I've found a go to bun recipe over the last few months since the baby has been born. A mix of my old favorite over night bun recipe I got from a blog, (I'm sorry I don't remember) and a newer bun recipe that I found last Thanksgiving for quick fast rising buns. Even people that find yeast to be a thing of great confusion, I believe, can do these buns. 

There is one thing that I think you should know about me though. Baking for me, is much like when I'm doing anything else, I try to find a way to make it my own. I can't just let the dough be. There MUST be something in it. I must do something with it that can be either ordinary or new (at least for me). So, I will give you my recipe and list a few things that I do with it that have been a hit. And will list more in the future to also give you ideas. 

Quick roll recipe

Makes 12 buns

-Starter- 

1 stick of butter

1 cup of luke warm water

1/2 cup of white sugar

2 tsp of yeast

- Dough-

1 large egg

3 1/2 cups of flour, and 1/2 to 1 cup more for kneading

Firstly, preheat oven to 375F. Then melt butter and mix with luke warm water and sugar in large bowl. Stir in 2 tsp of yeast and let it sit on your counter undisturbed for 15 minutes.

There should be a bubbly mixture in your bowl when you go back to check on it. 

Add 1 egg and 1 cup of flour in and mix with fork. Continue to add in flour until 3 1/2 cups is worked into the dough. 

Sprinkle out some flour onto your work surface and place the dough on it. Knead for 3-5 minutes, sprinkling flour on, and working in as needed. Viola! It is o.k. if the dough is still sticky at this point! Yes, your hands and counter top will get dirty, but lets face it. We'd all rather have moist dough than dry dough right?

Take your dough and split it until you have 12 blobs and make those suckers into balls by rolling them around in your hands. Place them on a cookie sheet or in a pan if you want them squared and let sit on top of the stove for 10-30 minutes until puffed. We don't want them double the sized, we want them just a little more puffy than they were. 

Stick them in your 375F oven and bake 10-15 minutes. Take them out when you see the golden tops. And lather some butter on top of those suckers.

I'm going to go ahead and stick in the baby and my favorite way to stuff these buns. I really don't have a name for them but I can tell you, come the end of the day, they are gone. Hand her a bun and don't you dare  try to take it off of her. 

When you split the dough into 12 portions, flatten them out by pressing your palm into them until they are a small disk. Then in a bowl mix 1 softened cream cheese, 1 cup of pizza cheese shredded, and as much bacon as desired (I use about 6-7 pieces chopped). Portion these out onto your dough and close up and turn over. Bake for 12 minutes and they come out like the picture below. And don't forget to give those buns a lather of butter on top. 

If you aren't going to eat these buns right away my suggestion is to bag them after ten minutes only. Yes, only ten minutes. Close that bag up and let the steam soften them into little dreamy bites of goodness. And refrigerate after a half an hour. You can freeze them even. Just thaw them and warm them up in the microwave when needed.

Hope you're having a lovely fall day!

- Bunny

Homemade food and the why

These and more are all the things I've been making and we love so dearly. I'll be sharing the recipes to them all with you and telling you where I've found them and how I've tweaked them. But I'd like to share something with you first for today's post.

Since having baby bear I have had stomach issues. It's taken a long time to get down what it was and allot of evaluating. But it's plain and simple. I have a problem with preservatives. Just one bite or teaspoon can ruin hours of my day. And I'm not doing a sob song that I've tried but I want to be healthy... nope. I mean, I want to live a good life and not be overweight, but I love love love love love food!! I love all types of food. But as I write this I am finally almost done being sick from a preservative that I ate today.

I sat for about a half an hour and was plain confused on why I hurt so bad, why my insides felt like I was bloated and twisted into a pretzel. Everything I had eaten was homemade. I had homemade banana bread with a good brand of butter for breakfast. For lunch, I had a ham and cheese sandwich on bread that I made myself and had mixed the ham and cheese into the dough. But my failure was the condiment. I had dipped my two sandwiches into a small tablespoon sized amount of mayonnaise.

That tiny little amount of that yummy condiment made my life miserable for hours till my body chilled out four hours later.

I had no idea before this happened, how common preservatives are, and which foods have more than others. And I'm not saying that I put allot of research into it. I just looked at the things that we normally eat and was certainly shocked.

So that, in turn is why I make homemade, some nights staying up till my mother in the Netherlands is awake in the morning. Two nights ago she may or may not have asked me if I had fallen asleep at the oven. lol. The good about this whole thing is that we get to experiment and I can't settle for being bored and getting a boxed meal. I have to actually think and create. Which has made some really awesome things come together... and certainly some very... strange ones I'll never admit to trying.

