and the extremely fresh produce from the hardworking folks at Givens Farms. At the Hollywood market, I’ve discovered a new Sri Lankan farmer – actually his parents are from Sri Lanka and he’s from Lancaster, CA – he grows the best eggplant, okra and watermelon. These farmers grow organically, but I would still buy from them even if they didn’t have an organic banner hanging at their stand. Conventionally grown produce picked ripe the same morning it goes to market is better, in my opinion, than organic produce picked green and flown halfway around the world.

Local, local, local! That’s my new battle cry. Go to your neighborhood market and buy from the deserving farmers there. If they’re not organic, bring up the subject and talk to them about it. Let them know you’re interested. It’s a fun way to get to know your neighbors, get to know your farmers, and know that you are buying the best there is for you and your family.

Cheers!
Jessica

Summer Pest Tips

Hello California Baby Fans!
Since the summer season is almost upon us, we thought we would post some tips & prevention methods on how to avoid ticks and mosquitoes. These tips were taken (and edited!) from the EPA’s website; if you want to learn more (probably more than you’d ever want to know about pests), go to, http://www.epa.gov/

TICKS
Checking for ticks and prompt removal of attached ticks is probably the most important and effective method of preventing infection.

Behavior & Risk of Exposure

• Nymphal blacklegged ticks are very small (about the size of a pinhead), difficult to spot, and
• Are active during the late spring and summer months
• The majority (about 75%) of Lyme disease cases are associated with activities (play, yard or garden work) around the home.
• Ticks do not jump or drop from trees, but grasp passing hosts from the leaf litter, tips of grass, etc.
• Most ticks are probably picked up on the lower legs and then crawl up the body seeking a place to feed.
• Pets can bring ticks into the home, resulting in a tick bite without the person being outdoors.

MOSQUITOES

• Remove mosquito habitats
• Eliminate standing water in rain gutters, old tires, buckets, plastic covers, toys, or any other container where mosquitoes can breed.
• Empty and change the water in bird baths, fountains, wading pools, rain barrels, and potted plant trays at least once a week to destroy potential mosquito habitats.
• Drain or fill temporary pools of water with dirt.
• Keep swimming pool water treated and circulating.
• Keep mosquitoes away from exposed skin by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks.
• Tuck shirts into pants and pants into socks to cover gaps in your clothing where mosquitoes can get to your skin.
• Stay indoors at sunrise, sunset, and early in the evening when mosquitoes are most active.

Best,

Jessica

Worms and their Indulgences!

Worm Casting (worm poop)
We call this fertilizer :)

Lifting off the lid of my very active worm bin... reveals a layer of finished worm compost.

Worm Tea (worm pee)

The base tray holds a swish-y mess of worm tea--use straight or dilute!
Don't worry, most composters have a spigot to dispense directly into a bottle or watering can.

Tune in next time for...
A Search For A Shady Spot: California Baby headquarters gets a new worm composter! We search for the best site, set up the worm bin/house, add the worms and contribute our first food layer from our lunch room.

Life in my garden

I believe in compost.

I love when organic material doesn't end up in the trash can and ultimately a landfill. I'd rather it rot right in my own backyard.
My worm bin holds a coveted spot -- right next to the kitchen door.
Beautiful colors.


Green parsley stems, bois du rose onion skins, black coffee grounds, brown egg shells, and touches of red radish.
Next... those wiggle worms that do the dirty work and setting up a new worm bin!

Sincerely,

Jessica

Natural Habits That Heal Dry Skin

Daily cleansing and moisturizing is an essential part of caring for your skin and your child’s. But for those who suffer from extremely dry skin or eczema, a relaxing bath or a soothing warm shower can turn into a dry and itchy affair.

Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a common skin condition marked by itching, redness and scaly patches. It is very common in babies, usually appearing on the face, chest, back, arms or legs during the first 6 months and can last throughout childhood. Unfortunately, many children will outgrow eczema only to have it reappear in adulthood. The condition can be difficult to deal with, but you may be surprised at how many treatment options you have. And by making just a few simple lifestyle changes, you can get back on the path to baby soft skin.

Check your water: Bathing in chlorinated tap water strips the skin of its natural oils and can cause itching and scaling—not what you want when you’re already battling dry skin. Using a shower filter to remove chlorine can be helpful in preventing further irritation.

Beat the heat: Keep your thermostat on the cool side, which will save energy as well as your skin; high indoor heat saps moisture from the air. And lower the temperature of your bath water as eczema has a tendency to flare up as the temperature rises.

Choose gentle cleansers: Harsh cleansers strip skin of its natural oils, leaving it unprotected from the elements and more susceptible to irritants and dryness. Instead suds up with a non-sulfate cleanser, preferably one made with without allergy triggering synthetic fragrances.

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize: When your child steps out of the shower or tub, don’t towel off those magical moisturizing water droplets! Trap them next to the skin with lotion, a super rich cream, or hi-oleic vegetable oil.

Watch what you eat: Since eczema is caused by a reaction in the immune system, certain foods—especially tropical fruits such as mangos and pineapples—can cause flair-ups. Check with your doctor or dermatologist first and then try an elimination diet to pinpoint the culprit.

Know the secret ingredient: Calendula! This wonder flower is helpful in treating a whole host of skin issues, including eczema, rosacea, sunburn and just plain old dry skin. Try growing the easy annual flower in your garden and using the flowers to make a homemade tea for the bath. Here’s how: Put 5 or 6 flower tops in a muslin tea bag and drop into a tea cup; fill the cup with hot water and let steep for 20 minutes. Then simply pour the tea into a temperate bath.

Mother Nature: 1, Hydrocortisone: 0!

All My Best,

Jessica