Whole Wheat Garlic Herb Pretzels.

It's Superbowl Sunday! And, since I don't even know what teams are playing, I'm participating in the festivities in the best way that I know--by making gameday foods! This recipe for homemade soft pretzels is outstanding. If you want regular pretzels, simply omit the garlic and herbs. (I had already started the recipe when I realzed that I didn't have any kosher salt, so my pretzels were "unsalted".)

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
4 cups whole wheat white flour
4 tablespoons butter, melted
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons parsley
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper

10 cups water, boiling
2/3 cup baking soda
1 egg yolk, whisked with 1 T water

kosher salt for sprinkling
vegetable oil to grease bowl

Mix water, sugar, salt, and yeast in a mixer on low speed.

Add flour, butter, garlic, parsley, thyme, and pepper. Mix until a smooth dough forms (and clears the sides of bowl), probably 3-5 minutes.

Transfer the dough to an oil bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel, and let rise in a warm place for about 50-55 minutes (until doubled in size).

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, and grease a baking sheet. Boil water and add baking soda (stirring until disolved).

Divide dough into 16 pieces, and roll each until about 18 inches in length. Fold into traditional pretzel shape.

Drop pretzels into boiling water a few at a time, for about 30 seconds--turning once. Remove from water with a slotted spoon, and rest on greased baking sheet.

When all of the pretzels have been boiled, brush them with the egg/water mixture and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake pretzels for 12-14 minutes at 450 degrees. Serve with cheese sauce or mustard.

Recipe adapted from Soft Pretzel Bites at Annie's Eats.

Recipe reviews.

We often get into "food ruts" around here. If your family is anything like ours, you probably know what I mean. We eat the same several meals over and over and over again. And, don't get me wrong--we like the foods that we eat. But, variety is the spice of life, right? Last week, I decided to spice up dinner times around here by making one new recipe every day for a week. (Thanks to Pinterest, my recipe search was harder to narrow down than it was to find!) Just in case your family is in a "food rut" nowadays, here are the recipes that we tried (and my own notes/substitutions!).

Mexican Lasagna
This recipe was FANTASTIC! I used whole wheat pasta and Monterey Jack cheese, and I omitted the cilantro and cumin. I substituted medium salsa for the hot sauce. Our entire family could not get enough of this lasagna--we will absolutely be making this again!

Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce
This recipe was another winner. I substituted about 7 ounces of crushed tomatoes for the pimento, and used 1/8 cup dried basil in place of the fresh basil.

Coconut Chicken with Apricot Sauce
This was, hands down, our favorite recipe that I tried. The chicken was crunchy on the outside, tender and juicy inside. I did find the the recipe for the coating made a lot more than what I needed (and I used cutlets, rather than whole chicken breasts), so I ended up making enough chicken for two dinners. I also reduced the butter to 1/4 cup (and still had plenty for the extra chicken). Delicious!

Slow Cooker Stuffed Green Peppers
Never having eaten a stuffed pepper before, I had high hopes for this recipe. It was disappointing, to say the least. I substituted ground turkey for the ground chuck, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. None of us really enjoyed this meal, although it was easten with heaps of catsup for dinner! Not a repeat.

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder
This was another outstanding recipe! I followed the recipe loosely because I wanted to use my crockpot for this meal. It was not a disappointment, and we all enjoyed this dinner very much. Even the leftovers for lunch the next day were delicious!

Coconut Wheat Apple Muffins
These muffins were delicious! I followed the recipe, but added a handful of both shredded coconut and cruched pecans to the batter. I also only made 12 large muffins (instead of 18), so the cook time was a little longer. Nevertheless, our little family finished off all 12 within two days!

Chili Seasoning
I tried this recipe for homemade chili seasoning, and was very satisified with it. I omitted the flour, and decreased the salt to one teaspoon. I used the seasoning in my regular chili recipe, and it was outstanding. No more store-bought chili seasonings in this house!

Homemade Banana Chips
This recipe was not what I expected, but it was good. I used lemon juice instead of lime juice, and cooked the bananas for about 4 hours total. They never did get a crisp as I expected, and they ended up similar in texture to other dried fruit that I've had (apples, raisins, etc)--not at all like banana chips from the store. Nathaniel was a huge fan of these, and ate them constantly until they were gone! Now he blames Daddy for eating all of the "manamana chips!"

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting.

What do you do when your new baby has had an especially fussy day, leaving you to tend only to him, therefore, ignoring your oldest child all day long? Put daddy on Baby Duty, and start baking, of course!
Our first pumpkin baking of the season: Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting! I think Nate approved...

