Exactly one year ago today, the world went topsy-turvy after the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared COVID-19 a world-wide pandemic. Whew! What a year it’s been! Here’s our 2020 year recap…
Who would have thought a virus would have caused massive shortages on toilet paper, Chlorox wipes, and anything else deemed antibacterial. Like everyone else, we were on the hunt for these items and bought when we could find them. However, eBay sellers were more than willing to help you out for a price.
Toilet paper and paper towels are gone! 
Feminine hygiene products? 
Fake nails?! 
Really?! $2,500!
We stayed-at-home (with and without mandatory orders), wore masks in public, and socially distanced at 6 feet or more. Making masks at the beginning of the pandemic was a thing too! Now they’re stocked on store shelves everywhere, and are also found discarded in parking lots and along national park trails!
Signs and reminders were and are everywhere just in case you weren’t sure to mask up or not.
The socially distance signs can be quite clever and amusing. By now, we better know what the 6-foot measure stands for. (Pun intended!)
How these circles are put down can be interesting to check out. Whoever put down the traffic flow sign must not have thought about the direction of the stand-here circle. Social distancing circles in an elevator made us scratch our heads too.
For those completely clueless about what to do, helpful and detailed tips were provided…even outside on trails.
As COVID numbers rose, more and more businesses and attractions closed down.
But we were encouraged along the way and reassured all was safe.
To pass the time, like others, we gardened even more, baked our way into stretchy fat pants, and probably drank entirely more than we should’ve. Those wine corks turned into a great table top by the way!
Along the way, we tried to not loose our sense of humor.
Corona anyone? 
Which one is a cake?
But despite it all, life happened. Routine medical appointments took place by teleconference in Costco’s produce section, and wisdom teeth were yanked. Birthdays were celebrated with special presents. The new pup grew and wore her mask too.
By the time the 2020 Presidential election showed up, we were more than happy to stand in line for over two hours and on another dot to vote. It was worth it to stop seeing relentless political ads on TV, and cut back on angry social media posts. Minion 2 even threw his name into the political game by running for class president. (He didn’t win.)
The weather was just as wacky as everything else going on…sweltering summer heat, fall thunderstorms, and snow dumping on the MidSouth for the first time in 30 odd years. With nothing political to report on, local news channels explained acceptable sledding etiquette on major city streets. The Minions were also forcibly unplugged from the internet during the snow storm. It was excellent. They played games that hadn’t surfaced in years.
Like school-aged students elsewhere, the Minions pivoted from in-person to virtual learning. Minion 1 listening to his aviation mechanics instructor discuss the finer points of carburetors on a Zoom call while driving through the middle of Oklahoma. Minion 2 learned geometry and trigonometry, as I attempted to remember it to teach him. School opened and closed, and then opened and closed again. We’re ALL thankful they’re both back to school in person now.
Society bubbled around us (and still does). Black lives. Blue lives. All lives matter! CHAZ or CHOP? Virtual teddy bear hunts for kids getting away from their Zoom classes. Boarded up store fronts anticipating riots. Long store lines filled with frustrated people. Iconic food images canceled after almost 100 years of use. Now Looney Tunes’ Pepe LePew and Disney’s Dumbo, Aristocats, and Peter Pan movies are not socially appropriate. (But Grand Theft Auto is?)
Chick-Fil-A Drive Through 
Downtown San Antonio, Texas 
One of the nine Aunt Jemima pancake faces since 1893, Lilian Richard was from Hawkins, Texas. 
Land O’Lakes’ iconic butter maiden
gets a pink slip after 92 years on the job.
Repeated rapid results nose swabs, quarantining for 14 days (or is it 10?), and testing positive for the virus was a part of life too.
I’ll be completely honest. We were and are extremely fortunate. Our jobs were considered essential and didn’t end. But more importantly, our family members and close friends are still with us today. We know there are many people out there not as lucky as us. We all have a different COVID story.
Today’s recipe reminds me of what a strange, spicy year 2020 was! Although worded as Easy Jalapeño Popper Bagel Bites, these flavorful, cheesy bites could be called flavor bombs. We never knew what was going to happen next or go off around us.
