Milk Street’s Three-Seeded Beer Pretzels

Photo: Milk Street

While still living with my parents, I used to make bagels. I got the recipe from a tiny paper recipe book I bought at a drugstore for 25-cents. After moving to Manhattan, I never had to make bagels again! Soft pretzels are kind of like the cousins of bagels as they’re made much the same way. There’s nothing better tasting than a fresh soft pretzel! For some reason, in Manhattan, a soft pretzel is much more expensive (costing $10 - $16) compared to a bagel (at $1.25 - $2.00). There are more bagel manufacturers than soft pretzel makers, so less competition may determine its price.

With simple ingredients, baking pretzels isn’t hard, but it takes time. Over the weekend, I watched Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street make Three-Seeded Beer Pretzels and then googled the recipe for guidance. If requested, I’ll remove the recipe, but it’s on the internet, and I’ll also link it to Milk Street’s website.

Ingredients for Milk Street’s dough:

4 cups (548g) bread flour (plus more as needed)

2¼ tsp instant yeast

2¼ tsp table salt
¾ cup amber ale or lager
⅔ cup water
2 tbsp salted butter, cubed and softened
1½ tbsp barley malt syrup (or molasses)

For Boiling: ⅓ cup baking soda

A pot of water

Topping Seed Mixture: 1 large egg white, beaten

2 tsp flaky salt, ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds, 2 tbsp caraway seeds

Milk Street’s Directions:

1) In a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix flour, yeast, and salt. 

2) Add beer, ⅔ cup water, butter, and syrup. Mix on low for 2 minutes, then medium for 6–7 minutes until smooth and shiny.

3) Cold Fermentation (Optional but recommended): Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours for better flavor.

4) Shape: Divide dough into 10 pieces (approx. 95g each). Roll each into a 26- to 28-inch rope and shape into a pretzel. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets misted with oil.

5) Rise: Let shaped pretzels rise for 15–20 minutes until slightly puffy.

Preheat oven to 450°F.

6) Boil: Bring 3 quarts of water and baking soda to a simmer in a large pot. Boil pretzels for 30 seconds, then return to baking sheets.

7) Top and Bake: Brush with egg white, slash the "belly" of the pretzel with a knife, and sprinkle with the seed mix and flaky salt.

8) Bake: Bake for 14–16 minutes at 450°F until deeply browned, rotating sheets halfway through.

Debra’s Tweaks:

I only used 2 cups of bread flour to make 6 pretzels. Lacking beer, the 3 types of seeds, and barley malt syrup, I substituted sourdough starter, Everything Seasoning, Himalayan salt, and dark brown sugar. I simply stirred my dough ingredients together with a long handle of a mixing spoon, then proofed the dough in my oven for 6 hours and kneeded it until elastic. After the boiling step #6 and rolling it out, the forming the pretzels, I sprinkled the tops with Everything seasoning and salt (sans egg white). I baked my pretzels at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes without rotating the baking sheet. It worked! My pretzels were very tasty, so feel free to make the recipe your own! As far as shaping the pretzels on my 1st try, well, a couple were elephant man pretzels in appearance. Practice makes perfect.

BTW, have you ever wondered how pretzels got their shape?

According to legend, 7th-century monks (in Italy or Southern France) created pretzels as treats, pretiola (Latin for "little rewards") for children who were learning their prayers. The shape was twisted to resemble arms crossed in prayer with 3 holes in the twist to represent the Holy Trinity. Also called bracellae ("little arms"), eventually the savory pastry spread throughout Europe, becoming brezel in German, and later on, German immigrants brought pretzels to America.

Hot out of the oven, homemade pretzels are as delicious as fresh vendor pretzels! I’d only made as many as you can eat since they lose moisture after tossing them into the freezer. The next day they were still good, but not quite as good. 🥨

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9 Tips To Curb Hunger

As we age, it gets tougher to maintain the slender bodies of our youth. I do the best I can, but with each decade of life, I have accumulated a few extra pounds. Our metabolism slows, making it easier to put on weight and harder to shed those pounds.

