0 Laugenbrezel German Style Soft Pretzels We Knead To Bake 8

As per wiki,A pretzel is a type of baked bread made from dough most commonly found in a unique knot-like shape. Pretzels originated in Europe,the traditional pretzel shape is a distinctive symmetrical looped form, with the ends of a long strip of dough intertwined then, twisted back into itself in a certain way.Pretzels are often seasoned and flavoured with various salts,sugars or seeds or with nuts.For this months We Knead To Bake, Aparna chosed both soft and hard pretzels, pretzels are in my to do list since a long and seriously i was longing to do them at home since we tasted them during our visit to Strasbourg.

I chosed to baked Aparnas Soft Pretzels, this authentic German pretzel aka Laugenbrezel has a dark brown, crispy,salty crust and inside a soft dough. Its has a plump body and thin crispy but not dry crossed arms while the hard or crunchy pretzels are an American invention.Usually Pretzels goes an egg wash after the soda bath, to give them more shine, but i left the egg wash here and sprinkled the sesame seeds. These pretzels are egg free,if dont have or dont like sesame seeds you also sprinkle sea salt as like the authentic pretzels. Am running my fourth week of blogging marathon with Kids delight-After school bites, and pretzels suits incredible pect for evening snacks when served with a cream cheese,my kids enjoyed thoroughly these soft pretzels. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#31.. Sending to Bake fest hosted by Manjula,event by Vardhini.

Recipe Source: My Recipes
2 +1/4 tsp Dried active yeast
1+ 1/2 tsp Sugar
1cup Warm milk
3 + 1/4 cups All-purpose flour
1tsp Salt
6cups Water
2tbsp Baking soda
1tsp Cornmeal
2tbsp Milk
2tbsp White sesame seeds
2tbsp Black sesame seeds

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm milk and allow that to stand for about 5 minutes.

Add the 3 cups flour and salt to the proofed yeast and stir until a soft dough forms.

Turn dough out into a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.

The dough will feel slightly sticky, so add a bit of flour as and when necessary while kneading. This should take about 8-10minutes.

Form the dough into a ball and place in a large oiled bowl, turning to coat the dough with oil.

Cover and allow the dough to rise for about 40 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.)

Deflate the dough, cover and let it rest 5 minutes. Divide dough into 12 equal portions.

Work with one portion at a time and cover remaining dough to prevent it drying.

Roll each portion into an 18-inch-long rope with tapered ends. Cross one end of rope over the other to form a circle, leaving about 4 inches at end of each rope.

Twist the rope at the base of the circle. Fold the ends over the circle and into a traditional pretzel shape, pinching gently to seal.

Place pretzels on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise 10 minutes,pretzels will rise only slightly.

Put the 6 cups of water and baking soda in a non-aluminium pan and bring to a boi.

Turn down the heat and simmer. Gently lower a pretzel into the simmering water.

Cook on each side for about 15 seconds. The pretzel will  puff up a bit.

Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and place on a greased wire rack.

This will prevent the pretzel from sticking to the rack. Repeat with the remaining pretzels.

Place the pretzels on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal or semolina. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake at 425F for 12 minutes or until pretzels are deep golden brown.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Serve warm with a dip of your choice or just plain.

They are best to eat fresh on the same day.

0 For Those About to Gestate We Salute You

“Aw, look. You’re having a Hellboy.” – our friend Chad

There comes a time in a young-ish married lady’s life when she looks at her husband and has to make a choice, to a) beat him in Scrabble, b) mold his beard into funny shapes, or c) do it. And sometimes, choosing “c” results in being 12 days late with her ladytime, taking four negative pregnancy tests followed by a fifth positive one, and then gaining 400 pounds, roughly half of which is fetus and its accompanying goo. (Note: The other half is burgers and lemonade.)

Which is to say, I’m knocked up. (Due on Cinco de Mayo! Break out the virgin margaritas.)

