pretzels

For my Fashion Week party, I'm putting together a menu full of iconic New York treats. I'll be hosting the party at my place, but since I want to kick back and have fun too, my dinner menu will be composed primarily of passed items.

Homemade pretzels and dill-pastrami bites are not only great snacks, but they're also quintessential New York eats. For something more substantial, I'll be serving a platter of steak with tomato dipping sauce, as well as small plates of Waldorf salad. To put together this effortless party menu, read more

When I saw the recipe Yum found for frozen mojito cakes, I knew I had to make them. A cross between key lime pie and a mojito, these individual cakes are everything you want in a summer dessert. They are sweet yet tart, cold but creamy, and downright delicious.The pretzel crust adds a salty flavor and crunchy texture. It's a scrumptious alternative to the classic graham cracker crust that I will definitely experiment with in the future. To get the ideal-for-entertaining recipe, which happens to be from the current issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine, read more

It really doesn't get much better than warm twisted pretzels sprinkled with salt except for maybe free warm twisted pretzels sprinkled with salt. If you're with me on this one, then you'll be pleased to hear that this Saturday, Feb. 2, mall favorite Auntie Anne's will be giving away free pretzels. The promotion is to celebrate their 20th birthday and completely free pretzels will be available from 10am to 4pm at participating locations. Oh and if you're not a salted pretzel fan, you should know, they're giving away cinnamon-sugar ones too.

And, in addition to free pretzels, they're also launching their What a Difference a Family Makes: A New Twist on Giving Back program that will recognize families who volunteer to make their communities better. If you know a family who deserves the recognition, the website will be open for nominations starting Feb. 2.

If you're looking for another baking challenge, be sure you check out chocolate-pretzel cookies. I've definitely added it to my must-bake list. — Smitten Kitchen

It seems like every food company is getting on the health kick these days. They're advertising products that are "made with whole grains," or "low in sugar," or "fat-free." It's easy to believe the printing on the packages, but I'm sorry to tell you that food companies are using all their marketing resources to sway you to buy their product.

Here's a list of some popular foods that sound healthy, but could be the total opposite:

Granola and granola bars - Whole grain oats are packed with fiber, but watch out. Some bars and cereals may include these nutritious oats in a sea of high fructose corn syrup and refined sugar.

Baked beans - Beans are an excellent source of protein and fiber, but many pre-made cans of baked beans are loaded with sugar. 1 cup of baked beans can contain up to 24g of sugar (that's about the same amount in an 8 oz. can of soda). Add plain canned beans to salads and soups instead.

Reduced fat peanut butter - Real peanut butter that's made with plain old peanuts is high in protein and also high in fat, but they're the healthy fats your body needs. When companies make reduced fat varieties, they basically take a small amount of real peanut butter and mix it up with fillers like sugar. Stick to actual peanut butter that's made with only peanuts.

Pretzels - Sure they may be a low fat snack, but many are made with corn syrup and enriched white flour (the kind that's refined and stripped of nutrition). So when you eat them, it gets converted into sugar quickly and makes your blood sugar spike up, leaving you tired, cranky and probably hungry soon after. Go for whole grain crackers instead if you're looking to satisfy your crunchy cravings.

English Muffins - Same as pretzels, these are mostly made with refined white flour which is completely devoid of fiber, protein, or vitamins. Look for 100% whole grain English muffins, or shoot for whole grain bread instead.

Fruit cocktail or applesauce - These may seem like an easy way to get your daily fruit, but many are made with added sugar and heavy syrups. Fruit is sweet enough on its own, so eat fresh fruit instead, and eat the skins whenever possible (it's packed with fiber).

Fit's Tip: Be sure to read all labels, even from foods you buy at health foods stores. Just because they seem healthy, doesn't mean they really are.

Source

When it came time to work on this week's baking project, I promptly thought of pretzels. My friend Molly's been bugging me all year long for soft baked pretzels, and every week I keep saying I'll do them next time. However it's her birthday this week, so I thought I would finally get around to it. I was out all weekend, so I knew I'd have to find an easy, weekday recipe. There's an hour of proofing involved, but the one I found goes together easily and tastes great too. You can get it started, and then set it aside to rise while you eat dinner. To check out the recipe for soft baked pretzels, keep reading.

My mom is never far away from pretzels. They are her all-time favorite snack and bags can be found in her car, her purse, and her bedroom. She goes through random pretzel phases - when I was young she only ate Rold Gold thin twisted and now she prefers Snyder's nibs and sticks (dip them in cream cheese for a PartyFamily classic snack time treat). If you love pretzels like she does, or if you haven't munched on the chip alternative, do so today because it's National Pretzel Day. Pretzels are believed to be the world's oldest snack and date back to 610 AD France. Back then, monks baked thin strips of dough into the shape of children's arms folded in prayer and then sprinkled the end result with a little bit of salt. The pretzel, which has many forms and textures (I prefer the crisp over the big, soft doughy ones you get at the mall), evolved from the soft chewy version into the crunchy hard variety due to a baker's error. Apparently the story goes that a baker accidentally put the dough in the oven before he allowed it to rise. He forgot about the pretzels baking in the oven (pretty crappy baker, right?) and baked them for much too long causing the pretzels to be hard and crunchy... and wildly popular.

What kind of pretzel do you enjoy?