I found an amazing recipe (from my neighbor Mary) for rolls that ROCKS! I can make the whole batch in under an hour from start to finish! Some people have asked for it, so I am just going to post it.
1 3/4 cup lukewarm water
3/8 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 tbsp yeast (I use the quick rise)
mix these together and let rise for 10 minutes.
Add:
2 eggs
1/2 tbsp salt
mix and then gradually add
5 3/4 cup flour (I use 2 cups white and the rest whole wheat)
Make rolls as desired (I do crescent) and let rise for 10 minutes. That is it!
Depending on how you make the rolls determines the temperature and time. If it is individual rolls (like crescent) then a higher temperature shorter time (425 for 10-12 min). You can use this to make cinnamon rolls (more like 350 for 20-25 min--just check them). It can also be used for pizza dough, etc. SOOO easy. I made them for a big family dinner a few weeks ago, but when I got to my mother in laws realized I might not have enough (it made 25 or so rolls), so I quickly whipped together another batch in time for our dinner! Awesome!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Adventures with government run health care
Well, it is a big debate of whether or not to get the swine flu vaccine. Scott and I have discussed it at length, and prayed about it, and decided it wouldn't hurt to get it. Because I am pregnant, I feel a bit stressed about pre-term labor (and dying, etc...) and I don't want the kids to get it and give it to me (or get sick themselves)! Since I can only get the shot (not the mist), yesterday was the first day the shot would be available to me. So we packed up the kids at 6:30 in the morning, hoping to be near the front of the line at the Health Department to get the shots. Explanation: Salt Lake County received 7,000 vaccines and split them between four sites. This site had 1, 750 shots available. I knew that lots of people would be there, and I figured the vaccine wouldn't last long, but I was not expecting what we experienced.
For some reason, the health department thought it would be good to start it at 7 am. Big mistake. Tons of people standing out in the cold to get a shot so they wouldn't get sick, just to get sick from standing in the cold.... Thank goodness it wasn't raining. Though I am sure some people got rained on CAUSE THEY GOT THERE AT 10 pm THE NIGHT BEFORE!!!! People spent the night in line!!!!! What??? By the time we got there at 6:45 am, there were police in the streets directing traffic, a line that started at the health department building, winding around a little set up they had, then circled around the parking lot, out around Wendy's, down a sidewalk and back into another parking lot, circling that entire (huge) parking lot, looping back out to the sidewalk (we made it to this area), down it, and then turned down the street and went down it as far as the eye could see. THOUSANDS of people!!!! And I am sure many saw the amount and turned around and left. We stood in line talking with the others around us about it all--no one sure of how many people there were, how many vaccines, how fast the line would move, whether we should stay or not.
Scott took Brennan and went to the HUGE McDonalds line (of course--man they made BANK that day!) and got a few things for breakfast. But, around the time he was starting back, a police man standing near Wendy's started telling everyone that anyone from that point on should just leave, they wouldn't have enough for them. That meant us. I hung on with a few as the line shorted DRAMATICALLY. But, met up with Scott, so we decided to go home. We got in the car (which happened to be in that parking lot) loaded up the kids, and we were about the last car to leave. As we approached the lot exit, I saw a health department worker counting the line. I jumped out and asked her about it--She counted me and I was number 1500ish. That meant if we stood in line, we could get it! I feel terrible for all those people turned away who should have stayed. (Dumb policeman--though he was probably just doing as he was told). (Though, I must also say, that had he not turned all those away, we would not have gotten it anyway, we were too far behind in the line). So, Scott and I talked about it again. What if we weren't actually that close? We knew people were "holding places" for others (just like we did--I stood in line while he stayed in the car with the kids....) So was standing in line worth it?
We decided to do it. I had brought the laptop and kids shows (Ch-ch-ch-chip and Dale Rescue Rangers!). The kids sat in the car and watched (what a life saver) and Scott and I took turns standing in line. As we got closer they did more counts and FIVE people in front of us they said "this is the cut off--at this point for sure you will get it, but from here out maybe yes, maybe no". Arghh--would it all be worth it? YES! By 10:15 we were near the building, and we got our shots and were out by 11:00. Yes, it was early, yes, it was crazy, and yes we stood in line for hours, but it was actually kind of fun. I know, wierd. But, the kids weren't freaking out (well, Brennan fell and hit his head and cried for a long time...) but they were happy. The people around us were fun to talk to and it was good family time together. And I do feel a bit better now that I and the kids have the shot.
