Ooey gooey Cinnamon Rolls

Yum, a girls best friend, well, next to chocolate right?! Who doesn't love cinnamon rolls? I'll admit, they are some work, but its so worth it! Don't fret if you are trying to eat better in 2009, you can give them to friends and neighbors, but if you sneak one - good for you! Lets indulge, shall we? Gramma Sander's youngest daughter Jayne is features in my photos, the best we can get next to master's hands herself! I never tasted anything of Jayne's that wasn't fabulous, and I hear she has filled her mothers shoes quite well. So here we go!

Mmmmm...tell me you don't want to make these! I dare you!

· 1-1/2 packages (about 3-1/4 teaspoons) dry yeast
· 1/4 cup warm water
· 1/2 cup shortening
· 1/3 cup sugar
· 1-1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1 cup milk
· 1 egg
· 4 to 5 cups sifted flour
· melted butter
· brown sugar
· cinnamon
· raisins (optional)
· ---
· Vanilla Frosting
· 2 cups powdered sugar
· 1 tablespoon butter, melted
· 1 teaspoon vanilla
· milk (2 to 4 tablespoons)

Add the warm water to the yeast and soak 10 minutes.
Scald milk; pour over the shortening. Add sugar and salt and cool to tepid. Add the dissolved yeast and beaten egg. Add 4 cups flour adding one at a time beating after each addition.
Dough should be soft yet firm enough to handle. Knead on floured board until elastic and smooth. Avoid too much flour. Turn dough into well oiled bowl. Let rise for 1-1/2 hours.
Press dough down and divide into workable size. Roll dough out into a rectangle. Cover with melted butter. Layer with a generous thick layer of brown sugar. Sprinkle on cinnamon as desired. If you like raisins, layer on a layer of raisins. Roll up jellyroll fashion.
Using a scissors or a piece of string(see photo above), cut off slices about 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick. Place slices in an 9x13 greased cake pan. Let rise until rolls fill the pan generously...about another hour.
Bake at 350 oven about 15 - 20 minutes. If rolls get too brown, cover with a piece of tin foil until the end of baking. If they look almost too done when you take them out, remove them from the pan so they don't keep baking. I turn them out on a large plate, then onto another one so they are right side up.

For the Frosting:In a medium bowl, place sugar, butter and vanilla. Then stir in enough milk or to reach a thick, hardly-able to stir consistency. Spread over warm rolls as soon as they are placed on a plate (or you can leave them in the pan) to let the frosting melt and run into the rolls. Wow, I am really craving a cinnamon roll... anyone else?

Turkey Taco Salad

I found a great salad recipe the other day, and although I am not sure if Gramma Sanders even liked taco salad, I wanted to share it with you! OK, I'll admit... its not the most visually appealing salad, but its flavorful, low-cal, and delicious! You gotta try it, in fact, you can serve it with tortilla chips for dipping, instead of on lettuce, and your husband won't even know its healthy! Plus you could add gobbs of sour cream and cheese if you want a bit more fat in the dish. I had it at a luncheon (it was served with chips as a dip) and I pretty much stalked the host until she gave me the recipe, I had to have it! So here it is...


cooking spray or olive oil
1 lb ground turkey (or beef if you want)
1 pack of taco seasoning (optional)
1 15 oz can of pinto or black beans (if you wanna double the batch, I'd use one of each)
1 cup kernal corn
1 cup of bottled salsa

4-6 cups shredded lettuce (or whole leaves if you want lettuce wraps)

Topping suggestions:
*1/4 cup shredded cheese
*1 cup crushed tortilla chips
*sour cream
* tomatoes

Brown the turkey in some Pam spray or about 1 Tb of Olive Oil, then add the taco seasoning and 3/4 cup water. Let simmer about 5 minutes, then just dump everything else in. Turn down heat let simmer another 5 minutes. Remember it can be a salad, a taco, a lettuce wrap, or a nacho dip, use your imagination. Let us know if you try it!