Hobbies

It has been said that you should find three hobbies you love: 

One to make you money
One to keep you in shape
One to be creative. 

I have tried for years to figure out what that saying meant. Because honestly, I didn't have any hobbies. None. There were a few things (as in, I can count them on two fingers) that I occasionally enjoyed, but really, I never had time for any of them. My life was spent running from one thing to another, rarely slowing down long enough to enjoy the moment anywhere I was. I had no time for anything extra. 

BUT, I can't even begin to tell you how much time I have "found" since being purposeful in slowing down my life! I have started doing some things I never had time to do, and a few things I never realized I even liked! It has been amazing! The hardest thing is just deciding which of the new hobbies I want to do each night! I've pretty much hopped from one thing to another, but it has been fun. And relaxing. And peaceful. And OH MY WORD, I LIKE THINGS! Who knew?!

One to be creative:

I have picked up painting... just for fun! I have painted a few props (OK, several props) for my children's ministry rooms in the past, but I've never taken time to just paint something for the sheer pleasure of it. A few weeks ago, on a lazy Sunday afternoon, I decided to paint this door sign. It took me HOURS! I had glued the pallet wood together the day before, and I painted the red before church. So by that afternoon, all I had to do was pick a font and the extra decor and then paint it. I have begun to really love fleur-de-lis! They are resembling of an iris, which I think are beautiful! So this lovely sign is now hanging on my front door to greet anyone who happens to drop by. 

I have started cooking again!! And I absolutely love it! I have spent countless hours in my kitchen with a glass of wine and some classical music playing, and just cooking up something delicious to feed my family's hungry tummies. It is beyond satisfying to see their eyes light up when they see what I've put in front of them, and to hear them say how much they love it. These lovelies, my friends, are what you call "cat head" biscuits. That means I made them super big, because that way you don't need to go back for a second biscuit. 

And I learned to crochet! Oh my word, I really, really like it! I have said for years as I watched my oldest crochet, "I have no time or patience to sit and do that." But a few days ago, I took my girl to town, bought some yarn, and asked her to show me how to make the stitches. I wanted to start with something relatively easy, so she showed me a granny square and how to make it into a blanket. My sweet girl asked if she could have my blanket for her baby. She hasn't stopped carrying it around since I gave it to her. 

One to keep you in shape:

I have taken up gardening again! Granted, it's not nearly as big and spectacular as my 7 16ft raised beds I once had. It's just a small 5X8 cinderblock bed with a few okra, tomatoes, pumpkins, bell peppers, and lettuces. And I have a small raised bed with some lavender and rosemary and mint. But it is perfect. And digging around in that dirt is super helping to keep me in shape. And I love playing in the dirt! 

One to make you money:

I am hosting a bread making workshop OH MY WORD! Baking bread is one of my favorite things in the whole world, and one of the few things I am really good at! So I decided to share that love with other ladies who wanted to learn how to bake bread. My first workshop booked up in TWO DAYS! So I decided to offer another workshop for the other ladies who didn't get in to the first. HOW EXCITING! It's coming up in a few weeks, and I can't wait! 

(P.S. If you want in on the second workshop on October 15, 2016, leave me a comment below or shoot me a message. It's going to fill up quickly!)

AND... (drum roll, please...) I AM GETTING CHICKENS!! WOOHOO!! I am BEYOND EXCITED about that fact, and I absolutely cannot wait to get them here! I am holding off ordering until Mr. Right is able to finish my coop. But as soon as I get the go-ahead, they will be on their way to me! And that will be a whole 'nother blog post, as I will swamp you with tons of pics of their fluffy selves! 

I also planted a vineyard! (OK, 2 muscadine vines, but IT'S A VINEYARD, PEOPLE!) And I am thinking about getting a few ducks, honeybees, and, if I can talk Mr. Right into it, a milk goat! I am officially calling my little slice of heaven a homestead! We are calling it A&E Farms. This 3 acres of land makes me happy. 

I can't even believe I have gone this long in life without some fun hobbies - things that just make me happy. And I have quite a few other ideas floating around in my head that I plan to try soon. I am going to have a plethora of hobbies! I seriously do not ever plan to go back to a life without all of this! 

Do you have something that makes you super happy? Something you just love to do in your down time? I'd love to hear about your hobbies! 

Southern Slow Food: Pecan Praline Sweet Rolls

I live in the Deep South where pecans are abundant. Every year, the kids and I try to go and pick up pecans from some lovely soul's home or business. To keep the kids interested while doing the monotonous work of pecan picking, I tell them it's like hunting for Easter eggs, so they'd better get to it! The one with the most pecans wins! May I just say, it never works. Pecans are not lovely eggs filled with chocolates, and the kids soon get bored and I am left to do the work - which I do not love. So usually, we end up just buying some at a local produce stand.  I try to get enough for the entire year, because, well, they are only in season for a short time and you'd better get them while you can! And there are SO many amazing foods to be made using pecans!