A woman I went to school with rides bicycles for miles and miles and miles to burn calories, and only eats one meal a day. I’ve known daily joggers, too, but I don’t have the time or desire for hours and hours and hours of exercise. Walking 20 blocks or riding a stationary bike for 30 minutes is what I can sustain.

I’ll accept the inevitability of a few extra pounds, and yet I won’t let myself go completely; therefore, I must eat less food. Moreover, I also don’t wish to rely on drugs to suppress my hunger. So how do I control my appetite?

Here’s what I do to maintain a healthy body weight by curbing hunger:

1) Eat enough protein in each meal -- 30 grams or higher.

2) Drink a cup of skim milk with dinner. It keeps me full longer. 

3) Mostly eat 3 meals a day. If not hungry for breakfast or lunch, I may skip one of them, but usually I do eat a modest breakfast and lunch, and a dinner containing a protein, a starch, and vegetables. Another friend of mine only eats 2 meals a day, but usually I need 3 meals, and a small snack at night.

4) When hunger strikes in between meals, I see if drinking hot coffee or tea with skim milk quells my hunger pangs. Lately, I’m also trying Haymaker's Punch in between meals.

5) If all else fails, I’ll eat 1 or 2 pieces of fruit -- an apple, orange, pear, or banana, which I consider free food on days I’m hungrier. A carrot, celery stalks, bites of leftover cooked butternut squash or green beans, 5 - 10 almonds or walnuts, or a few Saltine crackers sometimes work as after-dinner snacks.

I cut up fruit and top it with nuts.

6) I avoid processed food and eat real food. It tastes better and is more filling.

7) I limit how often I eat carbs per day and usually save them for dinner. Eating lots of carbs a day only whets my appetite, yet doesn’t stifle my hunger.

8) I never eat sweets mindlessly anymore. Sweets are always a planned treat, like birthday cake, Christmas cookies, or Halloween candy. Sugar isn’t healthy for anybody. Especially as we age, we must limit our intake of sugar for health and weight reasons. As it turns out, the less sugar we eat, the less we crave. Outside of planned treats, I’ll only take 2 bites of a sweet.

9) Avoid lunch clubs with overweight people. Meet for coffee, walks in the park, or to discuss books. Don’t surround yourself with folks who live to eat often at pricy restaurants, but with people who eat to live and have healthier ways of socializing. Such meals are too rich and high in calories. You’d be wasting your time and money by not indulging when restaurant-hopping. Don’t put yourself in a position where it’s a mainstay activity instead of a special occasion like a family birthday or anniversary. It also helps to have a small, contained family, in lieu of 10 siblings.😛

I wish it weren’t so, but our metabolism changes, and so must what, how much, and when we eat. It’s a shame we have to put so much thought into eating, isn’t it? Unfortunately, we do!😣 

How do you control your appetite to maintain an acceptable (if not your youthful) weight?

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Homemade Dale’s Marinade

This week I’m doing back to back food blogs. Two homemade marinades I’ll use this year for beef follow. One is a homemade version of Dale’s Marinade, a recipe that is floating uncredited around the internet. Another combines Homemade Dale’s Marinade Sauce with Montreal Seasoning to tenderize beef or pork. Dale’s marinade sold in stores is inexpensive to buy, however many cooks already have all the ingredients at home to simply make it. 

Homemade Dale’s Marinade

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp ground ginger

1 tsp onion powder

½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp paprika
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon sugar or golden syrup
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup water

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in the Vitamix container. Blend on medium for 30 seconds until fully combined. (I didn’t use a blender. Easy to whisk the mixture with a fork.)
Use immediately as a marinade or sauce, or store in the fridge for 1-2 months.

The 2nd Marinade Sauce uses Montreal Seasoning so here’s a recipe for that --

Homemade Montreal Seasoning

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons coarse black pepper

2 tablespoons paprika or smoked paprika

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds

2 tablespoons dried dill

2 tablespoons red pepper flakes

Combine all dry ingredients and store in an airtight contrainer.

