Thursday, November 11, 2010

30 Day Thanksgiving Challenge

November 11, 2010
Today I am thankful for my country.  For the freedoms that we have and the privileges that we get to enjoy.  I am also thankful for those who serve to protect that freedom.  I have family and friends who have served or are serving - thank you for your sacrifice.


Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

One of our holiday traditions is to have homemade cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning.  This is something that Darryl did growing up so we have kept that with our own family.  I will admit, until this year, I have always cheated.  You know, rolls in the tube or from the freezer.  This year, though, I wanted to find a recipe that would become "ours" so I tested out a recipe this weekend from Food Network and they were great!  I wanted to share it with you!

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients


Dough:

4 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 large whole egg, room temperature
2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 cup
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted, approximately 6 tablespoons
6 ounces buttermilk, room temperature
20 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 cups, plus additional for dusting
1 package instant dry yeast, approximately 2 1/4 teaspoons
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
Vegetable oil or cooking spray



Filling:

8 ounces light brown sugar, approximately 1 cup packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
3/4-ounce unsalted butter, melted, approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons



Icing:

2 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened, approximately 1/4 cup
3 tablespoons milk
5 1/2 ounces powdered sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups

Directions

For the dough: in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter, and buttermilk. Add approximately 2 cups of the flour along with the yeast and salt; whisk until moistened and combined. Remove the whisk attachment and replace with a dough hook. Add all but 3/4 cup of the remaining flour and knead on low speed for 5 minutes. Check the consistency of the dough, add more flour if necessary; the dough should feel soft and moist but not sticky. Knead on low speed 5 minutes more or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead by hand about 30 seconds. Lightly oil a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl, lightly oil the top of the dough, cover and let double in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.


Instead of mixing in the bowl - I added the ingredients, in order, to my bread machine and let it do the work.  It turned out perfectly.

Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Mix until well incorporated. Set aside until ready to use.

Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape the dough into a rectangle with the long side nearest you. Roll into an 18 by 12-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the 3/4-ounce of melted butter, leaving 1/2-inch border along the top edge. Sprinkle the filling mixture over the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border along the top edge; gently press the filling into the dough. Beginning with the long edge nearest you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Firmly pinch the seam to seal and roll the cylinder seam side down. Very gently squeeze the cylinder to create even thickness. Using a serrated knife, slice the cylinder into 1 1/2-inch rolls; yielding 12 rolls. Arrange rolls cut side down in the baking dish; cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight or up to 16 hours.







Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and place in an oven that is turned off. Fill a shallow pan 2/3-full of boiling water and set on the rack below the rolls. Close the oven door and let the rolls rise until they look slightly puffy; approximately 30 minutes. Remove the rolls and the shallow pan of water from the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

When the oven is ready, place the rolls on the middle rack and bake until golden brown, or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 30 minutes.

While the rolls are cooling slightly, make the icing by whisking the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy. Add the milk and whisk until combined. Sift in the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Spread over the rolls and serve immediately

I guess I forgot to take a picture of the rolls actually iced!.  These were really good and I will be making them for Christmas morning!  Using the bread machine REALLY was nice - it really make these easy.  Plus I like that they are made the day before and only baked in the morning.  Less stress on Christmas morning!

Stuffed Crust Chicken Alfredo Pizza

We have two homemade pizza's that we love - Stuffed Crust Pizza and Chicken Alfredo Pizza.  Darryl requested I combine them so I did.  It was a perfect combination!

Ingredients

¼  cup butter
1 cup heavy cream
1-1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pizza crust
String cheese
10 large fresh spinach leaves, rinsed and dried
6 green onions, sliced diagonally, including tops
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded
½ pound bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces, cooked until crisp
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Swiss cheese

Step 1
 Melt the butter in a small sauce pan.  Add the whipping cream and bring to a boil, stirring continuously for 5 minutes (and yes, set your timer and really do this step or it won't turn out!)  Than, add the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.  Remove from heat; stir until the cheese is melted.
The crust
 Allowing the sauce to cool (it will help it thicken slightly), make your crust.  I use a Pillsbury pizza crust but you could make your own.  Stretch it out on your pan, lay string cheese along the edges.  Than roll the dough over the cheese tucking it securely so the cheese won't leak out while it cooks.  (This is the hardest step!) 
The Sauce
Spread the sauce evenly on the crust.  As a side note, I usually put some crushed garlic on my crust too but that is a matter of taste.
The Spinach
 Than, lay the spinach leaves on top of the sauce.  If you really hate spinach, you could leave this step out but this is how I justify that the pizza is "healthy" LOL
The Toppings
 Add the bacon (cooked previously) and the shredded chicken (cooked previously), green onions and both the Swiss and mozzarella cheese.  This is one of the rare times that I actually measure my cheeses - it is a rich pizza without any extra cheese!
The finished Product
Cook the pizza at 450 degrees for 15 minutes until brown and bubbly.  Isn't it pretty??? 

