for a few weeks before christmas break craig's side of the family was trying to decide
if they should go skiing for christmas.
the plans changed almost on a daily basis.
in the end…the ski group was craig and the four oldest kids and his sister, her husband and two kids.
annie and i stayed home and his other sister and his mom stayed in kansas.
i don't ski anymore and annie REALLY did not want to go in the car a long time.
i was very relieved to be allowed to stay home.
i feel like all i've done is travel.
and i got a quiet house just before christmas.
his sister and mom even took annie overnight so i was truly alone.
wow.
i was Mrs. Productive.
i cleaned…A LOT.
i addressed and mailed our christmas cards.
i watched TWO movies!!
i hibernated in my own little world….no one really knew i was alone or home or what!
i like it that way sometimes.
i made pineapple vodka for new year's eve. (recipe here)
and cranberry vodka for christmas enjoyment. (recipe here)
all the while receiving photos in my inbox from craig's phone.
i slept in until 11:00 AM.
that is so unbeleivable.
i took a bath and watched all the grey's anatomys in my dvr.
i ate chips and spicy rice for every meal the whole time!
sadly i went to walmart 3 times.
that was lame.
then when i knew craig was headed home from colorado i got working on one of his gifts.
i was so nervous.
but i surprised even myself….and i did it!
i made cinnamon rolls for the first time in my life.
from scratch.
from the pioneer woman cookbook.
so when craig walked in the door from the 8+ hours of driving there was a hot pan of cinnamon rolls
waiting for him.
he was very happy.
which made me happy.
and i didn't read the whole recipe through before i started….so when i got to the part about
cutting them and placing them in the pan i read "one recipe makes about 50 rolls"
what?!
i had made a double batch because i thought my kids would eat the one pan i made right away.
oh no! suddenly i had 100 cinnamon rolls in my kitchen.
my lucky neighbors. :)
the kids said skiing was awesome.
i am still 100% happy that i stayed home and sat in my quiet quiet house.
i highly recommend sending your family away for 3 days the week of christmas.
it helps a mother's stress level immensely.
design wanna-be - That is hilarious about the cinnamon rolls! Oh my goodness, thanks for sharing.
Jules - Number one, I wanted to thank you for including my glitter dinos on your blog. Thank you!
Number two, I made these before and the dough was loose and wet like mud! I don’t know what I did wrong, but seeing you have so much success with them makes me courageous enough to try them again.
Vicki - yummmmmmmm, home made, from scratch cinnamon rolls AND adult beverages all at the same time. Wow. My husband would have had to scoop me up off the floor when he got home with a shovel!!!!! Delicious!!
Dianne - I’m just now reading this (a bit behind this week) and I am IMMENSELY jealous of your alone time!!! Looks like you had a great day, and those cinnamon rolls are something that I’ve been wanting to make, too!
Melanie - Lucky you. I love to be home by myself too. This Monday, Caden starts back to school for the first time in 6 months and I can’t wait to get my house back to myself during the day. I only have one child so it is not like you having 5! I want to make those rolls! They look delish and I love them. I have made some from scratch from a Southern Living recipe and they were so good that I had to send them with my husband to work so I wouldn’t eat them all. LOL
mel - So many things to comment on from this post….
First..pineapple vodka & cranberry vodka? yes, please!
Secondly…you slept in until 11 am?!?! So.Jealous.
Thirdly…how fun they went skiing in Colorado! What resort? I went to college at CU and LOVED being able to ski in the winters!
And finally…were the cinammon rolls hard to make? I got her cookbook for xmas & I LOVE cinammon rolls, but have been too scared to try and make them from scratch!
So glad you had a few days BY YOURSELF! Lucky!
Tiffany - Those cinnamon rolls are divine! Luckily I read the recipe all the way through…it was still an overwhelming amount of rolls!!
tami reed - Those look very tasty yum!
DreamGirlLisa - I love that you got that time alone. I used to get time when my girls were with their dad every other weekend, but they haven’t gone in a while, so my time alone is pretty limited now. It does have a way of refreshing the soul, doesn’t it? The cinnamon rolls look yummy, I have never made them from scratch either, might try it before I go back to work next week. Thanks for the inspiration!
Happy New year!
Donna - congrats on making pw cinnamon rolls – I’m LOL – I’ve made them a couple of times and they are a lot of work…I can’t imagine doubling up on them. Send me some!
I’d love three whole days 🙂
Christina - Oh my gosh, I am laughing so hard right now about the recipe and the cinnamon rolls! I didn’t realize it made that many either…thanks for the heads up. I thought I might make them while my parents are here this week. Normally I use a recipe that doesn’t involve rising, at all!! It’s so easy. But I had the notion of splurging. Anyway, thanks for the laugh.
