Day to Day Adventures

Finer Things Friday: New Year’s Bash!

Kim1 Comment
Almost 20 years ago I married in to this crazy family/clan of people who LIKE to play games together—a lot.  Pre-marriage the game I played the most was solitaire.  So going to a New Year’s Eve party where all they do is play games and eat was umm… sorta overwhelming for a few years.  Now I wouldn’t miss it.
Changes over the years
There are more of us—like just over 40(28 of those are grandkids of varying ages)
The kids are getting married or bringing girlfriends/boyfriends
The aunt/uncles are older(& some still act like teenagers)
Sometimes extended family shows up
Traditions 

Grandma’s punch
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Little kids playing
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Two people taking pictures of each other
Nancy’s cheese ball
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Big kids playing games
Dan’s sausage balls
Crackers/cheese/meat
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Sweets & yummy stuff
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Confetti at midnight(messy but fun!)
New Years’s cinnamon rolls--I am in charge of breakfast New Years morning—because as many who can stay the night.  So I am working on a huge batch of cinnamon rolls and the Sausage Egg Quiche is in the freezer.  We always have a SLOW morning & play games all New Year’s day too.  By the time we go home everyone is TIRED.  It is a blast though!
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The recipe I am using is based on Pioneer Woman’s recipe.  I don’t use her frosting & I used white wheat flour.  Not much of a healthy improvement but there are things that cannot be changed!
Cinnamon Rolls(makes a huge batch!)
1 qt milk
1 cup oil
1 cup sugar
2 packages Active Dry Yeast
8 cups white wheat flour(plus 1 cup set aside)
1 tsp baking powder(heaping)
1 tsp baking soda(scant)
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 to 1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
cinnamon
Heat milk, oil & sugar until scalded(heat until just before it boils).  Turn off heat and leave to cool until lukewarm to warm—about an hour.  Sprinkle 2 packages of yeast in to milk mixture & let sit for a minute.  Gradually add 8 cups flour & stir.  Cover and let rise for at least an hour.  After hour, add one cup flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt.  Stir mixture together.  You can put this in the refrigerator(overnight or a day or two) at this point if you don’t have time to roll it out.   Just punch it down if it starts to overflow your pan.
Take half your dough & roll it out to form a rough rectangle.  This will be pretty thin.  Drizzle 1/4 to 1/2 cup melted butter over the dough.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup of sugar over dough followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.  Starting on one of the long sides start to roll the dough in a neat line.  Keep the roll pretty tight as you go.  Pinch the seam to seal it.
Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a foil cake or pie pan.  Cut the rolls about 3/4 to 1 inch thick & lay them in the buttered pans.  Repeat with the rest of the dough.  Let the rolls rise 20-30 minutes, then bake at 375 degrees until light golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
Traditions in a family are important. 
They draw us together & keep us close. 
To me this is a truly finer thing.
To post your finer things go to Amy’s Finer Things
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