Moms and Just Plain Cooking

Moms of all kinds seem to be the primary nourishment providers. Even my brother's new pup remembers that I was his "mama" for the week my sister-in-law hid him out at our house so the pup would be a Christmas surprise. Memaw says he knows I was the one who fed him, and that is why the pup jumps all over me when I go there to visit. I think he just smells our beagle, as our dog associates me with "good eats" too. I am the provider of peanut butter and vanilla wafer cookie snacks. Yum!

This morning early in the freezing cold, I added bird seed to our two feeder houses out back of the house. Before I could finish the second one, there was a little sparrow perched on the roof of the first one. He was only a hands distance away from me. Not afraid at all! Before I could walk too many steps away from the feeders, a swarm of birds attacked the feeders. They had been perched in a bush nearby just waiting for "dinner to be served."

Speaking of food, let's get to Just Plain Cooking:

Hot Rolls (Memaw's)

3 cups milk

6 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons shortening

3 packages dry yeast

1/2 cup lukewarm water

2 eggs

8 - 9 cups self-rising flour

Pinch salt

Melted butter or oleo (margarine)

Scald the milk. Stir in sugar and shortening and set aside to cool at room temperature.

When (think she means while) milk cools, stir yeast into lukewarm water in a separate warm bowl.

Beat 3 eggs (I know she said 2 in ingredients) in a very large bowl. Pour lukewarm milk mixture over eggs. Stir in yeast mixture. Stir in 5 1/2 to 6 cups of self- rising flour along with a pinch of salt. Mix with a big spoon. Dough will be sticky. Grease 10 inch plastic bowl. Scrape dough into greased container, cover with plastic wrap and set aside in warm place to rise.

Let dough double in size and knead on a floured board until smooth and elastic. Add flour as needed, but don't add too much flour. Roll out and cut with 1 1/2 inch biscuit cutter.

Let rise and bake at 350 degrees F until brown.

(Now for the prize. The first family member to find out from Memaw if she meant 2 or 3 eggs in this recipe and comment on the result in this blog will get a choice of silicone cake pan or cupcake cups or baking sheet.)