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Hi Chacha,
:welcome: to our site. Glad you made it. Hope the next time we do a
Freeze we will be opposite each other again and hopefully not laugh.

Looking forward to seeing you again. When will you be in TV?

HB

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OK, I've been waiting for the RECIPE!!!

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I got lazy and made brownies instead but here's the recipe.

Diet Caramel-Pecan Sticky buns

(Chunky buns Diet)

2 pkgs dry yeast (1/4 oz ea)
1 Cup warm milk 110-115 degrees
2 eggs @ room temp
5 T butter softened
1/2 C sugar
1t salt
5 Cups bread flour (or all purpose)

Sauce
1 C butter
2 C brown sugar
1/4 pure maple syrup
1 C chopped pecans ( I use more)

Filling
2 T butter
1/2 C sugar
1 t cinnamon
Dissolve yeast in warm milk in a large mixing bowl.
Add eggs, butter, sugar, salt and about 3 C flour. Gradually add more flour until a soft dough forms. Knead about 8 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, turn so the top gets greased, cover and place in a warm place to rise for about an hour or until doubled in size.
While that's rising, start the sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan. Add the brown sugar and syrup. Boil for about two minutes, stirring constantly. Put the nuts in the bottom of a large pan. Pour the sauce over the nuts and set aside. (This is the pan you will be baking in.)
Take the dough and punch it down on a floured surface. roll it out into a triangle about 15"x17". Spread the softened butter on it to within 1/2 " of the sides sprinkle it with the cinnamon sugar mix and roll it up like a jellyroll.
Cut the "jellyroll" into about 15-16 pcs and place each pc cut side down on top of the sauce mixture. Cover them up again for the second rise of about 30 minutes. Bake @ 350
for about 1/2 hour or until golden. Let them stand a couple of minutes when you remove them from the oven, then flip them onto a platter so the sauce runs down all over them.
Don't put one on your head. Your tongue will beat your brains out trying to get to it.
Enjoy. They are divine!!!!!!

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Just so you all know Sam's brownies are real chocolatty and just yummy. I sampled some today and they are ummmmm....good.
That being said I am definately going to try her Sticky Buns, cause that is another favorite indulgence for the Captain and me..
And I am on the South Beach Diet.....sure ....don't believe it ::) ::)

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Wow, that is such good news that the South Beach Diet allows brownies and sticky buns. I bet that is the way Jennifer Anniston stays so skinny! Can hardly wait to get started.

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I have the South Beach Diet Book. I checked the index and the table of contents...Where are the brownies and the sticky buns???? Maybe I have an old version. Sure glad they are allowing things like this now. ;)

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Susan, You have the old version. My version says it's OK tho have that stuff.
Beady, Glad you enjoyed the brownies. I just had two more.

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OK, I modified the recipe. Now they are diet buns. The things I do for you, Bare!!!

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Sam that seems like a heck of a lot of work but I'm sure well worth it in the end.

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Johnny, did you read the bold print at the bottom of the recipe? They are worth the trouble.
I only share them with the most special people!

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Sam, good of you to modify your recipe, but dont you just love these skinny people who worry about dieting?? >:( LOL

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Marcia and Paul welcome to TV. Soon all of us will be there. The fun is just waiting for you, us and many others to arrive.

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Hey, Jan :cop: really busted us on the Restaurant thread. Jan, Peeps just want to have fun.
Mike G seems fine with it. We didn't diss him. We were just being our normal ;) irreverent selves. Actually, it's all Susan's fault. Susan...you are bad girl!!!

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Sam your South Beach Diet desserts sound fantastic. Hope you make some when we come down. I looked at the recipes and noticed you use real maple syrup. Is that the light or dark?

I am also bringing my new 2008 Mah Jongg card.

I will have to look at the new South Beach Diet book. I know they revised it. I was able to stick to that diet but now I can't.

HB

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Samhass,
Are sure it was Susan's fault...sounds like you have some culpability.

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Oh nooooooooooooo, Mr Big..Sam always gooood girl. Susan be naughty.

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HB, when we are home in Pa, we tap the maples and make lots of syrup. I favor the lighter color. It gets darker as you near the end of sugaring season.
It takes about 50 gallons of sap to make a gallon of syrup. We gather the sap and spend several days cooking it down. When the Granddaughter goes with me to collect sap, she holds her little mouth under the tap and drinks the sap right from the tree. She also likes glasses of the sap. It's delicious and so pure with just a taste of maple in it. Oooo, I'm waxing nostalgic. I might have to head back up in Feb 09 just to sugar!

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Glass of sap? I think I'll have wine.

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Actually, when you are sugaring and cooking sap, drinking beer with friends lessens the tediousness of the job. You get beer and sit outside in the cool, crisp air and watch the sap boil. Hey, we know how to have a good time in Pa.

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So when the sap boils, you drink it? That's would be too hot for me. I'd rather have wine, or one of those great PA beers: "Rolling Rock".

I guess that watching sap boil and drinking beer could be of fun. I'm more into sports. But, being from PA you probably wouldn't understand that.

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Hi Sam, we get our maple syrup from the Amish.

I have seen how maple syrup is made, it is a long hot process. I am impressed you make it.

HB

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No Big, when the sap boils down to syrup, you strain it through a special felt filter then pour it in canning jars. I put it in the freezer for future use.
As for beer, Yeungling is my favorite.
Sports? Hey Eagles fans boo Santa. We have great sports teams. They break our hearts with regularity.