Pumpkin Bars
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups pumpkin

Combine ingrediants in a bowl in the order given. Beat well. Spread on a greased jelly roll pan (12x15). Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool, and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Put in grediants in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer. If necessary, add milk or more powdered sugar to make spreading consistency.

Delicious!

Harvest Soup.

I found the original recipe for Harvest Soup in my Parents Magazine about a week ago and immediately ripped the page out and hung it on my refrigerator to try ASAP. I love butternut squash soup, and I'd been hoping to try my hand at a homemade {healthier} batch this fall. (I usually eat the V8 stuff that comes in a green box, which is delicious--but overpriced and oversalted.) When we woke up this morning to a rainy and windy day (with a high temperature forcasted in the 40's!), I knew that today was the day. While Nate took his nap, I started a loaf of bread in my breadmaker, and set to work collecting soup ingredients.

1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup chopped carrot
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 medium butternut squashes, cut into 1-inch cubes
5 small apples, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
ground black pepper to taste

In a big pot, heat oil on medium. Add carrots and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes or until the onions are tender and starting to brown. While this is cooking, you should already have you squash and apples cut. If you do not, start chopping as fast as you can (and cross your fingers that the baby does not wake!).

If you are like me, you will soon discover that raw squash is not nearly as easy to chop as baked. (You might even have the take the carrot/onion mixture off of the heat while you finish chopping...) At this point, you will probably have a baby yelling for you from the other room.

Bring baby into the kitchen, and place him on the floor next to the refrigerator door (which should be already decorated with magnetic letters). Said baby will begin his usual role in the kitchen of scattering aforementioned letters all over the floor.

Add chopped squash, apples, and broth to carrot/onion mixture. Bring to a boil. Be careful not to step on letters.

Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until squash is tender. Cool slightly.

Puree soup, in two batches if needed, in a blender or food processor. Add pepper. Serve hot with fresh bread, crackers, or a dollop of plain yogurt.

Recipe adapted from Parents Magazine, October 2011.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies with a 1-Year-Old.

It's been chilly outside, and I've been craving some good pumpkin baked goods. This afternoon, I decided to remedy that by baking up a batch of chocolate chip pumpkin cookies....then I remembered that my husband is out of town for the day, and I have a 13-month-old. Did I let that stop me? No way! We stay-at-home mommas have to get creative, but we can get stuff done like the best of 'em!

Problem: I wanted to bake something that would take longer than 10 minutes (approximately the amount of time that Nate will play in the living room while I'm in the kitchen). After his allotted time is up, he usually comes into the kitchen to do one of three things: 1) sit directly in my walkway and fuss; 2) play in the dog food; 3) sprinkle magnetic letters all over the floor. (FYI: magnetic letters hurt when stepped upon.)

Thought Process: Nate loves to play in the dog food; why not let him play with something similar in texture?

Idea/Problem with Idea: Dried beans! But, I don't really want to clean up dried beans from underneath every kitchen appliance...

Solution: Dried beans in a wading pool! Sheer brilliance. He was entertained for an hour!

Bonus Points: The wading pool has a shade wall--which also acted as a bean barrier when the beans went flying! And, he even enjoyed climbing in and out of the pool while throwing the beans back in that fell out. {translation: He cleaned up his own mess!!}

Wait, were you looking for a recipe here? I used this one, and the cookies are so moist and delicious!

Onion Rings.

Eric and I both love onion rings! I prefer them breaded, and he'll take breaded or batter-dipped. Either way, they're delicious....and generally, terribly unhealthy. When you order onion rings from a restaurant, they're almost always deep-fried. When you buy a bag of frozen onion rings, they're still not very healthy--and the taste does not make up for the calories. So, I decided to try my hand at making homemade onion rings...and whad'ya know, they're delicious! Sure, they're a little more work than ordering from Applebee's, but they're way healthier (baked, not fried), and even more flavorful! If you're a fan of onion rings, be sure to try this recipe!

Ingredients
1 large onion
1.25 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg
1 cup milk
1.5 cups crushed corn flakes
spices to season (I used oregano, garlic powder, rosemary, majoram, and a pinch of cayenne pepper)
parmesan cheese
olive oil

First, slice the onion into 1/4 to 1/2 inch rings, and pull each layer apart. Next, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the egg and milk together.

Coat each onion ring with the flour mixture, then dunk into the egg. Drain onions on a wire rack (make sure that you have something underneath to catch drips because this is messy!).

When all of the onions are coated, preheat the oven to 350. Mix the crushed corn flakes with the spices. Coat each onion ring generously (you may have to press to make it stick), then put on a greased cookie sheet.

