January 1, 2011

Here We Come 2011


Happy New Year, everyone! I'm planning to be productive in 2011, as in not wasting a second. Even just sitting and thinking can be productive, right? Being in the moment - enjoying all the knitting and cooking and sewing, learning new things, making a happy home for my sweet Hubby and showering love and attention on all of my loved ones - being in the moment!

I've been changing the photos in my masthead every month for a while now and today is no exception.


From left to right, we have three photos taken on Christmas morning: Louie and Miles playing tug of war with a candy cane shaped rawhide bone; the annual Monkey Bread breakfast; and a photo taken with one of the coolest gifts from Hubby. The last one was on New Year's Eve. Apparently, fireworks are now legal in Phoenix so the Granddaughter begged Hubby/Bampa to pick up a package for last night. We had so much smoke on our back patio, it looked like a Cheech & Chong movie. It was just plain fun and a great way to bring in the new year.

I understand there are many versions of Monkey Bread out there. The one I've been using for many years, I pulled out of a magazine. It was in an ad for Blue Bonnet margarine and Rhodes frozen roll dough and they actually call it Caramel Pull-Aparts. Even though this stuff smells like heaven baking and has been known to get the family out of bed, we didn't need any help getting up Christmas morning because the Granddaughter SET HER ALARM FOR 5:00 A.M. Then, as always, she crawled into bed between us and started talking. I'm not much of a morning conversationalist so I was happy to start heating up the oven, baking breakfast and making coffee while she talked her Bampa's ear off.

Here's the recipe for our Monkey Bread ...

Caramel Pull-Aparts (Monkey Bread)

24 Rhodes white rolls, thawed but still cold (any brand will work)
1 small box non-instant butterscotch pudding (used instant because non-instant wasn't available)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (we doubled this because we like a lot of pecans)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

Spray bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray. Cut rolls in half and roll in dry pudding mix. Arrange in pan alternately with pecans. Sprinkle remaining pudding mix over the top. Combine brown sugar and butter; heat together until butter is melted and syrup is formed. Stir well. Pour syrup over rolls. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap. Let rise until double in size or even with the top of the bundt pan. Remove wrap and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Cover with foil the last 15 minutes of baking. Do not underbake. Immediately after baking, invert onto a serving platter.

Prepared but not yet risen ...


After rising during the night but not yet baked. As you can see, ours outgrew the bundt pan by morning but that's okay ...


Yum ...


I'm going to put a post together about the cool present that Hubby got me so you can share in the fun. Again, happy 2011 to everyone!!!

5 comments:

Dazee Dreamer said...

ok, I was going to ask what monkey bread was (cuz I'm a dork) and there you go showing it. I think even I can make this. Except NO PECANS for me. Thanks.

Baby Sister said...

I don't know how I would feel about waking up at 5:00 with someone crawling in my bed to wake me up...but I'm not a morning person...especially THAT kind of morning...
My mom makes pull-apart bread...I love it!! Nummy.

Tightwad Mom said...

2011 is going to be fabulous!!! I'm going with that right now,anyway! Yeah for monkey bread! I have been looking for the recipe that you use forever, so thank you for sharing it!

Debby@Just Breathe said...

Sounds like you have great plans for 2011! I think they call it Monkey Bread on the other frozen rolls that I buy which are Bridgeford. We make a dinner bread with the rolls where I roll them in butter and then parmesan cheese.

Unknown said...

That looks yummy! I sure hope just sitting and thinking is considered doing something productive as I do a lot of it. :)