Cinnamon Buns

Yesterday, I ate a cinnamon bun for the first time in a very long time. If you do not know what a cinnamon bun is, I will describe it for you. As you can see in the picture, a cinnamon bun consists of twisted dough with cinnamon sprinkled on the inside and outside of the twist. After the dough is baked, a sweet glaze icing is placed on the top of the swirled dough. It is one of the most delicious treats I have ever had. Most cinnamon buns are pre made in a container that you can find in your local super market. However, if you are adventurous, here is a recipe for making homemade cinnamon buns. This recipe is from cooks.com.

Ingredients

4 1/4 to 4 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. butter
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
6 tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 recipe Maple Nut Glaze or Powdered Sugar Glaze

Step 1: In a large mixer bowl combine 1 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour and yeast. Heat the milk, granulated sugar, the 1/4 cup butter and salt just until mixture is warm (120 to 130 degrees) and the butter is almost melted, stirring constantly.

Step 2: Add milk mixture to flour mixture; add eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds; scrape sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can. (Dough will be soft.) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough (3 to 5 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball.

Step 3: Place dough in a lightly greased bowl; turn once. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours). (The dough is ready for shaping when you can lightly and quickly press two fingers 1/2 inch into dough and indentation remains.)

Step 4: Punch dough down. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough in half; shape each half into a smooth ball. Cover; let rest for 10 minutes.

Step 5: On lightly floured surface roll half the dough to 12x8 inches. Spread with 3 tablespoons softened butter. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle half over rectangle. Roll up from a short side. Seal edges. Make a second roll with remaining dough, butter and sugar mixture.

Step 6: Slice each dough roll into 8 pieces. Arrange slices, cut side down, in a greased 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Cover; let rise until nearly double (about 30 minutes).

Step 7: Bake rolls in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown. Invert at once onto a wire rack. Cool slightly. Drizzle rolls with Maple Nut Glaze or Powdered Sugar Glaze. Serve warm.

Makes 16 rolls.

Vocabulary

1. recipe- a set of instructions for cooking a particular type of food

2. ingredients- individual parts/foods used to make a particular food or dish

3. granulated sugar- sugar in the form of small white grains

4. Step- one action in a series of things that you do to create a whole (in this case, a recipe)

5. beat- to mix things together quickly with a fork or a special kitchen machine

6. knead- to press a mixture of flour and water together with your hands

7. drizzle- to let liquid (in this case, icing) fall onto food in a small stream or in small drops

Cloze Exercise

1. After I put all the ingredients for the cake together, I used an electric mixer to ____________ it.

2. I have a list of all the ________________ we need to make cinnamon buns.

3. After the cinnamon buns cooled, I let the icing ______________ on top of them.

4. Billy helped __________________ the flour and water mixture.

5. My friend gave me this great _______________ for cinnamon buns today!

6. I used a type of ______________ for this recipe. It is a type made of small white grains.

7. No, Chris! We must follow each __________________ of the recipe to get the whole thing correct!

Grammar Point-Imperative Form (Commands)

The imperative form is used to give a command, give warning or advice, and make a request (if using please). To form the imperative, use the infinitive of a verb without the 'to'. For example, "Come here!" or "Sit down!" You can find the imperative in my text during the steps of the recipe. Each step commands you to do a certain thing. For example, "Heat the milk..." "Beat with an electric mixer..." or "Cover, let rise..." Now, I would like you to make your own short recipe of your favorite snack. Give step by step instructions by using the imperative form. You may use my text as an example.

Link

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,174,150187-253196,00.html

This is the link to cooks.com where I found this recipe. It also has several other recipes for making cinnamon buns in different ways. I hope you enjoy to cook!

Sleeping

I love to sleep. It is one of my favorite activities. From the moment I arise in the morning, I ponder the net moment I will be able to crawl back into bed. I love the comfort of being in bed, and the warmth under the covers. Under the covers, I have no responsibilities. I can be as lazy as I want to be. The best type of sleep is weekend sleep. There is nothing better than waking up naturally. During the week, I am tied down to waking up to an obnoxious alarm each morning. BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! But on the weekends, I pleasantly wake up naturally. Sometimes, I wake up well into the hours of the afternoon.

How you make your bed is very important to the comfort of your sleep. For example, I currently have care bear sheets from my childhood on my bed. I also have 3 fluffy pillows and a super soft down comforter. Trying to stay awake and do school work in my bed is next to impossible. I always pass out within minutes of sitting in my bed. I guess being comfortable can also be a downfall! I would love to own a tempur pedic mattress. These mattresses conform to the shape of your body. However, having an even more comfortable bed than my bed right now may mean that I will never leave my bedroom!

Vocabulary

1. arise- to get out of bed

2. ponder- to spend time thinking carefully about something

3. 'tied down'- forced to/have to do something

4. obnoxious- very unpleasant, offensive, rude

5. down comforter- a type of comforter filled with goose feathers

6. 'pass out'- a term used to describe falling asleep very quickly

7. tempur pedic- a type of mattress made up of material that conforms to the shape of your body

Cloze Exercise

1. I wake up every week morning to an _______________ alarm.

2. I got home from a long day of work only to _______________ as soon as I laid in bed.

3. I have a very soft ________________ made with goose feathers.

4. I wish I had a __________________ mattress!

5. After my alarm goes off in the morning, I ______________ from bed.

6. I always ______________ about situations that have made me uncomfortable.

7. I am _______________ to walking my dog every day, now that I own a puppy.

Grammar Point-Prepositions

Prepositions link nouns, pronouns, and phrases to other words in a sentence. Some examples of prepositions include; on, beneath, on top of, beside, over, under, of, from, up, down, with, without, in, on, and many more. Some examples of prepositions can be found in my text. For example, "From the moment I wake up..." Or, "Under the covers..." In the following sentences, highlight the preposition you see.

1) I threw the ball I found on the porch.

2) Billy found the remote underneath his covers.

3) Sally shared a recipe she found in a cookbook.

Link:Tempur Pedic

http://www.tempurpedic.com/mattresses/

Here is the link for tempur pedic mattresses. Using this site your can explore all types of tempur pedic mattresses. Although they are very expensive, they provide for an amazing nights sleep. I suggest you try one if you get the chance!