tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51593850220183304482024-03-12T23:41:10.258-07:00Cooking Without a Cookbook"Can't" is not a word in this kitchen.Madison Evelyn Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272516972525176773noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5159385022018330448.post-20921302448556336292012-06-06T16:03:00.000-07:002012-06-06T16:03:40.544-07:00Madi's Chicken and Rice: Easy Garlic Curry Style!<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, a while ago I tried out my brother's rice cooker that he "let me borrow" cause he's the bomb-dot-com. I first tried just plain white rice. It turned out PERFECT! The FIRST time! I couldn't believe that I had been trying to cook rice myself on a stove! What a fool I've been! Needless to say, he's never getting the thing back. I told my mom about the experience. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Me: It's the best thing ever. I love it! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Mom: You know they have whole recipe books for rice cookers? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Me: THEY DO??</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Mom: Yeah, I'll send you one of my recipes for steel cut oats.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(PS: I've yet to try the recipe but it's on the list)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Me: Awesome! (Proceeds to Google "rice cooker recipes") </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Did I mention, <span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">I love my momma</span>? Well I do. Anyways. Back to present time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was fretting about making dinner since my friend always seems to outdo me in that area. I tend to make mac and cheese or chicken nuggets while he makes real food. Yesterday I was surprised with tacos that could only be beaten by my mom's. Now how do you outdo tacos on a college budget?? What did I have? ... A rice cooker!! Faster than a slow cooker and better than my own skills, I decided to experiment with my rice cooker. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After researching a few recipes, I found a Tuna Curry recipe that sparked my own creativity! Here's what I came up with:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups white rice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1 14.5 oz can Chicken Broth </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1 12.5 oz can of Chicken (don't drain! Dump it all in and if it's a little too chunky, mash up the chicken a bit)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1 cup Mixed veggies (peas, carrots, corn, and green beans was the one I used)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1/2 tsp. cumin</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1/2 tsp. turmeric</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1/2 tsp. Coriander (technically you want masala but this works
too)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3 cloves of garlic minced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Pinch of salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Directions (my favorite part of this recipe)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1. Throw it all in a rice cooker.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2. Stir it all together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3. Close lid and press appropriate setting*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">*Mine has a setting for white rice so I just pressed that. It cooked for about 35 min. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUw3H1wCfai3Bq-9qNNY_5x_EqmyqaLAv_hTLFMhT9_0e2fW7iVxwoz39-noSZSRuCfTNnu2E3myP_O5nHAxmMtpyF5Csc1RCD2s6CF8ZDA39i7bdEsrYuQoVFV1kvvOUxm0K-mI_r6EHR/s1600/DSCN6909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUw3H1wCfai3Bq-9qNNY_5x_EqmyqaLAv_hTLFMhT9_0e2fW7iVxwoz39-noSZSRuCfTNnu2E3myP_O5nHAxmMtpyF5Csc1RCD2s6CF8ZDA39i7bdEsrYuQoVFV1kvvOUxm0K-mI_r6EHR/s400/DSCN6909.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Yeah. It's that stinkin' easy! And pretty cheap. The cumin, tumeric, and coriander (or masala) are kinda pricey (for a college student who lives on $10 a week) BUT they are a staple for anything curry. So I consider them worth getting since I like curry dishes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Verdict: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Taste test - Approved!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">College budget - Approved! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Difficulty - Super Easy! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Serves - 4 (or two and you have leftovers! A college student's friend!)</span></div>
</div>Madison Evelyn Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272516972525176773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5159385022018330448.post-41668688448647016682012-06-06T15:21:00.001-07:002012-06-06T15:21:48.037-07:00Mashed Potatoes: Just in case you do fail...<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I have tried making mashed potatoes many times. You would think it would be a snap, right? And they would always turn out perfect, right? </span><br />
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<a href="http://0.tqn.com/d/southernfood/1/0/A/1/3/rutabaga-potato-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://0.tqn.com/d/southernfood/1/0/A/1/3/rutabaga-potato-1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">WRONG.</span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I don't know what it is but for some reason, I have yet to make perfect mashed potatoes. Maybe one day... But for now I've gotten pretty good at improvising with what I have. I may not be the best cook, but I'm quite good at figuring out how to salvage a disaster of a dish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Some of you may be asking: How in the world do you mess up mashed potatoes?? My answer (and my answer to almost anything you ask me): Magic. But seriously, it is often due to the cause that they are too... creamy? Milky? Not the thick mashed potatoes one usually gets. So if you're like me and have this problem, don't worry. I have hope and a solution for you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">FRY 'EM! Yes. You read that right. It's so very simple and is my answer for almost all my cooking problems. I do believe the movie Tangled was on to something when they showed the enormous potential of the frying pan. I personally have my own trusty frying pan that I acquired through my mom.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7e_OTm9vkRTjvDYON8dInUAPFi6BouD4qQUAdNhkv5QnXvUQ4nVbwDMbSm6s7rrCUSgHsgairZcumNuy2BDFD4pJDxvWWkEQDs-zDhEb962PRjn1Y-9L2slUkhXAG_V43cSKXE7soWIXU/s1600/rapunzel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7e_OTm9vkRTjvDYON8dInUAPFi6BouD4qQUAdNhkv5QnXvUQ4nVbwDMbSm6s7rrCUSgHsgairZcumNuy2BDFD4pJDxvWWkEQDs-zDhEb962PRjn1Y-9L2slUkhXAG_V43cSKXE7soWIXU/s320/rapunzel.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You go girl. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here's the trick. Don't add butter or Pam or vegetable oil. The extra liquid in the potatoes will do that job. And no one really wants the extra fat do they?