Cinnamon Buns... yummy!

I love cinnamon buns. They are wonderful! I was thrilled when I found this recipe. Its for a bread machine! Its really yummy! I had some time this evening so I made some up so I could have them for breakfast. Jaxon is eating one right now as a bedtime snack. he says "They taste like heritage Park!" So if I make cinnamon buns that taste like something from the Heritage park bakery then Im happy!


1 cup warm milk
2 eggs
1/3 cup melted butter
4 1/2 cups Flour
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 tsp yeast.

Put all ingredients in yoru bread machine, according to manufacturers recommendations. Select Dough setting and press start!
After cycle is done removed from machine and place on a lightly floured surface. Let rise for 10 minutes
mean while make up cinnamon Sugar

Cinnamon Sugar
1 cup Brown sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp Cinnamon

Roll dough into a 16x21 rectangle. Spread evenly with butter and spinkle with Cinnamon Sugar.
Roll into a log and cut into 12 sections.
Place in a greased pan and let rise for 30 minutes
Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

You will notice that mine dont have frosting... dont worry Im not insane... I just like the frosting to be fresh and since I wont eat them until tomorrow Ill make the frosting then

Frosting

1 pkg Cream Cheese (3 Oz), softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups Icing Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla

Mix together until smooth!

SOOO GOOD!

Bulgogi

I am an huge Asian food fan. I cant get enough of those flavors. I am always in the mood for it. Chinese, veitnamese, Korean, Thai (is that considered asian??), Japanese its all wonderful! Despite my love of Asian food there is a dish I hadnt tried... Bulgogi... until tonight. Im sold. I have to say its the best Bulgogi I have ever tasted! I will say that the original recipe came from Great Food Fast, but I have made some minor changes (still keeping the integrity of the dish, but making it my own take on it.)

Beef Bulgogi

1 1/2 lbs rib eye steak

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp Sesame oil

1 Tbsp Crushed red Pepper Flakes ( i like things spicy!)

4 Tbsp brown sugar

2 1/2 Tbsp Garlic (powder or minced)

2 Tbsp ginger

2 Medium Red onions sliced

1 green pepper sliced

1) Slice meat into thin strips (if you freeze your meat for 20- 30 minutes its alot easier to cut!)

2) In a small bowl whisk together Soy Sauce, Sesame oil, pepper flakes, brown sugar, garlic and ginger. In a second bowl mix together the onion and the green pepper. Pour half the marinade over the veggies. Toss the steak with the remaining marinade and let stand for 20 minutes

3) Heat some oil in a pan (I always use Extra virgin Olive Oil) over med-high heat. Add the onions and green pepper. cook until softened... about 5-8 minutes depending on how thick you sliced them. Transfer to a plate.

4) Add more oil and increase the temp to high. Add your meat and cook to desired doneness... I dont like much red so it takes a little while for me to get there.Once cooked add the veggies back in to the pan and heat through, takes about 1 minute.

This Dish is traditionally served wrapped in a lettuce leaf... but I had it over rice instead. So here is a tip... mine was still pretty saucy... if you are doing a lettuce wrap dish it up using a slotted spoon then drizzle yoru desired amount of sauce on it... that way its not really slimy in the lettuce. But I loved having the extra sauce since I had a plain rice with it.

This was a perfect end to a fun day. We were stuck in the house because of the rain... jaxon is like me and doesnt like being cold or wet (Owen would do outside in a 50 below blizzard!) So we had a jammie day... which means I FINALLY got my house cleaned and I even did some crafts... I worked on chelseas baby book, made a couple cards, finished up a page for the family scrapbook and of course worked on felt food. I even got to read! So crafty people keep watching the blog because in a day or two Ill be posting some cute projects!

Another Post for you today

Bonus! You get two posts today. Arent you just so excited?!?!? I thought Id do a quick book review for you today too, in case the recipe I posted didnt excited you enough.
  Recently I have been reading alot of teen books. But I thought It was about time for me to read a grown up book again. I read The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. It was Fantastic. At first I thought it would be confusing because it bounces between three different times (the late 1800s-early 1900s, 1975ish and modern day.) But it was always clear as to which time you were in. There was one big mystery to solve; Who is Nell? but there was also several little mysteries to solve along the way too. In fact it was those little mysteries that held my interest most.
   It was really well written too. The Characters were well developed. I loved the Spunk that Eliza had. The scenery was so well described that I was actually enticed to  and longed to be there.
  There was a bit of a love story for Cassandra which I could have done with out but it was a minor side note most of the time so I survived it.
  Eliza, Nell and Cassandra all accompany you on a journey to self discovery. Do you think if you found out that your parents werent really your parents that it would change who you are... or thought you are?? That was the underlying question in this book. My thoughts??? It wouldnt change me at all. Maybe its because my sister is adopted, but I know that she is who she is because she is this family and that we are her family. In my eyes its who raised you and was there through out your life that makes family, not what DNA you have.
  All and all I think its a great book and people should read it!.

