bakery

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Ingenious Bakery Bread!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Ingenious Bakery Bread! Some days are just made for shortcuts. The fact is, everyone needs a timesaving tip now and then. For starters, buying frozen bread dinner roll dough takes the guesswork out of measuring ingredients, which is why I keep a bag on hand. The other day I made homemade chicken noodle soup and wanted freshly-baked bread instead of saltine crackers. While the aromatic flavors of the soup were blending in the slow-cooker, the bread was rising to perfection. Together they pulled off a meal like a pro.

INGENIOUS BAKERY BREAD

Ingredients:

8 pieces frozen yeast dinner roll dough

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon dill weed

1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Spray a loaf pan with nonstick oil. Place the 8 frozen rolls into the pan in a single layer with edges touching. Cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with nonstick oil. Cover entire pan with a tea towel. Place pan in a warm area, free of drafts. Let the dough rise at room temperature until it doubles in size, between 2 and 4 hours. Remove tea towel and plastic wrap. The raised dough will resemble a single loaf. Brush top of dough with olive oil. Sprinkle with dill weed and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes. Immediately remove from loaf pan and cool on a wire rack. Brush with melted sea salt butter. Serve warm.

Dining Outside the Home: Café Gelato in Las Vegas, Nevada

Dining Outside the Home: Café Gelato in Las Vegas, Nevada! In the city that never sleeps, tucked down a Bellagio corridor where the noise is left behind, you’ll discover a quaint European café a stone’s throw from the Mediterranean-style pool. Don’t be surprised by the occasional beachwear you see. Everyone is comfortable here. The casual fare includes enticing gelato in a plethora of flavors and bakery-fresh pastries, which make a nice accompaniment to abundant paninis or healthy garden salads. Feel free to share. Café Gelato makes it the perfect spot for a little R & R. Go ahead, indulge.

Dining Outside the Home: Gibson’s Donuts in Memphis, Tennessee

Dining Outside the Home: Gibson’s Donuts in Memphis, Tennessee! Who is obsessed with donuts? Anyone? Glazed. Cake. Chocolate. Powdered Sugar. Cream-filled. Sprinkles. Jelly. Bacon. Fritters. The list goes on and on. We like donuts for breakfast, snack, parties, celebrations, dessert, just about any time of day or night. That is the reason Gibson’s Donuts is such a landmark on Mt. Moriah Road in Memphis, Tennessee. Their reputation for 24-hour service requires no advertising. It’s all word-of-mouth, if you catch my drift. And they’ve been going strong for over 50 years. The donut-filled display cases keep customers pretty satisfied. You may drop by for a donut break and find yourself walking out with a boxed dozen…or two. The aromas are so amazing due to an energetic staff who work round the clock. In the end, it means the freshest donuts around.

Dining Outside the Home: Baked by Melissa in Manhattan, New York City, New York

Dining Outside the Home: Baked by Melissa in Manhattan, New York City, New York! When it’s late at night and your sweet tooth just won’t give up, the answer is bite-sized cupcakes. Oh, yeah. This Manhattan bakery came recommended to us by an energetic waiter in a local pub as well as the helpful valet around the corner who pointed us in the right direction. Think about it. Mini cupcakes, the size of a quarter, with at least 18 distinct flavors like Red Velvet, Cookies & Cream, Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Chip Pancake, and Caramel Cone. At less than 50 calories each, it’s practically heaven-sent. The average customer eats 4-5 cupcakes at one time. Nice. Needless to say, we walked away with a gift box holding the coveted creations. OMG! YUM!

Dining Outside the Home: Carlo’s Bakery of “Cake Boss” in Las Vegas, Nevada 

Dining Outside the Home: Carlo’s Bakery of “Cake Boss” in Las Vegas, Nevada! It all started when the late night dessert craving hit me. Anyone who’s had an authentic Italian cannoli will appreciate the quest for perfection. Up the stairs at The Venetian across from Buddy V’s, delicious bakery creations are showcased for all to see: abundant fruit tarts, luscious cream-filled cannolis, deep dish cheesecake, elaborate dark chocolate cupcakes topped with ribbons of buttercream icing. It is impossible to choose just one. Forget the diet and indulge yourself. After all, it’s Vegas!

Dining Outside the Home: Deli and Bread Connection in Lihue, Kauai 

Dining Outside the Home: Deli and Bread Connection in Lihue, Kauai. Like a shark attack on the ocean, the Lobster Roll is a mouthful. Chunks of sweet lobster tail, sautéed mushrooms, red onions, and bubbly Swiss cheese are melted together inside the freshly baked specialty bread. The onsite bakery not only features chunky soups and mile-high sandwiches, it is a favorite for oriental sweet breads and poi rolls. Follow your nose and get there early. Seating is limited and the daily batch of bakery breads quickly disappear. 

Dining Outside the Home: Cupcake Delights in Mt. Dora

Before I begin, let me clarify…I did not make a meal of cupcakes. I’m not saying I couldn’t have, I’m saying I showed tremendous restraint! After all, I could easily fulfill the four major food groups in one sitting:Vegetable = Carrot Cupcakes

Fruit = Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cupcakes

Dairy = Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting

Protein = Maple Bacon Cupcakes

The dining area is as quaint and appealing as the cupcakes themselves. Overall, it’s a taste of paradise one bite at a time. 
Pastry Chef and Owner, Judy, says it quite well: 

“The way I see it… Cupcakes are a form of art, a magnificent masterpiece, on an edible canvas and you can never have too many hanging around.”