We celebrated (plus it was a huge bribe) at McDonalds after (they even had free ice cream cone coupons from the health department) with a disgusting burger or two and then went home to relax.
There is such big talk about YOU MUST GET THIS vaccine, but then there isn't a lot of supply. Frustrating! People are scared of this, so how can we be normal people yet stay healthy? Besides standing in line for HOURS, if we can, get the shot, but then we need to wash hands lots. I hear that rinsing out the nose with salt water is really good and taking lots of Vitamin D. Anything else?
Well, good luck to you all out there--may we all be healthy and happy!
For some reason, the health department thought it would be good to start it at 7 am. Big mistake. Tons of people standing out in the cold to get a shot so they wouldn't get sick, just to get sick from standing in the cold.... Thank goodness it wasn't raining. Though I am sure some people got rained on CAUSE THEY GOT THERE AT 10 pm THE NIGHT BEFORE!!!! People spent the night in line!!!!! What??? By the time we got there at 6:45 am, there were police in the streets directing traffic, a line that started at the health department building, winding around a little set up they had, then circled around the parking lot, out around Wendy's, down a sidewalk and back into another parking lot, circling that entire (huge) parking lot, looping back out to the sidewalk (we made it to this area), down it, and then turned down the street and went down it as far as the eye could see. THOUSANDS of people!!!! And I am sure many saw the amount and turned around and left. We stood in line talking with the others around us about it all--no one sure of how many people there were, how many vaccines, how fast the line would move, whether we should stay or not.
Scott took Brennan and went to the HUGE McDonalds line (of course--man they made BANK that day!) and got a few things for breakfast. But, around the time he was starting back, a police man standing near Wendy's started telling everyone that anyone from that point on should just leave, they wouldn't have enough for them. That meant us. I hung on with a few as the line shorted DRAMATICALLY. But, met up with Scott, so we decided to go home. We got in the car (which happened to be in that parking lot) loaded up the kids, and we were about the last car to leave. As we approached the lot exit, I saw a health department worker counting the line. I jumped out and asked her about it--She counted me and I was number 1500ish. That meant if we stood in line, we could get it! I feel terrible for all those people turned away who should have stayed. (Dumb policeman--though he was probably just doing as he was told). (Though, I must also say, that had he not turned all those away, we would not have gotten it anyway, we were too far behind in the line). So, Scott and I talked about it again. What if we weren't actually that close? We knew people were "holding places" for others (just like we did--I stood in line while he stayed in the car with the kids....) So was standing in line worth it?
We decided to do it. I had brought the laptop and kids shows (Ch-ch-ch-chip and Dale Rescue Rangers!). The kids sat in the car and watched (what a life saver) and Scott and I took turns standing in line. As we got closer they did more counts and FIVE people in front of us they said "this is the cut off--at this point for sure you will get it, but from here out maybe yes, maybe no". Arghh--would it all be worth it? YES! By 10:15 we were near the building, and we got our shots and were out by 11:00. Yes, it was early, yes, it was crazy, and yes we stood in line for hours, but it was actually kind of fun. I know, wierd. But, the kids weren't freaking out (well, Brennan fell and hit his head and cried for a long time...) but they were happy. The people around us were fun to talk to and it was good family time together. And I do feel a bit better now that I and the kids have the shot.
We celebrated (plus it was a huge bribe) at McDonalds after (they even had free ice cream cone coupons from the health department) with a disgusting burger or two and then went home to relax.
There is such big talk about YOU MUST GET THIS vaccine, but then there isn't a lot of supply. Frustrating! People are scared of this, so how can we be normal people yet stay healthy? Besides standing in line for HOURS, if we can, get the shot, but then we need to wash hands lots. I hear that rinsing out the nose with salt water is really good and taking lots of Vitamin D. Anything else?
Well, good luck to you all out there--may we all be healthy and happy!
Food
Since I am on the subject of food, I thought I'd share this cool thing I found that you can do with zuchinni. It might be too late for ya'll, but if you have zuchinni sitting around... I took the cheese slicer and sliced off long pieces of the zuchinni and then took the pizza slicer and cut them into long skinny pieces--so they look (as close as you can get) like spaghetti noodles. Then, when I make spaghetti, I put some of those in with the pasta as it cooks, cover it with the sauce to eat it, and the kids don't really know! There is a recipe on allrecipes that uses the "zuchinni pasta" with a white alfredo. I am excited to try that!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Some good food
I love the site www.allrecipes.com and I get most of my recipes from there. Tonight I had lots of green peppers so I looked up some recipes and found this: Yummy Honey Chicken Kabobs! SOOOO easy and delicious.
