Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls

6 Replies

Who wouldn’t be happy about a cinnamon roll?

I don’t think anyone. I think a homemade cinnamon roll would make every single person happy.

1

These made me happy. They made Greg happy. I wish I could give one to every single one of you and make you happy too.

3

We needed a little boost of happiness around here. 

Greg has been battling a cold, which is never any fun. I have been battling time management. And lack of inspiration. 

Here’s what made me happy about these cinnamon rolls:

The smell of the yeast.
The feeling of the soft dough.
Kneading the dough (to the beat of the song I was listening to).
Looking into the oven to see that the rolls were actually rising. 
Seeing the final result. 
The maple icing.
The fact that I was perfectly okay that I over-baked them a bit. No need to get upset about that.
Greg’s excitement when he saw I made cinnamon rolls.

4

These cinnamon rolls are really good. They are from Sally’s Baking Addiction, where I go for all of my baking needs. 

I made Sally’s Easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls recipe, added apple butter and iced them with maple icing. Ask anyone in my family (or the Disney crew!) how I feel about maple icing. It’s serious.

8

5

And trust me, these really are easy to make. Sally is a baking genius and she did all the hard work for us. Her recipe is easy to do and turns out wonderfully. I have had these on my mind to make for months, but I always came up with an excuse not to. Now that I finally made them, I just can’t wait to make more. Tomorrow maybe? 

7

I think cinnamon roll making is going to start happening a lot around here. I absolutely loved the process. It really was relaxing. It really did make me happy. Sometimes it just feels so, so good to slow down, to make something that takes time and a bit of attention. And to have an end result to be proud of. 

2

 

Happy Thursday!

Life Update

Leave a reply

I sure do miss the times of Week in Photos.

I miss documenting those small, wonderful things that made my days happy. I miss sharing those things with you. 

Week in Photos has not come to an end, rather, a temporary break. I’ll start doing a random update post once or twice a month, like I did here in September, sharing some life photos that I have captured. 

Some things from the past month:

We met Greg’s lab mate Kate and her husband Greg at Mt. Airy’s Street Fare in September. It was along the main road in Mt. Airy and there were around 50 restaurants/gourmet food trucks there to vend. There was also live music and activities. The four of us spent most of the evening just enjoying the beautiful weather and good conversation. Greg and I enjoyed beer from one of our favorites: Earth Bread + Brewery and ate a flatbread from there and also a lobster roll from Surf and Turf truck. I wasn’t able to get many photos before it got dark, but here are the few that I did get:

6

5

4

3

8

7

9

 We have been grilling every chance we get. We have been doing it at least every Saturday night since we got our grill. We love it. We have the perfect little backyard in which to do it in. We set up with a table that Greg got for us at a yard sale for $3 (!), some beer and just enjoy being outside. We have grilled two different kinds of veggie burgers, tuna steaks, and made grilled cheese sandwiches on the grill! We have also done brussels sprouts in our veggie rack. Here are some photos I took one night before it got dark:

 12

13

14

 15

16

18

17

And here is what Ivy cat does while we grill:

19

 

Speaking of Ivy, he has been loving life:

1

2

10

11

And last, just some photos I took one morning at work:

22

4

3

Whatever it is you do this weekend I hope that you enjoy it! 

How To: Make Your Own Pumpkin Puree

1 Reply

Hi all! How are ya?

Question for you: what is your favorite fall flavor?

Is it apple? Pear? Pumpkin? Gingerbread?

I like all that I mentioned, but I must say pumpkin is definitely a favorite. I talked about pumpkin here, with my 4-ingredient pumpkin smoothie (delicious) and here with pumpkin cupcakes. 

But let’s get back to the basics. Let’s talk about the pumpkin itself. And where that pumpkin is coming from. 

Now, if you are already a fresh pumpkin pro, you can skip this post. That’s all you will see here today: how to deal with fresh pumpkin.

To be honest, I had no idea how to use/cook with/bake with a fresh pumpkin exactly two years ago at this time.

It was fall 2011 and I got it in my mind that I would learn. I had been preparing my mom for weeks. We would do it on a weekend. We would find the perfect pumpkin, and we would turn it into a pie.

I remember Google-ing and searching the internet, over and over again. We planned days in advance, we wanted to be prepared.

