TWD: Cottage Cheese Pufflets

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie is Cottage Cheese Pufflets by Jacque of Daisy Lane Cakes. I thought I took pictures, but apparently I didn't. I plugged my camera in to upload my pictures and there were none of the Pufflets. Which is fine, since they were pretty ugly; tasty, but ugly.

I abhor cottage cheese. I hate the taste. I hate the texture even more. But I didn't want to skip yet another week, so I made them. And OMG I am so glad I did. They were soooo good. They were best when they were fresh out of the oven. Cold they weren't very good. Nuked in the microwave was better than cold ones. But fresh from the oven? OMG delicious! The dough was very sticky, which made them difficult to make. And although they were tasty, I don't think I'll be making them again.

My new love: MAC!

I've worn Mary Kay makeup exclusively for the last few years. I used to be a consultant and even when that stopped, I still had a closet full of stuff to use. Well that stash is drying up, and even what is left, is not usable or anything I'm interested in anymore, so I have begun to shop for cosmetics again. I started with new mascara and found some Max Factor that I liked ok. Then I decided that I NEEDED a red lipstick. So I went in search at Ulta and Sephora for the perfect red lipstick. And I couldn't find any. Then I went with my neighbor to Macy's and hit the MAC counter. And I foud the perfect red lipstick. And let me tell you that lipstick really IS perfect. I put it on at about 11 am the other day and it was still going strong at 8pm. It was amazing. The girl warned me when she was ringing me up that once you go MAC you never go back, and I'm afraid she may have been right!

TWD: Flaky Apple Turnovers

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie is Flaky Apple Turnovers chosen by Julie of Someone's in the Kitchen. I know this is a day late, but all day yesterday I thought it was Monday and then this morning I woke up thinking it was Thursday. It's going to be a long week since a lot of the kids' activities start up this week. I swear I have something every single day this week!


The kids love apple pie and warm cinnamon apples, TJ especially. I had extra apples and they both loved them. TJ didn't really like the dough part of the turnovers, but oh well. Gabby has been eating them for breakfast, snacks, and dessert, so they are obviously a hit with her. I think they would be fabulous with vanilla ice cream. I liked it better with the caramel sauce then plain. I think chopping up some caramels into little pieces and adding them to the apple mix so the insides were ooey gooey would be good too.

Soft Pretzels

I love soft pretzels. Auntie Annie's is my favorite mall salty treat. They are so buttery and yummy. So when I saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen, I knew I HAD to make them. These were really good. Not quite as good as Auntie Annie's, but definitely better than the frozen ones you get at the store and heat up in the microwave. I froze a bunch of them and then reheat them in the oven for a few minutes every now and then. They reheat wonderfully!

Soft Pretzels
Adapted from Martha Stewart

Makes 16 full-sized or 32 miniature

2 cups warm water (100°F to 110°F)
1 tablespoon + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 packet active dry yeast
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons canola or other neutral oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1 large egg
Coarse or pretzel salt

Vegetable-oil cooking spray

1. Pour warm water and 1 tablespoon sugar into bowl of electric mixer fitted with a dough hook* and stir to combine. Sprinkle with yeast, and let sit 10 minutes; yeast should be foamy.

2. Add 1 cup flour to yeast, and mix on low until combined. Add salt and 4 cups more flour, and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Beat on medium-low until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add another 1/2 cup flour, and knead on low 1 minute more. If dough is still wet and sticky, add 1/2 cup more flour (this will depend on weather conditions); knead until combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a lightly floured board, and knead about ten times, or until smooth.

3. Pour oil into a large bowl; swirl to coat sides. Transfer dough to bowl, turning dough to completely cover all sides. Cover with a kitchen towel, and leave in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size.

4. Heat oven to 450°F. Lightly spray two baking sheets with cooking spray (parchment paper, ungreased, also works). Set aside. Punch down dough to remove bubbles. Transfer to a lightly floured board. Knead once or twice, divide into 16 pieces (about 2 1/2 ounces each) or 32 if making miniature pretzels, and wrap in plastic.

5. Roll one piece of dough at a time into an 18-inch-long strip. [I find the pretzels much easier to roll on an unfloured board, oddly enough, but see what works for you.] Twist into pretzel shape; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel. Continue to form pretzels; eight will fit on each sheet (you may need a third sheet if making miniatures). Let pretzels rest until they rise slightly, about 15 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, fill large, shallow pot with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Add baking soda (and step back, it foams up quickly) and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Reduce to a simmer; transfer three to four pretzels to water. Poach 1 minute on each side. Use slotted spoon to transfer pretzels to baking sheet. Continue until all pretzels are poached.

7. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush pretzels with egg glaze. Sprinkle with salt. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire rack, or eat warm. Pretzels are best when eaten the same day, but will keep at room temperature, uncovered, for two days. Do not store in covered container or they will become soggy.

TWD: Chocolate Souffle

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie is Chocolate Souffle chosen by Susan of She's Becoming Doughmesstic. I've made chocolate souffle before, but not Dorie's. Last week we had hardwood floors installed in the living room and dining room and had almost all of the main floor repainted, so this is a little late.


I decided to make individual souffles since last time I did one large souffle. I should have gone with the large one. I burned the babies. They were still ok, but would have been better had they been cooked for the right amount of time.

What I've Been Working On

So this summer I've done some crafting. We redid TJ's room and I made a quilt, I made another quilt out of the kids' jeans that no longer fit, I made some wreaths. I am on a real fun kick.

Here are some of the projects:


This ribbon wreath was so simple to make. I bought wired ribbon and a metal ring and just tied the ribbons around it. So Cute!


The kids and I are obsessed with the new show Glee. They've watched it at least 20 times since it first aired last May. So for tonight's premiere, I made them those super cute shirts. I used my cricut to cut out a stencil from freezer paper and then fabric painted them and this morning they were done.