mini cinnamon rolls with orange glaze

Yes, I have more cinnamon rolls to share! Remember the cute little mini cinnamon rolls I shared a couple weeks ago?? Well, I've made an improvement. One of my favorite cinnamon rolls are the Pillsbury orange rolls. Makes my mouth water just thinking about them :)

I kept the recipe for the mini cinnamon rolls the same but changed the recipe for the glaze/frosting. 

Make 2 rectangles from 4 of the triangles of crescent rolls pressed together, brush with melted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon & brown sugar. 

I am very liberal with the cinnamon & brown sugar :) Roll up & cut into 8-9 pieces & place in a well greased mini muffin pan. Bake at 375 for 10-11 min.

Don't they look yummy?? 

For the glaze, mix: 
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1-2T milk
2T melted butter
1/2 tsp orange extract

Drizzle on your cinnamon rolls, enjoy & wish that you had made a double batch!

 

mini cinnamon rolls

I made these for breakfast today. Aren't they cute??! I was looking for something quick & easy to make. I didn't feel like making muffins (and a big mess in the kitchen) because the plumber was coming to install my new dishwasher.

{Insert very excited squeal here} 

An early Christmas present. Something that was not asked for but certainly appreciated.

Back to the mini cinnamon rolls...

Found this recipe on pinterest (of course!) and had to try it out. And as luck would have it I had one tube of crescent rolls in the fridge!

I used a very liberal amount of cinnamon & brown sugar. And be sure to spray the pan very well because the brown sugar likes to stick (and cook) to the pan. I'm going to try doing these on a stone next time for easier cleanup. The only thing I would change next time is the frosting...I didn't really taste the maple syrup (and I did use real maple syrup) so next time I'll probably use vanilla extract.

You can be that I'll be making these on Christmas morning along with my crock pot breakfast casserole.

Now I gotta run & go do some dishes...just for the heck of it! hehe

sweet & tangy meatballs

I've been making this recipe for probably 15 years...at least. And it's so darn easy you won't even believe it. 

4 ingredients. 

That's it. 

Oh, and a crock pot. And a whisk :)

They're perfect for pot-lucks because there's virtually no prep time. Oh sure, you could make the meatballs from scratch. And I do with my other meatball recipe that I make on Christmas Eve. But this recipe...just stick with the frozen kind. It works just fine.

Place the frozen meatballs in your crock pot. Mix together 1-36 ounce bottle of ketchup, 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce and 3/4 cup packed brown sugar. Pour mixture over the meatballs & stir gently to coat. Then set the crock pot on low for 4-6 hours. 

That's it. 

Seriously. 

Told ya it was easy!

Now, don't overcook them or the meatballs will start to fall apart. Usually I'll pop them in the crock pot a few hours before I'm going to have company, then turn it off just before serving. Crock pots temps vary, so you may need to cook yours a little shorter or longer.

I made these for our Christmas party at mom's group last week. I knew I didn't have a ton of time to get them cooked in the morning so I thawed the meatballs the day before. Then I cooked them on high for the first hour & a half, then on low for another hour & they were good to go.

Since there weren't too many left from the party I made more the next day for dinner :)

My kids devoured them. Even the picky kid asked for seconds :)

pumpkin cobbler

Do you love pumpkin pie?? Then you will looove this recipe. 

I love just about all things pumpkin. Well, except for shakes & drinks...that's kinda weird to me. I like my pumpkin in muffins & desserts! 

One of my favorites is pumpkin pie. Unfortunately no one else in my house likes it. Huh???

Oh well, I figured I'd try this recipe anyway.  And it was super yummy. And I've made it twice in the last couple weeks :) 

I topped it with some whipped cream. Yum. 

The only thing I changed was adding about 1/2 the pecans that were called for in the recipe. And I did use evaporated milk. Other than that I kept it the same.

Recipe found here.

crock pot chicken and dumplings

I love this time of year for many reasons. But one has to be the cooking...stews, soups, roasts, all that good comfort food! 

I love crock pot recipes, especially on the days we have karate or other after school activities because I don't have time to make dinner otherwise. So crock pot meals work perfectly.

I found this recipe & immediately wanted to try it. I tweaked it a bit (I need more spices!) and it was sooo yummy. Definitely a keeper!

Crock pot chicken and dumplings

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 Tbsp butter

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2-3 cups chicken broth

1 Tbsp dried parsley

1 tsp McCormick garlic & herb seasoning

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp pepper

4 grands flaky refrigerator biscuits

Place the chicken in the crock pot & add butter. In a bowl, mix together the soup, 1 cup broth & spices and add to the crock pot. Cook on high 4-6 hours. (I cooked on high for 4 hrs & then cut to low for another hour) Then shred the chicken in the crock pot. Cut the biscuits into small pieces (about 9-10 per biscuit) & add to crock pot. Add an additional 1-2 cups of broth and cook on low for an additional 30 min.

You could also add chopped onions or a can of mixed veggies but I opted not to add those.

homemade croutons

I love buying those fresh loaves of french bread at the grocery store. Of course, nothing beats making bread at home & smelling up your house with that yummy breadness. 

