Monday, April 23, 2012

"Don't Drop your Phone in the River!"

Soooo, Yesterday Chad and I and a couple of friends went on a walk after dinner at the house and we headed to the river. This was a good idea, except Chad brought his cell phone, (I phone 4) and had no pockets. Since he did not have pockets he did the 'I'll just stick it in my waistband' move. 
This was great worked like a charm as we dredge through shallow parts of the river to get to a place to throw some rocks, the first two times...

We were almost to this beautiful spot on the river, a little plateau of sorts in the middle of the rushing river, so beautiful! 
I am moving a little slower, of course :) and Chad lovingly, and kindly, turns around to give me support on the slippery rocks as my bare feet were begging for soft sand! Of course, on his last step he took in the water (literally a couple inches from the dry land) his phone slips into the water!!!
It turned this sweet moment and this great FREE trip to the river into a two hundred dollar swim! 
He grabbed his phone within seconds after it was submerged, and it had turned completely off! We both sighed and thought that was definitely the death of Mr I phone! 

I did my best to contain my disappointment, it is truly revealing when you react to something poorly and it takes all of you to not be mad! or to say I told you so! Man, I needed Jesus' strength to not be the rude fleshly person that I wanted to be :( I was humbled by this experience... I was just so sad... 
The beautiful river seemed like a beast now, sucking up everything in its path. I was sure I was going to fall in next and all I wanted to do was get out of the river and go home and get his phone fixed! Definitely had to pray about that afterward, belongings should not make me 'move' like that! 

Anyways, long story long, our friends told chad "put your phone immediately into rice at home." 
Dry rice:
Do not shake the water out or even remove the SIM card, or anything, just stick it into a bed of rice and let the rice drain out the water over night!
This is my phone, in attempt to reenact this for your benefit :)
 I thought this was too good to be true and would never work, but to my surprise only 6 hours later before we had even gone to sleep the phone was on again and was working fine! 
I went to check on the phone, expecting the rice to be all wet and sticky or something and found the phone shining its light and on! It was a miracle indeed.
We still left it on the rice overnight to try to pull out as much water as possible! 
I was sooooo happy! 

Yes, that is my handsome Grandpa (I miss him dearly)

With a little prayer and some rice your water drenched phone can be fixed again! 
I was so happy with the results and sine this is such an easy trick, I thought I would share it with y'all!
Next time just dont bring the phone with you... but if you do, and it drops in the water, this is what you should try to revive the cell phone! 

Monday, April 16, 2012

Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

The Coveted Cinnamon Pull apart bread!



I meant to put this recipe up a while back but did not find the time. 
This cinnamon bread was sooo good! But quite time consuming to make. I got this idea from pinterest which directed me to http://joythebaker.com/2011/03/cinnamon-sugar-pull-apart-bread/
She has a great tutorial as well. I did add a little bit more flour since I was having such a difficult time getting my dough to not be too sticky to work with. 
Joy the baker is an awesome blog and I encourage you to look at her stuff! Beware you will be hooked ... she is amazing!

Anyhow, lets get this started!
Joy the Baker's Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread Makes: one 9x5x3-inch loaf

For the Dough:
2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (I used 3 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Filling:
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned


In a large mixing bowl (I used just the bowl of my stand mixer) whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Set aside.
Whisk together eggs and set aside.
In a small saucepan, melt together milk and butter until butter has just melted. Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract. Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125 degrees F.
Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula or whisk. Add the eggs and

stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter. The eggs will feel soupy and it’ll seem like the dough and the eggs are never going to come together. Keep stirring. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes.
The mixture will be sticky. That’s just right.
Place the dough is a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. *The dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning. If you’re using this method, just let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below.
While the dough rises, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the filling. Set aside. Melt 2 ounces of butter until browned. Set aside. Grease and flour a
9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Set that aside too.
Deflate the risen dough and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out. The dough should be 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long. If you can’t get the dough to 20-inches long... that’s okay. Just roll it as large as the dough will go. Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough. Sprinkle with all of the sugar and cinnamon mixture. It might seem like a lot of sugar. Seriously? Just go for it.
Slice the dough vertically, into six equal-sized strips. Stack the strips on top of one another and slice the stack into six equal slices once again. You’ll have six stacks of six squares. Layer the dough squares in the loaf pan like a flip-book. Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size.
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Place loaf in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown. The top may be lightly browned, but the center may still be raw. A nice, dark, golden brown will ensure that the center is cooked as well.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.    Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and invert onto a clean board. Place a cake stand or cake plate on top of the upside down loaf, and carefully invert so it’s right side up. Serve warm with coffee or tea.
I think this bread is best served the day it’s made, but it can also we wrapped and kept at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Photo Tutorial:
In a large mixing bowl (I used just the bowl of my stand mixer) add your 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.
Whisk these ingredients together and set aside

 In a small saucepan, melt together milk and butter until butter has just melted.
 Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract.

  Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125 degrees F.

 Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula or whisk.

