Honey Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
I am always on the search for the best recipes out there. I know that doesn’t sound strange- who isn’t looking for great recipes? (Hopefully that’s why you’re here reading Oven Love.) But I mean I’m looking for the perfect recipes- the recipes you finally keep after months or years of looking. The recipes that you come back to again and again.
This roll recipe is the best I’ve found to date. It is exactly what I want when I think of a whole wheat dinner roll. I have tried others before- they came out too dry, or didn’t rise, or just tasted like cardboard. I eventually found this recipe through Saving Naturally and haven’t looked for another recipe since.
These rolls are soft and dense, not airy. I love to slather them with honey butter right after they come out of the oven. They are just as tasty at room temperature- I recommend using them to make sandwiches with leftovers, too. These rolls do not last long in our house.
The recipe below makes two dozen rolls (two of the pans pictured). If you only need one pan of rolls, you can freeze the second one (fully baked), you can form them into larger buns, make a loaf of bread, or even use it for pizza crust.
If you’re looking for a trustworthy roll recipe made with healthy, whole grain flour, you should give this one a try. You can feel good about feeding these to your family and I can guarantee they’ll enjoy them. This one’s a keeper.
Honey Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
http://savingnaturally.com/2010/11/honey-whole-grain-dinner-rolls/
Author: Saving Naturally
Recipe type: Bread
Ingredients
- ¼ cup very warm (not hot) water
- 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
- ½ tsp honey or sugar
- 2 cups filtered hot water (not boiling)
- ⅓ cup melted butter or coconut oil
- ½ cup honey
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 7-9 cups whole grain flour (Whole wheat, kamut, spelt, etc. With wheat, you’ll need a little less flour, so don’t put it all in at once.)
Instructions
- Proof the yeast, by mixing the ¼ cup warm water, yeast and ½ tsp honey/sugar in a small bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes while you move on to the next step.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups hot water, melted butter/coconut oil, honey and salt. Then add 3 cups of the flour and mix well. Lastly, add the yeast mixture and mix well again.
- Add some more of the remaining flour, until dough is thick enough to turn out onto a well-floured surface. Begin kneading, using more of the remaining flour as needed to keep it from sticking. Knead for about 10-15 minutes, until the dough is smooth and begins to resist your kneading (a test is this– if you push the dough in with your fist or finger, it will begin to spring back out at you).
- First rise. Lightly grease a large bowl (I usually use extra virgin olive oil), shape dough into nice ball and turn it a few times in the bowl, to cover it with oil. Let it sit there, covered with a cloth, in a warm place until it doubles in size. Usually takes about 1 to 1½ hours, but it’s fine if it takes longer.
- Second rise. Punch the dough down gently, turn it around and re-shape into a ball, then put it back in the bowl and cover it with the cloth. Allow it to rise again until doubled, about 45-60 minutes.
- Punch dough down gently once again, then take out and place on counter (with flour under it) and cover with a cloth. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare your pan by greasing it (a 8×8 square pan works well, but you can also use a 9×13). I like to save my butter wrappers in the fridge to use for greasing baking pans.
- Shape the buns. First, divide the dough in half. Each half will make about 1 dozen buns, depending how big you make them. Smooth your dough and turn begin to pinch off small pieces of dough, about the size of a mandarin orange. Literally push the dough between your forefinger and thumb, closing your fingers until the dough is actually pinched right off of the larger piece. Continue to do this until you fill your pan.
- Cover pan with a cloth and allow to rise again, until buns are just a little bit smaller than desired size (remember that they will rise again slightly with the heat of the oven). I will let mine sit anywhere from 10 minutes to another 30-40 minutes.
- Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until just golden on the top. Remove from oven and flip buns onto wire racks to cool.
- Another option if you don’t need that many rolls for your dinner is to make only half of the recipe into buns. The other half can be made exactly the same but shaped into a bread loaf and baked for 35-45 minutes instead. You can also use it as a pizza crust (see the Saving Naturally post for baking details.)
Make-Ahead Mango & Raspberry Margaritas
Long day at work? Rough day with the kids? Hot outside? Just really need a drink?
These little margaritas are just the ticket.
Good, cold, relaxing things come in small, glass, ready-made packages.
I love this recipe! I love that you can make these hours, days or even weeks ahead of your next big party. I love that they are ready to drink just minutes after you pull them out of the freezer. And I really love that I have a few single serve margaritas left waiting for the next time a margarita mood strikes. No need to pull out the blender for just one drink. And no awkward shouting to your guests over a loud blender while you’re entertaining. Bonus!
Do not be fooled by their size- these margaritas pack a punch! Feel free to reduce the amount of alcohol to your liking- there’s around a shot and a half in each of these drinks (10 oz total alcohol goes into 6-7 drinks).
