Yeah...he might qualify as cutest grandson ever...
Maybe I am biased :)
Awaiting the "Grands"
"When Hand-Tying tiny white lights to use as Garland...use a brand new strand"
And no...I didn't. And one night the tree went dark. And the beautiful hand-tied garland of lights became just so much garland. You live. You learn. We saved the tree with a simple strand of the large old fashion ceramic type bulbs on-hand. It isn't the twinkle and glitter of tiny white lights...but next year if I hand tie I will be buying a fresh strand...lol!
No time for a book this week with Christmas in Full Swing. One more trek out for the holiday meal and it is finished. If anyone wants me I'll be in a bubble bath with a Bellini :)
Baking a coffee cake to go with tomorrow's Christmas Brunch with Loretta...and looking forward to Donna and Eric's Christmas Party this weekend. Still marveling at the fact Dane is now "of age" and Chris and I have a bottle of Honey Mead tucked in a wine bag as part of his Christmas. Where have the years gone? I remember when he and Chris were around 9 years old- taking Tae Kwon Do classes together. Donna and I sat on the sidelines and enjoyed the look on their faces the first time "the board" actually broke. I have Chris' reaction on film. The look on his face was
"Hey...this stuff really works!"
"Idgy" headed to the Smoky Mountains with Che for Christmas...but will be back before NYE. Get a million photos, girl! And Che who is "in love" for the very first time at 15 :) Loved the photos. They make a really cute couple.
Invited by Diane and a group of my DS "sisters by different misters" to spend NYE in Chicago with them...but the month-long Christmas this year makes that seem daunting. I think "Idgy" and I are going to ring in the New Year with Bellini's and chocolate and a handful of confetti immediately followed by a good night's sleep...lol!
James anxious to get home to Nicole for their very first Christmas together. He is loving the wind-shield time. And has long-hauled from Iowa to Oklahoma...to Atlanta...back to Texas...out to Arizona...over to Colorado...Up to Chicago...and now headed back in the general direction of Iowa. What a GREAT job!
Chris and The Leprechaun happy...in love...and looking at houses together!!! I am sensing wedding bells in the future.
And Lennon who survived finals and is enjoying his downtime...and sent me photos of something he was baking...following it up with the recipe. "It has several steps, Mom...but it is definitely worth it!"
It all sounded/looked so good I had to share!
Lennon's Pretzel Rolls
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 2 cups warm milk (about 100-110 degrees F)
- 1 1/2 cups warm water (about 100-110 degrees F)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 6 1/2 - 8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3 quarts water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- Coarse salt for sprinkling
Dough:
Water Bath and Extras:
Directions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer (or you can do this by hand in a large bowl), stir together the yeast, oil, milk and water. Add the salt and two cups of the flour. Add the rest of the flour gradually until a soft dough is formed and knead for 3-4 minutes. You may not need to use all the flour - add the flour until a soft dough is formed that clears the sides of the bowl. It is similar in texture to bagel dough and should be slightly more stiff and less sticky than, say, roll dough, but definitely still soft and not overfloured.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it with greased plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in size (1-2 hours).
- Portion the dough into 16 pieces and roll each piece of dough into a little round ball.
- Lay out the rolls on lightly greased parchment or a lightly floured counter. Make sure the dough balls won't stick! Let them rest for 15-20 minutes.
- While the dough rests, bring the water, sugar and baking soda to a boil in a large 5-6 quart saucepan.
- Working with one piece of dough at a time, carefully take it off the parchment or counter, flip it over in your hand and pinch the bottom to form a little pucker and help the dough form a nice, taut ball. Take care not to deflate the dough; you should pinch just the very edge of the dough.
- Place 3-4 dough balls in the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side (the longer you boil, the chewier the baked pretzel roll will be).
- With a spatula, remove the dough from the boiling water and let the excess water drip off into the pan. Place the boiled dough balls onto lined baking sheets (lined with lightly greased parchment or a silpat liner).
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Using a very sharp knife or razor, slice 2-3 cuts into the top of each unbaked roll about 1/4-inch deep or so. It's important to use a very sharp blade so that it cuts the dough without deflating it. It's ok if the dough looks wrinkly and kind of funny. It will work itself out during baking. Lightly sprinkle each dough ball with coarse salt.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes until the rolls are deep golden brown. These rolls definitely taste best the same day they are made; however, lightly warmed in the microwave for a few seconds will do wonders for pretzel rolls 1-2 days old.
Have a Wonderful Weekend!
