New Year, New Goals, New Lessons

It is truly amazing that you haven't given up on me and my ramblings yet.  Life has been throwing me many balls, some straight up, some curves, but at times too many to juggle on my own.  The thing that God has been pressing upon my stubborn, hard-headed self it that He is the one in control, not me.  I can plan and think that is how it is all going to work out for the day, week, or year and put the balls into play.  However, He has the final say in what really happens.  The changes and "interruptions" that really threw me for a loop when we first brought A1 and A2 home don't seem to throw me quite so much anymore.  The exception to that is the day or week that I forget that I'm not in control.  So after realizing that I've been learning just as much as my children since we've brought them home, just not the same lessons in history, English and math, as well as having the last two to three books studied for Sunday School be on contentment and God being in control with a few bricks falling on my head and 2x4's knocking me down; I might have finally learned this lesson.

In January, while Andy and A1 were in Puerto Rico working the winter nursery, I was able to get to my office. It had been buried for over a year with things that I couldn't seem to get to, things I planned daily to get to but didn't.  There actually was one basket that had a bunch of books that I needed to get listed to sell that had really sat there for a whole year.  The bills were being paid on time, the papers graded almost on time, just the "extra" office work was being put on the back burner.  I can now see the floor, run the little heater on my feet and have a "plan"-I use this word fairly loosely-in place for staying on top of things.

It has taken a long, long while for me to get there, but I think I've reached the bottom-no pun intended and I can only turn up. After talking this over with God, I felt compelled to let my family know that I needed them and their help. So Sunday's are blocked off.  No more working for me; I'll still cook and help with dishes, but nothing major.  I get to do fun things like relax, read for fun, take a nap, take a walk, watch a movie, play a game, and blog.  We'll see how it goes after the big admission that I can't do it all-if I get the help.  To their credit, usually if I asked for something to be done it will get done.  I just want them to look around now and see it for themselves so I don't have to continue to keep track of it in my head along with house budgets, Andy's business accounts, my Zija business accounts, things for school to do/check/prep for, who needs to be where/when, what papers need to get turned into college at what time, what we are having for breakfast/lunch/supper, where their things are at that they can't find.  I know this has to sound familiar-the long list running in your head. This time I've not put a specific time of day on jobs that I'm responsible for, except for teaching classes with the kids, I've just made a check list of what I need to accomplish for the day and what I want to accomplish for the day and what I hope to accomplish for the day to keep our house running smoothly.  When I let my family know that I needed their help, I had let them know where this list would be so they could see what I might need help with if they would happen to get done early with school or home early from work, and wonder why I don't have time in the evenings to sit with them and watch movies on Netflix or play another game of Catan.   

I'm getting excited for the new things that are coming down my path as I transition this year.  A1 graduates in June and will leave for college in the fall.  A2 is driving with his permit and in two years-that will go too fast-be graduating and leaving for college as well.  Wee One-my girlfriend's 1 year old daughter, that I watch 3 days a week, will fill part of that transition.  My new business with Zija, as a distributor, is another part of moving down this path.  My daily reminder that I'm not in control happens before I even put my feet to the floor is "Lord, you know what I have scheduled for the day, but I know that may not match up with your plans.  Help me remember that you are in control and that you have my best interest at heart."  Usually, this keeps the stress levels down as I try to only pick up and juggle the balls that He gives me for the day.  There are still some curves, but when I remember to start my day with just that little "Good Morning!" my glove is on and I can catch it and make the play; with His help, guidance and with those He has placed around me.

"Shot time" for allergies

It has been a slow couple of days around here, at least for A2 and I. We were scheduled to receive our allergy shots, LDA, yesterday. Something we both look forward to and for three days, A2 dreads. He doesn't always dread it, but this time was one of those times. For 24 hours before and 24 hours after getting this special allergy shot, we have to follow a very restricted diet.