Breadness?? 

Something about the smell of that bread just leads me to the bakery section!

But despite how much I looove bread, sometimes we don't finish off the loaf & it starts to go stale rather quickly. So what I do is just make that last part of the bread into homemade croutons.

Take the bread & cut it into cubes. 

Sprinkle on a good amount of olive oil. Then sprinkle one whatever herbs & spices you like. 

I usually use Italian seasoning or oregano, garlic salt (which for some reason is missing from the pic) & fresh cracked pepper. Then I sprinkle on some parmesan cheese & give it a good toss. 

Spread it out on a pan & bake at 350 for about 8 minutes. Don't bake too long or you'll have some super crunchy croutons...and not in a good way. I usually just make mine in the toaster oven so I don't have to heat up the entire oven just for some croutons. My toaster oven has become one of my best kitchen friends over the last 2 years.

And after baking the bread you have yummy fresh croutons! Throw 'em in a baggy and they'll keep for several days. I like to put them on top of a grilled chicken salad. I would have a picture but I was too hungry to wait ;) 

Yum!

Muffadoodles

definition: the muffin version of a Snickerdoodle 

aka: super yummy!!! 

I made these last week and have since made them again. They are sooo good and very easy to make.  I could not find the original link to the recipe so I've added it below.

You must try them. They are cinnamon sugar goodness :)

Muffadoodles (Snickerdoodle muffins)

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. cream of tartar
• 3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 and 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  

• 2/3 cup additional sugar and 2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon mixed together for rolling
  

Preheat oven for 350 degrees.  Cream the butter and sugar until soft. Add in the vanilla, and then the eggs one at a time and mix until each is incorporated.
 

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar, nutmeg and cinnamon.  

Add the flour mixture and the sour cream alternately to the egg-butter mixture, scraping the bowl occasionally.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out muffin batter one at a time and drop into a shallow bowl filled with the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Roll the “ball” of batter around in the mixture until it is covered completely in cinnamon sugar, and then place into a prepared muffin tin. You can either use a sprayed muffin tin or use liners (I used liners & lightly sprayed them). 

I used a large scoop & got about 18 muffins. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Enjoy!!

pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

I make muffins quite a bit for breakfast. My kids aren't big into eggs or oatmeal so muffins are usually our breakfast of choice...they can only eat pancakes or waffles so much in a week!

I always make muffins from scratch. It really doesn't take that much longer than the mixes and they're healthier & cheaper. Pumpkin muffins are one of my kiddos' all time faves and with the weather turning cooler we're getting into that fall/pumpkin mood.  

Of course, this week the weather here has been in the 90s. So much for fall!

A lot of time when a recipe calls for chocolate chips I'll use the mini chips. They're just more fun :) And most times I'll make mini-muffins instead of regular size. I started doing that years ago and my kids actually look at them funny when I make the regular ones! Although, with the pumpkin muffins I made regular ones because my mini muffin pan has taken quite a beating over the years and isn't so 'non-stick' anymore. And for some reason the pumpkin muffins stick more than other ones. 

So here's the recipe...

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup ground pumpkin (canned)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup mini chocolate chips 

I mix all of the ingredients together except for the chips, then fold those in. Spray pan (or use liners), fill muffin cups & bake at 350 for 15-20 min for regular size muffins, 10-12 min for mini muffins. 

Recipe adapted from Becky Higgins 

ham & cheese sliders

I have a quick and yummy sandwich recipe for you guys today. I found this recipe blog surfing the other day. And man oh man is it good!

I always know if my husband likes something I've cooked because he'll say 'man, this is awful!!'...as he's going to get a second helping! hehe

I changed just a few things...I used honey dijon mustard and I also omitted the minced onions but used some garlic salt & onion powder. And next time I'll probably use only half the poppy seeds because 1/2T seemed to be a bit much for my liking. The rolls were Sara Lee dinner rolls and they worked out great!

I think this would also be great with roast beef & provolone. Mmmmm.....

Christmas morning crock pot breakfast

Are you looking for an easy Christmas morning breakfast that can be prepared the night before with little fuss?? I have this recipe that I've used the last couple years and it's really easy. Can't remember where I found it (although half the recipes I use come from Allrecipes) but I love it. I'm usually up on Christmas Eve until at least midnight so that's usually when I throw everything into the crock pot. 

The directions say to cook it for 10-12 hrs but my crock pot runs a little hot (even on low) so I don't cook it for more than 8. I also omit the onion & green pepper (although I'm sure my husband would love if I put those in but yuck!) and I use 2 cups of cheese instead of 1 1/2 cups.

This year I plan on using some leftover ham I have in the freezer instead of the bacon (although the bacon is super yummy in it!)

I hope you enjoy!!

