Friday Night Pizza Night

It was the summer of 2006 and my dad lay dying in a hospital room.  Over the course of several weeks, we would visit him as he drifted in and out of consciousness.

It was brutally painful to watch him in his final days, but I’m glad to have been there to say goodbye.  My mind flooded with memories of the good times we had together as a family when I was a kid.

Mom was Head Cook, among a million other things, because she was good at it.  There were a few meals where the Old Man would take over the reins.  He could make an apple pie from scratch that was legendary.  The memory of him in the kitchen that sticks out the most for me was Pizza Night.

As I recall, Dad would make the crusts and Mom would help my older brother Mike and I dress it up with toppings when it was time.  Sometimes we would play Euchre after chowing down the pizza.  Other times we would watch some TV together.

Raising a child with Autism, you learn the true value of structure and repetition.  Most days our lives feel like total chaos.  Having activities that Josh can anchor to and count on is important.

I don’t really have many skills as far as cooking.  I make spaghetti, tacos and handle the grill duties.  My favorite is Friday Night Pizza Night.

Each week I make a couple pies, nothing fancy.  I look forward to it because I almost always think of my childhood and it makes me smile.

Sarah appreciates the meal and that fact that I took over.  Josh absolutely loves it.

Even if it was a tough day, and today sure was, Josh always cheers up when I start the pizza making process.  He will smile and finish the sentence when we ask “hey buddy are you excited for Friday Night…”

“…Pizza Night!” he will say with pure joy.

Good times.

3-5 minutes of prep work and 13 minutes on the gas grill, lowest heat setting.

Below are the crusts we like. They are a little on the thin side, but good flavor and great texture for Gluten Free.