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!

Salamanca, Spain

Salamanca is a gorgeous little city in Spain. It seems to simply appear out of thin air. The trip there is through rural, plain, country side. Then, miraculously, the breath taking sight of the two cathedrals appear, and you are in heaven. Salamanca is one of the most amazing places in the world because it encompasses all that you would expect from Spain. For example, old architecture, modern art, and an amazing night life.

Waking up in the morning and walking to class in Salamanca was as if the city existed solely for you. Not many people were yet walking the streets, the plaza was a vast and empty square filled with only your tiny self, and the towering buildings dating back to the 1700s staring down at you as you walked. The feeling was both uplifting, as if I could float away, but yet grounding, as I felt so small with such history surrounding me.

As I sift through the slide show of memories of my time spent in Salamanca, it is as if it were the best dream I have ever had. However, there are little remnants that prove my time there was real. I still have the taste of tapas and red wine on my lips. I still have the sound of my host mother's voice yelling, "¡A comer!" I still have the heat on my skin of the sun radiating off the stone floor of the Plaza.

If you desire to see such an eloquent balance of the modern and the historical, you should book your next travel destination to Salamanca, Spain. If you desire to taste the most invigorating foods and wines, you should be in Salamanca. I know the next chance I get at traveling, I will be heading back to that beautiful city where the streets come alive.

Grammar Point

Types of Sentences-simple, compound, complex, compound-complex

1) Simple-includes a subject and a verb and expresses complete thought

Example from text: "I still have the taste of tapas and red wine on my lips."

2) Compound- includes two independent clauses followed by a coordinator (preceded by a comma). Coordinators are for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. You can use FANBOYS to remember them.

Example from text: "Then, miraculously, the breath taking sight of the cathedrals appear, and you are in heaven."

3) Complex- includes an independent clause joined by one or more dependent clauses. A complex sentence always has a subordinator such as; because, since, after, although, or when. Or, a relative pronoun such as; that, who, or which.

Example from text: "Salamanca is one of the most amazing places in the world because it encompasses all that you would expect from Spain."

4) Compound-Complex- include at least two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.

Example from text: "Not many people were yet walking the streets, the plaza was a vast empty square filled with only our tiny self, and the towering buildings dating back to the 1700s staring down at you as you walked."

It is important to recognize and make use of all of these types of sentences in your writing. When writing a persuasive piece, it is also important to include evaluative language (inclusion of adjectives to describe things in detail), modals (should or must), and reasons as to why the reader or listener should agree. I hope I have persuaded you to visit or at least ponder visiting Spain. Here is a link with information about visiting Salamanca. ¡Disfruta!

http://www.enforex.com/visit-salamanca.html

Memphis

A few weeks ago, I attended a phenomenal musical called Memphis. Every year, all the women on my mother's side of the family plan a girls day out. Each year we attend some type of show on Broadway. This year, we decided on a musical. I was a bit apprehensive of seeing a musical, because they are generally not my cup of tea. However, upon seeing this musical, my opinion drastically changed.

This musical is playing at The Shubert Theatre on West 44th Street in New York City. Memphis is a musical about an aspiring black singer and a white DJ who come together in the segregated South during the early days of Rock 'n' Roll in the early 1950's. It is a compelling story of two talented young people, their forbidden love, and the problems that come with success. It is actually a story based on true events.

What surprised me about this musical is that it truly moved me. I was able to connect to the characters in ways I usually cannot when viewing a musical. There a few moments that actually brought me to tears. If you want to see great story, hear great music, and watch talented actors perform on Broadway, there is no better show than Memphis!

Vocabulary

1. phenomenal- very great or impressive

2. apprehensive- worried or nervous about something that you going to do; or about the future

3. 'not my cup of tea'- describing some thing you do not like or prefer

4. aspiring- hoping to be successful in a particular job, activity, or way of life
5. segregated- (in this case) an area where an institution(s) can only be attended by members of one race.

6. compelling- very interesting or exciting, so that you have to pay attention

7. 'moved me'- made you feel strong emotions, especially sadness or sympathy

Cloze Exercise:

1. In the mid 1900's, many areas of the United States of America were ______________ based on race.

2. Football games are usually not ________________.

3. Kaitlyn, I saw a _____________ musical last night!

4. The characters' acting and the plot of the show truly ________________.

5. I am a bit _______________ about going watching this scary movie.

6. Joey is an ______________ young actor.

7. The convention we attended today about positive thinking was very ________________.

Grammar Point: Articles

Articles are words that combine with a noun to indicate the type of reference being made to the noun. There are two types major of articles; definite and indefinite articles. Definite articles refer to a specific and distinct noun. In English that article is the. Indefinite articles refer to any non specific noun. In English that article is a, or an. You can see examples of these articles within my text. For example; "Memphis is a musical", ..."and the problems that come with success."

