Apple & Maple Pork Chops!

Due to some overzealous pick your own apple shenanigans we have an overabundance of apples (although the pie did put a nice dent in them). I was flipping through my fall magazines when I saw this gem: Pork Chops with Maple Apples. I had two pork chops, an abundance of apples, and I love maple...what could go wrong? Absolutely nothing!

This recipe was divine. The sweetness of the apples with the onions and pork was amazing. While I was cooking I panicked that one pork chop wasn't going to be enough for the manly Mr. Lawyer so I threw a couple of frozen hash browns into another pan. In my wedding addled brain (we were yelling back and forth about tux pick ups over the sizzling of the pans) I rationalized "pork and potatoes, latkes and applesauce, soooo apple pork chops and hashbrowns!". It was completely random but totally delicious. This is definitely a make again recipe. It was so good that I started eating it before I got a decent picture.

A weird but delicious combination!

I swear there are pork chops under the apples!

Sizzling away.

Pork Chops with Maple Apples

(adapted from Better Homes & Gardens Magazine)

Ingredients:
2 boneless pork chops, 3/4" inches
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, cut into thin wedges
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup light whipping cream
2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Directions:
1. Trim excess fat from chops. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add pork chops. Cook for 8 to 12 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking. Remove from skillet. Cover with foil. Let stand 3 minutes.
2. Add apples, onion, and garlic to skillet. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

3. Add apple juice. Cook about 4 minutes more or until most liquid has evaporated and apples are crisp-tender. Put pork chops back in pan with apple mixture. 

4. Stir together whipping cream, maple syrup, and thyme. Pour over pork and apples in skillet. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through and sauce starts to thicken. 

5. Remove from heat and serve!

Wicket is Back!

Poor Wicket (the wok) was feeling a bit neglected this summer. That means it's time for a stir-fry! We haven't been super healthy this summer (but not totally disgusting either!) so all the veggies were an added bonus. This is a solid recipe. It didn't blow our minds but it wasn't bland. The sauce had a nice subtle flavor but there wasn't a ton of it and you know I like it saucy! My favorite part was the bits of browned onion.

Stir-fried Broccoli, Mushrooms, and Onions with Tasty Sauce

(Fast, Fresh, & Green Cookbook)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1.5 teaspoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice wine (I used Mirin)
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 small onion, diced
1 small broccoli head, cut into florets
6-8 ounces mushrooms, depending on taste
1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
Directions:
1. Whisk together oyster sauce, hoisin, soy, rice wine, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat up peanut oil in a large wok. Add the onion and stir-fry until it's turning brown.
3. Add the broccoli and mushrooms. Stir occasionally until the veggies are cooked/turning brown.
4. Add in the garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
5. Remove from heat and stir in sauce until all the veggies are coated. Serve with rice.

FIESTA!

Creamy Peas!

Let it be known that I am not a huge frozen pea fan. I like snow peas and snap peas but regular old green peas? Not as much. However this recipe is divine and I would happily eat more peas. The onion-lemon-cream combination is amazing. I really didn't pick up on the mint too much. It did help that the peas were drenched in butter and cream but hey, if it makes me eat my veggies then I'm game.

This is the second recipe I've tried from my new Fast, Fresh & Green cookbook that I purchased with an engagement party gift card. So far I'm 2 for 2 (Mr. Lawyer is 1 for 2 as he didn't care for the Crunchy Salad). I'm loving this new cookbook! 

Peas with Lemon, Mint, and Scallion

(from Fast, Fresh & Green)

Ingredients:

Kosher salt
8 ounces shelled green peas (about 2 cups) or frozen peas (about 1.5 cups)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large scallions (white and light green parts), thinly sliced
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon packed finely grated lemon zest
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. If using fresh peas: Fill a large saucepan half full with water and 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil. Drop the peas into the boiling water and cook until just tender (taste one or two), 2 minutes for smaller peas, 3 minutes for larger, older peas. Begin timing immediately, don't wait for the water to return to a boil. Use a mesh strainer to transfer the peas to a dish towel or a few layers of paper towels to drain. Discard teh water the peas were boiled in, but reserve the pot.
If using frozen peas: Put the peas in a colander and run cold water over them for a few minutes until they're mostly thawed. Spread them out on a few layers of dish towel to drain.
2. Melt the butter in the reserved saucepan over low heat. Add the scallions and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream, half of the mint, then lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until it thickens slightly and a wooden spoon lives a wide path when scraped across the bottom of the pan, about 1 minute. Add the peas and stir until they're heated through and well coated with the sauce, 1 minute more. Remove the pan from the heat, taste for salt and pepper, and serve immediately, garnished with the remaining mint.

