Makin' Bagels

It was a cold and blustery day in PA... a good day to be inside. My husband was out of town. It was a day off work for my dear daughter and me.   It was a perfect day to try our hand at... making bagels!

We LOVE Panera bagels, especially the Asiago ones and the cinnamon toast ones. But we don't live near a Panera. So unless we wanted to drive a distance (which we didn't), we would have to make our own.

We did a little research, read and compared recipes and finally decided on THIS ONE (Asiago) and THIS ONE (Cinnamon Crunch).

We convened at my house and got started:

Brody had his faced washed and was ready to get busy.

As usual, the cats were excited and involved...  #sarcasm

Double checking the recipes:

Beautiful new KitchenAid mixer did a wonderful job mixing up the dough.  

But nothing beats hand kneading!

Our dough raised beautifully!

Dough shaped into 13 rounds. Starting to look like bagels now!

Short break for a belly rub:

"Awww thanks Sissy! You know the BEST spots!"

Next the bagels got boiled for a few minutes...

Grating the cheese...

Ready for the oven now...

Sprinkled with the cheese and baking in the oven.

Smelled soooooo good!

TA DA! Beautiful finished Asiago bagels! #AsGoodAsPaneras #MaybeEvenBetter

Next up, the Cinnamon Crunch bagels. (We were pros by now!)

Then kitchen tidied up...

Two happy (and just-a-little-tired) bagel loving' girls:

We divided the bagels and darling daughter went home.

All told, about 4.5 hours, start to finish...

The cats were EXHAUSTED!

GRAND-PUPPEH! (Or, Introducing Jack!)

I am so excited!  We have a new addition to our family and his name is Jack.  Jack is a 9 week old red standard poodle puppy and he is 100% adorable!  ♥  Belonging to my daughter and her husband, that makes Jack my grand puppy.  (Sigh. All my grand babies have four legs and fur... none of the human variety... yet.)

My daughter and her husband have 2 kitties, Buster and Remy. Buster is a big tiger boy, almost 20 pounds.  He acts all tough and MACHO MANLY but he's just a soft and sweet momma's boy at heart.

Remy is smaller, and such a character.  She talks more than most people.  She's always meowing about something.  She is very friendly and loving (with a feisty streak)!

My son has a cat, Loco, who has been his trusty and loyal companion for years.  And you guys know I've got my two wonderful and handsome Ragdoll cats, Boo and Bentley  We are definitely a family of cat lovers, pure and simple.

"So how did you come to have a puppy then?" you ask. Well, the simple answer is that Kendra had been thinking for awhile about adding a dog to her family... we met a puppy and fell in love -- and the rest is, as they say, history!

Kendra and Jack

The story:  My husband and I were visiting my sister recently in Arizona (a great vacation - but that's another post for another time!) and met her friend LeeAnna Springer of Springer Clan Standard Poodles.

Springer Clan Puppies

LeeAnna breeds standard poodles, and I was very impressed with both her practices and her dogs.  I came home excitedly telling my daughter about the visit.  Well, didn't Kendra get to see for herself, up close and personal, when LeeAnna flew to the east coast shortly afterwards to pick up a puppy (Charlee) that she was buying to eventually add to her own breeding program.  We got to spend some time with LeeAnna and that delightful puppy.   Hmmm... the message was coming through loud and clear: these dogs are simply wonderful!

Springer Clan Charlee (Jack's sister!)

So my daughter realized that she had found her breed.  LeeAnna didn't have any puppies available, but Kendra contacted Charlee's breeder (Seminole Standard Poodles), and there was one pup from the litter still available, a little red boy.   Bonus time: this breeder was within driving distance to us -- SCORE!   Long story short, we picked up little Jack in West Virginia on Friday.  He is just as sweet, mellow, laid back and adorable as his sister Charlee.  Everyone who meets him falls instantly in love.  He is just irresistible!

Jack and his daddy

So if you are new to standard poodles, like we were, here are some fun facts:

• Standard poodles are a medium-to-large sized dog.
• Full grown males typically weigh 45 - 70 pounds; females usually a little smaller.  Height 15" (or more) at shoulders.
• The coat is either curly or corded; they come in all solid colors including black, blue, silver, gray, cream, aprocot, red (like Jack and Charlee), white, brown, or cafe-au-lait.  
• They are a long-lived breed, with a typical life expectancy of 12-15 years (or more).
• They usually love the water.  The name poodle comes from the German word, "pudel" which means to splash in water.  
• Poodles shed little to no hair and are good for allergy sufferers.  They do not have that typical "doggie odor." 
• The standard poodle is proud, graceful, noble, good-natured, enjoyable and cheerful.  
• Some of the poodle's talents include: retrieving, agility, watchdog, competitive obedience, and performing tricks. 
• They are loving and highly intelligent, considered to be one of the most trainable breeds.
• Generally easy to please, comical, friendly toward strangers, and excellent with children; good with other animals.  

