Simple Cinnamon Rolls

I've been a little MIA lately with a sick toddler, home projects and work consuming my days. I finally opted to take a little break and share a recipe I recently tried.

I'm a sucker for cinnamon rolls and I have a great homemade recipe...but it is pretty time consuming (although well worth the effort.) When I stumbled upon this no yeast recipe, which means no rise time, I had to give it a shot. I had everything for the rolls on hand but not for the icing. We opted for pre-made cream cheese icing and that worked just fine.

No Yeast Cinnamon Rolls

For the Cinnamon Filling:
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons butter, melted

For the Cinnamon Roll Dough:
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
5 Tablespoons butter, melted and divided

Directions:


Preheat oven to 425. 

Combine filling ingredients in a small bowl, and mix well. In a larger bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

Whisk together buttermilk and 4 Tablespoons melted butter in a separate bowl, then pour into the dry ingredients. Stir together until dough just comes together (do not over mix.) Kneed slightly with your hands until the dough forms into a ball, then slice it in half.

On a lightly floured surface, roll each half into a rectangle that is a little larger than a piece of paper. Press half the filling mixture into the center, leaving 1/4″ of the dough clear on all 4 sides, then roll, starting with one of the short ends. Pinch together the seam, trim the ends and cut into 8-10 slices. 

Repeat with the other dough half, then place rolls in a non-stick sprayed 9×13 pan. Brush the rolls with remaining melted butter and bake for 15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.

Top with icing and enjoy! 

Linking up with Green Fashionista

19 and Counting

Weight: 29lbs 11oz 

Height: 2’ 8”

Shoe size: 4-5

Clothing 24months/2T

Our precious babe is becoming such a big girl. It’s hard to believe that she is 19 months old! I blinked and my little blonde haired newborn has since become a fiery redheaded toddler. She has grown in so many ways. 

Our doctors continue to be impressed with her vocabulary at this point. She’s been moving into short sentences. The ones we hear most often are:

“Let it go” (every time we see or hear anything Frozen related.)

“Where’s ____________” (the blank is usually filled with Bella, Daddy, Mo-Mo…)

“Love you” (which of course melts my heart every time.)

We’ve also noticed that “please” is no longer “ease” but “pease” so, we’re making progress. Maybe it’s the teacher in me but as of late I’ve noticed that she pronounces “k” as “t” at the end of words. For example, “book” is “boot” and “duck” is “dut”. Adorable!

She’s quite opinionated these days and she definitely knows what she wants. We’ve had several battles of the will, and while I could go all day (because I am not a quitter), she tends to bounce out of her fits and frustrations quite quickly.

She is typically a good eater and not too picky at this point. Bananas, peas and applesauce are definitely some of her favorite things. When she's hungry she'll let us know by saying "bite" or "eat" while standing at her highchair.

She recently went through a major bout of fever. She held a high fever (between 101-103) for almost a week. She was such a trooper and still remained pretty happy and content throughout that time.

She attempts to put her socks and pants on, and while unsuccessful, she puts forth a great effort. She can step into her shoes well enough to walk in them and more often than not she has them on the correct feet. Luck is on her side. 

She adores books and music. Jagger’s moves have nothing on her. She is becoming quite the little dancing queen. I’ve also noticed her starting to increase her types of play. She will have her moose and giraffe interact, she attempts to feed her moose with a bottle or her cup, and she loves to push most things around in her baby stroller. She is interested in puzzles but gets easily frustrated when the pieces don’t fit right away (I don’t know where she could possibly get that from.) She really enjoys putting dirty clothes in the hamper and throwing things away (which is dangerous…we’ve found many things that are not trash in the garbage…)

Her stranger anxiety has really increased. She is quite the Mommy’s girl and is often considered my shadow. She interacts well with the children at her sitter’s house and at church and I’ve been told she is quite the helper.

We fall more in love with her every day. Not one moment goes by that I do not thank God for blessing us with our miracle. 

Linking up with Annie

Finally Fever Free

It has been a week that I'm glad to put behind us. Our little Snickerdoodle developed a pretty high fever last Sunday. She kept that fever until about Friday when it went down a bit. According to our mid-week doctor's appointment,  it was just a lingering virus. She was pitiful!  She took her fluids well but she'd hardly eat...which is not my daughter at all.

I'm happy to say that by Saturday she was very low grade and was feeling much better despite a very runny nose and nasty sounding cough. This was wonderful news because one of my dearest friends had come into town. She hasn't seen G since she was a week old. It was so nice to catch up.

I hope we've got the sickness behind us. We stayed home from church on Sunday to get some much needed rest. G is finally fever free and we're on the mend. God is good!

Sporting her big girl ponytail

Linking up with Leslyn

Walking with Gideon: Where's the Proof?

This journey with Gideon continues to be enlightening. I'm still in awe of just how often I find myself relating to his thoughts.

