Tammy's Cinnamon Rolls

I got this recipe from my friend Tammy Dunlap, and everybody enjoyed it on Christmas day and the day after and the day after that.

It makes about 3 dozen large rolls.

For rolls:

12 c. flour

4 T. yeast

2 T. salt

1.4-1/2 c. sugar

5 c. hot water

1 c. oil

For filling:

cinnamon--1-2 T. per 1/3 dough

brown sugar--about 3/4 c. per 1/3 dough

butter--about 1 stick melted per 1/3 of the dough

nuts optional

For frosting:

2 cubes cream cheese

lb. powdered sugar

3-4 T. orange juice

1 t. vanilla

For rolls:

Combine 6 c. flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add water and oil. Slowly add up to about 6 more cups of flour until smooth.

Let rise, kneading every 10 minutes for 1 hour.

Take 1/3 of the dough and roll out to the size of a cookie sheet. Spread cinnamon mixture on it and roll it up stretching the dough as you roll. Cut into about 1-2 inch rolls using dental floss and place on greased cookie sheet with sides so that the mixture does not drip off the edge. I also scrape the mixture that has oozed out of it and pour it on top of the rolls once placed in the pan. (Here you can put them in the fridge overnight and let rise 60 minutes instead of 30 the next morning.) Let rise 30 minutes and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Make frosting once the rolls are in the oven and pour over warm rolls.

Enjoy!

Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken

This recipe is simple and delicious and comes straight from Mel's kitchen cafe. We warm up some corn tortillas and add beans, sour cream, cilantro, and lettuce to make taco's and taco salad. It's got just the right heat for kids so add a little more if you like it hot. In this weather I'll take anything hot I can get!

Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken

*Note: leaving the tomatoes undrained makes for a fairly juicy chicken mixture. If you don't want the finished shredded chicken mixture to be quite as liquidy, slightly drain the tomatoes before using them. Also, I nearly always double or triple this recipe because it freezes so well.

*Serves 4

1 pound (about 2) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (14-ounce) can petite or regular diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (add more if you like extra heat - with this amount it is mild enough for my kids to eat it up but spicy enough to help offset the sweetness)

Place the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Pour over the chicken. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-9 hours. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Return to the slow cooker and mix the chicken with the juices from the tomato/brown sugar sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in flour tortillas with toppings of choice: lettuce, sour cream, cheese, avocados, etc.

*Freezable Meal: I freeze the leftovers in a freezer-safe container and let thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving the next day. I reheat over medium-low heat in a saucepan on the stove.

Recipe Source: melskitchencafe.com