Now let’s combine the two. (It's what I used to make a 2-pound London Broil steak. Btw: Top Round London Broil steak, one of my favorites, is a cheaper cut of beef. Why? Because it’s lean with no fat (or marbling like more tender cuts). But with braising, the meat becomes so tender and tasty, and I love how I never have to trim fat or grisle off the steak.) --

 Dale’s Marinade with Montreal Seasoning

Ingedients:

1/4 cup Dale’s Marinade

1/4 cup of Worcestershire Sauce

2 tablespoons of vinegar

1/2 cup of olive or vegetable oil

1 tablespoon Montreal seasoning

Directions:

Marinade your meat for 24 hours to tenderize, and you’ll be able to cut it with a fork.

It looks like I’ll start marinading this year. How about you?

Candidly, beef with pototoes and vegetables is a favorite meal. Still, my family eats less meat and more vegetarian meals than once upon a time, and yet it’s hard for us to totally cut beef, chicken and pork out of our diets. We consider the environment, aging, and the health recommendations of doctors, then make sensible adjustments in efforts to live balanced, healthy and responsible lives. If you can’t eliminate, cutting back is beneficial. Enjoy!

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2 Mediterranean Diet Recipes From Facebook

Photos and recipes by Emily Smith here and below

When I happened upon these two recipes on Facebook, they made my mouth water! I’m sharing them for several reasons: I plan to make them. My blog is my recipe keeper! They’re quick and easy to prepare with simple ingredients, and most of all they’re healthy and filling. I also appreciate that the FB page I’m pulling them from is transparent, not making it difficult to find the recipes. I dislike having to provide my email or click off the page to get recipes. This page seems to just want to share recipes, so check it out for healthy meal ideas!

🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕

Says page administrator Emily Smith: "Craving pizza but sticking to keto? Try these cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas for a deliciously guilt-free treat!”

Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Quesadilla (Made it. Like✅)

*What you need*

- 2 large low‑carb tortillas (or regular flour tortillas)

- ½ cup shredded mozzarella (or a blend of mozzarella & cheddar)

- 10‑12 pepperoni slices

- 2 Tbsp pizza sauce (sugar‑free) – optional

- A pinch of Italian seasoning – optional

*How to make it*

1. Heat a non‑stick skillet over medium heat.

2. Lay one tortilla flat, spread the sauce (if using), then sprinkle the cheese, pepperoni, and a dash of Italian seasoning.

3. Top with the second tortilla.

4. Cook 2‑3 min per side, pressing gently, until the cheese melts and the tortillas are golden‑brown.

5. Slice into wedges and serve with extra sauce for dipping.

Enjoy that melty, pizza‑and‑quesadilla mash‑up in under 10 minutes! Let me know if you want a low‑carb twist.

Recipe #2 --

3 Ingredient Cottage Cheese Pizza

*What you need*

-1 cup of cottage cheese (full fat, small curd)

- 1 large egg

- ½ cup shredded mozzarella (or your favorite cheese)

*How to make it*

1. Pre‑heat oven to 400 °F (200 °C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.

2. Mix cottage cheese and egg until smooth. Spread into a thin circle (about 8‑inch).

3. Top with mozzarella (and any other low-carb toppings you love).

4. Bake 15‑18 min, until the crust is golden and cheese melts.

''Enjoy a protein-packed, low-carb pizza! Let me know if you want topping ideas.’’

🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕🌮🍕

For questions or topping ideas, go to Emily Smith's FB page, which is linked. I topped the Pepperoni Pizza Quesadilla with chopped onions, green peppers, mushrooms and red pepper flakes. Oooh, how delish!

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Don’t Buy Pricey Shrinking Snacks

My weakness isn’t sweets but savory snacks, namely salty, spicy, greasy snacks. If I choose wisely like French fries, occasionally I can eat them for dinner. On the other hand, potato chips are so light and airy, many of us can consume pounds of them without thinking. SunChips, Nacho Corn Chips and Spicy or Nacho Tortilla Chips are other favorites. 

Nowadays I rarely buy chips because the quantity in a bag shrunk to a point it’s not worth hauling them home anymore. We’re lucky if a $6 bag contains 7 ounces. I mean, it’s enough for me, but what will the rest of my family eat?😛 What we get in a bag for the increased price makes buying chips no longer worth it. Personally, I feel ripped off!