Judges 6:17-23a

In the throws of life we find ourselves facing difficult decisions and we often seek out a definitive answer. Which way do we go? Which is the best option? What would You have me do God? In my experience, there have been a lot of times when these questions are answered with silence. This silence drives me towards God even more. I dive into His word and search the scriptures for words of direction. I pray for clarity.

When these times of "grey" enter into my life and I'm not sure what I should do or how I should respond or struggle with understanding the circumstances, I have often times ask God for proof. Sometimes it's proof of His hand in the situation or proof that I am doing what I should be doing (because apparently solely trusting in His control is too hard). I don't know why I make things more difficult for myself. Fortunately, (well maybe unfortunately) I am not the only one and I discovered that even Gideon had this same need for proof (v. 17).

We ask God to show Himself. We ask Him to wait on us (v.18). Maybe we think we need more time or more clarity, but really? Who are we talking to? We are talking to the Creator, the Great Physician, the Great I AM! And yet we are asking Him to wait on us. Just putting that into words reiterates just how crazy that really is. He is the time keeper. His timing is perfect and only in His time will all be revealed (which is admittedly difficult for impatient people like myself). Besides that, how many times has He proven Himself over and over again? Countless and yet we still insist that He "prove" Himself again. Boy are we a greedy bunch.

However, because of Who God is, we can trust Him to do this. He does wait on us at times and He does continue to reveal Himself to us. We in turn must prepare our hearts and minds to receive Him (v. 19). Gideon experienced God's presence and saw wonders performed that would leave no doubt that God was with Him (vv. 20-21).

When we find ourselves needing "proof" of God, God will provide. He uses the times of darkness, confusion and frustration to build us up and draw us to Him in ways that we would not have known otherwise. At the moment we fully turn ourselves and situations over to Him, an amazing thing happens. Are we still facing those same situations, thoughts and emotions? Yes. However, we recognize that we no longer face them alone and that God's hand is truly in the midst, maintaining a handle on even the most chaotic of situations. He is the Peace in the storm (v. 23a).

We all have our hurdles but our testimony and faith are built through these things. Some days we find ourselves totally at peace with what God is doing in our lives and at other times we wonder if He's even aware of what's going on in our lives. As situations arise I encourage you to seek after God and to ask Him to reveal Himself and His purpose to you in those times. He will bring to light an array of revelations that will astound. you.

(You can find past Walks here.)

OCC

It has been a tradition in our marriage to participate in Operation Christmas Child each year. We select a gender and age group (which we vary every year) and collect items that would be appropriate to send him or her for Christmas.

::via::

Last year we had G shop with us, but seeing as she was still itty bitty, she was basically just along for the ride. This year however, she was much more involved.

We began by collecting our items. There are many suggestions on how and what to pack on the OCC website.

This year we chose to do a boy, ages 5-9. This works out well because my hubby enjoys picking out things for a little boy (since we only have a girl) and I like the age group because it's similar to the age that I teach at school and I have a generally good idea about the things they like.

Some of the items that made their way into the box...

Many churches that participate provide shoe boxes or the official OCC boxes. Our church provided both, but I always opt to send a plastic container. I do this for a few reasons. First, they are more durable. They travel well and are more sturdy. Secondly, they are reusable. The child can keep items in the box and reuse it over and over. Finally, for those who must collect food or water, it serves as a great container to carry such things.

Once we've bought our items, I wrap them in fun colored tissue paper. Some years I wrap each item in wrapping paper. Next year I plan to wrap them in things that can be reused such as handkerchiefs or scarves.

G helped me organize the items in the box.

 

 

Once everything is packaged up I usually write a letter and include a picture. I thought I'd try something different this year. I chose to trace our hands on the box lid and I included a little note: "These hands are being used to pray for you." We then pray over our box, asking the Lord to bless the child that receives it.

The great thing about this project is that anyone can do it! You do not have to be part of a church to send encouragement and gifts to a child somewhere in the world. You can find a drop-off location near you by visiting here. They also have a fun option if you register your box online. You can get a tracking number that allows you to find out which country your box is delivered to. We tried this last year but did not have a successful go. We did not attempt it again this year but may try again in the future.

We love this project and we look forward to it each year. It is one of our objectives as parents to teach our daughter the importance of kindness, gratitude and giving. This simple, fun, family friendly activity reiterates so many of those faith-based characteristics in a hands-on way.

If you haven't joined in this year, I strongly encourage you to do so. You never know how a little box can make big change in the life of another.

Linking up with Annie

Tasty Tuesday: Sticky Chicken

Let me begin by saying that I have had continued requests for this dish by my husband since I made it the other night. I found the original recipe here.

