Simply Perfect Cinnamon Rolls

I love a good cinnamon roll, but then who doesn't?  I mean I suppose if you searched hard enough you could probably find someone who hates them, but why waste all that time when you could be eating a fresh batch of these?  Our neighbors used to bring us some of these divine rolls every now and then...but then they moved away :(.  I love this recipe for cinnamon rolls because it is quicker than most other recipes I have tried.  It only requires to raise the dough once, after you make it into the rolls, instead of twice like most recipes.  They come out so light and fluffy and completely delicious!  This recipe makes a ton of them too, so if you don't want to accidentally eat 30+ rolls, plan on sharing them (or cut the recipe in half).  I hope you like them as much as we do!

PS: I got this recipe from our old neighbor, who posted it on her inspiring blog here.

Cinnamon Rolls:

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup sugar
3 TBSP yeast
3 eggs
1 TBSP salt
8- 10 cups flour (enough to make a sticky dough)
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins (if desired but I think they're gross)

Directions:
1.  Mix the water, olive oil, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for 15 minutes.  It should get all foamy and bubbly like this:

2.  Then add the eggs, salt, and flour.  Mix the flour in a little at a time until it makes a fairly sticky dough.  Knead for 3-5 minutes. 
3.  Roll into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface.  You might want to divide the dough in half and do 2 smaller rectangles because mine ended up being huge!  (like about as long as a yardstick!)  Spread the melted butter evenly across the dough.  Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon to your liking.  Add raisins if you want, but I really don't know why you would want them, they are gross.  Roll up into a big log starting with a long side and cut into 1-inch pieces.  (It works really well to cut with a piece of floss or a knife with a serrated edge.)

 

4.  Place cut rolls onto greased cookie sheets and let rise for about 20 minutes.  Bake at 380F (I did 375) for 15-17 minutes or until just barely starting to turn golden brown.  Frost with a powdered sugar glaze, if desired.  Eat!

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Carrot cake is one of those classic desserts that will always be popular but it's not my personal favorite. I mean it's okay but I prefer to keep my vegetables as a side dish and chocolate in my dessert.  Anyways, I had somebody order a carrot cake from me for her daughter's 7th birthday recently.  She told me that her husband never eats her carrot cake but he went back for seconds of mine.  She has been asking for the recipe since so I thought I would be nice and share it here, with all of you.  You could also try my chocolate carrot cake recipe (mmm...chocolate) here.

Carrot Cake:

Ingredients: 

1-1/2 cups Sugar 
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 cup Vegetable Oil 
4 whole Eggs 
2 cups All-purpose Flour 
1/2 teaspoon Salt 
1 teaspoon Baking Soda 
1 teaspoon Baking Powder 
2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon 
2 cups Grated Carrots 
1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts, optional 


Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350F
2.  Mix together the sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl.
3.  In another bowl mix together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon and add to wet mixture.
4. Then add carrots and nuts (if desired) and mix well.
5.  Pour into a greased and floured 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350F for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool completely before frosting with the cream cheese icing (recipe below).

Mix the eggs, sugars, and oil.

Add the dry ingredients.

Add the carrots and nuts (a food processor is the ONLY way to grate that many carrots!)

Pour it in the pan.

And here is the final product

Cream Cheese Icing:

Ingredients:

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1 8oz. package of cream cheese, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Mix the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed for a few minutes until smooth, light, and fluffy.  Add the vanilla.  Gradually add the powdered sugar, a little at a time, mixing on low speed. When the powdered sugar is incorporated beat on medium-high speed for about 30 seconds to make sure everything is well mixed and fluffy.  Frost cake. (and don't forget to lick the bowl!)

Mac and Cheese Soup

I tried a new recipe today for Mac and Cheese Soup that I got from a friend.  I thought my kids would like it but I didn't realize just how much they would absolutely LOVE it!  I probably should have known though considering one of my daughters asks for mac and cheese for lunch almost every day. (Just to clarify, I don't let her have mac and cheese everyday, but she still asks for it)  I liked it too.  It has all the flavor of everyone's favorite comfort food and yet it's a warm and delicious soup.  Yum!  Hopefully you will like it as much as I did. 

