In Search of Bagels

One of hubby's favorite things about living in New York City was the bagels.  Since moving to Fort Worth, he has been on a mission to find delicious bagels but has been sadly disappointed.  While Einstein's has great schmears and a wider selection of flavors than some of the New York shops, the bagels just aren't the same.  We tried a local bagel shop, but their focus on menu variety takes away from their bagel prowess.  Then hubby heard about a Jewish deli, Carshon's, that served bagels. 

We went to Carshon's for breakfast one day in hopes of finding our go-to bagel place.  We each ordered an egg dish with bagels on the side (the best of both worlds).  Our only bagel option was plain, but we were willing to love plain if it was good.  The omelet was nothing to write home about, and the bagel didn't reach our possibly unrealistic standards.  Carshon's seems to have potential as a deli, but as a bagel place, it fell flat.

From the outside, Carshon's had promise as a great hole in the wall for bagels.

 The restaurant was fairly empty, which should have been the first sign that something was wrong.

My spanish omelet with peppers and onions was fresh and light, but the bagel didn't reach its potential.

Hubby's breakfast was also okay but not up to his standards.

Instead of looking at another disappointment as defeat, I decided to try my hand at making bagels from scratch.  I had read recipes for making bagels many years ago and was always a little curious.  Smitten Kitchen had posted Peter Reinhart's bagel recipe back in 2007, and I decided to use that one since it sounded like it might result in the most authentic bagels.  The recipe seemed complicated, and I definitely suggest reading it through all the way first.  As I looked through it, I found that it really wasn't that bad. 

Bread making in general requires a lot of time with rising and kneading, so I began the bagels on Saturday for our Sunday breakfast.  I followed the instructions and ingredients the best I could, using bread flour and honey instead of high gluten flour and malt syrup.  I took the steps one at a time and put my soon-to-be bagels in the fridge over night.  I kept telling hubby to expect rocks shaped like bagels since I didn't want to let him down. 

Sunday morning, I got ready to boil the bagels (this step sets them apart from bread rolls) and bake them.  Once they were out of the oven, hubby and I let them cool before hesitantly taking the first bite.  They weren't quite up to New York standards, but they were a great first try.  Hubby even said they were better than the bagels he has had in Fort Worth, which I take as quite a compliment.  For lunch, hubby made a sandwich with one of my homemade bagels, and he said they got better with time.  Next time, we are going to try to pump up the flavor and maybe wait just long enough for flavor to develop (though that might be tough).

Boiling the bagels is the key step to real bagels.

Here is an everything bagel ready for the oven.

Voila! A homemade everything bagel!

 The bagels turned out so pretty and they didn't taste too bad either.

The Glass Master

The Dallas Arboretum has had a Chihuly exhibit since hubby and I moved to Texas.  Chihuly is a glass sculptor and an amazing artist.  He is one of my mom's favorite artists, and I have heard so many great things about his incredible works of art.  When hubby and I got an invitation to a Rice alumni event at the Arboretum, we knew we had to go and see the fabulous glass sculptures in person.

 This piece greeted us at the entrance.

The event included a substantial boxed dinner and a tour of the Chihuly art lit up at night.  We saw old friends and met new ones as we reminisced over our times at Rice.  After our dinner, we followed around a guide learning about the artist, the art, and the construction of the intricate pieces.  It was so incredible to finally see a Chihuly piece in person.  They were just as I imagined they would be but grander and more vibrant.  Each piece took into cosideration it's surroundings in the exhibit and took inspiration from nature.  Even hubby was impressed by the sculptures.

The sculptures lit up at night were stunning!

While we were there, we also saw their preparation for fall.  They had an entire pumpkin village with houses covered in pumpkins and gourds.  Thousands of pumpkins lined the main path of the Arboretum.  Fall is hubby's favorite season, and seeing the beginning of the set up made him very excited.  I'm sure we will be back again to see how the Arboretum decorates for the holidays.

It's a pumpkin house!

Drink up!

This past Saturday we made our way to Addison, TX (North of Dallas) for their 25th annual Oktoberfest.  Some of our friends got a group of like minded (beer loving) individuals together to enjoy the festivities.  The festival is held at the same time as the real Oktoberfest in Germany, and hubby appreciated Addison's authenticity.  Numerous festival goers were dressed in German garb and festive outfits.  The food also paid homage to Germany with bratwurst, schnitzel, and pretzels, but it didn't forget we were in Texas with local delicacies such as pulled pork and funnel cake.

