I Love My Life!

I just love being at home! Some people may look at my life and the things that I do each day and feel sorry for me, but I feel sorry for the women who have to work every day at a job and then come home and try to have enough energy to do all of their housework on top of it. I look at it like this: I GET to stay home! I GET to change diapers and see smiles and watch first steps and have time to inspect knitting and listen to piano practices and play blocks and Candy Land and do all of my own laundry and cook homemade dinners every night. I GET to bathe babies and give kisses and hear giggles and train and hold and cuddle--all day every day. I GET to cuddle a baby in the middle of the night and fall asleep with him in my arms and wake up to him squirming. I GET to see his smiles when he realizes he's still in mommy's arms after several hours! ;-}

I love... the smell of fresh laundry waiting to be folded!

I love... the feel of kneading dough and the smell of fresh bread baking!

I love...making special treats for my family!


Caramel-Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

We use this bread recipe and decided to try to make cinnamon rolls with it. Well, I remembered that several years ago I had made some delicious caramel cinnamon rolls and decided to try to find the recipe again. Now I remember why I haven't made them very much...I eat too much when I make them! They are soooo good right out of the oven. I just kept picking at them, and so did Derek. Here's the recipe.

Caramel-Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

CARAMEL SAUCE:

1 cup butter or margarine, cubed

2 cups packed brown sugar

1/4 cup corn syrup

1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped pecans

FILLING:

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Make one batch of Amy's bread dough, cover and let rise until double in bulk. In the meantime, for sauce, melt butter in a large saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour into a greased 9x13 dish. Sprinkle with pecans; set aside.

Punch the dough down. Turn onto a floured surface. Roll into a 17-in. x 15-in. rectangle. Spread butter to within 1/2 in. of edges. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over dough. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seams to seal.

Cut into 15 slices. Place cut side down over caramel sauce. Cover; let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes; invert onto a serving platter.

Note:

You can probably get more like 22-25 rolls out of the dough, so you may want to either divide the sauce into two separate pans or make a little extra sauce.

I am sitting...on my love seat with my daughter by my side. She is knitting a hat for her little sister Lauren for her birthday in a month.

I am drinking...ice-cold water. So refreshing after a long day's work.

I am listening...to my husband cutting the boys' hair in the kitchen.

I am loved...by the most patient man in the entire world.

I am thinking...about how much God loves me. He provides for my every need and then some.

I am thankful...that I was able to have a date with my husband today. We had such a nice time together.

Have a wonderful Sunday!