Mini Cinnamon Rolls

My friend decided to have a pre-new years eve party last night. Of course I signed up to bring a dessert. I started to think of what I wanted to bring and I thought about the cardboard like mini cinnamon rolls that Costco sells. While I will eat them if they are in my face, I much prefer a gooey homemade one. So I decided to shrink down my cinnamon rolls. This recipe is easy and they were delicious. I have another recipe that I will probably post in the future but this one works and tastes great!

Bread has long time been my nemesis. I never could get it to rise right. My water was either too hot or too cold and it just never worked. I have finally won my battle and have turned out some delicious bread (not according to my 5 year old who refuses to eat anything but store bought nasty bread) Anyway I turn my tap on as hot as it will get and put my hot water in a bowl. I sprinkle the yeast on the water and then I sprinkle my sugar on top of the yeast to sink it. I don't know that it actually does anything but I like watching them sink...easily entertained I guess!

Just to take back what I said up top I do know that the sugar helps to feed the yeast. I just meant that you don't have to sink the yeast with the sugar. Let your yeast sit for about 10-15 min until it looks all frothy like this...Oh shoot I just realized I didn't take a picture of me mixing all the ingredients into the yeast and mixing...Whoopsy! So like I said dump in your slightly beaten eggs, oil- Side note mom I'm talking to you don't use olive oil it gives it a nasty flavor. She tries to pretend that olive oil makes it a little more healthy... and flour and mix. I use a kitchenaid and use the bread hook. But you can knead your dough by hand. Kneading brings out the elasticity in the dough and it takes about 10 minutes of kneading. I  find that works well when you are particularly annoyed with people in your household (not that I am admitting to getting annoyed haha!) but seriously kneading dough can help get some frustration out!

Form your dough into a ball and place it in a greased bowl and let rise 1 hour until it has doubled in size.

I divided my dough into smaller balls and rolled out each one. It made about 6 smaller balls which ended up to be way too much work. So I gave half my dough away to my sister who fried it up and made angel wings. (basically fried bread dough and then dusted with powder sugar)

Spread butter, brown sugar and cinnamon over your rolled out dough. Roll the dough up as tightly as you can

I find that the easiest way to cut out the rolls is with dental floss. Make sure you use a unflavored floss otherwise your cinnamon rolls will have a hint of mint to them! Cris-Cross the floss like this and pull tight in opposite directions.

Don't they look cute? I actually wish I had made them smaller because they almost double in size when you bake them. You can let them rise again for an hour which I normally do but I wanted to keep these small. Throw them in the oven and bake for 20 minutes

Frost and serve!! P.S. Don't judge the hole in the middle. They looked so good I had to try one and then I remembered I needed to take a picture...

 xoxo Janis!!

Mini Cinnamon rolls

(recipe by http://twistedflavor.blogspot.com)

3 cups water (hot about 110-115 degrees)

4 TBS Yeast

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Oil

3 slightly beaten eggs

8-11 cups of flour

Turn your tap water on to the hottest water or if you want to be all technical you can use a thermometer and make sure it is 110 degrees. Sprinkle yeast on water along with your sugar. Let sit about 10-min until nice and frothy. Add eggs and oil. Mix in your flour until the dough is not sticky enough to stick to your hands. Knead dough for 10 minutes and let rise for 1 hour. Roll out dough and spread butter and brown sugar mixture.

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Tbs Cinnamon

1 cube butter (don't judge)

Roll up the dough to form a snake. Cut out rolls using dental floss. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Frost and serve

Frosting

1 pkg Cream Cheese

1/2 cube butter

1 tbs vanilla (you know me)

3 Cups Powder Sugar

Cream all together and spread

German Pancakes

This is a breakfast meal  my Mother made for us a lot.

My son Kyle loves them and 

has mastered the art of making them.

This is a very simple dish with very few ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a 9 X 13 baking dish with 1/4 Cup of butter in it.

