Chantilly Wishes & Chiffon Dreams

Congratulations to Amy Bolich for winning the Twisted Rope Love Knot Ring! Thank you to all of you who entered; you all are winners to me! Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to get so many total entries. They all totaled to a whopping 2,075! I hope you continue to read Chantilly Wishes & Chiffon Dreams and shop at Mordakk Designs. This giveaway has been a wonderful learning experience for me so far so keep checking back here for any other future giveaways. I'm super tired after checking the entries so I better get back to bed, but have a wonderful summer weekend!

P.S. As stated in my Terms and Conditions, the winner must respond back to me within 48 hours. Obviously this is not intended to "cheat" any winner out of their prize, but to be fair to all the people who entered and run an efficient giveaway. Sadly, that means if Amy does not reply I will have to pick a new winner. So, if your reading this, please make sure you reply to the email I sent so you can get the gorgeous ring you won. :-)

Challah Bagels Four Ways

2013-07-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

Even though I've had mixed experiences with raisins over the years, whenever I would go visit my Grandma Rose (affectionately referred to as RoRo,) they were always apart of breakfast. I used to pick the sugar coated raisins out of Raisin Bran and snack on cinnamon raisin bagels all while playing around and watching "Seinfeld" and "Friends." To this day, not only am I a big "Seinfeld" fan, I love my cinnamon raisin bagels. My mom, who would make bagels and bread for her two picky children, also would make a favorite holiday bread of mine called Challah. Truthfully, being the picky child that I was, I only liked the bread when it just came out of the oven and was soft, warm, and had a comforting appeal and smell. Well, I'm a firm believer that nearly all baked goods taste best warm. A few days ago I had an epiphany and decided to combine my two childhood favorite starchy foods: bagels and Challah. The result is a moist and flavorful bagel with the thick, crunchy crust of Challah.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons butter/oil
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 cups bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (about one packet)

{Makes about 8}

Recipe:

{Adapted from a family recipe}

Step 1: In an electric mixer, combine the water, yeast, and salt. In a separate bowl, add bread flour and sugar, then mix thoroughly. Once the yeast mixture becomes frothy, make a hole in the middle of the flour-sugar mixture and pour the yeast mixture in it. Mix together.

Step 2: Transfer the contents into the electric mixer bowl and mi, slowly adding in the butter/oil and eggs.If your dough is too dry, add water until you get a consistent and moist dough.

Step 3: Knead the dough on a floured surface until is elastic and firm.

Step 4: Lightly brush and coat a bowl and the dough with an oil of your choice. Use a damp towel to cover the bowl. Wait about an hour for to rise and punch it back down.

Step 5: Divide the dough into two equal pieces, into four, and into eight. Smooth and briefly knead the dough pieces. Roll or shape into balls.

Step 6: Cover your finger in flour and press your finger into the ball. Stretch out the ring by gently moving your finger in increasingly larger circles. Continue for the other dough balls.

Step 7: Place the rings on a oiled or parchment paper covered baking sheet. While boiling a large pot, cover the baking sheet with a moist towel until the water comes to a boil. Preheat your oven to 425 Degrees.

Step 8: Once the water comes to boil, lower the heat. Use a turner or large slotted spoon to lower the dough into the water. Leave the dough in for about 4 minutes, two minutes on each side. Arrange each bagel back onto the cookie sheet after boiling.

Step 9: Let each bagel sit for about 30 seconds to dry and cool. Since this is Challah dough, use the egg white of one egg and generously coat each bagel. For the bagels you want toppings for, lighlty sprinkle the ingredient on. Some of my favorite ideas are sea salt, poppy seed, sesame seed, cinnamon and sugar, and cheese (Parmesan or Asiago.)

Step 10: Once the oven is heated, bake on the cover baking sheet for 20 minutes, or until the exterior is thick and a deep golden brown.

Step 11: Let the bagels sit for a few minutes on the baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack. And, ta-da! Enjoy your chewy, crunchy, and moist Challah in the versatile form of a bagel.

Cinnamon Raisin with Lavender Infused Cream Cheese and Blueberries

Lavender Infused Cream Cheese-

-1/2 tablespoons lavender

-3/4 cup confectioners sugar

-8 ounces cream cheese

1. In a food processor, combine lavender and confectioners sugar.
2. Using a mixer, mix the lavender powder and cream cheese together.

Poppy Seeds with Cream Cheese and Chives

Plain with Natural Peanut Butter, Banana, and Clover Honey

Asiago Cheese with Hummus, Tomato, Cucumber, and Feta

Mordakk Designs Giveaway!

2013-07-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

Last week I told you about my giveaway with Mordakk Designs and the day has finally come! Mordakk Designs is giving away a Twisted Rope Love Knot Ring in Sterling Silver. Even though it's perfect for gift giving, I definitely won't judge if you want to keep it for yourself. This is worth $24.00, absolutely free, and, in honor of this giveaway, Mordakk Designs is also giving 15 percent off with the code TAKE15. The giveaway officially starts July 27th at 12:00 AM Pacific Time and ends August 3rd at 12:00 AM Pacific Time and is open to all readers worldwide. In the giveaway widget below, there are simple and easy ways to enter via Facebook, Twitter, Etsy, Pinterest, and Bloglovin'. If you want to learn more about each entry option, just click on the box surrounding the entry value and you're good to go! They are not mandatory, but a comment with your ring size is. However, you don't need to comment more, but I would love to hear about a favorite piece of jewelry you have ever purchased or been given, or anything else you'd like to share. Just remember that the more entries you complete the more likely you are to win. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mordakk Designs

2013-07-19T23:26:00.001-07:00

{Mordakk Designs on Etsy}

{Mordakk Designs on Facebook}

On Etsy, there certainly are a lot of unique treasures. The shop Mordakk Designs is definitely no exception with an abundance of exquisite jewels. Nicole Johnson, owner of Mordakk Designs, makes each piece by hand in New York and her dedication to design and perfection reflect in the great quality of the jewelry. Each of her designs are more than just pieces that accent an outfit; they make the outfit. It doesn't matter if you wear the jewels with a white t-shirt, light wash jeans, and sandals or a cocktail dress and stilettos; the clothes merely serve as a canvas. Gold and silver frame vivid gemstones, sparkling druzy geodes, and iridescent pearls. The simplicity of the natural materials used are inspired by and capture the beauty of the world around us. I know one thing for sure, I am going to pull back my hair and let the natural beauty shine!

Next week I will be hosting a giveaway sponsored by the generous Nicole and Mordakk Designs. I am really excited to reward a lucky reader with one of Nicole's gorgeous pieces! I am so thankful for all of your support and the best of luck to you all. While you're waiting, check out some of my favorites below and be sure to visit Mordakk Designs on Etsy and Facebook!

White Druzy Stud Earrings in 14k Gold Fill

Blue Sapphire Necklace in Gold

Blue Constellation Necklace in Gold