Conference Time!

Well, top o' the morning to ya!  Hahaha.  I've been up since a little before 5, thanks to Alex, so I figured now was as good a time as any to finally get this blog post up!  That Lover Boy.  I tell you what -- he didn't really give us any "Terrible Twos," but he sure is making up for it with his Threes.  It is no joke!  But at least he waited until almost 6 this morning before throwing an absolutely ridiculous and irrational fit over wanting a banana.  Hahaha.  While doing so, he managed to wake up both Sophie and Jane and as a result, the three of them have been holed up in the TV room for the last 45 minutes in my effort to keep them all quiet and allow Ethan and Grace to sleep in a little bit more.  Trying to survive at it's finest over here.  :)

But back to Conference.  It's only been a week and it already feels SO long ago! Despite the crazy busy-ness of the weekend all around the Conference sessions I watched, I still loved it.  Of course, I didn't quite get the full effect of being able to pay perfect attention to all the talks, thanks to loud children and other items competing for my attention, but I was able to hear enough to be uplifted and enlightened and encouraged.  And the best part is that I can go back to listen to or read through the talks over and over again as we roll through the next 6 months.  

As I've mentioned before, we started a tradition a few years ago of inviting friends over for a Conference Breakfast on the Sunday morning before the first session.  When I was a kid, we would have to drive all the way to our Stake Center building to watch Conference being broadcast via satellite.  Since it was a bit of a drive to get there, we would always pack a picnic lunch to eat in between the two Sunday sessions -- as would everyone else.  As a kid, that was my FAVORITE thing about Conference time!  Being able to run around with friends, while we picnicked and played on the church grounds before the final session started, was the best.  Nowadays -- with technology so amazing that we can watch Conference streaming live online or even on TV -- I wanted to created some kind of tradition for MY kids that would have them associate the same happy and excited feelings to this great weekend.  I'm all about creating positive associations.  :)

Helping with those positive associations?  Well, I don't want to brag or anything {hahahaha}, but our semi-annual making of the Conference Cinnamon Rolls, pretty much puts our breakfast through the roof.  I've been making the same recipe for the last several years, that a friend of mine contributed to the spouse association cookbook back when Scott was in the MBA program at BYU.  This year, Grace also made a request for Orange Rolls, and I have to say that I think they could be my new favorite!

Best Cinnamon Rolls 

{courtesy of Angie Smart via my MBASA cook book}

Dough:
1 T. yeast
4 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 c. warm milk
1/4 c. butter, melted
2 eggs

I throw everything in my Kitchenaid mixer, and then once the dough is formed let it rise once before punching it down and rolling out into a large rectangle.  {Approximately 16X21}

Filling:
1 c. brown sugar
2 T. cinnamon
1/4 c. melted butter

Melt butter and spread over dough, then sprinkle the filling mixture evenly over the top.  Roll up and slice into 16 rolls.  {I utilize the baker's trick of using a piece of thread to wrap around the roll and cinch the dough through to make a clean cut rather than squashing the dough while trying to cut it with a knife.  I didn't take pictures of the process, but I'm sure you could YouTube it if you have no idea what I'm talking bout.  :)  }  Then I butter a 9X13 casserole dish and lay my rolls out to rise a bit before sticking them in the fridge overnight.

The next morning, I pull them out to bring back to room temperature and let them finish rising before popping them into a 400 degree oven to bake for 10-12 minutes.  {Although with my current oven, it took closer to 15, almost 20 minutes to get them done.}

Frosting:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. cream cheese
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Mix frosting ingredients all together and frost rolls while they are still hot.  ENJOY!!!

Orange Rolls 

{recipe hodgepodge courtesy of Lion House Classics Cookbook and the MBASA -- with a few tweaks of my own}

Dough:
I used the exact same dough recipe (and process) as for the cinnamon rolls above!

Filling:
1/2 c. butter, melted
Zest of 2 oranges
scant 1/2 c. sugar

Mix the melted butter and orange zest and then spread it on the rolled out rectangle of dough.  Sprinkle evenly with the sugar, roll it up, and cut it into 16 slices.  Follow the same procedure as above.

Icing:
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 T. orange juice, squeezed from zested oranges above
2-4 T. whole milk or cream
{I also ended up using about 1/4 tsp. of orange extract just to make it orange-ier. }

The Cinnamon Rolls were still a clear favorite, BUT, I'm pretty sure that me and Grace alone polished off the entire dish of Orange Rolls.  Not even lying.

We enjoyed our breakfast and the company of new friends, and then settled in to watch Conference for the morning.  The kids were moderately attentive and well-behaved -- they certainly weren't the WORST (or the best) they've ever been, but it sufficed, and I'll take it!  Stickers have been a big hit with the kids lately, so that kept them occupied for quite a bit, and then when Ethan started building a fort, that took up the rest of the day.  And our Family Room.  Hahaha. 

Oh Alex.

Grace putting some finishing touches on the fort.

And a small glimpse at the large mess that was made and consequently lingered throughout the rest of the week.  And no, I haven't ever finished painting the upper story of the front hall or the stairwells. :(

And that was that!  To end on a more reflective note, I would have to say that the message that has stuck with me and lingered longest in my mind since listening to Conference last week comes from a few lines of a hymn that was quoted in one of the closing talks:

Rise up, O [Saints] of God!

Have done with lesser things.

Give heart and soul and mind and strength

To serve the King of Kings.

More specifically, that line -- have done with lesser things --  has been ringing in my mind ever since.  I'm sure there are PLENTY of lesser things currently occupying my time that could be reduced or eliminated.  With this phrase constantly in my mind, I feel like I'm being prompted to seek out the BETTER things.   Hopefully, I will become a lot more efficient at prioritizing my life as I work towards that goal!  And on that note, I'll end.  :)  Until next time!

If you'd like to read or listen to this October's Conference talks, check it out HERE.  :)