So What Happened the Rest of the Year?

The Thanksgiving Bird

The easiest answer I can give you?  I got lost? I couldn’t find the time?  The dog ate my computer?  No, there shouldn’t be any excuses.  I just didn’t blog.  I made a few recipes, took a few pictures and that was it.  So here we are in the new year.  I am asking for a fresh start and want to give you all thanks for following me the last two years.  The year to come will be even better than this last one.  Watch for changes to the look of the blog.  I would like to do something more upbeat and colorful and exciting!  Something that says more about me and who I am. 

Christmas by Candlelight table.

So Thanksgiving and Christmas came and went. Look at the home my cookbooks have!  You will see the picture of my bookshelf below.  Greatest gift ever.  My daddy made my bookshelf and now all of my books can be together.  I must say, the books love it.  Unfortunately my daddy needs to build me another one all ready.  From my mother I received a Panini press.  I have used it everyday. Look for future recipes from it. Let’s just say it was a fantastic season.

The new bookshelf!

So after Thanksgiving, I found I had literally a ton of mashed potatoes on my hands.  I found a really great recipe from Pillsbury’s newest publication “Simple & Sensational Holiday Recipes”.  The book has pullout cards so they can be filed in an organized recipe box.  I keep them in book form, because, alas I don’t have an organized recipe box.  I have a recipe box, but it is not organized.  I was looking for something on which to eat my famous after Thanksgiving sandwich.  I found myself without rolls.  Lots of mashed potatoes but no rolls.   My step mom makes really great yeast rolls but they look so complicated.  I found Simple Yeast Rolls, and they were simple and delicious! 


The key to these rolls are the mashed potatoes.  If you find yourself making some for dinner, make extra so you can make these rolls anytime you need to.  Oh and here is the secret for my famous after Thanksgiving sandwich.  Bread and butter pickles, dark meat turkey, stuffing and butter.  Not the healthiest, but I only get them once a year. 



Happy New Year!  Stay tuned for more!

Simple Yeast Rolls
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons regular active dry yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup refrigerated mashed potatoes
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons honey
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
Cooking spray

1.  In a large bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the yeast and salt.



2.  In a medium microwavable bowl, mix potatoes, milk, honey and 1/4 cup of butter.  Microwave uncovered on high for 1 minute or until the mixture reaches 110 degrees Fahrenheit.



3.  Add the potato mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until blended.



4.  Stir in eggs



5.  Add 2 cups flour to potato mixture, stiffing until soft dough forms.



6.  On a floured work surface, knead dough 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and springy, adding enough of the remaining cup of flour to prevent hands from sticking to dough.  (Dough will be soft)



7.  In a greased bowl, place dough; turn greased side up.  Cover; lit rise in a warm place 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Dough is ready when an indent is made and it stays indented).

8.  Punch the dough down; let rest 5 minutes.

9.  Spray 2 8inch square pans with cooking spray.  Divide dough into 18 equal portions.  Shape each portion into a ball.  Place in pans; spray dough with cooking spray.

10.  Cover, let rise 30 minutes or until the dough doubles in size
.
11.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  bake rolls 30 minutes or until browned.  Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter; brush over rolls.  Serve warm.



Enjoy!
Calorie count:  176 per roll
Carbohydrate count:  28 grams.