Monkey Bread

The ice storm kept us inside this weekend, so we decided to try some new recipes. This is definitely a recipe I will be making again! (I found this recipe at https://iamahoneybee.com/2017/01/02/homemade-monkey-bread/ and altered it a little.) 

Ingredients: 

1 Tablespoon of yeast

1 1/2 cups warm milk

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1 tsp salt

5 cups flour

Topping: 

3/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp cinnamon

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup butter, melted

Optional glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp milk

Start by measuring the milk in a glass measuring cup. Place the milk in the microwave for about 1 minute or until it is warm. Stir in the the yeast and 1/4 cup sugar. Let that sit for a couple of minutes to proof the yeast. 

In a mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Add the proofed yeast mixture. Add two cups of flour. Stir with a wooden spoon. Add two more cups of flour and stir. Using the hook attachment of the mixer, add the remaining 1 cup of flour and let the mixer knead the dough for about 4-5 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl and let rise in a warm location for about an hour. (I turn my oven on to 170 degrees for about 30 seconds to create a warm location.)

Punch the dough down and place on a floured surface. Roll out the dough until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 1x1 inch squares (mine weren't all quite that size; I did put some of the smaller pieces together.) 

Butter a bundt pan. 

Combine the 3/4 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp cinnamon. Sprinkle some of it on top of the squares. Roll each square into a ball and place in the cinnamon/sugar mixture. David had the job of rolling each dough ball into the cinnamon/sugar. Place a layer of the dough balls in the bundt pan. Sprinkle the layer with brown sugar. Add another layer of dough balls and sprinkle that layer with brown sugar. After two layers, I added a little bit of the melted butter on the top. 

Then add layers of the remaining dough balls and brown sugar. When finished, pour the remaining melted butter over the top. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and the center circle to let the butter run down a little. 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 33 minutes. 

Turn the bread onto a serving plate. I put about 1 cup of powdered sugar and a tablespoon of milk in a bowl and drizzled that glaze over the top. (That would be an optional step.) Serve the bread warm. 

Music Theme Dinner Party

We are getting ready to see School of Rock, the musical, so we decided to have a dinner and a movie family night tonight with a musical theme. 

We started with a vegetable music note. 

The theme continued with guitar cheese bread,

chicken "drumstick" tenders,

piano keys and drumsticks (or a xylophone),

musical note soft pretzels,

 and microphone cupcakes,

All of our plates were music notes, and we finished the night with a fruit "melody" smoothie. 

Academy Award Party

We decided to throw our own party for the Academy Awards tonight. (Complete with our own red carpet!) 

I made this Oscar statue photo board out of a cardboard box. The base of the statue is a piece of black foam board that I cut up and hot glued together. 

Along with our cheese bread, burgers, red rope Twizzlers, and onion rings, we will feast on these red velvet carpet cake rolls. 

Homemade McGriddles

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 1/3 cup flour

1 1/4 cup milk

2 Tbsp sugar

1 egg

1 Tbsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

Start by lining a sheet cake pan with a silpat liner or with parchment paper. 

Pour the maple syrup in a pan and boil over medium-high heat. Keep stirring constantly when it starts to boil. 

You need to boil it for about 10 minutes. If you have a thermometer, it should reach 265 degrees. It will darken as it boils. 

Pour on the liner. Let the syrup cool. I put it in the refrigerator to speed up the process. It only took about 15 minutes. 

When it is cool, the syrup will break apart into crystals. 

Whisk the remaining ingredients (flour, milk, sugar, egg, salt, baking powder) in a bowl. This is the pancake mixture. Make  small pancakes. (I used my large cookie scoop to measure the pancake batter.) Place the maple sugar crystals on top of the pancake batter. Flip the pancake and continue cooking. 

Put whatever you want on the inside...sausage; bacon, egg, and cheese; sausage, egg, and cheese; etc. 