The activities at Oktoberfest went beyond just beer drinking.  We saw people compete in a beer barrel rolling competition and were educated on German music and dance.  The festival wasn't complete without various carnival rides and shopping booths.  We enjoyed walking around the grounds seeing the shops and food stalls.  We even made a stop at a carnival game that brought out our competitive side.  Although it was hot, it was a fun day to spend with friends doing something a little different.  It's like Addison brought Germany to us, which is very convenient.  We are already thinking about our Oktoberfest strategy for next year.

Food stalls lined one area of the festival and had delicious, German-inspired food.

An area of picnic tables was deemed the bier garten for leisure beer consumption.

Beer barrel rolling was an interesting sport.  We saw the three time champions lose to a team that called themselves the Lampshades.

 German dancers entertained the crowd with traditional dances.

It was so much fun to hang out outside and enjoy time with our friends.

Hubby's German snack: bratwurst, pulled pork, sauerkraut, and German potatoes 

My snack: German chocolate cake... yum!

Sunday Brunch at Home

I am (finally) starting work tomorrow, so I thought I would start this week's post on Sunday just in case the work week takes over.  In honor of my final weekend before beginning work, I decided to make a special Sunday breakfast.  I had bought tons of raspberries that had been on sale and thought about making a fruit compote (another Laura in the Kitchen inspiration) to put on top of waffles.  I really like waffles, pancakes, and french toast (yes, I have quite a sweet tooth), but I am not in love with maple syrup.  I will use just enough to get a bite sweet but never drenching the delicate breakfast.  Homemade fruit compote is a whole other story.

I used Laura in the Kitchen's berry compote recipe, which was almost too simple.  I already had all the necessary ingredients (always a bonus) and easily put it together in no time at all.  Then I had to make the waffles.  I decided to try a simple recipe that isn't worth mentioning.  The recipe's redeeming factor was that it was all made in a blender.  I thought that was pretty convenient.  Unfortunately, the waffles were bland, but the fruit compote more than made up for it.  We happily ate our waffles, and I began my search for a delicious go-to waffle recipe.

Cooking up the fruit compote was easy and really made the difference in our Sunday breakfast.

The blender waffles were a great idea but fell flat in flavor.

At least the waffles looked pretty.

Yes, it was just as delicious as it looks... maybe more.

The Zoo's Newest Member

When hubby wrote his zoo post, he mentioned the zoo's newest addition, a baby rhino.  This past weekend we were finally able to visit the zoo and see the new little girl.  As zoo members, we walked in like pros and knew exactly where to go.  It was so nice to go just to see one animal and not feel like we need to get our money's worth for the ticket.  There were signs from the entrance that pointed you towards their new bundle of joy.  We passed by the daddy rhino and then found the mommy and baby rhinos.

At first, the mommy rhino was protecting her baby from all the onlookers... there were plenty of people at the zoo who also wanted to see the new baby.  Hubby and I waited, and after a while, the momma began to move.  All of a sudden, from behind the mother's shadow, the baby emerged.  She is the cutest!  Rhinos, when you look at them fairly close up for long enough, look a lot like dinosaurs or some sort of prehistoric creature.  The baby looked so fresh and new and just adorable with her unweathered skin.  They walked right by us as they went to get some water.  Hubby and I are looking forward to going back many times and see how she grows up.

 This is the daddy rhino (we think) who was kept in a neighboring enclosure.

 The mother rhino kept the new baby hidden for a while.

 Eventually, the new little girl game out to play.

 Here they are walking to the water.  The baby still has a lot of growing to do.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

This past weekend hubby and I decided to do something new and venture a little further out of our Fort Worth comfort zone.  It was a cool-ish Saturday night, and we couldn't think of a better date night spot than a Rangers game.  I grew up around baseball and softball since my siblings played, and it is my favorite sport to watch, mostly because I actually understand what is going on.  I can even remember going to a Marlins game as a kid in Florida... I think that is a pretty random memory to remember. 

The Texas Rangers play in Arlington, which is between Fort Worth in Dallas.  We were able to get cheap seats and easily made the 15 minute drive.  We arrived at the stadium and found our seats at the top with a great view of the entire game.  Apparently, the Rangers stadium was voted to have the loudest fans.  I'm not sure how that is calculated, but you could tell people were excited about being at the game.  We sat by an older woman who brought snacks and got dinner at the game.  She had on a bedazzled Rangers t-shirt and mardi gras beads in Rangers colors and would high five everyone around her whenever the Rangers would score.  She was a die hard fan.