You could do the stuffed crust with regular pizza sauce, your choice of toppings and mozzarella cheese or leave off the "stuffed" part and just make a chicken Alfredo pizza! 

Enjoy :-)

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

30 Days of Thankfulness

November 10, 2010
Today I am thankful for Alive!, the praise band my husband is part of currently.  The door opened "oddly" about 4-5 years ago.  Darryl had been searching for several years to find a Christian Band to play in and express his musical talents.  He had several groups ask him to play but as he asked questions, he learned that many times they played in the bars on the weekend and that is something he did not want to do.  Instead, he spent hours jammin' in the basement and we just kept praying.  We even searched out churches with music opportunities hoping that would meet the need but instead the doors kept closing.  Through his job at Clothing Care, he met a guy at one of his stops named John.  John invited us over for a music night at his house.  Darryl had fun playing guitar with both John and his son, thinking this might be his new outlet.  Well, John happened to work with this guy named Paul and he knew that Paul was looking for a guitar player for his group.  So John mentioned that he should talk to their delivery guy.  Paul invited Darryl out to check the group out and the "rest is history".  It has been such a blessing to get to know the people in the group, to attend the concerts, and to see my husband get to stand on stage and do what he loves more than anything else - play music.   Some days, honestly, it is a struggle, when he has worked a 12 hour day on a Wednesday and barely has time to change clothes before making the 45 minute drive to practice, getting home often after midnight only to get back up at 5:00 Am to work a 14 hour day on Thursday.  Or when Sunday is the only day he has off and it is taken up with a concert yet we are always blessed in end and are so thankful that God worked out the details.  


Song of the Week - "In My Arms"

Sometimes, I hear about an Artist by chance and this is one of those time.  I had never heard of  "Plumb" until I asked someone about a song that they sung for their child's dedication.  This is just a beauitful song and I just love the words

Your baby blues
So full of wonder
Your Curly Que’s
Your contagious smile
And as I watch
You start to grow up
All I can do is hold you tight
Knowing

Clouds will rage in
Storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash all around
But you will be safe in my arms

Story books
Are full of fairy-tales
Of kings and queens
And the bluest skies
My heart is torn just in knowing
You’ll someday see
The truth for lies

Clouds will rage in
Storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash all around
But you will be safe in my arms

Castles they might crumble
Dreams may not come true
Cause you are never all alone
Cause I will always
Always love you

Clouds will rage in
Storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash all around
But you will be safe in my arms

In my arms
In my arms

This song has taken the number one spot on my playlist this week so unmute your computer and take a listen :-) 


Tuesday, November 9, 2010

30 Days of Thankfulness

November 9, 2010

Today, I am thankful for my brother Jeff.  Jeff is the middle brother.  He is the smart one :-)  (Seriously - he really is - not that the rest of us are dumb, but Jeff is REALLY smart!)  I used to call him when I had to take a Statistics class in Grad School.  He would have to explain whatever the teacher taught every day because I was so lost.  He is also very caring and encouraging.  Jeff is an administrator at a Christian school and, plain and simple, he is GREAT at what he does and it makes me very proud to hear what he does.  He loves his family more than anything and is a wonderful example to those around him. 


My Favorite Things Challenge

One of the blogs I follow, the "High Heeled Housewife" is hosting a blog challenge - only once a week (much easier to keep up with!)  I love the fact that she is focusing on the positive - it really is so easy to see the negative in things but when you change your mindset, you find that you are also happier in your daily life! Starting next Monday, this little link-up party will begin!!  
The High Heeled Housewife

Hi ladies! It's time for a challenge & link-up. On Mondays over the next six weeks, let's share about our favorite things. So often we spend time dreading or complaining about what we don't like to do. Instead, let's get excited about what we enjoy! Here's the schedule:


November 15: My favorite part of being a wife (or woman)
November 22: My favorite thing about my husband (or family)
November 29: My favorite household chore
December 6: My favorite part of the holiday season
December 13: My favorite part of my home
December 20: My favorite encouragement from the Bible