Sweets for a rainy day!!

Good day all!!!

I thought I would share with you, a couple of great recipes I found.

The first is for the Cinnamon Almond Buns.

It is a simple Recipe from my Bread maker book.

But I changed the glaze a little and added the slivered almonds.

Even though I used my bread machine to make the dough you

don't have to, but it sure is easier than kneading the dough for 20 min.

Cinnamon Rolls

24 rolls

Dough

egg, room temp. + 1

enough water 80˚F/27˚C to = p cup + 1 TBL

oil 1 TBL

sugar 1 TBL

salt 2 tsp

bread flour 24 cups

Red Star®

active dry yeast 12 tsp

Filling

dark brown sugar 1 TBL

butter, softened 3 TBL

cinnamon 22 tsp

Icing

butter, softened 3 TBL

powdered sugar 3 cup

vanilla 1 tsp

water 2 TBL

Place dough ingredients only in Bread Pan.

Use Dough mode and 2 Dough menu

1. When cycle is complete, divide dough in half. On

lightly floured surface, roll half into a 12 x 9-inch

rectangle. Combine filling ingredients and sprinkle

half evenly over dough.

2. Starting with the longer side, roll up tightly, pinch

edge to seal cut into 12 slices. Place on greased

cookie sheet or cake pan. Repeat with remaining

half of dough.

3. Cover, let rise until indentation remains after touching the side of the roll. Bake in preheated oven at

350˚F/177˚C for 20 to 25 minutes.

4. Remove from cookie sheet. Combine icing ingredients, adding only enough water to smooth. Drizzle

over warm rolls.

( I used Almond extract instead of Vanilla and added almond slivers to the tops)

Cinnamon Almond Buns

Like cinnamon rolls

but better!!

Pecan Burbon Bundt Cake

This comes from Cooks Country or Americas Test Kitchen.

It looked so good and I absolutely love love love Pecans.

Pecan Burbon Bundt Cake

Pecan Burbon Bunt Cake with a Burbon Glaze and Pecan Filling

Serves 12

For this recipe, we recommend using light or mild molasses so it won’t overpower the subtle bourbon flavor.

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

NUT FILLING

1 cup (4 ounces) pecans, toasted and chopped fine

½ cup packed (3½ ounces) light brown sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

CAKE

3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ cup buttermilk, room temperature

¼ cup light molasses (see note above)

¼ cup bourbon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2¼ sticks unsalted butter, cut into chunks and softened

1¾ cups (12¼ ounces) granulated sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 large egg yolk, room temperature

BOURBON GLAZE

1¾ cups (7 ounces) confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 tablespoon light molasses

1 tablespoon water

Pinch salt

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. TO GREASE PAN: Combine melted butter and flour. Using a pastry brush, thoroughly coat surface of a 12-cup Bunt pan.

3. FOR THE NUT FILLING: Toss all of the filling ingredients together in a medium bowl.

4. FOR THE CAKE: Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk, molasses, bourbon, and vanilla together.

5. In a large bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes. Beat in the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, until combined, about 1 minute.

6. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in one-third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat with half of the remaining flour mixture and the remaining buttermilk mixture. Beat in the remaining flour mixture until just incorporated.

7. Scrape half the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle evenly with the nut filling. Scrape the remaining batter over the nuts and smooth the top. Wipe any drops of batter off the sides of the pan and gently tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter. Bake the cake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

8. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip it out onto a wire rack. Let the cake cool completely, about 2 hours.

9. FOR THE BOURBON GLAZE: Whisk all of the glaze ingredients together until smooth, then let sit until thickened, about 25 minutes. Drizzle the bourbon glaze over the top and sides of the cake. Let the glaze set, about 25 minutes, before serving.

I really hope on the next rainy day you decide to make one of these treats...I promise the work is worth it.

Waiting till everything is cooled is the hardest part...But it is worth it!!

Love, Peace and Joy

Victoria

Your Guide to Free Summer Fun via The Money saving mom.

A Cape Cod Summer

2011

I want to be clear... this is where I got lots of info and really happy to find so many cool things to do for free and almost free.

http://moneysavingmom.com/2010/05/your-guide-to-free-summer-fun.html

I have posted links to most all of these places on my Facebook Page, and many links

with the captions for the pictures that follow as well.

