ANDREA E.!!!!!
Congratulations! I'll e-mail you the information on how to get your cute prize! I'm so excited for you! If you want to see what Andrea won click here! This seller on Etsy is so talented, I love her mother necklaces! You HAVE to check them out! Just click to see the sellers other items for sale.
Thanks to all of you who entered the drawing by posting me on your blogs! It means a lot to me that people are actually reading my ramblings!
Have a great day!
Hallelujah!! I have found it! The best dinner roll recipe ever! These are PERFECT for Thanksgiving dinner :) But, before I turn you loose, there are a few things you need to know about yeast!
1st- You cannot add yeast to water that is too hot! It will die! So when a recipe say's that the water or milk needs to be a certain temperature, make sure you use a thermometer!
2nd- Make sure that the yeast you are going to use is at room temperature.
3rd-Yeast always rises best in warm water with some sugar! If the yeast is not bubbling up, it wont allow the bread to rise, so start over!
With that being said, here is the recipe!
1) Dissolve yeast in 1/4c warm water. Stir in the 2tsp of sugar. Let sit for about 5 minutes until mixture foams up.
2) Heat milk in microwave or in small saucepan on stovetop.
3) Add sugar, butter, & salt to hot milk and stir until butter is melted. Cool to 105°F-110°F.
4) Pour milk mixture into bowl of stand mixer.
5) Add the yeast mixture & egg and mix together.
6) Mix in all-purpose flour, beating to form a soft dough. Knead with mixer for 5 minutes, adding extra flour, if needed. (This is where a dough hook is your best friend!)
7) Place dough in warm oiled or buttered bowl, turning greased side up. Cover with parchment paper and let rise in warm place ( I turn my oven on to about 400 for a minute to warm up slightly then I put the bowl in there, like an incubator) until doubled in bulk, about 60 minutes.
8) Slightly punch down dough. Divide dough into 12 pieces and shape into round rolls. I do this by dividing the dough in half, and stretching it out into a loaf then cutting them into 6 equal parts. ** See below for how to shape the rolls, it's super easy! Place them, not touching, in greased 13×9x2 baking pan.
10) Cover with parchment paper sprayed with non stick spray & let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 30–45 minutes.
11) Bake at 375°F for 18–20 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
12) Brush tops of rolls with butter.
**To shape the dough, hold a section of dough in the palm of your left hand. Make a circle with your left pointer finger and left thumb. Using the thumb of the right hand, push the dough through the (tight) circle you are creating with your left hand. This reminds me of playing with play dough when I was little! :) When you get the dough pushed all the way through, pinch together the bottom and there you go! Add them to the pan pinched side down!
Jack 'o Lanterns
We love jack 'o lanterns! Especially because each member of our family carves one for their personality! But, sometimes you just cant get the warm glow effect of the candle to come out in your pictures! Usually, the problem is your flash. Most cameras will pop the flash automatically, especially if it's dark. The tone of the flash is cold compared to the warm glow from the jack o' lantern, so the photo doesn't turn out like you want it to. To fix this, turn off your flash, raise your ISO to 400 or 800, and slow down the shutter speed. Also, try using a tripod or table to avoid a blurry photo.
Kids in Costumes
My number one piece of advice for photographing costumes is to take the pictures early! The makeup is still fresh, the masks are on, and the kids' sugar rushes have not yet hit their peak. Take several photos: group shots, individual shots, posed shots, and candids. Use backgrounds to enhance your photo, like a spooky tree or a decorated yard. Encourage your subjects to act the part of the costume...you'll be surprised at how quickly both kids and adults will get into it!
At night, use the night mode on your camera. It still uses the flash, but it allows for the ambient light to come through also! Sometimes it actually might make the pictures a little more "scary" because of the cool lighting it creates! Above all else, come at your subject in a bunch of different angles. Get down on the ground, kneel at their level, take from above with them looking up at you, etc. Some of my favorite shots are of my kids running away from me down the road with their trick or treating bags flailing in the wind! Be sure to try out some different editing once your done too! Sometimes those ho hum pictures become masterpieces if changed to black and white or sepia!
