Recipe for Vegetable Pizza; The Value of Friends

Thank goodness for friends!  It is amazing the difference one person can make in brightening our lives! This morning I was thinking about my friend, Nanette.  I met her back in 8th grade when she moved into our school.  Her friendship was actually an answer to a prayer, since I had been struggling and had been wishing for a "best friend."  All these years later, when I think about Nanette I get a happy feeling in my heart because she brightens my life and is so supportive of my blog, my cookbook, and me!  Who would have thought we would both be diagnosed with celiac disease?!

Then I got thinking about my friend, Brenda.  Even though she is busy with her work of helping to improve the health and comfort of others (and we don't talk on the phone as much as we used to), I know we can pick up our friendship where we left off when we have the opportunity to chat for a few minutes.  I am not sure how I would have gotten through the hard days of spilled milk and temper tantrums when our kids were young without those conversations with Brenda, and life was happier as we shared laughs about the funny things our kids said and did.

These cold days in February go by much quicker on the days that my friend, Abby, comes to my house to exercise with me.  While we jog on the treadmill and lift weights, we talk about our struggles and joys.  Several times, she spent some time after exercising to help me make apple pie filling with apples from our tree that I had kept in the cold garage for about four months until I could find time to do some canning.  :)  It was so much more fun than doing canning by myself!  When we got done making the apple pie filling, she tried a piece of my vegetable pizza...and she really liked it.  (See this recipe below). 

In addition, my husband, children, daughter-in-law, granddaughter, and extended family all bring to my life a joyful friendship!  I am grateful for them!  

Marlin K. Jensen said, "I feel that friendship is a fundamental need of our world. I think in all of us there is a profound longing for friendship, a deep yearning for the satisfaction and security that close and lasting relationships can give."  
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1999/04/friendship-a-gospel-principle?lang=eng&query=friendship

Vegetable Pizza

Prepared pizza crust (see my cookbook for this recipe)

½ cup cooked chicken

1 package "steam in the bag"  broccoli/cauliflower

1 large diced green or red bell pepper

1 small thinly sliced yellow summer squash

1 small thinly sliced zucchini squash

½ cup chopped green onion with tops

Garlic salt

2-4 tablespoons hummus or pesto

½ cup shredded cheese

1 large diced tomato

Prepare cooked chicken and pizza crust.  Steam or microwave broccoli/cauliflower.

Sauté bell pepper, yellow squash, zucchini squash, and green onions in olive oil until tender.  Sprinkle lightly with garlic salt.

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Spread hummus or pesto across crust.  Cover crust evenly with cooked vegetables.

Top pizza with shredded cheese.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Add fresh tomatoes before serving.