Cinnamon-Pecan Pull-Apart Bread: Simple, Sweet & Sticky

Did you wake today to a house rapidly filling with family? Or maybe you're hitting the road today? Over the river, and through the woods . . .

Are you in need of a quick & easy crowd-pleasing breakfast treat?

Source: all-things-delicious.blogspot.com via Fortuitous on Pinterest

I pinned The Jone Way's Sticky Bun Breakfast Ring (original recipe came from All Things Delicious) a year ago, then forgot all about it! Lucky for me, I did a pin-ventory last week (while avoiding the thing I was really supposed to be doing) and rediscovered it.
 
Well I made this ooey-gooey breakfast treat last weekend and . . . let's just say, there were only a few meager morsels left after my trio of super eaters finally pushed themselves away from the table.

Yum, yum, yum!

Cinnamon-Pecan Pull-Apart Bread

adapted from All Things Delicious

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 2 small tubes refrigerator flaky grand biscuits
  I use "grands", cause more is always better when feeding my crew.
  I've made this with both buttermilk and flaky biscuits, and personally prefer the flaky. With buttermilk there was still a hint of biscuit-ness, while the flaky didn't seem biscuit-ish at all.
• 1/2 stick (4 Tbs) melted unsalted butter
• 1/2 C maple syrup
• 1/3 C packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 C roughly chopped pecans (optional)
  (You can do 1/4 C pecans & 1/4 C walnuts, but I don't like walnuts, so I stick with pecans.)
  

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Spray tube or bundt pan with cooking spray. 
• Combine the melted butter and syrup in a small bowl and set aside. 
• In separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts.
• Pour approximately 1/2 C of the syrup mixture into the bottom of the pan. Then sprinkle half of the sugar & nut mixture around.
• Fan biscuits around the pan, overlapping snugly.

• Sprinkle remaining brown sugar/nut mixture over biscuits, then pour remaining butter/syrup mixture over the top.

• Spray a piece of foil with cooking spray and lay over top of pan.
  This keeps the top from browning to much.
• Put bundt pan on cookie sheet (to insulate the bottom and prevent burning).
• Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes, rotating 1/2 way through cooking time.
• Remove foil 10 minutes before done baking to allow top to brown.
•  Remove from oven and let cool for a minute or two, but not much longer, or the cooling gooey goodness will start to stick to the pan.

•  Invert bread onto serving dish. Let bread cool another 2-3 minutes before serving, then let your family and friends rip into it.

I'm telling you, this was mega-delicious! It was hard to restrain ourselves . . . ok, there was no restraint, we four Weekses devoured it, there were only a few small sections left over for the next morning.

Enjoy! And have a very Merry!

Post-Sandy Hook: Any Tears Left? Still Plenty of Hugs.

I did not sit down on Monday with the intention of writing a post about my reaction to or thoughts on the tragic events of last Friday, but when I started to write my Weeksworld Weekly Eats post it seemed far too trivial.

How could I write about family suppers and Christmas festivity planning when there are shattered hearts in Connecticut, and all over this country?

I started this post on Monday, and came back to it everyday this week -- typing a few new sentences, deleting a few more -- but it still wasn't something worthy of hitting "publish".

There are a cacophony of voices filling the airwaves, internet and print media -- passionate, knowledgeable, opinionated, contemplative, earnest and eloquent -- this humble Housewife can't imagine how I can possibly add anything original or meaningful to the discourse.

As it was for most parents last Friday afternoon, school pick up time couldn't arrive quickly enough. While I waited & watched the minutes tick by, I decided, if I couldn't hold back my tears when the mere thought of what happened drifted by my consciousness, this was something to shield from my sweet, innocent boys, so I scooped them up at pick up time and we headed straight to the best escapism I know -- the movie theater.

Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Sandman and Jack Frost fighting to protect the innocence of children from the Bogeyman . . . Rise of the Guardians was the perfect choice for that afternoon. We were all cheering!

The boys and I snuggled in the dark, munching popcorn, nibbling chocolates and sipping slurpies -- yep, they got whatever they wanted!

Last weekend we snuggled in & hunkered down in Weeksworld -- there was ooey-gooey goodness, decadent shortbread, pajama Sunday, A Christmas Story, Harry Potter, Home Alone, and LOTS of hugs and kisses.