A2 is allergic to about half of the foods on the list and refuses to eat the others. Think sweet potato with just sea salt, fish with just sea salt, celery chunks, lamb, ostrich. He ate them when he was little, but just is tired of it and has lost the taste for them. Neither he nor his sister will even eat sweet potato with brown sugar and marshmallows when they aren't on shot time. There was a company that made special tapioca bagels that he could eat during this time. I tried calling to order and the number was no longer any good. Looking up things on the internet yielded the same discontinued number. So the 14 year old growing boy sustained himself with glycerin water, one bite of buffalo burger(which he lost as a viable option last year by reacting to it during shots) and a couple of celery chunks. His 24 hours after is up in about 15 minutes and in his "starving" state this morning when he got out of bed, he figured out when he needed to start his rice so he could have some food. He didn't ask me to cook it for him, either, but started it all on his own. Poor baby, but in his defense, he is also going through a growth spurt and has been eating everything in the house, except the kitchen cabinets. He is also looking forward to some applesauce this afternoon as well.

I, on the other-hand, still have to wait until tomorrow to wait for my foray into regular non-allergic foods. Yes, believe it or not, I have a rice allergy and apple allergy. This makes for an interesting 3 weeks to come as my grains do not match his grains. It also makes me so very thankful for the availability of these allergy shots which allow us to eat what we want, go where we want and do things we want and need to, while they are working, without having any reactions. As a mom of 2 with allergies and allergies herself, cooking a rotation diet for 3 with no overlap in the rotations, would mean 12 different meals each day. This has been a life saver for me and for the kids too.

So while, I rest for 3 days, eating sweet potato, white potato(A2's very favorite thing in the world to eat-but allergic to), buffalo burgers, celery chunks and some cooked carrots; read books and watch netflix with A2. I will be thankful that at this time God has allowed us to be able to receive these shots that help us all so very much. He has also allowed us to be an encouragement to others just starting out on this path with their allergies. Being able to do that makes it all worth it.

A sister and brother were waiting yesterday as they had just received their first shot and they were in conversation with another young man who was being tested for allergies. They were all wondering about how well they worked and what was in store for them. We were able to let them know that the restrictions and prep they are going through are worth it. That in time getting ready for "shot time" will become routine and the diet will be old hat. The best part will be that they will feel better longer and longer between shots. Right now they have to start out at 8 weeks apart, A2 and I are at 9 months, A1 is shooting for 13-14 months this time around.

His time is up! Even now I hear humming coming from the couch next to me as the rice he cooked is being inhaled. Life moves on and he really didn't starve in the true sense, but for a growing boy, I'm know it sure felt like it. I have all kinds of fun things for him to eat the next 3 weeks. I hope I have enough as he is growing, again. I think I'll go make a potato, probably a sweet one. I just don't think it is very nice to the kids to eat their favorite things in front of them when they can't have it. The rest of the family isn't starving or deprived either. Typically, whoever isn't on "shot time" gets to go out with Andy for supper one night. Enjoy your meals for the next few weeks. We will be, just different ones than normal.

Easter Wishes and Apologies

I again am going to have to ask for forgiveness for my inconsistent postings. I seem to go in spurts and fits of writing and really just need to put it physically on the schedule so that it will happen. I find if it isn't on there then I seem to forget that it needs to be done, unless it is in my face daily like the laundry or dishes that need washed.

I've been getting more consistent at a few things in my life: working out daily and getting my health back on track. My friends are a wonderful accountability group to help with this and an encouragement. A little bit at a time and eventually I might get there. Probably not until I get home to heaven, but I can continue to strive for it.

Supper plans are calling. Nothing big tonight, in fact, not healthy at all, unless you count the fact that the hot dogs don't have any nitrates in them. On occasion, I do digress. It usually happens when I haven't planned ahead or spent the day in the office getting caught up on regular paperwork, filing, school grading and posting of the grades and computer inbox cleaning out.

Tonight is usually homemade pizza night and movie night. However, since it is Good Friday and we have church service that should be a wonderful time this evening, the pizza and movie are both probably going to be postponed to tomorrow night. The movie still has a shot at making the screen tonight. That would depend on how much we all talk to our friends after the service tonight.