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HB, We do it outside so it's not a hot process at all. If you cooked the sap down inside, you'd have sugar coating all over the kitchen. I finish some off in the kitchen. You have to get it just right or you end up with maple candy. Been there, done that with a batch. I'm a quick study. It only happened once. :)

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Hi Sam, glad to hear you are a quick learner. I have seen a vat of maple candy, was supposed to be maple syrup.

Love the aroma of maple syrup boiling.

HB

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Sam

I've drunk from the tapped maple tree...it's a very light, watery tasting liquid with just a little hint of maple...and I mean...just a little hint.

However, after the boiling down process...it transforms into the most wonderful tasting syrup. I have half a gallon sitting in the fridge right now.

It intrigues me the science that goes into tapping...the measurements that one needs to follow to put in a new tap from the old tap. The science of "reading" the "perfect" temperature to be sure it gets cold enough at night and warm enough during the day.

Wish I had maple trees...I'd tap for sure!

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Strange as it sounds, I would put tapping for & making maple syrup on my "bucket list" It has always sounded intriguing to me. I guess I like the simple things in life best.

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Has anyone heard of Aunt Jemima? LOLOL Sam, you're way sounds wayyyyy to delicious.

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I have often thought about what I would do if I could start over. This is what I came up with (sorry ending with a preposition).

I would:

Settle some place where I could be self sufficient...grow my own veggies and raise animals for my own meat/milk. Well, maybe grow soybeans and learn how to make textured vegetable protein...lol

Only eat what I grew and/or raised

Rely on solar power/wind power or some other source of alternative energy

Learn to sew in order to make clothes and other household items

Not that I would want to be estranged from the outside world...oh no...not by any means...would still want a city nearby offering culture and a night life

However, if I could start over...I'd like to be more self sustaining.

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Oh my goodness Bright, do you know my daughter?

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Bright keep away from the tapped maple tree drinking, you are scaring me. Hi Susan&Tom, are you getting closer? Did you list yet?

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Hi Johnny,
We are so close and so far away. We are probably a week to 10 days away from list. It seems like I have been saying that forever. Most of the goals have been reached now though. But, it is that last stretch that kills you. I'm tired.

Good thing is either the house will sell really fast because of its upgraded condition, or we will live in a house that is totally finished....that will be a first for us...I have always been redesigning & remodeling every house we have lived in from the day we bought, up to the day we sold...live in a finished house?? Wow, hope not for long...what will I do?

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Hope to meet your daughter some day Susan. And...your son, too.

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You will my dear, they will love you as do I.

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Susan, take it from me, my house has been listed since last weekend and it is the last stretch that is horrible. Open houses, making the place look pristine and wonderful, forget the green apples and sunflowers, the realtors want NO furniture in the house. I had to move everything into the garage all by myself, and I am really, really tired. Open house again today for the realtor caravan, trying to find a place where I can bring the 3 dogs while there all here, running around making sure the poop is all cleaned up. Gosh can't wait until this is all over. Then I have to get 3 dogs, a 91 year old blind man and myself to TV? Wonder if its too late to change my mind? (only kidding)

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Kathie glad to hear you are just kidding.

HB

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Oh Kathie, I feel your pain. I am too old for all this. Now I know why people become frogs when they get to TV. I don't ever want to do this again. We moved here from CA in 2000, seems like I just finished doing this and here I am doing it again.

I also want to know what possessed me to buy so much stuff? Why, why, why?? Pack it, dump it, sell it, stage it. Pack it, dump it, sell it, stage it. Pack it, ... you get my point and understand cause you just finished doing it too. When we get to TV I want a little house that you can pack up in a day or two, just in case... (ya, right)

I do sympathize with the dogs and Dad responsibilities that you have taken on. I think you are probably capable of handling anything you set your mind to, and will succeed in this venture as well.

We will do this Kathie, yes we will!!! (Won't we?)

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Bright, being self sustaining is not an easy thing but a goal I had for us many years ago. We belong to an organic farm project where we get our veggies from June to about mid-October. It is hard to keep up with the weeds and all the other tasks involved in having a farm.

One of our son's also wants to live a life where he "lives off the land" he was able to catch nearly all the fish he needed for about 6 - 8 months, meat for quite a few months but was unable to catch any turkeys. He uses a bow and arrow to catch wild game.

I like the idea of being self sustaining, don't think I would make my own clothing though. I do not like that living here in TV you are not allowed to have a vegetable garden. In the village that we are in, we can only grow veggies in flower pots. I have been thinking of ways to grow veggies here that would fulfill our obligations to TV and at the same time fulfill my needs.

I wish they had plots of land we could rent where we could plant veggies, flowers or what ever we would like. We have that in the next town over and it is extremely popular. The town tills the land and provides mulch and gardening tools to work with. The site they chose is a beautiful one. With all the buffs gone perhaps we could use that land to create our own space.

HB

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Nonie, Kathie, Barefoot, Susan and every one else who is packing, sorting, throwing out, and down sizing you can all come and help me cull 30 years of collecting. I have given many items to our favorite auctioneer, have sold many items through fund raising yard sales, given stuff away on Freecycle yet there is still so much more.

I do not even feel like I have made a dent in what I have to go through. i enjoyed all the collecting and had a lot of fun doing it, but never gave a second thought to what I would do with it if we moved.

None of our children want the stuff - which would make my life easier. They offer to get me a large container to put garbage into.

Well tomorrow we will tackle a new area.

HB

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At least we are all sharing in the pain...somehow that helps doesn't it.

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Susan I would like the camaraderie. I think as I go through stuff with someone else it would make the process less of a chore. Perhaps if someone questioned why I needed a smurf that I had for two decades I would delete it from my category of stuff not ready to let go of.

HB