and left us a couple reindeer:) Aren't they cute?!?!?! He brought some other stuff but this is what is getting the most attention, by all!
Merry Christmas!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Santa may or maynot.....
be bringing us one
or two of these.
It totally depends on their cuteness vs. Santa being able to resist their cuteness, factor. And which elf does the picking:) We have one little kiddo who would give up getting everything else if she could just have one of these. So she asked Santa (3 times) if he would pretty please just bring her one. Man oh man will she be surprised:) I've done my best to convince her that I'm not sure we need a kitten and that I don't know if Santa brings live pets. Some days I've done too good a job because we've had tears, lots and lots of tears. I feel terrible:( Enough that I'm not hardly saying anything regarding this because I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can't wait to see the look on her face!
This isn't a picture of the actual one(s) because Santa doesn't deliver until Christmas morning, but I have a feeling one of the elves found a couple a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e reindeer costumes and they will look just.as.cute as this one. If not cuter:)
And I will definitely be posting pictures of the real deal, and maybe a screaming (happy) video clip if I can get it:)
Cinnamon Rolls for Christmas
My brother makes the BEST cinnamon rolls! We celebrated Christmas last Sunday and he brought these over to share. Over the course of the day I think I ate, ummm, maybe....3?! Yes, they are that amazing. So at the end of the day Jeff is telling us he calculated up how many calories are in one roll and he came up with something like 700. What?! So just disregard that I just said that, and that I told you I ate three:) And yes Jeff actually makes these himself. Not that his wife can't /doesn't bake, it is just something he enjoys doing while he is laid off in the winters! He's pretty amazing that guy:)
I'm planning on making these for my little(ish) family Christmas morning:) Except Ash who greatly dislikes cinnamon rolls, I'm making her waffles the night before, so she can throw them in the toaster and heat them up while we are eating cinnamon rolls:) Hope you all have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!
Yukon Gold Cinnamon Rolls
Potatoes help make the dough amazingly moist and tender.
Ingredients
dough
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 large eggs
4 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
3 1/4-ounce envelopes active dry yeast (scant 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons sugar
filling
1 1/3 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temperature
glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons (or more) whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Preparation
dough
Combine potatoes, 2 cups water, and 1 tablespoon coarse salt in large saucepan. Boil until potatoes are very tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Mash potatoes with water in pan (do not drain water). Add butter and mash until butter is melted. Whisk in eggs, then 1 cup flour; mash until very smooth. Let potatoes stand until barely lukewarm, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour 1/2 cup warm water into large bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment; stir in yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add potato mixture to yeast mixture; mix on low speed until well blended, 2 minutes. Mix in 3 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, beating well. Beat until sticky dough forms.
Spread 1/2 cup flour on work surface. Scrape dough out onto floured work surface. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is very sticky, about 8 minutes.
Coat large bowl with butter. Transfer dough to bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make filling
Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour in medium bowl. Using fork, mix in butter.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Turn dough out onto well-floured work surface. Roll out dough to 24x16-inch rectangle. Sprinkle filling evenly over dough. Starting at 1 long side, roll up dough jelly-roll style, enclosing filling. Using large knife dipped in flour, cut roll crosswise into 12 pieces. Transfer rolls to baking sheet, spacing rolls about 3/4 inch apart. Cover baking sheet loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 20 minutes (rolls will be very puffy).
Bake cinnamon rolls until golden, about 20 minutes. Cool rolls 10 minutes on baking sheet.
Meanwhile, make glaze
Whisk powdered sugar, melted butter, 2 tablespoons milk, vanilla, and coarse salt in small bowl. If glaze is too thick to spread, add more milk by 1/2 teaspoonfuls as needed. Spread glaze over warm rolls.
I'm planning on making these for my little(ish) family Christmas morning:) Except Ash who greatly dislikes cinnamon rolls, I'm making her waffles the night before, so she can throw them in the toaster and heat them up while we are eating cinnamon rolls:) Hope you all have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!
Yukon Gold Cinnamon Rolls
Potatoes help make the dough amazingly moist and tender.
Ingredients
dough
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 large eggs
4 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
3 1/4-ounce envelopes active dry yeast (scant 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons sugar
filling
1 1/3 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temperature
glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons (or more) whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Preparation
dough
Combine potatoes, 2 cups water, and 1 tablespoon coarse salt in large saucepan. Boil until potatoes are very tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Mash potatoes with water in pan (do not drain water). Add butter and mash until butter is melted. Whisk in eggs, then 1 cup flour; mash until very smooth. Let potatoes stand until barely lukewarm, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour 1/2 cup warm water into large bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment; stir in yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add potato mixture to yeast mixture; mix on low speed until well blended, 2 minutes. Mix in 3 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, beating well. Beat until sticky dough forms.
Spread 1/2 cup flour on work surface. Scrape dough out onto floured work surface. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is very sticky, about 8 minutes.
Coat large bowl with butter. Transfer dough to bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make filling
Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour in medium bowl. Using fork, mix in butter.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Turn dough out onto well-floured work surface. Roll out dough to 24x16-inch rectangle. Sprinkle filling evenly over dough. Starting at 1 long side, roll up dough jelly-roll style, enclosing filling. Using large knife dipped in flour, cut roll crosswise into 12 pieces. Transfer rolls to baking sheet, spacing rolls about 3/4 inch apart. Cover baking sheet loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 20 minutes (rolls will be very puffy).
Bake cinnamon rolls until golden, about 20 minutes. Cool rolls 10 minutes on baking sheet.
