Rewind

Have you ever stood back and felt like someone had their finger on the “fast forward” button of your life?

Actually I feel that way all the time.

I very clearly remember my mom holding my hand in the grocery store.

Then not so long after that she was holding my brand new baby in her arms. More than once she said, “Watch very closely, because all this will go by so quickly.” I’m sure I smiled at her, but I didn’t “get it.”

Pretty sure I “get it” now…

…now, as I feed Natural Cheetos to my baby’s babies to entice them to stay in the car seat…

…now, as I play peek a boo with my second baby’s baby so that her momma can get a quick shower…

…now, as I watch my third baby bubble over with joy as she and her friends flit from one unbelievableĀ  adventure to another. This is her winter concert with the Sterling Singers. Amazing.

…now, as I write letters to my fourth baby—my far, far away son and try to pretend–in front of everyone else–that thinking of him doesn’t make me cry…still.

…now, as I watch my very last baby—backing confidently out of the driveway, on his way to work as if he’s some kind of grown-up or something.

It seems to me that if there absolutely is a

then certainly, certainly

it stands to reason that

there must also be a…

oh, please…

could we find…

the…

?

Baby Birdy Bath

My mom used to show us this picture and say, “No fancy tubs or perfumed soap–just a basin and some Ivory and it worked just fine.”

That’s my sweet little momma bathing my older brother, Andy—so you know this picture is VERY, very old because any big brother of mine would have to be ancient–which, of course, he is.

Ha!

Ok, ok. He’s not that old…just kinda old…

older that me anyway.

I’m just saying…

——————————–

Happy Birthday Lynnette!

Cinnamon Roll Wickedness

Heard the prophetic statement, “Wickedness never was happiness?” Of course it’s true, and I’m no heretic. However…

I’m afraid I’ve found one teensy, weensy exception.

Oh yeahhhhh. I just bet I’ve got your attention now. heh heh heh

One of my cute little moms in my cute little class brought a couple pans of these amazing…no, no…FABULOUS cinnamon rolls–and seriously, it was all I could do not to hang on her leg as she went out the door. Lucky for me, and now you–she is a very good recipe sharing girl (thanks *Megan!).

Before we start here, let me just make one gigantic disclaimer. This recipe makes a busload of cinnamon rolls–enough to pass around the neighborhood, maybe even the world. That’s not the disclaimer part.

This is…

If you make these unbelievable little babies–and I’m thinkin’ you will–and decide to eat the entire batch all by yourself, and the kids find you later that evening sitting on the floor of the pantry with frosting on your chin in a sticky cinnamon stupor—mumbling something about a cruise to Cozumel and Johnny Depp, well now, my friends, I’m just not going to take responsibility for that.

Any more than I took when it happened…

to…

me.

Go on–make them.

I dare you.

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The Perfect Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

4 cups milk

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

2 pkgs. or 2 Tbsp. Dry Active Yeast

9 cups flour

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1-1/2 tsp. salt

1-1/2 cups melted butter

1 cup sugar

Cinnamon

Mix milk, oil, and sugar in a large saucepan and heat to “scalding.” That means—just before it starts to boil. You don’t have to stir it the whole time but I would advise you not to wander off. It will boil over in a foamy-frothy-messy surge the second you do. Don’t ask me how I know this.

Turn off the heat and let it cool for about an hour. NOW you are free to explore the universe…for only an hour. Set a timer.

Once it rings, and you make sure it is lukewarm, sprinkle the yeast over the top. Leave it a few minutes to soften and do it’s thing.

When you come back, add 8 cups of flour to the mixture and stir it in. Cover with a warm, wet towel and let it sit for one hour. Now you are free to go again–until the timer rings.

Stir in the final cup of flour with the baking powder, soda and salt. Mix well, right there in the pan.

Flour the counter generously. Take half the dough at a time and pat it out into a rectangle.

Now start rolling it into a bigger and more glorious rectangle.