Combine the flour, milk and eggs in a blender.

Blend just long enough to incorporate the flour.

Pour into the baking dish and bake

Remove from oven and sprinkle with sugar or powdered sugar.

I like to serve with syrup or fresh fruit.

Slice into 6 pieces and serve hot!

German Pancakes

(recipe by http://twistedflavor.blogspot.com)

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

6 eggs

1/4 cup butter 
( Butter can be cut down to 2 Tbsp)

Melt butter in the bottom of a glass 9 X13 pan.

Combine milk, flour and eggs in a blender and pour into baking dish

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes

Farm Apple Pie

I love Braeburn Apples!

I believe that they make the best apple pies.  I like the flavor of this apple and when it is baked it holds its shape.  Granny Smith apples tend to shrink.  You might make a mile high pie and when you go to cut it, the apples are not right up to the crust.

My pies always have a smile!  Pies need to be happy.  You have to cut holes in the crust to vent the pie.  You might as well make a smile.

You might notice I use whole  nutmeg.  I love the flavor of fresh grated nutmeg.

I like to use a deep dish pie plate.  I am a sucker for Pampered Chef products.  I love them!

Start by lining a pie plate with a bottom crust.  With a fork poke holes in the crust to vent the crust.

Yes, I am a gadget freak!  I love my apple peeler.  It cores and slices the apples all at the same time.

Slice apples into a large bowl.

I add the dry ingredients into a measuring cup and mix before I add to the apples.

Mix the apples gently and add to the crust.

Dot the top of apples with butter and add top crust and cut off excess.  

Lift the edges and brush water in between the crust to create a seal.

Crimp the two crust together.

Vent top crust and bake at 425 for 50-60 minutes.

To test apples, poke in a vent hole with a knife to see if the apples are cooked.  They should be soft like a baked potato.  

Hint ~ cut strips of tin foil and cover the edges of the crust to prevent the crust from burning.  Make sure to remove foil half way through the baking process.

Farm Apple Pie 

(recipe by http://twistedflavor.blogspot.com/)

½ Cup white sugar

½ Cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp flour

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp salt

2 Tbsp butter

7 Cups Sliced Peeled Apples 

Line a 9 inch pie plate with bottom crust. Combine sugar, flour and spices. Mix lightly with apples. Heap into pie shell. Dot with butter and add top crust and vent top and bottom crust. Bake at 425 for 50-60 minutes. Apples should be soft like a baked potato.

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Grams Chicken Noodle Soup

My kids call this "my famous soup" but really this is a recipe I got from my sweet mother in law. I hate Chicken Noodle Soup usually. Mom I don't want to offend you here but your soup was too...Chicken-y...Everyone else I know loves her soup with its homemade noodles but sadly I am not a fan. So I was hesitant to try this soup as I thought I just hated all chicken noodle soups but I quickly fell in love with this one.

This is the easiest soup ever to make and its so delicious. My mother in law uses canned chicken in her soup. I find that a rotisserie chicken adds so much more flavor and they are only $5 at Costco you can't go wrong. 

I start by De-boning the chicken. Usually we pick at it and eat all  we want and still have enough left for soup. My kids fight over who gets the drumsticks. I remember when I was a kid fighting over the drumsticks with my brother. Now days I would totally let him win. Something about eating it straight off the bone just doesn't sound appealing!

I threw everything into a crock pot because I was running around shopping and wanted some hot soup to come home to. I never measure out the lemon pepper but this is the most important ingredient to making this soup so don't forget it. I think the recipe calls for 1-2 TBS I just sprinkle it on the top so it looks like this. Throw all ingredients into a pot. Use your favorite egg noodles and when the noodles have fully cooked in the soup it's done.

I serve my soup with homemade rolls. I am still in the process of finding the most delicious roll recipe so once I find it I will post. This was a lionhouse roll recipe and while it was good I've had better.

 xoxo Janis!!

