Beth Morey, Writer + Artist

It seems that I have been something of a lazy muffin regarding my blogging of late. Sure, I've managed to get some new content posted every day to tip my hat to NaBloPoMo. But, sad to say, that content has been rather paltry and full of somewhat titillating but vacant food porn instead of actual muffin-related chit-chat. My apologies, dear reader. I pledge to get my blogging butt in gear. Or at least, in a better gear. Unfortunately, I was not feeling well yesterday, so that's my "legitimate" excuse (and also why I didn't novel a word for NaNoWriMo either). On the up side, yesterday I started my new job as a coffee shop barista, which I found extremely enjoyable. I'm excited to return tomorrow and sell the hungry folks of this Montana town the muffins a growing body needs.

But right now I've got a food adventure cooking that does not have anything to do with muffins, as shocking as that is. No, I've got bagels on the brain. Why? I'm not sure. Perhaps it's because yesterday I sold quite a substantial number of people breakfast bagels, and that set me wondering about what people see in those doughy circles of fun and how difficult it would be to make a more nutritious version of my own. So I set to researching recipes and found one version that seems relatively simple, does not involve a bread machine, and can be completed in a couple of hours. So there you have it -- my next baked Everest is the humble yet seemingly tricky bagel. When will this attempted conquering occur? Soon, I hope, very soon. Otherwise, I'll have to buy a bagel to squash my rising craving and that's just not as much fun. Besides, then I wouldn't have as much to blog about.

(Image nabbed from Zabar's -- and you should check out their gift baskets, some of them look quite tasty, especially the babka and rugelach. That's saying something coming from me, as I am not normally one for food baskets.)