We all know summer is fun, but there are so many days that you have "down time" no plans, and really no desire to go anywhere. But then you hear "i'm bored" and you better have stuff on hand or at least an Idea of where to go or what to do to make that whinny voice go away.

Last summer Gary and I had the wonderful Blessing of hosting our Nephews for the summer months into the fall...

As I knew they were coming I scoured the internet, the Library and kept my eyes open to all the daily deal sites out there...like Livingsocial, groupon etc...

I was rewarded with a summer of FUN because I planned ahead. many things were at our leisure or so flexible we could switch them around if we needed to because of weather or last min "episodes", the kids may have had. Or other fun opportunities that came our way!!!

we were very blessed that there were no illnesses, no accidents, no real incidents at all. It was a fun summer, one I will never forget!!

Here is what we did............ In no particular order.......

Gary and the Boys last ride on the Green Machine.

Jesse was so happy to go on the tractor pull!!

The corn maze!!

A horse drawn hay ride!!

Pony ride for Jesse!!

Anthony's first Pony ride!!

Monster faces on the hay ride!!

I found a great deal on Saveology, for this really cool farm

we all had a blast there.

Living on beautiful Cape Cod gives us a great many places to do FREE fun things.

In this case the Cranberry bog(less than a mile from my home) was being harvested. It was a neat experience for the kids!!

What a fun teaching moment, they love cranberries Raw!!! Lol.

Here we had a fun pre- Halloween Party before the boys went home.

This was the decorate your own Halloween cookie station!!

These are the make your own Pizzas the boys did!!

Here is Miss Grace helping the kids make their pizzas!!

Aunty Hannah(my sister in law) got these cool dino costumes for the kids!!

(we got them at old navy, but you can get them on ebay now)

Here is the Annual Pumpkin Festival in Falmouth,MA.

Hannah and the boys on a horse drawn wagon ride!!

Jesse on another horse ride!!

Anthony on his second ever horse!! He loved it!!

This is one of the FREE Lowes Build and Grow workshops!!

The boys (built) a monster maker...it was near Halloween time!!

Hannah and Brian had a cool box the kids (and Hannah) made into an

airplane named Jack Jack...lol

Blog on Box Crafting!!

Family Fun!!

They had a blast!!

then we all built a fire, the kids gathered sticks from the woods!!

and roasted marshmallows and told ghost stories....free fun!!

Recipes!!

A free playground near the school.

With my brother in law Jim!!! He is a big kid!!

Another day at a free playground, they loved the rock wall!!

More rock wall!!!

Balance, dexterity and coordination skills!!!

and they don't even know it!!!

Hannah bought then a little bike, and LET Jesse ride it in the house....lol

She had so much fun with them!!

A bike ride around the neighborhood(free) and Fun!!

Beach Playground at Peters Pond Campground where my husband works!!

Some really great friends at Peters Pond took me and the boys out on their

boat fishing. Jesse caught and reeled in his first fishes!!! 4 to be exact!!!

He was so proud!!

We grow a garden every year, here we harvested the Potatoes!!

Who knew that boys would be so excited to go digging in the dirt!!!

Anthony loved to show off the potatoes he found!!!

and they loved to eat them !!!

They said that they were their potatoes!!!

Relaxing with Brian and Hannah at their house!!

Hannah's parents took us out on their boat in Chatham Harbor.

Hannah and her mom took the boys on a nature walk near the light house!!

Here the boys are enjoying the ride. They each took turns (driving) the boat!!

The annual Labor Day block party on Birch street, Simon says competition...

From kids up to adults love this tradition!!

Here the boys are with their prizes(no one is a looser) :)

A fun afternoon spent with my mother in law, That tractor is over 20 years old!!!

The kids loved it all summer long!!

We also had down time..here is Jesse with our dog Cali!!

don't be alarmed she loved the kids so much

and they could do no wrong...lol

Here was a water fight on the deck. I gave them a bucket of water, a couple

of water guns and let them have fun!!

They loved it!

Water Games!!

Sorry the picture is turned...here we had homemade pasta.

Anthony loved it and some of it made it into his mouth I am sure...lol

At 4 and almost 3 the simple things really were fun for them.