Looking back at that now, it seems kind of silly. I wouldn’t change the experience — I remember having so much fun doing it. And I remember enjoying the end product immensely. The pie tasted so good, and knowing that my mom and I accomplished turning a pumpkin into a pie, made it even better.

But, it’s really not that complicated. I was under the impression that cooking/baking with a pumpkin was this crazy thing that could only happen on weekends/holidays. I was used to thinking that a pumpkin was only a fall decoration. I was under the impression that a pumpkin was like nothing else I had ever used in the kitchen.

But that’s just not true. If you are new to using fresh pumpkin in the kitchen, think of it this way: a pumpkin is just like any other squash you use. Butternut squash, spaghetti squash, even yellow squash. It may be covered by a thick skin, but inside, you will find the good stuff. Stuff that just needs a little cooking to come free from that skin. And once it’s cooked, it is so, so versatile. 

I hope that you all are ready, because after today, I will be coming at you with some pumpkin recipes! Be prepared for both sweet and savory.

Now, yes, it is easier to just use canned pumpkin. And really, I have no problem with it. Most brands, I assume, are just pure pumpkin in a can, and nothing else. And that is just fine! But using a fresh one is fun. It’s a bit more labor intensive than opening a can, yes, but in the right situation it is way more fun!

I will never forget the time my mom and I made that pie. It was fun and it was memorable. Do you want to do something fun with your daughter or your mother or friend or anyone? If you do anything this season: make a pie from a fresh pumpkin!

 Let’s talk about how it’s done. 

WORDS

Here’s the quick version:

-Preheat the oven
-Wash the pumpkin
-Cut the pumpkin in half, and then in half again
-Clean out the pumpkin seeds
-Brush the pumpkin with oil
-Roast the pumpkin for ~30 minutes
-Let the pumpkin slightly cool
-Remove the pumpkin skin
-Place the pumpkin in a food processor and puree away!

You’re done, that’s it. Now you have fresh, pureed pumpkin, ready to use in all of your favorite recipes!

Now, I’ll go into a little more detail, and show you some photos!

First, pick out your pumpkins. As far as I know, most grocery stores and markets should carry these little guys around this time of the year. They could be called pie pumpkins or sugar pumpkins. Mine were called baby pie pumpkins! The size is really up to you. How much puree do you want. The pumpkin I used was around 3 pounds (estimate) and I got a little over one cup of puree from it. 

2

After preheating the oven and rinsing the pumpkin, you will cut the pumpkin in half. It isn’t as hard as it sounds. It is much more difficult, in my opinion, to slice through a butternut squash. Pie pumpkins are much smaller and I think softer than big carving pumpkins we’re used to seeing. I just choose one side of the stem on top and cut straight down through the pumpkin. Use a very sharp, large butchers knife and it will go smoothly. Cut the pumpkin in half again, so that you have quarters. 

3

Next clean out the seeds. It’s super simple, and you’re probably used to doing it from carving pumpkins. Get a spoon and scrape away until all the seeds are out! Save the seeds, if you’d like. Clean them and roast them up for a healthy snack. For a sweet taste, I’d roast them with cinnamon and for a savory I’d do rosemary!

I then lightly brushed the inside pumpkin flesh with olive oil. I thought this would help it roast better and get more tender. Place the pumpkin quarters onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, with the skin side up, like the two in the middle in the photo below.

4

5

Roast the pumpkin in the oven for about 30 minutes. It could take longer or shorter depending on your oven and the size of your pumpkin, as well as how many you are roasting. What you are looking for is a soft, slightly wrinkled skin on the pumpkin that a fork will easily pierce through. The flesh of the pumpkin should be soft as well, and possibly slightly browned. 

6

7

8

 Let the pumpkin quarters cool a bit. You technically could remove the skin right from the oven, but it will be very hot. Once you feel it has cooled enough to touch, peel the skin from the pumpkin flesh. It should come off very easily. If you are struggling to remove the skin, the pumpkin may need more time roasting. 

9

Once you have the skin removed from the flesh, place the pumpkin into a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, I imagine that a good blender would work as well, although I have not tried that myself. Turn on the food processor and process until the pumpkin is smooth and no chunks remain.

