Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

I'm feeling pretty good about myself right now! You see, I've created my very own first recipe!

Now, really, in this day and age, you don't come up with a new idea. You find something that sounds good on pinterest. You try it out and it may or may not be all you hoped and dreamed it would be. But by tweaking things and changing them, they eventually become your own. No one else wrote it for me. I created it myself.

I LOVE to bake! I love cakes and cookies and breads and basically anything that goes in the oven. I like creating yummy aromas that permeate the house. I like the comfort that baked goods bring to people. And, of course, I love putting yummy things in my tummy!

As soon as the leaves began to change, I was ready for soups and stews and fresh baked breads. This is not going to go well with my diet plan!

But I've also been turning over a new leaf.... I've added pumpkin to my ingredient list.

Truth be told ... I'm not a fan of pumpkin pie. Never have been. I think it's a texture thing.

However, pumpkin flavored cakes and now cinnamon rolls are starting to find their way into my tastebuds.

So I started out with a fabulous dough....

Rolled it out added sugar and cinnamon inside....

Cut them into their cute little rolls (with dental floss, of course!)....

Baked them up and added a superb cream cheese icing and life became wonderful!

Okay, so it was already wonderful but this just put "the icing on the cake," if you will!

Recipe:
1 1/4 cup warm water
1/3 cup of sugar
2 T dry yeast
1/4 cup oil

1 egg
1/2 T salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp ginger
3/4 cup pumpkin
4 1/2 - 5 cups bread flour

4 T melted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 T cinnamon

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 T milk

1. Mix first 4 ingredients together and let sit until yeast bubbles, about 10 minutes.
2. Add egg, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and pumpkin and mix well.
3. Add flour a 1/4 cup at a time until dough comes together. Then dump out onto a floured surface, adding a little flour as needed to keep from becoming sticky.
4. Cover with a clean cloth and let sit for about 10 minutes.
5. Pour some oil on your counter. Divide dough in half and roll or press out to about a 16" by 12" rectangle.
6. Spread 2 T of melted butter on dough. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 T cinnamon and 1/4 cup white sugar. Roll up tight. Divide into 12 rolls and place in a 9x13 greased pan.
7. Repeat with other half of dough.
8. Let rise for 15 minutes.
9. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Icing - mix together cream cheese and powdered sugar. Add vanilla. Add milk a little at a time to desired consistency.

Perspective

After reviewing my last two posts, it seems I'm becoming thoughtful in my "old age". (I just passed my half birthday and am now closer to 30 than 29! Eeek!!) Let's not turn over a new leaf now.

Sunday, my cute little family and I visited Latta Plantation. If you live in the Charlotte area and have not been there, please do so. NOW. There are so many things to do that you can go often and not get bored.

We picnicked close to the lake. Our kiddos are slight water freaks. Like every time we cross a bridge, you are sure to hear "Water!" from at least one, if not both of the speaking children. And so once we were finished eating (meaning we waited as long as we could hold Maecie off), we took a walk near the water. There are so many different trails with trees and rocks and interesting things to see and enjoy. I thought the kids might get a little bored without an actual playground, but they were so excited about nature, they didn't care.

And it was during this said walk that we met Sergeant and Mrs. Brown. Now, Clayton and Maecie are not shy children. I'm not sure where they get it from, because I will smile at people, but not really speak unless I know them. I'm not usually comfortable unless I'm in my own territory. However, this never stops these two from chatting away with whomever they pass.

Sergeant and Mrs. Brown were about in their mid to late 60's. They were seated, holding hands. And as we approached, they commented on our lovely family. Clayton pipes up informing them of his name and that he just started kindergarten. After a brief introduction, the Browns commented on how they had a child as well, but he was 32 years old now. But they have a grandchild. And grandchildren are just as precious. 

Between my middle of the night baby feedings, night time potty training, and combating a cold, I have been a little tired. A little cranky, if you will. And seeing this sweet couple, sitting on a park bench and enjoying one another's company with the quiet of nature came with a slight twinge of jealousy.

And then I thought, as the Browns commented on their child and grandchild, that they might have experienced the same slight twinge of jealousy. 

So today I'm enjoying ages 5, 2, and 6 months. Their entertaining stories, cute little dances, and army crawls!

I guess life is all about perspective.

Nostalgia...Gets Me Every Time!

Whether it's driving down a street, a smell in the kitchen, a saying, or a candy, little things can flood you with memories. And I am a sucker for remembering. 

Things that remind me of my childhood, my grandparents, great-grandparents, or other family and school friends are some of the memories I enjoy the most. They always seem to bring back the simpler times.

So when my children find a candy from "back in the day" that I haven't seen in a while, I become a pushover for the nostalgia!

One such time, we were in Home Depot to pick up a couple of items I needed for a craft project. The kiddos had been pretty good that day, traveling to a few different stores to pick up all the necessary items for my project. And I had promised them a treat for their good behavior. We get up to the check out and there are numerous candies and snacks to choose from. But something had already caught my little man's eye. When he asked for a Push Pop, I paused.

The colorful cap with the black writing. The yellow tube that sticks on your finger to push up the candy. It all sent me back to 3rd grade summer. My best friend, Kristy, and I would ride our bikes through the neighborhood and down some dirt paths to the convenience store. This little store was a bit intimidating, but together, we could do anything! And we would take whatever money we could gather from our piggy banks to buy candy. Chewy Sweetarts, Airheads, Push Pops, and Cow Tails .... memories!

Memories that make me a sucker for buying suckers for my kids! Maybe they will conjure memories for them as well!

What makes you nostalgic?

A Gentle Reminder

We spend most of our young lives going to school. We go every year for at least 13 years. Not because we will forget that 1+1=2, but because if we aren't using it daily, we will forget.

A majority go to church every week. Not because you forget that Jesus said "Love one another", but because you need that reminder after the SUV cut you off on the interstate, the cashier at the checkout gave you the wrong change, and you are starting to doubt people's abilities. 

These things don't make us inadequate, they just make us human.

This past weekend was what we Mormons (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) call General Conference. Twice a year we have the opportunity to hear from the leaders of our church, the prophet included. The speakers don't usually say anything we haven't heard before, we just need gentle reminders.

For example, in one talk we were reminded that just going to church on Sundays is not enough. We need to live Christ-like lives daily and be examples to our children, friends, and co-workers. It's not anything I hadn't heard before, yet it was a gentle reminder to live my life the way the Lord has intended.

I began a new job at the start of the school year as a music teacher for a preschool. I have the opportunity to sing songs with 1-5 year olds for 2-3 hours, two days a week. During this time, I share a scripture verse with them and have a short spiritual lesson.

Today, during such a time, I was reminded that I need to have these spiritual moments at home, with my children. I try to set an example and take advantage of teachable moments as one child takes a toy from another. But I don't always set aside time for a spiritual moment. We pray together. We read scriptures together. And yet, just taking a minute to say Jesus Christ loves you or remember to give thanks to Heavenly Father for all that you have ... well, those moments have escaped me.

So this evening I paused with my two oldest, opened up the scriptures and shared a spiritual thought with them. It was elaborate or fully planned. But it was intentional.

I am thankful for gentle reminders. I am still learning.