Overnight Sweet Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 12 rolls

What You Need For The Dough

4 large egg yolks at room temperature

1 large whole egg at room temperature

1/4 or 1/2 cup of white sugar

8 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter plus additional for spreading on pans

3/4 cup of whole milk at room temperature

3 1/4 cups of all purpose flour, plus additional for dusting

1 package instant dry yeast ( 2 1/4 teaspoons )

1 1/4 teaspoons of salt

Cooking spray

Just a bit of heavy cream (optional)

What You Need For The Filling:

1 cup packed of light or dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter

What You Need For Icing:

8oz of softened cream cheese

3 tablespoons of heavy cream

1/4 cup of unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Steps:

  1. For the dough: in a large bowl whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter, and milk. Add 2 cups of the flour along with the yeast and salt; whisk until combined. Add the rest of the remaining flour (1 cup and 1/4). Begin to knead dough (will be a little sticky, add just a little bit of flour if necessary, I always add a little extra, like 1/4 extra.)Continue to knead until combined and doughy. (Dough should be stretchy. If kneading by hand, knead for about 20 mins)Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, lightly oil the top of the dough, cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit out for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
  2. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside.
  3. Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. On a floured surface shape the dough into a large rectangle. Brush the dough with the melted butter. Sprinkle the filling mixture over the dough, pressing the filling into the dough. Roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Using a sharp knife, slice the cylinder into 1 1/2-inch rolls; making 12 rolls. Arrange rolls cut side down in the baking dish; cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight.
  4. Take the rolls from the refrigerator and place in an oven that is turned off. Fill a pan or pot 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; 30 mins or so.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  6. Pour a little bit of heavy cream over each of the rolls, covering the bottom of the pan. (Optional; this gives a more buttery, doughy taste/texture. While without is more original)
  7. When the oven is ready, place the rolls in the oven and bake until slightly golden on top; bake for 8 mins. Oven time may vary.
  8. Mix together ingredients for the icing starting with whisking the cream cheese first, then adding the heavy cream, next the butter, then gently adding the sugar. Spread on cinnamon rolls. Allow to sit for 30 to 1 hour and then enjoy!

Note: whatever is not eaten make sure to refrigerate. When ready to eat pull out and allow to sit for 1 to 2 hours until at room temperature.

Additional note: try using vanilla spice eggnog instead of heavy cream! It’s delish!

Enjoy!

The dough after 2 1/2 hours. Ready to create and roll.
Rolled up ready to sit overnight.
After coming out of oven above boiling water. step 4.
I’ve added a little bit of cream…….
And I’ve added a lot…… but come out good.
Naked without cream. It really depends on the texture you like. Without cream is more bread like, and with cream it more doughy.

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

What You Need:

1 carton of chicken stock (Swanson 32oz)

4 cups of water

4-5 carrot sticks cut and peeled

7-8 garlic cloves peeled (optional to cut)

2 celery sticks chopped

1/4-1/2 of a sweet onion chopped

2 tablespoons of chicken flavor bouillon (I use knorr)

1/2 teaspoon of fennel

1 stick of unsalted butter

Salt and pepper for taste

1/2 bag of egg noodles

Half of Rotisserie chicken shredded

Steps:

1. In a large pot add the stick of butter with onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Sauté until soft.

2. Add chicken stock, 4 cups of water, and chicken seasoning, and fennel. Bring to a boil.

3. Add egg noodles to soup and allow to cook. For about 15 mins. Next add in the shredded chicken and allow to simmer for an additional 5-8 mins.

4. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot.

Salt Dough Recipe For Handprint Or Ornaments

Servings: 4 small handprints or 6 small ornaments.

What You Need:

1 cup of salt

1 cup of Flour

1/2 cup of water

Steps:

1. Combine all ingredients and knead dough for just a couple of minutes.

2. Roll out and do hand prints or use cookie cutters to make ornaments.

3. Bake at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 hours.

Note: use parchments paper, NO FOIL when baking. See picture below.

The mistake when using foil. The back of the handprint didn’t fully bake.
How the front looks and it should look all the way around. Learn from me! Use parchment paper and not foil.

Have fun!

Easy Alfredo Sauce

This Alfredo sauce is so yummy! Enjoy!

What You Need:

2 cups of Parmesan Cheese

1 (8 tablespoons) stick of unsalted butter

1 cup of heavy cream (8oz)

A few dashes of salt and pepper

1 teaspoon of fresh parsley finely chopped and a little extra chopped for garnish

Steps:

1. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan on medium heat, once butter is melted add heavy cream. Allow to simmer while mixing for 2 minutes seasoning with salt and pepper.

