Thursday, December 19, 2013
Happy New Year!
Posted by The Stratum On Highland on 10:49 AM
We hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Year!
Merry Christmas!
Posted by The Stratum On Highland on 10:48 AM
We hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday!
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Cleaning Before Decorating
Posted by The Stratum On Highland on 10:48 AM
Are decorating your apartment for the Holidays? Make sure to do a thorough cleaning of your apartment before you start hanging the tinsel. Keep reading and learn more at Apartment Therapy.
Dust: Dusting surfaces with a damp cloth will make everything feel fresh and help you (literally) breath easier as the post-Thanksgiving rush begins. And who wants to hang stockings on a mantle covered with old, dead skin cells? Floors: A good vacuum or mopping of the floors will ensure that corners behind the tree are clean and clear with no surprise dust bunnies lurking behind gifts on Christmas morning. Plus, if you're entertaining over Thanksgiving, chances are you've had lots of feet treading in and out of your house; even more reason to re-clean between holidays.
Ceilings: Swiping ceilings with a feather duster or brush head of your vacuum will clear away any cobwebs that may have gone unnoticed before the holidays. But with twinkle lights and tree toppers drawing the eye upward and lighting the ceiling, now's the time to clean overhead.
Kitchen: Your kitchen may have been working double duty preparing for Thanksgiving, so now's the time to freshen it up by cleaning the oven, counters, cabinets, floors, stovetop, and sink. Starting with a clean, blank slate will make holiday cooking and baking much more enjoyable than working on top of a mess that's already there.
Closets: Cleaning closets and purging unneeded items is the perfect thing to do now. You'll make room for any house guests you may have in the coming weeks to put their things, or simply for party guests to hang their coats in a coat closet for an evening. Plus, you'll be freeing up space in your closet for any wardrobe-related gifts you might receive over the holidays.
Windows: While spring cleaning is often the time folks hit their windows, late fall is an extremely apt time to do so, as well. Shorter days and longer nights mean less sunshine making its way inside, so clean windows will let in as much sunlight as possible during this darker time of the year. Plus, twinkle lights in a clean window are multiplied and beautified by the sparkle and shine; grimy windows can put a damper on all of those decorations really fast.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
An Old Christmas Treat
Posted by The Stratum On Highland on 11:21 AM
Christmas Cookies and Pies are famous in many households. However,
having warm cinnamon rolls could also be a great Christmas treat. Check
out this great recipe below. This recipe is delicious and super easy
to make for a lot of people. You can learn more at The Kitchn.
I come from a generously-sized family, the sort that prompted wide eyes and under-the-breath counting from strangers who glimpsed our brood at the library or grocery store. I'll spare you the counting and say that I have five brothers and two sisters, so eight of us, plus parents, and now assorted spouses and in-laws. Christmas is an all-day affair for us, with stockings and enough presents to necessitate an intermission about halfway through unwrapping. But as we've grown up and gotten married, things have shifted; last year we did Christmas in the evening, instead of in the morning, and every holiday now has a marked absence of a sibling (or two) celebrating with someone else's family.
But there is one inviolable tradition that still binds our Christmases together, and that is my mother's cinnamon rolls.
My mother's cinnamon rolls are warm and yeasty, prepared ahead of time but baked Christmas morning, enticing people out of bed (since we're now mostly too old to spring out of bed at 4:30am, or camp under the tree). My brothers anticipate them eagerly and devour them instantly.
On Christmas I leave the roll duties to my mother, since, you know, tradition. But I love her recipe and use it too, especially when we have overnight guests, since these rolls are so easy to make ahead and bake off in a few minutes. This recipe makes two dozen rolls, and I like to make a full batch but freeze half of them for impromptu brunches.
I do add my own twists; I like to go beyond cinnamon and add a few extra spices for aroma and taste. Star anise, cardamom, coriander — they add a little something special.
These cinnamon rolls are sweet, spicy, and decadent, and they can satisfy those who want a crunchy sugar glaze on the bottom and creamy icing on top. All it takes (all it ever takes, really) is a little extra butter and a little extra sugar. These are not a breakfast for those on a diet; these are not to be made every weekend. But when you're making cinnamon rolls, in my opinion it's best to go all out — they're a generous treat for family mornings, a tradition from my family to yours.
Par-baked cinnamon rolls about to go back in the oven.
