A Bookworm Creates

Pretzel Rolls! I seem to have a back log on my entries.  I shall endure until everything is posted.  Anyway...on to the next item.  Homemade Pretzels.  Wait?  What?  I don't have to go to the mall or to a grocery store to buy pretzels?  No, you don't.  You can make them.  They were something from another blogger (Knucklehead Salad) that made me think...I want to make that.  So I went to Food Network (Love Food Network and the fact that Justin whats-his-name won The Next Food Network Star!) and entered 'pretzel' into the search engine and there were a  lot of results.  Naturally I picked Alton Brown's recipe.  1. It was the first entry and 2. It was the highest ranked entry.  I also thought that playing with yeast would be a good experiment for my niece, who was staying the night.  Regardless, she became interested in a movie and I ended up working solo.  This is an easy recipe but patience is necessary.  Homemade Soft Pretzels Ingredients 1 1/2 cups

No much to look at but delicious It has occurred to me that I have not posted anything in a while.  My sewing projects just need photos and I have one of two ideas on my phone, also in need of photos.  I also find myself on Pinterest pinning way too many pins to try at some point in my life. Tonight it is Pepperoni Pizza Puffs , or Pizza Bite Biscuits as I want to call them.  It was made for Megan as we prepared to watch the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics (awesome opening show by the way). For starters, I did make a few adjustments to the recipe.  I did a half a cup of ham and a half a cup of pepperoni.  I was also out of Italian Seasoning and did not use salt. Megan comments that she wondered if some pizza sauce could be added into the mix (she used ranch as a dip instead of the pizza sauce and I opted for no sauce.) and that it needed more cheese. Let me also point out that I used a regular muffin/cupcake pan instead of a mini pan, not because I don't have one, my m

To be exact, I was playing with blackboard paint, one of those assemble it yourself side tables from Walmart. (Round top, screw on legs, can put a glass over it?  Ring any bells?) I had had this table forever and with recently having to move back in with my parents it was currently resting, unassembled, in a closet.  At least the legs are in a closet, the table top was in the garage.  There it was, innocently waiting for me to be able to move back out and add it wherever my future abode is located.  It was whispering, "Use me!" Instead it was painted white. Then I made a masking tape outline of where I want the blackboard square center to go. Then it was stenciled over.   Remember to tap down your stencils!   Here's the thing with stencils: they are meant to be used with sponges.  Not paint brushes.  But I will admit that I love the effect that the bleeding of the paint created.  Then I painted used the blackboard paint that I had found, also a

This weekend I went to a birthday party for a two year old.  His mother, one of my oldest friends - Shelia - has a little bit of a creative thumb.  Now, if you are handy with a knife you might want to take note.  The Theme: Luau Item #1 This might look like an ordinary pineapple...but you know I wouldn't be blogging about it if it was only an ordinary pineapple.  That's because inside this pineapple is a jar of dip.  It's simple.  Get a pineapple.  Cut off part of the pineapple leaving the leaves and about an inch, an inch and a half of pineapple.  And remove the insides.  Don't be wasteful.  Use the pineapple.  It's really good raw or grilled or in a fruit salad. Item #2 I shall call him Sharkie.  Why?  Because that's the first thing I thought of just right now.  He is a carved watermelon.  Obviously.  He also has some Swedish Fish as his food.  Or for the evil humans to eat. Once again, cut off part of the watermelon, this ti

It really was good! When I was delivering the blue raspberry lemonade cupcakes to Bobby one night he told me that his girlfriend really wanted some of my cupcakes.  First I'm thinking 'What?  You didn't save her any!' then I'm thinking, and said, "Just tell me what she wants."  This girl had earned some serious points with me (I haven't met her yet) when she told Bobby to get off the phone and talk to me and I was in a generous mood.  Plus it meant getting to make more cupcakes! Later he comes back and says, "Chocolate."  Apparently she loves chocolate.  Hmm, now that's a female after my own heart.  Megan and her husband have been begging for Reece's Pieces inspired cupcakes.  Chocolate and Peanut butter.  It didn't sit right with me but the only directive I had was 'chocolate'.  Does anybody else realize the many ways that you can make chocolate creative?  Chocolate cherry (done), chocolate raspberry (done), choco

Homemade Cheesy Hash Browns with Ham It's been a while and I have a few posts to get started on.  I really should remember to not let them stack up like I did.  The first for today: A Homemade Homestyle Bakes Inspired Meal.  Wait?  What? It's simple.  I was in the grocery store one day and saw this Homestyle Bakes box.  It was basically a cheesy hash browns with ham.  Hmmmm.  Ham.  Anybody who knows me knows that I like my ham, almost as much as chocolate and about even with bacon.  The thing is I am not big on the whole meal in a box thing.  I did that in college a few times and the pasta always went from hard to mush in 3 seconds.  There was no middle, perfect pasta ground.  Besides, making it from scratch means you can control sodium levels, how much cheese and ham goes in, and just how much you make.  You can make more for just about the same price as buying the box! There are two options.  Buy some potatoes and grate them yourself or buy a bag of already grat

Yes, yes, I know.  Anybody paying attention to the time stamps is aware that I've posted one post right after the other.  Why?  Because I've made both of these with very little time between them.  Tonight I made cornbread and it was easy so I thought that I would share.  This is will also be the second imperfect results post.  Why bother making a post about something that came out wrong?  Because part of these blog posts are for my friends who have difficulty cooking.  If you want technical, completely homemade, and wonderful, you need to talk to my friend Jammie or visit a recipe site.  He made a homemade vegetable potpie today from scratch for his lunch.  I asked him why he does not have his own food blog.  For the second time.  For the second time he did not answer me.  Go figure.  However, this is completely homemade yet not technical, but that's what can make cooking fun.  As discussed with Jammie today, cooking is about feeling it with your heart and soul.  If y