Frozen Photo Board

Big Baller Brand Cheese Bread

Dough Ingredients:

1 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey 
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
3 cups flour {give or take 1/2 cup)

In a stand mixer, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam. Pour in salt, oil and half the flour and mix with a wooden spoon. Once that flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it it doesn't stick to your hands. Once you reach this stage, turn the mixer on high to knead for 6 minutes. Lightly grease the bowl & the dough so it doesn't dry out, cover with a towel and let it rise 1 hour. (I turn my oven on 170 degrees for about 30 seconds and then place the bowl in warm oven) 

After the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and shape...We do a lot of different shapes of bread for different holidays. I just rolled out the dough and used a pizza cutter to get the dough to resemble the BBB logo. Place the dough on a pan greased with cooking spray and cornmeal. 
Spread 2-3 tablespoons of butter on top of the dough. Drizzle a little olive oil over that. 
Chop up 3 cloves of garlic and spread on the top. If you don't have fresh garlic, sprinkle with garlic salt. Top with about 1/4 cup parmasean cheese and 1-2 cups of mozzarella cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for about 12 minutes. 

The boys thought this was a perfect All Star Weekend Treat! 

Stuffed Animal Bean Bag Cover

I wanted to make a bean bag for the kids' rooms, but wasn't sure how I wanted to stuff them. While looking around on Pinterest, I saw some people were buying bean bag covers and filling them with stuffed animals. We have a major stuffed animal problem, so I thought this was an idea worth trying!

I cut 6 squares, each measuring 20"x 20". For this bean bag cover, I used three different colors of fabric. I put 4 of the squares on the ground and pinned the sides together. I then sewed the pieces together. 

I added the 5th square of fabric to the sides (this will be the bottom of the bean bag).

Sew the other two side panels to the bottom panel. 

Then sew on the top panel. 

I added a piece of velcro to the bottom panel.

The other side of the velco was sewn to a side panel. This is where you will add your stuffed animals.

I then sewed the rest of the cube together. I reinforced the corners by sewing diagonally through them. 

Then flip your fabric right-side out and stuff with your stuffed animals. Close the velcro and you have a new seat! (and no clutter!) 

All of these animals fit inside this 20x20 cover. You could make the bean bag cover any size you want. 

Here is the finished product. I ended up putting an old blanket in first so it was smooth on the top. 

Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt #6

It's hard to believe our scavenger hunts started in 2013! Here is the 6th annual Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt! (Thanks to Steve for writing the clues, yet again!) 

Gather round the table and read your 1st clue.

The hunt begins at the start.

To continue on you’ll want to head

To the place with little hearts.

We open this door for Franklin, our dog.

He goes outside to play and go potty.

Your next clue is going to be found

Where Matt builds the muscles on his body.

Matt likes to lift and do exercises

It inspires the entire Carlson crew.

Our new family bike might be helpful

To get more of us on a fitness breakthrough.

This bike doesn’t move but it gets plugged in.

The electricity helps it to hum.

Your upcoming clue is in another room,

Where Mom makes us say “Yum”!

Your final clue awaits with gifts for you all.

You just gotta find where to go.

Need a hint, here you are,

Look for something that makes the snow blow.

Arrow Bean Bag Game

I wanted to create a game for our Valentine's Day fun, so I went to Pinterest for some help. I found an arrow template on this website: http://www.sewmamasew.com/

I traced the arrows on fabric and cut them out. 

I sewed two of the arrows together, leaving the top of the arrow open. 

Fill 3/4 of the arrow with stuffing. 

Then add poly pellets (beads that are used for weighted blankets) to the top of the arrow. Sew the top of the arrow up. 

I put some tape on the floor for the kids to throw the arrows at. 

Winter Olympic Crafts

These cardboard skis were a favorite! We just used duct tape to secure a pair of sandals to a piece of cardboard. The kids decorated their skis with markers. 

Phineas and Ferb 1/2 Birthday Cake