A Christmas Morning Tradition

For the last 10 years I've made it a

Christmas morning tradition to bake

cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

I used to use those pre-made rolls

that come in the cans with the

cream cheese frosting.

That all changed a few years ago

when I came across a recipe for

homemade Cinnamon rolls from

https://thestayathomechef.com/best-homemade-cinnamon-rolls-ever

that I could make ahead of time

and bake on Christmas morning.

Hubby loves these homemade

cinnamon rolls so much that

I will never buy the canned

cinnamon rolls again.

Not that there is anything wrong

with the canned rolls, but nothing

compares to the taste of fresh

warm homemade cinnamon rolls.

Nothing!

Hubby says these homemade cinnamon rolls

remind him of those Cinnabon rolls

that you used to be able to buy in the Malls.

I absolutely agree with him on that.

Oh my, these are so delicious

and smell heavenly baking.

Let's make some homemade cinnamon rolls.

Mix your dough and let rise for 1 hour.

After an hour, roll your dough out into a 12 x 18 rectangle shape.

Melt the butter and spread onto the dough.

I use a pastry brush to spread the butter all the way

out to the outer edges.

Add the sugar and cinnamon mixture.

The secret to these tasting so good is

to use brown sugar instead of white granulated sugar.

Roll into a long log.

Cut into 1 inch slices.

Instead of using a knife to cut into slices,

which I think tends to flatten the slices,

I learned this trick a few years ago.

Use unflavored dental floss to slice the dough.

Simply grab a long piece of dental floss and

place under the roll, pull the dental floss up

and around the roll and pull in opposite directions

to slice through the dough. The dental floss will

not stick to the dough.

Perfectly uniform slices.

It is the coolest thing.

Place the slices into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

At this point, you can cover the dish with plastic

wrap and place into the refrigerator to bake the next day.

Since I was going to bake these the same day,

I covered them with a towel to let raise again for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, place into the oven.

Bake until the top is a nice golden brown.

While the rolls are starting to cool,

mix up the cream cheese frosting

and frost the rolls while still warm

in the baking dish.

Serve while still warm.

Of course Hubby and I had to eat one right away.

How could we not?

Hopefully, the remaining rolls will last until

Christmas morning to enjoy warmed up.

Do you have a Christmas morning tradition?

From our home to yours,

Have a Very Merry Christmas.

Until Next Time,

Veronica

A Charcuterie Board

This year we will be celebrating our

family Christmas on December 21st.

I will make our usual big Christmas

feast which we will eat around 1:00 p.m.

There is no way the grandchildren

are going to wait to open presents

until after we eat dinner.

So we shall open presents first.

Since we will be eating our big

feast early in the day everyone

is going to be hungry again later

in the evening.

That's where it's nice to put

together a Charcuterie board

ahead of time to have ready

to snack on when the urge to

eat strikes again.

A what board?

Charcuterie, or as I like to call it,

a Nibble board.

Pronounced SHAHR-KOO-TUH-REE.

Charcuterie is a French word for the preparation

of smoked, dry-cured or cooked meats.

Not only are they gorgeous to look at,

they offer a combination of flavors to savor.

If you are hosting a party and need

a no-fuss, quick and easy snack tray

to put together, charcuterie boards are

the way to go.

Once your guest spot this spread

I guarantee they will hover over this

board and devour it until everything is gone.

Not that I'm guilty of doing that,

I'm just saying.

I put one together and took step-by step

photos to show you how easy it is to

create a Charcuterie board.

First up, you will need a vessel to place

all your nibbles on to.
It can be a large platter, plate, baking tray,
cutting boards or whatever you have on
hand to corral all your nibbles on, plus
it can be any shape you want it to be.
Let your imagination run wild.

I'm using this large cutting board.

Step 1.

Add a few bowls or jars for condiments.

Step 2.

Add a variety of cheeses, cut into different shapes.

Step 3.

Add a variety of cooked and cured meats.

There is no rhyme or reason on how I place

everything on the board. Don't be afraid to

re-arrange, or add to the board as you go along.

You want to fill that vessel up.

Step 4.

Add a variety of breads or crackers,

or the combination of both.

I used crackers and pretzel crisps for this board.

Step 5.

Add a mixture of fruits.

Step 6.

Add a mixture of nuts, pickles, relish, olives, or dips.

To add a little pop of color, I added a few cherry tomatoes.

Step 7.

Add garnish in the form of fresh herbs and lettuces, such as,

Rosemary, Arugula, or red or green leaf lettuces.

Don't forget to add the garnish.

These are what make your boards come to life.

All four sides are gorgeous and draw you in for a few nibbles.

Don't you want to just dig into this Charcuterie board?

The only prepping I had to do was

cut the cheese (no pun intended)

and the summer sausage,

and wash the fruits and cherry tomatoes.

Super simple.

There is no right or wrong way of putting these boards together.

