Easy Cinnamon Rolls

We've finally started to have some cool fall weather over here. And I was craving something warm and sweet, that would make my house smell delicious so I decided to make cinnamon rolls for the first time, and they came out great!

Cinnamon roll ingredients

1 Cup milk

1/4 cup unsalted butter

3 1/2 cups flour

1/4 sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

Cinnamon sugar filling ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

Icing ingredients

1/4 cup melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons milk

Directions

Combine milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high for 1 minute, then remove and stir. Continue heating in 20 second intervals, pausing after each to stir, until the butter is melted and the milk is warm to the touch but not HOT. 

Add 3 cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt to a bowl. Stir by hand to combine. Add the egg and milk mixture, continue to stir until combined. Add the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, mixing after each addition until incorporated.  Knead by hand until the dough begins to form a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, you have added enough flour. Continue kneading for 5-7 minutes, over the dough with a damp towel and let rest for 20 minutes.

While dough is rising, make your filling by whisking together sugars and cinnamon in a bowl until combined.

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured work surface. Then use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 14 x 9 inches in size.  Spread the softened cup of butter generously on the dough. Sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Beginning at the 14-inch edge, tightly roll up the dough. And then give the final seam a little pinch so that it seals. Use a knife to cut the rolls, About an inch between each roll, you should get 11-12 to fit into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.

Then cover dish with a damp towel, and leave the dish in a warm place to rise for 25 minutes. I turn on my oven to 200 degrees, then turn it off and place the dish in the oven with the door cracked open. 

While the dough is rising, make the icing

Whisk together butter, vanilla and powdered sugar until combined. I used a hand mixer. If the icing is too thick, add a tablespoon or two of milk to thin. If the icing is too thin, add a tablespoon or two of powdered sugar to thicken.

When the rolls have risen, uncover the dish. Then place on the center rack of the oven and bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until the rolls are golden and cooked through. Drizzle with icing while still warm then serve!

Easy burrito bowls

You know those burrito bowls they make at Chipotle? Sooo good right? But kind of expensive, and I don't have one in my town. So here's a recipe I came up with to try to replicate the taste and I think it came pretty close. Also I bought pre-packaged already cooked meat, it speeds up the process that much more but feel free to cook your own meat as well.

Ingredients

1 bag tyson grilled and ready chicken strips, or steak strips

1 cup white rice

1 lime

salt

bunch of cilantro

1 green bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 onion 

leaf lettuce

olive oil

tomatoes

salsa

sour cream

queso fresca

Directions

Pour 1 cup of rice into pan, add 2 cups of water

Cover pan, and bring to a boil

Once boiling, turn burner on low and let rice sit for about 10 minutes

While rice is cooking chop peppers and onions

Rice is done when all the water is soaked up, and fluffy

Spoon rice into bowl, add 1 1/2 tsp salt, juice of 1 lime, and a handful of cilantro

Add 1 tbsp olive oil to pan, and saute peppers and onions until soft and onions turn golden. 

These are basically the only things you need to cook, after this you just assemble your burrito bowl with the cilantro lime rice, and then any ingredients you want! I listed the ones I usually use in the ingredients. See? Pretty easy right? And an easy way to satisfy your craving. Enjoy!

Hot wings

I was really in the mood for some chicken wings tonight. Really bad. Unfortunately the closest Hooters or Buffalo Wild Wings is about 30 minutes away. So I had to come up with something that was cheap, that I could do myself at home, this is what I came up with. I bought a bag of already cut party wings from the store, they run about 10 dollars a bag.

Recipe makes about 20 wings

Ingredients

Chicken wings

1 stick butter

1 bottle hot sauce of your choice

salt

pepper

garlic powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 375

To start off bring a pot of water to a boil, add chicken this helps get rid of some of the fat.

Bring back to boil and cook for 10 mins.

Pat wings dry

Add to a baking pan. I set mine on a rack above a foil covered pan to catch the fat, this also helps them to become crispy.

Season generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Bake for 35 minutes in oven, flip them halfway through

Melt 1 stick of butter, and hot sauce in a pot (I used louisiana because it's my husband's favorite)

Add salt and pepper

Once wings are done cooking dip them in the wing sauce.

(For hotter sauce let them sit for 15 minutes)

Serve with celery and blue cheese, or ranch and enjoy! :)