Almost Thanksgiving!!!!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays! The first picture is of the girls wearing paper Thanksgiving costumes. Hanna is missing her Indian headband. I cannot take credit for this though. Ava brought them home from pre-school and they were so cute I had to share! I found a website that gives instructions on how to make these costumes. Lastly every year for the past 12 years I have been making pumpkin rolls for family and friends. I have been told they are pretty tasty so I keep making them and every year it seems like I make more and more but I have gotten a pretty good system down so it is not too bad. Here is the recipe:

Pumpkin Roll

Pumpkin Batter:

3 eggs

1 c. sugar

2/3 c. pumpkin

1 tsp. lemon juice

2/3 c. flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ginger

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

chopped walnuts (optional)

Filling:

1 c. powdered sugar

6 oz cream cheese softened

4 tbsp butter

½ tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread parchment paper over a cookie sheet to fit the length of the cookie sheet. Beat eggs, sugar pumpkin and lemon juice until creamy. In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients and then add to pumpkin mixture. Pour mixture over parchment paper and spread until even leaving an inch on each side. Sprinkle nuts over mixture. Bake for 15 min. Coat a clean dish towel with powdered sugar enough for the roll to fit over. Once the pumpkin roll is done baking flip upside down onto the sugar-coated dishtowel. Carefully tear the wax paper off the pumpkin roll. Roll the towel with the pumpkin roll in it be careful not to roll it too tight. Chill in refrigerator until cool. To make filling mix all ingredients until creamy. Once pumpkin roll is chilled spread cream cheese filling over the entire surface. Spread evenly and then roll back up to refrigerate.

I first wrap in foil and then wrap them in some muslin fabric and found these free cute little tags here. It is kinda hard to read but it says, "From The Kitchen Of" and then at the top it says "Please pass the stretchy pants." Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!!!

Candy Bar Cookies

We have so much candy lying around from Halloween that I wish would disappear. Every time I go to the pantry I grab a piece of candy and we still have hardly put a dent in it! . I thought I would try and get rid of some of it by using it in my cookies. I just used what we had, Snickers, Baby Ruth, Milky Way, Fast Break and 3 Musketeers. So yummy!

Candy Bar Cookies

2 sticks butter softened
1 C of brown sugar
1/2 C of granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 C of flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 chocolate chips
12 mini size candy bars or 2 full size candy bars, chopped

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter with sugars until well combined. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time and mix until well combined. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to the wet ingredients until well combined. Add chocolate chips and and candy bars and mix lightly until folded in. I make my cookies soft so I only baked them for 9 min. For a crisper cookie bake 11 min.

Enjoy!!

Sweet Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin carving is in the air. Here is a great recipe to make a perfectly healthy snack unhealthy :) That is the great thing about the holidays !!!

Sweet Pumpkin Seeds

2 c dried pumpkin seeds
2 T melted butter
3 T brown sugar
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon


Dry pumpkin seeds 300 degrees for 30 min. Mix all ingredients together. Spread over parchment paper lined cookie sheet and roast at 350 for 15 min.

Back to Blogging and Ice Cream Sundae Brownies

I have been MIA to the blogging world and have been really missing it. So I have made it a priority to get organized and get back to blogging! For Sunday baking I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs the Picky Palate. The brownies turned out really good, how could they not when ice cream is baked into them (like they did not already have enough calories). They have an extra gooyiness to them. I paired them with the ice cream that was used in the recipe. This will definatley be my go to brownie recipe.

Ice Cream Sundae Brownies

1 box brownie mix
2 eggs
1/2 c canola or vegatable oil
heaping 1/2 cup of you favorite ice cream (I used Ben and Jerry's Triple Caramel Chunk)
1/4 c of hot fudge topping or I used caramel topping (chilled)
1 1/2 c of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl mix the brownie mix, 2 eggs and oil until combined......and thick. Do not add the water to the brownie mix. Scoop in ice cream, chocolate chips, and ice cream topping. Mix until combined. Pour into a foil lined 9x13" baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center. Let brownies cool for 30 min and remove from baking dish, cut into squares and serve.

