Old Fashioned Overnight Cinnamon rolls

The only Cinnamon rolls I have ever made were special allergy free ones. I have since always wanted to try making some so when I came across the recipe I decided now was the time. What I love about this recipe is you can do the work and the mess at night and have it cleaned up and so in the morning you get a huge reward of a clean kitchen and Yummy Cinnamon rolls! (You can make them in the morning and let them rise all morning-afternoon and cook them in the evening as well.)

I was lucky enough to have the sun rising when they came out of the oven! What a great day it was! (if only blogs had smells!)
This recipe also tells you how to do an orange roll which I will try in the near future! You can make them with cream cheese frosting too!

OLD FASHIONED OVERNIGHT CINNAMON ROLLS Makes 24

Ingredients:	2 1/2 Tbsp yeast 1 c warm water 2 3/4 c flour 1 c non-fat powdered milk powder 1 c instant mashed potato flakes 1 c sugar 2 tsp salt 2 eggs 1/2 c butter, melted 2 1/2 c water 5 - 7 1/2 c flour Cinnamon Filling: 3 Tbsp melted butter 1/4 c. brown sugar 1/4 c white sugar 1 Tbsp cinnamon Orange Filling: 1 stick softened butter 3/4 c. white sugar grated rind of one orange Icing: 1 1/2 c powdered sugar 2 Tbsp softened butter 1/4 tsp vanilla 2-4 Tbsp milk
Directions:	Dissolve yeast in 1 c. warm water. Set aside. Combine the next set of ingredients (2 3/4 c flour to the salt). Mix on medium speed for 10 seconds and then add the next set of ingredients (2 eggs to 2 1/2 c water). MIx on medium speed for 10 seconds then add the yeast mixture and 5 - 7 1/2 c. flour. When it is done mixing and kneading (6 minutes of kneading), let it rise until double (about 2 hours). Divide the dough into two pieces. Roll the first into a rectangle 18 x 15 inches. Spread filling of choice evenly over the dough. Roll the dough. Cut into 1 1/4 inch wide slices. Place on pan leaving plenty of room to expand. Repeat with the second portion of dough. The night before you wish to bake the rolls, place on greased pan leaving plenty of room between the rolls for expansion. Cover with cloth. Put pan in cool location to rise over night. IN the morning, bake at 350º for 15 - 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Frost.

Hootenanny Pancakes

You have to make them just because their name is SO fun to say and they are so easy! This is a fun oven pancake that is fast to throw together and yummy yummy!
They are not "sweet" by themselves which means they are great wrapped around a apple chicken sausage or some fresh fruit. (Kind of like I super easy crepe).
I failed to take any pictures of the finally product we ate them so fast (once you start it is hard to stop!) But here is what they look like in the oven!

Aren't they so funny all bumpy and bubbly! I hope you enjoy some of these for Breakfast, lunch, or dinner! Hootenanny Pancakes 1 c. milk 1 c. flour 6 eggs 1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla 6 Tbsp butter
Directions: Heat oven to 400º Melt butter in a large cookie sheet in the oven. Whip the rest of the ingredients. Pour mixture into pan and bake 20-25 minutes. Cut into squares and serve immediately. Put fruit, jelly, jam, honey, or syrup on top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Simple fun Halloween craft for Kids!

Even though I love the summer Fall is just a time of year that has a fun festive feel to it.
I hosted my Little Man's play school this last week and we made fun footprint ghosts.
It was super easy, was tons of fun, and is great for a memory book or the grandparents.
ALl you need is some non toxic white paint (I used Crayola finger paint), a brush (I used a sponge brush), a sharpie pen. I painted my "Boo"s but if you had a white milky pen it would make it way easier!
The kids love it too because when you paint their toes it tickles so they giggle and giggle!

Ringing in the Fall!

Although I still feel like we were jipped on our summer I have to admit I have been getting very excited for fall! One of my favorite fall treats are Pumpkin Chocolate chip cookies.
There are many recipes out there but this one is SO easy that I generally use it. The other bonus is my little man can make them with me since it is not as time or labor intensive as a cookie completely from scratch.
All you need is what you see in this picture (and the egg is actually optional!)Yes all of these things had been opened and used prior to the picture, box top cut off of box ets. just keeping it real!
The batter will be sticky but don't worry just plop it on the cookie sheet, sticky batter equals moist cookies (I use a cookie scoop to make it easy.)EASY PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
1 Box Spice Cake Mix
15 OZ Canned Pumpkin
1 egg (optional)
1 bag of chocolate chips (or as many or little as you would like to add)

Mix all ingredients until combined, plop blobs on cookie sheet bake at 360 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Try to let them cool a minute or two before shoving them into your mouth. I dare you to eat just one!
I actually never took a picture of the end result hahaha I guess I ate them too fast. But trust me they are worth trying and fun to share with your neighbors to celebrate the coming Fall!

