Soft Pretzels

1 T. yeast
1 c. warm water
2 1/2 to 3 c. flour*
2 T. oil
1 T. sugar
6 T. baking soda in 6 cups water

*I use about 1/4-1/3 amount of whole wheat flour.
I always double this recipe. We can eat 12 pretzels really fast, so I make two batches and put some in a Ziploc in the freezer once cooled. The one time I only made one batch it was very disappointing and hardly worth the effort. I use 9 T. baking soda in 9 c. water when I make two batches.
This is a fair amount of work, but worth it if you love soft pretzels. They don't have the fake aftertaste of the store-bought ones and the cost works out to be less than 6 cents per pretzel!

In a bowl, dissolve yeast in water. add 1 1/2 c. flour, the oil, and the sugar. Beat for about 3 minutes to make a smooth batter. Gradually stir in enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and satiny (about 5 minutes) adding flour as needed to prevent sticking. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease top, and cover and let rise until double (1 hour).
Punch down dough, turn out onto a floured board, and divide into 12 pieces. Shape each into a smooth ball by gently kneading. Then roll each into a smooth rope about 18 inches long, and twist into a pretzel shape. Place slightly apart on a greased baking sheet, turning loose ends underneath. Let rise, uncovered, until puffy (about 25 minutes).
Meanwhile, in a 3-qt stainless steel or enameled pan (not aluminum) bring soda water to a boil, adjust water to keep water boiling gently. With a slotted spatula, lower 1 pretzel at a time into pan. Let simmer for 10 seconds on each side, then lift from water, drain briefly on spatula, and return to baking sheet. Let dry briefly, then sprinkle with coarse salt and let stand uncovered.

Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 12-15 minutes (I cooked mine for 9 1/2, so watch them) or until golden brown. Transfer to racks, serve warm with butter, mustard or cream cheese. Or let cool completely, wrap airtight, and freeze. Microwave frozen pretzel for about 30 seconds to reheat.

Enjoy!

Tomato Wild Rice Soup

3 T. butter
3 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can chicken broth
1/2 c. wild rice
salt
pepper
pinch of sugar
1/2 t. basil (or 3 T. chopped fresh)
1/2 c. heavy cream

Melt butter with olive oil in a soup pot. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook. Add tomatoes, chicken broth and rice and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 hour until rice opens and fluffs. Stir frequently. Add water if it boils down too much (I didn't because I like thick soup). Add salt, pepper, sugar and cream and heat through.

Tomatoes: I thought it was too chunky the first time so I dumped mine in a bowl and blended them with my immersion blender.
Rice: Wild rice is quite expensive. I substituted half brown rice and it was just as delicious and saved about 50 cents.

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

I got this recipe from Kraft. We sprinkled more brown sugar on top.

2 large sweet potatoes
2 oz cream cheese
2 T. milk
1 T. brown sugar
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and bake facedown on a foil-lined pan for 30-35 minutes at 425. Scoop out centers leaving a 1/4 inch shell. Add cream cheese, milk, sugar and cinnamon to potatoes. Mash until blended. Spoon potato mixture back into shells; top with nuts. Bake 8 minutes or until heated through and nuts are toasted.

Swedish Pepparkokar

This recipe is from my grandmother, Lorna Call. My mom made this every year along with sugar cookies. We decorated them with frosting a lot of the time, but traditionally, they have a blanched almond in the center.

1 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 T. molasses
2 t. baking soda
1 T. warm water
3 c. sifted flour
2 t. ginger
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. cloves

Cream the butter and add the sugar gradually creaming continually. Beat in the egg and molasses and add the soda dissolved in warm water. Fold in sifted dry ingredients, mix well. Chill for several hours. Roll and cut out. Place a piece of blanched almond in the center of each and bake on a greased cookie sheet at 400 for 6-8 minutes or until done. Yields 4 dozen medium cookies.

Hope, Peace, and Dipped Oreos

We made dipped Oreos to give to our neighbors as gifts this year. I just melted candy chips in the double boiler and dipped the Oreos in. I used a bamboo skewer to hold the Oreos and a spatula to cover them with the melted candy. This worked well for the mint chips I used, but the white chocolate was very thick and much more difficult to work with. As a result, they aren't as pretty.

I figured the cost of this project out to be 16.66 cents per Oreo. 2 12 ounce bags of chips covered 1 package of (45) Oreos. John and Maggie decorated the bags, which we already had.

Substitute for Pumpkin Pie Spice

I don't have any Pumpkin Pie Spice. I never use Pumpkin Pie Spice. I never make Pumpkin Pie. I don't like Pumpkin Pie. I don't like pie.
I needed Pumpkin Pie Spice today and I found this great recipe for it. I needed 1 1/4 t. (I was 2/3-ing a recipe) and it made the calculation for me. Awesome! If you ever need Pumpkin Pie Spice, check out this site.

Everyday Cassoulet

No wine. No oven. No duck. This easy cassoulet is something a little different and only took 20 minutes to make.

1/2 lb. chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 lb. sausage cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 can great northern beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes with garlic
1 T. brown sugar
4 green onions, sliced

Brown chicken in skillet. Add sausage, beans, tomatoes and brown sugar. Cook 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Top with green onions. Serve with french bread.