Creating a Homemade Pizza Dough from Scratch

Based in Silver Spring, Maryland, Brian Kezer maintains an active lifestyle that includes fitness and sports. With culinary interests, Brian Kezer enjoys trying out new recipes when he has the opportunity.

Creating a pizza from scratch requires making dough. The basic ingredients are a standard pack of yeast mixed with flour, salt, water, and olive oil. For mixing the ingredients, a mixer can be used, though many swear by the time-tested hand-kneading method.

Once properly kneaded, the dough is placed in a greased mixing bowl and covered tightly, and allowed to rise at room temperature for around 90 minutes (overnight in the fridge also works).
When the dough is ready, punch it down as a way of releasing trapped air bubbles, and roll it into a large circle.

Brush olive oil on the top to prevent sogginess and add toppings. Next, place it in a pan that has cornmeal dusted on the bottom. This adds flavor and crispness to the pizza, which is baked at a high temperature for around 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Why Dogs Sometimes Eat Grass

Based in Maryland, Brian Kezer is a sports and fitness enthusiast who also enjoys music. Fond of animals, Brian Kezer has an interest in dogs and their behavior. One interesting trait of canines, often seen on walks in parks, is their tendency to eat grass. Dogs do this regardless of whether they are receiving a balanced diet at home.

Dogs did not evolve as true carnivores, which each only meat, although they do not meet the criterion of true omnivores either. Rather, they balanced a diet of primarily meat with roughage that added fiber and other basic nutrients. Studies of various groups of wolves in the wild shows that from 10 to 50 percent consume some amount of grass.

While today’s dogs no longer hunt for food, this does not mean that the instinct to scavenge has disappeared. For most canines, occasional grass eating is not a major issue, as they may simply enjoy the texture and taste in their mouth. In addition, dogs may eat grass without chewing to induce vomiting, should they have an upset stomach.

Unfortunately, there may be pesticides or herbicides on the grass, as well as intestinal parasites associated with animal waste. One simple strategy for weaning dogs off a desire to eat grass, other than using the leash, is to bring an alternative snack along. This can then be offered to them when they begin to show an interest in eating grass.

Therapeutic Benefits of Cooking

Brian Kezer is a Silver Spring, Maryland native with a master’s in computer science from George Washington University and a master’s in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College. When not working as a analyst, Brian Kezer enjoys cooking.

Cooking, the art of meal preparation, offers many health benefits including providing the body necessary nutrients, keeping one’s calorie consumption in check, and saving money that one might spend eating out. Cooking also offers several therapeutic benefits to people.

A recent study on culinary therapy found that cooking can improve one’s general well-being because it provides an escape from the anxieties of life, even including serious illness. For instance, cooking may make a person with cancer feel less anxious and more relaxed because it distracts them from thinking about the disease.

Cooking also encourages creativity because it offers a chance for people to try new recipes and dishes and learn different culinary skills. A depressed or stressed person can improve their mood by preparing a new dish or cooking something they love.

Also, because cooking requires patience, focus, and awareness of one’s surroundings, it acts as a form of meditation that trains the mind to be calm and focused amid the daily chaos of life. Moreover, cooking with others or serving them meals improves social connections and promotes a sense of belonging.

Current Trends in Sports Viewership

Brian Kezer is an alumnus of George Washington University with an MA in Computer Science. Outside of his work, Brian Kezer enjoys playing video games, listening to music, and playing and watching sports.

The largest and most long-standing change in recent sports viewership is the decline of young people watching games, especially among baseball, football, and basketball. Two major reasons are the corresponding decline in youth sport participation, and their inability to pay for tickets to live events. Some ways to increase interest in sports at a young age could be for the NBA, NFL, and MLB to invest money in youth sports leagues, so the act of playing sports instills an interest in following them professionally later in life. Another way is to increase the pace of games by cutting out periods of idle air time, so viewers don’t lose interest.

In addition to sports fans’ demographics changing, the way people watch is different as well. Although fewer people watch games on traditional television, more people substitute it for streaming services, and consuming content on demand on YouTube. People still watch with friends, but they use devices like smart TVs instead, so they can rewatch something if they didn’t see it the first time.

Extra Benefits of Reading

Silver Spring, Maryland resident Brian Kezer holds a master’s degree in computer science from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Brian Kezer is a program analyst with a passion for cooking, music, and reading.

Reading can help you acquire new information and improve your concentration and vocabulary. But did you know that reading has even more benefits? Regular reading can also decrease stress levels, improve sleep quality, and enhance brain function.

It can be hard to find time to relax in today’s world, but it’s important to make time for relaxation to reduce stress. One great way to relax is to read. Not only does your body relax, but your mind can take a break from the constant chatter of daily life.

Reading can also help you sleep better. When you read before bedtime, your mind can wind down and prepare for sleep. Reading can also help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.

Lastly, regular reading has also been shown to enhance brain function. Reading helps improve memory recall, information processing speed, and critical-thinking skills. Not only that, but reading has been linked with a decreased risk of developing age-related cognitive declines.

Helpful Tips to Formulate Consistent Workout Routines and Efforts

A recipient of an MA in computer science from George Washington University, Brian Kezer is a Maryland resident who has held various professional positions. Brian Kezer enjoys multiple activities during his free time, including playing video games, cooking, and working out.

People fail to stick to their workout routine for various reasons, including lack of time, slow results, and exhaustion. An article on Doctor.NDTV.com provides tips to help individuals formulate realistic workout plans and stick to them.

According to the website, schedule exercise during a convenient time of the day that is primarily free. For some adults, early morning before they set out to work is best. For others, the evening when they return from work is better. Nonetheless, pick a consistent time. Next, develop an easy-to-follow workout plan.

Monotonous workout routines can become boring. Shuffle exercises weekly rather than repeating the same sequence or switch exercise equipment to make workouts more fun.

Next, establish realistic motivation. Goals provide incentives and help individuals continue exercising. Start with small and achievable goals; far-fetched expectations can trigger disappointment and a lack of zest when efforts don’t yield the desired results. A realistic goal may be as simple as stating the target number of weekly workout hours.

How Reading Impacts Social Skills

Brian Kezer holds an MA in computer science from George Washington University. In his spare time, Brain Kezer enjoys working out and reading.

Though reading is often perceived as a solitary hobby, a study published online in Social-cognitive & Affective Neuroscience has suggested that reading books, especially fiction, may improve social skills. By engaging the part of the brain responsible for empathy and imagination, stories can help people engage in and understand real-life interactions.

Fiction takes readers inside the lives and minds of characters in different situations allowing one to feel their challenges, emotions, and triumph. Heightening activity in the brain’s default network enables people to imagine hypothetical situations and see things from another person’s perspective. As a result, individuals have the tools to be more empathetic towards people in their lives. The same, however, cannot be said of nonfiction books. Researchers believe this is caused by the emotional subtleties depicted in fiction that require readers to deduce characters. Fiction books include: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.

In addition, reading teaches individuals better communication skills. Stories serve as examples of what good communication is through characters’ interactions. These lessons help readers better handle conflicts and are great at communications. Various genres of books also teach people how to handle difficult situations. For example, a fictional story of a man who lost everything and is trying to rebuild, or a nonfiction story of a woman who overcame adversity and built a multimillion-dollar company can give insight on how to manage and overcome personal adversity.