Homemade Pretzels

My kids love these. This is a knock off of Auntie Anne's pretzels you find in the mall.

1 1 /2 cup warm water

1 1/4 tsp. yeast

2 T. brown sugar

1 1/4 tsp. salt

4 cups flour

baking soda bath: 2 cups warm water and 2 T. baking soda

Toppings: melted butter, coarse salt, cinnamon and sugar, and anything else you like.

Mix yeast, warm water, sugar, and salt. Let sit for a few minutes to make sure the yeast is active and working. Add in flour and mix until smooth. Let dough rise until doubled 30-45 minutes and then break off little balls and roll into long ropes (about 1/2 thick, the thinner the better). Shape rope into pretzel shape and dip in baking soda bath. Place on greased baking sheet and allow pretzel's to rise again. Bake in oven at 450 for 10 minutes or until golden.

Remove from oven and dip in melted butter then top as desired. We like dipping in cinnamon and sugar or just sprinkling with coarse salt. These are best to eat warm, straight from the oven.

***For baking soda bath mix hot water with baking soda. Stir this mixture often. I really don't know exactly what this does, but I know that it is considered a critical step for real pretzel making :)

Tangy Grilled Pork Tenderloin

My husband loves pork so I am always looking for new ways to cook it. This is a very simple recipe I found on Allrecipes. Just marinate and grill.

1 pounds pork tenderloin

2/3 cup honey

1/2 cup dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Mix last found ingredients together for marinade. Put meat in with marinade and let sit for at least 4 hours. Let meat come to room temperature before grilling (about 20-30 minutes) and pre-heat grill. If using outside grill prepare for indirect heat. I just used my grill pan and cooked over medium-low heat. Lightly oil pan and grill for about 7-10 minutes per side, or until done.

This meat has a nice sweet flavor and a little kick. It was nice for a summer bbq dinner.

Thai Peanut Noodles

Whenever I ask my kids what they want for dinner, they always ask for the "spicy peanut noodles". Seriously, this is a favorite at our house and I know it is similar to a lot of recipes, but I thought I should post it anyway. This recipe comes from www. ourbestbites.com, which is a great food website.

1/2 cup chicken broth

3 T. cream peanut butter

1-2 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce (1 is mild with a bite and 2 is hot-I usually do about 1 1/2 tsp.)

1 1/2 T. honey

2 T. soy sauce

1 1/2 T. fresh minced ginger

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small box of linguine noodles ( I also have just used regular spaghetti noodles)

chopped green onions, cilantro, green peppers, cucumber, edamame, carrots, and anything else that sounds good.

limes, cut into quarters

chopped peanuts

Cook noodles in salted water until done. Meanwhile, combine chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey , soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in small pan over low heat. Wisk until smooth and then remove from heat. Toss cooked noodles with peanut sauce and serve buffet style with all the chopped veggies, and peanuts. Squeeze lime juice over the top and eat!!

My kids love to be able to choose what goes on top. You can also make this more heavy by adding meat (chicken or shrimp would be great).