National Pretzel Day 2012

 

My parents brought this holiday to my attention a few months ago (they know we like finding reasons to celebrate) and I've been looking forward to it ever since.  National Pretzel Day is April 26 every year.

We made homemade pretzels based on a recipe for CTR Pretzels from the January 2012 issue of The Friend Magazine.  As we made them, I got to share with the kids something from Grandma and Grandpa's experience.

While my parents were visiting Europe, they were able to see people making pretzels.  They rolled them out into long ropes then quickly flicked them into the pretzel shapes.  The pretzels were often eaten by dipping them in mustard and they were eaten along with sausages and "beverages."

 
We didn't have any sausages tonight.  We'd just eaten dinner so homemade pretzels were our snack afterwards.  Jeremy and I dipped ours in mustard and the four oldest of us had cream soda with our snack.

Jeremy read online the suggestion of boiling the pretzels for 30 seconds in a solution of baking soda and water before putting them in the oven, so he used 3 cups of water with 1 1/2 Tablespoons baking soda and boiled a couple of the pretzels so we could see if there was a difference.  There was a difference.  The boiled pretzels had more of the soft pretzel taste on the outside compared to the others which had more of the breadstick taste.  We also sprinkled course salt on the pretzels after they came out of the oven, though Jeremy read online to do that after they're boiled, before they go in the oven.  Next time we might try that.


And we couldn't just keep to the pretzel shape.  We also had to make a C-T-R in there.

So, Mom and Dad, anything you want to add in here?  Or correct?  I'm not that great at explaining things second hand.  But I am glad you made us aware of this holiday.