what's cookin'

every now and then i get a burst of energy that often leads me into the kitchen. cooking is so not my forte but i'm learning to like it. last month i signed up to bring homemade dinner rolls to the book club luncheon. yep, i sure did. didn't matter that i had never made rolls before. i was bound and determined to make the rolls. so, the day before the luncheon i start researching recipes. the morning of, i start making the dough. i swear i followed the recipe exactly and i knew there was a problem when my dough didn't rise but i continued on. yeah, not a good idea. i ended up with dense rolls that really needed to be followed by a laxative. see for yourself:

yes, i understand yeast can be tricky but i have successfully made pizza dough many times so i think churning out dinner rolls shouldn't be much of a problem. so, i continued on with my research and i finally decided to ditch the dinner rolls in exchange for cinnamon rolls. i found a recipe in my pioneer woman cookbook and decided to go for it. while i like the pioneer woman, i don't swear by her. half of her recipes i have made turned out delicious and half of them turned out so-so. i was on the fence but i do like that she photographs each step of the cooking process so that won me over. i'm glad it did. her cinnamon rolls are DIVINE! see for yourself:

the recipe makes like 50 rolls so i had to use several pans. when i saw it all laid out on the stove and i saw how beautiful the rolls turned out, i knew i had to start giving pans away. this project turned into a fun surprise and delight for neighbors and friends. it was a rainy, chilly morning so delivering fresh-from-the-oven rolls was just the perfect thing to do. pw claims five things will happen after you deliver rolls to your friends:
1. They’ll call you after they’ve taken the first bite and profess their eternal love for every ounce of your body, even your toe jam and love handles.
2. They’ll pass out after the first bite, hit their head on the kitchen counter, sustain a concussion, and sue you for damages, despite the fact that the one bite they tasted of your cinnamon roll was the single most profound culinary experience in their miserable little life.
3. They’ll call you and ask for the recipe, saying, "HOW did you make those?"
4. They’ll call you and propose marriage.
5. They’ll hug the cinnamon roll pan, get maple frosting all over their clothes, and send you the bill for the dry cleaning.
it's true, all true. well, i didn't receive a marriage proposal and i have yet to receive a dry cleaning bill, but my friends sent me a text proclaiming their love before i even pulled away from their house. one of my neighbors came over later in the afternoon and said her husband had a cinnamon roll when he was seven (seven!) years old and he never forgot how it tasted. she said he was reminded of that roll today. then she said i had (had!) to give her the recipe. if you're looking for a love partner or are thinking about popping the question but are afraid of being turned down, you should make these rolls. seriously. make them for your boss or human resources the next time you go in to ask for a raise. seriously. they are that good. now, the recipe called for a maple icing, which i made, but maple isn't my thing. i forgot all about it not being my thing once i had it in my mouth. she has an orange icing and a vanilla cream cheese icing, as well. i might try another one next time. actually, she has a a chocolate chip variety that sounds lip-smacking delicious. if i make these again, i know i will have to continue on with the tradition of surprising and delighting my friends because we can't have this stuff around here too often. 
* as a side note, the basic dough recipe can also be used for dinner rolls. good to know, good to know. i no longer fear conquering the dinner rolls for i have conquered the cinnamon rolls! 

books part three

my aunt, one of the best teachers i know, told me about this website where i am able to pull up reading lists by grade for star testing. good to know, good to know. i pulled up the list for my son's level and we haven't read more than ten on the list of one-twenty-nine. yikes! now, let me just give a quick shout out to my local librarians who now know me by name. i order books like crazy because we are crazy readers in this household. you better believe i am getting ready to place an order for more books.
anyway, here are a few more noteworthy books:

i add this book because it is true to life with siblings. while they can often be a pain in the butt, they are also your friends and nice matters. my son needed to hear this message, for sure.

mo willems is hysterical. we enjoy his books very much. we have only read one other elephant and piggie book but we are fans. this one is truly hysterical. it's reminiscent of the sesame street books about the monster at the end of the book (which we absolutely love and have read millions of times over the last six years) but i think that's why it is so appealing. it's interactive and it allows you to play different parts. it's an also an easy reader for kids.

beautiful! i ordered this book because it was on some 2010 book list and also because i know learning about winter and seasons will be on my son's homework packet in january and february. this book was exactly what i wanted it to be: simple and beautiful. the illustrations are old fashioned and pure. this is definitely one to buy.

