Cute Kids!!!
Grumpa and kids... taking a break!
"The Judge"!!!!
1/2 team 3.........
Team 2... focus!!!
Team 1.... Pizza in the oven!
Here all are... working away!
We have a rather large garden at the orchard, it starts out looking great in the spring but by this time of the year the vines have taken over along with the weeds! It has been good to us though, it has kept us fed and busy. My Dad decided to help with the garden this year- he is one of those old farmers that really knows his stuff. It does not matter if there may be a better way or what proof research has revealed- he just knows, not to mention stubborn! I do have to admit, his way has worked out pretty well so far, especially with the tomatoes. Oh my goodness TO-MAT-OES!!! They are just starting to come on by the groves, but have been providing us with scrumptious tomato sandwiches for about a month. We have two cherry tomato plants that have grundles of sweet little maters that I just hate see go to waste. So when reading an article on my new favorite blog page "farm girl fare" she mentioned picking the cherry tomatoes and freezing them in freezer bags for pizza sauce. This in turn spurred the FUNNEST family activity of the summer...
It was the Saturday before school started and we really wanted to do something FUN. Doug, Kasey and Cache had just spent the last 3 days in Jackson Hole river running for a youth activity. We knew they would be tired and not be up to a physical sort of activity like water park, lagoon, etc.. Also camping was out since the next day was Sunday. So I thought of the pan of pizza sauce I had just made and quickly called Natti and Amanda and told them to be at the house at 5:30 pm for "Kinsman Family Pizza Cook Off". I gave them a list of things that I would provide and they were welcome to bring any secret ingredient they felt necessary. Doug and I both worked at The Pizza House in high school, so of course I knew we really had an advantage over the others- hands down- no question. Amanda is quite the little gourmet, I counted on her coming with her game face on- she did. Natti married a great cook, he also came with his game face and two bags of supplies. Trevor (our 18 year nephew who is living with us now), Cache (17),and Chance (13), participated because we didn't give them a choice. Jaxon (10) was on Mom and Dads team, Jaqai (5)went with Kasey and Natti and Ellie (1 1/2) who technically was on Jo and Amanda team, sort of wandered around entertaining all of us! We had one hour to assemble our creations before our call in "judge"-Hope Young (18) would arrive to give us her fair and unbiased score based on the 5 star point system. There was fighting over pans, olive oil, knives, counter space and maybe a pepperoni or two. Eyes were watering from fresh cut onions and from laughing too hard! Hope arrived before all the pizza were cooked, so we had her face away from us and we all were taking turns giving her "judging instruction". Finally the pizza's were done, the Judges table was set with one slice of each pie placed in front of her with the creations name. Doug, Jeri, Jaxon team created the Traditional Hawaiian with fresh mushrooms, tomatoes and green peppers. I also might add... a stuffed crust! Kasey, Natti and Jaqai team created two different pies, a philly cheese steak and a BBQ chicken. Both were cooked out on the grill and looked fabulous. Jo, Amanda, Ellie team also created two pies, an artichoke chicken, and a margarita pizza with fresh tomatoes and basil- YUMMY! The boys team, Trevor, Cache and Chance, invented the "Heart Attack" this constituted pepperoni, bacon, mushrooms (sauteed in bacon grease), tomatoes (only 2 slices also sauteed in bacon grease) and then topped with extra cheese- I don't think I need to say anymore. Hope graciously takes her position and we are all standing there staring at her- talk about pressure- Jo even offered a prayer in her behalf that she might be fair and just, he was totally serious. Then we all gave up on Hope and started digging in ourselves, I don't even know of a pizza place that offers pizza that yummy!! We had so much fun, even the teenage boys relaxed and really got into it, all of us can't wait to do it again. After eating to beyond stuffed we all vegged in the basement for movie night! Final score- "The Heart Attack" won!!
It was the Saturday before school started and we really wanted to do something FUN. Doug, Kasey and Cache had just spent the last 3 days in Jackson Hole river running for a youth activity. We knew they would be tired and not be up to a physical sort of activity like water park, lagoon, etc.. Also camping was out since the next day was Sunday. So I thought of the pan of pizza sauce I had just made and quickly called Natti and Amanda and told them to be at the house at 5:30 pm for "Kinsman Family Pizza Cook Off". I gave them a list of things that I would provide and they were welcome to bring any secret ingredient they felt necessary. Doug and I both worked at The Pizza House in high school, so of course I knew we really had an advantage over the others- hands down- no question. Amanda is quite the little gourmet, I counted on her coming with her game face on- she did. Natti married a great cook, he also came with his game face and two bags of supplies. Trevor (our 18 year nephew who is living with us now), Cache (17),and Chance (13), participated because we didn't give them a choice. Jaxon (10) was on Mom and Dads team, Jaqai (5)went with Kasey and Natti and Ellie (1 1/2) who technically was on Jo and Amanda team, sort of wandered around entertaining all of us! We had one hour to assemble our creations before our call in "judge"-Hope Young (18) would arrive to give us her fair and unbiased score based on the 5 star point system. There was fighting over pans, olive oil, knives, counter space and maybe a pepperoni or two. Eyes were watering from fresh cut onions and from laughing too hard! Hope arrived before all the pizza were cooked, so we had her face away from us and we all were taking turns giving her "judging instruction". Finally the pizza's were done, the Judges table was set with one slice of each pie placed in front of her with the creations name. Doug, Jeri, Jaxon team created the Traditional Hawaiian with fresh mushrooms, tomatoes and green peppers. I also might add... a stuffed crust! Kasey, Natti and Jaqai team created two different pies, a philly cheese steak and a BBQ chicken. Both were cooked out on the grill and looked fabulous. Jo, Amanda, Ellie team also created two pies, an artichoke chicken, and a margarita pizza with fresh tomatoes and basil- YUMMY! The boys team, Trevor, Cache and Chance, invented the "Heart Attack" this constituted pepperoni, bacon, mushrooms (sauteed in bacon grease), tomatoes (only 2 slices also sauteed in bacon grease) and then topped with extra cheese- I don't think I need to say anymore. Hope graciously takes her position and we are all standing there staring at her- talk about pressure- Jo even offered a prayer in her behalf that she might be fair and just, he was totally serious. Then we all gave up on Hope and started digging in ourselves, I don't even know of a pizza place that offers pizza that yummy!! We had so much fun, even the teenage boys relaxed and really got into it, all of us can't wait to do it again. After eating to beyond stuffed we all vegged in the basement for movie night! Final score- "The Heart Attack" won!!
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