• Sonny Long •
• Originally published January 20, 2009 at 5:07 p.m., updated January 20, 2009 at 5:07 p.m.

"Live with intention, walk to the edge, listen hard, practice wellness, play with abandon, choose with no regret, continue to learn, appreciate your friends, do what you love, live as if this is all there is." - Mary Radmacher-Hershey

Life around our house is getting back to normal. Taylor has returned home from a five-day medical mission trip to some of the small desert villages in the northern part of Mexico. He always seems a little changed when he returns, maybe a little more thoughtful and introspective.

The people he visits have no electricity, no running water, no TVs, no ice and no computers. There isn't a mall or a billboard for 200 miles. They live off of rice, beans, flour tortillas and a little chicken or whatever other animal that they happen to raise or hunt. They do a little gardening. Taylor says that they look well fed and are relatively healthy.

They have their old pick-up trucks in case they need to make the long drive into the city for supplies but for the most part they get around on foot or horseback. They have almost no modern conveniences or anything that we would consider an important part of an enlightened, reasonable existence. The amazing thing is they seem perfectly happy and content with life.

They live in adobe or mud brick houses that they build with their own hands. These structures are warm in the winter and cool in the summer. They live by the light of the sun and moon. The night is so totally dark and the air so clear that the stars above are bright from horizon to horizon, and when you look up you get the sense of being immersed in space, almost floating free.

Taylor tells me that these desert folks are very friendly and kind, but that they don't seem to talk very much. They do enjoy the company of those around them. Even if they are sitting on a bench together they say little to each other, perhaps only what is necessary. The playing children smile and chase each other, but in a quiet manner. There are no radios playing or other noise, and the only music is from the occasional church service. The sound that mostly prevails is that of the blowing wind. And when Taylor returns from these trips he is especially quiet and that is a little unnerving for me.

I have really begun to enjoy knitting. I started this a couple of months ago when we went for a week to a secluded ranch in the mountains. I can sit and knit for an hour or two and be perfectly content. I guess it is the rhythmic weaving of the soft yarn through my fingers and around the smooth needles that transfixes me. And I love to see the finished product of the muffler or scarf that is created. Once you get the hang of it, knitting allows you to be productive, but doesn't require a lot of concentration like a real job. Maybe it is rewarding in the same way as cutting the overgrown grass in a large yard, planting a large garden of flowers and seeing them bloom, or making your favorite dish from scratch without needing the recipe. Taylor seems to experience the same pleasure by turning wood on the lathe, chain sawing down an old tree or shredding a field with his tractor.

I love going to yarn shops. There is basic yarn at Wal-Mart or Hobby Lobby, but to find more unusual stuff you have to go to a place that specializes in yarn. My most recent nearby find is The Unwind Knit Shop in Port Lavaca. Barbara Johnstone's shop has so many different yarns of varied materials, textures and colors. The different hues of threads remind me of things I am fond of; the red of a candied apple, the pink of cotton candy, the aqua blue of Caribbean waters, the brownish white of a wooly sheep, the dark green of a spruce tree in the mountains. Through knitting I can share a bit of myself by sharing my creations.

Cooking is a lot like knitting. It is an outlet for me to share the foods I love. These cinnamon rolls are a family favorite of ours. I have added pecans when I have them, but they are just as delicious without them.

Myra Starkey lives in Victoria. Write her in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901, or e-mail myra@vicad.com.

• CINNAMON ROLLS LIKE YOUR MOM USED TO MAKE1 cup milk (heated approximately 1 minute in microwave)

  cup warm water (110 degrees)

  1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

  cup butter, room temperature

  2 eggs, beaten

  tsp. ...

• SHOW ALL »

CINNAMON ROLLS LIKE YOUR MOM USED TO MAKE1 cup milk (heated approximately 1 minute in microwave)

cup warm water (110 degrees)

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

cup butter, room temperature

2 eggs, beaten

tsp. salt

cup sugar

5 cups bread flour

1 Tbsp. vital wheat gluten (optional)*

3 tsp. instant active dry yeast

Cinnamon Filling (recipe below)

Butter Frosting (recipe below)

In a large bowl or in the bowl of a 5 quart stand mixer, combine all the ingredients in the order given except the Cinnamon Filling and the Butter Frosting. Using a dough hook, mix everything together until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled surface and knead until elastic, approximately 10 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 10 to 20 minutes. Butter a 9x13x2-inch baking pan; set aside.

Dust a work surface with flour. After dough has rested, roll and pat dough out to a 15x24-inch rectangle. Brush the softened butter over the top of the dough with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle cinnamon filling over the butter on the prepared dough.

Starting with long edge, roll up dough; pinch seams to seal. IF you roll the log too tight then the center of the cinnamon rolls will pop out as they bake.

With a knife, lightly mark roll into 1-inch section. Using a serrated knife, gently cut each section. Place cut side up in prepared pan, but do not allow the rolls to touch in the pan. This prevents them from rising.

Cover and let rise in a warm place for approximately 45 to 60 minutes or until doubled in size. The rolls will rise and touch each other in the pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for about 20 minutes or until light brown.

Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Spread Butter Frosting over the cinnamon rolls while still warm. Best served warm, but room temperature is also great.

Yields 15

*The Vital Wheat Gluten helps the sweet bread dough rise and creates a lighter texture.

CINNAMON FILLING

cup butter, melted or softened

1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar

4 to 5 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

to 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Soften the butter; set aside. In a bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sift the brown sugar and cinnamon to remove lumps. Stir in nuts if using.

BUTTER FROSTING

2 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

cup butter, room temperature

1 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar

tsp. pure vanilla extract

tsp. lemon extract or oil (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon extract or oil until well mixed and creamy. Refrigerate frosting until ready to use and then bring to room temperature before spreading.

EASY FROSTING

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Milk

Mix the above until you have a creamy consistency. Add more sugar or milk as necessary to achieve the consistency desired.

• Print
• •
• Share
  • Share this item

    Send this to a friend

    Share on FaceBook

  • Grab the link

    Copy and paste the link:

  • Blog about it

    Blog about this page.

  • Close
• •
• Post a Comment
• •
• Favorite
• •
• Report error
  • Thank you for your submission.
    Error report or correction

    Contact name (optional) Contact phone/e-mail (optional)  

    
  • Close
• •