A Great Pizza Crust Recipe

Summer is here, and with this season comes family dinners! We here at Gaston Music & Pawn think hot dogs and hamburgers are great, but sometimes you're just in the mood for something a little different, and if you like pizza there is nothing better than some home made pizza crust!

And, making bread or pizza crust is just not as hard as a lot of people think (though it is a lot easier with a good mixer and a dough hook). The recipe below is also great for bread sticks! The recipe is as follows - if you don't have a baking stone, no big deal!

565 grams (4.5 cups) of flour (bread flour recommended)

1.75 teaspoons Salt

1.5 Teaspoons Instant or bread machine yeast

1.75 (1 ¾ ) cups cold water

Mix dry ingredients, stir together, then add water. If mixing with a powered mixer, mix for 8-10 minutes on medium low speed (# 2 on a KitchenAid mixer) Knead until the dough is smooth and just slightly sticky (you may have to add just a touch more flour to get it to the right consistency).

You can cut the dough into six sections of 6 ounces each, depending on the size of pizza crust you want. If you are using one that night, form into a rough pizza dough shape, spray top with oil and cover with plastic wrap; let rise for two hours, and finish forming crust, stretching gently to the size and thickness you want.

For a crispier crust, sprinkle some cornmeal on your pizza pan before placing the dough!

For the dough you are not using, you can freeze the sections for up to 2 – 3 months; just take out of the fridge about 2 hours before making the pizza! The best way to freeze them is to lightly cover the dough balls in oil (pour a little bit of cooking oil into a bowl and roll the dough balls in the bowl briefly) and then place into small ziplock bags – that’s it!

A Note on Cooking Your Pizza:

Heat your oven up to its maximum amount; most home ovens will only go to 500 – 550 degrees; turn it up all the way. For gas ovens, place your baking stone on the bottom of the over. For electric ovens, place the backing stone on the lowest rack available. In both cases, place your pizza pan directly on the baking stone.

At maximum heat, most pizza’s will be done in 10 – 12 minutes!

Most pawn shops in Gastonia do not often have kitchen appliances or accessories, but occasionally we do get a nice KitchenAid mixer or a set of chef's knives, so check in to Gaston Music & Pawn to see what we have in stock - and enjoy this easy and great pizza crust recipe!

The Southern Quiche Recipe - Or A Great Way To Use Eggs!

A Simple Quiche

The Quiche has a bad reputation - and yes, if done right, men do love it! This simple dish is almost infinitely variable and is one of my favorite recipes, and can suit nearly any taste by the vegetables and meats that are included in the quiche. From a delicious breakfast quiche to a savory vegetarian dish, this dinner will impress everyone, and leave the cook plenty of time to talk and visit with the guests instead of slaving in the kitchen. Best of all, the veggies and meats are included; serve with some rolls or some other bread and all the bases are covered!

The recipe here will use the ingredients found below, but they can be substituted by the meat & veggies of your choice – this is one of my favorite formulations of this quick and easy dish, though. This dish also makes a great vegetarian dish!

Cook all meats completely before cooking the quiche!

Sausage (ground Neese’s is what I like best, but you can also use Italian Sausage, or any type of bratwurst. On those types, cook the sausage completely and then cut them into small bite sized chunks)

Green beans or Snow Peas

Purple/Red Onions

Broccoli or slices of red or yellow bell peppers

Cheddar Cheese

Munster or another soft white cheese

Eggs

Milk 

1 Deep Dish Pie Pan (frozen or scratch made, in deep pie tin)

Saute the veggies before making the pie; start with the onions, and cook them the longest; cook the peas/beans and broccoli so they are just barely cooked. Cook all veggies in a frying pan with butter or olive oil (the peas/beans and broccoli will finish cooking inside the pie).

Take the veggies and the meat, and make a layer in the bottom of the pie crust, then add a layer of grated cheese (mix the varieties). Do a second and a third layer until the meat, veggies and cheese come even with the top of the pie crust.

Mix eggs and milk together (usually three eggs) until they are the same consistency as what you would mix for scrambled eggs. Pour this mixture into the pie pan until the egg mixture is even with the top of the meat and veggie layers. Cover with tinfoil, bake for about 45 – 60 minutes in a oven preheated to 375. 

The eggs can overrun the pie crust if filled to high, so place the pie crust on a tin foil lined cookie sheet. Cook until the eggs are done or nearly done, then uncover the pie crust, put on a final layer of cheese and cook another 20-30 minutes until the top layer of cheese is a golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes then cut into slices and serve!

Even though we are a music store Gastonia players have relied on for years, as a pawn shop Gastonia residents depend on we occasionally get very good deals on KitchenAid mixers and other high end kitchen appliances and equipment!

The Pentatonic Scale - Five Notes To A Better Guitarist

As we have discussed in a previous post, learning scales is extremely important for anyone who wishes to play lead guitar. Of the many scales available to choose from, the major and minor pentatonic are among the most popular and most widely used scales.

