Homemade Comforting Cinnamon Roll Recipe

Welcome back friends! Who would like some warm and comforting, homemade cinnamon rolls on one (or more) of these cold winter mornings? Maybe at a table with some coffee or tea and a good book? Or maybe a good movie or show? I know I do, so let’s bake some!

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH

  • 1 cup of warm milk
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons of instant dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup of salted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
  • 4 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1 teaspoon of salt

FILLING

  • 1 cup of brown sugar, packed 
  • 1/2 cup of salted butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons of cinnamon
  • 1 cup of heavy cream, divided

TOPPING

  • 1/3 cup of salted butter, softened 
  • 6 ounces of cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups of powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon of vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Pour the warm milk into a large bowl and sprinkle it with the yeast.
  2. Add the butter, eggs and sugar, then mix until well combined.
  3. Add 4 cups of the flour and the salt, then mix until well combined.
  4. Scrape the dough off the beater blade and knead for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough is elastic and smooth.
  5. Spray another large bowl with cooking spray and use a rubber spatula to remove the dough from the mixer bowl and place in the greased bowl.
  6. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise until doubled in size (about 30 minutes to an hour).
  7. While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. In a medium bowl, combine the soft butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and 1/2 cup of heavy cream; mixing it until well combined, then set it aside.
  8. Once the dough has risen, sprinkle a pastry mat generously with flour, and turn the dough onto the mat. Sprinkle the top of the dough with more flour.
  9. Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough to about 24” x 15” rectangle (though it does not have to be exact).
  10. Use a rubber spatula to smooth the filling over the whole dough rectangle.
  11. Starting at the long end, roll the dough up tightly.
  12. Cut the roll into 12 slices and place in a greased 9×13” baking pan.
  13. Cover the pan and allow the rolls to rise for 20 minutes or until nearly double.
  14. Pre-heat the oven to 375F.
  15. Warm the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream until the chill is off, then pour if over the risen rolls, allow it to soak in and around.
  16. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until gold brown and the center rolls are cooked through. Time will vary so keep an eye on them! If they are getting too brown, cover with aluminum foil.
  17. While the rolls are cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting. In a large bowl combine the cream cheese and butter, blending well.
  18. Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar, then beat until combined.
  19. Spread the frosting over the cooled rolls.

*To save time in the mornings, you can also prepare the dough the night before. Make the dough and proceed to the second rise when the rolls are in the pan. Once risen, cover them up again and put them in the refrigerator until morning. In the morning, remove them from the refrigerator and allow them to sit for about 30 minutes before baking.

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Cozy Classic Christmas Playlist 2020

Cozy Christmas Playlist 2020Welcome to the cozy month of December my friends!

My family and I have created a playlist of cozy, classic Christmas music for you and yours! Christmas may be celebrated a little differently this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t kindle a little Christmas spirit!

This year we’ve decided to focus on the “tried and true” classic Christmas songs that leave a cozy feeling in your heart and soul. Primarily Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters, with a few other artists sprinkled in, including Seth Macfarlane who, although a modern artist, fits in handsomely!

Please let us know if we missed or left out any of your classic Christmas favorites you feel should be included! We’d love to hear from you!