Gently smush up the edges a bit so that the next step works better. Pour the butter over the dough.

Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar evenly over the dough.

Next, sprinkle cinnamon generously over the sugar. I thought I was going way over board, but seriously, we could have put even more and been good.

Starting from the far side, start rolling the dough as tightly as you can towards you.

When you get nearly to the end, stop rolling and carefully pull the dough edge up and pinch it to the roll. That will help keep all that sugary goodness inside the roll.

Butter four 9×15 pans and have them ready. You can cut the rolls in 1 inch slices with a knife or use the thread method (remember the pumpkin roll?).

Place them in the pans and let them sit and get to know each other for about 20 minutes.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees and cook these lovelies for 15-18 minutes–depending on your oven and how it behaves. You want them to be a light golden brown.

While that is happening–scurry on ahead and make this:

Evil Maple Frosting

Ingredients:

1-32 oz. bag powdered sugar

2 tsp. maple flavoring

3/4 cup of milk

1/4 cup melted butter

1/8 tsp. salt

Stir all the ingredients together in a mixer or by hand–whatever floats your boat.

When the cinnamon rolls are out of the oven and cooling safely away from any creature with a working sniffer–you can begin pouring the icing over the cinnamon rolls.Ā 

Spread it around generously and don’t lick the spoon until you are completely finished…then you’re on your own.

Try to give the darlings their space for about 20-30 minutes to settle into their new sweet life—

before…

wolfing them down with shameless abandon

taking to the neighbors.

All is well in Zion.

Dude.

—————–

*Original “untweeked” recipe from Pioneer Woman

Cinnamon Roll Wickedness
 
Ingredients
  • 4 cups milk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 pkgs. or 2 Tbsp. Dry Active Yeast
  • 9 cups flour
  • 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • ¾ tsp. baking soda
  • 1-1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1-1/2 cups melted butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • Cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Mix milk, oil, and sugar in a large saucepan and heat to ā€œscalding.ā€
  2. Turn off the heat and let it cool for about an hour.
  3. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and leave it a few minutes to soften.
  4. Add 8 cups of flour to the mixture and stir it in.
  5. Cover with a warm, wet towel and let it sit for one hour.
  6. Stir in the final cup of flour with the baking powder, soda and salt.
  7. Mix well, right there in the pan.
  8. Flour the counter generously.
  9. Take half the dough at a time and pat it out into a rectangle.
  10. Now start rolling it into a bigger and more glorious rectangle.
  11. Gently smush up the edges a bit so that the next step works better.
  12. Pour the butter over the dough.
  13. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar evenly over the dough.
  14. Next, sprinkle cinnamon generously over the sugar.
  15. Starting from the far side, start rolling the dough as tightly as you can towards you.
  16. When you get nearly to the end, stop rolling and carefully pull the dough edge up and pinch it to the roll.
  17. Butter four 9Ɨ15 pans and have them ready.
  18. You can cut the rolls in 1 inch slices with a knife.
  19. Place them in the pans and let them sit and get to know each other for about 20 minutes.
  20. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and cook these lovelies for 15-18 minutes.
  21. You want them to be a light golden brown.
  22. Allow them to cool completely then frost.
Notes
Evil Maple Frosting Ingredients: 1-32 oz. bag powdered sugar 2 tsp. maple flavoring ¾ cup of milk ¼ cup melted butter ⅛ tsp. salt Stir all the ingredients together in a mixer. Spread it around generously on cooled cinnamon rolls.

Grab the New Button

Hey–have you seen our pretty new Spring button?

Click on it and it will take you to the Gracious Rain “home” page. Just like that. Nice and easy. So if you want this pretty little thing on YOUR blog just follow the instructions below the button on the right and it can be yours!

Isn’t life just sooo good?

:]

Cat Calls

“Uh-oh. The phone. I got it.”

“Excuse me, sir…sir?”

“It’s for you.”

“I’m sorry. He can’t come to the phone right now.”