Isms Original views on life from rural America

Last week's poll question has stirred a craving for pizza.

Specifically, Mom's homemade pizza. The crust wasn't fancy. Usually, she whipped up the recipe printed on the Bisquick box and added a few herbs and spices to make it her own. She'd brown seasoned ground beef, mince a yellow onion, chop black olives into rings and dice mushrooms and green peppers. A thin coating of pizza sauce and generous amount of mozzarella made it a special treat.

Homemade with love, not a quick and easy takeout option.

pizza reminds me of my high school boyfriend, double dates and Friday night trips to Ray's pizza, a longtime tradition for Hastings-area folks. The mom-and-pop shop was known for its thin crust, cut in squares. The joint had the best barbecue beef pie and people would travel for miles to pick up one of Ray's signature beef and sauerkraut pizzas.

pizza reminds me of taking our kids to pizza Hut on New Year's Eve for personal pan pizzas. Sometimes, they'd have their monthly Book It certificate in hand, ready to pick out their favorite ingredients. They'd fill up on pizza and breadsticks and pop and then, we'd head home and let them stay up and ring in the new year. It was one of my favorite traditions.

If you haven't been to Chicago, you need to try a mile-high pie from a Chicago institution. Giordano's deep-dish pizza is a must. Dish up a slice and you'll witness the best cheese pull of fresh mozzarella stretching from pie to plate. The classic is the best: pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers and onions. Giordano's reminds me of grad school in the Windy City and a trip there with Scott and the St. Mary's seniors, walks down the Magnificent Mile and summer nights sitting on the patio, people watching.

pizza reminds me of prep work, chopping piles of veggies fresh out of the garden, a whiff of basil and oregano wafting through the kitchen, assembling a perfectly planned pie. Once in the oven, there are kitchen dance parties or kitchen karaoke until the buzzer signals it's time to eat.

Scott wants spaghetti for dinner tonight, but I'm guessing pizza may be served, homemade crust, piled high with veggies from the garden. Sounds delicious.

Life's problems may come and go, but pizza is forever. Take it easy this week, my friends, and stay cheesy.