It's the devil, I tell you!!

The Devil and The Pioneer Woman!! They made me make these delicious, scrumptious, gooey, fresh and finger lickin good cinnamon buns!!

Now, let me tell you these are made from scratch. With yeast. I know, I know, you think it sounds like a lot of work...but truly it isn't. And yes, I, too used to be afraid, running out of the room afraid of using yeast. It was never ever my friend, until I did this recipe. So please, please, please...don't be afraid of the yeast.

Well, them and my family!! And after making them for 3 weekends straight, and doing them a little different each time, here's what I recommend. Not that you have to listen to me, because really, what do I know?! I'm just a lover of gooey, gooey goodness.

First, unless you have an army to feed {which you may have}, I would halve this recipe. If you're lazy like me and want the easy conversion just go to comment 82...she's kindly done it for you!!

Second, don't be like me and think..."Oh, I'll be so clever and use softened butter, so I don't make such a mess by spreading melted butter all over the dough". I'm a dope! Please, stick with the melted butter to pour over the dough. My third weekend of making these heavenly rolls, I tried to make the cleanup job a little easier and tried using softened butter to spread over the dough. They don't turn out nearly as gooey. Don't get me wrong, their still delicious and your family will beg you to make them. But, you...the cook...will notice a difference.

Third, this "halved" recipe will make 2 pans of rolls and I HIGHLY recommend making the sticky bun type topping that can be found here. I just omitted the apples and halved the recipe, since I was only going to do the topping for one pan, not both.

Fourth, make the dough the day before, cut and put in pans, let rise and refridgerate. Just get them out early the next morning {say 2 hrs. before you want to cook them} and let them sit on your counter. This brings them to room temp and will cook like you just made the dough that morning :)

I hate to even admit it, but yes, by all that is good and cinnamony...I will be making them again this weekend.

Yeah, baby, they're that good!! They have now replaced "donut Sunday".

Extreme Makeover Me Edition Update

Time for another update on the Extreme Makeover Me Edition. Well I won't bore you with the details of how to stop this yo-yoing I have going on with 2lbs {I think I'll call her Doris} So Doris and I keep having this spat...I want her gone..she wants to stick around. So I told Doris you try and get in my way, you won't know what hit you!

Well, she's hitting back! I just can't ditch her! Oh, well...I'm going to stay on track and keep moving forward. Eventually Doris will get bored and go away...I hope :)

Amber's question this week was to post a Healthy recipe. I love making my own version of a Chipotle Salad.

You can get the full recipe and how to make it here.

It really is one of my favorites. You can keep all the components seperate to make it easy to whip together quickly, when you just don't know what to eat!

Mmmmm...Chipotle

I love the taste of Chipotle's chicken. I also love the way they put everything together. Why is it that food always tastes better when someone else does it? Well my friends, I have come up with the closest replica to Chipotle chicken bowl, black beans, tomato salsa, sour cream and lettuce that I could.

Start with this wonderful marinade so appropriately titled with the name chipotle pepper. Marinate your chicken breasts for a day. Yes, a day. This means put it in the fridge in the morning and cook that night. You can grill it or just cook it in your pan. Cook it with the marinade. You want that flavor!!! Chop up the chicken and the rest is relatively easy.

I get me some Romaine, chop it up. Next are some black beans {from a can...doesn't get much easier}, btw, I do rinse them fully.

Next your off to making salsa. Easy...chop up your roma tomatoes { I use about 6}, a jalapeno {sans the seeds}, some cilantro, a clove of garlic and onion, mix together, squeeze some lime juice on there and Voila...salsa. I also do this step in the morning so the flavors can marry together.

Finally you can put it all together however you want. Please don't forget the sour cream. I actually like to mix a little milk into mine, just to make it creamier. I know...strange. Hey to each his own.

My order is exactly like they do at Chipotle's. But since I mix up the whole thing it really doesn't matter. I just like playing mind games with myself.

Let me know if you try this delicious way to have Chipotle at your house. Enjoy!

My Christmas Ambition

Our Christmas Tradition is we always have some kind of Roasted beef.

This year my ambition was to make some yorkshire pudding to go with it. When I was growing up, that was our favorite part of the meal. We only had it once a year at Christmas dinner, and my brothers and I couldn't wait!! It rose up like magic, and when it was brought to the table it deflated into a crusty on the outside and soft on the inside delectable treat. We loaded it with butter and gobbled it down.

So went to my handy dandy Joy of Cooking and looked it up. It seemed relatively easy enough.

