QUESTION: There is nothing better than waking up to the smell of fresh cinnamon buns, so I would like to try making them for my family. Can you give me a good recipe for cinnamon buns? Also, Christmas will soon be upon us, where can I purchase your books? Donelda, Mariapolis, Man.
ANSWER: Combine two tablespoons active yeast in one cup warm water and one teaspoon sugar (sugar feeds yeast, while salt destroys yeast). Let stand 10 minutes. Add two-thirds cup sugar, two cups warm milk, two teaspoons salt, four eggs, two cups potato water, two-thirds cup butter and 10-11 cups all-purpose flour. Knead until dough is no longer sticky; add a bit of additional flour if necessary. Let rise until double in size. Roll out and divide into four pieces. Cover with margarine or butter, sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up at wide end. Cut into one-inch pieces. Place on greased pan and let rise until double in size. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown. For icing: Mix together one-quarter cup icing sugar and one tablespoon whipping cream or milk and half-teaspoon vanilla. Spread over buns.
Extra tidbit: For best results, store yeast in the fridge.
Another tidbit: Potato water is the leftover water used when boiling potatoes.
P.S. My three books can be purchased at: reena.ca or call 204-320-2757.
QUESTION: I am hosting Thanksgiving dinner at my house this year and I am in charge of cooking the turkey and gravy. The problem is that I work until 4 p.m. and don't have time to finish the turkey and gravy. Do you have any advice for me? Thank you, Jessica, Hamiota, Man.
ANSWER: What I would do in this predicament is cook the turkey the day before and cut it so that it is ready for serving. On the day of the gathering, put the turkey pieces into a slow cooker and pour broth over top so that it does not dry off. Leave it on a LOW setting until serving time. The gravy can also be made ahead of time and left on LOW or KEEP WARM in the slow cooker.
QUESTION: Our dear granddaughter came to get flowers and old canning jars. The problem is her old car decided to drop some large oil drops on our good concrete. Any suggestions before we tackle it ourselves? Hopefully, Trudy, Winnipeg
ANSWER: If the stain is fresh, sprinkle the area with a liberal amount of kitty litter to absorb grease. For older stains apply a solution of one cup washing soda and one-quarter cup TSP (trisodium phosphate) per gallon of water. Scrub or pressure wash the stain. As a last resort, combat tough spills with muriatic acid and a pressure washer. Apply the acid following the manufacturer's directions, and let it soak for several seconds. Test all solutions on an inconspicuous area first.
Feedback from Manitobans:
Dear Reena,
My house was infested with ladybugs and I could not get rid of them until I read your column a year ago that gave advice on ladybugs in the home. I caulked around the windows just as you suggested and now my ladybug problem is gone! Super, thank you. Martin
I enjoy your questions and tips, keep them coming! Missed a column? Can't remember a solution? Need a speaker for an upcoming event? Check out my brand new website: reena.ca