Below, write 4 sentences. Two sentences using the definite articles the, and two sentences with the indefinite articles a, or an.

Link:

Here is a link to the Memphis website. Here you can check out the story line, characters, actors' names and biographies, ticket cost and purchasing, and much more. I hope you all get the chance to see this musical!

http://memphisthemusical.com/index.html

Cereal!

There is nothing better than a bowl of cereal! I was thinking the other day, while enjoying a fabulous bowl of fruity pebbles, just how much I love cereal. What better to do than blog about it! Although cereal is meant to be a breakfast food, it is more like an anytime of the day meal for me. In fact, I rarely eat cereal in the morning. This is due to the fact that I am almost always running late, which means I always eat on the go in the morning. I enjoy a bowl of cereal as a mid day snack, and as a night time snack. When I was a poor college student at SUNY Cortland, cereal often took the place of main meals.

Most of the cereals we all know and love are produced by a corporation called General Mills. Such cereals include; Cheerios, Kix, Chex, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Total, Wheaties, and many more. There is a plethora of cereals within one aisle of every super market! Some of my favorite cereals include Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Pebbles, Lucky Charms, Pops, Trix, and the list goes on. There are very healthy cereals out there as well that contain less sugar and more fiber. However, my heart lies with the sugary cereals.

Vocabulary
1. rarely- infrequent, seldom, almost never
2. 'running late'- describing a person that is tardy and not be on time
3. 'eat on the go'- someone who eats while performing another activity due to lack of time
4. SUNY Cortland- A 4 year college located in upstate New York (about 41/2 hours away). Considered a state school.
5. General Mills- An American corporation that markets many well known food brand names.
6. plethora- an overabundance, excess.
7. fiber- food containing a high amount of such carbohydrates, as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
8.'my heart lies with'- describing what you like or love a lot.

Cloze Exercise
1. I attend a great state school about 41/2 hours upstate called ___________________.
2. According to the labels, this cereal is high in _____________.
3. Can you let my boss know I am ___________________. I got flat tire on the way to work.
4. Many people prefer Cheerios, but __________________ lies with Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
5. Matt _______________ goes shopping at the Mall.
6. I never seem to have time to eat before work, so I always ________________.
7. There is a _______________ of toys in Toys "R"Us.
8. Most cereals and other popular food brand names are marketed by ______________, an American corporation.

Grammar Point-Plurals
Plurals are used with nouns to describe more than on of something. There are several rules to making nouns plural. Most nouns are made plural by adding an -s to the end like in kids. Sometime there is a need for an -es at the end of the noun like in buses. There are also irregular plurals that change in the middle like in feet. These must simply be memorized. Many plurals can be seen in my text. For example, pebbles, meals, Charms, Puffs, etc. Now, choose the correct plural from the questions below and write which plural rule it is.

1. Look at all the yellow ___________.
a) buss b) buses

2. Everyone has two _____________.
a) foots b) feet

3) I try to eat 3 solid _____________ every day.
a) meals b) meales

Link
http://www.generalmills.com/corporate/brands/category.aspx?catID=19412&groupID=19412

Here is the link to all the cereals that General Mills produces. Hopefully you can find a new great cereal to try!

October Fever!

Yankees Win World Series Again in 2009?

It's October fever time! This is postseason time of the year in baseball where there are playoffs there are only four teams left to play before the World Series. In the World Series, two teams play one another; one from the American League and one from the National League. I love this time of the year, especially when my Yankees are have a chance at becoming the World Champions! I was born into a Yankee family. My parents and all of their siblings are religious Yankee fans. I remember back to the 1996 playoffs season and being so ecstatic when the Yankees won the World Series. My family was running around my house. We were hugging and screaming.

This time of year signifies more than just baseball. Playoffs signifies the fall season to come. It signifies the crisp, cold weather, pretty fall foliation, jumping in the piles of leaves my dad has raked up, scary costumes, and trick or treating. This time of the year will always remind me of childhood. My hope is that one day I will be able to afford tickets to a Yankee's playoff or World Series game! Especially to see those splits that Teixera does at first base! Oh how I wish upon a star to have ground level seats one day!



Vocabulary
1. playoffs- The series which determines what two teams will verse one another in the World Series.
2.'October fever'- A term used to describe baseball playoff season to describe. As in, a Yankees fan has October fever.
3. American League- One league division in Major League Baseball (MLB), made up of 14 teams. This league allows designated hitters.
4. National League- The other league division in Major League Baseball (MLB), made up of 16 teams. This league does not allow designated hitters.
5. 'religious'- in this case, meaning a devote fan of the Yankees.
6. signifies- to indicate, represent
7. foliation- the leaves change color as they die (fall), when they die they fall off the trees (winter).
8. 'wish upon a star'- a saying that portrays a strong wish or desire, in this case, for Yankee tickets.
9. The World Series- The championship that concludes the postseason of MLB, where the winner from the American League and the winner from the National League verse one another for the World Champions title.



