Sticky, gooey and mighty tasty...cinnamon rolls.

If you're a fan of cinnamon rolls you won't care how many burpees you have to do to work just one of these babies off.

They are delish. And easy.  I'm normally a blonde and sweet kinda girl w/ my coffee...but w/ these - the wakey juice can be black.  The combo of the two is like a party in your mouth.  Get your mind out of the gutter with the party in mouth thing.

Ingredients for filling:

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tspn salt
Throw some cinnamon in there.
1 tbsp melted butter
*Combine above w/ fork and set aside.
*Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Right now.  Go do it.
*Butter a round cake pan.  Right now.  Go do it.

Ingredients for dough:

3 cups all purpose flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn baking soda
1/2 tspn salt
1 cup buttermilk  (If you are like me and don't have buttermilk you can just take 1 cup milk and add 1 tspn lemon juice or vinegar - let sit about 10 minutes and stir and voila! buttermilk.)
6 tbsp melted butter

*Mix all the dry then add the wet.  It should be like dough.  If not, you suck at cooking and should stop and have a mimosa.
*Get your rolling pin ready.  Flour a surface to roll the dough - I go a tad overboard w/ the flour but it never sticks.  You are going to want a rectangle shape about the size of a 13x9 pan, if it's bigger that's ok, if it's smaller that's ok.  Once you have a shape that resembles a rectangle grab the filling and dump it on and spread it around all of the dough.  Start rolling it lengthwise - kinda keeping tabs on what the edges are doing, folding them in a smidgen if need be while you are rolling.  When you get to the other side...stop.  Cut into 8 pretty thick 'rolls'  and place them in that buttered pan you have waiting on you.  That oven should be beeping by now to let you know it's preheated.  Stick them in for 20 - 25 min's.  While they are in there you will want to make your icing to spread over them as soon as they come out to make a big, fattening, tasty, gooey pile of "holy crap if they weren't so sweet I'd eat another one" rolls.

*Ingredients for icing
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 tbsp soft butter
2 tspn milk
Start stirring (I use a whisk) I just add water by the tspn until it's the correct consistency.
You can always add pecans or whatever into the filling.  I don't because I don't like nuts in my food.
Enjoy.  These are fabulous and easy.

Greeks.

That's right my sweet Emma, ask Yia Yia.

Ahhhh my mom, Yia Yia to the kids, the teacher of how to make the world's best Baklava.  Alan thanks you.  For some reason I only make it at Christmas time.  I also only make my ginger snaps this time of year.  That's probably a good thing because like Lays, no one can eat just one. My ever expanding ass doesn't need any more help.  The older I get the harder it is to drop (the weight).  Well, things are dropping but that's a different story.  An unflattering one. 

Back to the baklava.  It's time consuming, it's a pain in the ass, but it is so totally worth it.  You can freeze it for months and it'll still taste just as good when it thaws.  It keeps in the fridge for what seems like forever...Alan has eaten it after a questionable amount of time and it was awesome - so he said.     I guess baklava is a tradition for me at Christmas time.  My dad used to take me to all the magnificent Christmas parties the Greeks of the North Shore would throw and wow would I love to go to one as an adult.  They sure can party.  And eat.  And drink.  Hmmm, this may explain some of me.  Seriously, their sha-bangs are the BEST!  Maybe I can find some Greeks in Waynesboro?  

When I think of fond memories from my childhood 9 times out of 10 they involve my dad.  At my cousin's wedding this past April, I overheard my mom say to my Aunt "she's just like her father".  That was music to my ears.  My dad was the coolest person I have ever known.  The sarcasm and wit that is me all came from him.  The need to be the center of attention?  All him.  The cooking skill came from both my parents.  My passion and creativity?  Well I'll blame the Greeks for that one too.  Greeks are the most passionate people ever.  My parent's divorced when I was 6.  My dad died when I was 19.  On his key chain we found his wedding band from their marriage.

How's that for love? Why did I never notice it before?  

Rest in Peace, dad.  I wish you were here to enjoy Jacob, Emma and Ellie.  You could've taught them so much.  Even how to cuss in Greek which, by the way, thanks for teaching me - that tends to come in handy when I want to cuss at someone but can't in English.  You know, when someone you love passes it is so easy to forget their faults, short comings and bad choices and only remember the good that they were.  He had a few articles written in the paper about him after he died.  His wake had to be extended a few hours because of the amount of people that came to see him.  My brother, mom and I stood there for hours and hours accepting people's condolences.  Sometimes I even found myself trying to comfort others. A pillar of strength at 19. 

I wish I'd have waited for you to answer the phone that night, not become impatient and hung up because I would see you the next day.  I never did see you again.  OK.  Stop the tears, there is a silver lining in that.  My kids and people who I love will never not know I love them.  I express it every chance I get because you never know if you'll get another.  So yes, my passion for life definitely comes from my dad, not just because of the way he lived, but also because of the way he died.  No warning. 

 I guess the holidays erupt emotion.

New kid in town.

So, have you ever met someone and thought to yourself “hmmmm this person could be fun to be around, hang with and score they know lots of people and you don’t because you are new to the area”?  They were wicked friendly to you - I am not talking Bff’s but, ya know a friend at least. Someone to introduce you around.

Then the next time you see them they are possessed.  I mean walk right by you with an angry expression – maybe even one of a 2 y/o who didn’t get their way – and don’t even acknowledge your slight existence as the new kid in town.  Seriously, WTF? Won’t even make eye contact.  Then you see them yet again, on a different day and that warm, fuzzy smile you first were drawn to is back and they (drumroll please) talk to you!  Wow.  This pattern continues and you realize it’s not you… it’s them…and you are thinkin’ holy crap med check STAT please.  Personally, I believe everyone has a touch of bi-polar.  But for the love of God don’t not speak to me because your panties are in a bunch about something else, it’s not my fault.  In fact, I might make ya smile. That's gotta be a miserable way to live.

Granted, I have all kinds of crazy going on within, but at least I am consistently a sarcastic, stubborn, immature goofball.  You’ll always know what you are going to get with me.  Trust me, I’ll tell ya.

Enough about people.

The refrigerator in this (naughty word) rental we are in bit the dust sometime Saturday into Sunday so it was coolers with ice for our perishables.  All the meat defrosted so I have to get my ass in the kitchen and pre - cook meals I guess.  Oh well, at least the new (actually used) one the landlord got here this morning works.  Really, I am still in awe of where we are living and just grateful to be here, shitty appliances and all.

 

Which reminds me.  Grateful aside for a moment, I really wish our house in Chesapeake would sell so we can purchase here.  This whole rental in a triplex thing just ain’t our style.  The neighbors are nice enough but seriously, quit smoking – the orchestra of hacking and hocking up lugees while in the shower that happens to be right on the other side of the wall from my desk just isn’t my cup of tea first thing every morning.  Temporary, temporary, temporary.  Wait, wait, wait.  I am grateful to be here.  Yep, gotta remind myself.

Well I am off to hunt for a J-O-B.  <SIGH>  Actually, I’ll get distracted and do something else.