This holiday season, Shout® is encouraging families to seize the moment, get a little dirty and live life out loud without the fear of making a mess. In light of this, I’d like to share one of my favorite holiday traditions – making cinnamon rolls!
A Christmas morning before having kids looked a lot like Matthew and I sleeping in as late as possible then having a lazy afternoon in front of the fire with some store bought cinnamon rolls. We would leisurely open gifts and then watch movies the rest of the day. Isn’t it interesting how quickly that life is gone once kids enter the picture? I wouldn’t trade it for the world! Now when we wake up, I start working on fresh cinnamon rolls from scratch, the boys bound out of bed with their messy hair, holiday jammies and excited faces before the rooster even thinks about opening an eye! Wrapping paper starts flying before we can get the fire lit and there’s no time for relaxing. There are batteries to be opened and used and multitudes of parts and pieces to be put together. The reality is that this life is ten times more exciting (and messy) than the previous one.
Once the kids are somewhat settled with their new treasures we can focus on eating those delicious cinnamon rolls! They are messy but oh-so-good to eat. I like to let the kids help me get the process started the night before. We end up with flour quite literally in every nook and cranny of the kitchen. Most times our black dog is covered in white flour by the time all of the mixing is done! Graham uses his pants and shirt as a napkin and Davis just full on sticks his hand into the goo! The last time I made these I told Matthew that I kept finding cream cheese on myself. Oh well, they are good. Here is our recipe for perfect Christmas Morning Cinnamon Rolls as well as a recipe to keep clean on the go!
Christmas Morning Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
- 2 packages of active dry yeast
- 1 and 1/3 cup white sugar
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons cinnamon
Instructions:
- Add warm water, 1/3 cup of sugar and active dry yeast to bowl mix and let sit for 5-10 minutes to dissolve the yeast.
- Stir in salt and about 2 cups of flour – beat mixture. Add oil and eggs and beat again.
- Stir in remaining flour but only use about 1/2 to 1 cup at a time making sure to beat well each time.
- Spread flour over a flat surface and knead the dough well (3-5 minutes).
- Coat a bowl with oil and place dough inside making sure to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, place in the microwave or oven (not turned on of course) and allow dough to rise for 40 minutes.
- While the dough rises you can mix together 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of brown sugar and the 3 tablespoons of cinnamon.
- Roll dough out into a flat rectangle. Spread the sugar mixture on top evenly; you will have some leftover.
- Using a pizza cutter, cut about 8-12 long strips and roll them up into your cinnamon roll shapes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly spray a baking dish with cooking spray and place the remaining sugar mixture into the bottom of the pan.
- Press the rolls down into the pan and close together. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.
- Top with cream cheese frosting (recipe below).
Cream Cheese Cinnamon Roll Frosting Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/4 block of an 8 0z cream cheese, softened
- 7 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
- a dash of salt
Instructions:
- Beat together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, milk and salt.
- Slowly add in the confectioners sugar until you reach a consistency to your liking.
- Spread on your yummy cinnamon rolls and enjoy!
Keeping Clean on the Go!
We continue to find ways to live life out loud as we reexamine our commitment to reprogramming our lives with Shout®. What better time to get messy than the holidays! Baking is only one example; the craft projects could have you covered in glitter and glue for days. You’ve heard me say it before, but these are just a few of the reasons I keep the Shout® Wipes on hand at all times. They are in my purse and ready for the gravy, ketchup or sugary goodness that spills onto our clothes. It has washed out a few chocolate stains as well as glitter glue. You can participate in this commitment to Reprogram America for Fun with Shout® on their Facebook page. Shout® is asking you to take another look at how you live your day to day lives with their Reprogramming America for Fun App. A fun video incorporates your pictures and name in order to motivate you to live life out loud! It is a lot of fun and worth sharing with your friends. You can also submit photos of yourself and your family seizing the moment!
Olympic Athlete Jennie Finch’s Tip for Reprogramming Your Daily Routine:
Child-Friendly Baking Projects – Children love to help out in the kitchen and decorate cookies, cupcakes – or anything sweet! Use food coloring to make different colored frostings and go to town with sprinkles galore! As an added bonus – children can steal a few licks of frosting while helping out mom. Don’t worry about the mess; Shout® has you covered with an arsenal of stain-lifting products.
