Yummy Cinnamon Rolls

For those of you that know Scott really well, you know that he loves his cinnamon rolls.  He doesn't like raisins, apples, or chocolate chips added, just classic cinnamon rolls.  I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and made them on Sunday to enjoy during General Conference.  I also actually took my own pictures this time which I hardly ever do for recipes, that's why the photos aren't very good.  Also, I wasn't very good at keeping the rolls the same thickness which is why you see varying sizes.

Cinnamon Rolls

1 cup warm milk
2 eggs
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour (regular if you don’t have it)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine* in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.

After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.**

Roll dough into a 16 x 21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter*** and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

*This recipe has you use a bread machine. If you don’t have one just mix/knead/raise dough as you usually would. The bread machine just makes the process easier.

**I cut the cinnamon and sugar in half. Last time I made this there was way too much cinnamon and sugar. Adjust this depending on how rich you want your cinnamon rolls.

***For the butter I didn’t measure out the butter. I just added it and spread it on until it looked covered probably using a couple of tablespoons.

I have a pumpkin....named Jack

I came home one day after work, and realized that Scott bought some gourds and a cute small pumpkin from the farmer's market.  I was excited and was thinking about where I was going to put them to decorate.  Then the other night I said something to Scott about how I was going to put some ribbon on them.  Scott's said something like, "Why are you going to put a ribbon on the pumpkin? I bought that to cook with..."  I said, "You can't buy me a cute little pumpkin, let me get attached, and then say we are going to eat it!"  He said, "Why, did you already name it?"  I said, "Yes, I named it... Jack!"  (That was the first name I could think of when he asked me). 

Rainy Day

Do you remember in elementary school how you had a "Rainy Day Box" that you brought with things to do in it when it rains and you have to stay inside?  I was just thinking about this memory at work because today is a "Rainy Day Box" kind of day.

Recipes on my list of things to make...

I was looking online at this website and saw all these yummy things I want to make over the next few weeks.  I thought I'd share some of my recipe finds.  Warning--I haven't tried to make these yet, so I can't give my full recommendation until I try them.  They look good though!

Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Southwestern Bean Salad

Southwestern Chicken Drumsticks

Roasted Vegetable Whole Wheat Calzones

Baked Penne with Sweet Italian Sausage

P.S. Does anyone else out there only try recipes that have a picture with the recipe?  It's like I trust the recipe more if they show proof that it has been made... maybe I'm the only one that thinks like that...

10 Cops Go Into a Donut Shop....

It sounds like the beginning of a joke right?  As I was leaving for lunch I saw 10 cops walking into a little Dunkin Donuts, I started laughing because that is totally a stereotype (cops and donuts).  I wanted to take a picture but I didn't think they'd like that very much (Sorry this picture is from this website talking about a cop stealing donuts).

P.S.: When I worked at Tasty's (donut/sandwich shop in Kaysville, UT) cops would come in all the time.  You'd see a parking lot full of cop cars.  I always thought it was funny.

My New Best Friend

I had the best Post Office visit ever today! 

Do you want to know why? 

Post Office Kiosk, and drop box! 

No longer will I have to deal with angry postal workers...

These Kiosks have been at the Post Office

by my work for a while, but only today did I truly

appreciate and use them to their full potential:)

Rough morning... I feel like going to bed and starting over....

Yesterday at work I started feeling really sick.  I could feel a cold coming on and my stomach was killing me.  I sneezed probably 100 times at work, and I'm not even joking.  The commute was successful and I made it home.  When I got home Scott gave me some medicine, and warned me it would knock me out.  I felt like it was working and didn't feel tired until all of a sudden I was on the couch and fell asleep around 8:30.  I woke up and hurried to bed and fell right to sleep.  I continued to sleep until about 6:30 am when I woke up. 

I decided to get up and get ready since that usually makes me feel better.  I got ready and headed off to work (thought about calling in sick but didn't want to waste vacation days).  I got to the subway station and saw waited for the train.  I initially got onto the C train, but the A came, so I decided to switch trains.  Right when I got on the train, I sat down and smelled something funny.  I soon realized that it smelled like something was burning, and decided to get off the next stop and get on the C when it got there.  While I waited for the C, I noticed MTA workers and a police officer trying to figure out what was causing the smell.  The C came, and as I was getting on they announced that the A train was no longer in service, so everyone from that train packed on...  It seemed like forever on the train, I ended up getting to my transfer stop 15 minutes later than usual.  I transferred to my train and was freaking out because it was looking like I was going to be late.  I get to the stop right by my office and get off having to climb the monstrous escalator while I felt I didn't have any energy.  I made it to work and clocked in at 9:34 which is "late" for work since work starts at 9:30, but they give us until 9:37 to not be considered late, which saved me.  I clocked in "on time! barely."  Now the story doesn't end here. 