One of my favorite things is pecan praline. You can make this yummy, sugary stuff into a syrup to put over pancakes, candies that melt in your mouth and cause you to hear angels singing, or, my favorite, a topping/glaze for baked things!

Today, I want to share another of my favorite Southern slow foods - pecan praline sweet rolls! These lovelies are just amazing! Granted, it takes several hours to make these, but they are definitely worth it! Plus, if you make these over the weekend, you can surprise your family with a lovely Sunday morning breakfast before heading out to church. THAT, my friends, is a WIN!

Start out by scalding 1C of milk. If, like me, you had no idea what "scalding milk" is, let me explain. You are going for milk that has been heated to almost boiling, but not quite boiling. Use a whisk to keep it from burning to the bottom of your pot (which it will do very quickly!!), and also to get the milk nice and frothy! It should look like this when you're done. 

Take the pot off the heat, and drop in half a stick of butter (use REAL BUTTER here, people!). Let the milk cool down and the butter melt while you work on the next few steps. 

In a Pyrex measuring container (or a bowl), add 2 packages of active dry yeast, 1 Tablespoon of sugar (white or brown), and 2/3C warm (NOT HOT) water. If your water is too hot, it will kill your yeast and your rolls won't rise! Better to be on the cooler side than too hot!

This is what the mixture starts out looking like.

And this is what you have after 5-10 min. This is what you are going for. 

While your yeast mixture is rising and your scalded milk is cooling, mix together 2 eggs, 1/2C sugar, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg. 

My friend, Amy, brought this fresh nutmeg back straight from Guyana just for me!! She is the best! It comes in a shell (just like any other nut - which I did not know when I got these!), so be sure to crack it before trying to grate it. Yes, I tried that. Let me just say, nutmeg shells just don't grate well. (Ignore the expiration date! I keep them in my freezer, so they are still fabulous!) But do not worry! If you don't have a friend going to Guyana anytime soon, or if you can't find this in the grocery store, just use some already ground nutmeg from the spice section!

By now, your milk should be cooled and your yeast should be well risen. Add it all to your lovely bowl. Then start mixing in 5 1/2C plain flour. You're going to have to mix it about a cup at a time, and it gets pretty thick. So when you can't use your whisk anymore, just get your hands in there and get them messy! 

Now you need it to turn into a lovely dough ball. So start adding more flour and mixing in by hand. All total, I used 7C of plain flour in this batch, but yours could end up with more or less depending on things like the weather and humidity in your house. When you finish, though, it should look like this - a lovely dough ball that isn't sticky anymore and stays altogether. 

Stick this baby on a counter and cover it with plastic. Leave it alone until it looks like it's about to rise out of your bowl. Like this...

Take the plastic off and give it a good punch down. Really get out some stress here!

Take a sharp knife and cut it right down the middle. Unless you have a ton of counter space (which I do not!), you will need to make 2 rolls out of this dough. I actually use the top of my stove to roll my dough, because it's a nice, big area. And it just barely fits. 

Roll out one chunk of that dough into a long rectangle. (Be sure to cover your bowl back up, so the other dough chunk doesn't dry out.) 

** Please notice my amazing rolling pin. My amazing Mr. Right hand turned this lovely thing on his wood lathe for me several years ago. It is my favorite rolling pin ever! He's the best!

Take a second to mix up your filling, if you haven't done it already. To make the pecan praline, you need a stick of butter, a cup of chopped pecans, and a cup of brown sugar. If you really love this stuff, make a double batch! Use a pastry cutter or just your fingers to mix all of this up really well. 

Use a few Tablespoons of vegetable oil or melted butter to give your dough a good rub down. You want something that your filling will stick to, so get that oil/butter all over the top of that rolled out dough. 

Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mixture all over the top of the dough. Remember that you have another chunk of dough to roll out after this, so be sure to divide your filling in half. Or just make more. Or make the second roll just cinnamon and sugar. Lots of options here, people! 

Take your pecan praline filling and put it on half of the dough. You're only going to put it on half, because, as you roll it up, it sometimes tries to sneak out the other side. You need room on your roll to avoid this catastrophe! Go slow, work from one of the long sides, and start rolling up the dough. 

Now that you have a nice, long roll, grab a really sharp knife. Cut the roll into slices about 1 inch wide. Lay the circles on a greased pan. Spray the tops of the rolls with Pam and cover them with plastic. Stick them on the counter and let them rise until they are about double in size. This will take about an hour. 