What are you favorite traditions in the Fall?

Changing your toliet flush lever and cleaning your tank

Our toliets had plastic handles when we moved in. Two of them were already cracked and the third one recently joined them. I decided to try switching them out with some metal ones I found at home depot.They were only about $5 a piece and are better than the cracked ones but I'm not sure if I love them. (Although I'm not sure how important it is to love your toilet flush handle hahaha.) It wasn't near as hard as I thought and while I was at it I cleaned the toilet tank as well. I found this movie on Utube about how to clean it.
I had never done much as far as toilets go so this was a pretty fun "project"!

T-shirt scarf

I was given a purple shirt as a hand me down awhile ago. The shirt was very stretched out (unwearable) but it had fun flower detailing sewed down the side and I loved the color so I put it in my "Maybe I can use this" pile.
I kept finding ideas for the shirt but I could never bring myself to cut into it. Most the ideas left me very little of the shirt and since I loved the color I wanted to use it to its max. Then I came upon this Tutorial. Awesome! and with the fall weather coming a simple light scarf was a perfect addition for my wardrobe. So I went for it. The only change I made was that I cut out the flower detailing (it was a vertical strip down the side of the shirt) then sewed the entire shirt back together before I cut the strips. Some of my strips were skinny and when I pulled them the came apart so I just tied knots in them which works for me because I wanted the messy/sloppy look. Instead of wrapping one of the straps around the rest like the tutorial I took part of the flower detail fabric and sewed it like a tube around the bunch (Sew it inside out while on the strips then just roll it so it is right side out). You can see the flower detail on the left of the picture so subtle yet cute!
I really like it. And one of my favorite things is that little man can pull and yank on it and I don't have to worry!

Banana (zucchini) Bread

I have been making this egg free-dairy free banana bread for at least the last two years. I came across it when my newborn had severe food intolerance issues that required immediate diet restrictions for me. The restrictions were difficult for the first month or so but once I found resources it wasn't really that bad. This recipe is one that I have continued to make even thought the restrictions are gone.

I will warn you that this is not your cut a slice smear butter on banana bread. I would say it is more like banana cake and butter isn't needed.

I do feel terrible because I cannot remember or find where I found the original recipe. I'm pretty sure it was on a blog that a mom with a food allergy child wrote but I can no longer find it.

You can make this and freeze it for a month or two. It makes for a perfect snack since it is whole wheat, low fat, and has vegetables in it!

I will give the original recipe and write my changes in brackets or italics.

Egg free Dairy free Banana Bread
1/2 C. Shortening (I use 1/2 cup no sugar added applesauce)
3/4 Cup Organic Can Sugar (I use 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, not a mistype I use less than called for.)
1 1/2 C Wheat Flour -can use all purpose or do a mix (I always do all wheat)
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Cinnamon (I make this heaping I LOVE cinnamon and on occasion I throw in some nutmeg)
4 small ripe bananas- can substitute 1/4 C. of Sugar for one banana (I generally use 3 large bananas and finely grate one 1/2 of a zucchini or an entire zucchini if it is small, you do not have to put in the zucchini. If you have 3 to 4 large ripe bananas you will be fine.)
1 tsp Vanilla - optional (I always put this in)

Preheat Oven to 325 Degrees F (300 degrees F if doing mini Muffins)
Lightly grease pan (s)
Cream shortening (or applesauce) and sugar. Slowly sift (I have sifted it before but I have skipped this step many times for lack of time and it still turn out) in flour baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
Mash Bananas in a separate bowl (you can have some chunks but try to make them small otherwise you will have this problem):See that hunk of banana in the bottom and a hollow mini muffin? (I love this because those are the ones I get to eat right away wink wink.)
Add bananas into the mixture and add vanilla. (do not over mix just until everything is moist)
You can add nuts, choc chips, raisins or other dried fruit (I have never added any of these things.)
Pour batter into greased pan(s) or spoon it into muffin tins. Bake 60 minutes for a large loaf, 30 to 40 minutes for mini loaf, and 25 min for mini muffins (remember these are only at 300 degrees). Until a toothpick comes out clean.

And you are done!

You can enjoy these hot just watch out for the scorching banana chunks if you are too eager beaver. Or you can enjoy them cold if it is just too hot to want to eat anything warm.