When I was a toddler around 2 - 3 years old I remember my father buying potato chips that came as huge twin bags in a box. You got a lot of crispy potato chips that a family could share. I googled the cost. Over the length of 2 decades (around 1955 - 1975) they sold for 25 cents - 99 cents at A&P. A one-serving bag sold for 5 cents - 25 cents over the years. As I write this blog, I realize it was my Dad who got me hooked on salty snacks at a very tender age, but, I digress!

I want to thank all the major chip manufacturers for helping me kick my habit! The prices at grocers and Target for very small quantities of chips means they are no longer in my cupboards torturing me like a bag of crack would a cocaine addict.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price for a 16-ounce bag of chips in 2014 was $4.27. By the end of 2024, it was $6.32. The price hikes are partially, due to inflation. The researchers must have rounded the quantity up because I never see 16-ounce bags of chips at a supermarket!

When quantities shrunk while prices rise, at some point we, consumers, must say no to stop the insanity! Nowadays we can buy 5 pounds of Russet or Idaho potatoes for the cost of a personal bag of chips!

Instead of chips, I’m bringing home pizza plus am baking french fries brushed with olive oil, or making baked potatoes loaded with extra sharp cheddar cheese, chopped onions, lettuce, beans, and salsa.

Whoever thought that eating bags of chips would one day break the bank! It’s disappointing to say the least!!

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Have You Heard Of Haymaker’s Punch?

Photos: iStock

Haymaker’s Punch is a homemade hydration drink familiar to Colonial Americans that throughout the years farmers continued to drink during long hot days of working out in their fields. Also called Switchel, its benefits in addition to hydration are electrolyte balance, aiding digestion, boosting antioxidants, probiotics, and energy, plus managing blood sugar. It’s easy enough to make:

Haymakers Punch

Ingredients:

4 cups of ice cold water

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (I think organic has a better taste, so I’ve switched.)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried ginger (or juice)

3 tablespoons of sweetener - Use honey, dark brown sugar; or Stevia to taste, i.e., whatever you like.

Optional: Sparkling water to top it off. Try 1 to 3 parts.

Directions:

Toss all the ingredients into a pitcher. Mix thoroughly and chill for a couple of hours for flavors to marry (as chefs say) before serving.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac recipe of Haymarker’s Punch is here. More old-fashioned natural hydration drinks are here.

Cocktail: FC-here

So I tried it. Although I don’t dislike it, I think it’s an acquired taste. For such as old drink that goes back 250+ years, it’s new to me! 

Healthier than soda, better tasting than lemon and hot water or vinegar and water (2 morning drink fabs). It has a tang but I don’t taste vinegar as much as ginger and lemon, so its more like a ginger-lemon ale. 

Sometimes we want a drink that is more than plain ole water, so I’m willing to give it a few tries. Certainly, I don’t hate it, and it may grow on me. How about you?

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Greek Yogurt + Fixings For An Easy Breakfast

I know the importance of a good breakfast but don’t have an appetite in the mornings due to busyness. 

With coffee I’ll just eat 2 Digestive Biscuits before getting my elderly mom up, freshened up, dressed, then microwaving her morning meal, either an omelette with cheese or ham and whole grain bread; or (2) a bowl of oatmeal with milk, peanut butter, a handful of chopped walnuts, fruit and a sprinkle of brown sugar on top. She has a good breakfast, but mine lacks the protein I need to start the day.

Many of us get extra busy in December so here’s a better breakfast that’s easy to eat and easy to cleanup with no pots or pans needed to make it:

Greek Yogurt Bowl

1 cup of Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon of peanut butter
fruit -- various to select throughout the week such as a handful of blueberries or strawberries. Half of banana. Chopped peaches, pears, or apples. (like the fruit I add to my mother’s oatmeal.)

3 walnuts

3 almonds - whole or chopped
1 teaspoon of one minute oatmeal

1 teaspoon of ground flaxseeds

a sprinkle of dark brown sugar or honey when I feel like it.

