Ahhhh...Fall!

Fall has finally arrived in Kansas!  Well, not officially, but the weather has made a turn for the better.  We are still brown and terribly dry, but the air is cooler.  And you know what that means...cooking!  Tonight, to usher in the first evening this week of cooler weather, we're having tacos.  I know.  Not impressed.  Me either.   But since the girlies only have half a day of school, we'll be making a trip to the library this afternoon.  This doesn't really allow for any really good cooking.  And besides, they want tacos.  I'm a sucker for sweet faces.  But tomorrow, tomorrow is another story.  I see vegetable soup with homemade noodles and homemade bread in the plans.  I've waited all summer to be able to bake bread and make soup.  Tomorrow is the day.  Oh, and Saturday is even better.  Are you ready for this?  Cornbread & beans, fried potatoes and cottage cheese.  That's a favorite meal in our house.  Fall is finally here!

Summer...Blech.

I miss my kitchen.  Well, that's not entirely true.  I see my kitchen often and clean it up multiple times throughout the course of a day.  Maybe I miss my oven.  Yep, that's definitely it.  I miss my oven.  I miss baking bread to have with vegetable soup.  I miss baking cinnamon rolls for no good reason whatsoever.  I miss meatloaf and baked potatoes and green bean casserole.  I miss banana bread.  And I have so many new recipes I NEED to try.  So, so many.  When this dreadfully hot weather takes a turn for the cool and clouds cover the sun for days at a time, I will be a baking fool.  Until then, though, I'll just collect more recipes (on Pinterest, incidentally - my new love).  One day we'll get reacquainted, just me and the oven.  And then, watch out.  I'll spend hours in the kitchen creating fabulous food.  One day...

Hot Kitchen Monday

Typically I wouldn't be spending my hot Monday in the kitchen, but today I am.  Gary has student loan interviews for the next two days in Topeka, so I always prepare the meals for those two days.  Since he doesn't have many repeat helpers, they're going to have the same menu for both days.  They'll be enjoying sloppy joes (not the tomato kind, the cream of mushroom soup kind), baked beans, potato chips and dessert (probably a peanut butter sheet cake) of some kind.  It all has to be made so they can heat it in the microwave, so my choices are a little limited.  Prior to doing the cooking, though, I have to shop for all the supplies.  I'm so not looking forward to that.  It's hot.  I'm not a hot weather person.  Darn it.  But I'll survive...maybe!

Umm...no pictures.

So in my most recent post, I indicated that I would be adding pictures of the cinnamon rolls I made today.  Ummm...no.  Have you ever had one of those days when you should have just stayed in bed?  Today was my day.  Everything I have tried to do today has resulted in a mess...everything.  Even pouring myself a glass of tea became a problem when part of the lid came off and landed in my cup.  It's not my day. 

So the cinnamon rolls did get made.  But, since it has clearly not been my day, they turned out somewhat different than usual.  The dough was less than cooperative today - surprise, surprise - and we ended up with two pans of actual cinnamon rolls and four pans of some sort of cinnamon roll loaf concoction.  As soon as I removed the loaf-like pans from the oven I cut them into pieces then frosted them with that amazing coffee/maple frosting.  It covers a multitude of sins.  Some days I think I should bathe in it.  Actually, I felt like I bathed in butter, cinnamon and sugar today, but I digress...  They turned out looking surprisingly good and tasting even better.  While I guess it all turned out okay, it was sure a LONG trip to the finished product.  And there was about 4 times as much post-cooking cleaning that had to be done.

So supper tonight is going to be easy and fool-proof (I hope).  I don't want to tempt fate with any grand plans.  I'm going to fly under the radar tonight.  But maybe tomorrow...

Cinnamon Roll Day!

Since I'm home and announced early in the week that I would be making cinnamon rolls at some point this week (and subsequently had requests for pans of them), I am making cinnamon rolls today.  I'm using the recipe from http://thepioneerwoman.com/ that makes an enormous amount of rolls (think 7 round pans), so I'll have plenty to give away and freeze for later days.  The idea of having pans of frozen cinnamon rolls ready to thaw and bake is enough to get me to make the entire recipe.  I love having things in the freezer waiting for me to have one of those I-have-no-idea-what-to-make-for-breakfast days.  And let's face it, cinnamon rolls make for good bribe material.  A gooey, sugar & cinnamon-dripping, fabulous frosting-covered swirl of dough...does it get any better?

Pictures to come...

Scotcheroos

One of the girls' favorite sweet snacks is a quick and easy one called Scotcheroos.  They're on the rainy afternoon menu today before tomorrow's cinnamon roll baking spree.  Think ooey, gooey, peanut buttery, chocolate goodness...  Hungry yet?

Scotcheroos

Bottom Layer:
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups (give or take - it's just the way I cook) crisp rice cereal

Top Layer:
1/2 package of chocolate chips
1/2 package of butterscotch chips

For the bottom layer, combine corn syrup and sugar in a saucepan on medium heat.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter then add rice cereal.  Spread into a greased 9x13 pan. 

For the top layer, combing chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in a microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave for one minute and stir until completely melted.  Spread over the bottom layer.  Cool, cut and enjoy!

Defeating the Purpose?

So now that I'm home again for what I hope to be a long time, I want to make exercise a priority again.  I'm looking forward to some yoga, to be completely honest.  However, now that I'm home again for what I hope to be a long time, I can't wait to spend time in the kitchen.  Do you see my problem?   Oh well...  This week I'm making Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls.  They are absolutely, without a doubt, to die for.  I'll even bump up my game a little and use Vietnamese cinnamon in them.  This recipe makes an obscene amount of cinnamon rolls, but I'll freeze a couple pans and give a few pans away.  And, let's face it, a cinnamon roll with a glass of milk is a great high-calorie, bone-healing meal for the little pipsqueak, and I'm sure her sisters won't turn it down either! :)  I'll let you know how they turn out...