Overnight Apple Cinnamon Rolls with a Caramel Sauce

I love the idea of having warm, gooey cinnamon rolls first thing in the morning but who wants to wake up and slave in the kitchen. This recipe is the solution. October is my favorite month of the year so I made a few adjustments to incorporate apples for Fall.

Overnight Apple Cinnamon Rolls with a Caramel Sauce
Makes about 12 rolls

Dough:
1 envelope active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp
3 cups flour (may need a little more see directions)

Filling:
1/2 stick unsalted butter room temp, separated
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

Caramel Sauce
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:

Add 1/2 cup of fairly warm water to a glass measuring cup. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let sit for about 10 minutes. While the yeast is activating, add apple juice, sugar, salt, egg, vanilla and butter in a medium sized bowl. Add yeast mixture to the wet ingredients and mix well by hand or stand mixer. Add the flour one cup at a time while mixing. You want the dough to come away from the sides of the bowl and not be too sticky. If needed, add more flour one Tablespoon at a time until dough forms a soft ball. If mixing by hand, at this point you will want to take the dough out of the bowl and knead it by had for about 5 min. If using a stand mixer, continue to knead using the hook attachment for a few minutes. Place kneaded dough on a greased bowl and cover. Place in a warm area of your home and let it rise for one hour.

While the dough is rising, prep your apples. Once they are peeled, cored and sliced, place them into a microwavable bowl. Add 2 Tablespoons butter (half of your 1/2 stick softened and ready to go) and cover with plastic wrap. Cut a small slit in the plastic wrap to allow steam to escape. Microwave the apples for about 2 minutes. Be careful! They will be very hot and the steam will burn you. Let them rest a minute before opening. Drain the juices once cooled and place in the fridge to chill.

Punch down the dough after an hour. Don't worry if your dough didn't rise too much. It will depend on the temp of your home. Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out a 15 x 9 inch rectangle. You can use your 9 x 13 pan to help you estimate the size. Take the rest of your softened 1/2 stick of butter (about 2 tablespoons should be left) and spread it all over the dough. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle it over the buttered dough. Take your softened apples from the fridge and line the apples evenly over the brown sugar mixture. Tightly roll up the dough and cut into even rolls. You can cut 12-15 rolls depending on the size you prefer. Arrange them into your baking dish (see photo below). Cover with plastic wrap and sit on counter over night.

This is what they will look like when you wake up in the morning. YAY! Most of the work is done. Now you just have to preheat your oven to 375F degrees. Remove the plastic wrap and cover them with foil. Bake for 25-30 minutes. I removed the foil with about 5 minutes to go so they would brown nicely. While they are baking, make your caramel sauce by adding the three ingredients together in a sauce pan set to med-high heat on the stove. Stir constantly until sugar is dissolved and the sauce has bubbled for about 3 minutes.  It will thicken while it cools so you may want to keep it warm until the rolls are ready that way it pours easily over them.

Tip: you can freeze the rolls without the sauce and enjoy later:)

Creamy Chicken Pot Pie

 It's snowing here in Denver so I am in the mood for a home cooked classic. This nostalgic dinner is not only delicious but easy! I promise:)I use a roaster chicken from Costco to make this even easier. You can also make the dough in the morning and keep it in the fridge until baking time.

Creamy Chicken Pot Pie
makes one 9" pie

Make one batch of my pie crust recipe found here

1 pound cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
13 oz. frozen mixed vegetables I use the one with green beans, carrots, peas and corn
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp. celery seed
1 3/4 cups chicken broth

2/3 cups milk
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Take chicken off bone if using a roaster or chop/shred chicken and place in large bowl.  In a saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside. Pour frozen veggies over chicken and stir. Roll your bottom crust and place in pie pan. Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

BEST Caramel Corn {without using popcorn}

This recipe is different from my other caramel popcorn recipe. Some of the ingredients are the same but the result is VERY different.  Don't try to questions it:) Trust me, just go and get the ingredients and make it tonight! I promise it won't disappoint. I made this for my son's preschool teachers as their  end of the year gift. They loved it! Thanks Aunt Diane, you are the best cook I know!