Look tomorrow for my recipe for overnight refrigerator bread. And have an amazing day.

Whoops!

I feel like allot of things in allot of peoples lives are mistakes. My father always used to look at me when we were alone and ask me if I was happy. And I am.

A new friend asked me a week ago if my job was blogging since I had said once previously to her that I worked online. I replied that I did work online doing something and used to blog, but had not blogged in some time. Since I have last wrote on here, we have had an addition to the family by the name of Amelia Gray aka baby bear, we have also added a few cities to the have traveled list, and have baked/ cooked some new (to me) really awesome things.

Lets start this blog back out with something new I have started making and is a house favorite. Definitely something for the chocoholics, because I literally eat one, and I love chocolate more than my cat. - Ok, almost more than my cat. - I don't know what to call them, I picked up the recipe from a vlogger that we follow on YouTube. So, In turn we in the house call them Zoella cookies.

This is the vlog where she makes them and invites over the family we also subscribe to.

Recipe makes 8-10 hand sized cookies. * There is a reason they are so big, when you make them and wait the 30 minutes before removing them from the pan and eating one, you find out why. * And in my chocoholic opinion, one is enough for one person. And two is enough for one person if you are alone, and have milk and a book and just want some darn good chocolate and you're cranky.

1 egg
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 package chocolate morsels
2 1/5 cups of self rising flour
14 tablespoons of butter (yes you read that right)
2/3 cup of baking cocoa powder
1 dash of milk

- here are my notes - I don't keep self rising flour so I used regular and added in two tsp of baking powder. I know that the recipe for self rising flour calls for salt also, but I don't see the reason for this because baking powder has a salty taste to it. I also don't believe in using salt free butter, so I used salted in this recipe and every recipe from here on. And lastly, Zoella uses milk chocolate and white chocolate chunks. We have used milk & dark chocolate, just milk chocolate, and peanut butter chips & milk chocolate. I'm just not a fan of white chocolate. Though someday I will give in and try it, and I may just find myself pleasantly surprised.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Mix butter and sugar in one bowl, add in egg and mix till fully incorporated.
In another bowl mix flour (also baking powder if you don't have or don't use self rising), and cocoa powder in another.
Mix both together and add in a dash of milk, add in chocolate (I do this with my hands, it will break a weak or small wooden spoon) and form balls the size of your palm.
Take cookie sheet with parchment paper, put dough on it and press slightly down. Place an inch to inch and a half apart.

Cook for 10-11 minutes. NOW LISTEN, sorry for yelling, take these cookies and WAIT a half an hour before MOVING or EATING them. I'm so sorry, but seriously, you want to wait. It's magical. And we won't even go there on how hard it is for a pms'ing woman and a six year old to wait a half an hour when there is fresh chocolate cookies on the counter.

I really hope you enjoy them, and the post. And hey... it's nice seeing you. :)

Getting back in the game

I have been dealing with some inner demons lately. So I have been staying in and doing what I do best. Cook and be a mumma. (the name changes for me all the time, its our thing, I kinda like it) I've been doing some newer things too. I have like 5 mason jars in my fridge right now. Two full of strawberries, one of grapes, one of a homemade chicken soup, and one of a pasta little one and I really enjoy. We have stopped buying so much pre-processed foods and have started also buying food fresh. Whether its meat or veggies or fruit. And I have noticed an up in our moods having better foods in our body.

I also put up my spring wreath and my neighbors think I've lost it, but my plants are still saying spring is so very close and I'm excited. Have I told you I started a pinterest? I like it very much. I like how I can organize it, because of course I am addicted to things I can organize and it makes me feel more centered.

And in other news, IronMan had surgery. Lol. And he loves his new replaced hand. You see, this particular IronMan had hands you could interchange and I didn't want to tell my little man no to the Mark 5, so I took two hands and I glued them in with super glue. (he was 2 at the time) And in the last couple months one of his hands snapped off. So I had to take the drill and a small drill bit and drill out the super glue and broken part and install a new one. Oh yhea, this mumma loves her tools. :p 

Doing my best to be the greatest to my little one and Mr. Love. And waiting for springs blooms. 

Hearts to you

Valentines day hearts for the bunting I made for Katelyn. They were so much fun to make and I absolutely love the little one in the middle. I got the pattern from here and it was very easy to follow. After I made my first one I just oohed at how smooth all of it looked. 

