Homemade Bagels

I have tried many different bagel recipes over the last couple of years and I think I finally found one that I can handle and do without too much difficulty. I love the fact that my kids can help do these as well so it doesn't take all day to make them. If there is any left after a couple of days, I slice them and then put them in the freezer so they are an easy pull for a breakfast.

I got the recipe originally from my friend Debbie but I have taken the time to tweak it a bit for my family.

BAGELS

1 cup water or thawed frozen juice concentrate (can also use potato water if you kept some from when you cook pototoes, or boil one potato in 2 c water and measure out a cup)

1 Tbsp or package yeast

1 Tbsp honey

4 cup flour(you can use part or all whole wheat flour)

1 Tbsp salt

1 egg

1 egg, separated (reserve yolk for egg wash)

3 Tbsp oil

1. Proof yeast in 1/2 cup of water and 1 Tbsp honey. How to proof the yeast...In a small bowl, proof the yeast with a tablespoonful of sugar or honey, and very warm water. "Lukewarm" it's called - I always thought that meant barely warm but actually it means almost hot. Run the water over the inside of your wrist - it should feel warm but not unbearable. Stir the three ingredients together and let sit about five minutes. Here's why you do it in a small bowl: if it doesn't froth and bubble, but dissolves and lies flat or doesn't dissolve at all, you've either killed it or failed to activate it. Dump it out and begin again. This way you've only wasted a bit of yeast rather than a bowlful of flour, etc.
   
   
2. Add 1/2 cup of liquid, salt, egg, egg white and 2 c flour to the yeast once it is proof. Stir.
   
   
3. Add additional flour till dough isn't too sticky and can be kneaded and knead 8-10 minutes by hand or with mixer.
   
   
4. Let dough rise till doubled.
   
   
5. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a large pot and preheat oven to 425°.
   
   
6. Punch down dough, knead a little and divide into 12 pieces. Shape into bagels. Instead of rolling it out and joining to seal ends - I find they fall apart too easily that way. I roll them into a ball, flatten it, and then make an opening in the middle with my fingers, stretching the dough carefully as I do so.
   
   
7. Let stand about 10 minutes on oiled surface.
   
   
8. Use a slotted spoon to slide each bagel into pot of boiling water. Do NOT crowd. I do them in my wok and found that I can get four at a time in the water. Boil 2 minutes on each side, then place carefully on greased baking sheet (they will be very slippery!)
   
   
9. Egg wash: Mix egg yolk with 1 tsp water and brush on each bagel. Sprinkle with coarse salt, poppy or sesame seeds or minced onion, if desired.
   
   
10. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

To make other flavors:

• Cinnamon-Raisin: I have added 1-2 Tbsp. cinnamon and 1/2-3/4 cup raisins to the dough.
  
  
• Strawberry: thaw frozen strawberries--save the juice from thawing and use as part or all of the water. Mash a few strawberries(around 1/2 cup) to put in the dough.
  
  
• Blueberry: thaw frozen blueberries and use juice from thawing for part of the liquid. Put in 1 cup blueberries.
  
  
• Cinnamon/Sugar: skip the egg wash and when they come out of the oven brush with melted butter and then roll in a cinnamon/sugar mixture.

This post is linked to:

• Frugal Friday at Life As Mom!
• Food On Fridays at Ann Kroeker’s!
• Family Recipe Fridays at Vanderbilt Wife!
• Recipe Swap at The Grocery Cart Challenge!
• Friday Feasts at Mom Trends!
• Foodie Friday at Designs By Gollum!
• Fearless Friday at Home Ec 101!

2009-2010 Homeschool Curriculum

Summer is finally over for us! Last week, we were on vacation so I didn’t start school with my kids until this week! The last few days we have been tweaking the schedule and trying to get into a routine for the school year. I finally have finished figuring out exactly what we will be doing this year. Oh this is going to be a fun year!! I have added one more child to the mix of full time homeschooling! My daughter is going to be joining the older boys this year in keeping up with a school schedule. Along with sitting and listening to her brothers read history and science she is going to be learning to read. That is my main goal for this year…getting her reading!

Last year, I added in a few new items, Word of the Day and Music, and they were a fun addition to our school days. So we are going to continue with them this year. For Music, we will be doing it altogether and will be working on it one or two days per week. The Word of the Day is going to be worked into our daily work and used as part of our copy work exercises for the day.

My oldest son is pretty much a self-learner so he will be doing most of his year on his own with minimum effort from me. I choose what he will be learning along with scheduling it out and he does the work. My other two sons are so close in age, abilities, and learning styles that I try to work with them together on most things.

