Stupid Pie ~ Holy Basil - not just for tea ~ Honey Mustard and Onion Pretzels

(Yesterday morning's sunrise)

This time of year, everything is very wet early in the morning.  As I picked green peppers yesterday, I noticed how wet the garden still is.  

I opted to bake first, then head to the front flower beds instead.  I was sure to get "Frankenstein" feet if I went to the vegetable garden.

While my breakfast cooked, I quickly tossed ingredients together to make a pie for dinner.  Which by the way, was not a pie I'll make again.  

It was called "Stupid Pie" and
it was not that tasty.  It got an "okay" but that was it.  I just had to try it when I found it in an old cookbook.  It's basically egg whites, crushed crackers (I used what I could find in the organic section at the store), pecans, vanilla and sugar.  The topping is whipped cream.  I think I'll stick with my chocolate pecan, pumpkin, apple, or my other pies for now.
 

While that baked, I mixed up ingredients for new cookie recipe.  I saw a recipe posted for Holy Basil Cookies yesterday, and knew I had to try it.

I grew Holy Basil this year in the herb garden, and know about it's benefits, but had no idea you could bake cookies with it.  I'll definitely grow a larger amount of it next year.

While the cookies cooled, I tossed some pretzels on a baking tray and drizzled the ingredients for honey mustard and onion pretzel recipe.  I made these before, but wanted to make it again, using more mustard (I used Annie's organic this time).  

The first time I made them, they lacked mustard flavor.  The kids gobbled the pretzels down anyway, saying they were very good. 

I did not use the hard sourdough pretzels most recipes online require.  I used a non-gmo pretzel that is thinner, and that could be why the flavor doesn't "stick" as much.  Either way, the kids gave this recipe two thumbs up.  When I order more pretzels, I'll try it again using butter.  This makes a nice snack or lunch packing.  The organic mustard helped bring out more flavor, and I only added one more tablespoon.

When all the baking was finished by 11:00am, I got all of my new tulip bulbs in the ground, and pulled all of my glady bulbs.  I did a lot of weeding and thinned out some perennials.  The weed wacking has still not been checked off the list.  After that it was back inside to deep cleaning something in the bedroom. 

I forgot about a main course for dinner too.  I guess I was baking up a storm, and in the process lost focus on the day's meals.  Well, I did pull some cod from the freezer for tonight's dinner, but last night's was a "free-for-all" night.  There were no leftovers from anything this week.  They were gobbled down very quickly I might say.  

The Spanish Rice dish went very fast, and I think it's because of the flavor.  I used organic ground beef, organic/non-gmo brown rice, my garden tomatoes I had frozen, homemade tomato paste, garden bell peppers and onion.   This was the first time using the homemade tomato paste.  Absolutely delicious.

Five Minutes for Me ~ a cup of hot tea and a few Holy Basil cookies on the front porch. 

No handiwork yesterday.