After these had risen as much as I wanted them to, I put some of my pecan praline filling on top of each one. As they cook, the butter would melt into each roll and leave a sugary, buttery goodness!

Into the oven they go! Cook them at 375 degrees for about 20-25 min. I always use at least one glass pan, so I can see the bottoms. If the bottoms are golden, they are done! 

While these babies are cooking, take a minute to mix up an icing glaze. All you need is about a cup of powdered sugar and a couple Tablespoons of milk. Use enough milk to make it as thick or thin of an icing as you'd like. And if you get too much milk, no worries! Just add a little more powdered sugar! You can really never have too much icing!

After they come out of the oven, pour your glaze on them immediately. The hot sweet rolls will suck that icing right in, and it will be just fabulous! This is the finished product!

Thankfully, this recipe makes several pans of sweet rolls!! Because my children were standing around watching them cook and waiting until the moment I pulled them out, so they could grab one for a snack! And then we had them again for breakfast this morning!

There are lots of variations to this recipe. If you don't live where you can easily get pecans, use walnuts. If you don't like nuts, go with just cinnamon and sugar. You can really fill these sweet rolls with any number of things! 

If you give these a try, I'd love to hear how they turn out for you. And how your family loved them. And how your weekend was just perfect because you took some time to cook for your family. 

Pecan Praline Sweet Rolls

1 C milk

1/4 C real butter

2 packages active dry yeast

1 Tablespoon sugar

2/3 C warm water

1/2 C sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

5 1/2 C plain flour (plus more for kneading)

Filling: 

1 C chopped pecans

1 stick butter

1 C brown sugar

Directions:

Scald milk. Remove from heat and add butter. Allow to cool completely. 

Mix together yeast, sugar, and water, and let rise for 5-10 min or until very bubbly.

In a large bowl, mix together remaining sugar, eggs, salt and nutmeg. Add in bubbly yeast and cooled milk/butter mixture. 

Mix in flour, 1 C at a time. After mixing in the 5 1/2 C, begin kneading in extra flour, 1 C at a time, until you get a smooth, elastic dough that is no longer sticky. Allow to rise until doubled, about 1-2 hours. 

While dough is rising, mix up the filling. Using a pastry cutter, fork, or fingers, mix together the butter, brown sugar, and pecans until you have a nice crumble that is well incorporated. 

When dough has risen, punch down. Cut the dough in half. Roll out one half of the dough into a rectangle. Oil top of dough, and add filling. Roll up into a long tube, and cut into 1" circles. Place on a greased baking sheet, cover, and allow to rise until sweet rolls are double in size. Repeat with remaining half of the dough. After rolls have risen, add extra topping, if desired, and put in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20-25 min. 

A powdered sugar icing/glaze can be added when the sweet rolls are taken out of the oven. Eat while hot, or cover and save for tomorrow's breakfast! 

Slow Food: Yeast Bread

One of my most favorite things in the whole world is baking homemade bread. It is heavenly. And the smell leaves my house smelling simply amazing. It's one of the few things in this life that I am actually really good at. But it wasn't always that way.

I remember shortly after Mr. Right and I married deciding to try my hand at yeast bread. I knew nothing on the subject. Seriously. Growing up in the south, I could make a great pan of cornbread or homemade biscuits, but this was altogether different. I cannot even tell you how many loaves came out of the oven overcooked or under-cooked and doughy in the middle, or just went straight in the trash before ever even making it to the oven! But that smell..... It just kept calling to me! And I kept coming back over and over and over again to give it another try.

And then one day, it finally happened! All the recipes and instructions I had read finally made sense (mainly because I "accidentally" got it right, so I could actually see what they were talking about), and the perfect loaf of bread emerged from my oven! It was a happy day!

It took me several YEARS to actually get this bread making thing right. And even still, sometimes I still don't hit the mark with perfection. But most days, I can turn out a pretty amazing batch of homemade bread. I finally found a recipe in a cookbook that I actually LOVE, so it's the one I stick with now. I know it's good.

Several friends have asked for my bread recipe, so today I wanted to share it with all of you lovely readers. It's not a secret recipe. It came out of an Amish cookbook I bought on a trip with Mr. Right to Eureka Springs, AR several years ago. I love sharing it! Really though, most people just don't want to spend the 4+ hours it takes to make it. But if you want to try your hand at it, I encourage you to go for it! I promise, you will be glad you did!




First, you start with a great bowl! My mom bought me this lovely piece from a local antique shop a few years back. She knows I love antique dishes. It takes me back to a slower time. And really, they just had great patterns on their dishes back then!!