The Housewife is a bit of a newsie, but the Handsome Husband and I have managed to maintain the news blackout in Weeksworld. I'm extremely thankful the boys haven't picked up on any mentions of the Sandy Hook tragedy at school -- I still don't trust myself to not start crying if I have to attempt to explain to them what happened.

Having grown up with a sibling that struggles with social interaction and mental health challenges, I can't keep one thought from creeping back into my head over and over again . . . What was she thinking? Mrs. Lanza is certainly another victim of this tragedy, so I share this thought great trepidation . . .

I understand Mrs. Lanza was a gun enthusiast, but keeping semi-automatic, assault-type weapons in the house, taking her son to shooting ranges . . . seriously, what was she thinking?

When the story flashes in my mind once again, it soon comes around to this question, I feel my anger rise and I must conscientiously redirect my focus onto the most soothing of all things . . . hugging, kissing, nuzzling and spoiling my mini-men. 

It's been a week, seven days have passed, full of holiday shopping, menu planning, household chores, and school parties, but I'm still beyond sadness, tears still come far too easily.

I continue to lavish hugs and kisses on my lovely boys, and the occasional harsh tone in my voice remains softened. That extra second at the end of each hug I can't help but think, "this extra bit is for the parents who can't hug their angel".

There is deconstructing and debating all around us, but I am glad for one thing that has risen from the midst of this horror -- it has made all of us take a moment to acknowledge and appreciate the incredible gift each and every teacher is to their students and their families.

Great Gal Pal Gifts for Under $25

What would we do without . . .

. . . the friend that brings you chicken soup and ice cream when you're flat on our back fighting a vicious bug?

. . . the pal that grabs your kids at school pick up with the GYN is running late and you're still in the stirrups?

. . . the girlfriend you can call to vent to, instead of endlessly screaming at your kids, or doesn't hang up on you when you can't contain the hollering any longer?

. . . the teacher that deals with your little monsters day in and day out and still manages a smile?

This time of year the gift list is lengthy and budgets are stretched, so here are a few fun (and thrifty) things I've spotted for those gals in your village.

Two of my favorite reads this year happened to be by two of my favorite bloggers -- the original Scary Mommy, Jill Smokler,  and The Bloggess, Jenny Lawson.

This fall I met Janet Frongillo of Muffintop Mommy at a gathering of Boston area parent bloggers, and as soon as I heard the title of her then recently published book, "Mommy Mixology: A Cocktail for Every Calamity", I knew I'd love her and her blog. Entertaining reading while you sip . . . what a fab combo!

For a few more laughs, check out my neighbor friend's MomGoodz shop on Etsty -- "cheeky gifts for overextended Moms".

As you may recall, I have a huge crush on BlueQ -- their business model & their cheeky line of totes, purses and tins.

If you and your friends are anything like me & mine, there's always a smartphone stashed in a pocket, or stuffed in the yoga pants waistband, so here are two handy gifts for the iPhone addict in your village.

Make any pair of glove touchscreen-friendly with Digits, from Quirky.com.

And to keep that pesky earbud cord untangled -- throw a Wrapster in that gift bag, too.

And if you have a pal that is more fashionista than gadget geek, check out these surprisingly affordable statement necklaces (with matching earrings) from Bridget's Boutique -- my new blogging bud, Muffintop Mom turned me onto her stuff.

Source: bridgetsboutique.bigcartel.com via Fortuitous on Pinterest

(Note: I just got word from Bridget herself that the Boutique is, unfortunately, closed until after the New Year. But don't forget these beautiful baubles, they make great birthday presents!)

 Three cheers (preferably with a cocktail in hand) to all those gal pals that help keep our villages going!

Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken Stew: Exoctic & Family-Friendly

A few weeks we Weeks tried a new recipe from America's Test Kitchen's Slow Cooker Revolution,  Moroccan Chicken Stew, and I'm happy to report it was a mega hit.

In addition to being tasty, I loved it because it was super quick to prep - no browning chicken or sauteing the onions!

At first glance you might say, "nah, my family will never eat Moroccan", but I urge you to read on - afterall, what's not to like about chicken with apricots, cinnamon and touch of brown sugar?