Enjoy your Easter Celebration this weekend, whether you are with extended family or just your immediate family. I am so very thankful for the sacrifice that my Heavenly Father made of His Son for my failings and sin. So humbled that Jesus would take that harsh punishment for me. I feel so loved when I think of this and full of hope and joy as I think of the day when I'll finally be able to thank them in person.

Happy Easter Everyone!

Vanilla from Scratch

Apparently I've stumbled on something that is quite popular; making your own vanilla. I had just commented to Andy the other day about making our own vanilla since we go through it so fast between making ice cream from scratch every Family Movie Night and the hot carob drink I make almost daily instead of coffee. He, of course, was all for it and said to look into it. So I did what any modern day person does I went to the library and looked up vanilla in the card catalog. What??? Ummm, no, not really. Our library doesn't even have a card catalog. Do you even know or remember what a card catalog is? Anyway, I got on the internet and googled, how to make vanilla or something along that line. I found tons of websites with lots of information. Basically, it is vanilla beans and vodka put in a jar and letting it sit, easy peasy. So I ordered my beans from my normal spice company and waited for them to come. After they arrived, other things interfered with getting it done. Things like: salsa, school, green beans, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers and school. I started to work on it last week while the kids were a science labs, but realized that I needed to get some things yet, namely the vodka and some gallon or half-gallon glass jars. Andy is on the road harvesting and the kids had my RAV so I waited.

Wednesday of this week for youth group, A1 got to take the big red truck, instead of my RAV, because I also needed some groceries and other things. We had been too busy with things for school that I needed to be home for in order for me to even run out. I'm sure you all understand that. The cupboards were looking like Old Mother Hubbard's. That doesn't work well at all with two teenagers in the house, one of which is a growing 13 year-old boy. So my Mom Time night was turned into errand night. I purchased 1/2 gallon ball canning jars and 1 bottle of vodka. The vodka I purchased is made from rye and is a Polish Vodka, called Sobieski. I hopped over to Wikipedia looking up vodka so I could give you a few facts. I know it is not the truest source of information, however, my Encarta is on the other computer in the office and I'm just too tired to go get it. I have to put something in here that is school like. Anyway, Wikipedia states:

Vodka may be distilled from any starch/sugar-rich plant matter; most vodka today is produced from grains such as sorghum, corn, rye or wheat. Among grain vodkas, rye and wheat vodkas are generally considered superior. Some vodka is made from potatoes, molasses, soybeans, grapes, rice, sugar beets and sometimes even byproducts of oil refining or wood pulp processing. In some Central European countries like Poland some vodka is produced by just fermenting a solution of crystal sugar and yeast. In the European Union there are talks about the standardization of vodka, and the Vodka Belt countries insist that only spirits produced from grains, potato and sugar beet molasses be allowed to be branded as "vodka", following the traditional methods of production.[20][21]

Since we have a potato and gluten allergy that will keep one of us from eating this during shots, it didn't really matter which type I purchased. I will just have to remember that during the restricted time after allergy shots that not everyone can have vanilla in items. I never realized before that we probably shouldn't have been using it. Even I am still learning something new everyday.

Okay, the beans were opened and counted, much to my disappointment, there wasn't quite enough beans in my package according to 3 different sites that I looked at. So I got online and looked again. This, is a God thing. I was checking through my email that afternoon when my feed came through for Heavenly Homemakers and she had brought up making vanilla. Apparently, I just can't get away from it. Since this is a blog I like to read I thought to look up where she gets her beans from. So I followed her link and then did another search, trying to figure out if I really needed organic beans. I try to avoid pesticides in things as much as possible. My search led me here: Amadeus Vanilla Beans. This site is great!! It is loaded with information about the different types of beans and what they are like. I had also checked to see pesticide usage in vanilla growing. A lot depended on if it was wild or plantation farmed. My vote, go organic. The prices at Amadeus Vanilla Beans were awesome, so I ordered 2 pounds of the organic vanilla beans. We are going to have vanilla coming out of our ears. Possible gifts for Christmas to be given, however, it technically won't be at its best flavor in time to use it at Christmas.