In a separate bowl or Pyrex measurer, you'll need 1C lukewarm water, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, and 2 Tbsp yeast. 

Tip #1: Lukewarm water means warm bathwater temperature. Nice and warm, but not hot at all. Better to be too cool than too hot, because you will kill your yeast. You'll know it's dead if it doesn't start getting bubbly within a few minutes. 

Tip #2: I am currently using Platinum brand yeast, but only because it is what was on sale at my grocery store. Any good active-dry yeast will work great. Each packet contains 1 Tbsp, so you'll need 2 packets for this recipe. (I made half a recipe, so the pictures will reflect this.)

The warm water wakes up your yeast, and the brown sugar feeds it. It causes the yeast to then give off gasses which make it bubbly. This is what makes your bread rise and causes it to be nice and fluffy. So give your yeast/sugar mix at least 5 min to start getting nice and foamy. It should look like this.

While you're waiting on the yeast to rise, grab your lovely bowl again and start mixing up your dough. You'll need 1C sugar, 1Tbsp salt, and 1/2C oil. Give it a good stir with a whisk. Then add a quart of lukewarm water and stir it all together well. Add in 4 cups of plain flour (NOT self-rising!) and mix well. 

At this point, your yeast should be ready. Pour it into your lovely bowl and mix it in with the flour mixture. 

Add 3 more cups of plain flour to this bubbly mixture. 

You should be noticing that the dough is super sticky and you can't really mix it anymore with that whisk. Ditch the whisk and start using your hands. This is the fun part, people, so get your hands in there and get mixing! 

Keep adding flour, about 1C at a time, and mixing well. There really is no specific amount of flour to use. It depends on several things, like the weather. Seriously. So don't freak out over that fact. Just keep mixing in flour until your dough isn't sticky anymore, your fingers are relatively clean, and the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl easily. You are going for a dough that isn't sticky and is resembling of a rubber band. Trust me, you'll know it when you get there! 

And no worries if you don't add enough flour. Your bread will just have a few more holes in it. Or if you add too much flour, it will be a little more dense. But it will still be edible! Just make notes for the next time you bake bread and adjust accordingly. 

Once you get all your flour mixed in, you'll need to give your bowl a good oiling. Super simple! Just lift your dough with one hand, and pour in some vegetable oil using the other. A couple of tablespoons is enough. Lay your dough back into the bowl and give it a good turn. Keep turning it over until it's coated with oil all over. This keeps it from sticking to the bowl or the covering you put on it while it's rising. 

Put a wet towel or some plastic wrap over the top, and set this baby aside to rise in a nice, warm place. I usually move mine to my laundry room, since it's usually quite a bit warmer in there than the rest of my house. But really, just leaving it on your counter will do fine. 

Let it rise for a few hours until it is doubled in size. It should be trying to grow out of the top of the bowl. At this point, give it a good punching down several times. Set it aside again for a second rise. 

When it has doubled in size for the second time, take off the covering and punch it down one last time. Using a sharp knife (or your hands to pull the dough apart), cut it in 5-6 equal pieces. (This recipe makes 5-6 loaves of bread!) Put the dough in loaf pans that have been sprayed with Pam. Cover them and let them rise until they are peeking over the tops of the pans. 

Side note: If you don't have 5-6 loaf pans (I don't!), you can also bake in batches or use a 9X13 pan to make rolls! 

When your dough has risen to the tops of the pans, start heating your oven to 350 degrees. After it's preheated, bake the loaves for 30-35min. 

Something to remember - the tops will be brown before it's actually finished cooking. I like to bake at least one loaf in a glass pan, because I can see the bottom. When the bottom is nice and brown, THEN it is ready! If you take it out too soon, the middle will be doughy. Trust me, you don't want this! Here is what your finished product should look like!

As soon as I take my bread out of the oven, I slather it with melted butter. REAL butter! And lots of it! The warm bread just sucks it right up, and it is just fantastic! You will definitely want to cut a slice immediately to eat. Be prepared to share with the others in your household, though, because the smell while this is baking will be calling to them! 

This recipe makes 5-6 loaves of bread. Sometimes I make the whole recipe, and sometimes I cut it in half. Most of the time, I give at least one loaf away. This beautiful loaf pictured above was a gift to a sweet friend at church. I have used this bread as thank-you gifts for any number of things. Or "just-because" gifts, because really, it's fun to just give a gift for no reason at all! 

This is one of my favorite slow foods ever! I hope you'll give it a try, and then come back and let me know how it turned out! And if you have any questions or problems with your bread making endeavors, I'd be happy to help you out. Bread making really is an art, and I absolutely LOVE seeing people try their hand at it!