Brambly Hedge Winter Tea

 

It is getting nippy. When the wind blows, you can tell that winter won't be far behind. I pulled out my Barmbly Hedge winter tea set today to have a little tea. I don't have the teapot, but this white one works nicely.

Cozy scenes of Crabapple Cottage with Mr. and Mrs. Apple by the fire. The cottage smells of pies baking, but outside, the blackberry vines have long since lost their fruit. 

When the first snow comes what are mice to do? Make a snowmouse, of course. A little snowmouse is on the teacup and the saucer.

Mrs. Apple by the fire with her freshly baked pie. 

Taking inspiration from the Brambly Hedge kitchens, I styled my cottage cupboard like the story. Jars of cranberry sauce and jam line the top shelf. The middle shelf has spices, a honeypot, and an acorn squash. The bottom shelf has more spices, a loaf of freshly baked bread, acorns in a wooden bowl, and recipes to keep the cook busy. 

Here, the cupboard is restyled again for the final tea setup. Lots of tea lights shimmering in the cupboard, just like the mice live there, and the sun has just set.

With tea today, I am serving a sugar cookie with sprinkles and an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. This is the family's all-time favorite chocolate chip cookie.

It has begun to snow. "After supper, the children were sent off to bed, but they were far too excited to sleep." The mice children pictured on the backside of the teacup looking out of the window at the snow.

Have you had a first snow yet where you live? We have not had one here yet.

In Victory, 
Sherry

Hot Cocoa Station

I created this little hot cocoa station out on my kitchen counter over a month ago, and it has been a real hit with the family. They use it every week, and I have filled up the jars of ingredients several times. All that it consists of is a pewter tray, a fabric doily, two half-gallon-size mason jars (one for the cocoa mix and one for the mini marshmallows), a mason jar for chocolate chips, and a mason jar for candy canes. To decorate it a bit, I added a mini candle I got at a consignment shop and a candle ring I have had for a few years. The thing I love the most about this set-up is it is portable. I can move it to any flat surface because it is on a tray. 

Here I am serving hot cocoa in the cottage corner with a hot plate burner and my tea kettle. So, for instance, game night can be served with hot cocoa! 

My mug is from the Brambly Hedge winter collection. Time to pull out the next season of the Brambly Hedge already! 

Making things cozy in the home for the coming winter months is a job I enjoy. Candles bring that warm glow and cozy feel to anything you add them to. 

What are you doing to make your home cozy?

In Victory,

Sherry

Easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

There is nothing more cozy for the bleak, cold days ahead than a cinnamon roll. I have been trying out recipes, and this is the one I really like. It takes about an hour, and they turn out fantastic! 

I have all the ingredients on hand in the pantry. The dough rolls out easily and is no trouble to make.

Here I am measuring out the size of the dough with my husband's tape measure. You will want the rectangle to be 14 inches by 18 inches and 1/4 inch thick.

After spreading the cinnamon-sugar mixture, I made the log shape to form the rolls.

In this step, I am marking my cutting points on the dough with dental floss. 

Using dental floss to cut the dough makes the rolls come out really nice.

I got one roll too tall, so I ended up with 13 rolls instead of 12, but no one complained. 

Here are the finished rolls right out of the oven; they only cook for 20-25 minutes, and they smell so good! 

Now for the fun part: ice them hot! 

Cinnabon® couldn't do it better! They have cream cheese icing, of course. 

Easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls: Yields 12

Ingredients:

Dough

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled slightly

2 1/4 teaspoons (or  1-0.25 oz. packet) of active dry yeast

1/4 cup granualted sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Cinnamon Sugar Filling:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

Cream Cheese Icing:

4 ounces of cream cheese, softened

2 cups of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-4 tablespoons milk (add 1 tbsp. at a time)

Instructions:

Dough: melt butter in a small microwave safe plate or bowl for 40 seconds, or until melted and pour into a medium size bowl and set aside. Heat milk in a microwave safe bowl for 45 seconds. Add to butter mixture, and stir in sugar and yeast until dissolved. Cover with a tea towel/cloth or plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes to make sure yeast will activate. 

Preheat your oven on lowest setting (around 160-170°F). Instead of doing this I use a toaster oven on proof and warm it up. 

