a time to twist... or not

Yesterday afternoon we made a quick trip to SAMS which usually results in the kids asking for a snack... always the same thing at Target too! Anyway, they did and I denied their request this time. I remembered that I had a bag of soft pretzel mix and decided that might be a fun late afternoon cooking project since Rusty was going to be late coming home. After we allowed the dough to rise for an hour we were ready!

Aubrey buttered them up!

And we REALLY liked them!
I made the traditional one, Aubrey made a heart, Carter made a star and spelled his name and then Andrew made an A (for Andrew)!

On our 2nd batch we did several pretzel sticks with cinnamon and sugar and then made a little cream cheese spread to dip them in... yes, they were delicious BUT no telling how many calories we consumed. It would also explain the small appetites at dinner even though we ate after 7:00 (which is late for us)! It was a fun treat that we will do again sometime!

pizza bread... using our hands

Yesterday afternoon we unanimously voted to make pizza for dinner! Aubrey got a set of dvds last year... one of which is on bread making and in the dvd there is a recipe for pizza dough. We started it up with paper and pen in hand. One problem was that we were waiting on Rusty (who was going to be late) to bring home all the ingredients except the dough so for an afternoon snack we made pizza bread (from the dvd). We were even able to find herbs (rosemary, thyme and oregano) to still use from the garden even though it has snowed and been below freezing for days on end now! The bread bowl you see in one of the pictures below has been in the family for generations. I usually just keep fruit in it on the counter but homemade dough deserves a handmade bowl! You can tell it is old because when I oiled it it leaked through the cracks in the bottom! It takes time (a lot of it) to make pizza especially when you can run down to Little Cesar's and pick one for $5! This year I want to use my hands more than the years before (whether cooking or serving). I want Aubrey to know how to cook and it not be from using pre-made or frozen foods. The reward is great for the time invested. It is time with Aubrey and it is getting back to a little "simpler" way of life and it is cutting out some other busyness to take time to use our hands which we so often take for granted! With her interest in sewing, candle making and soap making you all better be on the lookout for handmade gifts in 2010!

While Aubrey and I cooked the boys watched a movie with a pickle!

new recipe

We had some buttermilk that was about to go bad so we looked up recipes that called for it and decided on Buttermilk Cinnamon Bread... it was hit! Aubrey was able to get all the ingredients out, mix it up, bake it, and slice it unassisted! I told Rusty that I may pass off the dinner cooking responsibility to her sooner than later!

She made our mouths happy!