Here is a list of what I placed on my board.

Cheeses:

Smoked Gouda

Sharp Cheddar

Pepperjack

Vermont Seriously Sharp Cheddar

Meats:

Pepperoni

Genoa Salami

Smoked Turkey Breast

Summer Sausage

Crackers:

Breton Multigrain

Club Original Buttery Flavor

Garlic Parmesan Pretzel Crisps

Ritz crackers

Fruits:

Red Grapes

Blueberries

Vegetables:

Super Sweet Cherry Tomatoes

Condiments:

Spanish Queen Olives

Sweet Gherkins

Mixed Nuts

Garnish:

Fresh Rosemary

I hope you enjoyed my little step-by-step

tutorial to see how easy these showstopper

boards are to put together.

That's it for this week.

Until Next Time,

Veronica

Warm and Cozy Potted Poinsettia

As I was decking the halls
for Christmas Hubby surprised
me by bringing home a
potted poinsettia from the
grocery store. We haven't
been able to have a real poinsettia
for quite a few years due to having
a cat in the house. Now that we are
a pet free house it's nice to have a
real poinsettia this time of year.
Although I loved the poinsettia
I wasn't crazy about the paper that
they wrap around the pot, but if I
removed the paper I was left with
an ugly green plastic pot.
Not the look I was going for.
I forgot to take a picture of our
potted poinsettia but this image
gives you an idea of what I am talking about.

I dug through my decorative ceramic pots
but just didn't have one big enough to transplant
the poinsettia into, and I didn't want to have to
buy a new one.

Now what was I going to do?

I started thinking about what I have that I could use
to cover the ugly green plastic pot with.

It finally came to me.

I always have a stash of yarn sitting around.
I would knit a warm and cozy sleeve
to slip over the ugly green pot.

It was the perfect solution.

It fits right in with everything else in the display.

Our warm and cozy festive kitchen display is now complete.

That's it for this week.
Until Next Time,
Veronica

Our Christmas Tree Tour

I finally got around to taking

pictures of our Christmas tree.

The presents are wrapped,

and bows have been tied.

Each year everyone gets a new ornament which I

attach to one of their presents.

It feels so good to have the tree and presents done.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here.

How about you?

Are you ready for Christmas?

That's it for this week.

Until Next Time,

Veronica

Re-Purposing an Old Wreath

Can you believe that our Christmas tree is

up and decorated?

I know, I know.

Some of you are thinking that's

just crazy talk.

It's true though.

We love to put our tree up early

and with Thanksgiving being late this

year we (I mean I) decided to have our

tree up earlier than usual. Besides, I

have to be in the mood to decorate it

and I was in the mood. So up went the tree.

Once the tree was up and decorated I

figured since I was in the mood to decorate

I might as well keep going and

decorate the rest of the house.

Not only is the tree and house decorated,

our Christmas shopping is done!

Never have we been done this early with

our Christmas decorating and shopping.

Oh, and some of the presents are wrapped!

Just waiting for the remainder of them

to start trickling in to wrap.

WOOHOO!!!

One of the last decoration to go up

was a wreath for our kitchen.

I can't see buying a new wreath

when I know that I can make one

for very little money.

I started our with an old store bought decorated wreath

from a friend who was just going to throw it out.

I removed all the old, worn out

decorations and threw them away.

They weren't worth salvaging.

I wanted to have a blank canvas to start with.

The wreath itself was in good condition.

I didn't have any plan as to how I wanted it to look.

For inspiration I added this pine cone ornament

that I made last year.

Once the pine cone ornament was added I dug through

my stash of Christmas picks and decorations to see

what I could come up with. I randomly started placing

the picks and such into the wreath (I did not glue anything),

and stepping back every so often to see

how it was looking. Once I was satisfied with the

placement of everything, I fluffed the branches to

create fullness and to give it a more natural look.

Here is the end result.

Costs to create this wreath.

$0.

I've had these decorations and picks for years.

By not glueing anything to the wreath I will

be able to re-use these for years to come

to create new looks.

Don't overlook those tired and worn out

wreaths. You can always create something

new and beautiful for very little money.

 Now I can sit back and relax for the holidays.

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

Until Next Time,

Veronica

Thanksgiving Dessert

Are you hosting Thanksgiving dinner

or are you going to be a guest?

Hubby and I have hosted our share of

Thanksgiving dinners, as well as, being guests.

Whether we're hosting or are guests,

each year we look forward to

Thanksgiving dinner.

Not only do we look forward to the dinner,

how about those desserts?

My favorite Thanksgiving dessert is

always the Pumpkin Pie.

Our Thanksgiving has changed

over the last few years.

Our children grow and start their

own families and the holiday traditions change.

No more having our children for every holiday.

Never would I have imagined us going to a

restaurant to celebrate Thanksgiving.

But you know what?

We love it!

