Homemade Cinnamon Rolls!

• Ty and I decided to make homemade cinnamon rolls this weekend. I love to bake, but it was even more fun with him helping out. He is strong, a perfectionist and really good at fine details so he was perfect for kneading the dough and rolling the dough into a perfect 16x21 inch rectangle. I found the recipe from All Recipes (a website I love because it has lots of ratings and comments- this one has a 5 star average from over 4,500 people, so you know its good!) I made some modifications based on the comments, my needs (no bread machine or large kitchen aide) and for my taste buds.. like more butter and sugar for the frosting since I don't love cream cheese and to bake it at a lower temp.. Here's our version, hope you enjoy :)
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Makes 12 delicious cinnamon rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 small 8 oz pack of dry active yeast
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Stir milk, eggs, butter, bread flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a bowl until it is a dough. Then knead by hand the dough (we did ours for a long time- like 25 minutes).
2. Heat oven to 200 degrees and then TURN IT OFF. Cover the dough with a moist paper towel over the bowl, and put in the oven for around 1 hour (the dough will almost double in size)
3. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
4. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Place in oven preheated to 350 degrees.
5. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

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My little piece of paradise in D.C.

When you think of D.C. you probably think of the White House, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and all the Smithsonian Museums, and so do I. But there are many other things that our Nations Capital has to offer. One if these gems I discovered with a couple girlfriends a few months ago (and have gone back several times since). The U.S. Botanic Gardens is a little piece of paradise in D.C. As I went into the building the first time the feeling of warmth and humidity took me to a Caribbean island. The smell of water and plants was a needed break from the city smells. And then the beauty of the plants, trees and flowers overtook me. I fell in LOVE! This place is an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, it is a retreat, a place to contemplate the beauty in what God created.

When I go on vacation to some place warm and tropical, what I look forward to the most is a change in my surroundings, experiencing new cultures, seeing different wildlife and vegetation, and usually a change in temps... (for the warmer).. I like things that are new, different, not the same as what I am used to all the time. There is beauty in the differences in people, in cultures and in nature.

At the US Botanic Gardens I can go to different parts of the world in a couple easy steps. One area is like a tropical oasis, another has a mini waterfall and Hawaiian flowers, there is a room that the air is super dry and warm and has plants from dessert areas. Being able to see how there is so much diversity in nature all in one spot is pretty amazing. If you are ever in the D.C. area I recommend checking this place out. And you probably don't have to come all the way to D.C. to go to a botanic garden, I think most major cities and universities have indoor gardens, so do some research and check one out near you! And you don't have to go to a botanic garden to see beauty in nature, take a look around you and enjoy the creation around you.

I captured a couple photos while my sister and her boyfriend were here visiting. Of course I took them to the Botanic gardens! Here are a couple pictures, wish I would have taken more!

Meal Planning

I've tried meal planning before and it was really great to have all the ingredients to make a couple complete meals. In the past our plans would change all the time and we ended up not eating at home as often as I planned, so some of the fresh indregdients would go bad by the time I got around to making it. Now that we live in Virginia with no family dinners, I get to come up with a dinner for everyday of the week! So I am going to give meal planning a second chance. I've been hearing from quite a few friends on Facebook how they love meal planning, it saves time, money and stress! So today I've scoured friends blogs, Facebook notes and Pintrest for some yummy recipes. I came up with 6 meals for this week that I am excited to make! Here are the meals I picked with a link to the recipe :)

Dinner

1. Easy Broccoli chicken Wild Rice Soup 

my friend Monica shared this recipe on her Facebook page

2. Chicken Pot Pie

Made this one before and it was awesome! I baked at 375 for 40-45!

3. White Chicken Enchiladas 

4. Tomato Pesto Soup 

5. BBQ Chicken Pizza

6. Pot Roast

I guesstimated the cost for our groceries this week and it looks like it will be about $85. (Food is more expensive out here in VA) That $85 is a good price for us, our normal grocery bill has been between $85-$120/week since we've moved to Virignia. I am about to go to the grocery store now, it'll be interesting to see what the actual cost is, hoping I can get it even below that $85! I'd love to hear about your experiences of meal planning and how you go about doing it! 