Caramel Corn

2 bags of white puffed corn (I used the $2/bag Chesters brand)
3 sticks of butter (3/4 pound) YIKES I know but trust me
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light Karo syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Cover a rimmed cookie sheet with wax paper. Set aside. Pour puffed corn into a large bowl. Set aside.  Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add sugar and syrup. Stirring constantly, boil for 5 min. Take off heat and add vanilla and baking soda. Pour caramel over puffed corn and mix until corn is fully covered. Pour covered puffed corn onto the wax papered pan. Spread evenly. Bake 40 minutes but be sure to stir the puffed corn around the pan every 10 minutes or it will burn. Allow to cool and enjoy. Store in air tight container.

sweet gift idea

I made this for my father's birthday back in February. It's all his grand children's hand-prints in the shape of "I love you" in sign language. Right after I gave it to him we found out there will be another grandchild born this year. We are so excited!

Beef Stroganoff

This recipe is surprisingly fast. All my kids ate it up too so I will definitely make this more often.

BEEF STROGANOFF

1 pound top sirloin steak
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
3 T butter, divided
8 oz. mushrooms
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup water
1 tsp. Beef bouillon granules or one bouillon cube
2 T flour
1 T Worcestershire sauce
rounded 1/2 cup sour cream

Slice steak into strips about 2 inches long and 1/4 inch thick. Generously salt and pepper both sides. Use more in needed. Set aside.

Melt 2 T. butter in large skillet over med heat and add mushrooms, onion. Saute 4-5 min or until mushrooms are tender. Add garlic Saute for about 30 seconds. Remove mushrooms, onions and garlic from pan and set aside.

Increase heat to med-high and add one more T of butter to pan. Add beef and saute while stirring for about 3-5 minutes or until pink is no longer visible.

Whisk water, bouillon, flour and Worcestershire sauce together until smooth. Add this mixture to the beef and then add mushroom mixture in as well. Bring to simmer and cook about 2 minutes so sauce will thicken. Remove pan from heat and stir in sour cream. Serve over egg noodles or rice.

Liebster Blog

Hello!

I have not been a very good blogger lately. I could list many reasons why but really there is no excuse which is why I was so surprised to be awarded one of five Liebster blogs (meaning dearest blog) from noted home.  It's an awesome design blog with so many beautiful ideas I only wish I could recreate. Amber is a very talented woman not only in design so you should check out her blog! Since I was awarded this love I wish to pass it on. I will pick 5 blogs to award.

If you are selected, you need to:

Choose FIVE up and coming blogs to award the Liebster to (they must have less than 200 followers)

1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
2. Post the award on your blog.
3. List the bloggers you are giving this award to with links to their sites.
4. Best of all, have fun and share the love!

And the Liebster Awards go to:

1. Lisa over at Chocolate Cake with Cream. She needs to open a bakery. No Joke! She also has crafts on her blog too so I love to check out what she has created. 

2. Tamber's blog Colorful Cravings  has it all! Cakes, crafts, decor and many more.

3. Andrea and Megan's blog 2nd and Strand takes two different design concepts. One from the East coast and one from the West coast. Love it!

4. Annette is one of those super moms. Her blog Tips from a Typical Mom has great tips on everything and anything you come across being a mother.

5. Last but not least is 3 little chicks blog. I love her sewing projects. They really inspire me to get my sewing machine out more often.

Neiman-Marcus $250 Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

 This is my version of the Neiman-Marcus cookie. Apparently someone paid $250 for the recipe.  Sorry there isn't a picture. I could not find my camera charger before we ate the whole plate of cookies. This makes about 36 great sized cookies. Follow the baking steps from my classic chocolate chip cookie recipe.


1 cup butter
1 cup sugar 
1 cup packed brown sugar
2.5 cups blended oatmeal
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
 1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces chocolate chips
1 (8 ounce) Hershey Symphony bar (grated)*

Directions:

1.  Cream the butter and both sugars.
2. Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder.
3. Add eggs and vanilla.
4. Mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and soda.
5. Add chocolate chips, grated Hershey Bar*.
6. Roll into 1 inch balls and place 2-inches apart on a cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 10 minutes at 375° or until golden.
   *tip: blend the chocolate bar in a blender until desired similar to grated pieces.
   

   recipe adapted  http://www.food.com/recipe/neiman-marcus-250-chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe-13307

   
   

Kid Tested Chicken Cresent Roll Casserole

Chicken Cresent Roll Casserole **this makes enough to fill one 9x13" dish and one 8x8"dish.**

2 (8 ounce) cans Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can of cheese soup, undiluted
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup milk

FILLING
4 ounces cream cheese (very soft)
4 tablespoons butter (very soft but not melted)
1/2-1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cans of diced cooked chicken
1/2-3/4 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2-4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1-2 cup grated cheddar cheese (for topping)

directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a casserole dishs (any size to hold crescent rolls). In a saucepan, mix milk, 3/4 cup grated cheese (can use more cheese if desired) and undiluted cheese soup. Heat just until the cheese melts (do not boil).