The link provided below will take you to a great site for learning the pentatonic scale for guitar; as with the major scales, the pentatonic scales for guitar repeat the same pattern for both major and minor scales, they simply start on a different fret.

http://www.netplaces.com/guitar-scales/the-pentatonic-scales/the-major-pentatonic-scale-in-all-twelve-keys.htm

http://www.netplaces.com/guitar-scales/the-pentatonic-scales/the-minor-pentatonic-scale-in-all-twelve-keys.htm

They also start on a different fret to play the scale in different keys. In the C Minor pentatonic pictured, what I call the first position is actually shown on the 3^rd staff (note that the positions are numbered 1 – 5). The first position starts on the C note on the top string of the guitar (the root note for the C Scale).  I have found that this position also works extremely well for songs in the key of F; it can also be used for songs in the key of C by starting with the first position on the 3^rd fret instead of the 8^th. This gives the scale a slightly different tone, and works on major and minor key songs.

Unlike chord patterns, where all the indicated notes are played at once, scale patterns should be played one note at a time. In this diagram, the numbers inside the circle refer to the finger which should be used to play that particular note. 

Learn all 5 positions starting with the 1rst; the positions fit together like a jigsaw, so that the front of one position is the same as the back of the next. Once you learn all 5 positions, you will be able to play the pentatonic scale anywhere on the neck of the guitar. Keep in mind, all scales work this way, and the notes in the scale simply repeat throughout the different positions. The pentatonic scale has 5 notes, and the major and other scales have 8, except for some exotic scales that we will discuss in the future.

Once these positions are memorized, you will be able to play lead to nearly any song as long as you know the key that the song is in. For a song in the key of A, you would start the scale with the 1rst position in the fifth fret, or the 12^th. On the 5^th fret, the root note of A would be on the top string; on the 12^th fret the root note of A would be located on the second string of the guitar. All scales on the guitar work the same way, so you only have to learn a scale pattern one time; after you know the pattern, just move the starting position to a different fret to play in a different key.

To be a great player, or even a better one, learning scales is an essential step. Like always, though, practice is cumulative – don’t feel bad if you don’t practice ‘enough’. Practicing any is worthwhile, and it will sink in eventually. Keep playing, and start working on learning these scale patterns – they will make you a better player!

Gaston Music & Pawn carries new and used equipment, and is a music store Gastonia musicians have relied on for more than 25 years – come by and try out your next guitar at Gaston Music & Pawn!

Saving Money With Used Guitars - What to Look for to Get the Best From Your Music Store!
By Andrew Rumph

The old saying 'As broke as a musician' is certainly no surprise to the musicians out there - whether you are in it for fun, or are actually trying to make it big, or at least make it big enough so you don't have to have a regular job, playing music costs money, and it does not take long to realize that it can cost big money, even if you are just a singer.

But there are ways to save - this article will focus on guitars, but buying used gear is one of the easiest ways to get great equipment at a price that is much less than retail - often half of what retail was, or more.

You do have to be careful about buying used, though, so it helps to know what to look for, especially if you have not had a lot of experience buying guitars (other gear will be covered later). First you need to decide what type of guitar you want - do you mind a beat up looking guitar? (Some people even pay for new guitars to be 'stressed'). If you don't mind a few dings and scratches it will greatly expand the available pool, but there are plenty of guitars out there in pristine condition, such as this little Telecaster style guitar I found at a local store.

The first thing to look at on any used guitar is the neck - look at it straight on, and then look sideways at the neck to see how straight it is, and whether it has any humps or uneven spots. These are a sign to leave the guitar alone. If it arches one way or the other to severely, this can usually be fixed with little trouble. Many necks will have a slight arch in the direction of the strings - this is fine; it is called relief, and it usually allows for a lower action on the guitar.

Action is the next thing you want to check, and it also has to do with the neck, 'Action' refers to the amount of space between the frets and the strings. Fender calls for string heights of 3/64's to 5/64's (or 1.2 - 2 millimeters), with the lower figure being the treble strings. Some players like it slightly higher - whatever the action is, look closely at the side of the neck - the strings should be about the same height above the frets at the first fret and the 20th.

After you examine the neck, plug the guitar in - make sure the cable is seated tightly, and then play some lines while moving the volume and tone knobs to make sure they are in good shape, and are more or less silent when you turn them. The final step will be to use the pickup switch to test the different pickups in the guitar; each selection should have about the same volume, and once again should be over noisy when you are using them.

For an acoustic guitar, the concerns will be much the same - check the neck, plug the guitar in if it has electronics, and make sure you understand the warranty on the guitar if something does go wrong, or if what you think is a minor fix turns out to be a major headache.

There are many great places to buy used guitars, both from individuals, independent music stores, and flea markets, but one of the best places to find great deals is in pawnshops. Find out what is available in your area, and use these simple tips to help you buy a great guitar for a lot less money than new!

Andy Rumph, the author, works at Gaston Music & Pawn, one of the biggest Music Stores in Gastonia, NC and has been playing music and writing about it for more than 20 years!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Rumph
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Spring Time Is Here - Time For New Gear!

Springtime has come (even though it will be 21 degrees tonight), and the time to start thinking about yard gear and firearms is here! Gaston Music & Pawn has a great selection of yard gear, including a Troy Bilt Pony Lawn Tractor, several very nice rear tine tillers and  a large selection of long guns and pistols!

The mowers are going so fast, these are all sold, but we have the Troy Bilt and a lot of great pushmowers left!

Andy don't forget, we offer a wide array of musical instruments, including the incredible Morgan Monroe F style mandolin - get a closer look at it here! These instruments list at over $700.00, but we are pricing them very aggressively - call for prices on these great mandolins! For used guitars, PA gear and more, Gaston Music is here to help.

More specials, and tutorials will be posted soon - stay tuned, and have a great day from the folks at Gaston Music & Pawn!