the latest on laila

we let laila go outside until about 9.30 pm this way she's not going too long without being able to pee and it gives her some run-around time if she has energy to burn. but if she gets to barking, we try to get her in, so we're not disturbing our neighbors. we've got an older couple on one side, and i'm sure they aren't up much past 9.30, so don't want to wake them up. and on the other side is a woman with 4 kids. she has one autistic child who is afraid of any and all animals, so his outside time is after dark when there aren't any birds or bees flying around. this has proved to be a bit of a challenge for us, since they have a tendency to stay up (and outside) til 1, 2, 3 in the morning. when your bedroom windows are right next to their back yard, sleeping becomes non-existent. however, i digress.

so the other night, we were outside and laila ran to the corner of the yard (she sees the rabbits running around our yard before she even leaves the house!), and started immediately barking. at first we thought she was just barking at something in the green area behind the house (deer, rabbit, cat) and quite possibly, that's what got her started, but once she started, she wouldn't stop, because her bark was echoing off of *something*. i thought it was another dog answering her call, but my music man pointed out to me that no, in fact, it was her echo. and she kept barking.

you probably had to be there, but it was HILARIOUS!

then yesterday, we were putting together our new bed, and we got the rails attached, but not bolted. laila decided that she was going to "help" so she stood in the middle of the headboard, footboard and rails with us. when we finished that part, both of us hopped out and walked away. then turned around and realized that she was "stuck" in the middle. she couldn't go under, and she wouldn't go over (for whatever reason). i even went and got one of her new favorite treats, and still, she couldn't get out. my music man had to physically lift her front legs over the rail so she would hop out. poor pup. stranded in the middle of an empty bed frame and no way to get out.

bagels

those of you that know me well, know that everyday i lived in NY i would eat a bagel for breakfast. when i lived in maywood, there was a great bagel place downtown where i would stop and get a bagel on my way to the bus. then when i moved to brooklyn, my bagel spot was right next to the subway entrance. there were days i would walk into the shop and the line was out the door. if they saw me on line, they would make me my bagel before my turn and hand it to me with out even having to order it. gawd i love bagels.

then i moved to texas. texans don't know bagels. they think bagels are einstein's bagels. NOT! i mean, they have their redeeming qualities, i'm just not sure what those qualities are.

so the other day, as we were watching diners, drive-ins and dives on food network, the show's host went to a place that made fresh NY style bagels. i *had* to watch.

to track back a bit, we've been making pizza a lot. we have a food processor and i found a recipe for pizza dough that i could make in about 15 mins (with out rising) all in the food processor. so when they said on the diners show that the dough was similar to pizza dough, i started thinking...then watched some more. it looked easy! make the dough, let it rise, shape the pieces, let it rise again, boil, cook. i thought, how hard can this be?

i set out this weekend to make bagels. and bagels i made. NY style, the kind i've been missing for 3 years since i left the NY tri-state area. and let me tell you. not only were they easy, but they were sooooo good!



so i'm posting the recipe here. not as i found it by emeril on food network, but as i made it. i'm going to try it with some wheat flour, and my music man likes blueberry bagels, and well, i'm going to experiment, but here's the basic recipe. try it! let me know if you like it! i also halved the recipe because if they weren't good, i didn't want to waste all those ingredients. so here it is halved. will make 6 bagels:

Ingredients
1 cup warm water
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (one packet)
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 1/2 to 3 cups self-rising flour (the recipe called for all-purpose, i used self-rising by accident)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions
Combine the water, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of an upright mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Gradually add 2 cups of the flour and the salt, and mix until the mixture comes together.

Add 1/2 to 3/4 cups additional flour a tablespoon at a time to make a stiff dough, working with your hands. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and no longer sticky (my dough was sticky but not sticking to my fingers), about 5 minutes, adding just as much flour as needed. (Dough should be heavier and stiffer than regular yeast bread dough.)

Grease a large bowl with oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until almost doubled, about 1 hour. (i use the oven.)

Remove from the bowl and punch down the dough. Divide into 12 equal pieces, about 2 to 3 ounces each, Form each piece of dough into a smooth ball by rolling the dough into itself. Punch your thumb or finger through the middle then twirl around your finger (as a child would do or you would do with your keys). Repeat with the remaining dough. Place on a lightly greased surface, cover with a clean cloth, and let rest until risen but not doubled in a draft-free spot, 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Grease a baking sheet with the remaining oil.

In a large, heavy pot, bring water to a boil (don't fill the pot as you will be putting the bagels in the boiling water). Once it's boiling, add a teaspoon of baking powder. In batches, add the bagels to the water and boil, 30 seconds each side. Flip bagels on to a baking sheet lined with parchment (this will help the water drain off while you're boiling the rest of your bagels. Once they are all done, put onto the greased baking sheet. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool approx 10 mins on a wire rack. ENJOY!