Yoshi's Territory + Cable Scarf + Cinnamon Rolls

I've spent the last two nights alone. No, we didn't have another fallout, J's in Salzbergen [near the border of Germany to Holland] until Friday for work. He's staying with his older brother who so happens to work at the place that J's helping out at.

And so i'm at home caring for the kitties and catching up on work.

It's so quiet not having him around. No clicking of that damn mouse. No laughter, nothing. All i can hear in the distance is that beeping sound the garbage truck makes when it reverses.

I miss J already.

And so i've taken on to talking to Yoshi, just so i can get some kind of response.

Speaking of talking to Yoshi. On Friday night when J's younger brother came to stay the night, i think Yoshi was a little upset that he wasn't formerly introduced. Often he'd lay across the table in between the keyboard and myself to rest his head on my arm as i'd type. But i think him seeing somebody else in the chair that i would normally sit in made him very insecure.

And what better way is there to show an intruder who's boss, but to pee on the bed that i had just made for the guest.

Good thing i had a cover over the blanket.

Although he did warn me prior to marking his territory, i gotta give him credit for that. His continuous meowing and me responding with, "Yessss Yoshi" may have given him the wrong idea.

Note to self, when Yoshi meows in a repetitive manner, don't ignore him. He may be telling you something very important.

***

Yesterday it pretty much hovered around 5 degrees Celsius. It was grey and not at all pleasant. And according to the Weatherman it's going to rain for the remaining of the week. I see a slither of hope in the form of a patch of light. Maybe, i'll see the sun today. Through the window from the work room that is.

Well it's not like i really have to go anywhere.

The fridge has been stocked up and i've bought ample food for Luna and Yoshi. Nobody is going to starve in this household that's for sure. Although it's no fun having to cook for one. That said, tonight i'm planning on making Roti Canai. I think i've nearly perfected it and last night even started preparing the dough.

But i've got my projects to work on and possible apartments to bookmark, so really, i've got my week pretty much sorted.

So let's rewind a bit...

Last Saturday, we took J's younger brother for a wardrobe makeover. Not like i'm much of a fashionista, i'm far from it. I just know what i like when i see it. But the younger brother was lacking any direction and needed some guidance, so we were more than happy to assist.

The last time he went clothes shopping was two Christmases ago when he came to visit us when we were still living in Duesseldorf. Back when we had convinced him that there was more to just t-shirts and shorts for day/night time attire and that getting a hair cut was part of growing up.

Two hours and 250 Euros later, he left the store a reasonably happy customer.

So after playing Stylist for the afternoon, i rewarded myself by buying a fancy thick cable scarf from Tom Tailor. It's long enough to wrap around my neck twice. It's not itchy and it's made out of poly acrylic. In real life, the scarf is much lighter in colour than what the model has on.

Oh and i'm totally liking that blue top she's wearing too... damn it. I need some self control. I need to save my pennies for our move.

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I haven't actually been outside yet since i bought it. But i may just purposely walk to the recycling bins or around the block, just so i can wear it.

I know, i'm so sad.

But what i'm really liking is the cable pattern and long tassels.

I should really learn how to knit. I'm sure it would save me so much money if i actually got into it.

The question is, do i really have the patience?

***

But what i do have patience for lately is, baking. Well not the complicated kind, just the straight forward recipes.

And seeing how much i love the taste of cinnamon, i tried out a Cinnamon Rolls recipe by Meg Kat. Generally, i LOVE cinnamon rolls but only if they have no raisins - yuck!

One would have never guessed that they were vegan.

I guess if you're not a soy fan, you could always replace it with milk. But then it would defeat the purpose of it being vegan.

But i have to say, i was surprised how easy they were to make! And even though i didn't use all the flour that the recipe had asked for, i'd say it still turned out quite good.

Maybe i messed up in the measurements somewhere along the way because if i had put all the flour in, the dough would have ended up too crumbly and not fuse together. And instead of sprinkling the cinnamon + margarine onto the flattened dough, i decided to spread it on in an even layer.

It's all good.

USEFUL TIP:
I will share something with you all that i learnt ages ago on a cooking show [that is if you don't know already]. If you plan on cutting a dough log such as the one above, try using dental floss. Wrap it around so the bottom piece crosses over the top and the top piece crosses the bottom. As you pull the ends in opposite directions, it should give you a clean cut.

Et voilà!

No more squished slices made by blunt knives. Cool, huh?

I left it to rest for about an hour and a half as the recipe had said. Be sure to leave enough room around each piece as it tends to get slightly bigger. And remember not to underestimate how big they will expand when they're baking.

I forgot to lay the crushed walnuts before i rolled the dough, so i just sprinkled some on top and they tasted just as good. For the glaze i used a concoction of milk [because J is allergic to soy when it's not properly cooked], powdered sugar and caramel syrup.

Great for a snack and/or paired with a freshly brewed coffee.