Mac and Cheese Soup:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound of bacon (optional but really makes it so much better)
• 2 cups of dry elbow macaroni
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1/2 of a medium onion, diced
• 1/3 cup of all purpose flour
• 2-1/2 cups of chicken broth
• 2 cups of whole milk
• 4 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 tsp mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:


1.  Prepare macaroni pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.
2.  While the macaroni is cooking you can cook the bacon until crisp, then chop it up and set that aside.
3.  Melt butter in a medium to large pot.  Add the onion and saute until tender. Add the flour and cook over  medium to medium high heat, stirring constantly for about a minute.  It will be very thick. 
4.  Add the broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, constantly whisking until fully incorporated and smooth. Add the milk a little at a time, stirring after each addition.  
5.  Keep the soup on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot but NOT boiling. Stir in the cheese, about a cup at a time until completely melted and smooth.
6.  Add the cooked pasta and gently stir. Take a taste and see if it needs any salt or pepper.  Ladle soup into bowls and top with chopped bacon and additional cheese, if desired. 

You could add a little bit of celery if you want.  You could also add ham or mix the bacon into the soup instead of just sprinkling it on top. 

Super Easy Slow-Cooker Beef and Mushrooms

I love for my kids to be involved in things.  It's good for them to learn new things, make friends, and have fun while doing it.  However, sometimes their schedules can be more than a little difficult to work around.  I know everyone is busy and I am only preaching to the choir but some days I could SERIOUSLY use a couple more hours.  My girls have dance class from 4:30-5:30 on Tuesdays and my son has Cub Scouts from 4:15-5:15 on Thursdays so it's kind of difficult to have time to prepare dinner on those days.  So unless I want to feed my family PB&J all the time (hey, don't get me wrong, an occasional peanut butter sandwich for dinner is perfectly fine) I just throw some food in the crock pot.  Then dinner is magically done when we get home and I don't have to slave over a hot stove after battling kids to get them everywhere they need to go.  This is one of those easy crock-pot recipes for those days when you don't have time to make dinner.

Super Easy Slow-Cooker Beef and Mushrooms

Ingredients:

1 pound lean beef stew meat
1 can low-fat cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
1 packet dry onion soup mix
8 oz. fresh sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

Directions:

Toss the meat in the bottom of your slow cooker.  Sprinkle the onion soup mix over the meat.  Toss in the mushrooms next.  Combine the canned soup and water and pour that over the top.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours.  If you want it a little creamier, stir in 1/2 cup of sour cream just before serving.  Serve over rice or noodles.

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

Can't decide whether to make cinnamon rolls or cookies?  Try these cinnamon roll cookies!  They are simple and very tasty.  You can frost them with cream cheese icing or drizzle them with a powdered sugar glaze or have them plain.   I left these plain so you can see the cinnamon swirls.

Cinnamon Roll Cookies:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening (butter flavored works well)
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

FILLING:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the 1 teaspoon cinnamon, flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.  
2. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and sugars until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.  Add the flour mixture and mix well.  Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour so it is easier to handle.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and lightly spray your cookie sheets with cooking spray.  
4. For the filling, mix the brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave for 30 seconds and stir.  Microwave an additional 30 seconds or until butter is melted.  Mix well. 
5. Break the dough into 2 halves.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out each half of the dough to a 12x6 inch rectangle. Spread 1/2 of the cinnamon mixture over each rectangle. Roll each one lengthwise into a log. Cut into 1 inch segments.  Place on cookie sheets cut side down.
6. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until just starting to turn golden brown around the edges. Flip cookie sheet over onto a tray to remove cookies while they are still very hot.  If desired, frost them when cooled.