Spicy Sticky Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
Makes 24 rolls For the dough:
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1 1/4 cup milk, lightly warmed
1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 - 5 cups flour
For the filling:
4 small cinnamon sticks
1 star anise pod
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds or powder
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft
For the icing:
4 ounces cream cheese, very soft
1/2 cup milk or cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar, plus more as desired
To make the dough, sprinkle the yeast over the warmed milk in a large bowl and set aside for 5 minutes until slightly bubbly. With a whisk or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, beat in the sugar, softened butter, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the flour 1 cup at a time, until the dough is very thick.
Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and warm, or switch to the dough hook and knead in the stand mixer. Knead for about 5 minutes in the mixer, or 7 minutes by hand, until the dough is taut and smooth.
Wipe out the bowl and spray lightly with vegetable oil. Shape the dough into a ball and place in greased bowl, turning it to make sure it's coated in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled — about 2 hours.
For the filling, grind the spices in a spice grinder until fine and mix with the brown sugar. (If you want to skip the extra spices or use powdered cinnamon instead of whole, substitute 3 to 4 tablespoons cinnamon for all the spices.) Cream the butter with the spices and sugar in a mixer or with hand beaters.
Lightly grease two 9-inch cake pans. On a floured surface roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 14 inches by 24 inches. When the dough is rolled out, slather it thickly with the creamed butter and sugar, making sure to spread it nearly to the edges. Roll up along the long side, stretching and pulling the dough into a taut and tight roll. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut into 24 individual rolls.
Divide the rolls among the prepared pans and let rise in a warm place until the rolls double in size — about 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Bake the rolls for about 20 minutes or until just beginning to brown.
Make-Ahead Instructions: To make the rolls ahead of time, follow the recipe up until baking. Par-bake the rolls for just 10 minutes. Remove the rolls and let them cool, then freeze them in their pans or in freezer bags. To finish baking, remove them from the freezer and let them thaw in the fridge overnight. Then bake in the morning at 350ºF for 10 to 15 minutes. Frost and serve warm.
For the icing, beat the cream cheese, milk, vanilla, and sugar together, adding more powdered sugar as necessary to get the consistency you prefer. Drizzle over hot rolls with a fork. Serve warm.
Christmas Cookies and Pies are famous in many households. However, having warm cinnamon rolls could also be a great Christmas treat. Check out this great recipe below. This recipe is delicious and super easy to make for a lot of people. You can learn more at The Kitchn.
I come from a generously-sized family, the sort that prompted wide eyes and under-the-breath counting from strangers who glimpsed our brood at the library or grocery store. I'll spare you the counting and say that I have five brothers and two sisters, so eight of us, plus parents, and now assorted spouses and in-laws. Christmas is an all-day affair for us, with stockings and enough presents to necessitate an intermission about halfway through unwrapping. But as we've grown up and gotten married, things have shifted; last year we did Christmas in the evening, instead of in the morning, and every holiday now has a marked absence of a sibling (or two) celebrating with someone else's family.
But there is one inviolable tradition that still binds our Christmases together, and that is my mother's cinnamon rolls.
My mother's cinnamon rolls are warm and yeasty, prepared ahead of time but baked Christmas morning, enticing people out of bed (since we're now mostly too old to spring out of bed at 4:30am, or camp under the tree). My brothers anticipate them eagerly and devour them instantly.
On Christmas I leave the roll duties to my mother, since, you know, tradition. But I love her recipe and use it too, especially when we have overnight guests, since these rolls are so easy to make ahead and bake off in a few minutes. This recipe makes two dozen rolls, and I like to make a full batch but freeze half of them for impromptu brunches.
I do add my own twists; I like to go beyond cinnamon and add a few extra spices for aroma and taste. Star anise, cardamom, coriander — they add a little something special.
These cinnamon rolls are sweet, spicy, and decadent, and they can satisfy those who want a crunchy sugar glaze on the bottom and creamy icing on top. All it takes (all it ever takes, really) is a little extra butter and a little extra sugar. These are not a breakfast for those on a diet; these are not to be made every weekend. But when you're making cinnamon rolls, in my opinion it's best to go all out — they're a generous treat for family mornings, a tradition from my family to yours.
