I forgot to tell David that October 9th is International Beer and Pizza Day! #BeerAndPizzaDay If David had knew that I know he would have been one happy camper. And while some people might celebrate by pairing their favorite beer with a slice of pizza, Charlie and I have a different idea. Bring on the pizza, but skip the Beer, please! Or, if there’s a glass of beer sitting around, David can have ours because I do not care for Beer and Charlie is still to young drink.

Now, before anyone asks, yes, Charlie is underage, and I absolutely do not condone underage drinking. When Charlie was a child, he was curious and sneaked a taste of David’s beer. Let’s just say that little taste was enough to put him off wanting to drink beer! For that, I’m thankful.

Alcoholism has affected our family, including David and my dad, so it’s something I take seriously. I want Charlie to understand that he can make his own choices as an adult, but he doesn’t need alcohol to have fun or enjoy good food with family and friends. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to celebrate International Beer and Pizza Day without drinking a drop of beer!

If you’ve been around Greatful Moments for a while, you probably know that David loves beer bread. And when we started talking about International Beer and Pizza Day, I couldn’t help wondering what would happen if David decided to turn his beloved beer bread into a pizza. LOL! Knowing David, I wouldn’t put it past him to try it!

That got us talking about creating a mock beer pizza inspired by the flavors and hearty texture of beer bread, but without making alcohol the star of the show. The idea is to have fun experimenting with bread and pizza and see what we can come up with. We could start with a family-friendly bread or pizza dough, add sauce and cheese, and then choose our favorite toppings. Since we’re talking about pizza, the possibilities are practically endless!

And no, I’m not claiming we’ve perfected this recipe yet. It’s an idea we’d like to try, and I think it could make a fun kitchen experiment for International Beer and Pizza Day. You know what goes together? Football and pizza! When the guys are watching football, pizza is an easy meal to share. Everybody can choose their favorite toppings, and nobody has to spend the entire afternoon in the kitchen preparing dinner.

You can order your favorite pizza, make one at home, or try something completely different. And if David gets involved in our mock beer pizza experiment, who knows what we’ll end up serving? One thing is certain: Charlie and I will happily show up for the pizza part!

Now, here’s something you might not know about me. I’m not even much of a pizza person, but I do love the cheeseburger pizza from Bosses Pizza! OMG! They make the best cheeseburger pizza. And tonight is their $12 pizza night! Unfortunately, I won’t be enjoying one tonight because I’m going to the movies with my friend to see 9 to 5. I’m looking forward to spending time with my friend, but if I could take a pizza into the movie theater, you can better bet your bottom dollar I’d bring one along!

Imagine sitting down to watch a movie with a delicious cheeseburger pizza beside you. Pizza, pizza, please! Of course, I suppose the theater might have something to say about that. Laughing out loud! I’ll have to save my pizza craving for another day, but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about all the delicious possibilities.

You don’t have to drink beer to enjoy International Beer and Pizza Day. If you love pizza as much as we do, here are a few ways to celebrate. Order your favorite pizza from a local pizzeria and support a neighborhood business. Try a new topping combination, make homemade pizza with your family, or have a football night with everyone’s favorite slices.

You could also experiment with a bread-inspired pizza, like the mock beer pizza we’re thinking about making. Use a nonalcoholic dough or your favorite pizza crust and let everyone choose their toppings. And if you’re someone who enjoys beer, you can make your own choices about what to drink. For our family, though, we’ll be focusing on the food!

International Beer and Pizza Day is a reminder that food can bring people together, whether you’re watching football, spending time with friends, enjoying a movie night, or simply sitting around the kitchen table. For Charlie and me, the beer can stay out of the picture. David can enjoy his beer bread, and maybe we’ll even convince him to help us experiment with a mock beer pizza. As for me, I’ll be thinking about that cheeseburger pizza from Bosses Pizza. If only I could take it into the theater tonight!

Now I want to hear from you! What’s your favorite pizza? Do you love a classic pepperoni, prefer a cheeseburger pizza, or enjoy making your own at home? And have you ever experimented with turning a favorite bread recipe into pizza?

Leave me a comment and let’s talk pizza and beer!!

Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.

Glenda Cates
GreatfulMoments.com