My Holiday Scavenger Hunt
No matter how hard I try to prepare for holidays there is always SOMETHING that gets missed or forgotten. Monday however, I thought I was sitting pretty! I had gone to the grocery store the night before to pick up must have items for the next day, I had my meals all planned out and I knew we weren't in danger of discovering every role of toilet paper had run empty simultaneously. I had made a loaf of banana bread the night before just to cross something off my list and shortly after getting up I started work on my soft pretzels.
I had gotten it into my head that I wanted to try using soft pretzels for hamburger buns. I think I saw it on the Food Network or someplace and thought it would be something I could easily try that would be fun and wouldn't break the bank. My trial run of making soft pretzels had been half successful. My husband and I loved them, the kids hated them. So I had even purchased some regular old buns to use as back ups in case my experiment turned disastrous and so the kids could use something different.
I got my yeast activated, mixed the flour, melted some butter, got the whole double batch mixed and set it up to rise. They I got out my cookie sheets to prep them. This is when I discovered the something I didn't have. Parchment paper. I know that some of you are thinking that isn't that big a deal and that you never use the stuff. Some others of you might even be thinking, what's parchment paper? It wouldn't have been such a big deal if I was just doing on batch but for the double batch I had made I would need to use 4 cookie sheets to bake them on. I had 2 nice ones and 2 destroyed ones. The 2 that are destroyed would definitely require a covering and the only answer was parchment paper... or I suppose to buy 2 new cookie sheets but it was labor day and everything was closed! What was I to do?
My parent's had stayed overnight at our house and we were all sort of putting our heads together to attempt to come up with a solution. I asked what stores would be open that might have it and all I could come up with was the possibility of Shoppers Drug Mart. I wasn't hopeful but it was really all that would be open. My dad then piped in with, "How about Tim Horton's?" I had thought about it and figured they might have used some but the locations hardly do any of their own baking any more and the one near us was just a tinny gas station one.
My dad and I hopped into the van and headed over to Shoppers to try my luck. That was strike one. I found the waxed paper, plastic wrap and tin foil but sadly parchment paper was eluding me. I took another swing at it and asked the woman I know that works there. Her response was, "What's parchment paper?" The manager then told me he didn't carry it and ducked quickly in case I made a swing at him. He then suggested a few places that I thought were unlikely to even be open, let alone have what I need.
So back into the van and my dad suggested once again we try Tim Horton's. I suspected he might have had ulterior motives for his coming along and for bringing it up again. He does have a rather severe addiction. Let's just say that if Timmies served booze we would have to have an intervention, he would have had several DUIs and would now be the proud owner of a non functioning liver.
Once we arrived at the front of the line and placed our order I asked the girl if they happened to have any parchment paper in the back and when she stared at me with a sort of glazed over and confused look I explained more of what it was and she said she would check. Shortly after a woman came out of the back and asked how much we needed. THEY HAD IT! I told he I was covering 4 cookie sheet and she reemerged a few seconds later with some perfect strips of cookie sheet sized parchment paper. She wouldn't take anything for them either.
My response while leaving was "Tim Horton's saves the day!" to which my father responded, "See, I told you Tim Horton's is the answer to most of life's problems." In this case it was true, although I am concerned it has only served to increase his dependance issues.
So thank you to the wonderful woman at the corner Tim Horton's! If it wasn't for you I would have had to have hopped my neighbours happened to have the somewhat uncommon baking supply and most likely ruined my experiment before even getting a chance to conduct it.
The soft pretzels turned out fine, we used them as hamburger buns and the verdict.... not guilty, or I mean good. It's more filling than regular hamburgers and buns since they are so dense. It's most likely a lot worse for you but definitely worth a try once in a while! It was a thoroughly Delicious meal, if I do say so myself and all home made.
If you are interested in making any of it for yourself you can find the pretzel recipe here.
The burgers were from my mom's "recipe". (I say it that way since she improvises a lot.)
The coleslaw was really good too and was made with only slight variations to this recipe. (Okay, I admit it. I improvise too.) I used bagged coleslaw mix though and this amount of dressing was enough for 2 bags. I added the green onions they suggest and put in about half the sugar but added some spicy mustard.