Sticky Chicken

Ingredients:

1lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into large chunks or strips

½ cup flour
3 eggs
2 tablespoons water
1 cup panko crumbs

For the sauce:
1½ cups brown sugar
⅓ cup Frank's hot sauce
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons water

Directions:
-Preheat your oven to 425 and line a cookie sheet with a piece of foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
-In a zip lock bag, combine the flour and chicken pieces. Shake to coat them well.
-Pour the panko onto a plate.
-In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and water.
-Dip the chicken pieces into the egg mixture and then coat well with the panko.
-Place on the baking pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.
-Meanwhile, combine the hot sauce and brown sugar in a sauce pan and mix well. Bring to a boil. Allow to boil for about a minute and then remove from the heat. Add in the garlic powder and water. Whisk until smooth.
-When the chicken is baked, toss it along with the sauce in a large bowl.

I served with ranch dressing and they were delish!

They Can't Go Around Naked

::via::

While it's true that baby bottoms are some of the cutest things you'll ever see, as responsible parents, it's our job to clothe them. If you're like me, you may be finding your little one growing out of everything she owns. This venture from "baby land" into "toddlerdom" is no joke. We were very blessed to receive so many gifts for G at our showers. In fact, unless I just wanted to, I didn't really have to buy her any necessitates until about 12 months, and even then it was just a couple things here and there...but now? She is comfortably wearing size 2t and those are just not clothing sizes that you typically get at baby showers. It's understandable considering new born, itty bitty clothes are virtually irresistible.

We skimped by in October since I had set a personal goal to not buy her any clothes for that month (you can read about it here). However, I quickly realized that most of her 18 month clothes are becoming too short (she's rocking the 80th percentile for height) and with winter weather creeping in, I needed to take some serious inventory of her fall/winter attire. This resulted in about 3 fleece pullovers, 5 pairs of adequate fitting pants, and about 8 shirts (and one snug winter coat). Needless to say, I realized it was time to bite the bullet and purchase some new clothing.

::via::

Okay...maybe not that cold yet but this was seriously funny...

Now don't get me wrong, I adore buying new clothes for G and at times it has been a serious problem. Little girls just have so many cute options! However, with the purchase of new land, our soon to be forever home on the horizon, and other financial obligations, I try to remain savvy when it comes to clothes shopping.

If you're still in the blissful stages of having all the clothes your little one could possibly ever need, great! If not, here are a few of my favorite ways to save on clothes for little ones.

Hand-me-downs
Hand-me-downs are seriously my favorite way to acquire clothes for G. They are free and I have been fortunate to have friends that take really good care of their daughters' clothing. It's nice if you have someone that you can cycle through with, but if not, take what you can get.

Gift Lists
Friends and family often ask what they can get G for various occasions and I always suggest clothes. Many people love to purchase cute little outfits for your itty bitty...so make the suggestion! And let's be honest, most of our kids have more than enough toys anyway.

Clearance Racks
This one can be a little tricky. Sometimes it's hard to gauge what size they will be in the following year when you're buying seasonal clothing. I lucked out last year. I bought an adorable patriotic outfit for G at one of my favorite children's clothing stores for $3! It fit her perfectly the following summer. It goes to show that you can find some really great deals if you're willing to sift through the racks.

Thrift Stores and Consignment Sales
You can often find great scores at local thrift stores and consignment sales. I recently picked up several pairs of pants for G for about $2 a piece. Granted these deals may not be as good as some of your yard sale finds, but considering we don't personally see many yard sales come November, I'd say this isn't too bad. I suggest when it comes to large consignment sales that you wait until their discount days to shop. While you may not have as vast of a selection as you would have on previous days, you can score some great clothes for super cheap.

Online
Such public domains such as Craigslist and Facebook house many opportunites for good finds. We've bought several larger items (e.g. treadmill and shelves) and over the last week tapped into the baby/kids section. Just this past weekend I acquired 6 pairs of pants, 4 pairs of leggings, G's Halloween costume for next year, and two nice winter coats for $25. Most of the coats I've been eyeing for G have averaged at least $20-25, so I'd say this was a good deal. (Disclaimer: You may not feel comfortable meeting strangers to obtain your items and that is okay. My hubby has stepped in many times to either come along or he'll pick them up...always at a public meeting place.)

The Shops
There are several stores that I enjoy shopping in if I can catch a good sale.

The Children's Place and Crazy 8: I love their adorable clothes and they have customer rewards, which is always nice.

Khols: I've purchased several clothing items for G in the past from their online site. The deals were great and of course you can earn Khols cash.

Sam's Club: I know you're probably thinking, what?! Yes! We have had a membership for years and I have bought multiple items for G while doing our bulk shopping. They carry great clothes for kids and have them very reasonably priced. In fact, G's Thanksgiving outfit came from there last year.

I hope this helps if you find yourself in a similar situation. There is no sense in going broke just to keep your kid clothed.

*I was not compensated in anyway to suggest these businesses.

Linking up with Leslyn