Awesome cinnamon roll recipe...

For Jordan's birthday week (actual birthday is Wednesday), I decided to make him his favorite treat, cinnamon rolls! I never make anything from scratch (like with yeast and stuff with no shortcuts) but decided I could this time... make sure you have HOURS of time on your hands! They were pretty delish but a lot of work! You can see in the pictures that Jordan couldn't wait to eat them so there are a few missing! This recipe makes a TON or rolls! That's okay because they freeze well either before they rise in the pans or after they are cooked and frosted. I split the dough in half and made half a traditional cinnamon roll and the other half as orange rolls because my cute husband LOVES those.

Ingredients for dough

• 1 quart Whole Milk
• 1 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 packages Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 Ounce Packets
• 8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
• 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt

Preparation Instructions

Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together.

When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. I did half of the dough with cinnamon filling and half with orange filling.

CINNAMON FILLING:

• 1 stick Softened Butter
• 2 cups Sugar
• Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon

ORANGE FILLING:

• 8 Tablespoons Orange Marmalade
• ½ cup Softened Butter
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt

Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans. (You have the option to freeze now, or bake!) Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 375 degrees until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

MAPLE FROSTING:

• 1 bag Powdered Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
• ½-3/4 cup Milk
• ¼ cup Melted Butter
• ⅛ teaspoon Salt

ORANGE GLAZE:

• 2 pounds Powdered Sugar
• 6 Tablespoons Melted Butter
• ½ cup Milk
• ½ cup Orange Juice
• 1 dash Salt

For the frosting, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. (Maple frosting on cinnamon and orange glaze on orange) You have the option to freeze now, or invite everyone you have ever known to come eat them! It made 52 rolls for me!

Five hours of my life...

I have done a few perms at school on cute little ladies with short white hair. Yesterday, I permed very long hair for the first time and used tight spiral rods that I have never even seen anybody use before. It took five hours start to finish. It was fun to do something different and that would make her look so different, but kind of time consuming and tedious at times. She loved how it turned out so that makes it all worth it in the end.

Looonnngggg hair!

Crazy looking perm rods, huh??

I did a pretty good job wrapping if I do say so myself!

Her luscious locks!

Yes, we were the last people left in the whole school!

I really love my school and I really love being a hair dresser! It feels so good to find something that I enjoy so much that I am also good at!

Homemaker Meg

Goal for the night:
Use pressure cooker to make dinner

I started by rinsing out a WHOLE chicken...with bones and skin! Off to a good start!

After 2 minutes, I figured out that the blades and lids in the box with the pressure cooker went to a magic bullet and this magical kitchen appliance does not double as a food processor. Dang.

After 7 minutes, I figured out how to open it.

After 10 minutes, I got the food inside and cooking. Perhaps I started this too premature. (See below)

After 11 minutes, I burnt my right forearm trying to close the lid.

After 18 minutes, I finally got the lid on...


I have the feeling we may end up playing a game called who gets sick from dinner first!

life changing advice

I hate cooking with tortillas!! They always break! But my mom taught me some tricks to keep them whole!
1 There is a right side to every tortilla. Look closely and one side has a few stripes on it. That side should go on the inside.
2 Wrap the tortilla along those lines

Yes, check out my awesome paint skills! haha. But, ya, like that.

Someone named Kate called my school to make an appointment with my today, but I had class when she wanted her service. I have no idea who Kate is! I really can't think of a Kate I know in Utah!! Oh, well, I'm kind of a big deal! Make another appointment with me, Kate... if I'm not already booked then!