Moroccan Chicken Stew
from America's Test Kitchen's Slow Cooker Revolution

Ingredients

• 2 medium yellow onions, minced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs tomato paste
• 1 Tbs vegetable oil
• 1.5 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 4 C chicken broth
• 2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 C dried apricots, coarsely chopped
  (Handy tip from ATK - spray your knife w/ cooking oil to keep apricots from sticking.)
• 3 Tbs Minute tapioca
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3# boneless, skinless chicken breast
• salt & pepper
• 1 Tbs minced, fresh cilantro
• light brown sugar
• lemon wedges

Directions

• Combine first 7 ingredients in a micro-safe bowl. Nuke for approximately 5 minutes, stirring once or twice, until onions are softened. Plop it all in you slow cooker.
• Add wine, chickpeas, 1/2 C of apricots, tapioca, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick to cooker.
• Season chicken breasts with salt & pepper, then nestle them in the cooker.
• Cook for 4-6 hours on low.
• Transfer to chicken to cutting board. 
• Discard bay leaves and cinnamon stick, then let stew settle.
• Meanwhile using two forks, shred chicken into bite-size pieces, then tent with foil to keep warm.
• Using a large spoon, skim off any fat that rises to the surface of your stew, then add remaining apricots and cook on high for 5-10 minutes, until softened a bit.
• Add chicken back to cooker, and stir in cilantro and brown sugar (I added 2 Tbs)
• Serve over couscous or rice, garnish with lemon wedges.

Of course, I didn't realize we were out of couscous, we ALWAYS have a box in the pantry, but not this time, so I served the stew over Trader Joe's Harvest Grain Blend - the variety of textures was lovely with the stew.

I seriously hope you'll give this supper a try, and if you do, let me know how it goes over with your family.

Weekly Weeksworld Eats #7

Looking at the "proposed" vs "reality" boards, one might think I was once again lost in that pesky ADD fog, but au contraire my sweets, it was actually a pretty productive week.

Christmas presents were purchased, multiple batches of holiday baking were completed & shipped, and I continue to chip away at my major projects list.

Mid-level hyper-focus seems to be sticking around for a bit this time around -- an early Christmas present for this Mom on ADD? I'm also working very hard at saying "no", not taking on too much and being realistic about my time (and energy) -- I'm determined to stay on top of the holiday tidal surge!

Tuesday's Cuban Beans w/ Chicken Sausage over Brown Rice is one of my go-to suppers when I'm in a pinch for time and/or inspiration. Using inexpensive pantry & freezer staples I always keep on hand, it's quick & easy, cheap & healthy, and my guys gobble it up.

Super supper simplicity -- 4 cans of Cuban-style black beans, sliced chicken sausages (in 1/2 lengthwise, then into 1/2 moons), add diced red pepper and about 1 cup frozen corn. Warm and serve with salsa, sour cream & grated cheese of choice.

This week the Handsome Husband is off to DC for an overnight business trip, so I'm thinking the Baron & Master should take Mama out for supper!

Now it's time to hit the gym & grocery store, before the day gets away from me and pick-up time bites me on the a** once again and we're foraging for supper yet again!

How are you managing this holiday season? What are you tricks for keeping your head above the holiday tidal wave?

Weeksworld Weekly Eats #6

Last week was a FAB birthday week . . . birthday doughnuts, a new look for the Housewife, hibachi with my boys, a date with George, dinner out with great friends and the first holiday party of the season.

So how did things pan out in the kitchen, you ask? Not too bad, considering I had three nights off dinner duty.

The culinary highlight of the week was . . .

Italian Pork Roast with Rosemary White Beans
from Karista's Kitchen
This encore appearance was just as good as the first time I made it. Sauteed broccolini is a perfect side. I especially love that Karista gives both slow cooker and dutch oven options.

image courtesy of Karista's Kitchen

Sunday night's Creamy Turkey & Wild Rice Soup wasn't all that FAB -- I adapted it from Cook's Country and Eating Well recipes, but the end result lacked the depth of flavor and creaminess I was hoping for. Next time, I think I'll try Turkey Mulligatawny Soup from Chow -- I love curry!

This week's menu board...

This week hasn't gotten off to a great start -- Monday morning I forgot to defrost the chicken thighs (despite multiple treks to the basement, every time I got down there I got distracted by something or someone!), so I started rice for an alternate dinner, then lost track of time doing home work with the boys and didn't realize it until the Handsome Husband walked in the door at 7:15!

Heck it's taken me days to finally finish this post that I started way back on Monday morning!!