Oatmeal Rolls for Thanksgiving!

Dear Friends - This post is a repeat from Thanksgiving, 2012. It was written before I began faithfully blogging, so I'm imagining that most of you don't have this recipe. It truly is a family favorite, and I will, most definitely, be making these rolls again this Thursday. I know this post is a little long, but it's a quick read with a very special message. I wish you all a blessed time of Thanksgiving this week! Now, travel back to 2012 with me...... 

"The date is November 1 as I begin this blog……just yesterday, the neighborhood was decked in orange and black and there were charming little goblins roaming the streets. Today, as we turn the calendar page, everything around us changes, too. The tired cotton cobwebs are being pulled from porches and the sagging jack-o-lanterns are being retired to the compost pile. And already, I see a few homes and businesses donning their Christmas garb – wreaths on the front door, colored lights gleaming at night. Beautiful, but...have we forgotten something?..

“When I was young…” (I never thought I’d say those words, but…) “when I was young”, Christmas decorations never went up until after Thanksgiving. It was part of the anticipation and the ritual of the holidays. We anxiously looked forward to Thanksgiving day and the feast and fellowship that awaited. Relatives that we rarely had the chance to see would gather round a table and share stories of the year past and hopes for the year to come. We visited, we laughed, we ate, we complained about our full bellies (but kept eating when the pie was served) ...and we gave thanks…together.

I don’t want to “preach”, but thanksgiving (small “t”) is a passion of mine. It makes my vision clearer. It takes my eyes off myself. It humbles me. It makes me a better person. It reminds me to serve those less fortunate. It beautifies everything I do – large and small, easy and difficult. It brings me closer to the One who has every circumstance of my life under His control.

How sad that sometimes we forget…..we rush into our meal without stopping for a moment to give thanks for provision….we hurry into our day without a word of gratitude for the new opportunities ahead….we sink into our beds at night without whispering a thankful prayer for the strength we were given in the day….and we rush into the Christmas holiday, simply merging Thanksgiving into the beautiful chaos that the season brings. May this little note be a gentle reminder to STOP …if just for a moment… and give thanks. Truly CELEBRATE Thanksgiving this year!"

Below you’ll find the Oatmeal Roll recipe that I use EVERY year at our Thanksgiving table – there’s an uproar if I talk about not making them! My dear friend MaryJo used to ask me to make them for her family’s celebration, too. This year, though, MaryJo has an EZ DOH, so her teenage daughter is going to take on that responsibility! Happy baking – Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!

 Every Thanksgiving’s Oatmeal Rolls

1 Cup plus 3 Tbsp. warm water

1 Tbsp/ 1 packet Red Star Platinum yeast 

1 1/2 Tbsp. softened butter or margarine

1 tsp. salt

1/3 Cup packed brown sugar

1/2 Cup dry oatmeal (I usually use quick)

2 1/2-3 Cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

Place water in EZ DOH bucket and dissolve yeast in water. Add remaining ingredients and EZ DOH-it for 3-5 minutes until dough is smooth, adding additional flour if it is too sticky. Remove dough from bucket and spray bucket with cooking spray. Replace dough, cover and let rise till doubled.

 Punch dough down and shape into 12 rolls (these are large rolls—you may pinch them into smaller rolls, of course, if desired). Place rolls in a greased 9 x 13” baking pan. Cover and let rise until doubled. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. ENJOY with a thankful heart!

Oatmeal Rolls for Thanksgiving!

Apple Challah Coffee Cake!

My brother and I agreed that this week brought "the end of an era" for us. We grew up in a wonderfully picturesque 1960's neighborhood......a dead-end street lined with homes full of middle-class families. Most of the mothers were home through the day to tend to houses and children. The multitude of kids spent our days zooming up and down the street together on bicycles or visiting at each others' homes. Every kid had their "favorite parent" on the block, and mine was Mrs. Weyman. Dark haired with beautiful, smiling eyes, Lois was a teacher.....not only by her college degree, but by the type of life she lived. She had a hearty, loving laugh and always sincerely listened, even if it was just a 10-year-old speaking to her. Because she was fun to be with, most of us took her up on her invitation to drive us to Sunday School on Sunday mornings. There, she was also the instructor .....who pointed us to the Ultimate Instructor. As we aged, many of us continued our friendship with Lois - her great love for us had made us love her all the more as we grew older. This week, at a vibrant 89, Lois passed away unexpectedly, surrounded by her grateful, loving children. 

