On our kids’ second day of school, I went in the boys’ room to wake them for the day. As I walked up to my youngest, he was already awake, smiling from ear to ear.
Me: “Well, good morning, Smiley.”
Smiley: “I’m still so excited. I just love first grade so much.”
He loves his teacher, he loves seeing his friends everyday, and he loves recess.
His mama loves that he loves school.
Cinnabun Cookies - Softer than my cinnamon rolls!
This past year we found an AWESOME cookie recipe. The cookie looks and tastes like a cinnamon roll. In fact, they look and taste better and are softer than MY cinnamon rolls. (Therefore, my next adventure being the quest for the perfect cinnamon roll recipe.)
My daughter decided these were the cookies she’d make for our county fair this year. She won grand champion in her age division. Now that the fair is over, we’re willing to share our recipe so all people of the world (or at least those who read my blog) may experience the pure joy of eating these cookies.
TIPS: Make these cookies the night before you plan to eat them. Once they sit in an airtight container after they’ve been frosted, THEY GET SOFTER!!! It’s amazing. For real. Also, we accidentally found that putting in half the brown sugar made the dough a bit stiffer and they stayed firmer and taller while baking. You might experiment with the brown sugar amount a bit if they’re spreading out too much for you. The recipe says to chill dough for at least an hour, but we found we had to let it chill for several before the dough was stiff enough to work with.
Happy baking… and EATING!
Cinnabun Cookies
1/2 c. butter – softened, 1/2 c. butter flavored shortening, 1 c. light brown sugar, 1 c. white sugar, 1 T. vanilla, 1 T. ground cinnamon, 2 eggs, 3 c. all-purpose flour, 2 t. baking powder, 1 t. salt. Filling: 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1/4 c. butter, 2 t. cinnamon
Cream together ½ c. butter, shortening and sugars until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine the tablespoon of cinnamon, flour, baking powder and salt; stir into creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate dough at least one hour. (We recommend several hours.)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In small microwave safe dish, heat the filling ingredients in microwave. Stir frequently until butter is melted and the mixture is well-blended.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the dough to a 12 X 6 inch rectangle. Spread ½ of the cinnamon mixture over the rectangle. Roll rectangle lengthwise into a log. Cut into ¾ inch segments. Place cookies onto baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. Repeat with other half of dough. Bake 8-10 minutes.
Icing: Mix 2 c. powdered sugar, 3-4 T. milk and 1 t. vanilla to desired consistency and drizzle over cookies. (We put icing into plastic baggie, snip bottom corner with scissors, and pipe it on in a zig-zag. See photo.)
I don’t do crafts. I’m not anti-crafts, but I am not fulfilled by the use of glues, paints or sequins. However, I do love working on projects. I’m a very project-oriented person. I love yard projects, house projects, party projects, club and 4-H projects… This is where I’ll post what I’ve been working on.
Stay tuned for recent baby shower projects!
I have three kids. Garrett is 6, Reid is 7, and Ada is 10. They are kind, funny, creative… and brutally honest. I look forward to sharing some of their stories with you!
This is where I’ll post new things I’m trying.
For instance, I’ve been canning lately. For the first time ever (in my adult life). I’ll be sure to post about my canning experiences soon!
I’m no chef. However, I LOVE cooking. I especially love trying new recipes. I’m on a constant quest to find the best recipes I can for all of my favorite foods. I’ll share pics and recipes of my favorite foods.
Angus Cow/Calf Pair
We farm and ranch in the Midwest. We raise wheat, grain sorghum, soybeans, corn and hay for our cattle. We own and care for approximately 300 cows for our commericial beef cow/calf operation. We are blessed to have several people who help us keep our farm and ranch operations going.
This is where I’ll be posting things that happen on our farm and ranch.
Hello, I’m Lori. My husband, Joe, and I farm and raise cattle and three kids in the Midwest. I’m very excited to finally be jumping into the world of blogging for real. I’ve done a blog in the past, primarily for family and close friends to keep up with what my family was up to, but I’m ready to expand my subject matter and potentially reach a larger audience.
Joe and I are very busy, both on the farm and raising our family. We’re also very involved in our community. I have many interests and hope to embark upon new journeys through this blog and bring readers along for the ride!
I’m not a writer. I just enjoy telling about what we’re up to. My kids provide good material for me as well. They’re unintentional comedians who also happen to sometimes pull those heart strings tight.
Why Barbed Wire and Bangles? Though no two terms can truly identify who I am, I thought these seemed most fitting. We raise cattle. We have miles and miles of barbed wire all over our pastures. I think it’s both beautiful and rustic. Bangles??? I’m still a girlie girl, no matter how covered in manure I get or what scars I bare.
My dashboard is still a work in progress. Don’t be surprised if menu items or the look change periodically. I’m enjoying playing with things!
Welcome to my blog. I hope you’ll enjoy the ride.
Barbed Wire and Bangles 