For the filling --- (make certain that the cream cheese and butter are very soft) in a bowl, mix the soft cream cheese with butter until very smooth, then add in garlic powder. Add in the chopped chicken, onion and cheddar cheese; mix well until combined. Add in 2 tablespoons mayonnaise; mix to combine (add in a little more if the mixture seems too dry). Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Unroll the crescent rolls. Place 1 heaping tablespoon chicken mixture (or a little more) on top of each crescent triangle, then roll up starting at the thicker end. Drizzle soup mixture on the bottom of the dish.Then place the crescent rolls seam-side down on top of the creamed mixture in the casserole. Sprinkle with 1 cup (or more) grated cheese, or amount desired. Bake for about 30 minutes.

Freezer Shakes

Here is my first ant- cold cereal recipe:)  My husband goes to work early in the morning and is ALWAYS in a hurry. I am not the wife that gets up and makes him breakfast (sorry babe) so here is a great idea for making sure he gets out the door with something quick and healthy!

For this post I am using a high protein spinach shake that my husband likes. You can apply this method to any shake you like to make. We have a magic bullet so this method is perfect but you can freeze your shake in quart sized freezer bags to fit your traditional blender as well.

Take the container you will be blending the shake in and put a quart sized freezer bag in it so you don't put more than it can handle.

Stuff it with sliced bananas, blueberries, sliced strawberries, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt, 1 tsp. Agave nectar, handful of fresh washed and dried baby spinach leaves.

Freezes in the shape of the cup so all you have to do in the morning is add nonfat milk and blend. No ice needed!

Bye Bye Cereal

For about a month we have stopped serving cold cereal in my home. I got fed up with my kids fighting over what kind of cereal they wanted or having a meltdown because the kind they like ran out. It has been much easier than I thought. Sure I have to get up 10-15 minutes earlier to make a hot breakfast but it's worth it. Most days we will do oatmeal with fruit or yogurt with granola but I have a few recipes to share. The next few recipes I post will feature make ahead yummy breakfast alternatives. The first one here is baked oatmeal. You can freeze these and set them out before and they will thaw by morning.


Baked Oatmeal Muffins

3 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup sugar (I used no calorie sweetener instead)
1 very ripe banana, sliced
1 cup fruit of your choice or chocolate chips
5 cup old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup flax seed, ground
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
2 1/2 cup 1% milk

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, and sugar until combined.
Add banana, and other fruit of your choice. (If using chocolate chips add them last) In another bowl, mix oats, salt, baking powder, flax seed, and cinnamon. Dump dry ingredients into wet ingredients; mix well. Pour in milk and stir until combined. Spray two 12 cup muffin tins with cooking spray or use cupcake liners. Scoop mixture evenly into muffin cups. Bake 35-40 minutes or until the center of each muffin is set. Cool and enjoy — or freeze them in gallon freezer bags.

New favorite dip

My dad told me about this recipe. I don't know where it came from but it's my new favorite dip. I have made it a few times so far and it's well worth the pomegranate work.  I am sorry for the not so great pictures. I was in a huge hurry last time I made it that I didn't take the time to make sure the lighting was good.

Pomegranate and Avacado Dip

2 pomegranates, seeds only
2 avocados,  chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 Tablespoons onion, finely diced
1/2 tsp. red cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. ground corriander
1 tsp. Salt
1 lemon, just juice

Mix all together in bowl. Let chill in fridge before serving. Serve with chips or Fritos scoops.

Goodbye Goodies

Well it's a new year and I am not pregnant (couldn't cook/bake much while sick) so my husbands diet is back on track. I made these delicious cupcakes to say goodbye to sweets for a while.