Add the eggs: You can scramble them before hand so that you don't have to worry about distribution 

Mix them together till smooth

 If it is still a little watery add some flour (little dab will do here)
 This is sticky dough... keep it that way! Sticky is good!

 You should make yours a little smoother than this... oops! 

Spray a bowl that you are going to let your dough rise in.
Make sure to spray it well because this is sticky dough and it will make your life easier when it comes to getting this stuff out :)

Add your dough to the greased bowl

Cover your bowl with seran wrap and a towel and place in a warm area for at least 1 hour!
*The dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning. If you’re using this method, just let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below.

I placed mine in my oven that I turned on warm for the hour and it rose really nicely and was over twice the size when the time was up to roll it out!

While the dough rises, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the filling. Set aside. Melt 2 ounces of butter until browned. Set aside. Grease and flour a
9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Set that aside too.


 Deflate the risen dough and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes.

 On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out. The dough should be 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long. If you can’t get the dough to 20-inches long... that’s okay. Just roll it as large as the dough will go. Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough.

 Sprinkle with all of the sugar and cinnamon mixture. It might seem like a lot of sugar. Seriously? Just go for it.

 Slice the dough vertically, into six equal-sized strips. Stack the strips on top of one another and slice the stack into six equal slices once again.

You’ll have six stacks of six squares.

 Make sure to cut them evenly and delicately.

Layer the slices in the pan like a flip book carefully.
Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Place loaf in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown. The top may be lightly browned, but the center may still be raw. A nice, dark, golden brown will ensure that the center is cooked as well.

 Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.

  Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and invert onto a clean board. Place a cake stand or cake plate on top of the upside down loaf,
and carefully invert so it’s right side up.

 I added a little cream cheese frosting to mine and it was divine!
Serve with coffee or tea and it will be sure to make your guests pleased!
 Enjoy!
Janelle Dutcher

Friday, April 13, 2012

Been MIA

To all my wonderful readers,
 
So I wanted to take a moment to apologize to my awesome followers and friends for going MIA for a while. I just started a new job and have had zero time to tutorial my meals! I will be adding a few goodies this weekend and next week... 

I hope that you all enjoyed your Easter Sunday! I sure did! I love love love this time of year! The blooms, the fresh produce, the aroma of spring time barbeques, and lots of fun times with family and friends! This spring time is the preamble for the summer Bliss! 

I need to start my garden soon.. so I will have a few posts up about gardening as well coming up! My garden has some crazy weeds right now... so I have some work to do!!! 

Today is Chad's birthday! I have a fun weekend planned with Baseball, shooting range, good food, the daffodil parade and festival, and lunches with good friends! This should be a great weekend.. Thankfully we have SUNSHINE!! This is a rare event for this time of year, and I'll take it! It is here on the perfect weekend.

I will get better at keeping up on my posts, thank you for your devotion, support, and understanding in these new seasons of my life! 
Blessings,
Janelle Dutcher

Monday, April 2, 2012

Paper Flowers Tutorial


These Flowers were really fun to make. and easy, but they do take about 5 minutes per flower... 
BUT look at them, they are totally worth it right! so cute... I love decorating with them... 


Here is what you will need: 
Glue gun (low setting preferred)and glue sticks, a book that you can tear the pages out of (or scrapbook paper), scissors, and skewers.

 First:
tear out a page from your book

Second:
using a pencil draw a continuing spiral (circle) on your page.
I found that starting with the outside and working my way in to the center was easiest 
  
 Fourth:
cut out your circle from your on the lines that you drew all the way to the center.

Fifth: 
make sure your glue gun is warmed and ready and start by rolling your furthest edge of your cut out tightly to create the center of your rose bud.

Sixth:
After you have rolled the paper a few times add a little dab of glue and keep rolling, be sure to add a little at a time so you dont see the glue when the bud is done.
Having a low setting glue gun comes in handy here because you don't have to worry about burning your fingers!  

as you work your way down the spiral repeating these last few steps of rolling and gluing turn the pages a bit under previous layer to make a petal appearance
At the end of your cut out glue it to the other side to close the hole that is made from gluing your flower and this is where the skewer will go. (the hole in this is from a skewer not from the cut out) 

This is what it should look like at the end!  

Seventh:
Now where you saw that hole in the picture above at the bottom of my bud, this is where you stick a skewer in your flower and walla it is done! A fun way to make a great bouquet is by making some with shorter skewers and others with longer so you can layer your flowers nicely...

These look great almost anywhere! And Im sure your guests will be impressed! Make these as gifts or just for your own home accessories! I would love to make a spring wreath out of these... (if I could only find the time do do a couple hundred of these) ha!
I hope that you have a fun time crafting like I did! And please let me know if I can help explain the steps to making these flowers any better... I hope that it made it clear enough for you to do at home!
Remember no flower is identical in nature and neither will any of yours that you make on paper! They are beautiful in variety.. have fun with it!
Blessings,
Janelle Dutcher