Easy Jalapeño Popper Bagel Bites are loaded with jalapeño peppers, cream cheese, chives, and shredded Monty Jack cheese. All of the good stuff you’d expect to find in a traditional jalapeño popper. But don’t let the bagel bite scare you away. The secret of these yummy edibles is using frozen yeast dinner rolls. Rhodes brand is available in the freezer section of most major grocery stores. Their pre-portioned rolls are perfectly sized timesavers!
To get started, thaw the pre-portioned rolls out on the counter. As the dough is coming up to room temperature, mix together the jalapeño popper filling. The filling is portioned into tablespoon sized amounts on a parchment-covered baking sheet and frozen until firm. (A small #50 ice cream scoop works fabulously!)
After the rolls have thawed and the filling is solid, the two become one. Be sure to tightly pinch the dough to seal in the filling, but expect to have some escape during the bake time.
At this point, the poppers could go straight into the oven. But since they’re bagel bites, the dough balls need a quick dip in a boiling water and sugar bath. Boil them for about 30 seconds per side and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. The last step before going into the oven is to shower on the everything bagel topping. If you can’t find this pre-made seasoning in your grocery store, fear not. Everything bagel seasoning is basically sesame seeds, dried onion and garlic, poppy seeds, and salt. Feel free to use this mix on your bagel bites before baking, or just sprinkle them simple with sesame seeds. (Two Peas & Their Pod has a simple recipe for it here.)
The final result is a slightly spicy, cheesy-chewy bite that’s excellent for Happy Hour appetizers, brunch, or a quick weeknight meal. Make them yours by swapping out sharp cheddar or Colby Jack cheeses for the Monty Jack and Colby blend I used. If you’re a pepper head, replace the jalapeño with the Scoville-scaled item of your choice. Here’s to a calmer, less spicy 2021!
Easy Jalapeño Popper Bagel Bites
All the traditional jalapeño popper flavors of melted sharp cheese, garlic and chives, and spicy jalapeños packaged up in a chewy bagel bite sprinkled with Everything Bagel seasoning. Frozen dinner roll dough makes them a snap to put together!
- Prep Time: About 30-45 Minutes for Thawing & Freezing
- Cook Time: 20 Minutes
- Total Time: About 1 Hour
- Yield: 16 Bagel Bites 1x
Ingredients
16 frozen yeast dinner rolls, such as Rhodes brand
1–8 oz. package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack/Colby cheese blend
1/3 cup chopped chives
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced
2 quarts water
2 tbsp. brown sugar + 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
Everything bagel seasoning*
Instructions
Place the frozen dinner rolls on a parchment or Silpat lined or greased baking sheet. Allow to thaw until they reach room temperature and can be easily formed into flat disks (approximately 30-45 minutes).
While the dough is thawing, combine cream cheese, garlic powder, shredded cheese, chives, and diced jalapeño peppers in a bowl. Mix until evenly blended. Using a spoon or a #50 ice cream scoop, portion the filling into tablespoon sized amounts onto a parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet. Freeze until firm (about 30 minutes).
About 5 to 10 minutes before the filling is done freezing, bring the water, brown sugar and granulated sugar to a boil over medium high heat. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
To assemble the bagel bites, form each dough piece into a flattened disk about 3 to 3-1/2 inches across. Place one frozen filling ball into the center of the dough. Wrap the dough edges up and around the filling. Press the edges firmly to seal. Place dough ball back on the baking sheet until ready to boil.
In groups of 3 to 4, place the dough balls into the boiling sugar water. Cook for 30 seconds on each side, turning and removing with a slotted spoon. Place onto the parchment lined baking sheet about 2-3 inches apart and sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning. Bake on the middle rack for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool bagel bites for about 5 minutes on a wire rack before serving.
Notes
*Substitute with sesame seeds, poppy seeds or another topping of your choice. To make your own everything bagel seasoning, a recipe is here.
IMNPB
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