Extrodinary English Architecture

I went to Enland in the spring of 2009. There were so many amazing views, buildings, landscapes, cathedrals, cottages, castles.... I was blown away by how much beauty one country could hold. I'd like to share the stunning architectural designs that wowed me while I was there. 

 

 Windsor Castle

 The Church at Windsor Castle

 Gorgeous royal gates for Buckingham Palace

 Buckingham Palace

Random pretty building

 Westminster Abbey

Parliament

Big Ben

 

Eye of London

Tower Bridge

Even the Starbucks is unique!

Shakespeare's Globe Theater- a must if you are ever in London

Salisbury Cathedral

Stonehenge

The London egg shaped building

Saint Paul's Cathedral

My own canopy dreamy bed

So it has been a while since I posted on here and I don't even know if anyone will read this but I promised 9 months ago to post what Ty and I did to our bed to resemble the old time canopy beds I am obsessed with! Here are the pictures- finally!

We got the fabric at ikea, a two pack for $5! We bought two packs so we had 4 curtains to work with, we just used thumb tacs to hold them up! Super simple and cheap idea. Also, the icicle Christmas lights were an added surprise that Ty added while I was on vacation. :)

First Ladies

The women behind our nations presidents are just as important as the presidents themselves. These women have been part of our nations history and behind some of the most imporant men of our country. A First Ladies job is not easy. These are some of our countrys' beautiful First Ladies.

Nancy Reagan

“I think it’s an important, legitimate role for a First Lady to look after a President’s health and well being. And if that interferes with other plans, so be it. No first lady need to make apologies for looking out for her husband’s personal welfare…The First Lady is, first of all, a wife."

Interesting fact: she was in plays and in serveral films.

 Baraba Bush

"The First Lady is going to be criticized no matter what she does. If she does too little. If she does too much. And I think you just have to be yourself and do the best you can. And so what? That’s the way it is."

Interesting fact: In just the first 8 months of marriage Barbara Bush moved from Michagin, to Maine, to Virignia becuase George Bush naval training had him at differnent bases in those states.

 Elizabeth Monroe

"When her husband was named U.S. Minister to France, they relocated to Paris. Elizabeth Monroe was immediately fond of the city and its people, and she was well-received there by both the local and diplomatic communities. During the last days of the French Revolution, Elizabeth Monroe made a name for herself by her courageous visit to Adrienne de Noiolles de Lafayette, the imprisoned wife of the Marquis de Lafayette - the great personal friend of George Washington and many other revolutionary era patriots and France's most prominent supporter of American independence.  Elizabeth Monroe, in the American Embassy’s carriage, made it a point to visit the woman in prison; it was as clear a message as could be made unofficially by the U.S. government.  Not wishing to offend their ally, the French government used Elizabeth Monroe’s "unofficial" interest in Adrienne de Lafayette to release her on January 22, 1795 without any official provocation and thus maintain their alliance with the U.S. yet save face for the imprisonment. "

information from firstladies.org

Hillary Clinton

“The American people have made the role of the First Lady one of the most important jobs in the country. ... It is a tribute to American women that, coming from different social and economic backgrounds, from many different geographical regions, and with diverse educational preparation, each First Lady served our country so well. Each left her own mark, and each teaches us something special about our history.”

Interesting fact: As a young women she applied to NASAs space program and she was stunned when she was told that girls were not accepted into the program.

Jackie Kennedy

"I think the major role of the First Lady is to take care of the President so that he can best serve the people. And not to fail her family, her husband, and children."

Laura Bush

"The role of First Lady is whatever the First Lady wants it to be."



Mamie Eisenhower

"Of course, being mistress of the White House is a terrific responsibility,

and I am truly grateful for my Army wife training."

Being that her husband was in the military their first home was in the barracks! They has 33 homes in the first 37 years of their marriage, all due to Dwight's career assignments. That's a lot of moving!

Martha Washington

"The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances."

Iteresting fact: At 19 years old Martha married for the first time, she lived in a mansion called "white house" with her husband and two children. At 26 she was widowed and at 27 married George Washington.

Pat Nixon

“I just want to go down in history as the wife of the President.”

Interesting fact: She was the first First Lady to earn a graduate degree.



Michelle Obama

"Policies that support families aren't political issues.

They're personal. They're the causes I carry with me every single day."

Interesting fact: Michelle Obama stands at the same height as Eleanor Roosevelt, making them both equally the tallest First Ladies