Back in Junior High, I was taught how to make Cinnamon Rolls from scratch without yeast. At that time, I thought it was so exciting to make them instead of purchasing the pop-open can from the store. Over the years, I have been known to pull out that little piece of paper containing the recipe when there was a calling but time was of the essence. While I am grateful for that recipe, I have learned there are improvements that exist to make a much more enjoyable cinnamon roll.

Waking up every morning for me and realizing I dreamed means I slept well!!! YES! Seems like as adults getting a good nights sleep is hard to come by or is it just me? There are so many life lessons I have learned through dreaming. It has taught me to listen to my subconscious and work out issues in my life or reminded me why I love my life! It has made me realized what I like about myself and what more I want to be. It helps me make decisions about life and reminds me of oth

Anyone else excited we are finally to Spring? It seemed like this Winter lasted forever. I think it allows me to realize how much I love Spring. Open Windows, outdoor runs and Patios! Finally being able to get out of the house and spend time with those closest to me. Being Easter Weekend! It is a nice reminder of what is important in life. Being true to yourself and being surrounded with friends and family. I am grateful to have people who support me on a regular basis whethe

Hope your week is going well. My week has gone by so quickly...I think I missed part of it. But luckily the week consisted of a wonderful night out with the girls. Always love getting together to catch up, enjoy amazing food and some entertaining stories. From my experience with baking, I realize I love the process. (and the outcome isn't too bad either...lol) While I realize for me it is so much more about precision, science, etc. than the experimental/emotional aspects of c

Today was a great day! Ever had a day where you realize at the end of it...it's what life is all about!?? That was what today was for me. Catching up with friends over brunch and spending the afternoon creating new ideas in the kitchen. Do you ever have weeks where you can barely remember what needs to be done or what you did yesterday? 40 hour work weeks are completed on Wed. - Thurs......and there is still more to do. That is what my 2019 has consisted of so far! If you agr

Did you accomplish what you wanted this year? Anything you wish you would have checked off or are you excited about what you were able to accomplish. Where did the time go? I can't believe we are already to 2019. This weekend is always one of my favorites for the year and I am very sad to see it end. However, I had amazing times with friends and family that I cherish already and wouldn't trade for anything. For me, this is a time of reflection of what is possible in the futur

Let me start this post out by apologizing it has been way too long for me to give you a new post. I do have to admit life got in the way...I hope this will not happen in the future. Now that I have that out of the way, let's move along to the good stuff..... If you are like me...I love reading blogs. My favorite moments are when I find a post that is meaningful to me.....from a stranger. Today I had one of those moments. My most recent favorite blog is A Blog about Love. I lo

Fall!! Fall!! Fall!! My favorite time of year. To step outside and feel the cool breeze on the skin makes me feel alive. Tonight was the perfect evening to take a long "walk" along the river with the sun setting (if I am being realistic this was more exercise than enjoyment but it doesn't sound as peaceful as I want it to...). It is a beautiful setting with the different colors, the turning leaves and the reflections on the river. Sometimes these moments are the best when yo

Here's a little peek at next week's blog - Pumpkin Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting.......I have been working on tweaking ideas for Halloween parties coming soon. A version of this one I hope will be the end result so ......I hope you will come back next week to find out!!! This weekend was a perfect day for a roadtrip....65 degrees and sunny! The next question was where to go.......how about SE Iowa?? Yeah, when I thought if that I had friends say "what in the world is

Today was a perfect start to the Fall season. Woke up this morning to the sound of rain falling outside and a cool breeze. It was such a relief to be able to enjoy this day of rain due to the to-do list needing to be accomplished (which increased after yesterday spent with great friends!!). At the top of this list, pounds of apples needing to be used. This is the exact reason why I love apple season....the choices from which apples to pick to which recipes to make!!!! There

For the longest time, I was always nervous about creating yeast bread from scratch. The thought of killing the yeast with hot temperature and having to start over was always in the front of my mind...(and usually when the recipe used pounds of butter...lol). But over the years, I have learned with yeast it is simple...have faith in your instincts, don't rush the process and enjoy the results. Amazing how much that last sentence reflects how we should enjoy life as a whole (no

Have you ever seen a Windmill up close?? Yes, I understand someone asking about a windmill is not so "run of the mill".....Sorry I had to go there!!! But back to the windmill....I am not just talking about the standard windmills you see driving through the Midwest. I am talking about a true Dutch wooden windmill. If you have ever wandered up Route 84 in Western Illinois, you might have just passed it without realizing it since the windmill is exactly where you would not expe

Midwest summer.....where did the time go. It seemed like just yesterday it was May, there was a cool breeze in the air and I was excited to start summer. Memorial Day and the 4th have now come and gone...and we are almost to August in the Midwest. There are so many exciting things to do still this summer - day trips, street festivals, farmers markets, time with friends and amazing unexpected things yet to come. It seems like the calendar gets busier each week but when it is s

It is July and that means it is National Blueberry Month! Who can pass up any excuse to celebrate most all National "____" Months (except for National Fruit Cake Month...I could probably skip that one..lol). So since I live in the Midwest, I am happy to enjoy this time of year and celebrate fresh Michigan Blueberries. I always wonder what it would be like to experience a Michigan Blueberry Farm and harvest season (I often wonder about a lot of fruit/vegetable harvests and how

It is that time of year when the weekends start to fill up with events, parties and get-togethers where the grills are hot and fruit is a staple for the weekend picnic. I love finding recipes perfect for a sunny day at the park or a backyard picnic with friends. This weekend was one of those times (unfortunately, this weekend the summer weather had different things in mind....but a weekend is a great time to enjoy the summer no matter what). So with that in mind I decided to

On a Saturday morning, I can be found venturing to my local coffee shop to purchase a cinnamon chip scone and an almond milk cortado. The combination of the two is one of my favorite things to enjoy on the weekends. I always knew I needed to make a similar scone to fill this favorite but over the years the hunt for cinnamon chips has been futile in our local area. Aside from ordering them from great websites, I have always hoped to be able to walk in to a store and see them o

In my life, I was graced with two grandmothers who loved the kitchen. This love allowed me to be the recipient of each of their lifetime recipe collections. These collections are exciting to look through the history of what they each collected, created and shared. What I learned from these recipes is how my grandmothers together shared a wonderful friendship over recipes. It was amazing to find mixed within these collections recipes written by each of my grandmothers' own han

I have family on the East Coast....so on occasion I am able to get back there. I can say when I visit I love the getting back there and always ask myself why I don't do it more often. The history of each small town right around the corner. How close everything is....it's just a great time!!!! (Plus....hanging with family is always a plus and a lot of fun.) This experience of a house full of great people, amazing food, and a lot of fun times with my nephew. Too much fun.....S

Is life easier with the known or the unknown?? Have you ever attempted something not knowing if the end result will be what you wanted! Being human, we all probably have moments in our lives such as these. There are times the results are actually expected but other times we are surprised or disappointed by the end result at that moment without seeing the larger picture. While life would be easy if we were able to succeed at everything we take on, what would be the point? Aren

Stepping out on the front porch on a Sunday morning in April is a wonderful feeling.....the Sun shining down and the warmth in the air makes me excited for Spring. This excitement makes me realize it is time once again to make the traditional Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese frosting. Over the years, I usually have a few friends request this be made for their family Easter dinner. Of course I am happy to fill in as the baker (I know this recipe so well it can be completed with m