Grams Chicken Noodle Soup

(recipe by http://twistedflavor.blogspot.com)

1 Large Can Cream of Chicken Soup

3 15 oz Cans Chicken Stock

1 Rotisserie Chicken

1 1/2 cups Egg Noodles

1-2 TBS Lemon Pepper

Combine everything in a pot. Cook until egg noodles are soft about 10 -12 minutes.

Grandma's Pie Crust

Well with this being Christmas Eve..... 

I am in the kitchen baking!  I bring the pies to Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinner every year.  That is my job!

I am just going to put it out there.  I collect Grandma's.  Growing up I didn't have a Grandmother in my life.  

So I collect them.

Anyways, This is my mother best friend's, grandmothers recipe.  It is at least 100 years old.
I grew up calling them Grandma White and Grandma Annie.  

I loved them!  
I spent many summers with them picking fruit, canning and drying apricots.

Start by breaking an egg in a measuring cup.  Add white vinegar and sugar. 

Fill with water to measure 1 cup liquid. 

Mix the egg mixture with a fork and set aside for 5 minutes.

 In a large bowl mix flour and salt.  Add the shortening.

With a pastry knife, cut in the shortening. (I do cheat and use the Crisco Sticks.  I don't have to measure from the can and make a mess) When I looks like the photo above I add the egg mixture.

Mix until the ingredient are all combined.  I usually get in there with my hands to finish the job. 

Try to work with the dough as little as possible.  The more you mess with it the tougher the crust!

 Place in a Ziploc baggie and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

 

This recipe makes 5 crust.  Divide up crust into 5 balls.   Roll out crust until thin ans flat.

Carefully roll the crust back onto the rolling pin.  This will keep the crust from tearing when you are placing it onto the pie plate.

Roll it onto the pie plate

With your fingers, fit the crust to the plate.  

Trim off the excess crust.

With your thumb and pointer finger crimp the edge of the crust.

Make sure to poke wholes with a fork in the crust to vent the pie.

Grandma's Pie Crust

(recipe by http://twistedflavor.blogspot.com/)

5 Cups Flour

2 tsp Salt

2 Tbsp Sugar

2 Tbsp White Vinegar

2 Cups Shortening

1 egg

Water

Break an egg in a 1 Cup measuring cup. Add Sugar & Vinegar fill with water until it reaches 1 cup total liquid. Mix and let sit 5 minutes. In a large bowl add flour salt and shortening. Combine and mix in liquid. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Makes 5 crust. Crusts can be froze for later use.

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I hope you enjoy Grandma's Crust.  

Let us know what you think!

Low Calorie Turkey Chili

With all the baking and candy making I have been doing, it is time to make something healthy and Low Calorie.  My daughter doesn't like ground beef.  This is a nice alternative for her!

In a large skillet or Dutch oven spray a few sprays of cooking oil.  Saute the onions and garlic over medium heat until clear.  Add lean ground turkey, cook about 6 minutes, until it is browned.  Make sure to keep breaking apart the turkey meat.

Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce and spices.  
Rinse and drain the beans in a colander and 
add to the pan.

 Simmer for 20 minutes.

I like to serve this with a little light sour cream 
and a sprinkle of grated cheddar cheese. 

With a side of corn bread

This is a favorite on a cold winter night.  I hope you enjoy it!

Turkey Chili

(recipe by http://twistedflavor.blogspot.com/)

2 cups chopped onion

2 cloves garlic minced
1 1/4 lb Lean ground turkey

2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 cans cooked kidney beans (rinsed and drained)

1 cans cooked black or pinto beans (rinsed and drained)

2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp chili powder

Saute onion and garlic in a skillet, with a couple of sprays of cooking oil.  Add ground turkey cook on medium heat for about 6 minutes until no longer pink. add Tomatoes, Tomato sauce and spices.  Rinse and drain beans and add to chili.
Simmer for 20 minutes.