Mila Found Her Friends

Abracadabra

My hatred of the Damn Elf™ is pretty well documented around these parts. Somewhere someone is reading the first half of that sentence and thinking, "You don't have to do it, you know" to which I say YOU ARE CORRECT HOWEVER.

However.

There is magic to be found in the Damn Elf™ and if there is one thing I enjoy doing more than anything this time of year, it's squeezing every drop of magic possible. So, I tolerate the middle-of-the-night panic attacks because somehow Britney the Elf forgot to move her butt to some other part of the house. I suffer through the endless wardrobe changes. I even put up with the constant burden of figuring out what the next shelf is that should be honored by the presence of Britney the Damn Elf™.

That's all that happens here, by the way. Britney sits on shelves like the good little Elf on the Shelf that she is. I love that some people enjoy having their elves partake in shenanigans; I just can't help coordinate shenanigans myself.

ANYWAY.

I figure there's probably two years of Elf Magic left in this house. So, I'll squeeeeeze what I can because HOOBOY is Mila going out of her way to make her own magic.

So. Britney went to her summer vacation home fully donned for all things COVID19 as we knew it in late 2020. She had on a mask, for example. There was a whole search and rescue party that was required to find her this year, so she didn't change her clothes or even really ponder whether the mask should still be there or not. It just was.

And it stayed there for the whole first week.

Thinking nothing of it, I allowed her to take off her mask last night. It wasn't really a conscious decision. It sort of fell off during the wardrobe change and just stayed off. No big deal.

BEHOLD THE THINGS THAT CAUSE MAGIC.

Mila was full of squeals and glee this morning upon learning that Britney was no longer wearing a mask. It became a theme of the day. Mila seriously told me about that fact at least 4000 times. I didn't understand why it was such a notable thing until late this evening when Mila explained, "Yesterday I told Britney that we're all fully vaccinated and today she wasn't wearing her mask! She feels safe here! I'm so happy!"

I can't purposely make that level of magic, but I will take the win when Mila makes it for herself.

Apple Cinnamon Monkey Bread

Basically I'm re-posting this recipe for one reason and one reason only: Mila. Mila will need to find this some day (maybe soon-ish?) so that she can make it all by herself every day for the rest of time.

That girl loves all forms of bread, but especially bread that involves cinammon. Given that it's not all that easy to get her to stop moving long enough to eat, I'll take it.

Apple Cinnamon Monkey Bread (makes 12 muffin=sized Monkey Breads)

2 cans biscuits (not Grands -- regular-sized biscuits)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 small Granny Smith apple, finely chopped
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grab your muffin pan and throw muffin liners into each spot.

2. Chop up those biscuits. Each biscuit should end up in 6 pieces or so.

4. Place the granulated sugar and cinnamon into a large Ziploc bag and shake it to mix.

5. Drop the biscuit pieces into the sugar bag, zip that bag shut, and shake everything until the biscuit pieces are well covered.

6. Place enough pieces of biscuit into each muffin liner to cover the bottom of the liner.

7. Drop a few apple pieces into each muffin liner.

8. Fill the muffin liners up the rest of the way with the remaining biscuits.

9. Top each muffin liner off with the remainder of the chopped apples.

10. In a small bowl, use a fork to mix the melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. You should end up with a caramel sauce. Drizzle a spoonful of caramel sauce over top of each little Monkey Bread. Keep going around with that caramel sauce until it's gone.

11. Bake the little Monkey Breads at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. This right here is the advantage to make muffin-sized Monkey Breads -- the baking time is significantly less for individual Monkey Breads than it is for one big one.

12. Once the Monkey Breads are done baking, allow them to cool for a minute or two then eat them. While hot. Because FOR REAL JUST EAT THEM. It's worth noting that some of the caramel sauce will settle in the bottom of the muffin pan. I highly recommend scooping that stuff up and drizzling it over your happy little Monkey Bread.