Although the game wasn't the most interesting, hubby and I enjoyed hanging out and watching the game without announcers and replays.  Midway through the game, we got barbecue brisket sandwiches that were surprisingly good for ballpark food (and reasonably priced).  It was so nice to get out of the house and enjoy time outside (without necessarily having to bike 15 miles... read yesterday's post).  We left after the 7th inning when both teams were tied, though in the end, the Rangers lost.  Even with an eventual loss, it was a fun time, and hubby and I will keep it in mind for future evenings out.

Our view from the top was perfect for seeing the whole game.

Dinner was barbecue brisket sandwiches with chips... yum!

The 15 Mile Biking Adventure

This past weekend, the sun didn't shine in Fort Worth.  Lucky for hubby and I, it didn't rain (at least not that much), so we were able to enjoy cooler weather and some time outside.  Hubby got excited about the possibility of being outside without being drenched in sweat and suggested we go for a bike ride.  About a month ago, hubby had done a crazy ride that took him to a beautiful, wooded park, and he wanted to share it with me.  The only issue was that the ride was about 15 miles long.  I happen to be a good sport, but I wasn't necessarily looking forward to riding that long.

We started on the Trinity Trail path where I had ridden on before.  After a while, we reached the furthest point I had ever gone and blew right past it.  We kept biking and pedaling with hubby promising that it's not much further.  The ride was nice with the cooler weather, and we passed several people who were also enjoying the change in temperature.  We passed trains, apartments, parks, trees, neighborhoods, and miles of path as we followed the foot steps (or bike treads) of hubby's previous ride.

Hubby riding along the Trinity River.

We finally made it to Oakmont Park in the Benbrook area of Fort Worth.  The park was more wooded than I had expected with dirt path trails that stemmed from the main bike/walking path. We took a break to appreciate being surrounded by nature as we snacked and drank water.  Then we were off again to get back home to Maui (and lunch).

Riding through the park almost felt like we weren't in Fort Worth anymore.

Over bridges, under trees, through neighborhoods all the way back to our apartment building.  I wasn't sure I would make it the whole 15 miles since I had never ridden that far before, but I made it.  Just as we approached our apartment building, it started to rain.  That gave me the motivation I needed to finish the ride with speed.  It was so much fun to be outside with hubby enjoying Fort Worth.  I am actually looking forward to another crazy but amazing biking adventure.

We really did go over bridges in Oakmont park.

 There I am riding.  Hubby and I were all about safety first with our helmets.

 We rode under trees in Trinity Park.

 We went through neighborhoods and saw one house that was already ready for Halloween.

We rode under highways and streets.

 

And we even rode past a goldendoodle that reminded us of Maui.

Traveling in (Green) Style

Now that I have a job (that I will eventually start when HR finishes processing everything), we had to stop being such New Yorkers and get a second car.  For the last two months, we've been getting by with one car.  Luckily, we live close to hubby's office.  He is able to come home for lunch, and it's easy for me to drop him off if I need to use the car.  While I'm sure we could have figured out a way to keep on going with only one car, our current SUV didn't make sense as a commuter car.  With my soon to be commute, we needed a more fuel efficient car.

Hubby and I had talked about cars before.  Even though we lived in the middle of Manhattan, we dreamed of one day making enough money to own a car... and pay for New York City parking.  Everything is so compact in the Northeast, and without a car, it felt so far away.  In Texas, on the other hand, everything is very spread out, but with a car, it is all achievable... and with a fuel efficient car, it doesn't break the bank.  When we had talked about cars, we usually talked about hybrids and new models of cars that not only gave us the fuel efficiency we needed but made us feel better about all the driving we do.

Hubby looked at the hybrids on the market and decided the Prius family provided the best miles per gallon while still being an affordable and viable option.  Within the Prius line, we looked specifically at the new compact and the original Prius.  Hubby is a tall guy, and after trying out the compact version, we realized it wasn't really much of a choice.  The salesperson at the dealership showed us all the bells and whistles of the Prius, which is almost like a giant computer on wheels.  We were in love, and given that we had done our research, it wasn't a hard sell.  We drove out of the Toyota dealership as proud new car owners.

 That's me signing all the necessary paperwork at the dealership.  Buying a car takes quite some time.

Our beautiful red car!  A lady we met in the Trader Joe's parking lot complimented us on our color choice.

 I call this the starship command center... it's so high tech!

Maui loves the new car too.  Here she is with her seat belt in the back seat.

Quick and Easy Dinner

Hubby, being Italian, is a huge fan of pasta.  Although he keeps claiming to be on a health kick, he keeps asking for pasta dinners.  Luckily, I am also a fan of pasta and don't mind the carb-y splurge every once in a while (okay, at least once a week).  In order to feel a little better about our carbohydrate overload, I decided to make pasta with lots of veggies.

