Bagels! Bagels! Bagels!

I thought I'd start by offering you the goods and, believe me, this picture actually does them a lot of justice. The reality is that these jalapeno bagels were a disaster, barely look like bagels, and adhered to the wax paper like a thrift store price tag to a $4 salad spinner. However, I am proud of myself for trying and they actually taste delicious. If I can get this recipe fine tuned, I might actually save myself some money, because...Well, I'll be honest: I eat bagels like they're going out of style. I'll defend the variety and nutritiousness of my diet against just about anything or anyone, but there is an exception. I eat the same thing for breakfast every day--or damn near. In fact, I'd say 28/30 days.

My morning goes something like this: wake up, drag ass downstairs, cut jalapeno bagel in half, put one half in the toaster, slice cucumber, tomato, and avocado, pull bagel out of toaster, spread Toffutti cream cheese on bagel, top with salt and lemon pepper, add cucumbers, then tomatoes, then avocado (all in a pretty flower pattern), and eat. My morning bagel is like coffee; I can't start the day without it (and, I actually often follow it some time later with a coffee beverage of some kind).

Now, I can stop my incessant hunt for adequate jalapeno bagels, whose habitat is inevitably far from mine. I can just make them. As soon as I get the dough to rise in sometime less than 30 hours. And, as soon as I can figure out a way to separate the bagel from the paper. And , I have to admit, it would be nice if they looked remotely like bagels, though they do have a vaguely croissant-ish look about them.

But, for now, I'm happy with the bits I can pull off the paper and dip straight into the cream cheese container. In fact, that very act even feels a little triumphant.

(I do want to add that I think this recipe will work. The bagels turned out crispy on the outside and deliciously chewy on the inside--just like a bagel should be.)