Wednesday, September 10, 2008

A Little Monkey Business

Today's Wonder of the World is...Monkeys!

Flickr photo by floridapfe
Hmm. I'm not sure if that monkey is disrespecting me or saying How.
But I want to hug him anyway. And put him in a dress.
Everybody loves monkeys!

Ever since that post on chips when I showed you my friend's peach pit monkey family,

I've had monkeys on the brain!

I couldn't get monkeys off my back! They started showing up everywhere.
In yesterday's post

Flickr photo by Mandy~Gill

And even in my favorite living room chair!

(I picked out that fabric just for the monkeys! Monkeys dressed up, playing musical instruments. What could be better?)
I can't help it. I've got monkey fever! Monkeys are more fun than

Flickr photo by hepcatdevil666
a barrel of monkeys!
(By the way, what kind of jerk puts monkeys in a barrel anyway?)

If I had my way, I'd hang out with monkeys all day!
I'd start with a breakfast of Monkey Bread.

Flickr photo by twobrain
No, not that kind. Although it is extremely cute.
This kind!

Flickr photo by Jason + Amanda-allergyfriendlypastries.com
Monkey bread is so good that it'll make you sob into your pillow. And lick your plate when people aren't looking.
My Aunt Lyla (well she's not really my aunt, but I secretly call her that) shared the recipe in my worn out church cookbook and I make it whenever I need to impress a breakfast/brunch guest. It's disgracefully easy! I'll share the recipe at the end of the post. No offense flickr photo taker, but Lyla's monkey bread looks even better than that. And it has pecans--God's favorite nut!
(I'm not 100% sure that it's really God's favorite. I'm just guessing here, people.)

But back to monkeys.
Monkeys just know how to make people happy.
Except for that monkey in The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, the book which I thought I remembered loving as a child but which slightly traumatized my sensitive daughter.

That monkey was in cahoots with an evil organ grinder, who kidnapped Phronsie, the littlest Pepper, because the family was too poor to pay him for his music.
But if they were too poor to pay for a song, then how did he expect them to come up with ransom money?
Maybe it was the monkey's bad influence. Or maybe I'm not remembering it correctly.

Most monkeys make people happy.
Especially if they're made of socks!


Photo by hoffeeandanuffin
If you love sock monkeys as much as I do, hop over to hoffee and a nuffin's etsy shop HERE, and buy one for yourself!

And if you're Tom Thumb or one of his relatives, get this one instead!

Flickr photo by MUFFA-Mariella's Unusual Fantasy Funny Animals
It appears to at least love fingers, if not thumbs.

Do you love monkeys enough to wear this dress?

Flickr photo by Monkey River Town
I would laugh my head off all day long wearing that around my house.
I probably would not go out in it, however.

But I might wear it to swing on some monkey bars.

Flickr photo by Luke Hardiman
Or play Monkey in the Middle.

Flickr photo bypopofatticus

I'll stop monkeying around now.

Flickr photo by doublewinky
I'm going to sit down with these guys and watch some monkeyshines!
Enjoy, you monkey, you!


Have a Wonder-full Wednesday, y'all!
Love, Becky

Oh! Almost forgot.

Becky's Aunt Lyla's Amazing Monkey Bread
Grease a bundt pan. Line with 18 frozen Bridgeford or Rich brand dinner rolls (or whatever brand you can find.) Sprinkle 1 package regular (not instant) butterscotch pudding mix, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 stick melted butter, and 1/2 cup pecans over the rolls. Cover with foil and a dish towel (I don't know what the dish towel is for but that's what she says, so you better do it.) Set on the counter overnight. The next morning, bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, invert, and get ready to die of happiness!

37 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh, that miniature sock monkey is so cuuuuuuute! WHat would life be like without monkeys? Pretty dang boring, I say! I love those barrel-of-monkey monkeys and monkey bread is sooooo yummmmmmy!

a Tonggu Momma said...

And my daughter was born in the Chinese Year of the Monkey!!!! :)

You have some Froggy Love up at my blog today. I hope you enjoy the award.

Attic Rat said...

I'm pretty sure that the monkey is sticking his tongue out at you because he knows that you are planning on putting him in a dress and that there would be little he could do about it even though he would be adorable in a dress!

I remember playing Barrel of Monkeys. It was fun until we started losing the monkeys.
- Teresa

Barb said...

Hi Becky,

I love monkeys too- especially curious George. Barrel of monkeys, that was a fun game. I haven't played that for years. Do they still make it I wonder?

I will try the monkey bread recipe. It sounds fab!

hugs,
Barb

P.S. how is the wine looking?

Anonymous said...

The monkey dress is questionable, but it's cute enough to wear- and then just MAKE UP some really off the wall reason why you're wearing it.

hmmm....

nothing comes to me in the moment.

but I would definitely find a reason to wear it....

Kat said...

I LOVE monkey bread. LOVE IT.

K. Marie Criddle said...

"By the way, what kind of jerk puts monkeys in a barrel anyway?"

That made me laugh for DAYS. (Or, at least I know it will...)

And YES pecans are God's favorite nut. It's not a guess, it's truth. (Although I think cashews are what He gives out to those waiting in line at the Pearly Gates...hmmm.)

Suzie said...

Please make me some moneky bread. I ahve to make cupcakes from a box this week and I am overwelmed

Tara said...

Quit Monkeying around! LOL Love the prom dress and I am definitely going have to try that recipe. I also nominated you for the "I Love Your Blog" Award. I really enjoy reading your blog!

Tara

LW said...

I loved Phronsie the littlest Pepper...
I need to find some of those books and read them again....

And the miniature sock monkey is too cute for words...

Louise

Jamie @ Bungalow Bee said...

