Christmas Baking, Charades & Solar Power
life is hard, food doesn't have to be [vol1, 12.3
This issue contains: cinnamon rolls, gingerbread, charades, and a solar power unit in Uganda.
Of course baking is a part of our holiday traditions. Yesterday my 10yo daughter invited a friend over after school and they made cinnamon rolls. Actually I made the dough earlier in the day and the kids rolled them out. Within the first 5 minutes I was questioning my sanity because my 7yo son was so loud and excited. It soon settled...when they took turns cutting the rolls using this method with dental floss.
If you’re looking to try your hand at cinnamon rolls, even for the first time, I highly recommend The Pioneer Woman’s recipe. I’ve tried so many recipes. This one is easy to roll out and it makes enough to share. We love to gift them. My teen son has made them as a fundraiser. They can be frozen; I recommend freezing shortly after rolling/slicing. You can bake then freeze too.
Here’s a tag we include when gifting frozen rolls:
Cinnamon Roll Baking Instructions from Frozen
Remove from freezer and allow to thaw for 3-5 hours. Optionally, thaw in refrigerator overnight. Then sit on counter for 30 minutes to an hour for rolls to double in size. Rise time depends on the warmth of the kitchen.
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Be careful to not let the rolls become too dark. After removing from oven, immediately pour icing on, making sure to cover the edges and over the top. [tip: snip the bottom corner of the bag and let the icing run out.] The longer they sit, the more they’ll absorb the icing’s flavor and moisture. Enjoy.
If by crazy chance you don’t eat them all at once, they are delightful microwaved.
Basic Gingerbread Bar Recipe
Cut these bars into a variety of creative shapes using cookie cutter or simple squares. Gingerbread can be a bit more nutritious than other cookies since molasses is a source of iron, selenium, and copper, and calcium all of which help maintain healthy bones.
1 1/4 cups sugar 8.75 oz
1 cup butter, softened 2 sticks
1 large egg
1/3 cup molasses 4 oz
3 cups all-purpose flour 4.25 x3 = 12.75 oz
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
Instructions
Heat oven to 350°F.
Combine sugar, butter, egg and molasses in bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and ginger; beat at low speed until well mixed.
Press dough into ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Optional: sprinkle with decorator sugar.
Bake 16-20 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. I prefer less time. Cool completely.
Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutter or cut into bars with a plastic knife for perfect edges.
Charades
My son’s 2nd grade teacher asked for someone to make/buy a charades game for their last day of school. I put together this spreadsheet, printed it and cut out the clues. If you have a gathering of children, it would be a fun thing to get their creative juices going. If you’re silly enough, get the adults involved!
Spread the Love
Each month I make a donation to a charity from my earnings with Beautycounter. November and December I gave towards a small solar power unit to be used at a school in Uganda. I know the director personally and have been supporting their work for years.
I support humanitarian work around the world, in part, to keep informed with happenings beyond the US. Recently Abby wrote:
There has been an increase in civil unrest in Uganda. There is a man named Robert (aka Bobbi Wine). He is a musician and now politician running against Museveni (the current president who has been in power since 1986) for presidency in January. There is a great 4 minute news video of him here, that really captures why people are in love with him. Bobi really connects with youth as he speaks out against social injustice and corruption, which is so unlike the current leadership. Some of his videos like this one that he released as a message to the police after being released from house arrest are now banned in Uganda. It has subtitles but the word, "afande" means police officer in Luganda.
In her letter, she went on to describe how the civil unrest is affecting the rest of the country. Heartbreaking - especially in the midst of a global pandemic. If you are looking for a place to donate at year end, I highly recommend the work of A Perfect Injustice. They are truly making a difference in peoples’ lives in Uganda.
May you find joy being with the ones you love at Christmas.
Julie