Frugal Fridays

Fridays are a great day to have pizza but who really has the money to buy pizza even a couple of times a month? I've started making homemade pizza on Friday nights and everyone loves it! I've tried several different crust recipes but so far this is the one we like the best. Its from a recipe book that came with my cheese making supplies. It's a way to use up the whey that's left from making cheese. I didn't make cheese tonight so I just used milk and it turned out really good. I also don't have round pizza pans and this was enough for my jelly roll pan that I use.


Pizza Dough Made With Whey
Makes (1) 14” thick-crust pizza or (2) 12” thin-crust pizzas.

3-3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 package or 1 Tbls. Rapid
¾ tsp. salt
1 cup very warm whey (120-130*F) (you may use milk)
2 Tbls. Olive or vegetable oil
Cornmeal

In large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, undissolved yeast. And salt. Stir very warm whey and olive oil into dry ingredients. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4-6 minutes. Cover. Let rest on floured surface 10 minutes.

Lightly oil 1 (14”0 or 2 (12”) round pizza pan(s). Sprinkle with cornmeal. Shape dough into smooth ball. Divide and roll dough to fit required pan(s).

Top pizza as desired.

Bake at 400*F for 20-30 minutes or until done. Baking time depends on size and thickness of crust and selected toppings.


This is by far the best pizza sauce I've ever had. It's so good. It's from one of my Company's Coming cookbooks. I use 3 cloves of garlic instead of 1 because we really like garlic in this house. I also use tomato sauce instead of tomato soup because the soup has high fructose corn syrup in it which is very bad for you.


Favorite Tomato Pizza Sauce

1 cup Chopped onion
1 Garlic glove, minced (or ¼ tsp. garlic powder)
½ cup Water

10 oz. can Condensed tomato soup
2 Tbls. White vinegar
1 Bay Leaf
1 tsp. Dried sweet basil
½ tsp. Dried whole oregano
½ tsp. Parsley flakes
1 tsp. Chopped chives
Ground thyme, just a pinch
¼ tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Pepper
¼ tsp. Granulated sugar

Cook onion and garlic in water in medium saucepan until soft. Do not drain.

Add remaining 11 ingredients. Stir together. Bring to a boil. Boil slowly for about 15 minutes until thickened. Add a touch of water if too thick. Discard bay leaf. Makes 1 ½ cups.


I usually make pepperoni pizza and put on peppers, olives and mushrooms. Next time I order cheese making supplies I'm going to get the supplies to make mozzarella cheese. I've heard from people that Mozzarella made with goat's milk is the best mozzarella you'll ever have. I'm excited! The next thing I want to accomplish is grinding our grains when we harvest them at the end of the season and make my own flour to make the dough with. Then when we butcher our goats this fall we can make sausage to put on our pizza. We're growing lots of tomatoes and herbs so we'll be able to make our own sauce. It will feel so good to make a meal completely from scratch.

I don't have a picture but we usually have bread sticks and salad with the pizza as well. And we have lots of leftovers. The bread sticks are so good and from one of my favorite sites. You guessed it http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/.

Quick & Easy Garlic Bread
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dry parsley (optional, for decoration)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1/2 cup margarine (1 stick)
1 more teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

These are good and easy and they get eaten up so fast that you may have to make a double batch.Begin with your favorite big bowl. Measure your flour, salt, garlic powder, parsley and baking powder into it. Stir the dry ingredients together so that the salt, garlic powder, parsley and baking powder are evenly distributed throughout the flour. Now pour in your milk. Stir with a big spoon until you get a ball of dough that leaves the sides of the bowl. You may have to dust the ball of dough with a little flour if it seems sticky to you. Gently knead the ball of dough right there in the bowl about 5 or 6 times. Now place your dough on the counter. You may place a sheet of waxed paper under it you like. Using a rolling pin or sturdy bottle roll the dough out into a rectangle shape. If the edges get all scraggly then use your hands to press them back up into main rectangle. It doesn't have to be perfect. You are aiming for a rectangle that will fit into a 9 by 13-inch pan. When you get the dough the right size, set it aside.Meanwhile place the margarine in a 9 by 13-inch pan. Place the pan in the oven at 425°. Allow the pan to preheat and the margarine to melt. When the margarine is melted, carefully remove the pan from the oven. It will be very hot, so don't burn yourself. Sprinkle the second teaspoon of garlic powder and the 1/2-teaspoon of salt into the pan. You do not have to use the extra salt. My crew likes their bread sticks salty so I always use it, but it isn't vital. Now, very carefully lay your rectangle of dough into the pan, over top of the margarine. Next cut the rectangle into narrow strips. I use a pizza cutter for this because it seems to work the best. A sharp knife will work too though, so use what you have available. My method of cutting is to cut the dough in half and then cut each half in half and then each quarter in half, going on and on until I have a lot of narrow strips of dough. The margarine will creep up between the strips. This is normal. It is what gives these bread sticks their texture. After cutting your strips, place the pan in the oven, still at 425°, and bake them for 20 minutes. They will be brown and crispy when they are done. If desired you may serve them with small cups or bowls of spaghetti sauce or seasoned tomato sauce as a dip. Alternatively, they make a great hot bread with any Italian style meal like lasagna, spaghetti or anything of that ilk. The parsley is simply for decoration. It makes the bread sticks look more "gourmet" but it adds little to the flavor or the texture. Leave it out if you don't have any or are running low. If desired you may sprinkle the bread sticks with a little bit of parmesan cheese before or after baking. This tastes good, but once again, it is optional. This recipe is one of my most often requested one here at home. Family and friends alike have all fallen in love with it and beg me to make it for pot lucks and for regular family dinners. Essentially it is based on my recipe for Buttery Bread Sticks.

I hope you all enjoy some of these ideas and you'll share tips by doing your own Frugal Fridays!