So how am I making mine you wonder after that lengthy explanation. Hang on because here we go.

Before you begin any cooking project we must first discuss this, the safety of washing our hands with soap and water. Be sure to use both and scrub for the whole song of "ABC.." or "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." (This is to be thought of in the tone and manner of Norm Abram of New Yankee workshop who begins every episode with first we must discuss safety, and no more important rule then these, the safety glasses) Can you tell I'm married to a woodworking guy? Guess what? I now get to listen to it even when he is on the road for work since A2 watches the show regularly. Okay, back to work.

First you will need to gather the ingredients:

1/2 gallon or 1 gallon jars that seal, if you can find amber colored it is suppose to be better for your vanilla. I just have mine put in the back of the pantry cabinet in the dark.


1.75 liters of 35-40% proof vodka- your choice of type and expense.

40 vanilla beans/per 1.75 liters of vodka(this is a half-gallon size jar)


Make sure that your jar and lids are cleaned with soapy water and rinsed well. Now comes the smelly part. Yes, smelly. While I love, love, love, did I say love, the smell of vanilla after the first initial whiff it doesn't smell so good close up. You are going to use sharp scissors to slice open each bean from one end to the other, leaving about 1/4" to 1/2" not sliced. Place the sliced beans into the jar, nothing fancy, just put them in.

After you are done slicing, do not wash your hands off because you will have lots of tiny beans on your fingers and your scissors.

Open the vodka and pour it into the jar over your fingers, rubbing them under the vodka to rinse the beans into the jar. That part is easy, the scissors are trickier. You need an extra hand, or you can just wipe the scissors of with your fingers and rinse under the vodka again.

Put the lid on the jar after all the vodka is in and place in a dark cabinet. One of the places that I was at said that you could use the vanilla as early as 4 weeks, but that it would continue to age and get better as it sits. This particular site makes theirs a little different. Fell free to go check it out. Other places side to not use it for 6 months. The other personal decision to make is to filter or not to filter. I think I'll probably take the bean pods out at 6 months, but not coffee filter out the beans themselves. The above link also suggests shaking it daily the first week and routinely after that. Guess I need to go shake my jar tonight.

I think, we'll wait at least 8 weeks for this first batch of a half gallon. The gallons that I make when the new beans come in we'll wait for 6 months on. I hate to keep buying vanilla when we have some sitting here. Now I'll know to always keep some "cooking" in the cabinet.

I still have to research jars for making gift, but I really like that idea. Google is your friend. I've peeked, but not really compared a lot yet. I thought I'd let you all choose what you want.

Have a great time making yours! I'll let you know how mine tastes in a few weeks/months. I may try not shaking some of the next batch to see what the difference is in taste. A science experiment in the making, I can see it now.

Attitude Adjustments and Rotten Tomatoes

Attitude and tomatoes, what do they have in common? Both attitudes and tomatoes can have a sweet, savory and full of sunshine flavor in common; like when children are getting along and listening to their parents, or when we are listening to what God is telling us and doing what He asks of us. Think back a couple months to that first luscious tomato that you picked from your garden. It was warm from the summer sun and when you sliced it that sweet, tangy sent wafted up into your nose filling you with intense, mouth-watering pleasure. A different tomato, a month or so later, that is laying on the ground is now not quite the same. Oh, it may still be warm, but not necessarily from the sun, but from decomposing. It won't smell sweet, tangy and savory if you slice it. In fact you may be lucky to be able to pick it up because it is now rotting and slicing it will likely send you scrambling for some fresh air, while your mouth is watering for a whole other reason. Attitudes can be a lot like those tomatoes, one day sweet, savory and intensely pleasurable to our hearts and ears, only to turn on us in a day or minute or week to the rotten, yuck that fills us with disappointment, anger and frustration in how to deal with it and correct it.

