The Ice Storm Cometh

I know it can be destructive, but I can't help but like a good ice storm.

I love how everything looks, encased in ice.

We heard it was coming. We stocked up on milk, eggs, and bread. We filled up our gas tanks. We prepared a contingency plan for saving our perishables in case of power outage. We lined up flashlights, candles, and matches.

Thankfully, we only got accumulations equaling about a quarter of an inch.

Still, they say another wave is coming this afternoon. Maybe a half inch of accumulation...and snow on top of it, by Wednesday morning.

We're ready.

Meanwhile, we're going to enjoy the strange beauty of this winter storm.

This weather is perfect for making luminarias. Instead of using paper bags, though, I use the material at hand: ice. I was able to break off four large icicles from our upstairs eaves by leaning precariously out of the upstairs bathroom window. For this luminaria to REALLY shine, you need a few more...but I worked with what I had. I arranged a mound of snow on a level surface and arranged the icicles in a semi-circle, pouring a little water over each mound to help it clump up. Pat them into place.

These are so easy to make and yield such beautiful results. Once you've got your icicles arranged to your satisfaction, slide some candles inside the circle and light them. They look beautiful at night. What I'd love to do - but lack icicles - is to arrange these ice crowns on either sides of our walkway, and light them nightly. What a beautiful sight to come home to, and they last until the weather warms!

This cold weather gave me a perfect excuse to make a new hat. I've got some berets, but wanted a close-fitting hat. I considered a basic cabled hat, but fell in love with this design.

Spirals! It was really easy to do and a very quick knit. I'm pleased with the end result.

I'm also pleased that I finally finished the first "Gardner" sock. You can see that vines and flowers wind their way up the front of the sock...

...and on the back of the heel, a big garden spider!

These socks are a lot of work, though. Working toe up, using short rows, and working from two charts at the same time really wore me out. Sock #1 is done...my goal is to finish sock #2...by summer.

I've made a few small purchases lately in anticipation of changing the house with the season (thank you, Google Calendar!). I bought a series of plain white egg cups. Todd happens to love soft-boiled eggs, so they've already gotten some use.

This spring I plan on doing some interesting things with them...and I'll post it on here in case anyone else wants to try.

I also broke down and bought a popover pan. At last, the nice hollow middle that I've been wanting! These were a bargain from Chicago Metallic - only $16 on Amazon.com. I filled mine with diced cheese and turkey bacon - fabulous! Now, if I can get that pasta-making attachment for my KitchenAid...

Speaking of kitchen, I really tore mine up this week! I've made a pumpkin roll and chocolate cake for various get-togethers, besides my normal bread baking and meal-making. But when Todd needed a dessert for a day with his friends this weekend, I knew immediately what I wanted to make, and didn't hesitate to destroy my kitchen again.

I'm always trying to lighten up our meals and desserts, but in the back of my mind I've had a perverse desire to make something really bad. Not just bad, but truly artery-clogging. When I had the chance to make something that I knew wouldn't be staying out our house, I jumped at the chance to finally make the cholesterol-boosting dessert of my dreams...The Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls. TWO CUPS of melted butter? Yes, please!

I've halved the recipe here...the original recipe makes EIGHT PANS of cinnamon rolls!

Best Ever Cinnamon Rolls
The Pioneer Woman
Makes around 30 large rolls

Rolls
2 cups millk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
4 cups flour
1/2 cup flour
1/2 "heaping" teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon salt

Filling
3/4 - 1 cup melted butter
3/4 - 1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cinnamon

Glaze
1/2 bag powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons melted butter
a pinch of salt

First, combine milk, oil, and sugar in a pan and scald. From my research, it looks like that means stir frequently, barely bring it to a boil, and remove from heat. Let it cool until lukewarm. I cheated and put the pan in the refrigerator...it took about 20 minutes to cool off.

Now add your yeast, stir, and stir in 4 cups of flour. Cover and let it rise for about an hour. I was worried that the dough seemed a bit too wet, but it all worked out! After the rise, add the additional 1/2 cup flour, baking powder and soda, and salt. Mix together well.

Here's the fun - and messy! - part. Flour your working surface and roll your dough out into a giant rectangle. Pour on the butter and, using a pastry brush, smooth it out to cover the rectangle. Will it spill over the edges and drip onto your floor? Oh, yes! Next pour on your cinnamon/sugar mixture. Now carefully roll up your rectangle. Cut off slices, one by one!

Mine was a little messy, but this was my first "real" cinnamon roll...so it's all right! I sliced my rolls about 1/2 - 1 inch thick. What a mess!

They sure look good, though, rising in the pan.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Let your rolls rest for about 30 minutes, and then pop them in!

What a fabulous rise!

Let them bake for about 15 minutes, until nicely golden brown. YUM! The house smelled heavenly, and these rolls cooked up nice and big.

Mix the glaze ingredients together (feel free to add coffee, cinnamon, maple syrup, or whatever you'd like to give your glaze a kick!) and pour over warm rolls.

These rolls are soft and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Who needs Cinnabon? And dare I say that Todd was the most popular person at the party?

I hate to admit it, but I took four of these beauties and put them in the freezer for us. Hey, everyone needs a little artery-clogging once in a while, right?

