Easy uses for crescent rolls

1. DANISH!
I have used crescent rolls to make cheese, fruit, and chocolate danish.  All are really easy.
Step 1: open package, separate rolls, press lightly to spread out a little more thinly.
Step 2: prepare filling, place about a tablespoon on the larger end, roll, fold over edges, press lightly.
Step 3: bake at 350 for about 8 minutes!
filling varieties: Nutella, Your choice of all fruit jam, cream cheese filling.  To make, beat 1 block softened cream cheese, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/2 cup powdered sugar.  You may add other flavorings if you'd like.

2. Hot Pockets!
Roll out dough as above.  Fill with tuna or chicken salad, ham and cheese, etc.  Bake as above.

3. Go to this website to check out some delicious looking recipes  http://www.pillsbury.com/products/crescents.
Here is Pumpkin ravioli with salted caramel whipped cream.  YUM!

4. You can simply favor them.  Before rolling, sprinkle with herbs of your choice.  try it, you will be surprised at the difference.

5. Coffee cake recipe here http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Cherry-Cream-Crescent-Coffee-Braid-Food-Network-225464?columns=4&position=25/36




6. tarts.  http://www.adventuresofourfamily.com/2012/02/bacon-egg-and-cheese-breakfast-cups.html

Merry Christmas

Our Christmas morning tradition is; open gifts, eat a delicious brunch, watch Christmas movies, nap.  This works for us, and we enjoy it tremendously.  This year, our brunch included french toast, bacon, home fries, scrambled eggs, and orange juice.  Our movies were "The Nativity Story" and "It's a Wonderful Life"  We had a wonderful morning as a family.  I hope you were able to enjoy your Christmas morning with family also, and that you remembered the reason for this season.

Christmas morning french toast

1 loaf stale brioche (recipe follows) I baked it 3 days ago and left sit on the counter.

10 eggs

1 cup whipping cream

1 TBS vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

whisk together eggs, whipping cream, vanilla, and cinnamon in a pie pan or other shallow, pan.

slice brioche into 12 slices, soak well in custard.

Heat a skillet to medium, coat liberally with cooking spray or butter.  Brown bread slices on each side.  Just brown, don't worry about cooking through.

Place browned slices on a baking sheet.  Place in oven and bake at 300 for 20-30 minutes depending on the thickness of your bread slices.  Cook just until custard is set and bread is not soggy.

Syrup:

2 cups pure maple syrup

1/2 cup pecans

2 cinnamon sticks

4 cloves

2 star anise

peel from one orange. (Use a peeler and leave in long strips.)

Place all in saucepan over low hear.  Steep until flavors meld.  if you start this when you start the french toast, it is perfect by the time the toast is done.  Strain into serving container.

Bread machine brioche

this recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com

mix 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 cup warm water, 1 3/4 tsp active yeast, and 1 3/4 cup bread flour.  I also added 1 tsp cardamom, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

cut 1 stick of unsalted butter into 10-12 pieces.

start your machine for a small loaf with light crust.  Once the machine gets to the first kneed cycle, add butter, one piece at a time, until mixed.  after all of the butter is added, shut the machine and let it finish the cooking process.

easy =)

Grief is hard

     Generally, I carefully wall myself off from others during the holiday season.  I like people and I like Christmas, I just believe that most people prefer for you to be happy.  I find this is true even in church.
     These past few days, my defenses have been crumbling.  It started when I turned on the news to see the funerals had started for the victims of the sandy Hook Elementary school shooting.  I immediately turned it off, but the tears had already started.  Just the thought of the pain that those parents are going through has torn off the scab and exposed the raw nerves and overwhelming pain.  I am again filled with the longing is terrible, the aching desire to hold my son, to see his angelic face, to hear his belly laugh, and to smell his sweet baby breath.
     It has been nearly 14 years since I buried my son, today, I feel the pain as though it were yesterday.  So today, I will cry-a lot.  I will be driving many hours to pick my daughter up from college and will spend that time praying, listening to music, calling my sister, remembering, and trying to work my heart through another holiday.  This pain does not hit me every day or even every month, but when it does, it hits hard.
     I am not the only person you know who feels the pain of loss so deeply that sometimes they wonder how they will take their next breath.  Can you handle being a real friend?  Can you love someone through the darkness, or will you turn away?  Grief is hard work, it changes you.  Can you mourn with someone else?  You just may be what keeps that person going.  Remember, that although they may seem fine and many years may have passed, they still remember, and the pain is still there.   

Thank you gifts

I have been posting the recipes for most of the baking and candy making that has been going on in the house the past couple of weeks.  Here is the end result, completely packed gift boxes!  For those of you who are lucky enough to get one of these before we run out; you will be receiving:

Peanut butter brownies

Oreo brownies

Turtle brownies

Mocha truffles

Amaretto truffles

Eggnog truffles

Salted Caramel

Toffee

Cranberry/pistachio nougat

Peppermint marshmallows

Peppermint and chocolate Meringues

Buckeye bars

Hazelnut filled chocolates

Andes mint cookies

Sugar cookies

Hazelnut shortbread

I hope you enjoy these treats as much as we enjoyed making them for you!

Can faith in humanity be restored?

