3 more layouts for July! (And a free Cinnamon roll svg for you!)

Over the weekend, I worked on a few pages for the recipe album that I am making for my little sis. Most of the svg files I used (the rolling pin- Cinnamon roll page), (the mixing spoon and spatula-Easy Peanut Butter Cookies), and (the "Pie" for Pumpkin Pie), I used free svgs from Lora's Blog. For the cinnamon roll, I made my own svg, which you can find HERE

And since these recipes are family favorites, I thought I would also share the recipes for any one who would like them

Caramel/Cinnamon Rolls

2 pkgs dry yeast

1/2 c. warm water

1/2 c. lukewarm milk

1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1/2 c (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened

4 1/2 to 5 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

Filling:

1 to 2 T butter,softened

1 to 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2-3 T brown sugar

powdered sugar to taste

(I usually double the filling)

Caramel (or you can skip this part and add the frosting on top)

1 c. brown sugar

8 T. butter

1/2 c- 1 c cream (if you don't have heavy cream you can use evaporated milk or half and half)

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in milk, sugar, salt, eggs, butter, and 2 1/2 c. of the flour, beating until smooth. Mix in enough of the remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl and rotate so that greased side is up. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down dough, turn out onto lightly floured surface, and roll into an 11x17 inch rectangle. Cover w/ filling ingredients by spreading w/ butter and sprinkling w/ cinnamon, powdered sugar, and brown sugar. Roll up like a jelly roll, beginning at long side, and cut into slices 2 inches wide.

Prepare caramel by dividing between 2 9 inch cake pans and spreading over the bottoms. Cut butter into pats and distribute over top of sugar in both pans, then pour cream over that. Place rolls in pans, leaving space for rising. Cover, let rise until doubled in size, and bake in pre-heated 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.

You can skip the caramel and make this awesome "Cinnabon" Frosting:

1/2 lb. butter

1/2 lb. cream cheese

1 lb. powdered sugar

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Allow butter and cream cheese to reach room temp. Beat together until fluffy, slowly add sugar, beat 12 minutes then add extract.

Eat them warm....Yummy!

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c. creamy peanut butter

1c. sugar

1 egg, beaten

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix peanut butter and sugar together, blending well. Stir in egg and vanilla. Shape into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press w/ fork to flatten slightly. Bake in 350 degree oven for 12 minutes (they won't LOOK done, but take them out, they will harden as they cool).

Try to wait until they cool, then eat them with a tall, frosty glass of milk.

Pumpkin Pie

1 deep dish pie crust

1 egg white

1 T. ice water

2 eggs

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

pinch of salt

16 oz. can of 100% Pure Pumpkin

1 c. heavy cream

Line pie crust w/ foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove foil. Bake 1 minute more. Beat egg white, and 1 T. ice water. Brush on bottoms and sides.

Filling: in large bowl, beat eggs with brown sugar, cream, cinnamon, pie spice, and salt. Stir in canned pumpkin, and pour into pie shell. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Filling should jiggle slightly. Serve warm with whipped cream.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I have been on a cupcake kick lately- and red velvet is my FAVORITE! In case you would like to try these yummy treats for yourself, here is the recipe (adapted from a Better Homes and Gardens recipe):

Red Velvet Cupcakes

3/4 c. Butter, softened

1 1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/3 c. cocoa

1 tsp each of salt and baking soda

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

2 Tbsp liquid red food color

2 tsp white vinegar

2 1/2 c. cake flour (not self-rising)

Cream cheese frosting:

2 (8 oz.) blocks of cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. butter,softened

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Sprinkles!!!!

Heat oven to 350. In a large bowl with mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla 2 minutes until creamy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until blended. Stir buttermilk, food coloring, and vinegar in a 2-cup measure until well blended. With mixer on low speed, beat in flour in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk mixture in 2 additions, beating just until blended. Fill muffin tins about 2/3 of the way full and bake about 15-18 minutes for mini cupcakes, 20-25 minutes for regular size.

Don't forget the fabulous frosting! First, beat the cream cheese and butter in a mediium bowl with mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. On low speed, add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Increase the speed to high and beat until smooth and fluffy. Frost cupcakes and add sprinkles (this is important!) Refrigerate until serving. Dive in- I DARE you to try to just eat one!

Project 365

Ok... about Project 365. The whole idea, at least for me is to practice and improve my photography by taking at least one photo a day, recording our day to day life in the process.

Here are the photos I have taken so far and a bit about them.

Jan1:
Mexican cornbread:I never had it before I met my husband, but now I have to have it ; with chili, with Ham and Beans, and today, with our traditional New Year's Day dinner of Ham, Cabbage, and Potatoes, and blackeyed peas on the side for good luck. The trick with cornbread is not to over mix it. You'll kill the baking powder/soda. After you add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, just stir with a spoon until blended. And a well seasoned cast iron skillet, preheated in the oven and sprayed with cooking spray or buttered is key also. Yum,Yum!

Jan2:

Hot Oatmeal (Playing With Photoshop):I thought I would play with Photoshop a little bit to make this photo "more exciting". My girls LOVE oatmeal (with a little milk, butter, and brown sugar of course!). I used the diffuse glow filter on this photo. I love how it softens it! This would be great for Christmas morning photos, I think! After I gave Natalie the oatmeal, she said,"Pease can you open the window?" "Why?" I said. She replies, "'Cause I want my oatmeal to cool down!" I guess you can't argue with that logic, huh?

Jan3:

Holiday Returns: I had a pj set from Old Navy that I got for Christmas, but it was too big for me, so I returned it and got this sweater.

Jan 4:

The Sunday morning newspaper: reading the paper with Eric on Sunday morning is one of my favorite things to do. I always enjoy this special time with my hubby if we get the chance to spend a little time chatting before the kids get up, drinking coffee and reading the paper together (truthfully, though, he usually drinks coffee and I usually have a Cherry Coke Zero). We missed this week though, cause he had to spend the night at his parents, helping with his mother. But I went in and had breakfast with them.

Jan5:

And it's back to school for the kiddos! Natalie and Cecilia wanted to wear my gloves (they each grabbed a pair,then said, "Ha ha, none for you!" Little stinkers!