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper
garlic salt
Whisk together these ingredients and put half in a bag with 8 chicken breasts cut up into nice chunks. Set aside 1/4 cup or so for brushing the chicken for later. Put the rest of it in a bag with cut up onions, green peppers, and pineapple chunks (and anything else you want). Marinate it all day. Skewer and cook kabobs however you like to cook kabobs, brushing them with marinade frequently. ENJOY!
Then, if you want a delicious dessert, use this recipe (from Jenny E--thanks!)
Samoas Bars
Cookie Base:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
First, make the crust. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly. Pour crumbly dough into prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.
Topping:
3 cups shredded coconut
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels (I used one 14 oz. package of the Kraft brand)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons milk
10 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spread coconut evenly on baking sheet and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on 1-2 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula. Put dollops of the topping all over the shortbread base. Using the spatula, spread topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled. When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter.
Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish. Alternately, you can omit the step to dip the base of the brownie in chocolate and simply drizzle the melted chocolate on the top of the bars (you won't need the full 10 oz. if you choose this step). Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container. Makes 30 bar cookies.
Really--these are great! I wish I had leftovers. Happy eating!
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper
garlic salt
Whisk together these ingredients and put half in a bag with 8 chicken breasts cut up into nice chunks. Set aside 1/4 cup or so for brushing the chicken for later. Put the rest of it in a bag with cut up onions, green peppers, and pineapple chunks (and anything else you want). Marinate it all day. Skewer and cook kabobs however you like to cook kabobs, brushing them with marinade frequently. ENJOY!
Then, if you want a delicious dessert, use this recipe (from Jenny E--thanks!)
Samoas Bars
Cookie Base:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
First, make the crust. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly. Pour crumbly dough into prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.
Topping:
3 cups shredded coconut
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels (I used one 14 oz. package of the Kraft brand)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons milk
10 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spread coconut evenly on baking sheet and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on 1-2 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula. Put dollops of the topping all over the shortbread base. Using the spatula, spread topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled. When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter.
Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish. Alternately, you can omit the step to dip the base of the brownie in chocolate and simply drizzle the melted chocolate on the top of the bars (you won't need the full 10 oz. if you choose this step). Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container. Makes 30 bar cookies.
Really--these are great! I wish I had leftovers. Happy eating!
Friday, October 2, 2009
What is for sale... well for free...
That's right--Bananas and Bread. The poor boys are so bored they asked me if they could "sell" something, and I said no. So, they just played outside, til they came up with their own plan. I could smell something ... so I went down to investigate. Weston had made some toast and cut it into pieces and cut up a banana. Then he made a sign, "free bananas and bread". They set up a table and chairs and sat out on our sidewalk in the cold air and tried to "give away" these yummy treats! No luck, unfortunately.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
For real this time... (going private)
So, I really am going to go private. I know I said I would earlier, and never did, but now I really am going to! So, if you didn't before (here is the link from before--to check if you put your name in the comments...) http://dawlings.blogspot.com/2008/11/dang-it.html
Just leave me your email/name, etc. I probably won't do this til the end of October, though.
Although my children are gorgeous... and I want to show them off to the whole world--I would rather people not use my photos for their use. Understandably, you would all like to take the photos and print them and put them up all over your house, blog, etc, but if you have the inkling to do that, could you just ask me first...? Thanks.
Just leave me your email/name, etc. I probably won't do this til the end of October, though.
Although my children are gorgeous... and I want to show them off to the whole world--I would rather people not use my photos for their use. Understandably, you would all like to take the photos and print them and put them up all over your house, blog, etc, but if you have the inkling to do that, could you just ask me first...? Thanks.
More Reverence Cards
Hey, I am able to buy more of those "reverence cards" for a good price. I am only going to order the Jesus the Christ cards (Unless many of you want one other type of card)--I already have four going to other people, so I will have four available for those of you who are interested in ordering some. Here is the link to my previous post about them so you can view them.
http://dawlings.blogspot.com/2009/04/for-sale-reverence-cards.html
(I had them for sale for $6.50 each before because I was ordering so many--I just have to raise the price to $7.00 each because I am only ordering a few) Just let me know by October 18th. I'll order them then so we can have them in plenty of time for Christmas.
http://dawlings.blogspot.com/2009/04/for-sale-reverence-cards.html
(I had them for sale for $6.50 each before because I was ordering so many--I just have to raise the price to $7.00 each because I am only ordering a few) Just let me know by October 18th. I'll order them then so we can have them in plenty of time for Christmas.
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