Par-baked cinnamon rolls about to go back in the oven. Spicy Sticky Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
Makes 24 rolls For the dough:
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1 1/4 cup milk, lightly warmed
1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 - 5 cups flour
For the filling:
4 small cinnamon sticks
1 star anise pod
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds or powder
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft
For the icing:
4 ounces cream cheese, very soft
1/2 cup milk or cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar, plus more as desired
To make the dough, sprinkle the yeast over the warmed milk in a large bowl and set aside for 5 minutes until slightly bubbly. With a whisk or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, beat in the sugar, softened butter, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the flour 1 cup at a time, until the dough is very thick.
Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and warm, or switch to the dough hook and knead in the stand mixer. Knead for about 5 minutes in the mixer, or 7 minutes by hand, until the dough is taut and smooth.
Wipe out the bowl and spray lightly with vegetable oil. Shape the dough into a ball and place in greased bowl, turning it to make sure it's coated in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled — about 2 hours.
For the filling, grind the spices in a spice grinder until fine and mix with the brown sugar. (If you want to skip the extra spices or use powdered cinnamon instead of whole, substitute 3 to 4 tablespoons cinnamon for all the spices.) Cream the butter with the spices and sugar in a mixer or with hand beaters.
Lightly grease two 9-inch cake pans. On a floured surface roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 14 inches by 24 inches. When the dough is rolled out, slather it thickly with the creamed butter and sugar, making sure to spread it nearly to the edges. Roll up along the long side, stretching and pulling the dough into a taut and tight roll. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut into 24 individual rolls.
Divide the rolls among the prepared pans and let rise in a warm place until the rolls double in size — about 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Bake the rolls for about 20 minutes or until just beginning to brown.
Make-Ahead Instructions: To make the rolls ahead of time, follow the recipe up until baking. Par-bake the rolls for just 10 minutes. Remove the rolls and let them cool, then freeze them in their pans or in freezer bags. To finish baking, remove them from the freezer and let them thaw in the fridge overnight. Then bake in the morning at 350ºF for 10 to 15 minutes. Frost and serve warm.
For the icing, beat the cream cheese, milk, vanilla, and sugar together, adding more powdered sugar as necessary to get the consistency you prefer. Drizzle over hot rolls with a fork. Serve warm.
Christmas Cookies and Pies are famous in many households. However, having warm cinnamon rolls could also be a great Christmas treat. Check out this great recipe below. This recipe is delicious and super easy to make for a lot of people. You can learn more at The Kitchn.
Monday, December 2, 2013
10 Million Dollar Donation to U of M Sports
Posted by The Stratum On Highland on 11:17 AM
It was a great holiday for the University of Memphis, and our school has a lot to be thankful for. An alumni has donated ten million dollars to the University of Memphis athletics program. The donation has come from a former University of Memphis basketball player and his daughter. You can learn more at Wreg.A former University of Memphis basketball player and his wife, daughter of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, have made a large donation to the University.
Their $10 million contribution will go to the capital campaign for athletic facilities.
It is the single largest philanthropic gift in the history of the athletic department, and the second-largest gift ever in the 100-year history of the university.
“The University of Memphis and its proud athletics tradition played an extremely important role in shaping our lives,” said Bill and Nancy Laurie in a statement announcing the donation. “We are honored and gratified to play a role in support of the institution’s commitment to help guide current and future student-athletes toward their ultimate goals in life.”
Bill and Nancy Laurie are both graduates of the University of Memphis (then known as Memphis State University).
Bill was a starting guard on the Memphis State men’s basketball team that played in the 1973 NCAA National Championship game.
Nancy Walton Laurie is the youngest daughter of Sam Walton.
The couple lives in Columbia, Missouri where they donated $25 million towards a new arena at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
The arena was named Paige Sports Arena after their daughter.
The name was later removed when Paige’s roommate at the University of Southern California said she was paid $20,000 to do her homework over four years.
According to the University of Memphis, “By securing the $10 million lead gift, the athletic department leadership has reached a significant benchmark in the capital campaign. Memphis has already secured 25 percent of the funds necessary to reach its goal of $40 million, less than 120 days after the plan was unveiled by President Martin.”
The plan calls for construction of a new men’s basketball practice and training facility, an indoor football practice complex, and a softball clubhouse, which includes indoor batting areas.
It will additionally fund comprehensive upgrades and renovations to existing facilities, such as FedExPark and the Hardin Family Sports Complex.
The upgrades will include improvements in common-use facilities that benefit each of the Tigers’ 18 athletics programs.