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I will add a word of caution: <span style="color: red;">have a guard of some sort over your frying pan</span> (as a poor college student, I use a paper towel). This makes it so you don't get splattered with potatoes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">To make your fried mashed potato patties, heat up your pan a little and be ready with your cover for the pan. Then take a spoon full of your mashed potatoes and place it in the pan. Cover it and let it fry. When you see the sides browning, it's time to flip them. Don't worry if they fall apart. It still tastes good. When they are as brown as you want them, slide them onto a plate. Enjoy! (but don't burn your tongue!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Use as a side with:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">fried eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">bacon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">pancakes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">toast and cream cheese</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">chicken and waffles</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">dinosaur chicken nuggets <----- <span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">Favorite</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">turkey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ham</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">fish</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">gravy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">teryaki sauce/soy sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">or whatever you like with potatoes!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Another meal saved in a no fail way. Really the only way you can fail this recipe is if you don't have that guard and give yourself a burn. Ouch!</span>Madison Evelyn Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272516972525176773noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5159385022018330448.post-27217555748501607032012-02-27T18:48:00.001-08:002012-02-27T18:48:23.488-08:00Variations of No Fail Pretzels<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Today I saw a picture of some pretzel bites and thought, </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">those look so YUMMY</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">! I looked at the recipe for them and was a little intimidated by the words "yeast". Always looking for a simpler way to make something, I decided to search for any yeast-less recipes. This is the one I tried today that worked pretty well, if I do say so myself. *I will star my variations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Prep Time: 10 min <--- me being me, this did not happen. More like 20 min.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Cook Time: 15 min</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Total Time: 25 min</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2 teaspoons baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1 teaspoon sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2 tablespoons margarine</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mild Cheddar cheese *(didn't add this in because I didn't have any)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2/3 cup milk</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1 egg, beaten</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt *(used cinnamon and sugar for some and Santa Maria style seasoning for others)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Prep:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl; cut in margarine with a pastry blender *(I used an electric mixer; works just fine!) until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cheese and milk *(or just milk if that is all you got), stirring until dry ingredients are just moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 12 times. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Divide dough in half and roll each half into a 12x8-inch rectangle. Cut dough lengthwise into eight 1 inch strips. Twist each into a pretzel shape *(OR take a small chunk of dough in your hand. It should fit in the palm of your hand. I like to flour my hand lightly so that dough doesn't stick to me. Roll this out like you used to roll out snakes with play-dough. Spread your fingers out when the dough gets longer so it doesn't roll out of control. Twist this into a pretzel shape and place on greased pan); brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt *(or whatever you'd like to top your pretzel with). Bake at 400 degrees for fifteen min or until golden brown. Cool pretzels for a few min on wire racks; serce pretzels warm. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Makes about 16 pretzels</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here is where the recipe is from:</span><a href="http://southernfood.about.com/od/appetizerbreads/r/bl30408u.htm">http://southernfood.about.com/od/appetizerbreads/r/bl30408u.htm</a>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This is how my first batch turned out. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39c2EZggg7pNyTgXJGXo16qDGFJ9BoLcMFm6jV7cYWR9OlJ0__jAnQhLuwgfw86sBzITcEF2T3jh8P5m0bkTUVo13zYb8SimkSJBJhtVbpBvOloSoQHJaqdnJ2Y1-O_kyneb4oZgUEM6X/s1600/DSCN6632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39c2EZggg7pNyTgXJGXo16qDGFJ9BoLcMFm6jV7cYWR9OlJ0__jAnQhLuwgfw86sBzITcEF2T3jh8P5m0bkTUVo13zYb8SimkSJBJhtVbpBvOloSoQHJaqdnJ2Y1-O_kyneb4oZgUEM6X/s400/DSCN6632.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I noticed that the smaller ones didn't have as soft a center as the thicker ones. So if you like your pretzels softer, make them thicker when you're rolling them out. Santa Maria seasoned pretzels tasted AWESOME (but of course it is my favorite seasoning) and the cinnamon and sugar ones could have used a little bit more sugar and cinnamon. All in all, very yummy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Second batch:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Followed the above recipe but when you're adding the milk, I added Hershey's chocolate syrup to it, just to see if I could make chocolate pretzels. It makes the dough stickier though. I added a little more flour at the end before I kneaded the dough to account for the stickiness. The second alteration I made was adding a Reese's peanut butter cup to the mix. I made a dough ball, flattened the dough, and placed the peanut butter cup in the middle and rap the candy in the dough. Sprinkle with sugar after brushing with egg and bake like the other ones.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ILMYrglW8HkDQJODmV8yMQFHgQQg3w8_xrsWSu8qcpH6tG9xvQYytQzV_gdGUVNilZw3tJvlzlAAJ1v9KrkKQ51Ra9WY4raoitDREUMvHEzU3xyS8Si6Ti4HTVSZJOvW6g3NqMtudMwJ/s1600/DSCN6636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ILMYrglW8HkDQJODmV8yMQFHgQQg3w8_xrsWSu8qcpH6tG9xvQYytQzV_gdGUVNilZw3tJvlzlAAJ1v9KrkKQ51Ra9WY4raoitDREUMvHEzU3xyS8Si6Ti4HTVSZJOvW6g3NqMtudMwJ/s400/DSCN6636.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This is how the second batch turned out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As you can see, some of the guts of the candy pretzels decided to spill out. I'm not sure how to fix this. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">These didn't really taste all that chocolaty though, except the ones with the candy in the middle. They tasted sweeter though. Very yummy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">That's it for today! Keep cooking out there! We'll see what the next recipe I find is!</span></div>Madison Evelyn Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272516972525176773noreply@blogger.com1