Sunday Baking

So I have been MIA this week. I have been very busy with taxes but see a light at the end of the tunnel this week. Yesterday the girls and I made some brownies for our Sunday baking. They were more willing to bake with me this time :) Here is the recipe:




Chewy Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions

1. PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 13x9-inch baking pan.
2. COMBINE sugar, butter and water in large bowl. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; stir into sugar mixt ure. Stir in nuts. Spread into prepared baking pan.(Note: for chewy brownies do not overmix or they will be more cake like)
   
3. BAKE for 18 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

   

Sunday Baking

I love to cook and bake and hope that my girls will enjoy it as well. I decided that every Sunday I would bake with the girls. I really want them to know how to cook and bake whether they enjoy or not is up to them:) Funny thing is usually Hanna is always asking me to make cookies so she can help but yesterday when I asked the girls if they wanted to help they both said no! They were actually playing good together and having too much fun so I didn't push it. Hopefully next week! So this week I decided to try and turn a cinnamon roll recipe into a cinnamon bread recipe. It was really yummy but it did not look pretty there was to much cinnamon filling and when I cut into the bread the filling just started oozing out. It was prettty tasty though. I am determined to perfect this recipe and have it turn out so I can make french toast out of it. Sorry I did not take pictures of the steps but next time I make it I will include them.

Cinnamon Rolls.....maybe bread
For the dough:
1 cup of milk
1/4 cup of sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tblsp unsalted butter
1 c whole wheat flour
1 c all purpose flour
1 1/2 c bread flour
1 package or 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
1 large egg beaten

For the filling:
4 tbls unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tbls cinnamon

For the icing:
1 c powdered sugar
2 Tblsp milk - add more if need to be thinner
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Combine the milk , sugar, salt and butter in a microwave safe dish and haet until hot about 1-2 mins. Set aside and allow the butter to melt and the mixture to cool until it is just warm.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine and mix flours and then stir in yeast. Stir in the beaten egg in to the milk mixture and then pour milk mixture into the flour mixture.Stir until the mixture forms a softy dough.

3. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface. Sprinkle with more flour and pat into an oval shape. Fold the dough in half and knead with your knuckles. Fold and kneed for about 10 min, add flour as necessary when kneeding. The dough should not be sticky , it should be smooth and elastic.

4.Oil a clean bowk and set dough inside. Cover with a damp cloth and place it in the oven at 100 degrees with the door cracked. This could be dangerous with kids running around around so you could also try and find a warm spot in the house. It needs to double in bulk about 45 min to an hour.

5. Meawhile make the filling . Combine the softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon with a fork until well blended.

6. When dough is done transfer to a floured surface and roll out with a rolling pin. Roll to a 12x16 rectangle.

7.Sprinkle the filling over the rolled dough enough to cover the surface. Leave 1" uncovered on the short sides. Roll the dough up and pinch the ends and the seam closed with your fingers.

8. For cinnamon rolls cut the rolled dough into 12 pieces. For bread you can cut in half and make two loaves. Place in an oiled or butter baking pan, cover with a damp cloth and let it rise for another 45 min.

9. Heat oven to 375 bake until light brown usually 18-20 min and then cool for about 15 min.

10. For the icing whisk together sugar milk and vanilla.drizzle on top of rolls or bread......yum!

Pancakes & Haircuts

Happy National Pancake Day!! I wanted to post this before I post pictures to give you a dinner idea and a great pancake recipe. We are going to have banana pancakes for dinner tonight in recognition of National Pancake Day!!

Banana Pancakes

1 c of flour
2 -1/2 tsp of white sugar
1 -1/4 tsp of baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 egg beaten
2/3 c of milk
1 Tbls and 1 tsp of vegetable oil
1 ripe banana - you can pretty much add any fruit you want to this recipe if you do not like bananas
****I forgot to mention with the banana pancakes I add 1 tsp. of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg.*****
1.Combine flour. sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl mix together egg, milk, oil and bananas. (An easy way to mash bananas is to put them in a Ziploc baggie and mash with your hands.)
2.Stir flour mixture into banana mixture, batter will be slightly lumpy.
3.Heat lightly oiled pan over medium high heat. Use about 1/4 scoop of batter for each pancake. Cook until golden brown on each side.

Soooo yummy!!

Today Hanna got a haircut! Hanna has not had a haircut for 2 1/2 years! Her hair is down her back and since I cut my hair she says she wants to cut her hair short too...so cute! Then Ava will get her very first haircut! I will post before and after tonight. ****Also I needed to add that I forgot Hanna did have a haircut over Thanksgiving weekend but just a little trim.*****

Ava didn't get her haircut. This was taken before we went, needless to say her mood did not change and she was not having any part of it. So maybe next time!