Have fun, and stay safe!
Happy Halloween!
Ever since I saw these on the Bakerella site, I had to make them! Not to mention, they make your house smell sooooo good! Here is the original recipe which I used from Bakerella's site.
Snickerdoodle Cookies
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
Here are my all time favorite storage containers for sugar and flour! The one on the top is for my sugar, purchased through Tupperware! They close tight and keep things fresh. I have all the different sizes for all sorts of things like hot chocolate mix, homemade pancake mix etc. The 5 gallon bucket under the sugar holds my flour. It's only about $1 or $2 for the bucket and $5 for the screw on lid at Wal-Mart. I use these to hold those huge bags of flour and rice!
This little (very cheap) plastic shalt shaker (found at Wal-Mart) is what I use for my cinnamon sugar so my kids don't make a huge mess while making cinnamon toast! In this recipe though, you will need to put the cinnamon sugar in a bowl so you can roll the dough around in it.
My little Bosch Compact is my best friend while making cookies, and you HAVE to have one of the scoopers from Pampered Chef to scoop out perfectly shaped cookies!
Once you have scooped out a ball of dough, roll it in a mixture of cinnamon sugar.
There you go, the perfect Snickerdoodle!
For the frosting:
To assemble the pies:
Enjoy!
Here is the item I am giving away!!
Isn't it the cutest thing? Scroll down for more information on the giveaway!
Also, you can ADD YOUR NAME INTO THE DRAWING AGAIN by linking to my blog in one of your blog posts! Just send me the link to the post through commenting on this post!
Good Luck!
I am alway's looking for new things to do on Halloween, since it is not my favorite holiday, my brain just doesn't get creative! Here is a great web site with tons of ideas. You can also sign up for their weekly e-mail's packed with great ideas for every season!
Here is a list of not-so-scary Halloween movies for the family
Here is a "We still have to eat dinner on Halloween easy casserole"
When we are done trick or treating, we alway's make homemade donuts and hot chocolate! Click here for the Krispy Kreme recipe!
Have fun trick or treating~ :)
I have a great giveaway coming up! Here how it will work! Leave a comment here letting me know that you have me listed on your "Favorite Blogs List" blog gadget, and I will enter you into the drawing for a great handmade jewelry piece from Etsy!!
Better yet, get a friend to add me to their list and I will add you both to the drawing twice!!! Just let me know who reffered you.
Trust me, this will be a great giveaway, I love the stuff this lady makes, it's on my Christmas List for my husband. Her Etsy name is cinnamonsticks.
Let me know by leaving a comment, I can also check through google to see if I'm on your page, but I am too lazy to do that :)
I'll post a picture of the jewlery as soon as I decide on a piece!
I have taught my children to work from the time they were big enough to walk! There is no reason a child should not be taking care of their things as early as possible. Here are some things that I have done to teach my children how to help out around the house....
- As soon as they can walk, they are throwing away their own diapers. With a huge HOORAY from the family, they learn that work can be fun!
-My children alway's clear their own plates and cups from the table and a stool is pulled up to the sink so that they can rinse their own dishes. When they are old enough, they wash their own dishes or put them in the dishwasher themselves.
-My kids make their own beds and pick up their own clothes and toys in their room every morning before school. If it's not done before school, they can not play with friends until it's done. Try not to do it for them, they will learn that you will do it if they wait it out long enough, then you are creating bad habits for them!
-My kids have their own (age appropriate) chores around the house. Here is a list of things your child should know how to do at certain ages:
~Three Years Old:
-Dress self (I know it doesn't sound like a chore, but you are teaching them to be independent, this includes helping pick out their clothes)
-brushing teeth with supervision
-Picking up toys
-Clean the kitchen table
-Use the toilet independently
-Help sort laundry into whites, lights, and darks
-Start learning how to hang up shirts with a hanger
~Four Years Old: (in addition to 3 yrs old)
-Make bed
-Help make breakfast
-Help make sandwiches for lunch
-Cleaning room (with games listed below)
-Learn how to use the computer (learn how to use the mouse, navigate, etc.)
