I've been featured and yummy pretzels!

A few days ago, on one of the many papercrafting blogs I read, Taylor from Taylored Expressions posted a jar of cupcakes she made.  I'm normally not a story-teller-comment-leaver, BUT, with deployment looming overhead it reminded me of something I made for my husband while he was deployed.
It was nearing his birthday, and I'm not much of a baker to begin with, I get along, but nothing spectacular.  I had sent cookies and such but nothing that lasts very long, with shipping taking nearly 2 weeks, you have to eat things right away once received.  Well, my husband isnt a big sweet eater so I know when I send things it will probably go to waste or to the community snack pile.  SO, I had heard rumor of baking bread in jars, canning bread basically and figured I could do the same with brownies and blue berry muffins, some of our favorites. I had no luck finding the directions on how to do this so I made up my own. I found some wide mouth, 8oz, glass canning jars at our local grocery and decided these would be the perfect size for muffins and brownies and went to town making him some goodies that would hopefully last the travel to him and something he would be able to enjoy for a few weeks to come. It worked and I will be be doing this again this week so I can show you how I did it.

So no post is really complete without some photos, so I thought I would tell you about some yummy pretzels I made with a recipe from Mamabee . In true Carole fashion I had to make the recipe my own and here is what I did.

Here they are before cooking and after rising, I definitely need to work on my technique!

I added cinnamon, sugar and raisins to some, italian seasoning and garlic salt to a few, and diced jalepenos to  the rest.  When they came out of the oven I brushed with butter and topped with the appropriate seasoning, cinnamon sugar, grated parmesan cheese, and sea salt.

And here they are toasty brown.  Some had been sampled, shhh...

They were very misshaped, but oh so yummy.  Just like pretzels from the mall, but better!

Its a sushi party!

Party? well not really. The girls and I love california rolls.  Our local grocery makes fresh sushi and its so yummy.  I secretly shop there more often so I can bring home a tray or two of these little yummy treats.  Here lately I have made it a meal, and that requires more trays, meaning more cash out of the pocket, and I might as well have gone out to a restaurant for what I spend.  My dear frugal husband always suggests making our own, so I took him up on that last night and here is what we did.

I started with the smaller size seaweed sheets.  Thats all they had at the grocery yesterday so I decided they would have to do.  I love the smell of this stuff, its weird I know.  Yum!

I used my rice cooker and used pearl rice.  I read somewhere that is the best for making sushi, but I am not expert, and I am self taught, so go with what feels right to you. I smashed a thin layer of rice on the seaweed, you need to leave about an inch on one end, will explain that later. I added some avacado slices, imitation crab meat and cucumbers tothe center.  I have also used other things, there are no rules here, what ever sounds good to you!

I left about an inch on one end, you need to start rolling from the opposite end, when you get them rolled up, moisten the area you left free from rice, and then use that to stick and hold your roll together. 

When you are done rolling them up, use a very sharp knife and cut them to the size you like. A few of mine are only about 1/2inch, I overstuffed my rolls and I like them bite size. 

Im hoping for Valentines Day this year to attend a Sushi making class.  If I do, I will be back with more yummy sushi goodness. 

Enjoy