When I was a teenager, my dad would bring home dough from a bakery, spread it out on a cookie sheet, smoosh on some stewed tomatoes along with garlic, cheese, basil, oregano and pepperoni. He would pop it in the oven and about 20 minutes later the best pizza in the world would come out.

      He sometimes made it when my friends were over and developed a reputation for making great pizza. My friends would ask for it regularly and my dad was more than happy to oblige. I soon realized that although the pizza was wonderful, it wasn't the pizza alone that brought my friends over. The pizza really became the basis for discussions about philosophy, values, and life in general. The event was a stepping stone for an evening of jokes and arguments about what was important in our lives.

I started making pizza from scratch about 14 years ago.  My best
efforts always involved other people and young people in particular. As I directed them in pizza making, they were incredulous. Kids love the art of turning raw ingredients into a finished product.

After several pizza adventures, I began to understand what my father had been doing all those years ago. Making pizza is not only a wonderful meal, but there is magic with each step of the process. Mixing ingredients, kneading the dough, creating the pizza  and baking, is a great activity. Share that experience with others and you will hear music!