Family Meal Plan: Cozy Cranberry Carrot Cinnamon Rolls + Cran-Cinnamony Drizzle + Frosty Cranberry Yogurt

Cozy Cranberry Carrot Cinnamon Rolls

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

• bake :

  to cook food with dry heat, as in an oven.

• blend :

  to stir together two or more ingredients until just combined; blending is a gentler process than mixing.

• drizzle :

  to trickle a thin stream of a liquid ingredient, like icing or sauce, over food.

• measure :

  to calculate the specific amount of an ingredient required using a measuring tool (like measuring cups or spoons).

• mix :

  to thoroughly combine two or more ingredients until uniform in texture.

• pour :

  to cause liquid, granules, or powder to stream from one container into another.

• roll :

  to use a rolling pin to flatten dough; use your hands to form a roll or ball shape; or move a round food, like a grape or a meatball, through another food, like sugar or breadcrumbs, to coat it.

• shape :

  to form food into a specific shape by hand or with a cutting tool—examples are cutting cookie dough into shapes with cookie cutters, forming bread dough into a roll or crescent shape, and rolling ground meat into a meatball.

• slice :

  to cut into thin pieces using a sawing motion with your knife.

History of Cinnamon Rolls!

• A cinnamon roll (also called a bun or swirl) is a pastry usually made from a yeasted, proofed (risen) dough rolled out into a rectangular shape, spread with butter, and then sprinkled with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Other ingredients, like raisins, can also be added. The dough is rolled into a log, cut into slices, risen again, and baked in the oven. 
• There seems to be an agreement on where cinnamon rolls originated, in Sweden, where they're called, "kanelbulle," but no consensus on when they were first created. The rolls in one Swedish district are 12 inches or more in diameter, for one person! 
• The cinnamon roll even has its own day: October 4!
• The cinnamon bun is a Swedish invention that became popular in the United States in the 1950s. That’s why they're sold in large quantities at IKEA, the Swedish megastore. 
• In North America, cream cheese icing is a popular topping, but Swedes top their rolls with pearl sugar (pieces of compressed sugar crystals that won't dissolve into the baked good).

Let's Learn About Sweden!

• Sweden is a constitutional monarchy, and its official name is the Kingdom of Sweden.
• Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, encompasses 14 islands and more than 50 bridges. Half of Sweden is covered with forests, and it contains around 100,000 lakes and 24,000 islands. 
• Sweden has one of the highest life expectancies in the world!
• Sweden has remained neutral in all wars since 1814, including World Wars I and II.
• Though Sweden is a member of the European Union, they use their own currency, the Swedish krona, rather than the euro.
• Sweden publishes every adult's yearly tax returns. This demonstrates the Swedish tradition of "jantelagen," or the "law of Jante," which is the belief that "no one is better than anyone else." Followed in Sweden and Norway, it is praised as a reason for harmony in society.
• Swedish blood donors get a thank you note when they donate blood and a text message when patients receive their blood!
• Ice hockey and football (soccer) are Sweden’s major sports.
• There are so many moose roaming around in forests in Sweden that they could form a very large city if they all gathered together!  
• Sweden has one of the most sophisticated recycling systems in the world. They even import waste from Norway to recycle it.   
• IKEA is a Swedish-founded company and has been the world’s largest furniture retailer since 2008.
• A common Swedish tradition is "fika" (fee-kuh), where Swedes enjoy a relaxed coffee break with friends. "Fika" is the word for the noun "coffee" and the verb "have coffee." The emphasis in the custom, though, is spending time with friends.
• Besides Kladdkaka, a popular Swedish chocolate cake, another well-known Swedish dish is Swedish meatballs, which is served with gravy, boiled potatoes, and lingonberry jam.
• Sweden is one of the biggest consumers of Mexican food in Europe!
• Swedish for, "It was delicious," is “Det var utsökt!” (DET-Var-OOT-Sik).

What's It Like to Be a Kid in Sweden?

• Swedish kids go to daycare (dagis), which feed into schools, so they often make at least one or two friends they will keep for the rest of their lives. 
• At the end of February, schools have a week-long holiday across the country. It's called "sportlov" or "sports law," designed to engage families in sports during the winter.
• Kids get a second yearly celebration in addition to their birthdays. What do they celebrate? It's called "Namnsdag" or "Name Day." A Name Day calendar lists one or two names on almost every date, and a child might get cake and a present or money to celebrate their name day.
• Swedish kids love books by Astrid Lindgren, a Swedish author. You might have read some of them, too, since she wrote the Pippi Longstocking books.
• On most Fridays, families stay home together to watch TV or movies and eat food that's easy to prepare, like tacos, pizza, chips, and other snack foods. Swedes call this "fredagsmys," which means "Friday coziness."