Cinnamon Rolls

(My 9x13 pans was being used by something else so I used these two cakes pans. It still worked.)

When I was growing up one of my best friends, Robyn (Saunders) Storm, lived across the street from me. Her father was an amazing bread maker and they always had cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate on Friday mornings. I was always so jealous of that since I always had to fend for myself not only for breakfast but for lunch and dinner as well. I pretty much raised myself (that probably explains a lot). So it was either nothing for breakfast or cold cereal. Because of this I decided when I had children I would cook for my family. I make some kind of hot breakfast 6 days a week, help the children get their lunch, and I make dinner pratically every night. Over the past year I have started this Saturday morning tradition of the cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate. I have tried many different recipes and have found one that not only tastes like I slaved for hours and hours but they only take 90-120 minutes to make.

So here it goes:

Cinnamon Rolls

Turn oven onto warm setting or lowest temp.

Place in sauce pan and heat over medium heat until butter is melted.

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons milk

Mix the following in Kitchen Aid bowl:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/4 tsp. bread machine yeast (one envelope)

Add milk mixture to flour mixture. Add one egg untill well incorporated. Change the hook to the dough hook and add:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus enough until dough does not stick to the sides of bowl

Knead in the Kitchen Aid for 2 minutes. Turn out on floured surface and cover with the bowl and let rest for 10 minutes.

Filling:
6 Tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Mix all together.

After the 10 minutes roll the dough into about a 9x15 rectangle. Spread the filling all over dough and roll up from one of the long sides. Cut into 12 rolls and place in a buttered 9x13 pan. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in warm oven for 15 minutes. Remove cinnamon rolls from oven and keep them covered while the oven pre-heats to 375 degrees F. Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

Yummy, yum. Sit back and hear the praises come from your family. I love hearing my kids tell me I am the best every Saturday. I guess it makes up for all the times they think I am too mean ;)

Feeling Homesick

As I have had the wonderful experience of reconnecting with old friends from childhood on Facebook it has also made me homesick for days gone by.

When I was 5 years old we moved to a wonderful mountain valley in Utah called Cache Valley. Majestic mountains surround this beautiful valley. Spring time is green, lush and full of life. Summers are pleasant with wonderful cool nights perfect for sleeping out under the stars. Autamn is a blast of color from all the types of trees that fill the valley and scattered on the mountain side. Winter is a wonderland of snow, skiing, ice skating, and the fun of friends.

The best part of the valley is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Logan Temple that stands proudly on a hill in the center of the valley. Out of all the places I have been in the world this building is my beacon, my castle. It is the best to see at night. When I was a teenager I made it a standerd to be home before the temple lights went out at 2 a.m.

I have some wonderful memories of growing-up in this valley and sometimes wish we could move back. But it has become a place that California has infested so real estate is way over priced and there is no way we could live there again.

It is nice to reconnect with wonderful people and remember when life was so much more simple and I would just sit out on my front porch and hear the crickets and the sound of the sprinklers in the fields and I would dream about leaving such a small place. Now I am hear wishing I could go back. Funny how that all works out.

Holiday Yummies

Here are all my Christmas Goodies ready to be plated and passed around to family and friends.

Here are the close up shots so if you are not close enough to me to get a plate you will be the lucky ones to not gain weight because of me, but you can imagine how wonderful they taste ;)

Greek Twist Cookies

Pressed Cookies and Zimtsterne (Cinnamon Stars)

Peanut Brittle

Million Dollar Fudge

Caramels

Ohio Buckeyes

Greek Honey Dipped Cookies

Christmas Tree Decorating Fun

We had a wonderful time as a family decorating the tree. Since Gavin is still into destorying everything we will not be putting presents under the tree until Christmas Eve.

Timber!!

I always enjoyed going as a child and cutting down our own tree. We were lucky that a neighbor of ours had a little lot of trees and we always found a great little tree from them.

The prefect Christmas tree to me is one that is about 5 feet tall with short needles and branches far enough apart that when you hang the ornaments you can still see them. I guess the perfect tree to me is what I call a "Charlie Brown" tree. This year James said he wanted his way this year. After getting to the tree farm and hearing him complain about how cold it was and that it was snowing I gave in. We cut down the tree James wanted this year and to be honest with you, I hate it. It doesn't smell, the needles are way to long and they hide the ornaments, the branches are not strong at all and not all the ornaments could be hung because they are to heavy. Have I complained enough? I gave him one year we should be good for another 12 years to have it my way, right?

The important thing is the kids had a great time going and picking out the tree and taking turns cutting it down. All this is about is making memories and hopefully they are happy ones. The reason for the season is to remember the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and not what kind of tree "I" wanted. But I still have my opinion ;)

St. Nick's Day

I had never heard of St. Nick's Day until I met and married James. It was a family tradition in their home. James said that they would put bowls on the kitchen table and in the morning St. Nick had put candy and a small toy in them. When we started having children we agreed that instead of having St. Nick and a stocking on Christmas day we would hang the stockings for St. Nick to fill and Santa would bring the big presents. It was wonderful to live in Germany where everyone celebrates St. Nick's Day. Our children enjoyed knowing that the other children in our German neighborhood was also getting things for St. Nick's Day. We are back to having other children give our children a weird look when they talk about St. Nick, but it is a fun tradition in our home and the children look forward to it every year.

Military Again

James joined the Ohio Air National Guard part time. This was is first guard weekend. It has been 4 years since he put on this uniform and it seems to be a little snug ;)

It is fun to see him in his Blues since he has always thought he looks like hot stuff in his blues. Reminds me when we were first dating and the only reason why he would go to church with me is because he would dress up in his Blues to impress me. After 13 years he does look different, but he still looks hot :)

I am happy to have base privilages again with the wonderful savings of the commissary. I can actually shop within my budget again.