Nina - that’s great that you had 3 days to yourself! I have made pioneer woman’s cinnamon buns before and they are so yummy. I gave them to all of my sister’s, SIL and mom.
Patricia - 3 days.
Alone.
In your own home?
Man, I’m envious!
I’m loving the cookbook from Pioneer Woman … we’re working our way through it one recipe at a time :o)
Happy New Year!
Tonya - i’m insanely jealous that you got to spend 3 whole days in your home….alone! that’s my favorite thing to do every once in a while. i also love that no one knew you were there….that cracks me up!
i about fainted the first time i made pw’s cinnamon rolls and saw that it made 50-60! i’m sure your neighbors were thrilled by your “mistake”!
Jess - my goodness that’s a lot of comments! {i’ve been lazy lately and have just been reading in google reader.} i could comment on every thing you wrote, but that would be a page long! so i’ll just leave you with “yum”.
Kat - Sounds like you had a couple of really lovely days! Its nice to be able to sit and get a heap of stuff done in one hit. I made cinnamon rolls earlier this year and took them out to visit my aunty in St George. They were delicious!
Karen - Oh I am so envious!! I have only adult kids and I am still envious! I LOVE when they come home….and I love when they go back to school. Am I bad? 😉
linda lou - meg i want one of those cinnamon rolls RIGHT NOW take it to amy’s and i’ll pick it up!!!!
i can taste it now. amy’s mom
Lisa Liddell - I dream of sleeping until 11am.
Chiot's Run - I love homemade cinnamon rolls – 100 is a lot. Did you know you can freeze them in pans for instant gratification when needed? I give out pans of frozen rolls to family & friends for Christmas.
Glad you hear you had a great relaxing time at home alone, sometimes that’s a wonderful thing!
Christy - Sounds like a great holiday! Oh how I wish I had seen those recipes before now! Not enough time to try them for NYE, but I am thinking that pineapple vodka would be great for a summer drink in hot AZ! Thanks for think link.
jeanne - I just saw that you are a finalist!!! You deserve it and I am so excited for you!!
Melissa Gruber - sounds wonderful…i think after the holidays would be a treat too…i am exhausted from it all.
the rolls look wonderful…great job!
karen - that was so sweet of you to have those rolls ready for craig!
Anna - Wow – congrats… and those rolls look d-lish!
It’s funny about the alone time, I didn’t realize how much I enjoy being alone – does that make me a bad mommy? Anyway, when I was growing up, my dad always took my brother and I fishing on Mother’s Day afternoon – I thought this was really strange at the time. I mean shouldn’t kids spend the day with their mom’s on Mother’s Day? But I now realize he was really gifting her and himself. He also took us fishing on Father’s Day too – a double treat for mom!
Sara @ It's Good to be Queen - wow, now that just sounds dreamy.
sarah - Those cinnamon rolls look so good. David and I ordered the book for ourselves for christmas after seeing it in barnes n noble. We’re so excited to start cooking from it!
And the first one we want to try are these cinnamon rolls!!
seleta - I’m so freaking jealous. But not in a mean way, ha ha haaaa.
Ohhhhh, you lucky duck.
Since there is no babysitter in our New Year’s equation, I may have to try that pineapple vodka recipe..can’t hurt to have one innocent little cocktail on New Year’s Eve, right?!?
Lori - I am very bad about reading recipes all the way before I start. 100 cinnamon rolls, I love it. And that pineapple vodka looks amazing. I don’t have 10 days til NYE but will definately try my hand at it. Please post your “review” of the vodkas! Have a wonderful NY EVE!
Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - Oh so glad you had time for just you…what a treat! Those rolls looked amazing. I have her cookbook and have yet to make one thing, now THAT is lame:)
Anna Marie - Lucky lady! That sounds nice. So does that mean that you can check “Weekend with NO kids home” and “Make cinnamon rolls” off of your list? Or does that weekend thing INCLUDE the hubby? So funny about the abundance of cinnamon rolls. :o)
Maria - yum…those cinnamon rolls look great…I may have to try those out very soon…so I guess you could change the song now…on the 10th day of Christmas…100 cinnamon rolls?
What a nice gift to have the house to yourself!
