Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Baking and Decorating....His and Hers!

This morning Louis Dean was up hours before me! I knew what he was up to the moment I opened my eyes! He was baking!!! This is one of his all time favorite things to do. It makes his eyes sparkle and shine. AND it makes our place smell like the best coffee house in the world!


A double batch of bread rolls!


What better meal than freshly made bread, butter and cheese???
If it had been later in the day - there would have been wine!

Now I shall tell you the tale of the batch that didn't make it.
Louis Dean and I are in our twelfth year of marriage. Early on.....like the second year we were married, we found ourselves shopping at Sam's and salt was on the grocery list. It was the ONLY thing that we were not going to buy - because it ONLY came in a 20 pound bag! Still, for whatever reason that I can't remember now, we were pressed for time and didn't want to have to stop again at a grocery store for this ONE item. We bought the 20 pound bag.  We still have over a quart of it. I have it in a plastic container and it is marked SALT! Did I mention that Louis Dean got up early? We don't DO 'early' well. At any rate, his first batch was not 'proofing' like it should so he took it out and pinched off a piece to test. Salty! He has used a half cup of SALT instead of a half cup of SUGAR!
No problem! He was off to the store to buy more yeast.....and flour!


By 4:30 he had the cinnamon rolls proofing in the oven and we took a break in the gazebo.
While HE had been baking, I had been decorating!
He brought out some potato chips for our snack and said he was sorry he couldn't find a BIG bag!!


While every photo of Louis Dean is good - and you may have noticed that I only used HIS photos in last night's post - he took one of me and I am posting it WITHOUT make up!
I did 'soften' it, though. 

Lest you be envious of having a baker for your husband.......


he does not come without a price!
I am not even going there tonight!
It got WORSE after this photo so I will be better off to tackle the clean up tomorrow!


Tonight I dressed up the front door as well as the front porch for Christmas.
I am going through tub after tub so nothing is really DONE yet.
Still, progress is being made and I am past the overwhelmed state and into the spirit of decorating!


While the cinnamon rolls were baking, Louis Dean helped me put up the big living room tree!
The one that I bought at a thrift store two years ago and that was prelit and burned out and that Louis Dean spent hours and HOURS clipping off the old lights!


As he was trying to get around to go to the other side of the tree - he found himself virtually boxed in!!!


He really is my Knight in Shining Armor!


The tree stands!
AND we are having cinnamon rolls for supper!
Win! WIN!!!

16 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

I have always thought it so wonderful that Louis Dean cooks and bakes! But of my, that kitchen!! But still, it is a good thing. I know that baking relaxes a lot of people. The rolls look delicious! I knew there would be trouble when you bought that huge sack of salt, ha ha!! Phil loves potato chips, too. In fact, tonight I bought him some dipped in chocolate. I have heard that men tend to like crunchy, and woman like sweet. And that is true of us, too. Your door is gorgeous!!

Bev said...

Sounds like fun...those buns look soooo good!.... And your house is so festive....

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

Homemade rolls and cinnamon rolls! How wonderful!

The house is coming along! Your porch and door look amazing!

Blondie's Journal said...

Man, I love that guy! And you both deserve one another. You work hard and then relax~you compliment each other. And yeah, when my hubby cooks, at least those three times in our 30 year marriage, I've had a huge mess to deal with.

I love that you've made so much progress in your Christmas decorating. I wish you lived next door so you could give me a good kick in the ass to get moving. I'm just in a funk. Too, too much and so little energy. Talk about not wearing makeup. My bag has dust on it!

Thanks always for visiting...you leave the best comments.

Jane x

Linda said...

Linda, you do know how to pick'em. I have to take your side about kitchen clean up. After our big meal on Sunday I decided I'd rather have a peanut butter sandwich with no clean up. Tomorrow I've got to do some serious work after a bottle of ginger ale spewed like Old Faithful in there. I usually decorate for Christmas while Susan is here but for some reason this time I didn't. Perhaps that will be tomorrow's work, after the kitchen clean up. I'd like some word about Summer.

Judy said...

Laughing about the disaster in the kitchen that awaits you in the morning! But how nice to have an in-home baker. Good job on the decorating!

jamarson1 said...

I love your salt story! And you look beautiful in the pic he took. Happy decorating😃

Changes in the wind said...

A good reminded to us that envied his cooking:) You make a great pair.

Susie said...

Linda, I had to laugh at the kitchen...OMG. I think if Teddy Bear ever mentions baking to me, I will hand him some slice and bake cookies. LOL. Your LD is so helpful in many more ways..so I guess the messy kitchen isn't that bad. I love how you both just pitch in and go at any chores or jobs there. We are soon coming to the end of our glorious weather here. It will be 51 today and yesterday got to 61...heavenly for November. I did outdoor décor and today I will start on the tree. Blessings to you and sweet LD...take care of each other. xoxo, love you, Susie

Arlene G said...

Y'all are so funny. I never fail to smile reading about your escapades. And a cinnamon roll...yum.

MadSnapper said...

the salt story brings to mind the birthday cake baked for my Baptist Minister dad. the deacon had us over and his 12 year old baker daughter baked the cake. we all took a bite and almost choked. she had used 2 cups of corn mean instead of flour...
I did not know salt comes in 20 pound bags. I am so glad bob doesn't bake because I would way 500 pounds. bread and rolls and corn bread, all baked goods are my addiction. I will eat a slice of white bread with nothing on it. the 2nd reason I am glad is because funerals are expensive and if he did that to my kitchen, he would NEED a funeral.

Carole said...

Freshly baked bread - oh my. Now I have to pull out some par baked rolls from the freezer and have them with lunch. I didn't make them though. Have a great week. Cheers from Carole's Chatter

Vee said...

Yay! All's well that ends well. 😊 I must be tired as I have laughed my fool head off reading your post. Thanks a million!

NanaDiana said...

Well, I was gonna say send him over until I saw the kitchen mess. LOL This man here doesn't cook and still leaves a HUGE kitchen mess. lol That is a good looking tree and I can't imagine cutting all those lights off. I started doing that to one tree and finally gave up and gave it to Goodwill....lol....Maybe that is MY old tree. lol xo Diana

Cheryl said...

Oh my goodness...waking up to the aroma of fresh baked rolls. ~swoon~ (But that baking station. That's another "oh my goodness." For a different reason.) :)

Happy decorating!!

Gypsy Heart said...

Personally, I think the kitchen condition would be worth it for fresh rolls and cinnamon rolls! :) He is so talented and has a wealth of knowledge about "fixing" most anything. I would never have the patience to cut off all those lights! I barely have it to add lights to my little tree or the garlands. Lol! You know, when I'm in a store checking out the lights I always think of you. :)

xo
Pat