Yay! Husband and I and ESPECIALLY OUR PARENTS are thrilled with this development, as it means our familial line will continue for at least another generation, or in nerd terms, through iPhone57G. We look forward to all the cuteness and wonder and giggles and poop, which weve been assured there will be lots of. In fact, we’re even looking forward to the inevitable moment when the baby pukes into our open mouths, which, if friends and family on Facebook are to be believed, happens alarmingly often.

And while were over the moon, I gotta tell you guys – pregnancy is kind of funky.

Don’t get me wrong - the prospect of introducing a new human to the wonders of Pixar and brownies is dumbfounding in its awesomeness. But my first trimester was a little rough. Meaning: I did not take the Barftrain all the way to Vomitville, but I did make a month-long stop in Queasytown. (Motto: “Where you always feel like s**t.”)

There was a span of about two weeks during which I slept negligibly, ate weirdly, and cooked nothing – not a slice of toast, not a bowl of cereal, not liver with fava beans with a nice Chanti. We subsided mainly on Chipotle and the kindness of passing Chinese takeout delivery boys, who, as it turns out, per to be paid for their troubles. My diet was neither cheap, nor healthy, nor particularly good, unless you count the burgers. And there were many.

It’s Month #4 now, and the nausea has finally begun to subside. I’m cooking again, and my appetite has returned with all its friends and relatives. According to the medical books (a.k.a. Manuals of Horror) Ive read, the rest of my pregnancy should proceed thusly:

Month 1: Sore bosom
Month 2: Fatigue
Month 3: Nausea
Month 4: Raging indigestion
Month 5: Pregnancy … thing … bus … uh, brain
Month 6: Carpal Tunnel Body
Month 7: Hormone conflagration
Month 8: Beatlemania
Month 9: Gigantism
Month 10: Pass a human through my nethers

Im looking forward to it - the pregnancy, the birth, and especially the whole "raising a child" part. Because Ive tried to teach the cat how to read, and hes just not getting it.

In the meantime, Ill blog when I can, hopefully regarding food. And if yall have any suggestions? Im all ears. And abdomen.

0 What Should We Eat to Lose Weight

Hi,

Brad Pilon has revised his book "Eat Stop Eat" and since I am on his mailing list from having purchased his last version I have been given the opportunity to read his revision and provide feed back to him, if I have any, before he publishes it. What a great idea. In my former life I was a proof reader and typesetter so this is "old hat" to me and I enjoy doing it. So I am again reading his book and thinking about some of his statements.

I am again struck by this one: ...research was trying to uncover the completely backwards idea, "What should we eat to lose weight?"

Sometimes it is so simple we do not see the forest for the trees. When a person wants to lose weight they immediately look for a "diet plan," or "way to eat," which nearly always has a "diet guru" to go along with it. The guru can be a person, like a celebrity, or an organization, like Weight Watchers, etc.

In reality the only thing that is needed is an actual calorie reduction. It is not completely about that, but the main thing of impact is the reduction in calories. Some people, like me, also need to pay attention to how many carbs are eaten, but, for the most part, if you simply eat less you will lose weight.

By far the easiest way that I have found to reduce calories is with intermittent fasting. You give up a few meals a couple of times a week and voila! you have reduced your calorie intact while not really changing how or what you eat the rest of the time.

The only pit fall is if you suddenly start eating more in between fasts. That is the formula for gaining weight. Remember the Sumo Wrestler exercises, fasts every morning, and eats two 10,000 calorie meals -- every day. (http://blogspot.com/2012/06/same-dedication-different-goal.html)

Is it not eating excessive amounts of food that makes us fat? So does it not follow that not eating food for a period of time would help you to lose weight? And guess what.... weight loss is not the only result. During a 24-hour fast blood sugars improve, cholesterol improves, fat is actually used rather than stored, and you feel alert, alive, and peppy, too.