Christmas Morning Crock Pot Breakfast

32oz frozen hash browns (diced)

1lb bacon, cooked, drained & diced or cooked ham, cubed

1 onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

12 eggs

1 cup milk

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper (more or less to taste)

Place a layer of frozen hash browns on the bottom of the crock pot, followed by a layer of bacon, then onions, green pepper & cheese. Repeat the layering process 2 or 3 more times, ending with a layer of cheese. 

Beat the eggs, milk, salt & pepper together. Pour over the mixture, cover and turn on low. 

Cook 10-12 hours. 

chocolate gooey butter cookies

I have a new recipe to add to my all time favorites. I've made chocolate crackle cookies before but this one takes top prize. Seriously, these cookies are sooo yummy!!! 

I was searching Food Network's 12 Days of Cookies recipes & found this one. I've already bought 2 more boxes of cake mix because the batch I made last night...yeah, that's nearly gone! 

These puppy dogs were patiently waiting to see if I'd drop any cookies :) 

You can check out the recipe here.

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I was glad to see from my last post that some of you share the same feelings about the holidays as I do. I ended up canceling my cookie swap (more cookies for me! hehe) We're headed out tonight with my friend Kellie & her family for some holiday fun & hopefully a horse-drawn carriage ride :)

We managed to get most of the outside lights up today which makes me sooo happy. The wreaths won't be up (except for the front door) but I had to realize my limits this year. Normally I get those up the week before Thanksgiving. This is the first year I didn't have any lights on my house by Dec 1st. And mind you, I've spent 2 Decembers in my 3rd trimester so it can be done! I've noticed that it's actually easier to be near the end of a pregnancy during the holidays than in the beginning. Weird!

Anyhoo, here's a few fun pics from this afternoon. 

 One very happy pup :)

 

Tomorrow I'm hoping to finish up outside & then get cracking on my December Daily before I get too far behind. I also have a bunch of treat bags & teacher gifts to get ready. The kids only have 4 more days of school left before winter break!!

Butterfinger cookies

It was very evident by the chocolate cake and pretzels in my shopping cart Wednesday that someone in my house was having a visit from Aunt Flo this week. All you ladies out there can relate so I'm just gonna throw that out there. 

And if you're one of the 3 guys that read my blog....well, sorry guys! But one of you is my husband so you already know this information! hehe

Anyway...

I had a major cookie craving.

Major

So I pulled out my handy dandy cook book and found one of my faves - Butterfinger cookies. I got this recipe from one of the first cookie swaps I went to years ago and I've been making them ever since. They're really easy to make and oh.my.goodness are they good. You must try them!!!

Here's the recipe. Excuse the smears & stains on the recipe. Like I said, I've used this recipe a lot. (By the way, I don't roll them into balls. I just use a small scoop and it works out just fine) Enjoy!!

a good day

The kids went back to school today. Every year I say this but I can't believe my kids are getting so big!! Olivia was a little nervous but excited at the same time because now her classroom is in the 'big kids' hallway. Weird having my kids' classes in 2 different hallways. 

I love all of the school stuff laid out the night before...

We, of course, did the quick 2 minute before school fashion shoot!

New outfits, new backpacks, old lunchboxes, new shoes. Oh, and new school supplies :)

My daughter got to sit by one of her good friends so she was happy. My son immediately found his seat and began his work. So typical of him...just like his daddy ;)

They both had a great day at school. Ben was a bit grumpy cause he was tired but that always happens the first couple weeks of school. After I picked them up we went out for ice cream (a tradition I started a couple years ago)

Sometimes it is so hard to get a decent picture of my son {sigh}

This one was mine...

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While they were at school I had my appt with the fertility doctor...and felt like I was signing my life away!

Um, yeah, if you see that total at the bottom...that's not the entire cost of IVF. Because that doesn't cover medications. But if it works...totally worth it. So hopefully (God willing) I will be sharing some good news around the beginning of October :) Dr. T said that my chances of this working (assuming they get good eggs and assuming they grow like they're supposed to) are 50-60% given the fact that we know I can carry a baby and I've never had any problems/miscarriages/etc. My only real problem is all the scar tissue that's preventing my tube from catching an egg. 

So I felt pretty good after the appt...with the exception of dropping a ton of money! I was also happy to find out that because of when things will be scheduled my implantation won't interfere with my husband's travel for work next month. I really didn't want him to be gone for that cause I'll need him that day :)

But I'll be updating you all on my progress (and potential mild freak outs) on the 'ol blogeroo here. 

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And while I was out I found this charcoal grill for 15 bucks! 

I've been wanting one. Partly because I loooove the taste of food on a charcoal grill and partly because I've been waiting about 2 months for my sweet husband to replace the tank on the gas grill......

Anyway, it was regularly $25 or $30, it was the last one and it had a big scrape on the back. So after waiting for like 20 minutes for a manager (one of the reasons I usually DON'T shop at Walmart...customer service stinks) I got it for 15 bucks. So it was worth my wait.

I grilled up some of my favorite ham slices. They were soooo much better cooked this way! For the recipe - go here. You seriously need to try this recipe. It's easy and super yummy!!

That's it for now. I have several projects that I've started that I'll be sharing this week...so stay tuned!