Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls!

Red Velvet is something you either love or don't really care for.

I am a lover of Red Velvet anything. I saw a few pins floating around pinterest 

for red velvet cinnamon rolls. I knew I had to try them... 

These are perfect for Christmas or Valentines day. 

My first problem was that I have never made cinnamon rolls by myself.

I have only ever made them with my mom. My second problem it has been years since 

I have made them with my mom. 

So I searched and searched the world wide web for recipes. I found two that I 

liked and mixed and matched a little.

The recipe that I manly used can be found at No. 2 pencil and the other at the skinny fork.

Here is the recipe 

Red Velvet Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls

These took about three hours from start to finish

Makes 24 rolls 

1 box red velvet cake mix 

2 envelopes active dry yeast

2 and 1/2 cups warm water 

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 cups of all purpose flour

The Filling 

1 stick softened butter

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 cup of white sugar

cinnamon 

1 Tablespoon coco powder

The Frosting

2 sticks softened butter

3 cups powered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

2 packages of softened cream cheese 

I think these are worth drooling over! 

These clearly are not healthy.... but very Delicious 

Combine two packages of active dry yeast with warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir until dissolved. Add cake mix, flour, vanilla and salt. Mix, I used a hand mixer but I am sure a dough hook would be much much better. Move to larger bowl, cover (I used a towel), and let rise for about an hour. Punch dough down after an hour (my favorite part of the whole thing), and let rise again for another hour.

Use plenty of flour on a clean surface and turn dough out.  Shape into a ball, then roll into a rectangle shape. Spread softened butter over dough. Combine brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon and coco powder and spread onto the buttery dough!  Start from farthest edge and roll dough tightly into a long skinny log shape. Slice into 24 rolls.

Place rolls in pans that have been greased with butter, or sprayed with non stick cooking spray. I used one 9X13 and another round spring cake pan. Let rise a final time in pan for about 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

While the rolls are baking, prepare cream cheese frosting. I once again used a hand mixer and bowl, combine room temperature butter with powdered sugar. Beat until well combined, then add vanilla and pinch of salt. Mix again, then while mixer is going, drop cubes of softened cream cheese in the bowl two or three at a time until frosting is well mixed. Do a taste test or five of the frosting.... 

Oh and I realized once I started baking them... I forgot the the cinnamon. 

Enjoy! 

A Little Magic

 Whew, I haven't blogged for ever..but whatever I am blogging now and that is what matters. I don't really have any excuses for not doing so, I just haven't. Glad I got that off my chest.

Now back to the real reason why I am blogging. It about Magic (and all the super powers I have) not really. Anyways a couple of nights ago Little Miss A asked me to draw the Nativity scene... Oh man I usually draw stick figures, but because I didn't want to disappoint Ava I agreed. This is what the finished product is, You can call me Van Gogh from now on.

After finishing the picture Ava told me how wonderful and amazing it was. It's defiantly not a Van Gogh picture, but it is something I  think I will keep (maybe frame to pretend like I am an artist). I dunno though. After putting Ava to bed that night, I kept thinking about the picture and how happy it made her and that made me happy. It was way out of my stick figure comfort zone, but nonetheless it brought Happiness to our home.

As I pondered more about all the little things that make children (my child) happy, I wanted to be more like her. Every time we plug in the Christmas tree she says "Mom, it's magical and beautiful". It has snowed a lot the past few weeks and each time she wants to play in it. Sometimes I agree and we bundle up others time I will do almost anything to avoid it. Each time we are out there she says how great and wonderful it is (I am thinking I can't feel my bum anymore) but I agree and we play a little longer. This morning as we were leaving for preschool she started dancing in the snow and singing. Oh man did that melt this Mommy's heart.

So the purpose of this post was to brag about my amazing artistic ability  talk about how the little things really do matter to kids and sometimes we (for me) I need to put down the phone (stop trying to take the perfect picture)  and enjoy these amazing moments with my child. I am sure at some point I will ask her to dance in the snow with me and she is going to roll her eyes at me.

I hope this season we can all take time to enjoy those little magical moments.

You also notice that I now have ads on my blog after some thought I am in the works of growing my blog and maybe making some money. But we will see,  I don't want to have to spend to much time figuring it all out. I am also not sure if I want it to keep it as my family blog or something a little different. You can send me your idea if you want. So for now it will be slow process. In the mean time, if you would like to have guest post on my blog I would love it. Also if there is topic or something I can write about for you let me know. You can email (click here to email me) and I will get back to you. ( I love Suggestions). And Apparently parentheses.

Finals, Cold, Family fun

We have been really busy lately. It seems  like we always have something to do or a place to be. The past month or so was a little stressful with finals and getting last minutes projects done. I missed Bryce and Ava so much. I was gone a lot. I however manged to get a 4.0. which makes me so happy. Grades haven't always been my top  priority for me. Maybe I should have had kids sooner. 

I have also been able to spend the last two weeks with Ava. Being home with her has been so fun. I am seriously thinking of not going back to school, it has been so nice not to have that stress. But then I only have fins semesters left. I am starting to see the bright light at the end of the tunnel. 

Ava is also practice walking now. The other day, she stood up by herself  (using the Bouncer) and yesterday I was helping her and she stood by herself for about a minute. I am so excited.  She also has two teeth. She has started stage two foods and is just so dang fun! I love being with her and she just makes me so happy. 

I have also been working on a few crafts, I'll post pictures of those in another post. This includes a few big pictures, Christmas count down blocks, flower bows and clips and few other things.

Bryce has also being working a lot. Her has gotten a lot if overtime, I am glad that he will have a week off at the end of this month. i wish we got to spend more time together. I love that he is a hard worker though and that while I am on break we get to spend lots of time together. 

Here are pics of the last month of our family 

 this is Ava hanging out with me, on the night if the big Blizzard...... 

I made a Chicken Gumbo and St. Nick dove Chocolate Sq 

 Ava and Aunt Taya at thanksgiving ( I bought that Hat for her, isn't it cute?)

 Family Picture on thanksgiving 

 Ava playing at grandmas Nash's

 She looks innocent... just wait...

 Uh-oh

I went to the gym and and came back and found them sleeping on the couch

 Family game night

I just love these two! She already had him wrapped around her pretty finger 

 Tasty Game piece 

 we had some left over cake batter cookie dough, so we made cookie cut outs

 Ava love's this machine When i turned it off, she chewed out the vacuum. Funniest thing ever

 My pretty tree. we decided to do an artificial one this year because of Ava

As soon as we get a house we will do real trees again 

 I just love her blue eye1 told you she wasn't innocent

 Not so innocent. she knockedthe tree over and she laughed, when I came into the room.

None of the pictures of Santa really turned out. At least she didn't cry.