Monday, July 4, 2011

Independence Day

Happy 4th of July!  I guess in the U.S.  the day is just getting started.  We had a really great day.  I explained to the kids that today was America's birthday.  The kids started singing "Happy Birthday" to America.  It was cute.  I printed out some crafts for the kids to do. I wanted today to be special.  We always spend the 4th of July with family but of course this year, it was just us.

We made toilet paper roll Bald Eagles. I collect toilet paper rolls because they are very useful for all sorts of crafts. I printed the templates out from here.  For all printable crafts, I try to use the backside of a sheet of paper that has already been used...like an old worksheet from school.  The kids cut out their eagles with a little bit of help.  They really enjoyed using the glue stick and putting their eagles together. 







The kids also enjoyed making their own firecrackers from toilet paper rolls.  They got to paint their toilet paper rolls.  After the paint dried,  we put paper over one end of the roll and put some pasta shells inside.  Then we covered up the other end with paper (just taped on).  I helped the kids fringe some colored paper that we taped to the top.  The kids enjoyed shaking their homemade firecrackers.





We printed and folded paper airplanes that were red, white, and blue. The kids enjoyed flying the planes.  I printed the planes from this site.


I did an online search and found a free printable picture of the American flag that the kids enjoyed coloring.




My son was the only one who completed his picture.  We hung it up on the door as a decoration.

We ended this great day with a barbeque.  We had barbecued chicken, corn on the cob, deviled eggs, and mashed potatoes and gravy.  I wish I had some apple pie, but that's okay, I think we had plenty of food.

After dinner we played 4th of July Bingo.  At this site you can customize your own bingo cards.  I picked the 4x4 Bingo card with the 4th of July theme.  We kept playing Bingo til it was time to get ready for bed.  The kids didn't want to stop playing. 



The kids and I had a blast today.  DH had fun with us too after he got home. It was different not celebrating the 4th of July in the U.S., but it was still a great day. What do you do to celebrate the 4th of July when living outside the U.S.?

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Cinnamon Rolls

The kids have been asking if they could have cinnamon rolls or muffins.  I found a recipe called Ninety Minute Cinnamon Rolls.  This recipe got really good reviews.  I went ahead and made a glaze/frosting for the top since many of the reviewers said they topped the cinnamon rolls with some frosting.  The cinnamon rolls were delicious!  This really was a good recipe. DH loved the cinnamon rolls too. The rolls were moist and airy...definitely not dense like some other recipes I've tried before.  I wish I had not put the frosting on top though because it was just too sweet for my tastes.  The kids really loved the cinnamon rolls and the frosting.  My youngest especially has a sweet tooth.


So here's the recipe:

Ingredients


3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup margarine, softened
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 egg
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Directions

1.Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in margarine; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.

2.In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt; mix well. Add water, egg and the milk mixture; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has just pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.

3.Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, softened margarine.

4.Roll out dough into a 12x9 inch rectangle. Spread dough with margarine/sugar mixture. Sprinkle with raisins if desired. Roll up dough and pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 equal size rolls and place cut side up in 12 lightly greased muffin cups. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

5.Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until browned. Remove from muffin cups to cool. Serve warm

I used unsalted butter instead of margarine.  I also made 7 gigantic cinnamon rolls instead of the recommended 12.  I think I will cut the roll into 12 pieces as suggested next time. I had to cook the cinnamon rolls for alot longer and they were um....enormous! I also baked the rolls in a round glass dish instead of in muffin cups. I think the cinnamon rolls would have been just great without the frosting.  If you want to add some frosting, here's a basic recipe.
 
 
Cinnamon Roll Frosting
 
Ingredients
 
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbs. butter melted
2 to 4 tbs. milk