Meanwhile, make glaze
Whisk powdered sugar, melted butter, 2 tablespoons milk, vanilla, and coarse salt in small bowl. If glaze is too thick to spread, add more milk by 1/2 teaspoonfuls as needed. Spread glaze over warm rolls.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
The pukes are gone....
So I sprayed everyone everything down with Lysol and started some holiday baking:)
I love peppermint patties so homemade peppermint patties? Ummm, yes please!
I found this peppermint patty recipe it was super easy to mix up. I used an ice cream scoop to make my balls before I flattened them out to patties. I'm never very good at dipping but they do taste yummy!
Next I moved on to this graham cracker cookie bars recipe. It was soooo easy. Like crazy easy! I think they look nice enough to give to the neighbors and just not tell how super easy it was! I have a list of cookies I want to make and looking on the internet is making that list longer:) Good thing I printed off a new running schedule last night....Now I just need the motivation to start it:)
I love peppermint patties so homemade peppermint patties? Ummm, yes please!
I found this peppermint patty recipe it was super easy to mix up. I used an ice cream scoop to make my balls before I flattened them out to patties. I'm never very good at dipping but they do taste yummy!
Next I moved on to this graham cracker cookie bars recipe. It was soooo easy. Like crazy easy! I think they look nice enough to give to the neighbors and just not tell how super easy it was! I have a list of cookies I want to make and looking on the internet is making that list longer:) Good thing I printed off a new running schedule last night....Now I just need the motivation to start it:)
My Birthday Boy!
I can't upload a picture for some reason:(
I don't know where the last 12 years have gone. It seem like just yesterday I was having my first baby....and here we are now with four kids!
I'm so grateful for the awesome young man Caleb is turning into. He was due on Christmas day, and made me a very happy mama when I went into labor 6 days early. That and the fact my labor was like 3 hours start to finish. Ummm, yeah both my boys love me and blessed me with very short labor! He is so sweet and helpful and I forget to tell him that a lot. I thankful that he is so forgiving of his crazy mama and the mistakes I make. He is so grown-up and mature (sometimes:)). It makes me just a teeny bit sad that he is growing up so quickly, but on the flip side he is even more fun with each year. 12 years ago (on the 19th) he started off our little family. I wouldn't trade one second of it! I can't even believe how much my life has changed since then and I'm so happy for what I have.
I don't know where the last 12 years have gone. It seem like just yesterday I was having my first baby....and here we are now with four kids!
I'm so grateful for the awesome young man Caleb is turning into. He was due on Christmas day, and made me a very happy mama when I went into labor 6 days early. That and the fact my labor was like 3 hours start to finish. Ummm, yeah both my boys love me and blessed me with very short labor! He is so sweet and helpful and I forget to tell him that a lot. I thankful that he is so forgiving of his crazy mama and the mistakes I make. He is so grown-up and mature (sometimes:)). It makes me just a teeny bit sad that he is growing up so quickly, but on the flip side he is even more fun with each year. 12 years ago (on the 19th) he started off our little family. I wouldn't trade one second of it! I can't even believe how much my life has changed since then and I'm so happy for what I have.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Hot Cocoa
Does anyone have a really good hot cocoa mix recipe? I bought these (the ones on the right)
At World Market. Man, I love that place! The kids drink hot cocoa all.the.time! So, they are getting these mugs as well as a 1 gallon glass container full of cocoa mix for a Christmas gift. Yes, I am that lame:)
World market had a $10 off $30 coupon and I had a couple other gifts for Andy to get there anyway so these ended up only being a little over $6.50 for the set. They are about 9 oz which is perfect for the kids and cocoa and I don't have to use cupboard space to store them. They are cute enough to keep on the counter.
But I need a good recipe so if you have one you want to share feel free:)
At World Market. Man, I love that place! The kids drink hot cocoa all.the.time! So, they are getting these mugs as well as a 1 gallon glass container full of cocoa mix for a Christmas gift. Yes, I am that lame:)
World market had a $10 off $30 coupon and I had a couple other gifts for Andy to get there anyway so these ended up only being a little over $6.50 for the set. They are about 9 oz which is perfect for the kids and cocoa and I don't have to use cupboard space to store them. They are cute enough to keep on the counter.
But I need a good recipe so if you have one you want to share feel free:)
Friday, December 3, 2010
The newest member of my household!!!
I've waited and waited, hemmed and hawed over whether or not I should get one. I really wanted one, but on the flip side really didn't want to pay the price. Funny how that is often the case. I poured over the black friday ads and talked to everyone I knew that has one. Andy kept laughing at me as I check Craigslist five a couple times a day, to see if anything *new* had been added. Yes, I have no life:) He also told me I would "just know it" when the deal was right. Really?! I don't ever get that feeling. I'm usually having buyers remorse, even before I buy stuff. Which is good, mostly.
So last night I ended up skipping the Mom's night out. Andy came home late and we all just hung out and we pulled up CL. There it was the lift model kitchen aid!!!! They had posted it earlier in the day (yesterday I had a life and couldn't check every hour) and so of course I e-mailed right away. The guy met me this afternoon. Yeah I had to wait all.day.long.(Really dude you couldn't take the day off? I mean you were selling a mixer and all?!:) So today at 4:30 I met him, and became the new owner! Exciting stuff!
So far I've whipped up mashed potatoes, and cookies, and I'm definitely thinking about some homemade cinnamon rolls next. It's my early Christmas present, but really I'm okay with that. It cost considerably less than what Andy would have probably ended up spending. And it's just in time to get used for all my holiday baking.
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