We've had to adjust some attitudes around here just this last week or so. Things had finally come to a head and Momma wasn't happy. We all know how true the saying is, "If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." Things weren't so sweet and savory on the obeying, respecting and listening front with not just one, but both kids. With Andy on the road, I was quickly getting to my wit's end. Maybe, just maybe, had it not been going on for more than a week or two, I might not have had to go to such drastic measures. I had been tired from fighting off a sinus infection and being Mom and Dad both, a daunting job for which I'm grateful to not have to do on a full-time basis. First, God gave me an attitude adjustment from my sweet friends on Facebook whose husbands are serving in our military. They didn't even say anything, other than posting how they are dealing with their days, doing what needs done, getting things done, and occasionally they'll have a rough day of missing their sweetie and post that. Wake up call for me, who gets to see her sweetie a couple days, thank you to a boss who doesn't want them logging too many hours in the combine for safety reasons, each week. I decided I have no room to whine, not much. Then I'm reminded of my girlfriends who are single parents and do this daily 365, 24/7. I do exactly what my Father in Heaven has been waiting for, I call Him up for some ideas. He is so awesome at answering. We had just harvested everything that was ready in the garden the day before, picking all the green Roma tomatoes and pulling up the cages, composting the plants, dug potatoes, picked the peppers and green beans. I knew when we quit that there was still some cleaning up to do, but thought I would get it later. God said, nope the kids can get it later. Have them pick up the rotten tomatoes from the beds if they continue with the bad attitudes. The battle plan was drawn, prayers continued to go up, not only from me, but also from my dear friends.

The next morning they emerged from bed one on his own, the other had to be woke up for breakfast. At breakfast I let them both know that today, starting right then, the attitudes would need to be adjusted or I had big plans for them in order to help straighten them out. There would be no disrespectful tones, facial expressions or actions, that I expected them to be polite to each other and to absolutely not try to be the parent, but remember that I was the parent and let me deal with it before they try to parent. Boy was I tired of saying, "You aren't the parent I am." I couldn't even inhale to start talking usually before they were parenting, you know? I sent them up to make beds, straighten rooms, brush teeth, get dressed for the day and be back down for Worldview class. So far so good. Everything was done on time. During Worldview, the first one fell;caving under the disgruntled frustration of not wanting to do school. I was able to calmly state that after class he would need to see me for the work I had planned. Not more than maybe 10 minutes later the other one fell to the parenting issue. Calmly a second time I stated that after I was done with the first the second one would get her assignment.

Inside I was grinning from ear to ear, waiting to see how this would play out. I took the first one out to the garden and said you will need to choose one of the two beds that had tomatoes in them. So the bed was picked.

"Your job," I stated, "is to pick up all the rotten tomatoes out of the bed and put them in a bucket. I want even the tomato skins that are there picked up as well."

Nodding of the head, "Okay, I'll go get my gloves...".

"Oh, no, you don't get gloves." A perplexed and kind of yucky look came over the face. "I want you to feel the squishy, slimy, yuck of the rotten tomato. As you put it in the bucket I want you to think about how gross and yucky that feels. That is what God feels like and I feel like when you are disobedient and disrespectful to me or when you try to parent. So as you throw the bucket of rotten tomatoes in the trash can, because we don't want any of the disease that may be there to get into the compost and come back next year, I want that rotten attitude thrown in the trash as well. When you are finished, come get me to check it, if it is all done right, then you can get back to school."

A big sigh, and shoulders have slumped a bit; the work began. It didn't take long, maybe 15 minutes at the most and I was back out checking the work. An excellent job had been done, not one bit of tomato remained. I told him that he had done and excellent job and to remember the rotten tomatoes when he wanted to have that rotten attitude. I also let him know that I had other, nasty jobs in my head for repeat offenders, just in case he wondered.

I go in and get the second child and repeat the instructions for the job at hand. Again I was asked about gloves and again I explained the whole rotten attitude concept into the trash can and wanting them to feel how yucky that really feels. A resigned sigh, this time, however, no rolling of eyes, and the work was also done excellently. I praised the worker again and sent her in to get started on some other school work.