2. Add Parmesan cheese and parsley. Add a few dashes of milk or pasta water to thin sauce out a little. Allow to cook and very low heat until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Soften The Heart: Devotional #11

“As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”

Proverbs: 27:17

I had a really great, thought provoking conversation with a friend of mine that I have only known now for a few months. Our daughters are in class together and we met at one of their classmates birthday parties. Neither one of us knowing a beautiful friendship was about to be born. How grateful we must be for the small moments that lead to something priceless, like an amazing friendship.

We had a conversation on the phone not too long ago, and we had a deep conversation as we normally do. Unfortunately it came to an end due to my children needing my attention, but once we got off the phone I was provoked to find a scripture related to friendship because I felt so grateful to have a friend who I can share my inner thoughts with. We each challenge each other with what we believe in, in a very respectful way.

No offensive is taken, only respect and listening to each other sharing why we feel, believe, or think the way that we do. I believe we humble each other in our discussions and help one another to see more beyond the horizon. We sharpen each other.

How important, and what a gift, friendships are. A friend that is pushing, challenging you, and encouraging you, is going to improve you. Sharpen means improve or cause to improve. Improve means make or become better. Countenance means to admit what is acceptable or possible.

In relation to the scripture above, we strengthen each other’s tolerance and endurance to the sufferings that are experienced in this world. We alleviate burdens and give the gift of perseverance to one another.

To live is to experience suffering, we know this is true, and this scripture tells us how you and I can give strength to one another and endure what to some would be unbearable. This scripture reminds us that we are not alone in our sufferings and how important relationships are with one another.

We are here to uplift one another not to bring down. We must sharpen each other to the best of our capabilities. Because everyone at one time or another will seek or is seeking right now alleviation in what they do not know. We must share our light. We only shine because of those that taught us.

Reach out to your best friends today and remind them how much you cherish their friendship. Explain to them why you choose to have them in your life. Give them love and gratitude. How special to have such friends who develop us and push us to grow.

Love to you all.

Chicken Thigh Dry Rub Recipe – Taste So Good On the Grill

This recipe only requires a few ingredients and it’s delicious. I’ve only ever used this dry rub on chicken thighs, hence the title.

I prepare the dry rub, then rub it all over the chicken really good. Afterwards I allow the chicken to sit in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Then, we grill it. This dry rub with the smokey flavor from the grill really provides a great flavor.

What You Need:

1 tablespoon of chili powder

1 teaspoon of pepper

1 teaspoon of paprika

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of onion powder

2 teaspoons of salt

(Dry Rub Recipe good for 1.5 to 2 lbs of chicken)

Steps:

Mix all seasoning together in a bowl and then rub all over the chicken thighs. Be sure to open the thighs and really make sure it’s rubbed all inside as well.

Suggested Ways To Serve:

We enjoy making chicken tacos or nachos with this recipe. You can also enjoy with rice or potatoes on the side.

Chopping up for nachos

Enjoy!

Soften The Heart: Devotional #10

“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content”

Philippians 4:11

If we define the word worry, it reads; “give way to anxiety or unease; allow one’s mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles.” Think about that for just a moment. When we can’t control something, it causes us stress and anxiety. It leads us down the path of worrying where we end up in a field filled with fear.

How often do you worry? Many times I’m sure. About all sorts of things, right? We worry about the future, we worry about our children, we worry about bills being paid, we worry about our health, we worry about our family, we worry about many, many things.

We all worry. What you should know though is worrying is natural human survival instinct. Ultimately we worry to protect us from harm. Maybe you’re thinking, “how is worrying about my family protecting me? I’m worry about them.” Yes, that is true, however you worry to protect yourself from feeling pain. If something happens to someone in your family, you know you would suffer too. And who wants to suffer? Again, we worry to protect us. *Humans are pretty selfish, we think about ourselves a lot.*

Now worrying and living in fear is giving in to a very powerful force. Too many times we allow these emotions to completely control us and prevent us from truly living and feeling joy in our hearts. This also prevents our relationship with God from growing. Why? Because we aren’t trusting God. We aren’t trusting the creator of the entire universe. You’re not alone my friend, and you’re not on your own.

We have to lean in, we have to surrender, and we have to trust our Heavenly Father. He knows way more than we do. But, like a three year old, we are stubborn children. We want to do things on our own. Like children, we don’t want help. We don’t want to believe our Heavenly Father knows more than we do. Maybe we aren’t children, we kinda sound more like teenagers.

The spirit within us is like a muscle. As we strengthen our spirit muscle, it becomes stronger. The seed of love that God planted in all of us becomes stronger. God is love my friends. But we gotta water that seed! And we have to water others! As we continue to work on your relationship with God we become stronger than the flesh, we become stronger than those feelings and emotions that act like a wall preventing us from living in peace and harmony.