Think about animals in the wild. They hunt down some food, kill and eat. Then they go without, until they find something more to eat. The ancient human hunter/gatherer did the same thing. Find a rabbit and some berries. Have a feast. The food is gone so now they fast until they find some more food to eat which could be on the same day, but was very likely, the next day.... or even the next. Water, in this scenario, becomes really important.

In between eating, they drank water.... as they fasted. Did they not per to live near water? Did not civilizations grow up right next to a body of water?

So now. Looking at my own life, when I fast for two 24-hour periods each week, I either maintain my weight or lose a little -- I dont usually gain. If I eat veggies and protein in between fasts, my body likes it better.

I started my fast today at 11:30 after eating a breakfast of steamed broccoli and lemon slices with two eggs over easy. It is always easier to start a fast after eating a nice healthy meal.

Ill go swimming in a little while, and then tomorrow at 11:30, Ill eat again.

If I do that a couple of times a week. I am in like flint.

The hard part for me is sometimes I just dont want to. I get lazy and want to do things my way (which is the way that got me into trouble in the first place). Reading Brads book always gets me motivated again because it reminds me of all the benefits of fasting.

Seeking the Lord is the same, in that if I remember the benefits, it is so much easier, and becomes more constant in my life. It is the constancy that I want.

Psalm 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Read the rest of Psalm 103 and you will be blessed.

Be back soon,

Marcia

0 Do We Give Our Children Too Many Vaccines

The Problem with multiple vaccines
There is growing concern among parents regarding the number of vaccines that children now receive. Children are required by government schools to have completed the required vaccines prior to enrolling in school. The list of required vaccines continues rising, along with the costs. The number of vaccines raises concerns about safety and reasons for the large numbers of vaccines.

To put the situation in perspective consider that about one hundred years ago, children received a single vaccine for smallpox. Over time, the number of vaccines increased to five, which was about forty five years ago. These five vaccines were for diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, polio, and smallpox. In the past forty years the number doubles to where todays children receive 11 routine vaccines. Many of the vaccines are in the form of multiple shots.

Increasing costs of vaccines
In the early 1980s the cost to immunize a child with the required vaccines was $75 to $100. Not only has the number of vaccines doubled, the cost has more than doubled. Presently the cost of obtaining the recommended vaccines is about $1,250. Even accounting for inflation, the increase in cost is dramatic. The cost is about to become more for teenage girls. The vaccination that reportedly protects against cervical cancer costs about $360 for a three dose series, which raises the total for the vaccines to about $1600. Although the number of shots has been reduced, the combination shots make it difficult to trace down which shot children are experiencing a reaction to when there are side effects.

Number of Antigens Children are exposed to
Part of the reason for the increased costs is that many of these vaccinations are for multiple antigens. (An antigen is a compound which when introduced into your body stimulates your immune system to produce chemical substances called anti-bodies. These antibodies are instructed to either kill or neutralize any substance they consider a threat.)

The combination shots increase the cost of the vaccines. One of the reasons for the combo shots is an effort to reduce the number of physical injections the child receives. In terms of the number of chemicals injected into the developing bodies of children is amazing.. When a girl receives all doses of all the recommended vaccines, the number of antigens received is 156 in the form of 45 shots. Boys, on the other hand receive 144 vaccine antigens in about 42 injections.

Think about that for a moment. When you follow the vaccine schedule, you are introducing 144-156 alien chemicals into your childs developing body. Since they are vaccines, these chemicals are injected into the body and bypass the natural defenses of the body. You might consider it foolish to take your infant through 150 different chemical plants so that they could be exposed to those substances, yet when you follow the schedule, you are taking similar action. If your child is sensitive or allergic to many foreign chemicals, the introduction of this many chemicals in so short a time span is asking for trouble.

The government recommends many vaccinations. The required vaccinations include: hepatitis A and B; inactivated poliovirus (IPV); rotavirus; haemophilus influenzae Type B (Hib); measles, mumps, rubella (MMR); pneumococcal conjugate (PCV); varicella (chickenpox); influenza; and diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP). In addition, there is Tdap - tetanus diphtheria and acellular pertussis vaccine and meningitis vaccine (MCV4) for those entering high school.