Preheat the oven to 450. Place a glass 9 x 13 baking dish into the oven and heat for 10 mins.

Measure 1 cup {less 1 tbsp.} flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl.

Mix up 2 eggs and 1 cup milk in a seperate bowl.

Combine flour mixture and whisk together.

Melt 1/4 cup butter and pour into hot pan. Pour batter into pan and bake for 15 mins. That's it. Really, that's all there is. Pull it out and look at what you've got.

Traditionally you're supposed to use the drippings from the roast instead of butter, but I didn't have enough drippings. Actually I like the butter version better. It has that buttery taste already, so you don't have to add any more on it. Not that you couldn't mind you. I wouldn't want to take that away from all you butter lovers out there :)

I hope all your Christmas ambitions and traditions were as wonderful as ours!

Mmmmm...NC Style BBQ

Well, I haven't been able to stop thinking, drooling, salivating, figuring on a way to marry it BBQ. Not just any BBQ, no siree, an authentic vinegar based saucy style pulled pork BBQ.

Oh, come to mama! This delectable sandwich that looks so divine, is one of the most heavenly things! Trust me on this! The tangy sauce, with no overpowering vinegar. Just the right blend of seasonings, pulled pork and sauce brought together on a simple bun.

Quick to the kitchen! First you're going to need a pork shoulder. Mine weighed between 4 -5 lbs. That was plenty for my family of six with enough leftovers for a sandwich or 2 the next day.

Next you want to gather up 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 an onion, and about 1 1/2 cups rice vinegar.

Peel and finely chop the garlic. Don't be afraid of the garlic. Embrace it! It's easy, don't rely on that pre-minced refrigerated stuff. Let me show you how easy it is to make garlic your friend!

Next seperate out 3 "cloves" and remove the papery layer. So you may chop the garlic. Prepare you're senses for the warm, sinus opening smell of the garlic. Oh, I love it!

Place a large chef's knife on top of your garlic clove and press down so it gets a little smushed. Then you get to take out a little agression and smash down onto the knife, crushing the clove of garlic. Ahhh, I feel a little less stressed already.

Grab hold of the end of your garlic clove where it comes to a point.

Give it a little squeeze and push at the same time, so that the garlic starts to slide out of its skin

Ta Da...you are now an expert at peeling garlic, without using one of those silly tools you find on the kitchen gadget wall at most stores.

Then you get to finely chop the garlic and release it's heavenly aroma. I am just dying here! I would eat this garlic right now, except I'd like to remain a functioning acceptable person in society. Plus keeping my friends is always a bonus :)

Just start chopping! Chop, chop, chop!

Heat some olive oil in a pan, and throw in the onion and garlic and saute until just tender and translucent. Don't you love that word "translucent". It sounds so authoritative, and all knowing! Like you actually know what's going on in your saucepan. Me...I haven't gotta clue, but it sounds good!

Add in the vinegar. Next you will need to trim the fat off your shoulder (pork shoulder). I'd personally love to be able to trim the fat off my stomach, thighs, behind and neck, but that's a bit off track.

Get out your largest stock pot, put it over a medium heat, and add in about 4 tablespoons olive oil. Once heated add in the shoulder and brown on all sides. You may think this step isn't necessary, but the falvor off the bottom of the pan will bubble and cook and seep into your meat. Ahhhhh!

Slide your delicious mixture of onion, garlic and vinegar over the shoulder. Cover your pot and put into a 350 oven. Now comes the hardest part. Waiting!! Oh my word, what to do whilst you wait for the glorious 3 hrs. it's going to take for this meat to be so tender, moist and delicious, that you'll just sit and pull it apart with only 2 forks?!

I did laundry. Do not try this at home. Please make my heart happy, and do something fun. Read a book you've wanted to read. Get a trashy magazine, and let me know how poor Heather Locklear is doing. Anything, but laundry!

Once the meat is falling off the bone, you may pull it out, and shred until your heart's content! The shoulder will soak up all the juices, onion and garlic from cooking. All you have to do is add in about a cup to a cup and a half of your favorite BBQ Sauce. Make it thick, thin, somewhere inbetween. Your call. Just make it. Now. Do it. Go on.

P.S. You'll need a great coleslaw to have with it. I had to buy some slaw, because I have to put just a little on my sandwich. Oh, the contrasting flavors of the sweet slaw and the tangy BBQ, it's almost too much for me to take! It's just who I am. Hopefully you'll be better than me, and actually make your own coleslaw...you gourmet!

xoxo ~L