Kids Pizza Party

Serves 12

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Cut a 12” square piece of parchment for each child. Remove each dough ball from the plastic bag and cut it into three pieces, place each dough ball on a piece of parchment. Let it sit in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until it comes to room temperature.
2. To prepare the sausage heat a medium skillet, add a tablespoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of agave or maple syrup. Spread the oil and syrup evenly in the pan, add the sausage and the ground fennel seed (use a mortar and pestle to ground the whole seeds), spread the sausage out to cook evenly, use a spatula and turn it every few minutes for a total cook time of about 8-10 minutes or until evenly browned. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool then crumble into pieces.
3. Prepare all the remaining vegetables and place them in individual bowls with serving spoons or small tongs. Arrange the toppings down the center of the table.
4. After washing their hands, gather kids around the table and distribute the parchment squares with dough. Have each child take a teaspoon of flour to sprinkle and spread over the parchment and lightly dust their hands. Have kids press their dough down into a circle. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to help flatten the dough.
5. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
6. Invite each child to take a heaping spoonful or two of sauce and spread it evenly over the surface with the back of the spoon, leave about a half an inch around the outside edge uncovered for a crust. Next, encourage kids to choose from the assorted toppings, spread them evenly over the sauce. Finish each pizza with a generous sprinkle of Follow Your Heart parmesan cheese.
7. Write the name of each child on the parchment to remember whose pizza belongs to who when they come out of the oven. Bake in a hot oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges begin to brown and the cheese melts. Allow the pizzas to cool a few minutes before serving. Transfer them to individual plates and pass the NOOCH IT grated cashew cheese around to allow kids to shake some on their pizzas.
8. Pizza Dough:
9. Begin your pizza session by showing kids how pizza dough is made from scratch. In a small bowl combine the warm water and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast into the water, stir until dissolved then set it aside until the yeast activates and a light foam develops. Use the opportunity to teach kids how yeast is activated with the warm water and sugar and have them watch the yeast carefully for bubbling.
10. Measure the flour into a large bowl. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour, stir until it forms a dough. Allow kids to take turns mixing the dough. Stirring and stirring and stirring the pot, pass it down ready or not!
11. Have one person lightly dust their hands with flour. Do the last of the mixing by hand. Dip hands in additional flour if the dough feels sticky. Once the dough forms a ball divide it in half, place each dough ball on a lightly floured cutting board and knead for 10 minutes or until it is smooth and soft. Allow kids to take turns practicing kneading the dough by stretching it, folding it and squeezing it into a ball. Kneading and kneading and kneading the dough, pass it down, ready go!
12. After kneading, shape the dough into two smooth balls, cover them lightly with a towel and put them in a warm place to rise while kids make pizzas with the ready-made dough.
13. Once their pizzas go in the oven have one or two of the kids gently punch down the “play dough,” flatten it into two large circles making sure it's the same thickness all around. Encourage kids to have fun and take turns learning to toss the dough like a pizza chef while their pizzas bake.
14. *Note:
15. *Recipe courtesy of Liz Gary. For information about free local community cooking classes and special events visit [url=http://www.newoptionsfoodgroup.com]www.newoptionsfoodgroup.com[/url]