My mom is a fan of veggies, and her go-to veggie dish is ratatouille, which is a French vegetable stew.  In my mom's version, she uses tomatoes, onions, yellow squash, and zucchini.  To make it, you essentially saute these vegetables together until cooked.  My mom doesn't even put oil in the dish.  Instead she puts the tomatoes in first, and their juices keep the other vegetables from sticking.  I made up a batch of ratatouille with two fairly large tomatoes, one medium onion, two yellow squash, and two zucchinis (and seasonings of course... salt, pepper, and chili powder).  Then I mixed in cooked pasta (penne in our case) and added a little store bought tomato sauce to give a more saucy consistency.  It was delicious, quick, and easy.

Here is my ratatouille ready to be mixed with the pasta and a little tomato sauce.

A Whole Lot of Chicken

I have always wanted to cook a whole chicken.  I feel like it is a cooking challenge of sorts, and with limited time remaining before beginning work, I thought I would give it a try.  I picked up a whole chicken at the store.  It was so weird to see them there since I had never needed to notice them before.  I brought the chicken home and decided on a recipe for guidance (and hopefully success).

Glamour magazine had published a recipe called engagement chicken.  An editor at Glamour had given the recipe to her assistant who made it for her boyfriend.  A month later they were engaged.  This happened to a few other ladies, and the recipe was dubbed engagement chicken.  I had heard about the recipe before becoming engaged to hubby, but I wasn't sure a whole chicken would fit in my bitty New York oven.  I also wasn't sure if I wanted to carry a whole chicken home along with my other groceries... walking home with your groceries is very different than walking them to and from the car.  Even though engagement is no longer a motivation, I decided to make the chicken to see what all the fuss was about.

Whole chicken, lemons, salt and pepper make up the necessary ingredients.

The recipe is simple, essentially relying on lemons and lemon juice to provide a fresh flavor to the chicken.  I followed the instructions to clean off the chicken and stuff it with lemons and cover it in lemon juice.  Putting the chicken in the oven, I hoped for the best.  When it was ready, I took out a juicy, golden brown chicken worthy of a proposal.  The meat was moister than I had experienced in any of my other chicken attempts.  It had a lingering lemon flavor that gave the chicken dimension while still being light.  I decided to serve it with some simple pan fried brussels sprouts.  It was a delicious dinner, though hubby and I decided it might just be easier to get a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store next time.

I was surprised at how delicious the chicken turned out.

 I made the brussels sprouts with olive oil and lemon juice to compliment the chicken.

 Dinner is served!

I heard about a cooking video blog in Entertainment Weekly that I absolutely had to try.  It's called Laura in the Kitchen and stars Laura Vitale.  Don't worry, you shouldn't know who Laura is, but her video blog is worth getting to know (and so is she).  I started going through all of the over 400 recipes she has up on her site, and they all sound so good.  I decided to try one of the recipes that seemed simple enough for a weekday dinner.

I tried Laura's chicken cacciatore, which according to her is a chicken dish with mushroom, peppers, onions, and tomatoes.  Although this wasn't the chicken cacciatore my Italian hubby remembered from his childhood, the dish turned out delicious and fairly healthy.  Laura provides a video of her making the dish as well as a written out recipe.  I watched the video, read the recipe, and then followed along to the video as I made the dish.  The video was helpful in showing me what my dish should look like as I went through each of the steps, and I can't wait to try other ideas from Laura.  Check her out!

All my ingredients ready and Laura's video on my ipad... it's dinner time!

All the ingredients cooking in the pan... makes the kitchen smell delicious.

 Voila!  And with a fresh basil leaf to make it look pretty because Laura says that part of eating is with our eyes.

Maui's Day in the Park

Hubby and I have good friends who live in Dallas and have a border collie.  In hopes of socializing Maui, we all decided to go for a walk (and possible) swim in the park with Maui and her soon to be border collie buddy.  We went to White Rock Lake in Dallas, which is encircled by a great walking path and surrounded by beautiful houses.  Maui was thrilled to get out of the house and meet new people... she is a very social puppy.

We walked for a little while before finding a good place in the lake to go into the water.  It was Maui's first encounter with water outside of rain and her bath.  The border collie jumped right in knowing what awaited him in the water.  Maui followed him and was surprised when the once solid ground was water.  She successfully swam her way back to shore and was more tentative about going into the water the next time.

 Maui jumped in after the border collie and did a great job swimming.

 She took a break in the shade... the water was quite a shock for her.

 She was a little bit more careful about getting in the second time around.

She tried her hardest to be wherever the other dog was.

The border collie was a great swimmer and a wonderful example for Maui.

Here is hubby trying to help Maui into the water.