Wow, that's a really funny coincidence. "The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew" is going to be on my post today, too. I bought an old copy of the book at an antique mall and it will be one of the books featured for "Vintage Thingies Thursday". :)

The hand of the monkey in the first picture creeped me out. :)

Rosemary said...

Cute Rebecca!! I think that monkey dress is so funny!!
Who doesn't love a cute monkey?
Have a great day!
Rosemary

Rebecca Ramsey said...

Hey monkey lovers!
As for your questions...
Oh, before questions, thank you thank you, tonggu momma, that's so kind of you. I'll be smiling all day!

Now on to the questions...Barb, the wine is looking scary. It's bubbling and hissing at me all day long. I stir it once a day and I'll have to post pictures on Friday. It's alive!

k. marie, I hope the cashews at the pearly gates are hot. Not much better than hot cashews.

Suzie, you absolutely CAN make this bread! It calls for frozen bread already made, for goodness sake. You can do it. I believe in you!

Tara, you are as sweet as can be! Thank you! My face will hurt from smiling today!

Louise and Jamie, I'm so happy to find other Pepper lovers! Do you remember the evil organ grinder? Have I got the story right?

Alexandra MacVean said...

ahaaa!! I love it! I'm going to go check out her Etsy shop. The little minnie one is very cute! :)

Susan Sandmore said...

I LOVE that sock monkey dress!! I would totally wear that! (except... it's a little creepy to have faces all over you...). And now I WILL go read Five Little Peppers!

Anonymous said...

Okay - I loved the Five Little Peppers and read them repeatedly as a child. They were closer friends than most of the kids at school. I've got the whole series in antique books, at least most of them, including the one where Polly and Jasper figure out that they love each other. I can't remember why the organ grinder stole Phronsie, only that that was how they met Jasper... I'll have to look it up tonight.

Adrienne said...

That tiny sock monkey is amazing!
I don't remember the monkey in Five Little Peppers, so now you've got me curious.

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

You gotta love a monkey.
And monkey bread is divine. Really.

CC said...

That dress is ridiculous!!

Thanks for the recipe! Is that type of roll an instant kind (like Pillsbury) or a self-rising yeast type of dough?

Felicity said...

I always wanted a monkey for a pet. I never got one; but, as my mom says about her own children, now I have FOUR!

Anonymous said...

Not to beat a dead monkey to death, or anything, but I pulled out the Five Little Peppers book last night, because I was curious about the Organ Grinder bit. And it never says why he took Phronsie! She disappears, Jasper finds her with the bad man and rescues her, and the rest is left to our imaginations.

Monkey said...

Some people told me this was a place for Monkies. I borrowed Mom's computer to see Monkies, but these are not Monkies like me. I am not happy about this. I think this is making people look at your stuff when it is not stuff they want to look at called false advertising. That is not cool and I am a cool cat.

Ada [The Duchess] said...

LOL!

Becky you honestly rock. Over here we say "I love your life." Don't know if you use it over there too, but holy cow this blog is awesome.

Monkeys are pretty awesome. You forgot to mention spider monkeys!

Mary said...

I recently visited a museum to see the World’s Smallest Teddy Bear. But that miniature sock monkey is so much cuter. I want one!

Anonymous said...

I have made the monkey bread and I have to say that it is absolutel heaven! It rivals cheesecake and there might be a battle between the two in my house at some point!
Everyone should own a barrel-of-monkey's!

Unknown said...

Love the monkeys, but my comment is about the monkey bread. PECANS are the favorite of the Gods.

Kristen, spinning said...

I linked to a baby girl monkey, that's what my 4.5 year old daughter wants to google on images when I should be working and she wants my attention...I've also found google images handy for showing her what happens to your teeth when you smoke.

Kristen, spinning said...

what I meant was linked on my own blog, that comment didn't make sense. see, now I should be sleeping and I'm working.

Anonymous said...

FYI, you cover the bread with a damp cloth so that the top doesn't dry out and you give the yeast a happy place to grow. When I say damp, I mean barely moist to the touch. You don't want it wet.

Rebecca Ramsey said...

Thanks, gerriwritinglog! That makes sense.
Mary, you can buy one! Just google MUFFA, and you'll find her site.

CC, it's a yeast dough, frozen and ready to bake. Try it--you'll like it!

You guys are great!

Unknown said...

My Dad made wine once, blew op all over the place.

Rebecca Ramsey said...

Betty, you're scaring me! I can't imagine what a mess that would make! We'd have to just surrender the house to the fruit flies!

I forgot to say to you new folks...Welcome to the blog! If you just dropped by for the monkeys, I hope you'll poke around and stay a while!

Anonymous said...

Love your blog. The monkey video made me laugh so hard!

Ghost Girl (aka, Mary Ann) said...

LOVE it! I'll add to Attic Rat's speculation about why the money is sticking his tongue out...perhaps he's a bit nervous about the whole Monkey Bread thing.

Thanks for sharing!

Rebecca Ramsey said...

Cat and Ghost Girl, welcome to the blog! G.Girl, I stopped by your blog and enjoyed my time there! Congrats to your hubby on his book!

Dancing Daisy said...

See my profile and pic at
http:// daisylynn06082.blogspot.com

That is me and my MONKEY, Casey--I have been raising him for 7 years!
There is a blog there with more pics-
Happy Birthday Casey (and John)is the name of it...
Enjoy!
Daisy

Bobbie said...

Okay... just in case you happen back to the comments here and can answer a question: What size butterscotch pudding mix is that? I sent your recipe to my sister, and she's *very* particular about directions when she takes on a new baking/cooking project. I told her I'd look into it.

LOVing your blog, by the way. Nathan Bransford pointed the way over and I don't know if I can leave now.

Thanks!