Feel Good Friday: Fun In The Kitchen
Hey there and Happy Friday!Got any fun plans for the weekend, guys?Nothing too crazy going on for me. I'm just honestly looking forward to catching up on sleep, working out, and maybe doing a couple local things.Anyway, when's the last time you got "lost in the kitchen?"What I'm asking is... when did you really just lose yourself in a "food project" and have some fun learning how to make something brand new?Well, on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day I was real busy making these next few things.
I wanted to share the recipes that I recently followed to make:
- German Pretzels
- Cheesy Beer Sauce (for dipping)
- Corn Chowder
Don't worry, there were a couple healthier things up in the mix:
- Paleo Nut Bars
- Chia Seed Pudding
For New Year’s Eve last weekend, Sam and I decided to just have a relaxing one in. We usually have plans to go out, but this time around we didn’t really feel to pumped to go out all night (especially after the weekend away). So to make it special for us, we made some stuff we’ve never made before—pretzels, cheesy beer sauce (for dipping), and corn chowder. A pretty carb-heavy, glutenous combo (haha), but we really just wanted to celebrate with some feel-good food.
Anyway, once I found what seemed like the best and most straight-forward recipes, I got started in the kitchen.
Making pretzels is no joke, guys. I didn't realize how time-consuming and specific the instructions were… things like allowing time for the yeast to work into the dry ingredients and rolling the dough to about 20 inches long each.
I ended up calling Sam in to help and he had some tricks up his sleeve to make rolling the dough easier like, using your hands in the air to roll it vertically instead of horizontally on a cutting board.The pretzels end up “setting” in the fridge for an hour before going into their boiling bath of water and baking powder.
They look good, huh?They were. :)
Here’s the full recipe to make German pretzels.
The cheesy beer sauce was all Sam.He'll be the first to tell you he's Mr. Condiment King. Haha.And he made a damn good one! It was perfect paired with the pretzels and offered a nice contrast of sweet and salty.
Go big or go home, right?
Here’s the full recipe for the cheesy beer sauce.
Next up was the corn chowder. I sometimes crave this stuff and I have no idea why…well, maybe it's because there’s a food truck outside work that makes the best corn bisque. I often daydream about it.This corn chowder recipe is really easy to make and requires very few ingredients. It’s actually a nice base recipe for you to elaborate on your own… like adding bacon bits or other veggies if you want. Not the healthiest, but definitely a crowd-pleaser.
And as always, once the soup sits overnight, it’s thicker and creamer the next day which rocks! Have you ever noticed that?
Here’s the full recipe to make corn chowder.
On New Year’s Day, I decided to make nut bars for the work week ahead. I had leftover almond flour in the fridge that I had been meaning to use, so I was excited to finally make something else with it.
I improvised a bit on this one because I had different nuts in my pantry—walnuts and pecans. So instead of buying more, I used those. And it still came out great.They may look a little funky, but I swear they are really yummy—and good for you.
Here’s the full recipe for the bars.Lastly, I whipped a healthy breakfast/snack option—chia seed pudding. Ever heard of it?I always have chia seeds on hand so this was an easy one. All you really need is chia seeds, almond milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and maybe some greek yogurt.If you don't like weird consistencies, this may not be for you. Chia seeds—when soaked—have an interesting bite to them. They are kind of gooey on the outside and crunchy on the inside.Give em a go!Here's the full recipe for chia seed pudding.
That's about it for today.Hope you enjoy making these recipes if you decide to give them a try. Just have fun with it. :) The kitchen can act as a lab sometimes... just experiment and learn along the way.Have a great weekend,Ari
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