Not only is the food exceptional,

there is no mess to clean up.

I can actually sit back, relax

and enjoy my meal and Hubby.

This will be our 3rd year going to a restaurant

for Thanksgiving. We found an Italian restaurant

that serves an unbelievable Thanksgiving dinner.

We travel 170 miles just to go to this restaurant.

One of the desserts that they serve

is a Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake.

It had me at Pumpkin & Cheesecake.

I didn't even care that there were pralines added in.

All I can say about this cheesecake is,

OMG!

We love this so much that I knew I had

to find a recipe to create this dessert.

I found a recipe from 

https://www.mybakingaddiction.com/pumpkin-praline-cheesecake/ 

that tastes just like our favorite restaurant's cheesecake.

Here is my version.

Doesn't this look good?

Cheesecake with a gingersnap crust.

Count me in!

How about that praline topping?

Oh, it was SOOO good!

That's it for this week.

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Until Next Time,

Veronica

No Knead Crusty Artisan Bread

We broke a record for the most snowfall

in October. We received 8 inches of snow

over 2 days. Our highest temperature this

week was 38° with our night time temps dropping

down to 19°.  I don't mind the snow,

it's the cold temps that I don't care for.

So not ready for this!

Saturday Hubby went to our son's house

to help him cut up a BIG tree that had fallen down.

It was cold, snowy & wet outside.

Since Hubby was going to be out in the elements

I thought I would surprise him by making

 a big pot of chili to have ready for him

when he got home to help warm him up.

While making the chili I realized that I didn't

have any crusty bread to go with it.

What's chili without crusty bread

to go with it?

I knew that our local little hometown

grocery store doesn't carry any type of

artisan breads. I really didn't want to leave
the house to try and find a loaf of artisan bread.

I have never made homemade artisan bread before

but I was willing to give it a try.

Crossing my fingers that it turns out

and tastes good too.

After a little research on the internet

I discovered a recipe for no knead

crusty artisan bread that only requires 4 ingredients,

which I had on hand,
could be mixed in a bowl with a spatula,
and could be made in under 2 hours.

Perfect.
 Just what I was looking for.

All those wasted years of not making artisan bread because I was
so intimidated thinking it was a complicated process.
How wrong I was.
This recipe has to be the easiest recipe I have ever made.

Simply mix all the ingredients into a large bowl until well combined.

Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

After 40 minutes, place a 3 to 6 quart Dutch oven with lid into a cold

oven and preheat to 450°.

After the dough has rested for an hour,
place the dough onto a well floured surface and

sprinkle with a little flour.
Using a spatula, fold the dough over 10-12 times

and shape into a rough ball.

Once the oven has reached 450°,
line the Dutch oven with parchment paper and place the

ball of dough onto the parchment paper.

Place the lid onto the Dutch oven and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes remove the lid.

Bake uncovered for an additional 7-10 minutes.

Remove from oven and carefully lift out the bread and let cool

on the parchment paper.

Hubby was quite impressed with this bread.

He couldn't believe that I made it from scratch

and it was ready by the time he got home.

This bread has a soft, fluffy center with big holes
and a crust that crackles in your hand when gently squeezed.
And the taste... I couldn't stop eating this bread.

Hubby said that it tastes way better than any

store bought bread I've every bought.

I totally agree with him on that.

We loved this bread so much that I
made another loaf the next day.
Each loaf has its' own unique design.

Now that I know how easy this bread is to make

and the taste is better than any artisan bread I've ever bought,

I can honestly say that I will never buy store bought artisan bread again.

This bread isn't just for soups.
It makes great toast for breakfast.
Try it dipped in olive oil, parmesan cheese & black pepper.
Make a garlic bread to go along with your spaghetti & meatballs.
Use it to make bruschetta.
Make a toasted cheese sandwich,
or just add butter and eat as a snack.
The possibilities are endless with this bread.

NO KNEAD CRUSTY ARTISAN BREAD

Ingredients:

3 cups Bread Flour (All-Purpose flour works also), plus an additional 2-4 tablespoons for shaping

2 teaspoons RapidRise yeast, or 1 packet (7 grams)

1 teaspoon Salt

1+1/2 cups hot Water (up to 130°)

Instructions:

Combine flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Stir in water until it's well combined. The dough will have a sticky consistency to it.

Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

After 40 minutes, place a 3 to 6 quart Dutch oven with lid in a cold oven and preheat to 450°.

After the dough has rested for 1 hour, place it on a well floured surface and sprinkle with a litter flour. Using a scraper, fold dough over 10-12 times and shape into a rough ball.

Line the Dutch oven with parchment paper and place the ball of dough on top,

Place the cover on the Dutch oven and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove lid and bake an additional 7-10 minutes.

Remove the bread and parchment paper from the Dutch oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.

Recipe adapted from: JennyCanCook.com

That's it for this week.

Until Next Time,

Veronica