Super Psyched!

Check it out!  Happy pre-Birthday to me!  This great book (by Rebecca Yaker and Patricia Hoskins) was a gift and will give me lots of ideas for new crafts.  It has all sorts of cute purses, home goodies,  and tote bags; each made with only one yard of material.  Very clever! I can't wait to start a new sewing project. Thanks, Jilly bean!

BTW:  My knitting needles are busy again with a second "February lady sweater".  We had a great weekend get-a-way with a long flight out to Vegas.  Plenty of time to knit and watch people in the airport.

Happy Valentine's Day

Today felt like a good day to do some random cooking.  I didn't want to make cookies or candy, but I wanted to make something for a little pre-V Day treat.  PRETZELS are heart shaped - sort of - so I searched for a copy cat recipe for Auntie Ann's soft pretzels.  Ta-da. Easy as the proverbial pie!  Delicious, too!

AUNTIE ANN'S HOMEMADE SOFT PRETZELS (Copy Cat Recipe)

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 c warm water
1 1/8 tsp active dry yeast
2T brown sugar
1 1/8 tsp salt
1 c bread flour (it's a protein/gluten thing, and YES, I had this in the pantry!)
3 c regular flour (all purpose)
     It will totally work with just all purpose flour, I think, but the high gluten makes it more             "pretzely"


2 c warm water
2 T baking soda

TOPPINGS:
4 T melted butter (sweet unsalted)
Kosher salt or 
Cinnamon sugar mixture for topping

PREPARATION:

Sprinkle yeast on lukewarm water in mixing bowl; stir to dissolve. Add sugar, salt and stir to dissolve; add flour and knead dough until smooth and elastic. Let rise at least 1/2 hour. 



While dough is rising, prepare a baking soda water bath with 2 cups warm water and 2 Tbsp baking soda. Be certain to stir often. After dough has risen, pinch off bits of dough and roll into a long rope (about 1/2 inch or less thick:  the longer and thinner, the more like Aunt Annie’s will be) and shape.

After rolling out dough, place it in a U shape.  Twist right over left 2 times and loop back down to bottom of the U.  Sort of like a heart!

Dip pretzel in soda solution and place on greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with Kosher salt (if you plan on coating with cinnamon sugar, this isn’t necessary) Allow pretzels to rise again. Bake in 450 degrees F oven for about 8 - 10 minutes or until golden. I baked mine for 5 minutes then rotated the pan to help them brown more evenly. Brush with melted butter (now’s the time for the sugar and cinnamon mixture) 


YUMMY
Also, I got to use one of my favorite baking tools (totally unnecessary, but I enjoy it)  This is my bread dough mixer.  It's from King Arthur Flour and it really helps incorporate the wet and dry ingredients.  I use this tool with some good old elbow grease until I can get the mixture a nice consistency to turn out and begin kneading by hand.  The King Arthur Flour website is very cool.  They have lots of nifty baking/cooking tools, recipes, and a wonderful educational program for schools (that's how I learned about them - again, thanks to the awesome 4th grade teachers at my school)

Bradford Brew

This is NOT my project, but I benefit from it.  Today is beer bottling day for my husband!

Comfort and Joy

Stress and strain, aches and pains:  Teaching is hard work! More heating pads to help relieve a stiff neck or a sore back for friends at work. Ahhhhh...