Storm Day!

What a day......

It started off with the temperature dropping more than 12 degrees

to well below freezing.

The water puddles and mud froze hard,

buses were cancelled, white-outs reported on the highways,

and crazy high winds made for treacherous driving.

I made an executive decision to stay at home!

The perfect day to make some of

Lil Regier's Golden Potato Rolls!

It took most of the day but was so worth it.

Lil’s Golden Potato Rolls

I met Lil and her husband Les when they spent a year volunteering at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate where I was working at the time.  They were from Saskatchewan and had three adorable little girls who are all grown up now!   We had the pleasure of babysitting the girl’s a few times and developed a wonderful friendship with this special family.  I remembered how impressed I was when Lil made her yummy dinner rolls.  She recently shared the recipe with me during one of our reminiscing sessions.

This makes a large batch (5-6 doz. buns) and I find that halving the recipe works well for me and my KitchenAide.  There's a special flavour that comes with using mashed potatoes or potato water yeast baking - I think it's the Taste of Home flavour!!

1 Tbsp. Yeast

½ Cup warm water

1 Cup milk

¾ Cup oil

1 ¼ Cups mashed potatoes

½ Cup sugar

2 Eggs – beaten

2 tsp. salt

8-8 ½ Cups White Flour

Combine milk, oil and potatoes.  Heat to warm temperature.  Put in blender if potatoes are lumpy.  Add eggs, sugar and salt.  Dissolve yeast in ½ Cup warm water in large bowl or kitchen aid mixer.  Add potato mixture to yeast.  Then stir in 2 Cups Flour.  Allow this mixture to stand for 2 hours.  Then add the remaining flour gradually.  Knead dough till smooth.  Place in bowl and let rise until double (approx. 1 hour).  Divide into 4 pieces, roll each into a long strip, flatten with rolling pin and cut into triangles with a pizza cutter (16-18 pieces/strip).  Roll up from the wide end of each triangle and place on parchment lined cookie sheet.  Let rise till double.  Bake at 350F for 15 minutes.  Hint – check your oven to make sure it’s not too hot – you may need to adjust the temperature and the time. 

While the dough did it's magic, I took

advantage of the day off to putz.

It was lovely.....

One of the nicest things that happened was a rap at the door

from the FedEx man - he made it through the storm!

I practically jumped for joy to think that my

book had arrived so quickly!

It was my iPhoto Israel book.

What a great keepsake and so glad it arrived

in time for our tour group get-together next week.

I LOVE STORM DAYS......can you tell???

Oh, and just one more thing,
I have in my hands Season 3 of Downton Abbey!
Life is good.....

Till next time .............. stay warm and safe!

Frosty Sunday Morning

A very Frosty Sunday Morning!!!

Absolutely beautiful ..........

We were just a wee bit late for church, however.

Enjoy your Sunday and take in the beauty of God's handiwork!

Feel's Better with Butter!

My Winter skin is back - ugh!

Dry and cracked.

I recently used up the last bit of my body butter

and have always wanted

to try making some homemade body moisturizer.

Today was the day!

I purchased some Vitamin E and Shea Butter

to mix with Coconut Oil.

I think I'm in love with this Body Butter!

It's super easy to make, smells wonderful and is costing me

less than the commercial brands that I've been using.

Coconut Oil Body Butter

*1 Cup Coconut Oil – Solid kind
*¼ Cup Shea Butter

2 tsp. Vitamin E Oil

1 tsp. Essential of Oil (optional) – I used Lavender Oil
A few drops of Tea Tree Oil - optional

Combine solids and Oils and whip in stand mixer for 8-10 minutes till light and fluffy.  

Store in air tight jars. 
*No exact measuring required

My stand mixer did all the work while I gathered

up some jars and made the labels.

This batch made 5 small (125 ml) jars 

and the ingredients cost approximately $15.

I think my skin is really going to love this stuff! 

It's true....

Everything does taste feel better with butter!

Till next time .............. are you having Winter skin blues?

Crunchy Granola

On a Snowy, blustery Monday

I've decided to make something

that I haven't made in such a long time!

Back in the day

 when we both had long flowing hair,

 were newly married,

 wore bell bottom jeans,

 had a green shag carpet,

 a roll-away bed for a sofa,

 and our bedroom was painted mauve,

 I used to make my own granola.

Here is the old recipe from way back when.....

Crunchy Granola

8 Cups course rolled oats

2 Cups Wheat Germ

1 ½ Cups Oat Bran - I used Wheat Bran this time

½ Cup Sesame Seeds

½ Cup ground flax seed

1 Cup Sunflower Seeds - added some pumpkin seeds as well

2 Cups unsweetened coconut

1 Cup each of chopped almonds, chopped pecans, chopped walnuts

½ Cup Brown Sugar

1 tsp. salt

¼ Cup Maple Syrup

½ Cup Honey

½ Cup molasses - I used black strap molasses which makes the cereal quite dark in colour

1 Cup Oil (use coconut oil or olive oil as a healthy choice)

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 Tbsp. vanilla

2-3 Cups dried fruit such as raisins, currants, craisons, etc. – add after granola is baked and cooled.

Mix grains, seeds, nuts, coconut, sugar and salt in a large roasting pan.  Blend the honey, syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and oil and stir into cereal mixture.  Mix well.  Bake at 325F for about 1 ¼ hours – stirring every 10 minutes until oats are crisp and golden.  Can be baked on two parchment lined cookie sheets if desired.  Cool and add dried fruit.  Store in airtight containers.  I like to put extra into zip lock bags and store in the freezer.

Serve with fresh fruit and yogurt or add a sliced banana and milk for a delicious breakfast cereal.

Now I can fill the "cookie" jar with this healthy breakfast cereal

a great alternative to all the unhealthy things

we have been eating lately.  

Are you trying to eat healthier after being in Christmas mode?

Next week I want to do my seasonal 7 day detox

and hopefully the granola will be satisfying 

for the farmer who doesn't always like eating 

what I eat during that week.

Till next time .............. have a wonderful healthy week!

Turkey Pot Pie Soup

The last hurrah for the

Christmas Turkey!!

The bones were frozen and

today was the day for making

soup.

I added enough water to almost cover the bones,

seasoned with salt and pepper,

threw in a Bay leaf and simmered

for approx. 1 hour.

With slotted spoon scoop out the bones

and sieve the broth into a bowl.

Pick off any meat from the bones to add to 

the soup.

In a large pot,

brown some butter and add 

a diced onion, 

a Cup each of diced carrots and celery.

I also added some mushrooms

Cook and stir till onion is transparent.

Add 5-6 diced potatoes and 6 to 8 Cups of broth

Simmer till vegetables are tender.

Check for seasoning and add a dash or two of Cinnamon.

While soup is simmering make

the pot pie noodles:

1 Cup flour plus 1 tsp. salt mixed together

1 Large Egg whisked with 

1/2 egg shell full of water (approx. 2 Tbsp.)

Make a well in middle of flour and

add egg mixture - stir together until

you have a stiff dough.

Roll out the dough as thin as possible and 

cut into 1" squares.

Drop noodles into boiling chicken soup.

Cook for 10-15 minutes or until noodles are tender.

Enjoy .... hopefully there will be left-overs

because this soup tastes even better the 

next day!!

Till next time ...... watching Hockey Night in Canada?!