Homemade Soft Pretzels

 My kids and Dustin are lovers of soft pretzels, and I am not.  Something about the salty bread, dipped in hot cheese just grosses me out.  However, after Grant begging me to make these for a really long time, and in light of the fact that we have a lot more time to bake right now (Corona Quarantine), we decided to give it a try.  This was a great recipe--easy and delicious and actually really fun for everyone to participate in.  I even enjoyed my soft pretzel (of course, I sprinkled mine with cinnamon sugar and dipped it in frosting, so it was more of a dessert, but there had to be a compromise!) 

Soft Pretzels

by: sallysbakingaddiction.com

1 1/2 c. warm water

1 packet (2 1/4 tsp.) yeast

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

3 3/4 to 4 c. flour

coarse salt for sprinkling (I used kosher salt)

9 c. water

1/2 c. baking soda

Mix the yeast, a pinch of sugar and the warm water in your mixing bowl, cover it and allow it to rest for 5 minutes.  Add the salt, brown sugar and melted butter and stir it together.  Slowly add 3 cups of the flour, 1 cup at a time.  Mix it with a wooden spoon, or the dough hook on your Kitchenaid until the dough is thick.  Continue slowly adding the last cup of flour as needed, until your dough is no longer sticky.  If you poke it with your finger and it bounces back, it is ready to knead.  Plop the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it for 3 minutes and then roll it into a ball.  Cover it lightly and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.  This is a good time to get your water and baking soda solution ready.  

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper lightly sprayed with cooking spray.  Divide your dough in half, then each of those halves in half again and then do that again (to make 12 equal dough balls-did that make sense?).  Roll each dough ball into a 20-22 inch rope, and then shape them into a pretzel shape by "taking the ends and drawing them together so the dough forms a circle.  Twist the ends, then bring them towards yourself and press them down into a pretzel shape."  We just kind of made ours into a knot shape and some were better than others, but that is what gave them their charm.  

Bring the baking soda and water solution to a boil.  I periodically stirred this with a wire whisk throughout the process.  Drop 1-2 pretzels into the boiling water at a time, for 20-30 seconds.  Any more time than that and your pretzels will have a metallic taste, which a couple of ours did.  I would lean more toward 20 seconds.  Using a slotted spatula, take the pretzels out of the water and let the water drip off before placing them onto your baking sheet.  Sprinkle the pretzels with the salt (or cinnamon sugar, if you are like me).  Bake them for 12-15 minutes at 400 degrees or until they are golden brown.  When they are done, you can serve them warm with nacho cheese, or frosting!

Golden Sweet Cornbread

I have made this cornbread recipe a couple of different times, and it is always so delicious!  It is sweet, moist and my family loves it!

Golden Sweet Cornbread
by: allrecipes.com

1/2 c. butter
2/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. buttermilk (I used 1 Tbsp. lemon juice mixed with milk to make 1 cup)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. cornmeal
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Spray an 8 inch square pan with cooking spray.  Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.  When it is melted, remove it from the heat and stir in the sugar.  Add the eggs and quickly beat the mixture until it is well blended.  Combine the baking soda with the buttermilk and stir it into the mixture.  Add the cornmeal, flour and salt and stir it until it is smooth.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake it at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

BBQ Chicken Tacos with Coleslaw

One day, in the midst of being so tired of my regular dinner foods, Nicole shared a new recipe with me, that I happened to have the ingredients for.  I made it for dinner that night, and my family couldn't get enough of it!  It was so delicious!  The coleslaw with the barbecue chicken was so great together.  It was a nice twist on a typical weeknight meal.  I highly recommend these tacos!

BBQ Chicken Tacos
adapted from: eatingwell.com

1/3 c. sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
dash of hot sauce (I'm pretty sure I used sriracha sauce)
2 c. shredded cabbage
2 c. shredded cooked chicken breast
1/3 c. of your favorite bbq sauce
corn tortillas
cilantro

In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, sugar, lemon juice, cider vinegar, kosher salt, pepper and hot sauce.  Add the shredded cabbage and stir it until it is coated with the sauce.  In a sauce pan over medium heat, stir together the shredded chicken and the barbecue sauce until it is hot.  Fill the tortillas with barbecue chicken, top it with the coleslaw and cilantro, and enjoy!

Fluffy Egg Nog Pie

Every Thanksgiving, my kids and I try to find a new, fun pie to make.  This year we tried Egg Nog Pie.  It was a favorite from our pie table.  If you like egg nog, you should love this pie!

Egg Nog Pie
by: www.meatloafandmelodrama.com

1 prepared pie crust (I made a no bake graham cracker crust the day before)
1 3.4 oz box instant vanilla pudding
1 1/2 c. egg nog
2 c. whipped topping
dash nutmeg

In a large bowl, combine the pudding and egg nog and mix it until it is thick.  Sprinkle in the nutmeg.  Fold in the whipped topping and spread it into your pie crust.  Refrigerate it for 2 hours or until it is firm. 

Asian Dipping Sauce

This is a great dipping sauce that we have used for wontons, potstickers and dumplings!

Asian Dipping Sauce
by: Bettycrocker.com

2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
dash of red pepper flakes

Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved, and then dip to your heart's content! :)

Raspberry Ice Cream

This summer we had a big family reunion at my grandpa's farm.  He has the most delicious raspberries I've ever tasted, so we thought it would be appropriate to use the most delicious raspberries to make the most delicious dessert (ice cream, of course).  And it was sooo delicious!

Homemade Raspberry Ice Cream
by: 5boysbaker.com

2 c. fresh raspberries
2 Tbsp. sugar
3 c. heavy cream
1 1/2 c. whole milk
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla

In a medium bowl, stir together the raspberries and 2 Tablespoons sugar and slightly smash them.  Put them in the fridge until you are ready to use them.  In a mixing bowl, add the heavy cream, milk, 1 1/4 sugar and vanilla and stir it until the sugar is dissolved.  Add the raspberries to the cream mixture and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.  Pour it into your ice cream maker and then make it according to your ice cream maker's instructions.  If you want it to be hard ice cream, put it in the freezer until it is more set.  We ate it soft and it was so good!

My Favorite Chicken Marinade

I found this marinade recipe early in the summer, and it was so delicious that we have ended up using it multiple times this year.  We love it!  I have shared it with some of my sisters, and they felt the same.  It is now my go-to marinade for grilling.

Chicken Marinade
from: modernhoney.com

2 lbs. chicken breasts, tenders or thighs
1/3 c. olive oil
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

In a bowl, stir all the ingredients together, except for the chicken.  Poke the chicken with a fork all over it.  Place the chicken in the marinade, either in the bowl, or in a large ziploc bag, and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes in your refrigerator.  4-5 hours of marinading is best, however, I have done mine for about 30 minutes, and it was still very tender.  Cook it on your grill and enjoy what's left of your hot summer nights!