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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Fanyil We The People 250 Bottle

When I saw this 250 Anniversary Bourbon Bottle, I immediately thought of long-time blog reader and journalist, Barry, who has an interest in following the bourbon industry. Barry is a casual expert on all things bourbon. Some bourbon enthusiasts say, "The bottle matters almost as much as the spirit inside.”

The Fanyil We The People 250 bottle is a collectible for bourbon aficionados, patriots, and history buffs alike. It has a Liberty Bell airtight vacuum stopper to preserve the complex notes of a favorite bourbon you put inside it. The bottle is created from thick, lead-free crystal with a weighted base, and its 1776 - 2026 stamp, commemorating the nation’s birthday, could make the decanter a historic relic in future years. 

But I always say, buy a material article only because you love it, not as an investment of future value, which is never a certainty. It should be a piece you enjoy seeing on your desk, shelf, or home bar. Currently, the bottle sells for $50 as a limited-edition commemorative. Perhaps Barry will see my blog to tell us what he thinks and if he’s tempted to buy it.😁

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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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Are Bake N Serve Doughs Worth the Expense?

Photo: Edgar’s Bakery

I understand the convenience of buying already prepared Bake N Serve bread, biscuit, or pastry doughs. No mixing, rising, or kneading necessary. I, too, have occasionally bought canned biscuits and pizza dough. So after a purchase or two, the following is what I’ve decided ... 

Photo: Lysnoj

When I can’t make a food better or cheaper, I do buy it readymade. Pecan pies from either Fairway or Edwards are examples of what I always buy and never make. And yet IMHO, this isn’t the case with Bake N Serve bread, biscuit, or pastry doughs. A cake from a cake box is inferior to cakes made from scratch, and my above examples are often several times more costly, so I don't buy them as Bake N Serve food.

Still, we aren't martyrs. Sometimes we either aren’t motivated or don’t have the time to make bread, a cake, a pie, or pizza dough from scratch. In such instances, I go to a good bakery, pizza parlor, or Fairway in Manhattan and bring home my bread, pizza, pastry, or pie, ready to dig right in. 

Unlike when you take the time to make bread, pizza dough, or pies from scratch, I find the cost of Bake N Serve treats is nearly the same as when you simply bring them home ready to eat. Why would I pay extra to haul the treat home and still have to finish the work myself? At least if I buy it already to eat from a good bakery or Fairway, it’s of superior quality, and there’s nothing left for me to do except serve it!

If we don’t make it ourselves and aren’t saving any money, why settle ... when we can go all the way and let a professional do the work for us? 

So in my home, it’s either make it from scratch or purchase it from a great deli, bakery or pizza parlor. The times you decide to splurge and pay the piper, you can have your cake and eat it too. No effort necessary! What are your thoughts?

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Lands’ End Launch’s Its Swimsuits Already

For years now, I’ve said Land’s End is the retailer where there’s a swimsuit designed for everyBODY. I’ll link to prior years below so I don’t need to repeat myself. Their 2026 swim collection is on their website now! Here.

If you don’t wait for a promotion, you won’t get a bargain, but you will get top quality, style, and the perfect, most flattering swimsuit to fit your body type in a wide array of not just styles, but each style in different colors or patterns. No merchant offers customers the selection that Lands’ End does! The equivalent of customizing your suit. 

I’m picking styles I like that you could keep on after you leave the beach or pool to head home, because they cover as much as your normal casual summer clothing. Classic and stylish without revealing too much skin! 

Nevertheless, Lands’ End also offers an assortment of adorable coverups to pair with its swimsuits. Click to enjoy a browse. I bet you won't stop with swimwear! (THE SAVVY SHOPPER is not a sponsored blog.)

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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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A Burberry Trench Coach Is A True Investment Piece

When it comes to buying investment wardrobe pieces we can’t go wrong with a trench coat, the most iconic perhaps is British luxury brand, Burberry. As it turns out, they go on sale this time of the year, so now is the time to browse the department stores which carry them.

The company was founded by Thomas Burberry in 1856. Originally Burberry designed his iconic trench coats for military officers and outdoor exploration. 

Even today a Blurberry Trench Coat is known for its intricate stitcking and functional details. A nova check pattern is the tradmark of the coat, as well as, its scarves and apparel. As we would expect, the trench coat doubles as a raincoat: Thomas Burberry invented garbardine fabric in 1879, a tightly woven, breathable, and waterproof cotton. 

While steep in British heritage, the trench coat has become globally iconic as functional and practical luxury outerwear. What makes it an investment piece is an owner would likely wear it all the decades of his or her adult life.

To be transparent, although I’ve long admired and have tried on Burberry Trench Coats at Borgdoff Goodman, I don’t own one. But if I were to pay the piper, IMHO, this coat would be the luxury item well worth the cost especially if you need it for work or travel. Had I bought one in my early 20s, I’d still be wearing it. Nowadays my life is casual smart in style. I own a London Fog trench coat and a Uniqlo water-resistant coat, also stylish and functional pieces for less than luxury brand Burberry. It’s fine for Savvy Shoppers to use Burberry, the Holy Grail of quality, as our inspiration to find a good enough trench coat to fit our lifestyles. 

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Pretty LeVian Couture Emeralds

LeVian is a jeweler known for its chocolate diamonds and use of bold, vibrant, slightly-off-the-beaten-path colored gemstones like blueberry sapphires and passion rubies. The family run retailer since the 15th century has also maintained its Persian orgins in some of its designs. Personally, I don’t own any of its commercial-grade jewelry sold at Macy’s, Saks or Belk department stores.