I stopped over to see her youngest daughter after I had read the news in the paper. Whenever I'd visit Lois, I always took bread for her and the family. This time, there was no Lois, but in her memory  I took Kathy this tasty coffee cake, which she and her girls enjoyed as we shared memories of her dear mom. It was a special time.....celebrating a very, very special lady! 

Celebrate LIFE this week!! Making this delicious coffee cake could certainly be a great part of that celebration! 

Apple Challah Coffee Cake!

Dough:

1 ½ Tbsp/packets Red Star Platinum yeast

½ Cup warm water

3 ½-4 Cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ Cup honey

7 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 tsp. orange zest

1 ½ tsp. vanilla

Filling:

2 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into a small dice

¼ Cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 Tbsp. rum

Confectioner’s glaze  or

Apple Cider glaze:

2-3 Tbsp. apple juice or cider

1 Cup powdered sugar

Place warm water and yeast in EZ DOH bucket and stir to dissolve yeast. Let rest 1 minute. Add one cup of flour, then additional dough ingredients. EZ DOH-it for 2-3 minutes, adding additional flour as necessary if dough is too sticky , or until dough is smooth and soft and all ingredients are incorporated. Remove dough from bucket, spray bucket with cooking spray, “smooth” dough and replace in bucket. Cover and let rise until doubled. (This is a very rich dough and will take longer to rise than most EZ DOH recipes- be patient, because it’s worth the wait! ) 

Remove dough from bucket and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll into an approximately 14” x 10” rectangle. Combine the dry filling ingredients in a small bowl, then add the apple pieces and the rum. Mix thoroughly. Spread ½ of the apple mixture down the “short” center of the rectangle. Fold one side of the dough over the filling and seal. Top with remaining filling , then fold the other short end of the dough over that filling (envelope-style). Seal. Spray a 9” or 10” baking pan (should have 2” sides, or use a springform pan) with cooking spray. Now cut the “envelope” of dough into 16 pieces (slice it in half, then cut each half in half until you have 16 equal-sized pieces. Lay the pieces in the pan, crowding them together in one layer. Take any apple pieces that have escaped and tuck them in this gooey mess! Cover and let rise until the dough has reached the top of the pan. Preheat the oven to 325 and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until quite dark on top and the bread sounds hollow. Loosen edges and remove from pan to cool on a wire rack. When cool, drizzle with the glaze ENJOY!! 

Apple Challah Coffee Cake!

Grain and Goodness Loaves!

*** A NOTE TO MY REGULAR SUBCRIBERS- The "Durum Sesame Loaf"  recipe from a couple of weeks ago had a mistake in it. It has been corrected, but please accept my sincere apologies for the incorrect info. It is one of our now-favorite loaves and totally worth making - as long as you follow the new ingredient list. Again, thanks for your patience!

With the arrival of November, in my opinion, soup season is upon us. If I had it my way, we'd eat soup every week through the year. But as it stands in my house, soup is seen as an acceptable meal only in the fall and winter......and only once a week. (Can you tell my hubby is a "meat-and-potatoes" kind of guy?) When we do have soup on the table, there's always a green salad and fresh-from-the-oven bread. Oh man, this sounds soooooo good! I'm soooooo happy soup season is here!

Here's a lovely, hearty loaf of bread to serve with your soup. Full of grains and goodness, you'll be glad this recipe makes two loaves, because they won't last long!  I wish you all a very happy "Soup Season!"

Grain and Goodness Loaves!

1 1/3 Cups warm water

1 Tbsp/packet Red Star Platinum Yeast

3 Tbsp. dry milk powder

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. honey

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 egg

1 Cup whole wheat flour

2 ½ Cups unbleached bread flour

¾ Cup 7-grain cereal (available at bulk food stores and some groceries)

Place warm water and yeast in EZ DOH bucket and stir to dissolve yeast. Let rest 1 minute. Add one cup of flour, then additional dough ingredients. EZ DOH-it for 2-3 minutes, or until dough is smooth and soft and all ingredients are incorporated. Remove dough from bucket, spray bucket with cooking spray, “smooth” dough and replace in bucket. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Remove dough from the bucket and divide in two equal sections. Roll out each section and roll up to form a loaf. Tuck the ends under the loaf and place in two medium-sized loaf pans. Let rise till the dough is above the rim of the pan. Preheat oven to 375. Bake loaves for 20-30 minutes. Remove from loaf pans and let cool on wire racks. 

Adapted from All-Recipes Seven Grain Bread II

Grain and Goodness Loaves!