After 10 minutes, remove towel and add in egg, salt, and vanilla extract. Then begin adding in the flour 1/2 cup at a time. Fold it in with a spatula until combined. The dough will be soft and slightly tacky, but not too sticky. 

Form dough into round ball and place back in the bowl, and cover with a tea cloth. Place it in the oven to proof. Turn your oven off when you place your bowl in the oven, the heat will make the dough rise.

While your dough is proofing , make the cinnamon sugar filling. In a medium-size bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix until well combined with spatula. Set aside.

Once the dough has proofed for 10 minutes, remove the towel  and place the dough onto a pastry mat or cloth that has been lightly floured. Roll it out to form a 14-inch x 18-inch rectangle at 1/4 inch thick. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

Use a spatula to spread the cinnamon, sugar, and butter mixture almost to the edges of the dough rectangle.

Start with the short side of the rectangle and tightly roll it vertically away from you to form a log. See picture above. 

Once rolled, use dental floss to mark your cut lines for the size of the rolls, as above in pictures, and then use the dental floss wrapped around the log to actually cut the rolls. It works great and doesn't flatten out the rolls for baking.

Place the rolls with swirl design up in a 13-inch x 9-inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in oven at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until they are light golden brown. 

Let cool on wire rack 10 minutes once they are done.

While cooling make the icing. Use an electric hand mixer in a medium sized bowl, combine softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk (adding 1 tablespoon at a time). Whip until reaching desired consistancy. Add more milk or less for thicker icing. 

Spread cream cheese icing over warm cinnamon rolls and serve.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from: Kindly Unspoken 

In Victory!

Sherry

Instant Pot Potato and Leek Soup

I had some potatoes and leeks,and I decided to try this soup. I have been wanting to make it for awhile now. It is simple and filling, perfect for the cold weather.  I served it with a grilled cheese sandwich.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 leeks, sliced white and some green parts only

4 cups chicken broth

2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

1/2 cup heavy cream

croutons (optional) 

Instructions:

Select sautee on the Instant Pot and heat the oil. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the stock. potatoes, and 1 teaspoon salt and stir in. Press the cancel button to rest the program. 

Lock the lid in place and turn the valve to Sealing. Press the Pressure Cook button and set the cook time for 10 minutes at high pressure. 

Let the steam release naturally, or for at least 15 minutes before turning the valve to Venting, then quick release any remaining steam. Carefully remove the lid. Stir in the cream. Taste to adjust seasoning. Serve hot with croutons on top.  

Serves 4-6

In Victory,

Sherry

Thanksgiving Tea

 
This is the little tea I sat up for Thanksgiving. It seemed perfect in front of the fireplace-nice and cozy.

The fare is mini chocolate lava cakes, snickerdoodle scones, and turkey and provolone sandwiches with cranberry sauce. 

This holiday is all about feasting, which has me baking and cooking for two weeks. It is special to us also because there is a lot to be thankful for.

I noticed all my dishes were transferware. All the patterns are different, but they still mix well with their autumn colors. 

A beautiful teapot in white works well with the table. 

Give thanks and enjoy the little things everyday. Pray without ceasing. Be thankful in all circumstances.

In Victory!

Sherry

Slow Cooker Salted Caramel Pear Apple Butter

 

Nothing makes it fall more than apple butter. This year, I took it further with my attempt at making it and tried this pear and apple butter.

Slow Cooker Salted Caramel Pear Apple Butter

Ingredients:
3.5 pounds apples 
3.5 pounds of pears 
1/4 cup water
6 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
1 teaspoon sea salt
 

Insructions:
Place all ingredients into a slow cooker (6-8 quarts). Turn the slow cooker on low and cover for 12 hours. Mine cooked 14-16 hours. 
Use an immersion blender or I used my countertop blender and purred the fruit until smooth.
Then I put back into the crock pot and kept warm (low setting) for six hours. The butter cooks for around 22-24 hours in total. Adjust the seasonings to your liking and store in the refrigerator for 2-4 weeks or water bath process. Ladel the butter into hot sanitized jars (1/2 pints), leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

 *I added 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 3/4 cup of white sugar to this and then canned.

Recipe adapted from: Epicurious

 November is all about hunting. The perfect time to pull out this plate!

Enjoy!
In Victory,
Sherry