Breakfast for Monkeys!!!

Thing One has been having "the guys" over for a gaming all nighter for a couple of years now.  Not that it is on a regular basis, but once every couple of months he will ask if "the guys" can come over.  It usually requires me to have some snacks on hand and surrender the living and dining room for the evening.  They play on the game system, as well as play role playing games, and eat.

Recently Things Two and Three asked if they could have overnights and have the same privilege.  I am happy that they want to have friends over, so I gladly say yes as long as it is okay with Sarge.  We picked two nights, back to back, for them to have their friends over.  Originally it was supposed to be nights when Sarge did not have to be at work the next day, but being that he is a bugler, he was called in to work. :(

When Thing One has "the guys" over, it means chips, salsa, soda, and hot wings.  Then I get to figure out something for breakfast that they will eat.  That can be a challenge.  Even though they are "the guys" sometimes they can be pretty picky.

Before Baking

Thing Two was much easier, chips, soda, mozzarella sticks and for breakfast, monkey bread with orange juice.  Can you believe that I have never maid monkey bread?  I went with the easy Pillsbury recipe for this time, but have already decided on changes that I will make for future endeavors.

After Baking

Such a simple recipe, I had to laugh when one of the girls said she set off the smoke detector when she tried to make it.  Take tubes of biscuits (recommended not the flaky type) and cut each biscuit into quarters.  I decided to lay them out in 2 lines of 5 on a cutting board and ran my pizza cutter through them.  turn them and do it again.  Put sugar and cinnamon in a zip lock bag.  Shake the piece in the sugar mixture and put them in a greased bundt pan.  Repeat this for 3 more tubes of biscuits.  I bought the small 4 pack, and it seemed to work well.

Inverted on Plate

Melt a stick of butter and add 3/4 cup packed brown sugar to it. Pour the mixture over the top.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.  Invert it onto a dish and serve.





I think next time, I will make the following changes to the recipe:

1. I will use my cinnamon roll dough recipe for my bread maker.  I think it will make a sweeter dough recipe.   I will just have to allow for the dough to rise.

2.  This recipe was for a caramel sauce.  I think it was pretty good, but  I will try adding some Karo syrup to the butter and brown sugar mixture.  It will make it a little bit gooier and mix a little bit better.

3.  I might try and put some of the mixture throughout the layers, but not sure if that will help or not.

4.  If I want to be real decadent, I might add some pecan pieces throughout it...Caramel Pecan Monkey Bread!!!

Thing Three will be the easiest of the three.  Soda and chips for the evening, and Orange Juice and Chocolate Chip Muffins for breakfast.  Life is good!!!  :)