Fall+Baking=I'm Going to Get Fat, Again

As you all know, now that my computer glitch is remedied, I have a little more free time at work. Okay, a lot more. Okay, I hardly do anything to deserve a paycheck (or at least that's what I've led you all to believe).
So in my spare time, I occasionally...uh, or often blog surf, if that's a term. Yesterday, I came across this one. It's from My Kitchen Cafe for Cinnamon Rolls. It looks so fabulously delicious that I'm going to try it before the week is out.



Vanilla Pudding Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
from A. Marilyn (A. stands for Aunt)

Rolls:
½ cup warm water
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
3 ½ ounce package instant vanilla pudding
½ cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
6+ cups flour

Filling:
1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups brown sugar
4 teaspoons cinnamon

Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese
½ cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk

In a small bowl combine water, yeast and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Set aside. In large bowl, take pudding mix and prepare according to package directions. Add butter, eggs and salt. Mix well. Then add yeast mixture. Blend. Gradually add flour; knead until smooth. Do not overflour the dough! It should be very soft but not sticky. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled. Then roll out on floured board to 34 X 21 inches in size. Take 1 cup soft butter and spread over surface. In bowl, mix 2 cups brown sugar and 4 teaspoons cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top. Roll up very tightly. With knife put a notch every 1 1/2 inches. Cut with thread or serrated knife. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Cover and let rise until double again. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Remove when they start to turn golden (don’t overbake). Frost warm rolls with cream cheese frosting (combine butter and cream cheese and mix well, then add vanilla and sugar and mix again, then add milk for desired consistency). Makes about 24 very large rolls.

Yep...I can feel the pounds creeping back on just looking at that picture.

The Great Thing About September

...is that October is just a couple more weeks away and then out come the Halloween decorations!

I saw this at Carters outlet. It's a trick or treat bag. I think it would be so easy to make. Maybe April should try it first!

Then there's this cute guy...

I found him at Deseret Bookstore.
I'm so excited to show you the rest of my newly acquired decorations, but if I have to wait to put them out, then you have to wait to see them. I know, you're on pins and needles, delirious with anticipation...

No Excuses

I was grocery shopping last week and wanted to buy some yeast. The specific brand I wanted was on sale, 2 for $5, but the spot on the shelf was empty. I asked the teenage worker-boy if there was any more. He said "in the food storage area." The WHAT? Yes, a separate area of the store I had never noticed before. Kind of like the story of the blue pole. Do any of my kids remember the blue pole? Points given if you do. Anyway, he showed me where he was talking about. Here it is.
All kinds of storage items available in bulk, canned or bagged. They have it all. So there's no excuse for delaying your storage acquisition when it's so readily available! They even had dried strawberries. That's probably for making the cooked cereal you're eating with your reconstituted powdered milk a little more palatable.

Yep, all kinds of stuff available...in fact, if you click on this picture to enlarge it, you'll see in the box near the bottom it says emergency drinking water. What, just add water to activate?

And then there's this... canned processed cheese? How gross is that? I think I'd rather starve.

Blessing Day x 2

Today, Jonathan gave his daughter a name and a blessing. Her name is Kaydence Brinley.

Her dress was beautiful. It was a very nice day.
On the east coast today, there was another blessing given. It was for my grandson, Eliot Felix. I wasn't there. I wish I could have been there. It makes me sad to have missed this day with him. Instead, I should focus on the fact that of his eleven weeks so far on earth I've been able to share eight of those weeks with him.

I love you Eliot!

A 30 Meal Addendum

You remember when I posted about all the meals Karen and I made in one day? While we were at the store getting our groceries, we also had to get some disposable pans. Here's how Caleb "helped" us.




So far, Bud and I have eaten two of the meals. One was honey lime chicken, which I thought was tasty, but Bud had no comment (he has to be pretty impressed to comment on the food). The other meal was honey (what's with all the honey?) barbecued ribs. To my surprise, Bud said he really liked it! I gave it a thumbs up myself, so I guess that one is a keeper for sure. Oh, and Karen said she counted her meals and she had 36 (if I remember correctly). I didn't count mine, but with the two meals we have tried, we've had leftovers both times. So it's a dinner and a lunch. Impossible to count at that rate.

The View From Where I Stand

Yesterday these were the sights I could see...
The awesome mountains that I love so much (forgive the cars and such)...

The movie marquee...we had just been to see Indiana Jones at the dollar theater...


and, my keys in my locked car...