What you’re left with is a smooth, fragrant pumpkin puree, ready to go in all of your favorite recipes. It can be used in smoothies, pies, cookies, cakes, muffins, pasta, quiche, anything! Pumpkin puree really is versatile and tastes great in both sweet and savory dishes. 

This pumpkin can be used just as pumpkin puree from a can. Treat it the same. I do find that fresh pumpkin puree has a more yellow color than that from a can, but that’s the biggest difference I’ve noticed. 

14

12

Making your own pumpkin puree is a fun process and I do encourage you to try it. It is not difficult or confusing, just some straight-forward roasting and pureeing! 

I’d love you to leave any questions in the comments section as well as letting me know if you tried making your own puree! I hope that this post can serve as a helpful guide to you.

Now, go find a pumpkin and make some puree!

Roasted Veggie Pizza with Hummus + Goat Cheese

Leave a reply

October! Where did you come from? It seems like just yesterday I was giving you guys a recap of August. It was another good month here on The Dreaming Foodie. My views nearly tripled from August! I am so unbelievably grateful for every single reader, all the time. Thank you, thank you so so much! I am grateful and very excited to see where October takes us!

Before I get to today’s recipe, let’s do a little review. 

September recipes:            

Chai Muffins with Pistachios + White Chocolate 
Curry Eggplant Pizza
Curry Stuffed Peppers with Chickpeas + Carrots
Go-To Granola
4-Ingredient Pumpkin Smoothie
Mediterranean Pasta

We also planted a garden and celebrated Amanda’s birthday!

I also wanted to share with you some old recipes we’ve made this month.

Loving lately:

Shrimp + Rice + Veggie Cabbage Wraps
Rosemary + Goat Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes 
Simple Bruschetta
Summertime Pasta Salad
Smoked Salmon Quiche
Smoky Black Bean + Cilantro Veggie Burgers
Almond Milk

Now, onto a new month with an amazing new recipe!

words

This recipe is inspired by the cafe where I work. We serve a grilled veggie wrap with grilled veggies, hummus and goat cheese, all wrapped up tight, cut in half and served pretty on a plate.

Every time I make one to serve, I want to eat it myself. It has all the things I love. A ton of different veggies, creamy hummus and the best ever: goat cheese. I think about the wrap all the time and one day I thought, how about making this into a pizza?

1

2

I really liked this curry eggplant pizza, but if curry isn’t your thing and eggplant isn’t your thing but you want to try a hummus pizza, this could be your new thing!

4

We usually grill the veggies at The Cedars House, but to be honest, I’m kind of not ready to use our grill by myself. Greg and I are getting better and better at doing the charcoal thing, but it’s just not time for me to do it myself yet. Being that I make most recipes for this blog during the day while Greg’s gone, I decided to roast the veggies rather than grill them. That being said, if you want to grill the veggies for this pizza, I know that it’d be excellent. 

6

I also made my own hummus for this pizza but you can do what is best for you! I bought a container of hummus at the store for Greg and I and I was just not in love with it at all. I bought it to save time and for convenience, but decided after eating it that I would make an extra effort to make my own from now on. It truly is so easy to make your own hummus and you can control what flavors go into it. 

My recipe for hummus was so simple. I used: chickpeas, lemon, salt, pepper and olive oil. I skipped the tahini because I didn’t have any and it is not necessary to use it, in my own opinion. I went heavy on the lemon juice because I just love that lemony flavor in the hummus and I left out fresh garlic because I knew I had put some on both the crust and the veggies. 

9

This is definitely nothing close to a traditional pizza. I baked the crust first, let it cool and then topped it and ate it without putting it back into the oven. The crust was crispy + garlicy, the hummus creamy + lemony and the veggies tender + flavorful. I did not try this myself but I imagine these toppings going great on a pita round. It would be quicker but just as delicious, I think. 

10

Also, after I was done topping the pizza, I “accidentally” had leftover roasted veggies and hummus, and thought it was excellent to dip those veggies in that hummus. Yum. Perfect little snack.

12

This is a quick weeknight meal made just for you. Go get some veggies, roast them up, spread some hummus, crumble some cheese and enjoy!