Summer Salad

Yum yum! This salad was a nice fresh taste of summer. You get a nice burst of sweetness from the red pepper and corn. A bit of spice from the onion, cumin, and hot sauce plus the earthiness of the black beans to even it all out. I do believe that this dish will be making a return during the summer season.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

(from Rachel Ray)

Ingredients:
1 can, 14 ounces, black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot sauce (I used sriracha)
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
Salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Let stand at least 15 minutes for corn to fully defrost and flavors to combine, then toss and serve.

Taco Taco!

You really can't go wrong with a taco or quesadilla. This recipe did not disappoint. Mr. Lawyer inhaled three of them in rapid succession. Sadly, I only had one because I had eaten half of the guacamole before he got home. It's an addiction. I made it and put it in the fridge so the flavors could mingle. I kept going back, peeling off the plastic wrap, and scooooooooop. I can't get enough of it.

The potatoes were an interesting addition that I wouldn't have thought of. They were good! And nothing beats a onion/pepper/mushroom mixture. The only part I skipped was adding the crema/sour cream to the mixture at the end. I served it as a traditional topping along with the homemade guacamole, salsa, and shredded cheddar.

 Naked Taco!

Fully Loaded Taco!

Poblano, Mushroom, and Potato Taco

(From the Food Network Magazine)

Ingredients:
4 medium poblano chile peppers
3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
12 ounces cremini and/or white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup Mexican crema, creme fraiche or sour cream
Juice of 2 limes
Freshly ground pepper
Corn tortillas, warmed, and assorted toppings, for serving
Directions:1. Roast the poblanos directly over the flame of a gas burner or under the broiler, turning with tongs, until charred all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a plate and let steam until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Scrape off the charred skin with a paring knife; remove the stems and seeds. Cut the poblanos into strips and set aside.
2.Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a large nonstick skillet and cover with cold water; season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until just tender, 5 to 6 minutes; drain. Wipe the skillet dry.
3. Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and cook until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. While still hot, sprinkle with half of the herbs, and salt to taste. Discard the excess oil and wipe out the skillet.
4. Heat the butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the remaining herbs and the garlic; cook 1 minute. Add the roasted poblanos, crema, lime juice and a few spoonfuls of water; stir until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the potatoes and mushroom mixture in tortillas with assorted toppings.

Irish Steaks

The cold weather has Mr. Lawyer going all manly on me. I asked him to pick a recipe and he picked one with steak AND whiskey. It was a delicious steak and onion combo but I must admit I did not taste the whiskey at all. He claims he could, perhaps it's a boy thing. We opened a NY State red wine (they are not known for their reds) and while it was acceptable it was so one dimensional and boring after all our fancy Italian red wine (thank you parental units!). We decided that we'll have to look at our finances and create a fancy wine budget. I was half joking but I think Mr. Lawyer was serious. I think I'm in trouble!

Irish Steaks

(from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
4 (4 ounce) beef top sirloin steaks
1 clove garlic, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup Irish whiskey
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions:
1. Heat vegetable oil and butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat until butter has melted. Cook and stir onions in butter and oil until lightly golden brown, about 10 minutes. Push onions aside with a spatula.
2. Rub steaks with cut sides of garlic clove.
3. Place steaks in the skillet, leaving the onions to the side, and cook over medium-high heat until meat is browned but still lightly pink inside, 2 to 4 minutes per side.
4. Remove the skillet from heat. Slowly pour Irish whiskey into the hot skillet (be careful, whiskey fumes are flammable). Mix browned onions into whiskey and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
Sprinkle steaks with salt, black pepper, and parsley; turn steaks over in whiskey pan sauce to coat both sides, and serve drizzled with sauce.