I did have to get my half-bath cleaned later that day. Notice I said, have to as I sit here chuckling. Care to guess which one took on that wonderful task? Yep, that would be the strong-willed one. The awesome news is that the rest of the day went so much better.

The sweet, tangy, pleasurable scent of a good attitude, like the fresh sweet tomato is still permeating our house. The rotten tomatoes are in the trash can which will get taken to the curb on Monday night, by one of the kids, not sure whose on for that night, since Andy will be on the road and it is usually his job. I'm hoping to continue to grow some excellent attitudes over the coming year to fill our lives and hearts with. I want those to shine for Jesus and not the rotten tomato attitudes.

Motivation

What motivates you? Actually, what motivates your children? That is what we are trying to figure out here this week. It's not that things aren't ever getting done. It's the struggle to get it done. The reminding, telling, okay, nagging, to get it done. I don't want to do any of those things. It doesn't allow for building relationships when I feel like all I do is remind, tell and nag. It concerns me because we are getting to the point where the rubber meets the road. In two years, A1 will be at college and have to take care of things on her own; school work, job, room, clothing and her health care. Is she ready? Will she do it if I am not there or will it just slip?

I am admitting to the contribution that I made to the problem. I have sinned in not "training them up..." and am reaping the consequences of that. While they were little and not in school they both had to help with things in the house. They would pick up their toys, help fold the towels, put the Tupperware away. The sweeper didn't work at that age and actually not until they were bigger, the 30 foot hose on the central vac was hard enough for me to whip around let alone the kids. Then came public school. They were busy with homework every night and activities afterward. The toys weren't in the front room anymore, they were in their rooms, rooms that I cleaned because they didn't have time. They would help by picking up and put their dishes in the dishwasher if it had dirty dishes in it. I did, however, ask that they be responsible for cleaning the upstairs totally in the summer. Like most tweens and teens, adults too, without accountability it wasn't always done.

Now I'm trying to re-establish habits that I let slack off. I haven't had much success since they've been home this, headed into our 4th year. Mostly because of lack of consistency and follow-up. Also, feeling like they just don't have time to do it with all the school work that they have each day. My view has changed finally on that issue. Now instead of them picking up and me cleaning their room and the upstairs of the house which is the school room and loft with their bathroom and bedrooms, it's on their list. I've even included some of the kitchen duties and laundry. It's past time for them to learn and for me to be obedient in my job as their mother.

After Andy and I sat and talked, while the kids were at youth group, the family sat down with the kids and explained what we thought we needed to do. The example was taken from Sunday School Class and tied into the system we had come up with. We knew also that to motivate them for now and to encourage them to do a good job we would have to work in a reward system. So back to tokens for school and chores done, extra tokens for those monthly chores that have to be done, but are not part of daily/weekly living. The regular reward for getting things done before supper is TV time that night. The TV doesn't happen here until school is done typically and that will stay. We weren't quite sure what kinds of rewards they would want to earn with their tokens, besides some extra internet time and maybe purchasing some books for them for fun. So after their input the list expanded to includes the above plus the following: iTunes, Ice Cream Trip, Pick out Movie to watch by self on Netflix(parental approved), spending cash, swim time for laps, trip to the downtown library on a Saturday, A1 added for her-nail polish colors and/or getting her nails done, A2 wanted flight time, but that one will be a lot of tokens since that is very expensive. Tokens will be withheld for Mom having to remind, tell, nag and for yucky attitudes as we stressed we are to do our work as to the Lord. The biggest consequence for not getting schoolwork finished by Saturday Night is the ability to go to all youth group activities for the up-coming week will be taken away.

So that is their motivation, for now. I foresee a lot more praying throughout my day as I remember to keep my cool while checking things, if I get arguments about having to redo them. The hope is that they will take ownership of it fairly quickly and will not need the external rewards for all the work. I'm not saying that we won't occasionally surprise them with a thing here or there, but first we need to get to where a job well done is its own reward. That they will not only take responsibility, but ownership for the things expected of them. Y'all will be excited to know that writing for this blog is one my list for the "chores" to do every week. My motivation is that I'm doing what God expects me to do, "train up my children."