this one i add just for fun. we like all the books but we stumbled upon this special edition with a cd. there are activities in the back of the book and funny songs. it provided some holiday entertainment for us.

this was a favorite of ours this year. i think we read it almost every night in december. this is definitely one for our bookshelf.

this book was also on a best of 2010 book list. i didn't realize it was written like a graphic novel when i ordered it but i actually liked it that way. it was a quick, easy read with a great message for adolescent girls and/or anyone struggling with self-esteem. those awkward junior high/high school days.

holiday treats

i have been a little out of it this holiday season. someone asked me recently what amazing treats i had planned this year and i was literally at a loss for words because i hadn't even thought of baking. i had finals and papers to write (finished with As by the way), work, kid activities and such going on that christmas was way off my radar. i am now on vacation  from work and school but we have been cooped up indoors due to the rain. i have done a lot of much needed sleeping, resting and catching up on little things around the house that had been pushed aside. well, today i finally realized it's christmas and i am officially excited. i'm feeling a bit stressed and i can't wait for it to be over, but i'm excited (we can thank the disney store for that). anyway, tonight i found a couple of recipes that made me a little giddy so the kids and i decided to try them out. we're going to put some packages together for some friends and neighbors and then we'll deliver them tomorrow. my son is a big fan of doorbell ditching (we only do it at christmas) so i'll let him have a little fun.

first, we tried candy cane chocolate covered pretzels. super easy especially for kids. i'll admit, we nibbled a few and they are sooo good. make sure you wrap these up for gifts or you'll be tempted to eat them all at once.basically, you just melt chocolate, dip the top of the pretzel in it and then sprinkle with crushed candy canes. easy!

then, we tried homemade peppermint patties. these were fairly easy but they kind of wore me out. the first part was quick and painless but the end was a bit tricky. my first batch turned out ugly (see photo) and my second batch only a bit prettier. looks aside, though, these little puppies are delicious! if you like york peppermint patties, you'll love these. they seriously rival the name brand.

happy holidays.

mother in law interview

back around thanksgiving, i interviewed my mother in law for national day of listening. it was an amazing experience. i have been married to her son for thirteen years and i barely know anything about her. in fact,my husband barely knows much about her. he was in the same room we were in when the interview took place and he sat so still, listening, learning about his mother. later, he told me her responses really surprised him. he said it was the closest he has ever felt to her. it was clearly a special moment and i'm glad i went out on a limb and broke the sound barrier between us. plus, it's one check off my bucket list. sadly, i can't check the whole line because i included my own mother and she ultimately refused to let me interview her. i think she got scared after hearing one of the questions i asked my mother in law. she actually had the nerve to say she "doesn't do interviews." i was sad and a bit appalled but i guess i'll just try harder next year.

but, back to my mother in law. she's a quiet woman who prefers to be a loner. she can go days, maybe even weeks, without leaving her house or talking to anyone. she has had a hard life and her three kids have put her through the wringer more than once. she is the second oldest of five but she is the smallest...by at least a foot, if not more. her siblings are large, fairly outspoken people you'd definitely want at your party. she is quite the opposite. in fact, i don't think people know much about her because they don't ask...me included. you just assume she doesn't have much to say. in reality, once you take an interest in her she glows and really enjoys talking about her life. here is a bit of her story:


what was the happiest moment of your life? she saddest? 
the happiest moment was having my kids; each one was an experience. the saddest moment was when i lost my mom to cancer. she was 65, i was 38. she had breast cancer and was in remission before it came back in her bones and in hr brain. she was sick for 21/2 years.
were you close?
yes. after i got a divorce we lived closer and called each other often. it was devastating. i took it hard.
who was the most important person in your life? can you tell me about him or her?
my grandparents were the most important people in my life. they were my mom's parents. my grandpa was a rancher. they were homebodies and they loved to have family around. they were our babysitters; they were so neat. we did a lot with them. they lived in pima but they moved to mesa to be close to the temple. we spent summers with them. they were in their 80's when they died; in the 60's.
who has been the biggest influence in your life? what lessons did that person teach you? 
my parents. my dad instilled a work ethic in us and he taught us how to do things on our own. he taught us to get out in the workforce. he was an electrical engineer and he worked on the hoover dam, in the mines, at jc penney's downtown, the arizona biltmore, the westward ho hotel and he ended up at asu as chief engineer. my mom was very strong in the church and she instilled in us to live our lives and not be ashamed of anything; to hold our heads up high.
who has been the kindest to you in your life?
the church members at all the wards i have been in. they were always kind to the kids. bishop waters took care of us. they've seen me at my worst and my best.
it has been said that after they pass away, the most important people in our lives "live within us." is there anyone in your past who lives within you?
uncle dutch, my mom's brother. he was a special person. i spent summers with him. he took us in when william was a baby until we could get a home of our own. he always cared for us.
what are the most important lessons you've learned in life? 
learn how to be a friend and not look at outside of person, look inside. mom said if you want friends, treat people how you wanted to be treated.
what is your earliest memory?
mom and dad went out and our grandparents were watching us. they put us to bed but we decided to get out of bed and go jump on my parent's bed. it was a wood frame bed with the best mattress. we jumped and jumped until it broke. we had to fess up later.
are there any words of wisdom you'd like to pass along to us?
just be yourselves. be friends with people; don't look down on anyone. be happy. there's a lot of sadness in this world. i'd like to see people happy in the worst of times. for my grandkids, enjoy school. have friends, you can never have too many.
what are you proudest of in your life? 
my kids getting married, my grandkids. seeing (my daughter) get out of her mess and repairing her relationship with (her own daughter). seeing them have a good mother/daughter relationship. watching you kids get married. i love to see my kids happy.
when in life have you felt the most alone?
when (my son and his wife) were arrested. i never want to feel that way again. family helped pull me out...you kids, my ward and the rest of the family. i was ready to shut my door and never let anyone in again. i never want anyone to feel how i felt. moving (to another state) helped. being needed, having something else to focus on, helping my sister, it all helped. i had my church and my friends but still having to see my daughter in law was hard to take. she should have to serve time with (my son). she can never leave (my town) now. she took it away from me. they took pity on her because i didn't want anything to do with her. i felt like i was in prison.
will you ever move back?
maybe. i haven't given up the idea of moving back. i like my house. i might be stronger one day, strong enough to handle it. she took over my church and i often didn't want to go.
how has your life been different than what you'd imagined? 
oh my gosh, how has it been different. i never thought i would get a divorce. i never thought what happened with (my son) would ever happen. i always knew i'd have kids but the way the divorce went down was horrible.
how would you like to be remembered? 
that i love family. i love my grandkids. i love the closeness of family.
do you have any regrets?
i wish things could have worked out with their father. maybe i should have gotten remarried. my kids didn't have a father. they had an uncle but they didn't have a father.
how long were you married?
ten years. things started going downhill after (my daughter) was born. he didn't want a girl. he also pulled my sons apart. he focused on (the oldest son) and made (the other) give everything to him. to this day, i blame him for tearing my sons apart.
what does your future hold? 
possibly moving back to (my state), to my grandkids and kids.
is there something about me you've always wanted to know but have never asked? 
yes. how did you take your parent's divorce?

books, books and more books

we read a lot around here. someone is bound to be reading at any moment of the day which makes me quite happy. as i've mentioned before, i log the books i read but i don't typically log the kid books i read. my son has to log them for school each week but they keep the lists. i do know we have read over 450 books in the 3 months we have been in school. anyway, my friend over here posted this recently and it made me itchy with anticipation. within seconds after reading it, i was logged into the library system, ordering books like crazy. today, i picked up a bunch of books and we started reading. here are some of our favorites:

a cute little book for christmas.

i am in love with antonio sacre right now. this book gave us a chuckle and my son requested we read it again tomorrow.

if you get a chance to check out antonio's website, i encourage you to watch all three parts of the clip from tribes and bridges.









another cute story with lovely illustrations. this made it on tomorrow's reading list, as well.

a book of reversible verse. brilliant. my son figured it out right away and he was so intrigued. i think we might try to write our reversos (reading up and down). yes, we'll be reading this one tomorrow.

now, this book is pure genius! this is one i want for our personal library. love it, love it, love it. i will probably read it a few more times before we read it again tomorrow.

and this is an encore. i read this for the first time last month and i read it over and over and over again. this is another keeper and a must for all girls (and boys) to read.

happy reading.