Monkey Bread

Hello friends!  Sorry about the delay in posting…it has been a fun, relaxing, exciting, and even a little nerve racking few weeks over the holidays.  I have been thinking a lot about family recently, what it means, who it includes, past memories and future ones to come.  You will understand why when I explain.  First, my big sister, Ann, and her boyfriend (well, now fiancé) got engaged!!  Something that has been in the works for a long time, but has finally happened.  I couldn’t be more excited for them and proud that my sister found a such a great guy (not only to her but to our family as well: ER visits, resume writing, negotiating skills, lawn rototilling, chandelier hanging, etc to just name a few things he has done over the years with our family).   Congrats and cheers to you both!!  I can’t wait for the year of wedding planning to come. 

 Secondly, my best friend, Tamara, and her husband Phil welcomed their first born…James Theodore Gibbs.  She is the first out of our group of friends to have a baby and it has been so much fun watching her belly grow and feel the little kicks and punches when I visited.  Unfortunately there was a complication during delivery and Baby James was in the NICU for a while (the nerve racking part of the holidays), but he is doing much better now and was released from the hospital!!  (PHEW!) I can’t wait to visit him in a few weeks so he can meet his Auntie Lindsay!! 

Christmas this year was a two parter…for the first part, Ann and Matt were in town , with a switcheroo on Christmas day when they departed and Libby, Michael’s girlfriend, flew back into town.  With this being the first year Matt was with us for Christmas, I wanted to introduce him to all the Klindt family traditional recipes (stay tuned for future posts!!).  Today, I thought I would share one of the favorites we always make on Christmas morning.  I am sure there are many names for it, but our family calls it Monkey Bread and it is SO yummy.  Enjoy!

Engaged!

Picking up Michael at 2am on New Years

                                                                                                      

Baby James

Ingredients:

1 package Frozen Bread Dough Balls

1 Small Pkg Jello Vanilla Pudding (NOT INSTANT)

1` Cup Brown Sugar

½ -1 Cup Chopped Pecans

1.5 Sticks Butter

Directions:

Using the ½ stick of butter, butter hands and grease each ball thoroughly.  Put greased dough balls in a bunt pan.  In a separate dish, mix together pudding, brown sugar, pecans.  Pour this dry mix evenly over the balls.  Melt remaining 1 stick of butter and pour over all.  Let it rise overnight.  Bake in the morning at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Flip it over onto a large plate to serve.  Everyone can use their fingers to break off the dough balls.

Recipe Source: Klindt Family Recipe Box

Picture Source: TasteofHome.com