Cinnamon Rolls

One of the things that I like about whole wheat bread dough is that it can be used for things other than a loaf of bread, such as pizza dough, pita bread, and cinnamon rolls.

Last night I made enough bread dough for 2 loafs. I made one of the loafs into bread and I used the other loaf of dough to make cinnamon rolls. They turned out really well. I got the recipe from a class at Kitchen Kneads.

Here's how I did it:

Roll the loaf of bread dough into a rectangle
Spread butter, sugar and cinnamon on the dough
Roll the dough from the top or bottom (the short side of the rectangle)
Cut into small discs using either thread or dental floss
Spread butter and honey on the bottom of a cookie sheet
Lay the cinnamon rolls on the sheet
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (don't let the dough rise before baking)

Once they cooled a little I topped them with cinnamon roll frosting. I got the recipe from Pantry Secrets.

Cinnamon Roll Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp water

Whole Wheat Bread

I really enjoy making bread, especially bread made from freshly ground wheat. Here is a whole wheat bread recipe that we enjoy.

Whole Wheat Bread

7 Cups Warm Water
3 Tbs. Lecithin
2 Tbs. Yeast
1/3 Cup Honey
2 Tbs. Dough Enhancer
2 Tbs. Salt
¼ Cup Gluten Flour
16-18 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

Measure all of the ingredients, except the flour, into the Blendtec mixing bowl. Put in 7 cups flour and mix on medium speed until completely mixed. Add remaining flour until the mixture cleans the side of the bowl and the dough doesn’t stick to your finger. Put on Auto Knead and it will automatically shut off when the gluten is developed (I used to make this in my KitchenAid mixer. I used the dough hook and would knead it for 10 minutes on medium speed). Put into 5 eight inch greased loaf pans. Let rise until double in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Ellie and the Chickens

Ellie loves to eat chicken, but was a little nervous to meet chickens.

Race For The Cure

We decided to participate in the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure again this year.

It was amazing to see the amount of people who were there to participate. The race was held on 4th West in Downtown Salt Lake. The street was packed from sidewalk to sidewalk as far as we could see ahead of us, and there were more behind us.

Last year we walked in celebration of my Mom. This year we walked in memory of my Mom. Last year we stood and watched her stand on the steps with all of the other cancer survivors. This year we watched as the memorial doves quietly flew in remembrance of those who didn't stand on those steps.

I am grateful for organizations like the Susan G. Komen foundation. I don't know if the money donated will ever help find a cure for cancer, but I know that it is making a difference. Without the developments in cancer treatment, I wouldn't have had my Mom for as long as I did.

For more information about the Susan G. Komen organization and races in your area click here.

Mothers

My Mom and Ellie
April 2008

"A Mother holds her children's hand for just a little while... their hearts forever."

My Mom had this quote hanging on a wall in her home. I always thought that it was a nice quote, but now I believe it. My mom will forever have a place in my heart, and I know that I was always in hers.

Leftovers

I really like using leftovers. Even though I enjoy cooking, I like to make things quickly. When I have leftovers, it cuts down on my cooking time. Last night I had brown rice left over from the meal the night before so I decided to try something new. I made a salad, of sorts, using brown rice and some fresh vegetables to serve as a side dish. Here's the recipe I came up with.


Brown Rice Salad:

Cooked Brown Rice (about 1 1/2 cups)
One cucumber, quartered and diced
Two small tomatoes, diced
Two green onions, finely chopped
Cilantro (about a fist-full), finely chopped
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
Salt
Pepper
Dill

Stir all of the ingredients together and enjoy.

I served this with green chile fried chicken. To see the recipe click here. I originally found the recipe in Better Homes and Gardens magazine. I have tried for years to come up with an alternative to frying. I don't like frying for a couple of reasons, but mainly because it makes the house smelly. Last night I took the chicken pieces that had been marinating in the sour cream mixture and I rolled them in cornflake crumbs seasoned with paprika, pepper, thyme, and oregano. I topped them with melted butter and baked them at 375 degrees for about 50 minutes. I think this is the way I will continue to do it. We liked the crunchy coating.

Sewing Projects

This summer the youth in our Ward are participating in a Pioneer Treck. They will spend 3 days in Wyoming pushing and pulling handcarts while dressed in pioneer-like clothing. I was asked to help the youth in our ward make some of their clothing. The girls have to make a bonnet and an apron and the boys have to sew buttons onto pants for suspenders and cut the collars off dress shirts (the boys have it much easier).

I helped the girls sew their aprons last month. We made the aprons out of old pillowcases. It was a very easy and fun project. Last week we started the bonnets, which are not so easy. The last step in making the bonnet is to hand sew the brim to the bonnet. It took me almost 2 hours to sew the brim on mine. It made me appreciate sewing machines. I can't imagine having to sew everything by hand, like the pioneer women did.