There's Nothing Like a Bagel

It wasn't that long ago when you could easily buy a dozen freshly baked bagels for around $7. With a substantial increase in the cost of wheat flour this year, that's a distant memory.

When I lived in NYC, we had a Saturday night ritual: stop at Zabar's, then H & H Bagels for freshly baked bagels, pick up the Sunday NY Times, and head home. We were all set for Sunday morning. Bagels at H & H now sell for $16.80 a dozen, and somewhere around $1.40 each, last time I checked. Yikes! No doubt they are delicious (even Zagat rated), but that's an extravagant purchase for many college students.

Here's Plan B. Next time you are near a bagel store early in the day, check to see if they sell bags of day old bagels. Usually sold at half price, they are a steal. Let's face it, even if you bought a bag of freshly baked bagels, by tomorrow (unless you are eating them all today) they will be a day old. Pop the bag in your freezer and defrost them as you need them. Warming or toasting them will restore that fresh baked taste. (Thanks, Sarah!)