Cinnamon Rolls

One of my favorite breakfast foods is cinnamon rolls. Luckily for me, these are super simple to make, take a few hours, and are delicious! Here are the steps:

First, put in a batch of dough. This is our family's favorite cinnamon roll dough recipe:

For 12 Rolls

1 Egg plus enough water to equal 1 1/2 cups of water
1 tsp lemon juice
4 1/2 cups of bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of oil
2 tsp of active dry yeast

Featured Friday: Neuschwanstein Castle

If you are looking for fairytale castle, none can beat Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle. This is the castle that inspired Walt Disney to create his Cinderella castle. You can't find a castle more "fairytale" than that!

Quick Facts:

Where: Fussen, Bavaria, Germany

Website: www.neuschwanstein.de

What Is It: This castle is a fairytale surrounded by mystical forests in the alpine region of Bavaria. It is steeped in legend, as the castle is only half finished, due to the fact that Mad King Ludwig died before it could be completed. The rooms that are finished, however, are amazing. The throne room is elegant, fanciful, and exactly what you would imagine a king to posses. This is one of my favorite places in Europe. If you have ever wanted to step into a fairytale, this is the castle to visit.

Time Tip: Go to the castles early in the morning. Ticket lines can get unbearably long and tours often sell out early in the afternoon. You can only enter the castle by tour. After your tour walk to Mary's Bridge (Marienbrücke) for a spectacular view of the castle.

Click here to view these pictures larger

Interesting Father's Day Gift

The other day I was trying to figure out what to get my dad for Father's Dad. I always like to find interesting ways to give him his Father's Day gifts. This year, a good friend of mine suggested this funny idea: give him his favorite candy(Swedish Fish) in a can! So, this is what the final product look like:

A can of Peaches full of Swedish Fish! :) 

The trick here is that you still want the "pop top" of the can to be unopened. 

This is how I made it: 

First, I took the bottom off a can of peaches. Then I cleaned out the can. 

Second, I took a piece of tinfoil and covered the inside of the can. 

Then, I filled it up with Swedish Fish. 

Next, I placed another piece of tinfoil over the top. 

Finally, I put the bottom of the can back on, and hot glued it to create a seal. 

And there you have it! A can full of goodies. Needless to say, my dad was very surprised to get a can of peaches for Father's Day. He was even more surprised at the fact that it contained Swedish Fish! 

So, if you are looking for something unusual for the dad who has everything, give him a can of fruit or vegetables with his favorite candy inside. 

Happy (late) Father's Day! :) 

The Importance of Writing Letters

In our technologically advanced culture, sitting down and writing letters has become almost as extinct as the dinosaurs and just about as appealing. But to our Compassion children, our letters are one of their most important possessions.

 Sadly, many sponsors don't realize the importance of writing to our children. Think about it: would you only speak to your flesh and blood child once or twice every few years? Most people talk to their children every day or at least a few times a year. Sending letters is our way of communicating with our children. And believe me, those children cherish our letters. I am just as guilty of not writing as the next sponsor.

However, our letters can change our children's lives. To me, that is worth the effort of writing a letter and the cost of stamps. One way that I manage to remember to write Bedina is I joined the Virtual Letter Writing night on Our Compassion. In that group, every month you will be given a different topic to write about. That way, you don't even have to come up with something to write! Writing to your sponsored children can build a beautiful relationship with them. And, it is the chance to show the Savior's love to a child thousands of miles away. What an awesome opportunity!

Today, I sat down to write my letter. I went to Target, and found these wonderful coloring books put out by Crayola in the Target dollar section! So, in this letter I included the book and this lovely summer themed card. I love finding goodies and fun stuff to send her!

You don't have to do anything fancy. Just write! Your child will treasure your letters, for it is their link to you. For more information, check out this blog post on the Compassion International Blog: The Impact of Letter Writing