We had such pretty plate colors to choose from!

Love it!

Veggie Pasta

This was on my list for cheap and healthy recipes. It delivered. Under ten bucks for the whole meal it fed the two of us and there are enough leftovers for tomorrow. Obviously there isn't any crazy in your face flavors like bacon or a cream sauce but it was still really good. The dish had nice, simple veggie flavors. It was a nice way to get a healthy does of veggies and you could you use whole grain pasta for an extra healthy punch. And quick! It was so quick and easy.

Farfalle with Mushrooms and Spinach

(from Better Homes and Gardens)

Ingredients:
6 ounces dried farfalle
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup sliced portobello or other fresh mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups thinly sliced fresh spinach
1 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme
1/ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Cook farfalle according to package directions. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until mushrooms are nearly tender. Stir in spinach, thyme, and pepper; cook 1 minute or until heated through and spinach is slightly wilted. Stir in cooked pasta; toss gently to mix. Sprinkle with cheese.

Refrigerator Pizza

I had some random stuff in the fridge and a can of pizza dough so I took a page out of Grandpa Norm's book and made some refrigerator pizza (or flatbread since this is a classy establishment)! He always made refrigerator soup. I found a easy recipe for caramelized onions, sautéed some mushrooms and threw on the cheese! The cheese was a real experiment. I had a handful of blue cheese leftover from the Buffalo Chicken Rolls, enough to cover two pieces. I also had a couple of nubs of Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar and Chipotle which I shredded and mixed together (it was pretty even - half and half). I was worried the chipotle wouldn't go with the onion and mushrooms but you couldn't really taste it. We both preferred the cheddar pieces over the blue cheese.

Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Flatbread

(From the Kitchen of Jenni!)

Ingredients:
1 can of thin crust pizza dough
3 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
Salt and pepper to taste
2 red onions, sliced
1 package mushrooms
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
1. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat 1 minute. Add butter; melt. Add onions, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook 5 to 8 minutes without stirring. Reduce heat to medium; stir in honey and vinegar. Cook another 15 to 20 minutes or until onions are caramelized, stirring occasionally. Remove skillet from heat and let it cool slightly.

2. While onions are caramelizing saute mushrooms in remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil.

3. Pre-bake the crust according to package directions, mine was 5 minutes at 400 degrees. Take crust out and add cheese, onions, and mushrooms. Bake at 400 for 10 more minutes.

Camping in Style!

For the holiday weekend we ventured up to the Finger Lakes for some awesome camping that included hitting up the wineries. Best type of camping ever. As per usual, we camp in style!

You wish your camping food looked like this!

Pine-Smoked & Maple-Glazed Wild Salmon

(from the Mother Unit)

Ingredients:

1 to 2 large handfuls green pine needles
1/2 cup bourbon
1/2 cup grade-B maple syrup
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons freshly milled black pepper
Four 6-ounce salmon fillets, patted dry
Kosher salt, to taste
Directions:
1. Prepare a medium-high-heat fire, with the flames occasionally licking the grill grate. Let it burn for at least 30 minutes. Whilst the fire heats, soak the pine needles in the bourbon.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the syrup, mustard, and pepper. Season the salmon generously with salt and coat with the glaze.
3. Place a large cast-iron skillet upon the grill grate. Let it heat until very hot. Using tongs or one's own gloved hand, press the needles into the bottom of the skillet, taking care not to drizzle combustible bourbon into the flames, and place the rack on top of the needles. Place the fish on top of the rack and cover the pan. Cook until the fish is just opaque, about 15 minutes for medium. Serve, brushed with additional glaze, if desired.

This is by far the best fish recipe I have had in a long time....maybe ever. We decided it could be replicated by broiling it at home. The bourbon and pine needles was fun but we couldn't taste any flavors from it. The majority of the flavor came form the glaze and man oh man was it yummy. We had salmon AND white fish, both were delicious. Speaking of delicious: those campfire potatoes! The most heavenly thing I have smelled in my whole life was those potatoes and onions cooking mixed in with campfire smoke. My heart is getting all melty just thinking about it. No joke. Most wonderful smell ever (and they tasted good too!)