I can't wait to finish my own set of them. I will admit that I was going to do something different and do a heart then a mustache because I saw that she liked them but I just could not find (or make) a pattern for a really nice flat and larger crochet one. It may be something I have to sit down and make in some free time for to make my own pattern. If anyone didn't see what I got from Katelyn in the last post, she made me a wreath! 

I adore it! 

Time to put on Pandora radio and clean up the house more. Mr. Love will be home around dinner and he was away @ work for two weeks this time. Martinis + movie + Mr. Love = Heaven. 

Is it spring yet?

One day we had this weather...

Less than a week later we had this weather! (can you tell he won't wear anything but this hoodie, he loves it)

My lil one had so much fun both days. The first we got to grill out and play in the mud on a 60 degree day and the next day we were out and about it was almost 2 inches of snow. What silly weather we have. 

I know what the groundhog said and I know that I'm in the same state as him but his shadow and my plants are saying two very different things. I have mini hostas coming up and my mother has daffodils poking up! Either way we're having fun and I am loving the beautiful sun shine that we have been getting!! 

I also on Friday finished my project for the Valentines Craft Swap over @ 

Wanna see my craft I got in the mail from Katelyn @ http://www.dreamalittledreamkate.blogspot.com/ 

I love it so!! Grey is my most favourite color ever. (even though Mr. Love has tried to get me into wearing and decorating with brighter colors, tee hee) It looks great on my door and I didn't have a Valentines day wreath yet. :) 

My way too long procrastination list

Firstly, for all of those whom have talked to me about something and I have procrastinated here is a cuteness picture to make you smile.

Secondly, I have my list down to about 6 things, and at the beginning of the month it was so long I had a scroll bar on my sticky note on my desktop.

I get so caught up in things and in my own life sometimes that I make this little list in my head of things I have to do, and each day it gets longer and longer. And then the things I really love doing get pushed alllllll the way to the back.

Here are some other pictures of things I have been doing...

Things are getting done and I am spending more time doing things like setting up train sets and playing with my little one and Mr. Love and I have had a few relaxing evenings. And I am also doing a valentines craft swap - 

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!!! 

New crafts and gifts for friends

Lots of things have been going on over @ our house. And I was finally able to get some silver yarn to finish up a hat for a friends little girl. :) Late Christmas presents anyone? I also was able to finish a size medium set of fingerless gloves that I am going to post on the etsy shop. I haven't been crocheting allot lately because there has been so much cleaning to do around the house. Its absolutely crazy!

Today has been a morning of scooby doo and my crochet hooks and some really lovely coffee.

My animal child and my real child decided they have taken an interest in my yarn today. And my little one refuses to take off his hoodie for me to wash it since he got food on it @ breakfast. Silly boy. 

For once the fingerless gloves I'm making are for me! Lols. I keep on doing these really lovely pairs and then went to a store a few weeks ago and picked out a yarn I really loved to do my own in. But I'm making the part for the thumb longer as I think I like it better that way. ;) Even though in the picture my fingers look super short and chubby, lols. And on finishing the first one, my animal child decided to go after my crochet hook. 

Silly girl! I hope everyone is having a fantastic Sunday!

Learning

The last few weeks have been a learning experience for both little one and I. Mr. Love and I have realized that we need a little more learning reinforcement hands on. So I made flash cards and you wouldn't believe how much little one enjoys doing his letters and colors with me!

To make them I just used the craft room basics and it was my first project ever using the cricut craft room. So I learned a few things as well.

This was my first time melding things on my cricut and I realized how much fun it was and how nice it was too.  I also did the alphabet that I have yet to take pictures of yet but I did it in ironman colors and little one is very happy about that as well. I like that I have started to use my cricut in ways that just fits all of our life. And had lots of fun doing it too!

We have lots of snow here in Pennsylvania right now and I am loving it, I can't wait to take little one out sledding since we didn't get any snow till January. I love it, it looks so pretty. :)

New years and SnOw!

New years was calm. Lol. As you can see. A glass of wine, a movie, bon bons, and the cat. A good new year, Mr. Love went out of his way to have time to snuggle me. Definitely better than last year by far. In which I was alone and had no kitten and Mr love was very far away traveling. Little one was (and still is) sick with a cold.

Yesterday I spent quite a bit of time making new fingerless gloves (sold at our etsy on the right) and I think I'm going to make little crocheted hearts to go with these ones and call them sweetheart sets. :)

It snowed quite a bit today, so after it took a break I finally brought my fairy garden in. I hadn't before because it had been 40-50's outside and had no reason to. But sadly I did today and made her a snowman. She's waving goodbye to the nice weather...

