Creamy Fruit Dessert

It's the summer time around these parts and honestly, it's just plain hot!  Where we live the temps stay in the 100's for the summer months and turning on the oven is not something I take pleasure in!  When I found this recipe I decided to tweak it up a notch to make it my own and let me tell ya, it is SUPER yummy, is pretty good for you, and doesn't involve the oven!  A win-win all around!

What I used:
1 large carton lowfat strawberry flavored yogurt
2 pkgs. (the smaller boxes) fat free/sugar free cheesecake pudding mix
1 large carton of fat free cool whip
11 oz. blueberries
a few banana's sliced up
a few strawberries sliced up

Mix up your pudding first and get that chilled.  Next, mix all the other ingredients together and chill for one hour before serving.

Seriously, it doesn't get much more simple than that!!

From my kitchen to yours, enjoy!!













Photo Credit and original recipe can be found here. 

Soft Pretzels

The first time I tried to make soft pretzels they turned out ginormous!

No kidding!

I've been kind of scared to try them again simply because the last time they seemed to want to eat me instead of the other way around because they were so big!!

However, I found this recipe and thought, "hmmmm if someone else made 'em and pinned it to pinterest it MUST be good, right?"  Well, the truth is YES!  They did turn out (normal size) and super yummy!!  I can take no credit for this recipe but I am thankful someone out there knew how to make these :)  I found the recipe over here: Homemade Pretzels.

What the recipe called for:

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)

3 ounces unsalted butter, melted

2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

Vegetable oil

3 quarts water

3/4 cup baking soda

1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water

Coarse sea salt

Directions: 

Combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. 

Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.

Oil a bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil.

Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Bring the water to a boil in a small roasting pan over high heat and add the baking soda.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. 

Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each. 

Roll each piece into a long rope and shape into the lengths or shapes that you want (sticks are easy and tasty).  

Boil the pretzels in the water solution in batches. Boil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon. 

Place pretzels on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure they are not touching. 

Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt. 

Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.

Add additional toppings immediately after they come out of the oven.

From My kitchen to yours, ENJOY!

Photo credit: Homemade pretzels