Campfire Potatoes

(from the Mother Unit)

Ingredients:
5 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup chicken broth
Directions:
1. Place the potatoes and onion on a large piece of heavy-duty foil (about 20 in. x 20 in.); dot with butter.
2. Combine the cheese, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper; sprinkle over potatoes.
3. Fold foil up around potatoes and add broth. Seal the edges of foil well. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 35-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Care to see the rest of our great Camping Adventure to the Finger Lakes? See more pictures after the jump!

Mushroom Meltdown

This recipe was kind of a mess. The mushroom onion filling was delicious but I some problems with the tart dough. Mine got too sticky and melty when I added the mushroom sauce mixture (definitely cool it first!). It would rip and ooze everything out! And then it didn't get all nice and brown (even with the egg wash) and the edge part was too thick and didn't cook that well. I feel like I need to work on my pastry skills a bit. I had been looking forward to this recipe for months so I was a little let down by the results. Mr. Lawyer didn't seem to care much and cleaned his plate (except for the excess pastry edges). On the plus side, the place smells delicious! But it was a lot of steps and mess for a so-so dish. Meatless Monday = Semi-Flop. 

Mushroom Tart

Crescent Roll Heaven

Our friends brought these yummy snacks to our basketball party. I don't have the recipe but it seems that all the filling consisted of was some caramelized onions and chopped up sausage. It was wrapped up in a crescent roll and therefore an amazing creation (I love crescent rolls). There was some extra filling and crescent rolls left over so we made some tonight for dinner. We added a piece of swiss cheese to each puff which made it even better. I followed the directions on the package and baked them for 11 minutes at 375.

Mushroom Puffs!

I have this marvelous recipe. I made it at our friend's house during the Prep Crew's Christmas Eve's Eve Gathering so I didn't have my camera on me. I was also two Mad Elves (11%) in so there was no guarantee that the picture would have come out anyway. It was marvelous and multiple people said it was a keeper. It was also so, so simple. We were worried that all the cheesy mushroomy goodness was going to ooze out if you sliced it before baking so we baked it whole and then sliced it which worked out well. We also skipped the whole egg wash thing. I made the filling the night before so all the flavors blended together for 24 hours which probably helped.
Since I don't have a picture of my mushroom puffs here is a picture of my freezer! Mr. Lawyer is really digging the homemade breakfast sandwiches. We've been using egg beaters and turkey sausage to keep it healthy. This batch of eggs are cooling off and almost ready to go!

Mushroom Puffs

(adapted from Southern Living)

Ingredients:
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 package sliced mushrooms, chopped up (I used baby bella)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion (I used a shallot)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion (I omitted this)
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1 large egg
1 (17.3-oz.) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
Directions:
1. Beat cream cheese at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until smooth. Stir in mushrooms, onion, cheese, hot sauce and green onion. Cover and chill 1 to 24 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 400°. Whisk together egg and 1 Tbsp. water in a small bowl. Roll 1 puff pastry sheet into a 16- x 10-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Cut pastry in half lengthwise. Spread 1/2 cup cream cheese mixture down center of each rectangle; brush edges with egg mixture. Fold each pastry half lengthwise over filling, and pinch edges to seal. Cut pastries into 10 pieces each, and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat procedure with remaining puff pastry sheet, egg mixture, and cream cheese mixture.
3. Brush remaining egg mixture over tops of pastry pieces; sprinkle with pepper.
4. Bake at 400° for 20 to 25 minutes or until browned. Serve immediately.

A Yearning for Home

Our favorite place to end up in Syracuse was Clark's. We spent a large portion of our grad school career there. It was the best bar ever and perfectly mirrored both of our personalities: twenty-two rotating craft beers on tap, one glorious roast beef sandwich, cheese platters from heaven, a real dartboard, never packed, no tvs, no loud music, and most importantly no drunken undergrads. Before I moved down to Philly Kevin just happened to be in town on Clark's final weekend (they were closing down due to their lease being bought out but great news, looks they might reopen in a new location!) and ever since we have been reminiscing and yearning for a Clark's sandwich. Tonight we revisited our grad school years and recreated our Clark's experience!
First up a cheese platter! They had several different types of cheese available but we always went with smoked gouda. It was served up with an entire sleeve of saltines that was hacked in half and a pile of red onions. Weird I know but give it a try!