Really hoping we have enough snow tomorrow for little one to go sledding, I know he would really adore that this year. Last year he was skiddish, and the year before he cried. But my adventurous little toddler hopefully will enjoy it greatly this year.

Goodbye 2011

As I finish off this year, I'll do what all the hip moms are doing, lols. Here are my favorites of 2011.

I like my photo collages, nothing better than remembering the really fine moments that I've had with my little one. I can't say we went to the beach this year, or did really cool museums, but we were together,  and that is all that matters.

While my bogging is slow now, my family has lost a very wonderful person. Though we continue to tear for her, she has filled all of our hearts with so much love. And she will always be loved and remembered.

I hope that everyone has a happy and safe new years.Cheers to the next one being even more fab.

Extra measures

I find myself awake at 3:00 am and think, well if I have to be awake I can catch up on things.

Lately I have discovered that I need to take extra measures against the cat and my precious Christmas tree. I do love them both so, but the cat thinks that the tree is made for climbing. And as she is getting healthy and growing well when she tries to climb a branch or two they bend under her weight. And, mind you, I have no idea how because the wire is very thick! But I also knew that I had two very nice still in the box strings of soft white lights.

 Once, somewhere, I had read that cats do not like the sound of aluminum foil. So we will see how long this lasts.

And hopefully now we will have our nice tree, and a less irritated me. 

I don't think she looks that bugged by it. She is pretty happy on her throne. :)

Getting ready for Thanksgiving

Allot has been happening lately. Lil one was very very sick with a bad viral that we either got while we were out eating or shopping. Today though I got allot done for the first time in two weeks. I did laundry, swept the carpets and watched cartoons. And tonight I made my first successful pie crust and some really terrific dough for rolls.

As you can see it looks great! I had to break down a couple recipes to get what I wanted. And I also made it so that there was only enough for one crust.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
5 to 8 tablespoons of really cold water

Adding the flour, then the salt, mix with a fork Next add in the shortening and start with around 5 tablespoons of cold water. To get this mixed in properly I know that there are a few different ways to do it and all successful. But even though I have all of those extra tools I used my fork to press the chunks of shortening to the side of the bowl with the flour and did this over and over again till I could tell it was together well.

Put down wax paper on your rolling space and gather your dough in your hands and make it into a ball. Place the ball onto the wax paper and flatten it slightly. Put another piece of wax paper on top and roll to your specified size.

I would love to tell you how I got this in the pie pan and cut the extra off and pressed the sides but I'm afraid you'd roll off your chair with laughter. You'd be better to google it than follow my example. - But once it was pressed down and looking pretty I wrapped it up with saran wrap and put it in the fridge. **Let it settle for two hours or overnight. (Otherwise it will shrink when baking). Not the best I'm sure, but pretty good.

Lol, you can tell I took these on my cell. This dough for rolls was made from the recipe here and if you've made dough before you know when you've got a good or bad mix on how it feels when you make it. This dough is amazing. I can't wait to make it into rolls in the morning! Usually I don't follow instructions for recipes to the T, but I followed this one and I am very happy on how it turned out. I will say that I used two more cups of flour, but all of my bread or roll recipes that I have done I have had to add extra. I think its my house. :)

 I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Our Indian summer

For a couple days this week Pennsylvania had a nice Indian summer going on. My little one was so happy that he was able to wear shorts. We also got to play outside and do more leaf clean up.

He played in the yard while I got to work on a new project. I learned how to do a cable like stitch with crochet.

I found out how to do it from this book I ordered on amazon. I love the ideas it gives me. I have a slight problem with being able to follow patterns. I switch everything around because I don't like to follow the directions down to every stitch. So I started some fingerless gloves with some of what I had learned from reading in the book. I finished them this morning but I don't think that I will be selling them on the etsy. I think they are too chunky. Though the yarn is described as a 4 I think its a 5.

Oh, you read that all the way through? Lol! Yes, my cousin and I have an etsy which I have included a widget to on the right of this page  --> --> --> Take a peek. :)

Reflections on Halloween

Lil one and I really had fun this Halloween. He loved decorating with me outside. We did a full graveyard in the side yard. And he just doesn't get scared by it, he takes it all in fun like I do. So its great. We make fun, and he loved pumpkin head and how I had him peeking out from behind a tree in the woods. I'm just so glad we had a good holiday. :)

I liked it allot. We ended up having quite a bit of loot too. Tee hee. And mumma got to have all the kitkats!

Lil one's pumpkin. 

Mr. Love's Pumpkin.

And the Mumma pumpkin. 

Can you guess where I got the images? lol. 

Happy Wednesday everyone!