Bioderma Atoderm Cleansing Oil

This is an interesting item.  The scent is a little weird, but not horrible and it is not overwhelmingly strong. However, it does linger like all day long even after sweating, etc. So, that could bother some people. I tried it especially on feet since that has hard calloused skin and it seemed to make a bit of difference after a single wash. So, I think if it was used regularly there would be a more profound change. The consistency of the soap is very loose and not at all thick. Not sure if that will impact how much is used. Overall, if you have really dry skin I would recommend you give this product a try.

#freeproduct from #hometesterclub

Garlic Bagels

Mmmm... yes, fresh made bagels are so good.  Garlic bagels are one I have been making every other week for awhile now and sometimes as a double batch.

Originally, I was dividing the dough into equal balls once it was ready and having 8, but the last couple of time I have divided it out into 10. My husband said they are more normal bagel size now. I guess it is all about how big a serving of bagel you are wanting. 😊

These are really not overly time consuming. I have a stand mixer and so they don't require kneading the dough by hand either. Yay.

2 teaspoons yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons of white sugar
1 1/4 cups of warm water
3 1/2 cups of bread flour
3/4 tablespoon granulated garlic (could use garlic powder as a sub)
2 tsp salt

oil
fresh minced garlic or pre-minced garlic (from the produce section at the store)
baking soda
corn meal

put the yeast, water, & sugar into the mixer bowl and let it sit about 5 min.

add the flour, salt, and garlic. Attach the dough hook, turn on the mixer speed 1 for a minute then up it to speed 2.  Mix it for 10 minutes.   Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl & cover with a piece of parchment (or pam type spray used on wax paper works) and cover that with a dry dish towel.

Leave it be for 1 hour.

Uncover and punch the dough.  Turn on oven to 425. Get a pot going on the stove filled 2/3 with water and bring to a boil.  oil 2 full size cookie sheets, dusting one of those with cornmeal.  divide the dough into 8-10 pieces/balls.  Poke your thumb through each and shape the bagel leaving the hole a couple inch wide and as you finish shaping sit it on the oiled sheet.

the water should be boiling now, add about 2 tablespoons of baking soda to it. 

add each to the boiling water (I only do one at a time) 1 at a time boiling each side 20-30 seconds.  Remove with a slotted spoon and put onto the oiled and cornmealed cookie sheet.  Once you have them all done, place into the hot oven and bake 12 minutes. Remove and add the minced garlic to the top and place back into the oven for about 5 min.  Remove from oven and transfer the bagels to a wire rack to cool.

I store mine in the refrigerator and toast them up with butter in the toaster oven. Mine keep for a week to 2 weeks in there if any last that long. You can freeze them though.

Tasty eats!  Buttered, with cream cheese, or even as sandwich bread.

Fluffy Pancakes from a mix

So, my favorite pancake is actually a from scratch recipe.  But sometimes you want just enough for one with no leftovers and a box mix can be that quick fix.

The generic brand of mix and a can of sparkling water. In this case, lemon bubly.

You just trade out the water and use the bubly. Equal liquid to what the serving size on the box called for. And in the same fashion, if you don't want as thick a batter add a bit more liquid when initially mixing. It will froth up a bit while mixing. Mix just til well blended. Ladle into a hot greased griddle or skillet and cook per usual for pancakes.

Has a great fluffy texture and a slight lemon taste. Yum.  I do not use syrup, ever, so not sure how that would taste.  But the pancakes themselves can be given this light tinge of flavor with fluff by changing up the flavors of sparkling water used. Lots of possibilities.

Happy eating.....

Cake mix

So, I finally tried using a cake mix with sparkly as the only liquid. But I don't drink much soda of any kind anymore (like maybe  1 to 2 cans worth a month, if that. I had some sparkling water though in the fridge from awhile ago and decided to try it. I not so long ago came across a blog that said it was good.

So, one box store brand yellow cake dumped in a mixing bowl. Emptied the can (12 ounce) of sparkling grapefruit water into it and whisked a min or two. Poured into a buttered and floured bundt pan and baked 30 minutes at 350. Once out of the oven, I let it sit in the pan 2-3 minutes and then turned it over on to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. It came out of the pan easily. 

While it was cooling, I made the icing. It is a teaspoon of vanilla, 4 drops of food coloring, close to 2 cups of powdered sugar, and enough water (just add a little at a time) make it thick enough to make it rope looking in appearance once mixed up. Drizzle over the cake and cool. 

The cake itself didn't rise quite as high overall I think. It was moist and very flavorful. However, it is very crumbly in a moist way. Lol. So, I would just say you should give it a try and see how you like it.

Cranberry Bagels

As of a month or so ago, I started making bagels. This is the most recent version. I have been making potato cracked peppercorn and also garlic bagels.

  These came out good, but I will likely reduce the fruit by 1/3 next batch to compare and decide which is better.

Recipe
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/3 cups warm water
2 tsp yeast (I use the red star brand I buy in 2 pound bag)
5 tblsp white sugar
1 tblsp soft or melted butter (the real thing)
1 tsp salt
1 cup of craisins
1-2 tblsp oil (for coating bowl for dough rise and also the baking sheet)
Cornmeal
Baking soda (couple of tsp to add to the water boil)

I have an 8 qt kitchenaid stand mixer, but any stand mixer works. If you don't have one you could mix everything and hand knead it awhile.

So, put yeast and warm water in the mixing bowl. Let sit 5 minutes. Add all other ingredients and use your dough hook turn to speed 2 and mix. Once formed into dough continue to mix for 10 minutes.

Then, put in oiled bowl and cover with a towel if bowl deep enough or a piece of wax paper sprayed with pan coating.  Rise til about double which is usually about an hour.

Punch the dough. Let it sit a few minutes. Divide it into 8 balls. Poke your thumb into each one shaping your bagel with a silver dollar sized hole and set on a  greased pan. Turn on the oven to 425. While it heats boil a pot of water. When water reaches boil add baking soda to it. Boil one or two if big enough pot at a time, about 30 seconds per side. Then remove and put on oiled baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Once done, bake for about 16 minutes. Remove from oven. Let sit a minute, and remove to a cooling rack.

Yum

After cooled completely I keep in the fridge so they hold up longer.

Fabulous homemade candy

This one is a definite keeper.

So glad I found this post Vegan "Butterfinger" Candy  It is only the second recipe for this candy I've found that doesn't use candy corn in it. The other, I tried before finding this post was a larger qty of some ingredients and following the instructions given made way thick candy which didn't have the right texture. It was much harder not as flaky. I was going make again with tweaks, but found this post and made it instead. 

The only change I made was cooking the syrup in the microwave. These turned out amazing and once enrobed in chocolate are pretty spot on. A great clone of the original. Yay! Hurray for homemade!

My photo has one pan (bottom left) of chocolate coated pecans. I will usually use up any excess chocolate coating nuts. No waste and you gain another snack.

Pumpkin love

As fun with carving is now mostly put aside for the time being it is time to focus more on holiday crafting. In the kitchen as well as with yarnie goodness.

However, my carves are available year round in the etsy store. Please check there often.