~Five Years Old: (in addition)
-Vacuum
-Take garbage out
-Set and clear the table
-Start earning allowance
-Memorize Address and phone numbers
~Six Years Old: (in addition)
-Bathe or shower themselves
-Load and empty dishwasher
-Dust
-Clean countertops and sinks
-Use microwave
-Answer and make phone calls
-Care for pet
~Seven Years Old: (in addition)
-Hand wash dishes
-Clean the bathroom (toilets, sinks, tub, etc.)
-Start a savings account
~Eight Years Old: (in addition)
-Being responsible for attending and scheduling extra curricular activities like Dance, Activity Days, Scouts, etc.
-Wake up and get ready for school by self
-Clean mirrors and windows
-Personal hygiene (clipping nails, hair, cleaning, ect.)
~Nine Years Old: (in addition)
-Bake cakes and cookies
-Make simple meals (mac 'n cheese)
-Mop and sweep
-Learn how to check oil in car
-Learn how to fill the car with gas
-Hammer and saw wood
-Earn an e-mail address (supervised)
-Start using the internet (supervised)
~Ten Years Old: (in addition)
-Do own laundry (sorting, washing, drying, folding, hanging & put away)
-Clean stove and oven
-Add to meal preparation experience
-Learn nutrition
-Gardening
-Place a collect call
-Use a pay phone
-Place a long distance call
-Write in a journal
-Star tending siblings for a short time
~Eleven Years Old: (in addition)
-Schedule for own hair cuts
-Clean out closets and drawers
-Clean out refrigerator
-Learn the basics of mending clothes
-Learn Baking (breads, pies etc.)
~Twelve Years Old: (in addition)
-Speak in public
-Learn about weight control
-Make and keep dentist and doctors appointments
-Iron own clothes
-Mow lawn
-Place a credit card order (supervised)
-Use a DSLR camera
-Learn to crochet
-Take a baby sitting class
-Start babysitting
So there is my list! Did any of it shock you? I hope not. I hope you are teaching your children to be a helpful, responsible member of the family! I know you don't think that it's fair for the mom to do it all right!?
Some of the games I use to get my kids to clean up their room are as follows:
-Pick a color! Mom say's pick up everything that's PINK! The kids run in the room and pick up everything that is pink, then run out and tell mom how many you picked up. Then mom calls out another color.
-Sort! My children share rooms so it has been a struggle to get them to clean their room because they blame it on the other person! So, I have started saying: "Tiernan picks up everything that can be worn on the body, socks, shoes, clothes, hair accessories etc. and Amara picks up everything that can be played with and the garbage.
-Use the timer! Nothing motivates a kid like a time limit! Who ever finishes before the timer goes off gets a special prize or treat! Of course mom warns them with how much time is left, and she goes and checks to make sure they did it!
One very important thing is to TEACH YOUR CHILDREN HOW YOU WANT THEM TO CLEAN!!!! You can't expect your children to do it right if they have never been taught. As you introduce new chores to your kids, take time to teach them the right way to do it. Help them for the first 3 times they are responsible for that chore then check to make sure they do it right afterward. If they didn't, say "Okay, great job! I am so proud of you, but let's go over how to clean the sink again!" Make sure you are always praising, never degrading.
Here is a link to the chore charts I use for my children. One great thing that I use are flip pages. They take the children through their chore one step at a time. They work great!
Childrens Chore Chart (each child has a number)
One of my favorite blogs is Bakerella.... and I try not to visit it very often cause it makes me want to make naughty stuff like these awesome mini pumpkin pies!
http://www.bakerella.com/pumpkin-pie-bites/
I now have to make some today! Thanks a lot Bakerella! ;)
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