Still 2 pieces from LaVain’s High Jewelry Platinum Collection really caught my eye! I (not my bank account😛) can envision wearing them as they are classic and gorgeous!

The Dora is a pair of earrings featuring 9.22 carats of pear-shaped Costa Smeralda Emeralds™ interlaced with 2.65 carats of marquise, pear, and round Vanilla Diamonds™ crafted in 18k Vanilla Gold™.

The Aelia is a 13.53 carat Costa Smeralda Emerald™ in 18k Vanilla Gold™ framed by .86 carat of Vanilla Diamonds™ in a floral pattern.

You may wonder what exactly are Costa Smeralda Emeralds™, Vanilla Gold™ and Vanilla Diamonds™? I had to look it up:

"Le Vian uses Vanilla Gold to describe its unique 14k or 18k white gold alloy, which is designed to be very white and often eliminates the need for rhodium plating. Vanilla Diamonds are Le Vian's branded, specially selected, high-quality white or near-colorless diamonds chosen to sparkle against their colorful, food-named gold and gemstone collections.” 

"Costa Smeralda Emeralds are high-quality, natural, and untreated emeralds ethically sourced from Zambia and Brazil, exclusively marketed by Le Vian.” The hue of the emeralds are a deep forest green.

I think of the terms as more of a marketing tool but once you know their meaning you do understand what you’re getting.

It’s unlikely and impractical for us average wage earners to buy high jewelry, and yet it’s great fun to see! For one, the stones are rare as they are usually big with fewer flaws. Super ogle-worthy!!

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My mother’s nephew paid our family a visit last Friday, January 2nd, and we enjoyed hosting him. Since we knew he was coming for dinner on January 2nd we waited for him before opening our New Year’s Eve bottle of champaign. Although I’d rather eat than drink, I have to admit when I do have a glass of wine or champaign with a meal, it has to be a delicious glass, and for sure, this hit the spot!

I can’t claim to have discovered it. That honor goes to someone I know who has excellent taste in everything from food and drink to dry goods.

I learned Nicholas Figueroa is the number 1 selling brand of champaign in France, the beverage’s country of origin. It isn't sweet, but the taste is middle dry and fruity, crisp and refreshing. It has medium bubbles and acidity.

According to a write up about the champaign by Lisa’s Liquor Barn, "it’s bursting with red summer fruit flavors. A delicious cavalcade of red currant, blueberry and raspberry notes, combined with a hint of strawberry. From within its refined and vibrant structure, its clean flavors are extremely delicate and nuanced.” Scores 92 points. Frankly, I couldn’t have said it better, myself ... no, seriously and honestly, I literally could not speak the lingo, so thank you, employees of Lisa’s Liquor Barn!

Suffice it to say, we, the January 2nd taste testers of the bottle, recommend it also! It’s worth the splurge when an occasion calls for good champaign! As French natives know, there’s no need to spend $100+ for fermented grape juice!

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Axe Body Spray Cherry Spritz

Sometimes my local CVS drugstore has free samples for the taking, which introduces me to unfamiliar products I wouldn’t normally pick up like Axe Body Spray Cherry Spritz. The spray is marketed as a man’s “fine fragrance,” yet is widely considered unisex. 

The scent is cherry-amber with hints of red apple and eucalyptus. Many women like the sweet, non-traditionally masculine fragrance, and I am one of them! It has a clean, fresh -- minus a strong, or artificial perfumey scent.

Photo: Madisondecinq

Like the new deodorants on the market, the Cherry Spitz can be safely sprayed all over the body, but I wonder if some people are going overboard fearing they have body odors that they really don’t. A daily shower should stop most of us from stinking. 

Still we enjoy smelling extra good, and this pleasing, clean scent is a winner. 

It’s also considerably cheaper than many fine fragrances and lasts a reasonable length of time. Costing around $7 for a 4 ounce can, it’s a worthy expenditure to smell delightful!

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It’s The New Year 2026

New Year's Eve is a holiday I like very much. As a younger adult I went out to celebrate sometimes, but always to places which were easy to return home from and with good friends. In fact, my favorite way to celebrate New Year’s Eve is with family and/or friends at home, or nearby in the neighborhood. Without fail, we do stay up past midnight to ring in the New Year while munching on a few tasty treats. One way we never spend the night is traveling a distance from home that requires a long drive back on a highway. 

I suppose a reason I like New Year’s Eve is it closes out the Christmas season. It’s the cherry on top of our high spirits. Christmas and Easter are two major holidays, each stretching out over a week, with Easter the more solemn one. The yin and the yang of Western cultural holidays. I love the sparkle, glitter and gaiety of Christmas completed by New Year’s Eve, and the anticipation of Spring and the renewal of Easter. I’m also happy Easter hasn’t become commercial like Christmas.

I prefer eating to drinking, however this year I intend to open a bottle of Champagne. 

Allow me to thank all my readers and fellow bloggers for your support. On THE SAVVY SHOPPER, we are one global, multi-cultural community, and my life is richer because of you! It's meaningful to share and exchange ideas. I enjoy learning right along with you. Dear friends, much appreciation for your time and contributions! Let’s make next year even better!🌍🌎🌏

🍾🥳Happy New Year 2026!🥂🎉