adventures in homemaking-cinnamon rolls from scratch

i got up early this morning, since i had been lying awake in bed for a bit, and decided to make homemade cinnamon rolls (something i've been thinking about for a few days). now that the mornings are so cool (it was below 50 degrees F this morning!), i thought perhaps fresh, warm cinnamon rolls and a nice cup of kona coffee would be nice.

my parents, several years ago, gave me a wonderful bread machine as a birthday gift. i've tried my best to take good care of it so that it will last, and it has. the little booklet of bread recipes and baking hints also has a section for desserts and jams. the cinnamon roll recipe is quite good; i've tried it before and was delighted with not only the results, but the ease of the process and the sense of accomplishment and provision for my family. so i decided to bake another batch this morning.

while waiting for the dough to mix and rise (what a lovely gift, that bread machine!), i noticed our neighbor's chickens were outside the kitchen door, pecking somewhate dolefully in the not-very-warm morning sun. so i went outside and threw them a few handfuls of the birdseed i keep on the back porch by the small, portable greenhouse. the hen who was laying an egg each day on the front porch between the grey rockingchair's slats, as stopped and i wonder if that signals the approach of contiuous cooler (and cold) weather. either that or her owners wised up and began keeping the chickens more up at their coop. either way, we enjoyed receiving 13 eggs from her over the span of a week or so; and it was so convenient to step out onto the porch in the morning and gather (if i can use that verb for just one egg) the egg.

the dogwood tree in the back pasture is in the middle of changing its leaves; because of the drought, the leaf color should be rather spectacular this Autumn! how i'm looking forward to that; i always enjoy gathering and pressing leaves to use for cards and other decorating / embellishing ideas. there is a gingko tree not far from the cottage that i want to visit to get some of its astonishing yellow leaves. and along with leaf changing, there is also the fall baking to look forward to, of which the cinnamon rolls are the forerunner! i'm thinking of the spices i need to restock-cinnamon, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, cloves and of the hot beverages i want to begin serving-wassail (non-alcoholic), cider, hot chocolate, hot herbal teas (with sourwood honey)!

the cats have also been friskier-than-normal, which means i have to be extra vigilant about papers lying about (V enjoys running through any paper pile, scattering it and then chewing on selected ones). i'm also hoping that they will again keep catching mice through the colder months, as that is a great help in keeping the mice out of our cottage.

after the dough was done, i turned it out of the machine onto a lightly floured surface to begin rolling it out into a rectangle. once satisfied with its shape, i spread butter on the side facing up and sprinkled liberal amounts of cinnamon and sugar onto it. next, beginning at one of the long sides, i rolled the dough making certain to pinch the ends shut. next i cut it into (fairly) even pieces, placing these in a pre-greased baking dish. then i waited for the rolls to double in size and then popped them into the oven (375 for ~ 25 minutes). i also made the 'frosting', from combingin one cup of powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp of vanilla and 2 tbsp of water. i'm hoping they'll be done baking soon, as i am excited to see how they turn out!

saturday-preparation day

it's been a while since i've posted here and there have been some changes. the garden has been having a tough time due to the lack of rain and water restrictions (and, to be honest, the lack of attention from the resident gardeners). however, we are still getting some eggplants, peppers, squash and okra; there are also some baby pumpkins! i've been trying to weed and water when i can, in between sorting through possessions to sell, take to the thrift store or throw away (a never-ending task, it seems).

the weaving is going much, much better than it was earlier in the summer. i think that's in part due to a shift in my attitude; as Autumn approaches, i can feel a quickening inside me. i think Autumn is my favorite time of year, with Winter a close second (then Spring and then Summer). i do have to say that i missed having at least one good, solid snow-fall this past Winter and i'm already hoping and praying for such for this one! but back to the weaving; i finished an order for the gallery where i have some of my things and took it over. they're a nonprofit organization and August plus the financial situation 'round the country wasn't too nice to them. so the director let me know that payment may be a bit later than normal. so that got me thinking...

i do enjoy having my handwovens in a local gallery and i'm committed to supporting this gallery as a nonprofit and its role in the regional arts community; so i'm not going to stop taking orders from them! however, another venue through which to sell would be wonderful. so i'm taking another look at using etsy. i still haven't made a decision, but if i do open up a store, i'll post a link to it from here (and vice-versa). i've got to take some decent pictures of my items, to start with. my camera isn't top-of-the-line, but it was free and i'm very thankful to have it and to be able to take digital images. i just need to figure out how to maximze its capabilities.

we are also being blessed with 'free' free-range eggs from our neighbor's chickens. they have decided to hang out in our yard and lay eggs on our front and back porches; never very many but still, free eggs! i think we've collected six in a week. they're funny animals and the cats enjoy watching them through the windows. yesterday i actually heard one of them sneeze; how many people can say they've heard a chicken sneeze?

today i've been busy with cleaning the house and then trying to plan an afternoon activity, or rather pick an activity from the many on my list that need to be done or started or advanced. an order of yarn came in the mail today for some placemats that one of my mom's coworkers ordered; so i need to dress the loom for them soon. i'm looking forward to tomorrow as a day of resting, relaxing, renewing and contemplation.