Amy Mierzejewski - sounds wonderful! but where was Waffle? I need more pics of him, please!
immyyas - That is hilarious about the 100 cinnamon rolls… so something I would do. I double everything… habit from growing up with a big family. Isn’t instantly seeing a smile on hubby’s face when he walks thru the door the best! It makes the whole evening awesome! I want someone to take my kiddos for a night… heck, I’d even settle for a couple hours. Sadly I probably at least 6-12 months or so before that will happen… lil one is only 3 1/2 months & middle one is a 2 year old monster that only wants Mommy!
Katie - Sounds like you had a great 3 days!! I’m going to try to make that pineapple vodka I think!
Tegan and Tage - Those vodkas look amazing. I made kahlua for gifts this year but I am definitely going to have to bookmark those for next year!
Laura Phelps - GREAT IDEA! Thanks! Next year, I am sending YOU my kids!!!!!!!!!
shelly - We loved PW’s cinnamon rolls! One huge tip that I got from a friend’s mom years ago is to use a long length of thread to cut the dough roll. Just put the thread under the roll, bring the 2 sides up like you’re going to tie a knot (cross them but not knotted), pull the ends tight and viola—perfectly “cut” rolls!
amy j. - They were yummy! THanks for sharing! 🙂
Elyse - Wow! That sounds like HEAVEN!!! And next time you have extra rolls just call me up and ill be happy to take them off your hands! 😉
angela - Just READING your post relaxed me! So glad you got to spend time alone!! I have been meaning to make PW’s cinamon rolls. I will do that soon….any tips?
Heidi Jo the Artist - Yummy! Can’t wait to make some cinnamon rolls!
Merry Christmas! A little late. 🙂
Happy New Year! A little early. 😉
Amy - ooooo…those cinnamon rolls! Awesome! Been meaning to check that cookbook out! 🙂
Kelly - I sent my husband to get a Christmas tree with just the boys this year. Just those couple of hours were heavenly! I bet 3 days was incredible!
Cate O'Malley - Nothing like a quiet house to recharge your batteries. When the kids are gone, sometimes I’ve been known to eat three meals in bed, with a stack of magazines and the DVR at the ready. Sometimes it’s just what the doctor ordered. The cinnamon rolls look delish!
Carisa - I made those rolls too for neighbor gifts. We loved them!
Flower Patch Farmgirl - I decided yesterday that the most challenging part of motherhood for me is that I am someone who craves alone time on a fairly regular basis. And getting groceries doesn’t count. Nor does dinner with girlfriends. Alone is what I want. Me, myself and I. Every now and then, I get some. Your stint sounds like complete perfection!
I made the rolls too, on Christmas eve, for the first time. Yours look swirlier. I’m a total active yeast novice. My dough seemed too sticky?? And the melted butter made a gigantic mess. Maybe I’ll try Amanda’s idea (up in the comments) next time.
Alisa - I think you and I are made from the same cloth girl…that sounds absolutely fantastic!! And right before Christmas…even better!! I love my alone time, but unfortunately it doesn’t happen very often.
Those rolls look heavenly!!
erica - oh my goodness, that sounds wonderful! i’m sure it doesn’t happen that often with 5 kids 😉
i was looking at your last post and my 3 year old, sean, saw the picture of the classroom and said “WOW what is that?” i said it was a class for school and he now wants to go to that school. so cute.
Amanda - Did you have a problem with the butter getting everywhere? I melted it like the recipe said and it was just a huge mess. The next time we make it I’m going to just soften the butter, mix everything in to it and spread it like frosting so it doesn’t get everywhere
susie whyte - 3 days?? what’s that like?? i hope to experience that someday. 🙂
i saw the pineapple vodka recipe on sugar shop’s page a while back. that should make new year’s a memorable one…or maybe a forgettable one?? i dunno.
our families and friends LOVED the cinnamon rolls this year. such a great present. it’s time consuming, but so worth it in the end.
that camera phone takes awesome photos! glad they had fun!
Cassie - wowza…can’t even tell you how jealous that makes me.
also, i’d like to by your neighbor. not so much for the cinnamon rolls, but for fruity vodka! 🙂
Dana D @BoysMyJoys - What an awesome Christmas present for you! I think I’m asking for a few days alone as a gift next year! 🙂
The cinnamon rolls turned out beautifully! Craig is a lucky fella! And, so are your neighbors!
Lorilee - Isn’t it amazing what we can accomplish with a little uninterrupted TIME! Those rolls look awesome. I am a complete pushover for cinnamon rolls.
Blessings,
Lorilee
Nancy - First of all, I am a total cinnamon roll addict. I got the cookbook for Christmas and that page is marked. Sold…
A night completely alone… that is a gift in itself. HOly cow… the possibilities are endless. Just the quiet would be priceless..
Kimberlee J. - Nice job. The rolls look fabulous.