Cloze Exercise
1. How I ____________ that I win the lottery one day.
2. I love driving upstate during the fall season because of all the pretty colors of the fall ________.
3. Major League Baseball is in the _________ season where there are only four teams left to play before the World Series.
4. It's playoffs time and I have ______________!

5. I follow Baseball very closely, especially the Yankees. I am a __________ fan.
6. There are 16 teams in the ___________ league of MLB.
7. October __________ much more than just baseball playoffs.
8. The ___________ league in the MLB allows for a designated hitter.
9. This Wednesday at 8:00 p.m., you can watch the Phillies and the Yankees play in the ________.



Grammar Point-The Past Continuous (Progressive)
The Past Continuous is formed with was or were followed by the main verb in an -ing form.
This tense is used to describe something which began before a particular point in the past and is still in progress at that point. Examples of this tense can be found in my text; "...was running around the house." "...were hugging and screaming."

Now, I would like you to write one paragraph made up of 5 sentences in the past continuous. This paragraph should express something of your childhood that you were doing. You may use my text as a guide for your paragraph.






Link
Here is a link to the New York Yankee's website. Here you can find information such as game schedules, player stats, ticket purchasing options, and much more! I hope all you Yankee fans and potential Yankee fans enjoy this site!

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=nyy

More Than Just Sneakers

This past weekend, I realized my shoes were making quite a noise while I walked. It was a noise almost as if I was stepping on a duck that was coming from my heel. When I stopped to look down, I saw that I had a hole in the right heel of my cherished brown converse shoes. Every time I notice a new rip in these shoes, it breaks my heart. See, I love all sneakers. Especially the array of different pairs of converse shoes that I own. However, this specific pair of brown Chuck Taylor sneakers I own is more than just a pair of sneakers to me.

This pair of sneakers have been worn by my feet for over 8 years. These sneakers have taken me through different stages of school; High School, to SUNY Cortland, to Molloy College. These sneakers have led much exploration throughout 5 countries; United States, Costa Rica, Spain, Ireland, and Italy. So, this past weekend someone told me, "Kathleen, you should really throw those shoes out. They have so many rips!" I refuse! These are more than just shoes. These are time capsules. How can you throw something away that holds so many memories?

Vocabulary

1.quite- (rather) to a considerable or great degree

2.'stepping on a duck'- in this case, this phrase is used to elude to the quacking sound a duck makes

3.cherished- to treat dear, fondly, adoringly

4.'breaks my heart'- a saying used to elude to something that makes you sad or disheartened
5.converse shoes- a popular brand of shoes which have several different styles

6.Chuck Taylors- a famous style of low top converse shoes named after an American basketball player who was famous for wearing these shoes while he played

7.refuse- to decline, deny, or renounce

8.time capsules- something that holds information or goods from a certain time period(s) that can communicate information with future times

Cloze Exercise
1. Seeing all the commercials for abandoned animals just ____________.
2. I lost my _____________ ring that was handed down to me from my Grandmother!
3. I want a new pair of shoes. I don't want Nike brand shoes, I want __________.
4. The archaeologists found an unintentional ___________ filled with past information left by the Mayan culture.
5. When I walked down the street with my old pair of shoes, it sounded like I was __________!
6. That new horror film was __________ frightening.
7. I simply ____________ to go along with this lie.
8. Jason's favorite shoes are the _______________, which are named after the famous basketball player.


Grammar Point-Present Perfect
The Present Perfect is a tense that is usually used to to describe an unspecified time before now, the exact time is not important. This tense can be used to describe an experience, a change over time, with accomplishments, an uncompleted action you are expecting, multiple actions different times, and with expressions of time. The form of the present perfect is; has/have + the past participle. You can find examples of the present perfect tense in my text. 1)"These sneakers have taken me through different stages of school." 2)"This pair of sneakers have been worn by my feet for over 8 years."

Now, I would like you to create three of your own sentences using the present perfect using the ones from my text as a guide. For each sentence, I would like you to leave a rationale as to why you used the present perfect.

1)

Rationale:

2)

Rationale:

3)

Rationale:

Link: http://www.converse.com
Here is a link to the converse shoes website. You can use this link to buy converse shoes already made, or create your own to buy! Hopefully everyone has a pair of shoes they cherish, just like me. I hope everyone enjoyed this week's blog!