Quick and Easy Soft Pretzels Without Yeast

Are you tired of waiting an hour for pretzel dough to rise? Don't have any yeast in your kitchen? Well don't fret, I found this great recipe that's quick, easy, and delicious. The pretzels cook in 10 minutes. 

Serving Size: about 15 (depending on how big or small you make them... mine vary in size)

Sidenote: I got this recipe from another blogger just by googling how to make soft pretzels without yeast and it worked so well. I don't want to steal all the credit so I am posting a link to her blog but I will post the steps on here for you guys. Hers is not hard to follow either! Feel free to check her link but I'm going to tell you everything in more detailed easy steps. http://wyniskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/05/homemade-soft-pretzels-without-yeast.html

~ Ingredients ~

2 cups All Purpose Flour
3 tbsp Butter or Margarine
2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
1/3 cup Whole Milk (You can also use 2%)
pinch of salt
1 Egg (Make Egg Wash)

~My changes~
2 tsp Baking Powder 
Coarse Salt or Salt Flakes (I didn't use these, Just regular salt and still GREAT)

Also, I made two batches of dough and then put them together so you can do the same or double the ingredients. The ingredients here makes a small amount so I recommend doubling.
You will need more milk then that so keep your milk handy!

~ Dough Preparation ~

1. Pour flour into medium to large mixing bowl.

2. Add the butter.

3. Stir it together. The mixture will be (crummy is how she described but it wasn't that crummy), more so just until the butter is mixed in well. 

4. Add Sugar, Baking Powder and Salt and mix.

5. Add milk slowly until the mixture is all moisturized. (It helps if one person stirs while another pours but if working by yourself just do pour, stir, pour, stir... etc)

6. Make sure the dough is not too sticky, and not too dry. Mix in more milk little bits at a time until you get it the proper dough texture.

(Some Extra tips for first time doughers)- I kneaded my dough with my hands in order to get the milk and mixture into a proper dough form. 
- It took a little while to find the perfect texture
- Here's a tip that helped me: when you think you have a good dough, take off a small chunk and try to roll it out into a long snake like structure.
- If it breaks apart, add some more very small amounts of milk or a dab of water; if too sticky, more flour. but be careful not to put too much flour. Good News: Since there is no yeast being used, you don't have to wait for it to rise!

Now that you have your dough you are ready to move on to the fun part!

~ Pretzel Shaping ~

7. Take a fairly small ball of dough (not too big, not too small, experiment and you'll figure it out)
and roll it into a long snake like structure (there are also you tube videos to help)

8. Make an n shape. Take both ends and fold them across each other once. Then fold it over the top part. (It's hard to explain so if you need help, feel free to search the internet. But come back here after cause you're not finished yet). 

Be creative. You can make them the normal pretzel shape, twist both ends, or use fun cutouts. I made pretzel shapes, and cutouts. 

 ~ Cooking ~

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Make egg wash by mixing the egg with water or just using the whites, without the yolk. 

Grease the pan before placing the Pretzels on it. 

Brush the egg wash over the pretzels and sprinkle with salt. 

Place in oven for 10 or 11 minutes. They will start to brown around edges. They are done when they look nice and golden... 

and VOILA! Easy homemade, no long wait, no yeast pretzels. 

I dipped mine in honey and it tasted delicious.

ENJOY!!!

<3**~**SUNSHINE GIRL**~**

Clogged Sinuses?

When I get sick, the part I hate the most is my sinuses being clogged. When my nose is stuffed, I can't smell, hear or taste, and my head feels like it is going to explode from all the pressure, I get so irritated. The worst of these things is clogged ears. I feel like my head is stuffed in a box and every noise around me is so muffled. This year, I had gotten the flu pretty bad, and after Day 2 I couldn't take it any longer! Since boiling hot and steaming water hasn't been helping me lately, I thought I would try to share a tip that has worked!

FunFact - Did you know that Koala's don't drink? They get all their nutrition from ingesting Eucalyptus leaves!

Koalas are my favorite animals :] 

but they aren't the only Eucalyptus lovers on this planet. (If you don't want to read my wonderful rant... you can proceed below)
My family took a vacation to Ocean City, MD for a weekend, for my brother's birthday, a few years back. When we got there, I wasn't feeling well but I went to sleep and didn't think anything of it. The next day, my family decided to run to the beach and I could barely get out of bed. My mom checked and sure enough I had fevers. Isn't that great... being sick at the beach. Talk about a vacation!

It turned out, it really was great. Because if we weren't there I would have never got to enjoy the pleasures of the Eucalyptus Room, next to the Sauna, that our hotel had. Who knew?!

So ...yes, yes... here it is, and I bet you know what's coming!

~Eucalyptus Leaves~

This plant is a great and soothing remedy when you are sick.
A. Steam them over the stove and breathe them in.

B. Chop them up in a bowl and breathe them in.
C. Be creative with them, as long as you are receiving them into your body,
They are so relaxing and helpful when you are sick. 

Thanks for reading.

~ Hope this helps! Feel Better! ~

<3**~**SUNSHINE GIRL**~**