Happy Halloween!

Pin It

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

ENJOY THE EVENING AND THE LITTLE TRICK-OR-TREATERS!

Homemade Cinnamon Buns and Dinner Rolls

Pin It

It rained all day yesterday....the kind that pours down, floods everything and makes a mess of the property. I wasn't going anywhere! To make the home smell good and keep the kitchen warm I decided to make homemade dinner rolls and cinnamon buns for dinner. I had put on a crock-pot of Beef and Barley soup from scratch that morning and the temptation of homemade dinner rolls to go with it were too much to resist.



Yeast in bowl.


I follow a recipe that I had discovered on Frugal Village and I love it. I make bread, dinner rolls, cinnamon buns and pizza crust from that one recipe. It is a large recipe that will make three large rolls that the family loves.

White Sandwich Bread

In a large warmed bowl, add 1 cup of lukewarm water, 1 tsp of white sugar and 2 tbsp (or 2 packets) of yeast. Let sand 10 minutes, then stir until yeast is dissolved.







I buy my yeast in bulk from the local Health Food Store. $3.50 for a pound of yeast is a great deal!

Next stir in 2 cups of lukewarm water, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 tbsp of salt and 1/2 cup melted butter. Beat ingredients then stir in 9 cups of flour, adding them 1 cup at a time.




Once it is stirred well, use a cup of flour on the countertop for kneading. Knead until the dough becomes elastic which is about 4 to 5 minutes.

After kneading, put the dough in a large oiled bowl and flip to coat both sides with the oil.

Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot. Let it rise one hour.

Punch down dough to remove air bubbles and divide into 3 loaves. If you wish to make cinnamon buns I used the dough for one loaf and rolled it out. Then I shaped the rest of the dough into buns and placed them in a greased pan.

I rolled out the dough for the cinnamon rolls, spread on butter (fairly thick), added brown sugar and cinnamon. You could also add raisins but we aren't a big fan of raisins around here.

Starting at one edge roll the dough into a log and slice pieces and place in a greased cake pan.

Cover pans with clean dishtowels and place in a warm area for another hour.

Loaves should double in size. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400F for 20 minutes.

They are ready when they turn a golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

Remove from pans and cool on a cooling rack.

Delicious! Nothing better than homemade soup, dinner rolls and cinnamon buns for dessert!

Remember to give your loved ones a hug! =)

Homemade, Handmade Christmas

Pin It

There are a number of blogs I follow that I love to read each day. They are listed at the right sidebar. These women are so inspiring with all that they do and how they live. Katie over at Katidids has been talking about her family having a homemade, handmade Christmas this year. You can read about it here...
http://katididscreations.blogspot.com/2009/10/handmade-homemade-frugal-holidays-men.html

Today her topic is about men's gifts. Men are difficult not only to buy for but also to make something for but she has listed alot of great links that will help to make that special male in your life a gift that they will love and appreciate.

I, too, have decided to make more gifts this year for Christmas. We have quite a few friends that we exchange gifts with and all of them will be getting something made by me. I am quite excited about it actually. I gave much thought as to what everyone would like and have spent the last few months sewing, knitting or crocheting their gifts.

This year I also plan on wrapping all gifts with homemade wrapping paper. I will make some re-usable shopping bags as wrapping paper as well but I plan on wrapping most gifts with brown kraft paper that will be decorated with stamps, fabric and designs. Less in the landfills and easier on the pocketbook.

One of my most favorite Christmas movies was the Walton Christmas. Do you remember that one? It always brought a smile to my face that the children were happy with the gifts they received and didn't expect much. Those were the good, old days. Now children want a room full of gifts, the most expensive and still don't seem satisfied. It scares me to think that these younger children are growing up believing that material possessions bring happiness.

If you plan on making more homemade gifts this year, I would suggest getting started now if you haven't already. To me a homemade gift is one from the heart. Anyone can walk into a department store and pick something out but when it is made my the giver's own hands, then they must think the world of that person.

If the whole handmade idea is intimidating, start small. Bake some cookies to give to a neighbor or mailman. It is a beginning and you will notice how much joy it brings to you to see how much it is appreciated. A warning however, once you start it is hard to stop.

Remember to give your loved ones a hug! =)

Pin It

Thanks everyone for your kind comments yesterday. Yes, I think I am ready for him to leave..... I can't be selfish even though I want to keep him home forever! He has matured alot since leaving high school and it is time for him to go. I don't know what first interested him in Norse Theology but he could tell you a bunch about it already. He has always found that topic to be fascinating and I am excited that he is following his dream.

It has been a beautiful day today...much work being done outside. We are not going to have too many more days like this so we have been enjoying the sunshine. I have been reading two very good books lately that I had picked up at Goodwill.

Living a Beautiful Life is an elegant book with delightful suggestions on how you can turn dull, irritating routines into life-enhancing rituals. It has simple ideas on how to make your home a lovely oasis of tranquility. I am thoroughly enjoying it.

Simple Pleasures of the Home enhances your joy in being at home, whether baking an old-fashioned apple pie, soaking in a pine-and-bergamot scented bath, or falling into bed amid lavender dream pillows. The book includes so many wonderful recipes and how-to's that I want to try them all!

My Mother enjoys writing poetry and I have one of hers to share with you that describes exactly how I feel about my love with books....

My love affair with books

Started when I was small

A lonely child can find the world

Between the covers of a book

I'd hold a book in my hand

And be filled with anticipation

I would never know

Where I would be going or who I would meet

As I got older and my interests changed

I met Kings and Queens in foreign lands

I learned how they lived and how they ruled

The people in their realm

Rich people, poor people

Through books I learned to know them

Their lives, their pains and joys

Their hardships and their heartaches

As I grow old I hope my Lord

Will see fit to grant my wish

That my eyesight never fails me

So I can read 'til my dying day.

Have a great evening everyone and give your loved ones a hug! =)

Party!!!!

Pin It

A quick note tonight as the excitement around the old homestead is high. Lucas received notification today that he was accepted into the university of his choice!



He will be attending Lakehead University in Thunder Bay Ontario in September 2010. He has been extremely nervous waiting to hear if he was accepted or not.

He will be following in my footsteps. I too graduated from this amazing University. It is nice that he is continuing the tradition. He will be studying Anthropology/Archaeology with a major in Norse Theology. We are all very proud of him, excited for him and I am being the typical Mom by worrying already! LOL.

We enjoyed one of his favorite dinners....homemade pizza.... and are still talking about all that needs to be done before next September. Ahhhh, the excitement of being on your own and starting your life. I am so happy for him. :)

Give all your loved ones a hug!