History and Science texts are used more as a study guide because we do more Unit Studies and Lapbooks for those subjects. I am still working on age appropriate book lists for all four of them and I will post at a later date.

Also we will be doing Art(weekly) and PE(daily), however, I didn't list them because we do these things altogether and as time allows for them.

Below is our eclectic curriculum that we will be doing this year!You will see that I mix several different free internet resources along with actual textbooks. I am borrowing several textbooks this year along with using the older editions of others that I have on hand. There is minimal out of pocket costs for me this year as I am using books that I already have on hand, the library or borrowing books from friends. My MIL is paying for biology labs for oldest son to participate in at the local homeschool building.

#1 son--Grade 8/9:

Bible:
**Bible Class Books
**list of Scripture to memorize
**Character Building
**Christian History
**Select Reading List

Math:
**BJU Algebra 1
**Consumers’ Math

English/Writing:
**Word of the Day
**Journal Writing

Reading:
**Fundamentals of Literature--BJU
**Poets Study
**Select Reading List—Book Reports and Comprehension Questions

Spelling:
**Spelling Connections Grade 8
**Spelling Connections Games

Handwriting/Copywork:
**Donna Young's Penmanship

Science:
**Biology—Exploring Creation with Biology
**Biology Labs

History:
**American History & Government
**World History

Music:
**Ambleside Composer Study
**Learn Music Notes


#2 son--Grade 6:

Bible:
**Bible Class Books
**list of Scripture to memorize
**Character Building

Math:
**BJU Math Grade 6

English/Writing:
**Scott Foresman Grade 6
**Journal Writing
**Word of the Day

Reading:
**BJU Reading Grade 6
**Select Reading List—Book Reports and Comprehension Questions

Spelling:
**Spelling Connections Grade 6
**Spelling Connections Games

Handwriting:
**Cursive--Handwriting for Kids
**Donna Young's Penmanship

Science:
**Observing God’s World—Grade 6

History:
**Abeka New World Geography

Music:
**Ambleside Composer Study
**Learn Music Notes


#3 son--Grade 4:

Bible:
**AWANA
**Character Building

Math:
**BJU Math Grade 4

English/Writing:
**Scott Foresman Grade 4
**Journal Writing

Reading:
**BJU Reading Grade 4
** Select Reading List—Book Reports and Comprehension Questions

Spelling:
**Spelling Connections Grade 4
**Spelling Connections Games

Handwriting:
**Cursive--Handwriting for Kids
**Donna Young's Penmanship

Science:
**Investigating God’s World—Grade 5

History:
**BJU Heritage Studies Grade 4

Music:
**Ambleside Composer Study
**Learn Music Notes


#1 daughter—Grade 1

Bible:
**AWANA
**Character Building

Math:
**Math Worksheets

English/Writing:
**Scott Foresman Grade 1

Reading/Phonics:
**Teach Your Child to Read 100 Lessons
**A Handbook for Reading
**Select Reading List
**Learn Sight Words

Spelling:
**Spelling Connections Grade 1
**Spelling Connections Games

Handwriting:
**Home Education Resources--Printing
**Handwriting for Kids--Manuscript
**Donna Young's Penmanship--Beginning Manuscript

Science:
**Learning Page Themes

History:
** Unit Studies(holidays, communities, etc)

Music:
**Ambleside Composer Study
**Learn Music Notes

This post is linked at:

• Thirsty Thursdays at Five Js!

Weekly Shopping Trip--Savings $60.02

Last week was a vacation week for my family, so I didn't post much and that included not posting the weekly shopping that I did before we left and while we were gone.

The day before we left for vacation, I went to Meijer to get a few sale deals, items that we would need to start our trip and items to have in the freezer so that I didn't have to go to the store the day we returned.

Here is what I purchased on my before vacation trip to Meijer:

• 1 pk night light bulbs $2.79
• 1 family pk bag chicken nuggets $4.99
• 1 family pk bag chicken patties $4.99
• 2 bags frozen corn $2.00
• 4 cups Easy Mac $2.00
• 5 boxes Brown & Serve Sausage $4.00
• 5 boxes pizza rolls $4.60
• 6 Totinos pizzas $4.17
• 2 bottles Lysol All purpose cleaner $1.88
• 2 bottles Lysol bath cleaner $2.23
• 2 cartons Deans Ice Cream $5.48
• 2 Right Guard Deodorants FREE
• 4 pkgs Eckrich smoky links $7.00
• 12 Oscar Meyer Lunchables $11.00
• 4-9oz pkgs John Morrell deli meat $5.00

Total OOP with tax: $62.91

Total Savings: $56.28

Total without sales & coupons: $119.19

While we were on vacation, we stopped at Meijer to pick up a few things to compliment the items that my MIL had picked up for us to eat while visiting with her and to buy replacements of few beauty items we finished off. The following shows a glimpse of shopping with hubby and also not using coupons or much in the way of sales! I know that if I had done a bit more planning several of these items would NOT have been needed!