I would get the "car cart" when we went to the store as often as we could

find one not in use. and I would pretend they were "driving crazy"

they loved it!!

Here we were at Cartland. I bought a Groupon for this one.

Gary and Jesse in a cart!!

Me and Jesse enjoying an ice cream at Cartland!!

Gary and Anthony on a bumper boat at Cartland!!

Our Ferry ride to Nantucket(a purchase from Groupon)

round trip for four, the kids love boats!!

We found a great little FREE beach area and Playground

on Nantucket where the kids had a blast swimming!!

We took a fun bus trip around the Island, this was a stop for

a picture by the lighthouse!!(me and the Boys)

Gary and the boys in front of the lighthouse!!

Here we are on the ferry ride home...Great trip!!

I love to encourage the kids to help me cook, here

Jesse is making tuna wraps for our picnic lunch!!

(notice the cute dollar store apron!!)

We set up our tent in the yard and camped out.

They fell asleep listening to the crickets.

their only complaint was how loud it was outside...lol

(city kids :)

They slept straight through the night on their cot.

I loved that it was big enough for both of them!!

Cali is an old pro at camping out and

our tent has a cool bump out just for her!!

Here in our town we have Heritage Museums and Gardens.

I got a family membership for $75 for a year.

We went to so many fun things there,

and they have a really great area for the kids

called Hidden Hollow. A nature explorers dream!

Jesse loved to water the plants !

( he could pump the water into the can all by himself)

Here we saw a concert on the lawn@ Heritage!!

Benrudnick.com

their favorite song was Sam the frog!!

I was never afraid to take the kids out to eat,

they were loud sometimes, but never bad!!

Here we had Chinese food @ Tikiport in Hyannis!!

This was a fun trip to the

Buttonwood Park Zoo in Newbedford,MA

(free tickets through my public Library)

The kids were scared at first, but they

posed for a quick pic with the giant black bear!!

The petting zoo portion of Buttonwood!!

They just love pony's!!

Plymouth Plantation, Plymouth,MA

(tickets from my library, free for the kids, $10 for me and it included

the Mayflower II , we didn't have time for :( next time!!)

The Fort in the Plantation.

Kids on one of the massive cannons.

Here they are sitting at one of the tables

inside one of the houses in the English Village

in Plymouth Plantation.

Anthony ,flirting with one of the Pilgrim ladies.

They enjoyed him(as all the girls do)

They stay in character the whole time, so cool!!

A stop in the gift shop before we left for

a souvenir and then a quick pose under the sign!!

Another great FREE event to do with the kids is

see baseball! This is The Cotouit Kettleers

last game of the season!!

The Cape Cod Baseball League!!

Baseball fans!!!

What a great time we had!!!

and Ice cream after!!

Grace and Gary and I took the kids to one of the Braclet days.

@ the Barnstable County Fair.

One fee to ride as many rides as they can!!

We coordinated their outfits so they would

be easy to find in such a large crowd.

But fun was had by all!!

The playground at Peters Pond Sandwich,MA.

( let me just say before you go to the above website

PPP has many bad reviews, and a sad few years after it was sold

to a new owner in 2006. But it is still a great place to camp for a weekend

and we have many fond memories of friends and family there.)

Here we are feeding the fish at the Fish Hatchery in Sandwich,MA

We loved having "school days" with the boys

(Lucas 4, Dylan 2 3/4 , Jesse 4 and Anthony2 3/4)

They still talk about it!!

A stroll around our neighborhood

after supper with Brian and Hannah!!

( I bought the wagon, but we only used it a few times :( )

After an afternoon of Backyard water fun

with the kids at Miss Grace's house

There was yummy watermelon!!!

As I said before we feel very blessed to have had the long summer with Jesse and Anthony

It was not just a great time of bonding, but a great time of learning for them.

We were able to do so much with them that they don't normally get to do, and I feel so lucky to have given them so many firsts in their young lives. We did so many more things with them than I was able to put here. But these were the highlights, and you get a great picture of all the low cost and some times free!!! fun you can have on Cape Cod. I can't wait to take them on a whale watch some time!!

All it takes is some planning, and some patience. The internet and a few great public resources...and you can also make your home town a great place for the summer!!

I wish you all

Love in your Heart,

Peace in your Mind,

and

Joy in your Life!!

~Love, Victoria~