​Yesterday I used my favorite sweet bread recipe  to make pumpkins sweet rolls. Wasn't sure how they'd turn out  but my neighbors, and the Amazon delivery guy who arrived just as they were out of the oven, seemed to like them. I had planned to double the amount of pumpkin next time but have been told they are 'perfect' and 'the best ever', so I'm ready to share the recipe - tested and approved!. 

PUMPKIN SWEET BREAD DOUGH 
​Gather ingredients - listed below in bold.. 

Rinse a large bowl thoroughly  with hot water. Empty bowl.
Add:
1/2 cup very warm water (105 - 115 degrees F)
spinkle
2 teas sugar and
1 1/2 packages dry yeast (or 4 teas.) on top of the water.
Stir with a wooden spoon, not metal spoon. (This advice came from my grandmother.)
Wait for a few minutes to be certain the  yeast is active, about 5 minutes. You'll see it begin to bubble.

In a small saucepan, warm
1 cup milk
stir in 
I stick butter, sliced to melt more quickly
1 teas salt

In a separate  bowl, beat
3 eggs 
add 
2 Tablespoons sugar
and beat until lemon colored.

Add both mixtures to the large bowl with yeast. 
(milk mixture and egg mixture)
Stir in
2 cups flour
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 teas. cinnamon
grated nutmeg

Continue adding flour until stiff enough to knead, about
4 cups flour

Knead for about 10 minutes or until smooth. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, oil on all sides, cover and let rise until doubled - about 2 1/2 hours. 

While dough is rising, bring
2 sticks of butter
to room temperature and prepare the cinnamon mixture and pans. 

CINNAMON SUGAR
​
In a small bowl, mix
1 cup sugar
2 teas. cinnamon

PREPARE PANS
​
Prepare your baking pans. Lightly butter the bottoms of
4 -  8 or 9 inch round pans. 
​I use the wrappers from the sticks of butter to grease the pans.  
​

Punch down dough and roll out on lightly floured surface. Divide in half.

Roll each piece to 12" x 15" rectangle. 

Spread one stick butter on each rectangle. Sprinkle each with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll the dough, beginning at the 15 " side. Cut into one inch slices. This will give you a total of 24 rolls, 6 rolls per baking pan. 

​Place rolls into prepared pans. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Bake for 25 minutes in middle oven rack. 

Icing
3 cups confectioner's sugar
water - add a small amount at a time
I like my icing fairly thick. Some people prefer a lighter glaze. Add just a little water slowly and mix with a fork until is the consistency you prefer. 

These are best served warm out of the oven! Share!

 

I recently  posted this on Facebook and a friend suggested I post it on my website. It's an issue dear to my heart and it's on a lot of people's minds, so from my perspective -  

White privilege. I recently read a post about white people not being able to understand it. Experience is a key factor. If you volunteer with women in Dauphin Country Prison for over 10 years, you'll get some insights. If you pilot a Life Esteem class for 180 students for 2 years in the Harrisburg School District and see the best and brightest end up in Abraxus and other adjudicated youth programs, you'll learn more about it. If you see drug deals in the John Harris parking lot and know those kids will end up in prison, yet see drug deals in the Cedar Cliff parking lot and know if caught most will only get a slap on the wrist, you'll have some idea. Or you could teach a teen parenting class at an inner city high school in the basement with three staff people with their desks in the corners, a table wedged in the middle of the room, pipes over head and no windows. Then you could cross over to the white shore to see their teen parenting program - a fully stocked state of the art kitchen, a television tuned to Good Morning America and comfy couches for the girls to watch. Oh, and in the next room there are cribs set up and two full time staff people to watch the children while the girls are in class. When someone you love is stopped on Christmas Eve, yelled at to get out of the car, guns pointed and told to walk backwards because her car looked like one that was stolen, you know what white privilege is. My heart aches because I know what white privilege is.

The magnolias seemed to be finished blooming for the year but a late bloomer showed up! Here's one of the sketches I did to celebrate her arrival! 

​Creating collages has been my main distraction during this pandemic. It has kept me productive and occupied. My youngest daughter fought the virus for over a month and thankfully, is now recovering. My oldest daughter was married a couple of days ago and I wasn't able to attend the wedding. Turning to gardening and art has been a comfort and therapy. 

The next step it so paint them. When I did my course on Enhancing Your Life with Herbs, I painted over 200. It's a six week course and I've delivered it four times, always taking in fresh cuttings to pass around the class so they could experience the fragrances, textures, color and at times, the flavors. Unfortunately, since our class will be on Zoom this year, we won't have that opportunity. Having the illustrations will be even more helpful this year. 

After I create the paintings, the next step is the tedious, but satisfying job of cutting them out. 

Painting the papers comes next. The papers can be used as backgrounds, or torn or cut to create images. Using the best quality paints ensures the colors are intense and vibrant!

Finally, all are combined to create my collages!