BTW, protein drinks are a decent fast breakfast, but are no substitutes for real food which is always the better choice. Protein shakes can be too heavy in minerals if consumed daily.

Greek yogurt with the addition of nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans), seeds (flaxseeds, sunflower, chia, pumpkin) and whole grains (oatmeal, millet, quinoa) is a healthy no fuss breakfast with enough protein and fiber.

When we know better, we really should do better. I will! With only one bowl to wash this breakfast gets the job done. 

On Friday, I’ll post a recipe for the perfect energy-hydration drink that’s been around since the time of our Founding Fathers! Do you have any guesses?

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Sweet Potato Pie

We made a sweet potato pie for Thanksgiving. Very easy and likely a tad healthier than store bought pie. I used this pie dough recipe previously shared. Mostly I buy pies at Fairway, but if I do bake a pie, I go all the way by making the crust too. If I go to the store because I don’t want to make a crust, I don’t return with a frozen shell but a delectable finished pie from Frairway, never going near the freezer. Done and ready to eat!

After making my crust, I made the sweet potato filling.

Sweet Potato Pie

30 ounces - about 4 cups microwaved, peeled and mashed sweet potatoes. {Feel free to use 2-15 ounce cans of sweet potatoes.  If using fresh mashed sweet potatoes you can add 2 teaspoons of white sugar. Canned ones are usually sweeten. If in light syrup, pour out the liquid.)

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie seasoning (or cinnamon)

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

A sprinkle of dried ginger

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon butter, softened - Use 2 - 3 tablespoons if you wish.

1/2 cup milk - I used 1%, but cream or evaporated milk is creamier.

2 large eggs

Optional: I tossed in 1/2 cup of applesauce for moisture and mass since I didn’t use the cream and lightened up the butter.

 

Directions:

1) One by one, I tossed the ingredients into a mixing bowl and incorporated them with an electric mixer.

2) Pour into your prepared pie shell. I didn’t do it, but if you put foil on the dough/crust edges after it bakes for 1/2 hour, it stays moisturer while the rest of the pie finishes baking. I could eat my crust fine but would have taken this extra step for guests. Heck, I’d have used cream for them too. We try to lighten up desserts for just ourselves.

3) In a preheated 350 degree F oven, bake for 50 - 55 minutes.

Remove, cool and slice. Enjoy!

image: Google

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How To Eat Split Peas If Not As Soup?

When temperatures drop, we make lots of homemade soups including split pea, lentil and bean. However, several of my friends and neighbors are pea soup haters, so we can’t share a batch and end up eating pea soup a day or two longer than we wish. Split peas are a rich source of protein, fiber, iron, folate, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. Although I like its creamy texture, after my last batch I began to wonder what else could I do with split peas?

 It turns out, cooked split peas can be turned into nutritious dips, pesto or mixed with avocados to add protein to guacamole. Dips, pesto and guacamole are dangerous as we usually eat much more than a single serving! The dish I’ll try is an easy and chunky split pea salad -- food to chew!

Split Pea Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup green split peas, cooked

2 cups water

1 large chicken or any flavor bouillon

2 cups of chopped plum tomatoes (or any variety)

14 oz corn, cooked

1 medium onion, diced

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup organic vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon dijon or brown mustard

2 teaspoons or garlic to taste - fresh or dry powered work.

1 teaspoon or black pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

A sprinkle of soy sauce

More salt if needed after a taste.

1-2 teaspoons honey

Directions:

1) In a pot on the stove top bring the water and bouillon to a boil, then pour in the dry split peas. Cook uncovered for 15 - 20 minutes until the water evaporates. Remove the cooked peas to cool. With a shorter cooking time, they will soften without disintegrating into soup.

2) Toss all the vegetables and spices into to a big salad bowl and incorporate.

Optional step: If you want to get fancy, garnish with shredded extra sharp cheddar and chopped parsley.

Eat at room temperature or chill. Add brown rice, pasta, or quinoa for a complete protein and meal.

Split pea soup is healthy, filling and comforting. I’ll still make it this fall and winter, but I also look forward to trying something new, split peas not turned into a soup. The pea haters of the world don’t know what they’re missing.😋

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