You need to start with a good base: onion rolls! Smeared with fresh horseradish. Please note the the orange and blue theme. Go 'Cuse!

You need to serve it up with good beer. We used two of our NY brewery pint glasses: Saranac and Wagner. More orange plates!

Next up: create your Clark's sandwich. Onion roll, slice of cheddar cheese, roast beef, onions, and horseradish. So simple, so delicious. Especially after a night out.

We're getting to the recipe part. The beef! A couple of months ago we received a bag of meat from Mr. Lawyers mom (he likes to insert a "that's what she said" joke here). It contained a beef eye of round roast, I had no idea what to do with it. I found this recipe that had rave reviews but also seemed completely outrageous. You turn the oven off after 21 minutes and just leave the roast in there?! Food poisoning abound! But let me tell you it was delicious. Perfectly pink, flavorful and pretty tender. 

High Temperature Eye-of-Round Roast

(adapted from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

1(3 lb) beef eye of round roast

Salt, pepper, garlic powder

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Season the roast with salt, pepper, and garlic and place in a roasting pan or baking dish (one review suggested making sure the fat was on top so as it melted it was self-bast the roast). Do not cover or add water.
2. Place the roast in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 475 degrees. Roast for 21 minutes (seven minutes per pound) then turn off the oven and let the roast sit in the hot oven for 2 1/2 hours. Do not open the door at all during this time!
3. Remove the roast from the oven, the internal temperature should have reached at least 145 degrees.

4. Carve into thin slices to serve.

Yum!

Onion-Horseradish-Beer breath reminds me of a whole bunch of great nights.

Crunchy Onions

I love this recipe because it's easy and requires little prep. It has a nice onion taste from the fried onions so you don't need to worry about flavor but it's easy to season the chicken with salt/pepper/garlic etc before hand if you want to add a little zing. I first had this recipe with some family friends who have small children so it's kid approved! I served it up with my Farmer's Market Sautéed Squash (minus the unhealthy cheese bit) and our homemade honey mustard.

Crunchy Onion Chicken Tenders

(From French's, given to me by the Nelsons)

Ingredients:
1 small can of French's fried onion
2 tablespoons flour
2 chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 egg, beaten
Directions:
1. Place fried onions and flour in a bag in order to crush them. Place in a shallow bowl.
2. Dip chicken in egg, then cover in crushed fried onions and place on a baking sheet.
3. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Bread, Cinnamon Rolls and Sausage, Oh My!

What is better than homemade bread and cinnamon rolls on a freezing cold Sunday? Not much, other than the boy making dinner! Today's experiment was a new recipe for Amish bread. My loaf came out like a demented football but it tasted nice and sweet but slightly on the dense side. Nice crust. I split my batch into one loaf and one batch of 12 cinnamon rolls which were amazing! I used a Cinnabun clone recipe for the inside goo and top frosting and it was fabulous. The clone recipe did have a different, sweeter dough recipe with it but the Amish bread was perfect with it.

Amish White Bread

(allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
1/4 to 2/3 cup white sugar (the more sugar, the sweeter and denser the bread. I used 1/4)
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cups bread flour
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
2. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Cinnabun Clones

(allrecipes.com)

Cinnabun Goo:
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened
Cinnabun Topping:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Cinnabun Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
2. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Aaaaaand since Mr. Lawyer made us a dinner fit for a football game (because that's what's been on all afternoon) I must feature it. He grilled up some yummy Spicy Italian Sausage from Whole Foods with peppers and onions on my new Christmas Grill Pan. I then did a quick toast on the rolls in the grill pan once he had everything out and we topped them with some spicy german mustard (which has horseradish!) They were delicious and I actually kind of felt like we were at the game.