December 04, 2010

Thanksgiving and Homemade Rolls!

This is tad late-coming, but honestly life has been a blur since Thanksgiving!!

For the big day, we had over 10 other couples and had MORE than enough food; plus some! We've discovered that our friends are quite the culinary epicurians! We had (you ready for this?):

- Smoked Turkey
- Homemade Honey-Baked Ham
- Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
- Sweet Potato Crunch Casserole
- Homemade Cranberry Conserves
- Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
- Homemade Stuffing (or Dressing; whichever you prefer)
- Cheesy Green Bean Casserole
- Cranberry Jello Salad
- Homemade Rolls
- Veggie Tray (with Green Olives!!)and Pickles
- Asparagus
- Cheesy Cornbread Casserole

Now for the Desserts!
- Homemade Black Forest Cake/Torte(sooo beautiful!)
- Homemade Apple, Cherry, Pumpkin, and French Silk Pies

Here's a picture of my lovely homemade rolls. I was so glad they turned out like they did because I was expecting them not to rise like they should. Let me explain. Shortly after I had put the dough aside to rise for the night(yes, all night, and in the fridge!), Mom Raymond called me and asked how things were coming along and asked me if I had found the right Lehi Roller Mills Turkey Flour at Costco out here...yikes!! I had totally forgotten that you needed that particular kind! Well, what was done was done and we'd just have to wait until morning to see how things turned out. If I had to, I had enough time to make a different recipe of rolls if needed. Needless to say, things turned out great! I was soooo happy with my first attempt at bread baking!!! yay!!! What do you think? They were as scrumptious as they look(at least to me at least, they ARE my babies.) 
The recipe is one from my favorite cookbook, "Recipes to Remember Lindon 11th Ward 2004"
The recipe's super easy once you understand the processes:
Sunday Rolls
Recipes to Remember - Lindon 11th Ward 2004
Cream together in a LARGE bowl:
1 c Butter; sliced thinly in pieces                          
3/4 c Sugar
2 tsp Salt

Add 1 c BOILING water to the above mixture and dissolve everything completely so you have a buttery/sugary slurry. In a small bowl or cup, add together 1/2 c warm water with 2 T yeast (Red Star brand works best). Put aside for about 5 mins until foam has formed on top, then add it to the large bowl with the butter slurry.
Add:
4 Eggs                                    
7 1/2 c Flour (Lehi Roller Mills "Turkey" flour works best for rising purposes)
1 c cold water
NOTE: Add the cold water alternately with flour as you mix together.

Mix well (using method above on "Note") on floured counter. Rinse, then spray large bowl with non-stick spray (we use PAM), then put dough back in large bowl. Cover and let rise in the fridge overnight or 5-6 hours.

Divide dough into 4 equal parts(like a pie). Roll each part into a circle(no oblong circles people!). Cut into 12 pie-shaped pieces.
NOTE: The best method for cutting these is to start with cutting the dough-circle in 1/2 then into 1/3rds then into 1/6ths. This way the slices will stay even.

Brush the slices with melted butter or margarine, then roll up each piece into crescent roll shape. Brush with more butter and let rise for 2-3 hours more on greased baking sheets. (Plan ahead, it really does take that long!) Bake at 375 for 10-15 mins.

**You can keep the dough in the fridge for a few days if you don't want to use it up all at once.**

All in all it was a feast to match all over feasts! After dinner and dessert, we had the chance to place some games. We played Beyond Balderdash; if you haven't ever played this - go out and get this game!!! It's so much fun! The point is this:
1 person is the "reader" and gets to choose a category from one of the playing cards; you can choose from Initials, Words, Dates, Acronym's, and Movies. Once the reader chooses the category, he/she will tell the rest of the players what it is(ie: word = Flibbertigibbet).
From this point, everyone has a little pile of papers with their names written on them, and some sort of writing instrument (we like old, forgotten pencils). The players will now write their own definition of the word given (or whatever the category was that was chosen). The reader will write down the correct answer on a paper of his/her own. The point of the game is to have the other players choose your card/answer and to have yourself guess the correct/reader's answer. Once you've written down the appropriate answer, you pass your paper to the reader who then will read all the cards out loud while the players try to guess the correct answer. Like I said, there are always some AWESOME answers and you'll be guaranteed a great time.

As for decorations, for anyone who knows me knows that I already had up my Christmas (usually up the week or so after Halloween!). I can't help it! I love all things Red, Green, and Christmassy!! hahaha! Well, our friends didn't seem to mind and I had a blast playing hostess for the evening.

Here's our Christmassy-Liscious House:
Our Kitchen sitting room

View from the Kitchen sitting room towards the front of the house

Our little DVD hutch; I love my little snowmen! Mom Raymond made me my cute "Wise Men.." tile last year.
This little chapel was my Grandma LaPreal's. I love it so much...and it's a music box!
My cute caroling Snow-Family!


Our GINORMOUS Thanksgiving table (we ended up eating at one end and on the couches because of all the food!)
How our table usually looks. WAY better suited for 2 people :)

My buffet scene. It looks much better with the lights on underneath.
This is typically where I keep my collection (always growing!) of traditional looking Santas.
Top view of buffet

My "Nativity/Prayerful Santa" corner scene

By the front door.

My cutie little Santas

Close-up of my Santas and my little sitting fairy.

My side of the office upstairs. See my cute Christmas Angel? Mom Raymond made her for my birthday!!

Funny kitties in funny beds. They are in LOVE with printer paper boxes! haha! Ellie (aka; squeekers) on the left, Ezz on the right.

My little side table by the front door. We made the "JOY" sign at a homemaking of Lindon 11th Ward last year. Daddy's favorite Santa book down below.

Side view of Tree.
Side 2 view of tree
My little fiber optic tree upstairs
Same little fiber optic tree upstairs; This is the first tree I ever bought!
My special "Attic" picture on the shelf above the stairs. Dad Raymond made this for me last year!
I know it's not very lovely to see this particular room, but I love my cute little sign!

Here's the same room with my cute nightlight and new Snow Place Like Home sign. LOVE IT!
My festive China hutch with Victorian "woman power" cards hanging from it. Grandma LaPreal would be proud!

The tree all lit up....and Ellie's fluffy tail! haha!

My favorite ornament! It's all my favorite Christmas colors and sparkles so great with the lights....see below?
This is my new ornament this year from Mom R. She's my cute shoppin' lady! She also gave Jonny one of an awesome little cat-man. I put it down towards the bottom of the tree where the cats usually hang out...they love it too!
So pretty with the lights all on it.




2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the recipes, I was just thinking about how I'd like to do a metric ton of baking for Christmas...! It's nice to have people to spoil with baked goods. :)

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