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Thanksgiving Day

Our Thanksgiving included family and good food. We made gingerbread houses after we cleaned up the dishes. It was really fun seeing all the different creations! The younger kids were not as worried about being meticulous and their houses turned out beautiful with candy everywhere. They are really more creative because they are not as inhibited and self-councious! Jill and Netzer brought their new baby, Ellie. Uncle Gary and Aunt Karen were the proud grandparents. Gayle and Brad worked their fingers to the bone cleaning up, as usual. We had one change in the menu this year-green beans with garlic and parsley instead of gooey green bean casserole. It was refreshing. The pies were great and we ate ourselves sick...

Orange Rolls

Since it's one week until Thanksgiving, I thought I would publish one of our favorites for Thanksgiving dinner-Orange Rolls. I don't know how many years ago I started making them but it just isn't Thanksgiving without them. Well, maybe not everyone really loves them-but I do!

Out of This World Rolls

2 Tbl. dry yeast
¼ cup warm water
3 eggs, well beaten
4 ½ cups flour
1 cup warm water
½ cup shortening
½ cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
Butter

Soften yeast in ¼ cup warm water. Let stand 10 minutes. Combine dissolved yeast, eggs, 2 ½ cups flour, 1 cup warm water, shortening, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Beat until smooth. Add remaining flour to make a soft dough. Cover. Let rise until double in bulk. Punch down and refrigerate overnight. Three hours before baking, roll out as desired. For dinner rolls, divide dough in half. Roll each half into a ½” thick rectangle. Spread with butter. Starting with the long side, roll up jelly-roll style. Cut in 1" slices. Place in greased muffin tins, cut side down. Cover. Let rise 3 hours. Bake in 400˚ oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Yield: 2 ½ dozen rolls.

For Orange Rolls

½ cup butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange

Combine ingredients and spread on dough instead of butter. Handle as above. Use the aluminum foil baking cups to line muffin tins-keeps orange rolls from sticking.

Ok, Okay, I've Been Tagged

This is really embarrassing to have to say something about myself but here goes: (6 things)

1. I don't really like to get up in front of people and have everybody's eyes looking at me. I teach Relief Society usually once a month and just before my lesson, I go into panic mode! It usually works out ok but just knowing that everyone is looking at me and listening to me is almost too much!

2. I am a perfectionist-I admit it. It is my downfall sometimes but I like to have things turn out just right.

3. I started sewing when I was in junior high school and I made most of my school clothes-in those days we wore skirts and dresses to school. I even made my formals for the proms (which were held in our high school gymnasium-much more practical and fun than today). I would lay awake at night and dream up what my next formal would look like and then I could create it with my sewing machine.

4. I am trying to finish the Book of Mormon by the end of the year. It will be really close-I am only on Alma 30 right now. If I read a few more pages every day, I may make it. As consolation, if I get to 3 Nephi by Christmas-that will be good too.

5. My parents almost named me Eileen. It was between Julie and Eileen-I am so glad they picked the right name-sorry to all you "Eileens" out there.

6.I only had long enough hair to pull into a ponytail once in my life-when I was around 5 or 6 years old. My mom used to braid my hair too. She would wrap thread around the ends to hold the braids in. I guess she didn't have tiny elastic bands like they do now. The rest of my life I have always had short hair. It would be fun to have "long hair for a day" someday just to see how the other girls feel! I think I have never had the patience to try and grow it out.

BLAH!

The weather here for the past two or three days has been Blah! It does make you want to do some indoor things like cook! I am happy to report that the orange rolls for Thanksgiving are made, in the freezer and ready to be thawed, raised, and baked that morning.

It has been baby shower week. I went to one last night, going again tonight to another, and I know Traci gave one last night, too.

It is also birthday month. Today is Olivia's birthday-Happy Birthday, Olivia! No BLAH day for her. My brother Scott's was on the 7th, tomorrow is Cohen's, Grandpa Buchanan's is on the 13th (he'll be 81), Trevor's is the 18th, Boston's-the 19th, and Aunt Jan's is the 29th. Did we leave anyone out? If so, please let me know!

No pics today-just BLAH...

Dad is Working Hard

As you can see by the pictures, Dad has been staining the decks, front porch, and the stairs (boy do we have a lot of them!). He works too hard while I, on the other hand, read magazines and eat chocolates all day long. JK If you look closely at the pictures, you'll see that our hill looks like a jungle now since you last saw it in April when you were here for Jennilee and Logan's wedding. The palms have grown and the ground cover has finally covered the hill. We are having really great weather here in So.Cal. Wish you were here.

He loves to work in the yard!