From:  DogBreeds.com;  Standard Poodle Facts;  Dogster.com 



Kendra doesn't especially love the fancy, pom-pom, froo-frooey show-style poodle clip that most of us think of when we hear the word "poodle" (and honestly, neither do I!)  

She plans to keep Jack groomed in a sporting clip or puppy clip style.  Look HERE for details.  Squeee -- TEDDY BEAR!!!

Last picture of Jack... for now!!

Sleeping PUPPEH!!!   Is there anything cuter?!  ♥

Day # 25 ("A Favorite Photo")

I have always loved this photo of my daughter, Kendra (but we have always called her "Bunny" or "Bun") with her "two boys" (her brother, Josh and her daddy).  It has always been preeeeetty easy for Little Miss Princess to wrap them BOTH around her little finger!

Josh is 9 years older than she is, so in a lot of ways it was almost like she had 2 daddies growing up.  Her brother could be very protective of her, and sometimes would even question OUR decisions as the parents.  As in, "Are you sure it's OK if she stays the night at so-and-so's house???  I don't know them that well!"  Or, "I dunno, I think 9 pm is a little late for her bedtime!"  As she got older, he always had an opinion on her friends, curfews, activities, etc.  And any poor boy that ever liked her had to run the gauntlet with BOTH her brother and her daddy!  It's a wonder she ever got married!!!

Day # 19 (A Fun Memory)

Oh, this was another hard one.  So many fun memories to choose from!

I finally decided on one of my favorite stories about our dear daughter.

Little Miss Kendra (aka "Bunny") was 2 years old, and it was wintertime in PA.  We were leaving the house, and everyone was bundled up good because it was cold and snowy out.

My husband tried to take Kendra's hand before we stepped outside, and she pulled it away.  He said, "Hold my hand, Bunny, the deck is icy and I don't want you to fall."

Kendra:  "No it's not!  And no I won't!"

Daddy:  "Yes it is.  Now hold my hand so you don't fall."

Kendra:  (in typical 2 year-old fashion) "NO! I can do it myself!"  And she would NOT give him her hand.

So, Daddy finally shrugged and said, "OK, I'm just trying to watch you"... and we all headed out.

Well, of course Kendra took one step out onto the icy deck and proceeded to fall flat on her back.

"WAHHHHH!"  Then, quick as a whip, she looked up at her dad and wailed, "YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN WATCHING ME!!!!!"

Day # 17 (A Photo of my Family)

(The 30-day blog challenge continues... this is Day # 17; thirteen more to go!)

"A photo of my family."  Hmmmmm.  This proved a little more challenging than I first expected!  "My family", eh?

Well, which "arm" of my family?   My *first* family: mom and dad, sisters and me? 

Or my *own* family: me and my husband and our two kids? 

Or the "family reunion" kind of family -- you know, with ALL the rellies --aunts, uncles, cousins, halves, steps, in-laws, out-laws, ex's and friends??? 

And then that begs a further question: a recent photo or an older one ???  (Yes, I realize I am probably reeeeeally over-thinking this... I tend to do that!!!)

So basically I decided that NO ONE PHOTO can possibly meet ALL the potential criteria... so you will just have to bear with me through SEVERAL photos!

So, in (kinda, sorta) chronologic order...

1.  My "first" family:
This is my sister Lana (the blonde), and me (I was 12), and Dad and Mom.
Since my other (oldest) sister Laurel is not in this picture... I will have to find another with her in it!

Then, here's a picture of "my own" family, my husband Barry, me, and our 2 kids.  It's a LITTLE more recent than some of the other family photos I have posted during this blog challenge; Josh was 18, Kendra was 8.   Yes, I know... my hair was very dark and very short!  It was a phase.  And thankfully it didn't last toooo long!
(OH! FYI, I made my daughter's dress and hair bow... you can't really see it in this scan-of-a-picture-of-a-picture, but it was pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself!!!)















And one of my husband and me, Kendra and her husband on a cruise we took last year:

And OH, I don't wanna forget a picture of my beautiful sister Laurel:

And just because it makes me smile, here's one of the "3 Sisters", taken *cough* a FEW years ago!!!
Left to right:  Laurel, Lana, me. (Lana with her eyes closed again -- I  told you!!!)

And because it brings back such fun memories, here's a photo of SOME of us on a family vacation.
(Yeah, I know, same bad hair for me, but LOOK!  Lana's eyes are open!)

And for no reason other than I love it, a picture of Josh and Barry:























And no "family album" would be complete without a picture of Jerod, who is like a son to us:

And so NOW, to catch (almost) everyone else that hasn't yet been posted, here's a picture taken a couple of years ago at Kendra's wedding.  Presenting... The. Whole. Fam. Damily...

Ta DA...

(FYI: our side of the family on the left [can you tell who's who?!]; groom's family on the right.)
















*Whew!*  I hope this satisfies the "requirements" for a proper "Photo of My Family" post!  I gotta tell ya' -- it was touch-and-go there for awhile!!!  ;o)

**** TOMORROW:  "A Baby Photo".  OH YEAH, you GOTTA see this...