     Today,  the funerals for the children murdered in Newton, Connecticut started.  What a sad day.  The entire nation seems to be riveted.  Everywhere you go, people are talking about the tragedy.  People are coming together to help the families of the victims and the outpouring of love is amazing.  In spite of the horror of this entire event, my faith in humanity is being restored.
      This tragedy reminds me of so many others.  Why is it that we need something terrible to happen before we jump to help?  Why don't we volunteer more of our time before the tragedy?
     Do you remember the Oklahoma City bombing?  Those children who died in the preschool across the street?  People jumped to help those families immediately.
     What about 9/11?  Everyone remembers where they were.  Do you remember how sad you were?  How the entire country felt a collective anger and sadness?  The simultaneous death of so many people, so much grief, so much bravery.  The Fireman gave their lives trying to save as many people as possible.  For months after that, people volunteered to help and gave in any way they could.
     Now, we have these senseless murders.  20 young children will be buried this week.  We all grieve for these families.  With the holidays quickly approaching, instead of feeling joy, these families will be grieving the ultimate loss.  I had a friend post the pictures of these victims on facebook today.  Tears instantly came to my eyes.  Many have gathered together to give of their time to these families.
     Besides the grief, there is fear.  For those who are teachers, do you wonder what you would do if ever faced with the same circumstance?  How would you protect those precious angels in your care?  As parents, do you fear for your children?  I certainly do.  We always worry, and want our children to be safe, but at this exact time, many are afraid.
     How many others are sad at this time of the year.  Maybe we should all try a little harder to pay attention to those we see.  Lend a hand to the hurting, you never know when you will be the one needing the hand.  

chocolate peppermint cake roll

this is another amazing idea I got from Pinterest.  basically a pumpkin roll, but made with chocolate cake and a peppermint filling.  I was instantly hooked on the idea.  So, today I decided was the time to try this out.  I made a total of three cake rolls.

Cooked cake

Step 1: Make a chocolate cake.  I actually made this one from scratch with a recipe I found on all recipes, but you could just as easily use a cake mix.  There is no shame in using a cake mix.  just take a jelly roll pan, spray it with cooking spray, line with parchment, spray the parchment, and fill with cake mix.  I used 3 cups for each cake.  That seemed to work nicely.
Step 2: I used Bettercreme frosting mix (available at Gordon's)  Just pour the quart of mix into a mixing bowl, add about a tsp of peppermint extract, and beat on high until you get stiff peaks.  I thought about adding some red food coloring, but thought the white would look nice.  Remove cake from pan by flipping upside down onto a clean towel.  remove parchment paper and spread with filling. I sprinkled the filling with smashed candy canes.  (Gordons also sells pre smashed candy canes, I used those.)
Step 3:  Using your towel, roll the cake towards you.  in my mind, this was going to be easy and the cake would turn out beautifully.  In actuality, it cracked a lot.  I cooled the cake enough that the filling wouldn't melt.  Maybe I should have tried while the cake was a little warmer.
Step 4: my plan was to stop here, dust with powdered sugar, and serve.  BUT, I could not leave it looking this way.  So, I decided ganache would cover up the problems.  Take 1 cup of heavy cream, heat in a metal bowl placed over a pan of simmering water.  Once the cream is hot, stir in 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips until melted.  add 1/2 tsp peppermint extract.  I slid the cake roll off of the towel onto a jelly roll pan, and poured the ganache over the top, then added more peppermint candy pieces just to look nice,
Step 5:  Allow to cool completely!  this is important.  the ganache needs to be firm so you can slice the cake without it making a huge mess.  (The first cake did not turn out as beautiful as the others because I didn't wait long enough.)

Once you are certain that the cake has cooled enough, use a serrated knife to cut the cake into slices.  I think in the end, it turned out pretty nice.  This cake tasted fabulous, and all three cakes sold out.  I will certainly make this again.  As you can see, my friend Shelby enjoyed it also.

So much tragedy

     I have been struck the past few days with how tragic life can be.  My family is anxiously anticipating the return of my oldest daughter from college next week.  We miss her and cannot wait to have the family together for the holidays.  While the anticipation is exciting, I have also been bitten by the holiday bug.  Christmas music, decorating, baking, etc are going on at my home.  Through all of this, I still long for my son and am saddened that he is no longer with us.  This strange mix of emotions happen every year this time.  My heart aches for the one who is not with us, but I have moved on to being able to feel joy for what I have.
     As all of this goes on in my life, a friend of mine from high school is sitting by her husband's bedside watching him die of cancer.  I grieve for her and her children.  I pray for her family that this transition will be beautiful for the family allowing them to say goodbye and have some peace.
     This week, a dear friend of mine was betrayed by those who should have been helping him.  His life and the life of his family are now in turmoil.  Because he stood on his integrity and tried to do the right thing; he is being vilified by those who have chosen the route of intimidation and coercion.  I have offered many prayers on his behalf and truly hope that his broken spirit will be repaired.  I naively thought that this would not happen and that integrity would be rewarded.  how sad that it often isn't.
     Now, today the school shooting in Connecticut.  How can such evil be present in this world?  How can this all be happening?  I am only one person; yet I know of three sad instances?
     All of this has made me pray fervently.  my favorite Christmas song continues to run through my head.  it reminds me "God is not dead, nor does he sleep.  the wrong shall fail, the right prevail."