For desert we had a banana walnut bread with cream cheese icing. I've made it twice. Once with a bit of chocolate chips and once without. It was actually even better without, if you can believe that.
Hopefully next long weekend I won't need to be rescued from my own lack of a properly stocked pantry and things will run even more smoothly. Until then, happy cooking!
I had gotten it into my head that I wanted to try using soft pretzels for hamburger buns. I think I saw it on the Food Network or someplace and thought it would be something I could easily try that would be fun and wouldn't break the bank. My trial run of making soft pretzels had been half successful. My husband and I loved them, the kids hated them. So I had even purchased some regular old buns to use as back ups in case my experiment turned disastrous and so the kids could use something different.
I got my yeast activated, mixed the flour, melted some butter, got the whole double batch mixed and set it up to rise. They I got out my cookie sheets to prep them. This is when I discovered the something I didn't have. Parchment paper. I know that some of you are thinking that isn't that big a deal and that you never use the stuff. Some others of you might even be thinking, what's parchment paper? It wouldn't have been such a big deal if I was just doing on batch but for the double batch I had made I would need to use 4 cookie sheets to bake them on. I had 2 nice ones and 2 destroyed ones. The 2 that are destroyed would definitely require a covering and the only answer was parchment paper... or I suppose to buy 2 new cookie sheets but it was labor day and everything was closed! What was I to do?
My parent's had stayed overnight at our house and we were all sort of putting our heads together to attempt to come up with a solution. I asked what stores would be open that might have it and all I could come up with was the possibility of Shoppers Drug Mart. I wasn't hopeful but it was really all that would be open. My dad then piped in with, "How about Tim Horton's?" I had thought about it and figured they might have used some but the locations hardly do any of their own baking any more and the one near us was just a tinny gas station one.
My dad and I hopped into the van and headed over to Shoppers to try my luck. That was strike one. I found the waxed paper, plastic wrap and tin foil but sadly parchment paper was eluding me. I took another swing at it and asked the woman I know that works there. Her response was, "What's parchment paper?" The manager then told me he didn't carry it and ducked quickly in case I made a swing at him. He then suggested a few places that I thought were unlikely to even be open, let alone have what I need.
So back into the van and my dad suggested once again we try Tim Horton's. I suspected he might have had ulterior motives for his coming along and for bringing it up again. He does have a rather severe addiction. Let's just say that if Timmies served booze we would have to have an intervention, he would have had several DUIs and would now be the proud owner of a non functioning liver.
Once we arrived at the front of the line and placed our order I asked the girl if they happened to have any parchment paper in the back and when she stared at me with a sort of glazed over and confused look I explained more of what it was and she said she would check. Shortly after a woman came out of the back and asked how much we needed. THEY HAD IT! I told he I was covering 4 cookie sheet and she reemerged a few seconds later with some perfect strips of cookie sheet sized parchment paper. She wouldn't take anything for them either.
My response while leaving was "Tim Horton's saves the day!" to which my father responded, "See, I told you Tim Horton's is the answer to most of life's problems." In this case it was true, although I am concerned it has only served to increase his dependance issues.
So thank you to the wonderful woman at the corner Tim Horton's! If it wasn't for you I would have had to have hopped my neighbours happened to have the somewhat uncommon baking supply and most likely ruined my experiment before even getting a chance to conduct it.
The soft pretzels turned out fine, we used them as hamburger buns and the verdict.... not guilty, or I mean good. It's more filling than regular hamburgers and buns since they are so dense. It's most likely a lot worse for you but definitely worth a try once in a while! It was a thoroughly Delicious meal, if I do say so myself and all home made.
If you are interested in making any of it for yourself you can find the pretzel recipe here.
The burgers were from my mom's "recipe". (I say it that way since she improvises a lot.)
The coleslaw was really good too and was made with only slight variations to this recipe. (Okay, I admit it. I improvise too.) I used bagged coleslaw mix though and this amount of dressing was enough for 2 bags. I added the green onions they suggest and put in about half the sugar but added some spicy mustard.
For desert we had a banana walnut bread with cream cheese icing. I've made it twice. Once with a bit of chocolate chips and once without. It was actually even better without, if you can believe that.
Hopefully next long weekend I won't need to be rescued from my own lack of a properly stocked pantry and things will run even more smoothly. Until then, happy cooking!
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