When all of the onion rings are coated, drizzle then lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Crispies.

These are basically the best cookies on earth! I recently came across a version of this recipe (that I hadn't had in years). I tweaked it a bit, and have now made these twice within the last three weeks (to share, not just for us...although I wouldn't be totally opposed to keeping them all!). These are quick, easy, kid-friendly, and super delicious! YUM!

Ingredients
1 cup peanut butter (I prefer crunchy)
1 cup sugar
1 cup maple syrup (the cheap kind, not the real good stuff!)
6 cups rice crispy cereal
8 to 12 oz chocolate chips*
8 to 12 oz butterscotch chips*
(*The recipe that I read called for 12 oz each of chocolate and butterscotch chips. The first time that I made these, I had 11 oz packages of both. I halved the recipe, and just guestimated about half of the chips. The cookie/chocolate ratio was perfect. The second time that I made these (whole recipe), I had 12 oz packages, and I used the whole thing. To me, it seemed that the chocolate layer was a bit too thick. So use your own judgement here--do you want lots of chocolate or not?)

First, find a heat-proof bowl that can sit on top of a pot (not snugly). {A square bowl on a round pot is not a good idea! But, my round heat-proof bowl seemed to be missing...} Fill the pot about half-way with water, and heat to boiling. While the water is heating, pour the chocolate chips and the butterscotch chips into the bowl, and set it on top of the pot. BE VERY CAREFUL OF THE STEAM! Next, grease a 9x13 pan.

Mix the peanut butter, sugar, and syrup in a large pot. Heat on medium-high heat until boiling. Boil for about a minute, stirring continuously.

Remove from heat, and add the rice crispy cereal; mix well. Pour the cereal mixture into the 9x13 pan, and press down evenly with greased fingers or the bottom of a greased glass.

Flatten the cereal as much as possible.

Meanwhile, the chips should be melting above the boiling water. Stir the mixture occasionally, but BE CAREFUL! Use an oven mitt to hold onto the bowl, and watch out for steam! {If you're making these cookies with your kids, this is an adult job!}

Continue heating and stirring until the chocolate/butterscotch is completely smooth.

Pour the chocolate on top of the cereal mixture. {Again, be careful; the bowl is very hot!}

Spread evenly with the back of a spoon.
Chill bars in the refrigerature for about 30 minutes. {While you're waiting, you can do the dishes...and while you're putting the clean dishes away, perhaps you'll find your heat-proof ROUND bowl waaay in the back of the cupboard!}

Remove the bars from the fridge, and allow pan to become room temperature.

Slide a knife along the edges of the pan to loosen cookies, then pop the whole thing out.

Cut cookies into bars (a pizza cutter makes nice lines, although this is another BE CAREFUL trick; the bars are difficult to slice, making finger-cutting potential quite high!}.

Enjoy!
{Now that I've re-read all of my directions & burn warnings, I'm thinking that perhaps these cookies are not a good option for baking with kids! I do know that kids enjoy eating them though! ...unless, of course, you have a peanut allergy on your hands, in which case, you should just disreguard my whole post here and make something else...!}

meat boats.

We love this meal at our house!  No, it's not pretty {if you want pretty food, click on one of those professional food blogs over on the left--they've got pretty food!}, nor is it super healthy {use ground turkey, and it's not so bad!}, but it is YUMMY!  According to my husband, this meal is so good because it's all the best flavors of spaghetti--without the noodles!  Meat boats take some time to construct, but overall, this is a quick and delicious recipe for a weeknight that can be easily multiplied.

1 lb ground beef or turkey; cooked and drained

8 hard rolls

butter

1 can tomato soup

1+ tablespoon garlic powder

8 slices Velveeta OR American cheese

 First, cut off the tops of the rolls.  Next, make a hollow inside each roll by tearing out the insides.  {Save the ripped up bread bits, but you can eat the tops!}  Butter the inside of each roll, and sprinkle with garlic.  Place the rolls on a cookie sheet, and warm in the oven at 350 degrees. 

 While the rolls are toasting, mix the ripped up bread crumbs, tomato soup, ground beef, and garlic to taste.  {If you're like us, you'll want to add lots more garlic!}

 When the rolls are toasted, remove them from the oven and fill each with a generous portion of the meat mixture.  Sprinkle lightly with garlic, then top each "boat" with a slice of cheese.

 Warm the boats in the oven again--just until the cheese is melted. 

Serve warm, and enjoy! 

{These are easily reheated in the oven if they're sliced in half.}