Bagels

We pay our older two kids $8 to mow the lawn.  Unless of course, your my twelve year old son who prefers to mow the grass for free because he is being disrespectful and sassy.  While my wallet appreciates the free mowing, I would appreciate respectful teenage children even more.  Can anyone tell me how much that costs???  

I don't believe in physical punishment with my children, but would chucking one of these bagels at my son's head count?  Though.....why should I waste such a delicious baked good?This was only my second attempt at bagels in my lifetime and I really should whip these puppies up more often!  I LOVED the sea salt on top because they reminded me of soft pretzels, especially when you slather them with cream cheese.  This recipe was perfect to make in the morning because you do most of the work the night before and they proof overnight in the fridge.  I'm looking forward to playing around with this recipe with different additions and flavor variations.  I'll post my outcomes!

Bagels

from The New Best Recipe

(makes 8 bagels)

4 C high-gluten flour

2 tsp salt

1 Tb barley malt syrup

1 1/2 tsp yeast

1 1/4 C water (at 80 degrees)

sea salt, optional

cornmeal for dusting the baking sheet

1.  Mix the flour, salt and barley malt in the bowl of a mixer with the dough hook.  Add the yeast and water ; mix at low until it comes together then increase to medium-low until the dough is cohesive, smooth and stiff, 8-10 minutes.

2.  Turn the dough onto counter and divide into 8 equal portions.  Roll into smooth balls and allow to rest, covered, for 5 minutes.

3.  Form each ball into an even rope 11 inches long.  If your dough isn't easy to work with, slightly dampen your hands to roll.  Shape into a circle by overlapping and pinching the ends by about 1 1/2".  Place on a large baking sheet dusted with cornmeal.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

4.  Remove bagels from refrigerator.  Adjust oven rack to middle and preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Bring 3 inches of water to a boil in a large pot.

5.  Working 2 at a time, drop the bagels into the boiling water, stirring and submerging them with a slotted spoon for about 30-35 seconds.  Remove from water and transfer them to a wire rack.  If using, sprinkle on sea salt while still wet.

6.  Transfer the boiled bagels back to the baking sheet and bake until deep golden brown, about 14 minutes.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

We just returned from a wonderful Jones Family Reunion in Denver and it was a blast to see our kids with their cousins again.  There were 18 kids, ages 14 and under and it was a hoot!  The only downfall is coming home and realizing how long it will be until we see them all again.  We wish our kids had their cousins close by because there's nothing as wonderful as a house packed with family!

If you have a house full of kids and looking for something to do, these cookies are perfect for getting the kids to "help" in the kitchen.  They are easily mixed by hand and they love to roll them in the powdered sugar.  The hardest part is keeping them from licking their fingers in between rolling each cookie......

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

makes 30 cookies

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/4 C plus 2 Tb unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 C sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 C flour

2 Tb cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 C semisweet chocolate chips

powdered sugar, for rolling

1.  Melt chocolate and butter in microwave for 1 minute and stir well.  If needed, microwave for 20 more seconds.  Set aside to cool slightly.

2.  In a large bowl, beat together sugar and eggs for several minutes until thick and smooth.  Mix in vanilla and melted chocolate to combine.  Add all the dry ingredients and mix until combined.  Cover dough and refrigerate about 2 hours.  

3.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Using a small 1 1/2" cookie scoop, make the balls of dough and drop into a bowl of powdered sugar.  Roll around until completely covered in sugar.  Bake for 8-10 minutes until they just begin to firm.

100th Post!!!

100 posts and counting!  Pretty crazy to think about but so fun at the same time.  In observance of this big occasion I decided to make a "Top Ten" list of recipes that I have posted thus far.  Mind you, this is not an easy task because I truly love every recipe on this site but here they are, in no particular order:

1.  Thick and Chewy Double Chocolate Mint Cookies

2.  Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

3.  Island Pork Tenderloin with Black Beans and Mango Salsa

4.  Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

5.  Chicken, Avacado and Bacon Pasta Salad

6.  Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

7.  Grilled Chicken, Avacado and Pear Salad

8.  Brownie Crunch Ice Cream Cake

9.  Raspberry Peach Scones

10.  BBQ Slaw Turkey Burgers

I hope you take the chance to try out a new recipe this week!   That is why I am here.  I want to convince you to try something new in your kitchen.

BBQ Slaw Turkey Burgers

Nine year old boys.  They are the best.  Still young enough to want love and snuggles from their Mom, yet old enough to be responsible and self-managing.  Well.....most of the time.....

My responsible nine year old thought it was a great idea to bounce rocks off the trampoline.  He is lucky I love him because this is the same kid who two weeks earlier, shattered my antique etched window in the front door. 

