Yum.

I read Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle this summer and that experience, along with meeting some self-sufficient friends and watching Food, Inc., changed the way my husband and I eat.

My garden isn't as big as the one in the book or the one my friends maintain, but I was able to go to my back yard and pick dinner for a good part of this summer. It will be twice as big next year. It started out as an economical thing to do, but turned out to be a most enjoyable hobby, and one I'm loathe to give up for the winter.

Alas, since the garden wasn't very big, we pretty much ate everything it produced. I was able to freeze a little bit and I made some zucchini relish, but man doesn't live by zucchini relish alone.

One of the customs I've adopted from the Kingsolver book is Friday night pizza. My dad used to make pizza when I was a little girl, so I guess I'm just carrying on a family tradition. We had the best pizza this past Friday I just had to share.

(By the way, this post has nothing to do with knitting, running, losing weight, fitness or any of that nonsense. You might repeat this pizza, though.)

I spread the crust with about a couple spoonsful of pesto sauce, then covered it with thin slices of mild Amish cheese. (I haven't started making my own mozzarella. Yet.) For toppings I used sauteéd onions, red pepper slices, pine nuts, mushroom slices and chicken pieces seasoned with garlic and oregano. Top the whole thing with shredded Parmesan.

My whole house smelled like a pizza shop all evening. Heavenly!

Trust me: Friday night pizza is a great idea. The combinations are endless and you never have to worry about what's for dinner.