Cinnamon Rolls

After my bout of insomnia this very late last Saturday night or early Sunday morning, whichever your perspective is of 3 am, I had posted on FB about my family reaping rewards of fresh cinnamon rolls for breakfast from my lack of sleep, I was asked for that recipe too. This time when I duplicated it, I took pictures for you to see. You are going to want to slip off your rings as your hands will get goopy with this recipe.

The dough is not my own recipe, but is found in the Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day book. I just love this book and the other book they have Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. It is absolutely the easiest bread to make and worth your time to hope over and check it out. I just used the basic dough master recipe. They do have sweet roll dough recipes too.


First for your benefit I've laid out all the ingredients, other than the dough. You will need butter(or oil-typically I use canola or safflower, however, we are out right now so they get butter, not a big deal), sugar, cinnamon, almond meal.
The almond meal is just almonds that are ground up very fine, not to the point of almond flour. I do use this like almond flour though too. This adds some extra protein to the rolls and some calcium.


I take a chunk of dough out of my dish and roll it out into a rectangle. The approximate size of a 9 x 13 pan.




After melting about 2.5-3 Tablespoons of butter in the microwave, I pour that over the dough and spread it out, yes, I use my hands, they've been washed first.


Follow that with a scant 1/4 cup of sugar sprinkled over the top.




Cinnamon goes on next.

The final touch to the filling is the almond meal. My kids don't really like chopped nuts on their rolls, however, they will do the almond meal so they get the almond meal. You can make them without the almond meal and they taste just fine too.

Then you roll the dough up like a play-dough snake. This is the only type of snake that I'll get near and that won't scare the liver out of me.




Make sure that you pinch the outside edge to the roll to seal it.

I cut the snake in 1/2 first, then 1/2 again which if you are doing the math-I know you don't want to do math, but I'm a home school mom so math it is-you will now have a snake cut into 1/4ths.

Each 1/4 then gets cut into 1/3rds so that when all the cutting is done you will have 12 pieces.






I used to place these in a 9 x 13 French Corningware dish, however, the last couple times I've used my deep dish Pampered Chef stone.




I place the dish in the oven and set the convection heat to 170 degrees. If you don't have convection, then the regular oven at the same temperature works fine, it may take a bit longer for them to raise. You will want to let them double in size. If the dough is cold it takes about 30-45 minutes. I'm pretty laid back about and don't freak out about the times, that would be why I can't tell you specifics.


When they have doubled, approximately, then boost the temperature up to 350 degrees and bake until golden on top and when you tap them they sound hollow. I think it takes about 15-20 minutes, I wasn't watching precisely as I was busy loading the kids "workfiles". I was also making the glaze for them. This is the hardest part. Not really, but I had to let you think so.

You dump about 1 cup of powdered sugar in a bowl, add a splash(approximately 1 teaspoon) of vanilla or almond, whichever strikes your fancy. This next part is the tricky part, actually this is true.
You need to a just a touch of water as well. Stir this all up and you want the icing to be thick, not a glop that you can't move(see the picture on the right), but thick, like you need to push it off the spoon with your finger or another spoon. If it is too runny then it all runs off the warm cinnamon rolls.



The thick icing will just melt over the top.














The smell wafting through the house by now has worked it magic and the kids are waking up and coming downstairs with smiles on their faces.


If you want to make these fancy you can make the cream cheese frosting. I'll include that here, but without the pictures. This is how I usually make them for birthday breakfasts and holidays. This will make enough for a couple batches and that is with a loaded top. I will fill up a decorating bag or the fancy pump thing from Pampered Chef to swirl the icing on. 8 ounces of cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter softened, 4 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 teaspoons of milk. Place all of this in my Kitchen Aid mixer bowl and whip up until smooth.

Enjoy all and have a great morning!! Oh be sure to make some coffee or hot chocolate to go with these, that makes it even better. I'm hoping that you don't get insomnia before you get to try this recipe.

Anita
PS. They are quickly carried off and all 12 are gone tonight.