Cozy Classic Christmas Playlist 2020

  • CHRISTMASTIME IS HERE | Vince Guaraldi Trio
  • IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS | Perry Como & The Fontane Sisters
  • THE CHRISTMAS SONG | Nat King Cole
  • IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF YEAR | Andy Williams
  • MISTLETOE AND HOLLY | Frank Sinatra
  • SILVER BELLS | Bing Crosby & Carol Richards
  • WHITE CHRISTMAS | Rosemary Clooney
  • SNOW | Seth MacFarlane
  • THE FIRST SNOWFALL | Bing Crosby
  • LOOKS LIKE A COLD, COLD WINTER | Bing Crosby
  • BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE | Seth MacFarlane & Sara Bareilles
  • A WINTER ROMANCE | Dean Martin
  • I’VE GOT MY LOVE TO KEEP ME WARM | Dean Martin
  • YOU’RE ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS| Bing Crosby
  • SLEIGH RIDE| Ella Fitzgerald
  • LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! | Seth MacFarlane
  • WINTER WONDERLAND | Bing Crosby
  • A MARSHMALLOW WORLD | Seth MacFarlane
  • LITTLE JACK FROST GET LOST | Seth MacFarlane & Norah Jones
  • FROSTY THE SNOW MAN | Bing Crosby
  • WARM IN DECEMBER | Seth MacFarlane
  • CHRISTMAS DREAMING | Seth MacFarlane
  • I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS | Seth MacFarlane
  • O TANNENBAUM | Vince Guaraldi Trio
  • O FIR TREE DARK | Bing Crosby
  • THE CHRISTMAS TREE ANGEL | The Andrews Sisters
  • IS CHRISTMAS ONLY A TREE | Bing Crosby
  • DECK THE HALL | Nat King Cole
  • CHRISTMAS CANDLES | The Andrews Sisters
  • THE CHRISTMAS SONG | Seth MacFarlane
  • HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS | Judy Garland
  • A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS | Burl Ives
  • (EVERYBODY’S WAITIN’ FOR) THE MAN WITH THE BAG | Seth MacFarlane
  • SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN | Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
  • HERE COMES SANTA CLAUS | Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
  • JINGLE BELLS | Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
  • I’D LIKE TO HITCH A RIDE WITH SANTA CLAUS | The Andrews Sisters
  • JING-A-LING, JING-A-LING | The Andrews Sisters
  • CHRISTMAS DINNER, COUNTRY STYLE | Bing Crosby
  • CHRISTMAS ISLAND | The Andrews Sisters
  • MERRY CHRISTMAS POLKA | The Andrews Sisters
  • TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS | Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
  • I WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS | Bing Crosby
  • DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR? | Bing Crosby
  • THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY | Bing Crosby
  • MY LITTLE DRUM | Vince Guaraldi Trio
  • HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING | Bing Crosby
  • THE LITTLEST ANGEL | Bing Crosby
  • O HOLY NIGHT | Bing Crosby
  • WHAT ARE YOU DOING NEW YEARS EVE? | Seth MacFarlane

Little John’s Beef Stew Recipe

Little John's Beef Stew Recipe from Disney's Robin Hood

INTRODUCTION

Welcome back friends! This week we’ll be cooking up Little John’s beef stew featured in Disney’s animated feature, Robin Hood!

Little John's Beef Stew Recipe from Disney's Robin Hood
This recipe is featured when Robin Hood and Little John are taking a break in the woods. Unfortunately Little John leaves Robin to tend the stew, and Robin starts daydreaming, effectively burning the stew (don’t worry we won’t burn ours). Friar Tuck shows up while Little John is trying to salvage the food; he tries the stew, coughs a bit, and comments “well done, ain’t it?”

Little John's Beef Stew Recipe from Disney's Robin Hood

Little John's Beef Stew Recipe from Disney's Robin Hood

Little John's Beef Stew Recipe from Disney's Robin Hood
I love a good, hearty stew! I thought burning it would be in poor taste (#momjoke), so I kept an eye on it. I also feel like Little John takes pride in his cooking so I kept it simple based on ingredients they may have been able to obtain, but not so simple as to insult his enthusiasm.

Little John's Beef Stew Recipe from Disney's Robin Hood

Little John's Beef Stew Recipe from Disney's Robin Hood

BEEF STEW
  • 2 tablespoons of butter
  • 1 pound of beef stew meat, cubed
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon of basil
  • 1 teaspoon of black pepper (plus a few sprinkles more to season the meat)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of oregano
  • 1 teaspoon of rosemary
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt (plus a few sprinkles more to season the meat)
  • 1 teaspoon of thyme
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 3 ribs of celery, chopped
  • 1 cup of tomatoes, diced
  • 2 cups of water
  • 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 4 potatoes, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons of flour
  • 1/4 cup of water (additional)
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Melt the butter in a dutch oven or large pot on medium heat.
  2. Season the stew meat with a little salt and pepper, then add it to the pot and brown all sides.
  3. Once browned, remove the meat and allow it to rest on a plate with its juices.
  4. Add the onions, basil, black pepper, oregano, rosemary, salt, and thyme to the meat drippings within the dutch oven and sauté for about four or five minutes.
  5. Add the garlic and celery, then sauté for another two to three minutes.
  6. Deglaze the pan with a little water (enough to loosen up the food particles left behind from cooking the meat and aromatics) and stir, then allow everything to cook for another five minutes.
  7. Add the beef (and its accumulated juices) back into the pot, along with the diced tomatoes and two cups of water.
  8. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about an hour to an hour and a half, or until the beef is fork tender.
  9. Add in the carrots and potatoes and bring the liquid back to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for another thirty to forty minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
  10. In a separate bowl, mix the flour into 1/4 cup of cold water and add it into the stew.
  11. Continue cooking and stirring the pot until the sauce has thickened (about 10 more minutes).
  12. Serve warm and enjoy!