Orange item of the week

I was subbing when I saw one of the kids with this pencil.  I knew it HAD to be an orange item.....

A few of my favorite things....

So far this Christmas season, I have made 756 cookies.  No time for blogging, sleeping or shopping.  I work and bake.  My thumbs are burning from using the ice cream scoop so many times.  I thought I would take a little bit of a break and present a wonderfully thematic meal for you all.

Here is the warm up of door bells, sleigh bells....

And then the main dish:

Schnitzel with noodles.

And for dessert?

Crisp Apple Strudel.

 And because it is me, my favorite favorite thing? 

Whiskers on kittens :)

Orange item of the week.

I am in cookie hell right now, baking for every event or person my parents can think of....so I was thrilled when Stanley pitched in and helped me find/pick an orange item.  He really is awesome.  So here is Stanley and a bag of carrots he was sitting on/next to.

Orange Walnut Bars

I got this jewel of a recipe form the King Arthur Baking Sheet.  Not only are these bars delish, but they are soooo easy.  Easy as in make them, pop them in th the oven and catch up in the Real Housewives of Atlanta.  Or Beverly Hills.  The other great thing is that they have the oddest list of ingredients, so if you are running low on things, these are your friend.  I made them first with pecans, and they turned out great.  Joann asked for them for Thanksgiving, so I used almonds instead, anaphylactic shock can be such a downer.  Because of the high sugar content, they are chewy and the orange in the glaze makes them bright.  There is a glaze that is put on warm, as in you don't have to wait for them to cool to ice them.  Tasty and you can still get some sleep....brilliant.



Grease a 9x13 pan, and preheat oven to 350
Bars:
4 cupr or a 1 pound bag of brown sugar
1 3/4 c flour
1/2 t salt
4 eggs
1 cup chopped nuts, either walnuts, pecans or almonds all chopped
1 t vanilla extract

Mix flour, sugar salt.  Add he eggs and vanilla, and beat for a minute,  pour into your pan.  Bake for 30 minutes, until they pull from the edges.

For the glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 T melted butter
3 T orange juice
I add the zest too, but it is your choice really...

Stir the ingredients together until smooth.  Pour over the top oft he bars while warm.  Be sure to run a knife around the edges of the pan when you go to cut them.

Chem class

I passed chem class by 3 points in high school so you can imagine my shock when I was asked to sub for it.

ugly sweater race

Me after a blistering 3.1 miles in 53 minutes. 

Last Sunday, I competed my first 5k ever! I raced (OK, walked) through Hartford for the Ugly Sweater Run.  The event is held for Toys for Tots and is a ton of fun.  At the two mile marker there was a hot chocolate aid station and free beer at the end.  All runners received a hat a moustache for their efforts.  And did I mention drinks at the end?

Before ..yes my sweater was ugly.

Orange item of the week

So, thrtr I was running around Granby High School like a lunatic, when I finally found the right class room....and this was on the whiteboard.

Cheddar Swirl Breakfast Buns

I made these buns for thanksgiving, and they were a hit.  They are easy to make, but hard to explain.  When I first told my mother about them, I described them as cinnamon buns but with cheddar.  My mother then said they sounded gross, and that she did not want cinnamon and cheddar.  I explained that there is no cinnamon, it is just the shape.  This conversation went on for ten minutes with me saying, no, there is no cinnamon, it is just the shape.  Frustration does not cover it.  I got this recipe from the Smitten Kitchen cookbook.

That being said, these are quick and easy to make.  And super yum.  I am thinking of other things to put in them.

Dough:
3 c flour
1 t salt
Few grinds black pepper
1 T sugar
2 1/4 t instant yeast
1 c milk
4 T melted butter, cooled and 1 T for brushing

Filling:
1/2 c grated white onion ( you can do this in the cuisinart, if you grate it by hand, be sure to not leave your mouth open, you will have onion breath.)
1 1/2 c cheddar cheese
2 t fresh dill
1/4 t salt
Black pepper

To make the dough, place yeast in milk, and wait for it to dissolve.  Mix together dry ingredients with the paddle attachment.  Add melted butter and yeast mixture.  You should get a shaggy ball.  Switch tot he dough hook, and kneed for 6 minutes.  There should be a smooth and elastic ball.  Place dough in an oiled bowl and let rise for 2 hours,  or overnight on the fridge.  If you use the fridge, let the dough return to. Room temperature before continue working.

Place dough on a well floured counter and roll it into a 12x 16" rectangle.  Mix the filling ingredients, and spread them over the rectangle leaving a half inch boarder.  Roll the rectangle into a log and then cut 1" buns.

I used a 9x13 baking dish, but you can use 2 8" rounds,  place buns so there is room for them to grow.  Brush the tops with butter.  Let rise for 2 hours, they should double in size.  Preheat your oven to 350.

Bake the buns for 20-25 minutes.  The will expand and touch each other.