Inspired by these

Chocolate Cherry Dr. Pepper Cupcakes


Cake:
3 cups all purpose flour
6 T cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk*
1 1/2 cups Cherry Dr. Pepper
3 tsp vanilla

* you can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tsp. vinegar to milk and let sit 10 min.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with liners or spray with baking spray. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa in a bowl and set aside.

In a mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine sugar and butter and beat on medium-high until light and creamy. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating about 1 minute after each. In a large mixing cup or small bowl, combine buttermilk, Dr. Pepper and vanilla. (Make sure you wait for the foam to go down when measuring the soda and don't worry if your mixture looks curdled when you add the buttermilk.)

Beginning with the dry ingredient mix, add in 4 parts to the butter mixture, alternating with the soda mixture. Beat each addition just until incorporated.

Transfer the batter to the muffin tins, filling each tin about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes until the tops spring back when touched lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center cupcake comes out clean. Cool about 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 T Dr. Pepper

Mix together with a whisk in a small bowl. You are going to glaze the top of the un-iced cupcakes. Let glaze dry before icing. The mixture should run slowly off a spoon so you can drizzle the cupcakes but it won't run all over the place.

Icing:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
6 T powdered sugar
Maraschino Cherries for garnish

Beat cream in a chilled bowl with whisk attachment or hand mixer on low speed. Begin adding sugar, 1 spoonful at a time, increasing speed as the cream comes together. Whip the cream until it holds stiff peaks.  Pipe the whipped cream onto cupcakes as desired and top with maraschino cherries for garnish.

Christmas Cards

 Hope you have a Merry Christmas!

 I made these holiday card displays last year as well before I started this blog. I love to display the Christmas cards we receive and this is an easy CHEAP way to do it. Purchase a cross stitch hoop. I took mine apart so it makes two! Then using wood glue, glue on tiny clothespins to the hoop. 

Candy Wreath

I made this wreath last year. SO fun! It took about 5 pounds of gum drops but it was well worth it. I hot glued each piece of candy on a Styrofoam wreath. To make is last I sprayed it with a spray acrylic sealer. It still looks great!

Homemade Oreos

Recipe: Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

For the chocolate wafers:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

For the filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.
In a bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream.

decorating sugar cookies

I was asked (back in September) to bring cookies to a church function. I had been looking for an excuse to make cookies like these for some time. Basic sugar cookies (not the soft recipe from my blog) frosted with royal frosting. I went searching for some advice and knowledge on the subject and came across this website. This lady is amazing. I used her recipes and made these:)

Zucchini Chips

1/4 cup Italian style bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup flour
1 cup cold milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2-3 good sized zucchini, sliced




Longer healthier version...
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a medium bowl combine breadcrumbs, cheese and black pepper. In separate bowl add flour, milk and vinegar.  Gently stir until combined but do not over stir. Dip zucchini slices in flour mixture and then dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place coated zucchini slices on a baking sheet (I line mine with non stick foil for easy clean up) and bake for 30 minutes, flipping the slices over once halfway through cooking, or until browned and crisp.

Faster version...
Follow steps above but instead of baking, fry in large saucepan with a little oil heated to med-high heat. Flip zucchini over after browned. It takes about 10 min this way.

why it's been so long...

We have a new addition to our family. He is the sweetest little baby. I am just now starting to have the energy to do other things so hopefully I will get all my Christmas decorations out of the basement and start posting on my blog again!

Daughter's Birthday Party

Shortbread Cookies with Dulce de Leche filling

Shortbread Cookies:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup  confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

In a bowl whisk the flour with the salt. In a separate bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. Gently beat in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill the dough for at least an hour or until firm.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with the rack in the middle of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Using a lightly floured 2 inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Place on the baking sheets and place in the fridge for about 15 minutes. (This will firm the cookies so they maintain their shape when baked.) Bake for about 7 - 10 minutes, or until cookies are brown around the edges. Cool on a wire rack. Shortbread cookies with keep in an airtight container for about a week.

Put a spoonful of Dulce de Leche in between two shortbread cookies and then dip half in melted chocolate. Set on parchment paper to harden.

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Read more: http://www.joyofbaking.com/shortbreads/AlfajoresRecipe.html#ixzz1ZwrcUhHI