When I placed this burger in front of the above mentioned nine year old, his exact words were "Disgusting!!!"  He then proceeded to devour it in less than three minutes and eat another.

I created this recipe on my own and if there had been more, I would have eaten more than the one and a half I finished off.  They will be making a reappearance very soon and I will increase the recipe because there was a lot of clammering for more!

BBQ Slaw Turkey Burgers

(makes 6 burgers)

2 lb ground turkey or chicken

1/4 C BBQ sauce

1 tsp hot sauce

1 Tb worchshire sauce

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 bag coleslaw

1/2 C mayonnaise (not miracle whip)

2 Tb white vinegar

2 Tb sugar

1 tsp salt

generous grinds of black pepper

1.  Mix together coleslaw ingredients and allow to sit in the fridge for about an hour so the cabbage will wilt in the dressing.

2.  Heat your grill to medium-low.  Mix together all the burger ingredients with your hands until well combined.  Form into six equal patties.  Grill for 6 minutes on each side, brushing with additional BBQ sauce as they cook.

3.  Serve on your favorite hamburger bun with a generous heap of slaw on top!  My kids liked extra BBQ sauce on the side to dip into.

Snickerdoodles

How can someone not like chocolate?  It is so far beyond me that it is truly unimaginable.  I honestly believe it is a birth defect.  That is the only reasonable explanation.

My 12 year old son was born with this terrible birth defect and it has devastated me since we discovered it around age two.  We even tried to trick him with white chocolate and called it vanilla.    He looked like he was going to puke and declared, "This is the yuckiest vanilla EVER!"

Since most of my favorite baked goods contain chocolate and a lot of it, I struggle to find recipes that he likes.  Snickerdoodles are one that he requests at least once a week and if he had a more considerate mom, he might get them that often.

Snickerdoodles

makes about 42 cookies

1 C unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 C sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp baking soda

2 3/4 C flour

cinnamon sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In the bowl of your electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter until light and fluffly, about 3 minutes.  Slowly add sugar and beat well.   Add eggs, one at a time allowing first to incorporate before adding second.  Add vanilla and salt to mix.  Add cream of tartar, soda and flour and mix on low until combined.

2.  Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out balls of dough into cinnamon sugar and roll until completely covered.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 7 minutes, until lightly brown along the edges of the cookie.  Allow cookies to set on the pan for about 3-4 minutes before removing to cool completely.

And the winner is.....

It's A Girl!!!!

OK, so I know 99% of you can't tell anything from this ultrasound picture, but it is still our little girl and we are excited.  That will make us even with three girls and three boys.  Perfect way to end!

Now the hard part.... a name.  I have one that I love, but it has been vetoed by all my children.  I keep telling them that it has nothing to do with them at all, but they continue to be very vocal in their disapproval.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Well, it is day 5 of summer vacation.  95 days left.  How am I going to keep these kids entertained for 95 more days????

We started off summer with a bang and went camping over the weekend and had a wonderful time together.  It was our first official camping experience in a camper instead of a tent and boy, oh boy was it sooooo much nicer!  The weather was absolutely perfect and we ate a ton of yummy camping treats.  I even tried a couple new campfire recipes that were a huge hit but stupid me didn't take any pictures before they were devoured.  I promise to get some pics next time and post the recipes.  Winners!!

Since we have been home, my kids have been lounging around looking completely bored but I'm predicting they will get in the swing of this soon.  I'm hoping if I bribe them with a delicious breakfast like this every morning, they will keep their "Mom, I'm bored" 's to themselves.  Think it will work???

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

adapted from Ina Garten

Cake:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 C sugar

3 eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 C sour cream

2 1/2 C cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Streusel:

1/2 C brown sugar

1 C flour

3 tsp cinnamon

6 Tb cold butter, cut into pieces

1 C chopped pecans

Glaze:

1/2 C powdered sugar

2 Tb real maple syrup

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 10" tube pan.

2.  Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment for 5 minutes, until light.  Add the eggs one at a time.  Scrape down the bowl and mix again.  Add vanilla and sour cream.  Turn off the mixer and add all the dry ingredients.  Turn the mixer on low and stir just until combined.

3.  For streusel, place sugar, flour cinnamon and salt in a bowl and mix.  Using your fingers, pinch in the butter until the mixture crumbles.  Mix in pecans.

4.  Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with a knife.  Sprinkle 2/3 of the streusel on top then spoon the rest of the batter in the pan and spread it out.  Scatter the remaining streusel on top.  Bake for 50-55 minutes until tester comes out clean.

5.  Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes then carefully transfer the cake onto a serving platter.  Whisk together the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the cake.