Cinnamon Rolls

I've never made homemade cinnamon rolls before, and after trying this recipe I will definitely make these again. If you want them for breakfast you'd have to start preparing them pretty early in the morning and have patients, but these are worth the wait.

Dough:
3/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp warm water
2 Tbsp butter
2 1/2 c. flour (I used wheat flour for the 1/2 c.)
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp yeast

Filling:
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Frosting:
1 (8 oz) pkg. of cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tub of whipped cream (4 oz)

(I used leftover frosting from a cake I made, so the ingredients are cut it in half from that recipe.)

I let the bread machine do most of the work and it turned out the most perfect ball of dough I've ever held. All I had to do was load the machine with the dough ingredients (in the order listed), set it on dough cycle, and it just worked away for an hour and a half while I slept (it was very early in the morning when I started these).

If you don't have a bread machine you have to knead it by hand, and let it rise for about and hour until it has doubled in size.

When the dough is finished, roll it out to a 9 in. square. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Spread the butter over the dough and top with the sugar mixture. Then tightly roll up the side. Cut into one inch slices. Place in a 9x13 in. pan that is slightly greased, lightly cover with plastic wrap, and set them aside to rise for an hour.



Remove plastic and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Then frost them when they are still warm.
(Makes about 12 rolls)

Then frost them when they are still warm.
(Makes about 12 rolls)


The best part! mmmm

Growth

I bought some seeds last weekend, and I'm excited that little seedlings are already coming up. I planted Basil, Oregano, and Lavender. I can't wait to make my own pesto and have fresh herbs on hand. I'll also have fun watching them grow.



The lavender hasn't come up yet, it may take another week.

I had started a few in some test tubes because I thought it would be cute.

It's like a mini terrarium!



My crown of thorns also decided to bloom right on time for spring.

Granola Bars

These are great to snack on. I save all the granola crumbs that I accumulate from cutting these and put them on my yogurt.


3 1/2 c oatmeal
1/2 c raisins or any dried fruit
2/3 c butter melted (I used half butter and half applesauce and it worked out fine, because 2/3 cup is a lot of butter)
1/2 c brown sugar
1/3 c honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c almonds or other nuts

Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately.

Then add all ingredients together and pack into a lined 9 by 13 inch pan.

Cook for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven. When done let them cool slightly in the pan. Cut them when they are still a little warm.

Orange Julius

Tastes just like the ones at the mall. If you want I'm sure you could add different flavors of juice if you want more variety.

6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 c milk
1/2 c water
1/2 c suger
1/2 tsp vanilla
about 10 ice cubes

Blend juice, milk, water, sugar, and vanilla together in blender.



Gradually add ice cubes and blend until smooth. Add or subtract the number of ice cubes depending on the desired thickness.

New Year

I know I haven't posted anything in a while. My winter break was pretty busy, I moved in with Alex and I got engaged! Spring semester started a few weeks ago so now I'm back in school and that takes up a lot of my time.

I promise I'll have more yummy food to post soon. My birthday is coming up and I'm planning on making tasty treats!

Here is something I made over break: For my and Alex's engagement party I made a white chocolate raspberry cheesecake which is my favorite cheesecake I've made so far. The recipe is under the post: Best Cheesecake Ever!

So now you can see what the final product looks like.



Here is our other cake

Valentine's Treats

Heart-shaped pizza


I got heart shaped cake pans for Christmas this year so of course I'm going to use them for Valentine's Day. But instead of baking a cake I thought it would be cute to make a pizza.

Homemade pizza is super easy to make, especially if you buy pre-made dough or dough mix. I usually get the dough mix that you just add warm water to.

You can use a variety of cheeses and toppings. I used mozzarella cheese with red bell peppers. I always use fresh garlic -that is a must.




Dirt Cake


For dessert I wanted to have something I haven't made in a long time...Dirt Cake!

What you'll need:
1 pkg Oreos
8 oz. pkg cream cheese
1/2 stick of soft butter
2 cups milk
2 (3 oz) pkgs instant vanilla pudding
1 tub of whipped cream
1 cup powdered sugar
Gummy worms

Crush the oreos, a food processor works great but don't do it for too long or else the crumbs will be too fine.
Combine the cream cheese, butter and sugar. In a different bowl mix the milk and pudding until it slightly thickens. Then add the whipped cream. Mix the cream cheese mixture and the pudding mixture together.

Layer the cream and crushed cookies and top with gummy worms.




His and Hers

Since I turned 21 this Valentine's Day I thought I'd share some tasty drinks. A fruity one for her and one that's a bit stronger for him.


Mai Tai
2 oz rum
1 oz orange juice
2 oz pineapple juice
1 oz cherry mix
ice cubes

Manhattan
1 oz Sweet vermouth
2 oz whiskey
optional 1/2 oz cherry syrup
ice cubes

Candied Roasted Nuts

Alex bought some roasted nuts recently and he ate all of them before I even got a chance to get my hands on them. So I decided to make some homemade candied nuts for him since he loves them so much. The recipe is really easy and it makes a lot so you can keep some and give some away as a gift.

Recipe:
1/3 c brown sugar
2/3 c white sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 lb nuts (I had cashews and pecans)
1 egg white
1 Tbsp water



Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Mix sugars, salt, and cinnamon.


In a separate bowl beat egg white and water until frothy but not stiff.


Add nuts and coat evenly. Pour in sugar mixture and stir until all nuts are covered in sugar.


Spread onto a cookie sheet (you may need two cookie sheets-also lining them with parchment paper would be a good idea) and bake for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.


When they are cooling, give them a toss so they don't all stick together.


I put some in a mason jar with a red ribbon to give to Alex.