Enjoy!

Stamp Champ

It's cold and rainy. I haven't taken my camera outside in a week, or felt very inspired to take any photos at all. Instead, I have a whole host of indoor hobbies that keep me occupied when I can't bear the thought of stepping outside into the gloom. This week, I've turned to one of my inside pleasures...rubber stamping.


Does anyone remember this classic scene?

Marsha!

Well, around here, it's MARTHA, MARTHA, MARTHA...Stewart, that is!

I've got more enthusiasm than talent, unfortunately, but I still have fun with my little projects. I've collected some really fun stamps.

Here's a sampling of some of my vintage-style odds and ends stamps.

I have lots of animal stamps...some silly, like this frog, and others that are more classic, like this ewe and her lambs, or a goose and her goslings.

I have several sea-inspired stamps...

...and of course several nature-themed ones.

Todd bought me these pretty butterfly stamps for Christmas. I've been stamping them onto the white paper I use on our outgoing personal packages.

I bought these vintage-look nature stamps recently...

...and I've picked up my fair share of actual vintage stamps from the 40s and 50s, so stiff and beaten down with use that sometimes it's difficult to get a good impression with them...but I love them nonetheless.

I've got 2 1/2 alphabets and hoping to add to that number soon!


I've got several "border" stamps that allow room for stamping within, too.

My stamps are currently a disorganized mess on my tiny craft table, but in our next house I hope to have a craft room, where I can organize my yarns, stamps, ribbons, wrapping papers, model kits, sewing and embroidery supplies, and photo albums and equipment. I'm really looking forward to it! Until that time comes, I'll continue to rummage through my baskets, continually surprised by stamps I'd forgotten about. I don't currently scrapbook, but use the stamps to make cards.

A "bee"-lated birthday wish...


A card to a "deer" friend...

...and lots of encouraging, pun-filled cards for my husband.


I used rubber stamps for our Christmas cards this year...


...and use them to make quick gift tags for last-minute gifts. Someone got a spicy cinnamon loaf this week!

My poor sock yarn blanket lies ignored while I work on my next pair of socks. These are called "The Gardener" and it's a wonderful pattern, but difficult. They're only my second pair of toe-up socks. I've had to learn lots of new techniques - converting a Magic Loop (2 needle) pattern to 5 needles, working from 2 different charts at the same time, and Cat Bordhi's "riverbed construction" method for the heel.

You can see the "V" in the sole of the sock. It's supposed to create a better-fitting sock. Yes, it took a little bit of math to get this nice shape!

The heel has a little peaked overhang like a gnome's hat. This might be an error, but I'm going to pretend like it's part of the sock's charm.

It looks a bit shriveled and narrow here, but I can assure you that the pattern will really POP once I block this out! I can't wait to see it!

I've been baking, baking, baking this past week. Four loaves of sourdough, a batch of baguettes, two loaves of cinnamon swirl bread, a giant batch of chocolate chip cookies for game night with the girls, and this charming coffee cake...and that doesn't count the meals I've cranked out as I've forced myself to go deeper into my cookbooks!

Listen, you can't go wrong with coffee cake, so that's what I made for a get-together with some new friends. I think it went over really well, and was delicious reheated the next day! Again, this came from the Smitten Kitchen website, which I'm, well, completely smitten with.

Monkey Bread
Makes one cake
From Smitten Kitchen

Bread
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (2 softened, 2 melted)
1 cup milk, warm
1/3 cup water, warm
1/4 cup white sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons rapid rise yeast
3 1/4 cup white flour
2 teaspoons salt

Sugar Coating
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Cream Cheese Glaze
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

To make the dough, incorporate milk, water, melted butter, sugar, and yeast. With mixer, mix on medium speed for 6 or 7 minutes. Form into a round ball and let rise in a warm location for about an hour.

When you've got a nice rise, turn out your dough onto a floured surface and pat into an 8 inch square. Cut into 64 pieces.

Quickly roll each piece into a little ball. They don't have to be precise, and they won't want to hold together! That's all right.

Here's where the fun begins! Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in one bowl and place your melted butter in another bowl. Dip each ball into the butter, then the cinnamon/sugar mixture, and place them in a greased bundt pan, staggering the seams.

Continue to build layers until you've used up all 64 balls. It doesn't take that long, I promise!

Cover and let the dough rise again, in a warm place, for 50 - 70 minutes. Deb of Smitten Kitchen suggests using a warm oven for both rises.

Doesn't it look good? I can tell you that the kitchen smelled wonderful by this point...and I hadn't even turned on the oven yet!

Now it's time to turn on your oven! Preheat to 350 degrees and bake for 25 - 30 minutes. Turn bread out and let it cool for about 10 minutes.

Can you see how each little ball has adhered to its neighbor with a sticky cinnamon/sugar bond? YUM!

While it's cooling, make your glaze by combining all glaze ingredients and adding extra milk or powdered sugar to achieve the desired thickness. I love it!

Let's just say that it's more delicious than it looks here, in a dreaded nighttime photo. The next time you get together with friends or need to bring a dish to some gathering, I highly suggest this relatively quick and easy dessert.

Enjoy!