Oktoberfest and Thanksgiving Fun

Our Oktoberfest celebration was on its way. I made chewy pretzels, coleslaw, potato salad and of course sausage (lager, chicken wing, spicy hot). If you want the best tasting sausage you have to visit Wayne Whites in Belle River. Happy Thanksgiving to the Hometown Clan, our family and friends - we love all of you and we are thankful to have each of you in our lives.

PHOTO CREDIT - Cynthia Burk, OurHometown.ca

Stoney Point - October 13, 2014 - We drove the boat to the marina after work on Friday - our last boat ride of the season. Great friends were here yesterday to help pull out our dock and boat lift.

Our Oktoberfest celebration was on its way. I made chewy pretzels, coleslaw, potato salad and of course sausage (lager, chicken wing, spicy hot). If you want the best tasting sausage you have to visit Wayne Whites in Belle River. Check out their website to see all they have to offer at www.whitesmeat.com.

I know summer is over but fall has so much to offer. The garden is still producing vegetables and the last of the flowers can't get picked quick enough (see our pics). Put on your bulky sweater and get outside to enjoy the fresh air with your family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving to the Hometown Clan, our family and friends - we love all of you and we are thankful to have each of you in our lives.

Soft Pretzel Recipe
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 packet active instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3-4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for the counter surface to knead (or mix of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour)
1 large egg, beaten coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir with a spoon until mixed. Don’t worry if you see some clusters of yeast.

Add salt and sugar; stir until combined. Slowly add 3 cups of flour, one cup at a time. Mix with a wooden spoon until dough is thick. Add 3/4 cup more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. If it is still sticky, I added about two tablespoons at a time. Poke the dough with your finger; if it bounces back, it is ready to knead.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead the dough for about four minutes and shape into a ball. With a sharp knife, cut ball of dough into six relatively even chunks (this is what I did and made six larger pretzels in picture - two separate batches for 12) or make into 1/3 cup balls for smaller pretzels. The measurement does not have to be exact. You can use as much or little dough for each pretzel as you wish as the size of the pretzel is up to you.

Roll the dough into a rope with an evenish diameter. Once you have your rope, take the ends and draw them together so the dough forms a circle. Twist the ends, then bring them towards yourself and press them down into a pretzel shape. Brush with egg to get the gorgeous brown colour.

Once you’ve done the recipe, you can play with it the next time and bake cheese, peppers and various spices into them OR make sweet pretzels with peanut butter and chocolate or cinnamon. So many options.

Pairing: Your favourite beer and a Riesling (go local with Cooper’s Hawk)