Vaccine Reactions
Researches have documented reactions to the pertussis and chicken pox vaccines. The danger with the chicken pox is that many of those vaccinated develop shingles within 10 years of the vaccination.

Vaccination has been cited as one of the ten greatest public health achievements of the 20th century. However, it doesnt require an advanced degree in science to grasp that the public health accolades, celebrating high vaccination rates and low infection rates, have lead to serious health consequences across the globe. Among those consequences are biological reactions to vaccine ingredients. Vaccine ingredients seem to be playing a substantial role in some of todays health problems.

Sometimes it is the additives to the vaccines that create problems rather than the vaccines themselves. Gelatin, one of many ingredients often used has been documented to cause allergies and asthma. Vaccines known to contain gelatin include chickenpox, MMR, Boostrix (a pertussis booster for teens), Tripedia (DTaP) and Zostrix which is the vaccine used for adult shingles.

Formaldehyde is another dangerous additive. It is used to inactivate some of the bacteria in the vaccines. It has also been found to interrupt the normal function of the immune system. Although the CDC site downplays the exposure and danger of formaldehyde, the National Cancer Institute identifies it as known human carcinogen. Formaldehyde, besides being a preservative for lab specimens, can cause watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes and throat, nausea, difficulty in breathing and asthma attacks. The chemical is categorized as a hazardous chemical on eight federal regulatory lists. With the current vaccine children receive more than ten times the recommended safe amounts. Vaccines containing formaldehyde include DTaP, polio, and influenza.

MSG is another common additive. MSG is added to stabilize the vaccines. MSG is often used as a flavor enhancer, yet in some populations, the substance agitates the neural system. MSG is considered by many to be an excitotoxin due to the way it agitates or excites the nervous system.

Egg proteins are also contained in some vaccines. Although government sites downplay the potential reaction, people who are allergic to egg proteins may react to these substances.

Another type of additive in many vaccines are adjuvats. These are chemical substances used to enhance the potency of the vaccine chemicals. The adjuvats amplify the effects of the vaccine. There are many types of chemicals used to increase the potency of vaccines. Variations of aluminum salts are often used in human based vaccines. At times, oil based adjuvats are included in vaccines. One of the controversial ones is squalene. Squalene triggers a strong auto-immune response to antibodies. Squalene is controversial in many circles. According to the CDC, no vaccines produced in the US contain squalene.

"There is no squalene in any FDA-approved vaccine in the US. There is no squalene in any kind of seasonal flu vaccine or in the H1N1 vaccine."-Patricia El-Hinnawy

This is in contradiction to the statements of vaccine manufacturers. One spokesmen at GlaxoSmithKline, claims that its vaccines do have squalene.

"A novel feature of the two H1N1 vaccines being developed by companies Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline is the addition of squalene-containing adjuvants to boost immunogenicity and dramatically reduce the amount of viral antigen needed. This translates to much faster production of desired vaccine quantities."-Meryl Nass, MD

With all the controversy, it behooves parents to consider the old Latin phrase, "Let the buyer beware". You will need to investigate matters yourself and find medical information you trust.

Follow the Money
The sales figures for preventative vaccines in 2007 amounted to $16.3 billion. This is an increase from the $11.7 billion generated in 2006. Since many vaccines are mandated by governments, the likelihood of the sales declining is low. The portion of these numbers that were for pediatric vaccines was $8 billion.

Jeff Murrah, LPC, FT, LCDC is a counselor with over 30+ years of experience in dealing with addictions and mental health issues, including reactions vaccine reactions. His experience has led to the writing of this and other articles on similar issues. He can be reached at http://www.RestoreTheFamily.com

Article by : Jeffrey Murrah, Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeffrey_Murrah