I start working, and doing the usual morning routine and at about 10:15 I decided to eat my breakfast that I had packed--lemon yogurt. This sounded really good to me, because it was cold, and I thought it would feel good on my throat.  I started eating it and it was really good until I noticed a clump in the yogurt I was eating.  I then looked down at my yogurt and realized there was mold in it!  I throw the container into my garbage and start spitting it out.  I start freaking out, I yelled, "yuck, I'm going to be sick!" Then I ran into the bathroom.  I started to wash out my mouth, scrubbing my tongue to get it out.  I run into the kitchen and grab half of a bagel to take a few bites to get the taste out of my mouth.  I come back to my pod and explain what happened to the 2 people who sit next to me.  They just look at me like, "and the problem is..."  No sympathy whatsoever. 

So not only am I sick, tired, was almost late, now I have consumed moldy yogurt... I'm ready to call a do over...

It's not even 11:00 am yet.

Subway Pro Now

One year ago I could have never given directions to anyone on the subway...

Yesterday I saw a lady on the E train that looked so confused. I asked her where she needed to go and figured out she was on the wrong train so I gave her instructions and told her to get off and wait for the correct train.

Then today on the way home I saw a girl looking at the subway map on the train and seemed stressed. I asked where she was going and told her which stop she needed to transfer at without even thinking about it. It just seemed like second nature.

I'm pretty proud of myself:)

Look What Scotty Did!

He bought this from a student moving out....

And turned it into this!  Isn't it so cute? 

What an amazing hubby!  Thanks Scotty!

P.S. For those of you who have backyards/frontyards/garages to do projects, we're jealous...

First Day of School!

Today is Scott's First Day of his 2nd Year of Medical School! 

I made him take the traditional first day of school picture:) 

Real Sandwich

It's called, "Bacon, lettuce, vine-ripened tomato, avocado double-decker on lightly toasted white bread, with mayo, salt, and pepper." Sorry, the recipe is a secret, and I can't give it away no matter how much you want it.

Some things should be left in the past...

There are certain styles that come and go and I am fine with that.

There are good things and there are bad things.

Skinny jeans good.... Leggings with stirrups, very bad!   

These are on sale at Gap, I'm not making this up.

Crunchy Lemonade Drumsticks

I found this recipe in my Food Network magazine. I thought it turned out very good, and it was really easy!

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (if you don't get enough juice, add bottled)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup buttermilk (or milk with a splash of lemon juice to make your own)
12 skin-on chicken drumsticks
salt and pepper (kosher salt and freshly ground pepper if you have it)
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or dried, just use less)
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
olive-oil cooking spray

Mix 1 tablespoon lemon zest and the lemon juice in a large bowl. Add 1 cup water and the sugar and whisk to dissolve, then whisk in the buttermilk. Pierce the drumsticks several times with a fork and season with salt and pepper. Toss in the marinade, cover and refrigerate 4 hours, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring the chicken to room temperature. Put the panko, thyme, remaining 1 tablespoon lemon zest, the cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste in a large resealable plastic bag and shake to mix. Put the mayo in a bowl. Set a rack on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.

Remove the drumsticks from the marinade, dip in the mayonnaise, then drop into the bag and shake to coat; transfer to the rack.

Mist the chicken with cooking spray. Bake until golden, about 35 minutes; flip and bake until browned and crisp, 35 to 40 more minutes (check on your chicken, mine took only an additional 25 minutes).

6 Month Review Nightmare

I'm supposed to be having my 6 month review sometime this week for work. Last night I had a nightmare about the whole thing. This is what happened:

I'm sitting at my desk at work, and I get a phone call letting me know that my review will be in about 10 minutes. I go up to the reception area to wait for my appointment. I look down and I'm wearing jeans. I freak out that I am wearing jeans to work because I'm not supposed to. I decide that I need to change. Conveniently I remember that my freshman roommate Linsey Spriggs (now Walker) lives in the building that I work in. (Crazy how in my dream that made sense). I rushed to her apartment to ask her if she has a skirt I can borrow. She said that I could, and as she handed me a skirt (thanks Lins!) I look down and notice that I was already wearing a skirt, my jeans were gone. I find a few more pieces to finish the outfit, and am happy with what I am wearing. I rush back to make it to my review, which ended up taking a long time to get back for some reason, and I had missed my scheduled time. They tell me to hurry and find my supervisor to see if I can still do it. I find her and am unable to have my review....

I woke up after this dream at about 4:15 am stressed out. Luckily I was able to get back to sleep. When I got dressed this morning, I paid special attention to what I picked out, just in case they decide last minute to do my review.

2 Year Anniversary

This is what Scott woke up to on July 31, 2010...

Me singing: "Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary, Haaaappy Anniversary! Happy Happy Happy Happy, Happy Anniversary! Happy Happy Happy Happy, Happy Anniversary! Haaaaaapppppyyyyyy.... Happy Anniversary!"

It's the traditional anniversary song, it's very fun to sing:)