15

 

Roasted Veggie Pizza with Hummus + Goat Cheese
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Ingredients
  1. 1 pizza crust
  2. 1 garlic clove, minced
  3. 1 small eggplant
  4. 1 small zucchini
  5. 1 small yellow squash
  6. 1 medium bell pepper
  7. 1 medium red onion
  8. 2 small portobello mushrooms
  9. Olive oil
  10. Garlic salt
  11. Pepper
  12. Goat cheese
For the hummus
  1. 1 can chickpeas, 1/2 of the liquid drained
  2. Olive oil
  3. Juice from 1/2 a lemon
  4. Salt
  5. Pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400*.
  2. Prepare the crust. I rolled mine out onto a pizza stone, drizzled with olive oil and a minced garlic clove. I baked it in the oven for 20 minutes, until crispy.
  3. While the crust is baking, cut the eggplant, zucchini, squash, pepper, onion and mushrooms into equal size cubes.
  4. Place on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.
  5. Roast the veggies in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until tender and slightly browned.
  6. While the veggies are roasting, make the hummus.
  7. Combine the chickpeas and lemon juice in a food processor.
  8. Process for about 30 seconds and then drizzle in olive oil, until it has reached your desired consistency.
  9. Taste, and season with salt and pepper.
  10. When the veggies are done roasting, let cool slightly, then spread the hummus over the cooled crust.
  11. Top with roasted veggies and crumbled goat cheese.
  12. Enjoy!
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/

Mediterranean Pasta

Leave a reply

I’ll never forget the first time I had this pasta.

words

It was the end of the summer of 2011. I had just returned home from working in Florida for the summer. I was at my parents house, and Greg was there, too. My mom had told me that she just made a new pasta recipe and she could not wait for me to try it.

3

 

2

 

4

We sat outside for this meal and I remember sitting there, huge plate of pasta in front of me.

I will never forget that first bite. I’m like that. I forget a lot of things (like important things). But I never forget the first bite of something completely decadent.

I don’t remember exactly how much I ate that night, but I know that it was a lot. That pasta was like the best new thing for me.

5

My mom and I have each made this pasta many times since that night in summer of 2011. This version, the one I am sharing with you today, is my favorite way to do it. It is a staple dinner, although admittedly, one that I haven’t made for awhile. It was so nice to have this pasta again. 

8

The first time I ate this Mediterranean pasta, it had shrimp in it. It is amazing that way. If you have a desire to put shrimp in it, do it. You’ll be happy. But rest assured, it is just as good without. For a quick yet delicious weeknight dinner, I prefer it without. It comes together more quickly. 

9

 

7

The roasted tomatoes in this pasta are mind-blowing. Use any tomatoes that you have. We often times use cherry tomatoes, but when I made it for this post, I had a couple of different varieties from Three Springs. The flavor + texture that roasted tomatoes lend to pasta is truly perfect. Add in some feta cheese and you’ll never want another pasta again. Promise.

12

I load my Mediterranean pasta with spinach for health and bulk. I love me some pasta loaded with greens. And olives, a Mediterranean staple, are fantastic in this. 

You’ll see in the recipe that I gave ranges for the amount of feta and olives you add. Use more or less depending on your own specific taste. The combination of flavors is what is important, the amounts are up to you. 🙂

10

This is a simple, healthy and filling meal. I hope that you get to try this pasta and that your first bite is just as memorable as mine. 🙂

Mediterranean Pasta
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Ingredients
  1. 1 package noodles (I prefer a thick noodle, like fettuccine)
  2. 2 cups tomatoes
  3. Olive oil
  4. 2 garlic cloves, minced
  5. Salt and pepper
  6. 1/2 - 3/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
  7. About 5 handfuls baby spinach
  8. 1/2 - 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400*.
  2. Cut tomatoes into small chunks, all about equal in size.
  3. Place tomatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  4. Roast in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until soft and slightly caramelized.
  5. While tomatoes are roasting, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook noodles according to package directions.
  6. When tomatoes and noodles are done cooking, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to the empty pasta cooking pot.
  7. Add the minced garlic and cook for several minutes.
  8. Add in the spinach, roughly tearing the leaves as you add them to the pot.
  9. Stir the spinach and garlic.
  10. Add the cooked noodles, roasted tomatoes, chopped olives and crumbled feta.
  11. Stir together well.
  12. Enjoy!
Notes
  1. The amounts of olives, spinach and feta are up to you. If you love olives, add more, if not, add less. Same with feta and spinach. Use amounts that make you happy!
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/