Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Happy Thaksgiving!


I have made 144 yeast rolls today, white and wheat. Thank goodness for a kneader on my mixer! I have been teaching my little cook T how to make them and she is getting pretty good at it. I always like to make extras as everyone likes to take a few home. I also have been teaching my sister and SIL this week and theirs came out good too. Making yeast rolls has just a feel to it that you develop over time. Like how much flour to add and how much kneading needs to be done, you just know after a while.


Potato Refrigerator Rolls


1 package active dry yeast

1 & 1/2 cups warm water (105-115*)

2/3 cup sugar

1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt

2/3 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 cup lukewarm mashed potatoes ( I use instant and it's just as good)

7 to 7 & 1/2 cups flour


Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in sugar, salt, shortening, eggs, potato and 4 cups of the flour.

Beat until smooth. Mix in enough of the remaining flour so make dough easy to handle.

Knead for about five minutes until smooth and elastic.

Place in a greased bowl and grease top of dough.

Cover bowl tightly and refrigerate for 8 hours minimum.

At this point dough can be kept up to 5 days in the refrigerator, keep covered.


Punch dough down and make into rolls. Let rise until about double in size. Heat oven to 400* and bake rolls for 15-25 minutes. Check one in the center by lifting top to see if it is cooked or still doughy, if doughy bake until it's not.


These are delicious and have a dense texture which is to die for!


Funsize and I went up to the stable last night to check on the boys. We put Nick's heavier blanket on him as we have been having some colder weather. It was -4* yesterday morning! The ponies are so fuzzy they look like teddy bears, no blanket needs for them! We always take cut up apples and carrots for them which they love.


Still don't know what is living in my barn. I think it is the small black kitten that started coming around when we were in Florida but haven't seen him for a couple of weeks since the last time I saw him going in the barn. I take food out each day and try to see who is eating it but no luck yet. I put flour down around the dish to see if I could see some tracks but that didn't work either. My nephew has one of those motion cameras that we are going to set up to make sure I am feeding a kitten and not a big fat rat or something! Yikes!


I have 20 coming for Thanksgiving. That's a real good size, not too big, not too small. Everyone is bringing something so that it isn't too much work for one. I have a huge turkey thawing in the refrigerator, the potatoes all peeled, the rolls made, the celery and onions chopped for the stuffing and the bread pulled apart and drying. My sister is coming by tomorrow and help me set up the tables and anything else that needs doing. Mom is making blueberry pie and peanut butter cup bars. These are DELICIOUS and so easy!


Ginny's Peanut Butter Cup Bars


2 sticks margarine or butter

1 & 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 cup chunky style peanut butter

2 & 1/3 cups confection sugar

About 8-10 Hershey plain chocolate bars


Combine graham cracker crumbs with melted butter

Mix peanut butter and confection sugar

Mix all together and pat evenly into a 9X13 pan

Put chocolate bars on top and place in a warm oven till they start to melt and then spread evenly over mixture

Cool and cut

You'll be the hit of the party bringing these!!


We're getting snow today in parts of Maine but here in central Maine it's all been rain. We have lost what little snow we had from last week. One of my sisters lives in western Maine and they are getting hammered with snow. School was not canceled but was late starting. I got my snowmobile back from it's yearly check up so I'm ready to roll. Doesn't seem possible that it's almost time to be out riding it!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone! We sure have a lot to be thankful for in this country when there are so many hungry in other countries. Please keep our service men and women in your prayers over the holiday as I'm sure it's terribly hard to be away from home at this time.
Love,
Midlife Mom

16 comments:

Needled Mom said...

Sounds like you have been a busy lady, but how nice to have the helping hands. It is so good to pass those traditions onto the next generation too.

I hope it is a kitten that you are feeding. That would certainly have my suspicions up. Imagine what it could be.

Your Thanksgiving sounds like it will be perfect. Glad your sister is coming to help set up. That always takes so much time.

The recipes sound really yummy - especially the rolls. I may have to give them a go, but not this week.

We are getting our first GOOD storm this year. It has just started raining but is suppose to be heavy for the next day. I feel so sorry for the folks in the burned areas with the chance of mudslides now.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know how blessed we all are.

Nonnas News said...

Your recipes sound so good! Especially the rolls!

Sounds like you are going to have a wonderful thanksgiving!

Dawn said...

Making 144 rolls is just too daunting for me! My simple recipe makes 3-4 dozen, depending on the size, of course. They are really light. I can't get away without making them either. Yours sound wonderful, too.

