Mom's Overnight Wheat Rolls

One of the best things about having your mom for a neighbor is fresh, warm, and straight from the oven. My mother is a fellow recipe-tinkerer and her process is as enlightening as it is delicious. If Mom makes something pretty good, she'll call and tell me to come have a taste. If she makes something really good, she'll tell me to come have a taste and bring my camera. When she hits the magic note just right, she'll walk down to my house. These rolls, at some point during the process, have merited all of the above, including the triumphal victory march to my home. The recipe for Mom's Overnight Wheat Rolls is now pitch perfect. With a pat of sweet butter, warm and melting, you'll be singing their praises. But don't eat them all; a midnight snack with a slice of ham and a dab of honey butter will put you to bed better than a baby's lullaby. If these rolls were music, then they just won a grammy. For my mammy.

Mom's Overnight Wheat Rolls

Estimated Cost: $1.00

Money Saving Tips: Make up a double or a triple batch and freeze them after baking. It saves oven energy and money.

1 and 1/2 cups room temperature water

1 and 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon dried minced onion

1 and 1/2 cups wheat flour

1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for shaping

Mix all ingredients with a wooden spoon to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. An hour before ready to bake, take dough out of the refrigerator. Let rest for one hour. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a floured surface, pat dough into rectangle. Roll into cylinder. Cut into 9 rolls. Place in greased nine inch baking dish. Let rise, covered for twenty minutes. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until tops and bottoms are golden brown. Let rest for one minute and remove from pan.

Next Up:

Pasta Amatriciana

Whole Wheat Rolls-great for Sandwiches with Leftover Ham

Happy Week after Easter. Have you finished picking all the Easter grass out of your carpet? Me neither. I keep reaching in the Easter baskets and stealing candy, too. I'm going through all my Easter pictures, 213 in all. We had loads of cousins here, and those kids just can't take a bad picture. I won't be able to delete any (ahem, unless I am in them.) Those cute cousins decorated eggs with such youthful enthusiasm. Here they are lined up, youngest to oldest, getting ready to hunt the same eggs.There's nothing cuter than miniature people in Easter clothes. And don't even get me started on the babies! This baby celebrated her first birthday on Easter. I finally got those chocolate Easter Eggs decorated, just in the nick of time. Here's Sailor, showing them off (and her braces, too). It is now officially spring, since we've essentially celebrated the concept of new life. I can see it all around me. Our garden is starting to produce spinach and radishes. The skies are blue and the wind is busy scattering seeds. Here's my backyard view...Spring has sprung in southern Utah. It's time to open the windows, clean out the closets, and pack up the heavy sweaters. It's also time to clean out the fridge- but it's overflowing with Easter leftovers at the moment. With that in mind, I thought I'd share some of my favorite healthy whole wheat rolls. They're soft enough to hold eggs salad, but sturdy enough for leftover ham. They're deceptively light, thanks to the instant potato flakes, especially considering that they are made from all wheat flour. Have a wonderful spring day!
Whole Wheat Rolls from Bon Appetit
Estimated Cost: $2.00 for 16
Notes: Sub 1 cup leftover mashed potatoes for the potato flakes and reduce the water to 1/2 cup.
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup instant mashed potato flakes
1/4 cup dry milk powder
3 tablespoon sugar
2 and 1/4 teaspoon quick rising yeast
1 and 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg yolk
1 egg white, whisked with 1 tablespoon water for glaze
3-4 tablespoons quick cooking oats
Bring milk and water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Stir in butter. Cool to luke warm. Meanwhile, combine flour, potato flakes, milk powder, sugar, yeast and salt in large bowl. Whisk to blend. Add warm milk mixture and egg yolk. Knead mixture in bowl until dough comes together. Dough will be sticky. Remove from bowl and knead until smooth, adding a little flour at a time. Place dough in buttered bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 90 minutes. Butter a cookie sheet. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces. Roll into smooth bowl. Arrange balls on baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 75 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush rolls with egg white glaze and sprinkle with oats. Bake until light golden brown, about 28 minutes. Let rest in pan for five minutes.
Up Next:
Hopefully Chocolate Marble Cake-late for Tuesdays with Dorie....

Honey Wheat Waffles for Future Olympians

Hey, become a follower by clicking on the link on the left hand side. I promise not to lead any followers astray, but instead will tempt you with hundreds of easy, money-saving recipes. Start clicking, and don't forget to tell your grandma, hair-dresser, and dog groomer. How bout those Olympics? My eyes have been glued to the set. Collectively, the four of us have had 8 bulging eyes glued to the set. Which means, of course, that no one goes to bed before 11 at night. It's no sweat when you're, ahem, 30 something, but what about my little charges? They nod off after 11 every night, full of flying tomato gold medal dreams. These are good times to be a homeschooler. So what if they sleep in a little the next day? As long as they get their work done, they can watch Lysacek best Plushenko even on a school night. And they can wake up to a lip-smacking breakfast of honey wheat waffles, with Canadian maple syrup, bien sur.
These truly are fantastic waffles. They aren't crisp, just soft, hearty and suprisingly tender, and perfect for soaking up puddles of melted butter and syrup. Plus they're round and golden, just like that certain Olympic medal that's dancing through the wee little heads of my sleepy children. Who knows? Maybe someday it'll be my Sailor the Olympic Curler, or my West the Olympic Hockey player. Oh dear, we'd better start practicing. But first, a breakfast for champions.....

Honey Wheat Waffles
Slightly Adapted from Joy of Cooking
Estimated Cost: $3.00 for six waffles
1 and 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
7 tablespoons melted butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine flours, powder, soda and salt in large bowl. In separate bowl, combine buttermilk, honey, melted butter, eggs and vanilla. Pour over dry ingredients and whisk just until combined. Cook on preheated, greased waffle iron and serve with lots of butter and Canadian Maple Syrup.
Next Up:
Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup-with a surprise twist

Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam Bars

My last suggestion for your Homemade Strawberry Jam....Ina Garten, "The Barefoot Contessa," is responsible for this sensational homemade bar cookie that will encase your homemade strawberry jam. She gets all the credit.
I'm jealous of Ina. I'm jealous of her talent, her beauty, her smarts, her house, her life. I'm even jealous of her sultry nickname. But mostly I'm jealous of her culinary courage. Her cookbooks are shimmering with butter, encased in cream, and resplendent with egg yolks. I wish I was brave enough to eat like that every day. But I'm afraid. I'm afraid of clogged arteries, high blood pressure, death and big fat jeans. So, when I do make some of Ina's spectacularly delicious recipes, I make a few little changes. Like the addition of oatmeal and wheat flour. I'm hoping that a bit of insoluble fiber will counteract the effects of saturated fat, refined sugar, and unabashed envy. You may want to make a double batch.

Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam Bars

Estimated Cost: $3.50

Notes: I added a generous pinch more salt than is called for. I also used peanuts on only half the bars (picky kids); but I happened to photograph the nutless ones.

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup flour (I used whole wheat)

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup homemade strawberry jam or purchased jam-any flavor

1/3 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease an 8 inch square baking dish. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla, egg, and peanut butter, stirring until smooth. In a separate small bowl, combine flour, oatmeal, powder, and salt. Stir into peanut butter mixture. Layer 2/3 of peanut butter mixture in prepared baking dish. Cover with jam and top with remaining peanut butter mixture, by spoonful. Sprinkle with nuts if desired. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Notice the perfect dress for enjoying all things strawberry.