When we continue to seek God, the walls of fear and worry begin to crumble and dissolve like a soaked cookie in milk. We begin to feel peace within ourselves.

No matter what state we are in we aren’t worried or in fear because we know God loves us. We know no matter what, it’s going to be okay. We begin to understand God is in us, he surrounds us, he is reaching out and rescuing us.

But to be in that state, we have to reach our hand out. Gods hand is already present, we are the ones holding back. And once we grab ahold of the hand of God no matter what happens you’ll know in your heart God has got this. No matter what you know in the end Gods going to make everything right. God loves you. He loves you, He loves you, He loves you.

God bless

Easy Homemade Salsa and Chips

Salsa made at home along with homemade tortilla chips just taste better! It’s all so easy and doesn’t take a lot of time at all!

HOMEMADE SALSA

What You Need:

3 decent sized Roma tomatoes

2-3 Serrano peppers (1 for a mild flavor. And make sure it’s Serrano. Jalapeño will give a different flavor.)

5-8 garlic cloves (not jarred minced garlic)

1/4 of a large white onion

Salt for seasoning

A generous handful of fresh cilantro

Steps:

1. In a small medium pot bring the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and peppers to a boil. Simmer until very soft. The skins will begin to peel.

2. Once the veggies are soft place them in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add about 1/4 cup of the water the veggies were boiling in.

3. Sprinkle with salt and add handful of fresh cilantro. Mix with a blender. Taste and add more salt or cilantro if needed. A squeeze of lime can be added, that’s optional.

HOMEMADE TORTILLA CHIPS

What you need:

Vegetable oil

Sea salt

Corn tortillas

Steps:

1. Stack 7 Corn tortilla on top of each other. Cut the stacked tortillas vertically and then horizontally. Giving you 28 corn tortilla triangles.

2. Heat your skillet to a medium heat with 1/2 inch of vegetable oil.

3. Once oil is heated (it will begin to sizzle and bubble a little) begin adding the tortillas into the oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides. (Use to tongs to flip)

4. Place finished tortilla chips on a plate with paper towels to soak the excess oil. Sprinkle with sea salt right away. Allow to cool.

Enjoy!

Soften The Heart: Devotional #9

“I go to prepare a place for you.”

John: 14:2

How often do we scramble chaotically to present a clean and tidy home before someone arrives? Pretty often I would say, especially when we are hosting something like a birthday party. It’s a race against time. Can any of you relate?

Now, we don’t begin scrubbing or wiping everything down for ourselves, no, our mess or way of living doesn’t bother us that much. We clean with passion for our guests or friends or family! We do this because we care! We do this because we want to create a space of comfort, safety, well-being, and ultimately good vibes. We want our place to be a place where they enjoy coming to. We want to create a place where they don’t want to leave and anticipate coming back to again!

God has invited us to join him in a huge celebration and He is “preparing the party”. Are we going to accept the invitation? Of course we are! Jesus doesn’t need to prepare anything for anyone, but He prepares a place because He loves us. It’s all for us. He is ready to welcome each and every one of us. He knows this earthly life is troubling which is why this is so important that the place He prepares is ready for us.

We will walk through those doors and the weight of the world that we lived in will be lifted. We will instantly feel that comfort and safety in which we try ourselves to provide for our guests. Imagine that, how loved we are. It will most definitely be a place we never want to leave, and we will be reminded of all the love that was always there, just waiting for us to arrive.

God Bless.

Soften The Heart: Devotional #8

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

It is undeniable that humanity does evil things. We are most definitely witnesses to that. Evil lurks around like a fragrance that has yet to fade away.

Jesus though gave us some serious truth bombs. We know this from reading the scriptures. And the effects of these “truth bombs” are still lingering today. Rather than a bomb being filled with gas or smoke, Jesus planted bombs filled with love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

The fragments from these bombs are still piercing souls as we speak. The dust has not yet settled from what Jesus has done for us or taught us. Which is why we don’t understand everything fully yet. We’re all still in this giant cloud of smoke from this gift that God gave us because he loves us. Most people wouldn’t think of a bomb as a gift, however this bomb of love and truth from God is the greatest thing that could ever happen to us.

Here’s the thing though, Jesus came so that through him we may have peace. The key word is *may*. It is completely our choice to take this peace that God has offered to us.

Rather than being in the cloud of smoke afraid because we can’t see anything, and groaning because our ears are ringing from the noise, or hiding because we’re scared. We can be anxiously excited to see that all our fears have been conquered because of the truth bombs that were planted for us. If we keep our eyes open while the dust is settling we can actually witness the changes. We get to see evil transformed to love. How amazing!

Jesus says, be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. What a comforting thing to know. Soon enough we all will get to rejoice in this beautiful new world. Praise God, Praise the Lord.

Love to you all