We have quite some horse sculptures in our parks, so I'll take some pix for you next time I'm out and about. You could come out here next August for the biggest sculpture show in the country (I think) that is held here every year, less than a mile from my house - believe it or not, we've never been. It's always such a hot week-end.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful time with your family.

Callie said...

OMG! You are far too ambitious! Today, I'm making a weird jello dish my Mom used to make and my daughter loves, the sweet potatoes and the mashed potatoes ahead of time, so that tomorrow is not as hectic or messy and there is just the three of us!

Izzy, Emmy 'N Alexander said...

I can picture TG at your house! It sounds magical and with all that yummy food, heaven! Thanks for sharing the recipes. I love to make fresh yeast bread, but sometimes it just doesn't turn out right. Maybe I'll try again this year.

I am anxious to see what you have feeding in your barn too. LOL!

Have a wonderful TG!
*HUGS*

Anonymous said...

Thank-you so much for your roll recipe! All those years I was able to enjoy eating them, but never got the recipe from you! I copied it down, so now I will have it and the kids will be happy. Yours will always be the best though!

Frazzled Farm Wife said...

I used to make all of my own buns but have not had the time lately to even make 1 batch! Reading about your yeast rolls made my mouth water!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tammy said...

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! :)

hippo chick said...

Oh how I wish I could make good yeast rolls like my MIL and Grandmother in law. If I lived in Maine, I'd come for lessons too.

Yesterday was gorgeous here in LV, but today we have some rain. I won't complain; they need it and it's not frozen.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I'll do your tag when I get home.

And you are correct, we have so very much to thank God for.

~hippo hugs~
P.

KC said...

busy busy
I do hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving

palmtreefanatic said...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU!!!!!
Thanks for the yummy treat recipes!
wow! Thats alot of rolls! You go girl!;)

Carole Burant said...

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones, dear friend. I so wish I could have been there to celebrate with you:-) They need to invent being able to email leftovers or something!! lol

Your rolls sounds sooo yummy, I will copy down the recipe. I love how T is enjoying learning how to cook...hopefully Lily will be the same when she's old enough. Nana Pea will have to teach her because her mom isn't a cook at all! lol

Well, goodness, I also hope it's a cat you're feeding and not a rat! lol My three come to the door around 5:30 p.m. every evening and I just need to open the door a bit and they come right in! The mama doesn't mind me petting her back now and the fluffy gray kitten plays with my fingers but the black & white kitten is still very skittish.

Those Peanut Butter Cup bars sound fabulous and I will definitely have to try them because my sons and Wendy are crazy about anything with peanut butter:-)

We still have all our snow here and in fact, we're in for another snowstorm overnight. I'm supposed to go get mom tomorrow and bring her grocery shopping as well as visit Ross in the hospital but it will all depend on the weather. If it's snowing hard, I'm too chicken to drive, the roads get so slippery. It takes about 20 minutes to get to my mom's from here and when the roads are bad, it can feel like an hour!!

I'm sure you're now all stuffed...see, the turkey had the last laugh, YOU are the ones who ended up being stuffed!! hehe I know, bad joke but hey, it's past my bedtime and I'm tired. lol I finished decorating the house inside today...haven't but up my Christmas tree yet though because this year I want a real tree so I can't put it up early like I would my artificial tree. Love you!! xoxox

Rising Rainbow said...

144 rolls.........so people can take a few home. You make me giggle! You are right about the feel......even though it's been a while since I indulged in such things, I do clearly remember that feel. lol

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yourse!

Rachel said...

I love good yeast rolls but have never been able to master them. Not that I've tried all that much! I may have to give this recipe a try.

I had my Thanksgiving meal at my nephew's home this evening. His wife is a wonderful cook and she loves to cook. It was all delicious and I had to waddle home!!

Musings of a Housewife said...

Sounds divine. Hope you had a nice time!

Nancy said...

I always love to get new recipes! I have already copied and printed these two off! I made dinner rolls for the dinner, plus pumpkin bars and the biscuits. My daughter did all the rest. She's a great little cook!

I hope it is the little kitty you are feeding in the barn. My son has 3 strays that he has been working to tame for some time now, so it's just a matter of time before he has more. He's a cat guy, no doubt about it.

We are getting light rain here today. I haven't been out of the house since I came home Thanksgiving night. No shopping for me...they can keep their sales, as I'd rather pay the price than fight the crowds. LOL I am doing most of my shopping online this year...much easier that way for me, with all the hours I spend working.

(((((( HUGS ))))))