Dinner tonight!

Tonight we had one of my all time favorites! Kincaid's Cajun Chicken and Pasta. I love it because I love pasta but Im not always in the mood for Italian... but its rare for me to not be in the mood for Cajun... its in my blood! Another plus about this recipe is you can change out the chicken for shrimp and its still great... or do a combo of both chicken and shrimp. And Another plus to this recipe is it makes a ton. Which means its great for dinner parties or you can do like I do and make a full batch and then freeze it in smaller batches and then its all set for you to have another time. It freezes great!

Sauce;

3 Tbsp butter

1 large onion diced

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp Thyme

1 1/2 tsp pepper

2 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp Basil

3 1/2 cups Chicken stock

1 1/2 tsp Worcestshire Sauce

2 Tbsp Tabasco sauce

5 Cups Tomato sauce

1 1/2 tsp Sugar

1 cup green onion thinly sliced

Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add onions adn garlic and saute for 5 minutes. add herbs and spices and mix well. Add stock, worcestshire sauce, Tabasco and tomato sauce and simmer for 20 minutes. Add sugar and green onions and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meat Seasoning;

1 1/2 tsp cayenne

2 tsp basil

3 tsp pepper

1 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder

3 tsp cumin

Mix together and sprinkle over meat (chicken or shrimp) I use 2 or 3 chicken breast if Im doing just chicken. Fry chicken in a pan and add to sauce once both are cooked.

Cook your favorite pasta (the orginal recipe calls for Fetticinne... but I like using scoobi doo) The amount of pasta you use will really depend on how much of the sauce you are planning on using.

Pour sauce over pasta and serve.

This can be a spicy recipe to some people. I love it!

Also... sorry for the lack of pictures. My excuse today is that I still haven't unpacked from my Weekend in Edmonton and I cant find my camera cord.

Cherry Strusel Muffins

The other week I made what I hear are super delicious muffins. ( I dont like cherries so I didnt eat any... but they were a hit with my boys)
They are equally good with out the cherries... thats how I make them normally!

7 Tbsp Margarine
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (powdered would do if you want...)
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped FRESH cherries

topping;
2 Tbsp flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon
1 Tbsp margarine

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with liners.
2) In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and sugar and beat until smooth. Add egg and beat until pale and smooth
3) in another bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg. Add to the butter mixture in 2 additions alternating with the milk. The batter will have a few lumps. Stir in Cherries.
4) Spoon the batter into the muffin tins
5) Combine the topping ingredients in a bowl until it looks like crumbs.
6) Put some of the topping on to the muffins. Bake for 20- 25 minutes.

Food for the Week!

Happy start to another week! How is the long weekend shaping up for all of you?? So I have been told that I need to post most recipes (in all honesty I didnt think anyone was reading this blog... but Im thrilled to hear otherwise) so here is the deal for my friend Nancy! I will post a new recipe every day this week... HOORAY!
So here is the food Im eating this week and hence the recipes Im posting this week.
Monday - is our travel day... so Ill find a super fun recipe to post, since we will probably be doing McDonalds
Tuesday -  Kincards Cajun Fettuccine
Wed - Beef Bulgogi
Thursday - Egg sammies... Tim is out all night so Im not cooking anything big... but Ill post another yummy recipe
Friday - veitnamese Steak Sammies
Saturday - Pasta bake
Sunday - Leftovers as per usual

Bucket List

In case you have never seen the movie "Bucket List" starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, allow me to recap; there are two older men who are dying. They make a list of things to do before they "kick the bucket" hence the name Bucket List.
  When I was about 16 yrs old I made my first bucket list. Its actually really fun! Of course goals change over the years but I was surprised at how little most of mine have actually changed. I call my list 100 things to do before I die... but Ive thought of 100 things yet! Here are 10 of the things on my list;
1)Take part in a Cranberry Harvest
2) Attend the Candy Expo
3)Have my DNA profiled
4)Get married in the Temple (DONE)
5)Shoot a gun
6)Celebrate Canada Day on Parliment Hill (DONE)
7)Eat Alligator (DONE.. super yummy)
8)See the Mysteries of Egypt
9) Float in the Dead Sea
10) have a book published

   Whats on your list???