Now, in order to get crafty with your kids, Shout® would like to provide one Go Graham Go reader with a Crafty Shout® Prize Pack valued at $100 which includes:
Snowman Kit
Shout® Trigger & Wipes
Several Fun Craft Supplies
Book to Create Unique Snowflakes
Here’s How to Win:
1. Go to the Shout® Reprogramming America Facebook app (http://on.fb.me/PIsrLv) and click on the Get Reprogrammed button to create your own custom “Reprogramming America for Fun” video. Then leave a comment on this blog post answering the question, “What changes will you make to seize the moment (even if it means getting messy) and live life out loud?”
This giveaway ends 12/17 at 5pm PT.
Please see Official Rules.
This post is part of a campaign sponsored by Shout®. These are my honest opinions on the product as well as own ideas. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info.
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Katie says
I will seize the moment by letting my kids be kids and not worry about messes as we enjoy our holiday baking together. I have to remember that we are creating memories that will last.
Renee says
I try to remind myself that boys are meant to be dirty and it all comes off in the wash. I will try to let them help me more in the kitchen, reminding myself that dirty is okay!
Emilie says
Well the video was interesting to say the least! The only downside was that my profile pic includes me with my baby and his head got most of the abuse including the pie in his face. Poor little guy! I definitely have a hard time with stains. I can’t stand them on my kids clothing, furniture, etc. I need to let some of that go and just realize that things will get messy and it isn’t the end of the world if my boys go to the store with a stain on their shirt. In the grand scheme of things, it really doesn’t matter. I need to let them just be kids.
D Schmidt says
It has encouraged me to not worry so much about mess and let my kids simply enjoy being kids. I am even going to let them jump in muddy puddles.
Jenn Bullock says
I am a neat mom, but when doing crafts I realize the girls have more fun if they get messy. I’m going to let them get marker, glitter, and glue all over, because the process and end product is so worth it!!
Bridgette says
I find myself saying the words “pick this up” more than one hundred times a day to my kids. I will try to be a little more lenient and let my kids be kids!
Steph says
I still really like that Shout app. It is so cool. I am seizing the moment by having the kids help with holiday cookies and decorating, and not worrying about the mess I will be cleaning up afterwards. They are only young once and I am learning to be a whole lot more tolerant with messes.
Tamar says
that was a fun video. I would do more things with my kids and not yell at them for making a mess:)
debbie jackson says
I think I will relax and enjoy stains more debbie jackson
djackson1958 at hotmail dot com
clarissa says
doing more arts and crafts together
Nicole says
Saving this recipe! I’ve never made cinnamon rolls and they look delish!
Staci A says
I will let my kids lead more often, whether it’s in play or cooking, and see where it takes us. They always have more fun (and make more messes) when they’re the boss.
Alexis AKA MOM says
Run outside and play in the dirt with the boys 🙂
Erica C. says
I’ll spend less time cleaning, and more time playing outside.
laurie says
i will seize the moment by just letting go no matter what mess is made or how it is made, and enjoy craftin with my kids
Penny B W says
I get so stressed about my son having no stains on his clothes and making sure his face is clean before we go out in public, but I’ve come to realize that by doing that, I’m suppressing who he really is! He is a rough and tumble, messy, live out loud little guy and I’m going to let him be him from now on!
pennykathleen28(at)gmail(dot)com
Christine says
doing more arts and crafts
Sarah L says
I have been re-programmed….. More finger paints and digging in the garden.
Thanks for the contest.
Eileen Burke says
I’m seizing the moment by accepting the mess that comes with kids’ crafts!
susan smoaks says
“What changes will you make to seize the moment (even if it means getting messy) and live life out loud?”
this year we will have more fun and do things that may cause messes because they are fun!
Laurie Emerson says
I will seize the moment by not worrying so much about any of the mess they make with finger painting and jump in an finger paint right along with them.
Leslie S. says
I will seize the moment by having more mud fights after the rain with my 4 kids.Thanks!
lstanziani(at)yahoo(dot)com