Sugar Free Marshmallows

WOW!!!!! Sounds different! My diabetic mom is coming into town tonight and so I wanted to surprise her with a treat! I actually tried making regular marshmallows earlier, but they did not turn out AT ALL!!! That's probably why I am so excited that I was able to make these yummy treats!

YOu can make these either way, but because we are counting calories here....we opted for Sugar free!
Homemade Sugar Free Marshmallows

2 pkgs Knox unflavored gelatin (or 5 tsp)
4 Tbsp cold water
1 cup boiling water
2 cups Splenda (or sugar if you want the sweet stuff)
dash of salt
1 sm pkg sugar free jell-o (any flavor) - OPTIONAL (or for plain, just add 2 tsp vanilla)

Place unflavored gelatin in a mixing bowl and add cold water. Set aside. In a medium-sized saucepan, mix 1 cup water and 2 cups splenda and a dash of salt. Bring to a boil, mixing only occasionally. Pour boiling mixture over unflavored gelatin in the mixing bowl. Using a wire whisk attachment, beat on low for about 2-3 minutes. Gradually increase speed until maximum speed is reached. beat for about 10-15 minutes until a thick marshmallow has formed.
you can either pour over flour and cut into rectangles (which is what I should have done this time....) or make a mold by filling a 9x13 pan with flour and using whatever shape you like (ie: the back of a large spoon for eggs) and spoon into molds.

To make a more indulgent treat, you can dip the marshmallows in chocolate and have a tasty little treat!

a day in the kitchen

OK so this morning I was feeling kinda ambitious and decided to make cinniamon rolls for the first time. It was a VERY easy recipe and they turned out awesome. I actually cut the recipe in half and it made about 18 rolls so make sure that you are going to be feeding a lot if you make the WHOLE recipe:

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls
3 Cups warm water
1 Tbsp salt
1/4 Cup oil (I use applesauce!)
1/2 C Honey
4-8 Cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 Tbsp rapid rise yeast

filling:
1 1/2 C brown sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cube of butter or margarine (1/3 cup - I use tub margarine)
1 C finely chopped pecans (optional)
1 1/2 C seedless raisins (optional)

Icing:
1/2 C margarine, softened (or tub)
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
2 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt

Combine warm water and about 4 cups of flour and mix with dough hook until a pastelike consistecy (if you dont have a mixer, using your hands works well). Mix in the yeast, then salt, honey and oil. Turn mixer up slightly. Add additonal flour until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Remove from mixer and hand knead, adding flour if needed to avoid sticky dough. Roll out onto a lightly oiled surface (about 16x36 inches and appx 1/4 inch thick) Melt margarine and spread over dough. In a separate bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle nuts and raisins over the top(optional). Roll up dough to form a roll starting with the long side. Seal the seam by pinching dough together With seam side down, cut into 1 inch slices. Place rolls on a nonstick baking sheet. Let rise until doubled in size. Bake at 350 for 13-18 minutes.
To make icing Combine all ingredients in a mixer and blend well. Spread over the tops of the rolls.

Yummy Yummy Breakfast!