Soft Black Pepper Pretzels + Neighborhood Snapshots

A Pretzel Haiku:

Bread twist that is soft.

With salt, has the perfect taste.

How I love you so.

Did you know that Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry? I'm sure I learned that at some point in my high school English class, but since then those fun little facts have been pushed out of my brain to make room for non-fun adult type things, like bills and how to file taxes (without stabbing yourself in the eye repeatedly). Boo! Hiss!

Artisan Bread

One of the things I miss the most about living in America are the bakeries. Panera, Corner Bakery, Einstein Bros, the list goes on. Nevermind that they are chains, I don't particularly care. I love their freshly baked breads that completely blow the supermarket sawdust breads out of the water. Japan has their own niche of mom and pop bakeries, but the Japanese breads are not as hearty as the artisan or whole wheat versions I have come to know and love from home. They definitely have their place, but with a typically very soft and sweeter texture, they almost seem like breakfast or dessert breads instead of hearty sandwich or soup dunking breads.

Seafood en Papillote

As promised, y’all, here is a non-beef, perfect for the end of summer recipe! I don’t know what got into me last month… I posted way more beef recipes than I normally eat. Anyway, today is a fantastic dish. For you vegetarian (fish eating), dairy free and gluten free lovers out there, you’ll be extra happy! It’s fancy. It’s healthy (ish). It’s delicious. It’s Seafood en Papillote!

Back to Basics : 10 Minute Croutons

So the other day, when I was making the No Guilt Caesar Dressing, I realized I did not have any croutons in the house! Now I don't know about you, but for me, Caesar salad without fresh croutons is just sad and plain wrong.

Hamburger Buns

So it seems like everyone is making homemade hamburger patties for Memorial Day. I've decided to make something that's a little less common... Buns! In my opinion, they take the hamburgers to a completely new level. Soft, fresh, with loads of flavor- these babies are wonderful!

Ice Cream Monkey Bread

This bread is crack. I mean it- it's literally addictive. My friend Kim made this the first time I had it, and if I didn't like her so much I would think she were trying to sabotage my life with this bread. I was introduced to monkey bread a few years ago when Travis and I first met and his mom made it for one of my visits, and I instantly fell in love.... with the bread. Oh with Travis too, I guess!

Easter Hot Cross Buns

Happy Easter! How was your Easter Mass this morning? This year Travis and I decided not to go- last year I was working, and our experience on Okinawa is that services on the big holidays- really just Christmas and Easter- are absolutely insanely packed. Why, hello sardines, nice to smell you. Having to get there an hour early for parking and an actual seat in the pews takes some of the divine magic out of the service for me. My nuns from college would probably slap my wrists with a ruler if they knew I skip the major holiday masses- sorry, Sister. Having been forced to work many holidays over the past few years, I have come to learn that sometimes a walk outside on a beautiful day can bring as much revelation as a well written homily. And I'm ok with that. God did make the world, after all, and why not honor the resurrection by being outside on a beautiful day like today!