Here is the items we purchased during that Meijer stop:

• 2.54 lbs bananas $1.50
• 1 trial size deodorant 97¢
• 2 trial size toothpaste $1.98
• 1 bottle Juicy Juice $2.62
• 1 gallon Sunny Delight $2.99
• 2 lbs deli meat $7.98
• 2lbs baby carrots $2.50
• 2 Lunchable Juniors $2.00
• 1 bin Meijer bakery cookies $3.59 (40% off markdown rack)

Total OOP with tax: $28.44

Total Savings: $3.74

Total without sales & markdowns: $32.18

Grand Total OOP: $91.35

Grand Total Savings: $60.02

Grand Total without sales, coupons & markdowns: $151.37

This post is linked at:

• Shopping Round Up at The Grocery Cart Challenge!

Menu Plan Monday 9/6-9/12

Last week’s menus went pretty well! I had to do some switching around due to having “gravy” based meals several days in row but I managed to make everything that I had planned to make for the week!

This week’s shopping trip was just getting a few deals and items I needed for our vacation. Hubby is all set on his morning pop “fix” for the month too thanks to the sales for the holiday weekend!

This is a short week in the menu planning department as we are heading out on Wednesday for a fall family vacation. We are not doing anything too spectacular this year; we are just heading down to hubby’s mom’s house for several days. We are planning to meet up with one of hubby’s friends (he was the best man in our wedding) and his family for some catch-up time and fellowship. We are also attending hubby’s 20^th high school reunion. They are planning some family events along with just a couple’s type dinner. So we should be able to have some relaxing fun times and be refreshed for next week for hubby to return to work and the rest of us return to some kind of routine and start our school year!!

A special thanks to Laura-Organizing Junkie for hosting Menu Plan Monday! Need help with your menus; go check the over 300 other delicious meal plans that have been linked at Laura-Organizing Junkie’s site or look down in my right sidebar for my menu suggestion lists!

Sunday (9-6)

Breakfast: eggs, sausage or steak, hash browns, and chocolate donuts

Lunch: Clean Out Fridge

Dinner: Arby’s (after church)

Snack: snack basket

Monday (9-7)

Breakfast: cereal and toaster strudel

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: grilled bacon burgers served with French fries and fresh veggie tray

Snack: snack basket

Tuesday (9-8)

Breakfast: waffles and sausage

Lunch: Clean Out Fridge

Dinner: chicken nuggets and fish served with mac & cheese and green beans

Snack: snack basket

Wednesday(9/9) thru Saturday(9/12) = VACATION!!!!

Grilled Spicy Chicken

Here in the Midwest the summer months are basically over! It has been more like fall lately, but that doesn't keep me from grilling!! I love fixing grilled chicken and as long as the weather stays nice I will use my grill!

When I make chicken on the grill, I love to spice it up rather than just having plain ol' chicken. I mix up some kind of spice with some olive oil and then brush it on both sides of the chicken as it is on the grill. My kids call the results "grilled spicy chicken".

The other day I made some grilled chicken and brushed it with two different spices and left a few plain for those that don't like the spicy chicken. I made up one bowl of lemon pepper seasoning and olive oil and another bowl with Pampered Chef southwestern seasoning and olive oil. The results were scrumptious. I forgot to actually measure how much spice to olive oil I use to make the brush on mixture. If you are one that likes exact measurements I would say to use a ratio of 1/4 cup olive oil to about 3-4 TBSP. spice. The mixture should be a little runny but thick enough that when you go to put on the chicken that is on the grill it doesn't run all off the chicken.

Other spices that I have done mixed with olive oil are:

• Cajun seasoning
• Garlic Powder or Minced Garlic and Parmesan
• Italian seasoning

These are the ones that I have done because these are the spices that I have on hand consistently. I am sure that there is other spices that would make a yummy combination on the chicken.

The sides are endless that you could serve with this chicken. My favorite sides are rice with a dollop of butter and a nice green leafy salad!

This chicken works great for a leftover as well. I love to thinly slice it and put it on top of a green leafy salad for lunch the next day.

This post is linked at:

• Food On Fridays at Ann Kroeker’s!
• Family Recipe Fridays at Vanderbilt Wife!
• Recipe Swap at The Grocery Cart Challenge!
• Friday Feasts at Mom Trends!
• Foodie Friday at Designs By Gollum!