My Cinco de Mayo guests enjoyed the mango and raspberry flavors, but I am dying to try out some other fresh fruit combinations. I’m thinking blackberry, watermelon, blood orange.. almost any fruit will do. This recipe is great for big groups and for small groups- you can easily multiply it and freeze ahead for a crowd; or you can make a batch for one or two people, drink a few fresh, and then freeze the rest for later.
Give yourself a break and add this to your list of must-make summer drinks.
Make Ahead Frozen Mango Margaritas
adapted from The Yummy Life- http://www.theyummylife.com/blog/2011/06/204/Make-Ahead+Frozen+Margaritas+-+blended,+frozen+in+mason+jars,+ready+to+serve+
Author: Oven Love
Recipe type: Drinks
Ingredients
- 1 mango, cored, peeled and chopped
- 1 12 oz. can of frozen limeade concentrate
- 1 cup tequila
- ¼ cup triple sec
- juice of 1 lime
- 3-5 cups ice
- lime slices and coarse salt, for serving
Instructions
- Combine chopped mango, limeade concentrate, tequila, triple sec and lime juice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add ice until the blender is full. Blend until smooth.
- Pour into small mason jars, screw on lids and freeze.
- When you’re ready to serve, remove the margaritas from the freezer. If you’re using salt, dip the rim into the salt first, then use a straw or fork to stir up the margarita mixture. Add a lime slice and serve.
Make-Ahead Frozen Raspberry Margaritas
adapted from The Yummy Life- http://www.theyummylife.com/blog/2011/06/204/Make-Ahead+Frozen+Margaritas+-+blended,+frozen+in+mason+jars,+ready+to+serve+
Author: Oven Love
Recipe type: Drinks
Ingredients
- 1 small container of raspberries
- 1 12 oz. can of frozen limeade concentrate
- 1 cup tequila
- ¼ cup triple sec
- juice of 1 lime
- 3-5 cups ice
- lime slices and coarse salt, for serving
Instructions
- Place raspberries in a blender and process until smooth. Pour mixture through a mesh strainer over a small bowl to remove seeds and return the raspberry puree to the blender. Add limeade concentrate, tequila, triple sec and lime juice and blend until smooth. Add ice until the blender is full, and again blend until smooth.
- Pour into small mason jars, screw on lids and freeze.
- When you’re ready to serve, remove the margaritas from the freezer. If you’re using salt, dip the rim into the salt first, then use a straw or fork to stir up the margarita mixture. Add a lime slice and serve.
On My List: Summer Drinks
I am a self-proclaimed recipe hoarder. I’ve always got tons of recipes on my list, just waiting to be whipped up. Some make it onto the blog and some don’t.. but I hope all of them make it into my belly eventually.
Here are a few tasty and refreshing looking drinks to cool you off this summer.
(Includes both alcoholic and non-alcoholic recipes to suit your tastes.)
Thirsty yet?
Round up your ice cubes, cute paper straws and adorable glasses, it’s time to mix some drinks!
Eggs Barbacoa
What did you do the morning after Cinco de Mayo? (Seis de Mayo just doesn’t have the same ring to it). Maybe it was just another Sunday morning, maybe you were nursing a hangover, maybe you don’t have kids and you don’t wake up until the afternoon, I don’t know.
We were up at a reasonable hour (as usual) with lots of yummy Mexican leftovers from our party the night before. When I make shredded pork or shredded beef tacos, we never leftover meat. This time, I made a giant batch for the party, so we lucked out had plenty left for future meals. I have always wanted to make Eggs Barbacoa, but not enough to make a batch of shredded beef specifically for that. Thank you, Cinco de Mayo, for making my breakfast dreams come true.
Oh, I LOVED this breakfast. Love, love, loved it. Crispy tortilla, creamy guac, spicy beef, runny egg, savory salsa.. just try and talk me out of eating this every day for the next week.
Do you have any ideas for Mexican leftovers or breakfasts?
(I’d love to read your comments while I stuff my face with more of these.)
Eggs Barbacoa
inspired by Cooking Light- http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/eggs-barbacoa-10000001988568/
Author: Oven Love
Recipe type: Main, Breakfast
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 4 tortillas (gluten-free, if necessary)
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup guacamole (Cooking Light used re-fried beans, but I had guac on hand, so I used that instead. Both will work and both will be tasty.)
- 1 cup warm shredded beef (I use my recipe for shredded pork, just substitute a beef roast)
- ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- ½ cup salsa
- ¼ cup chopped scallions
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat a small skillet over medium heat and a large, flat-bottomed skillet filled ½ full with water over high heat. Bring the water to a boil.
- While water is boiling, crack each egg into a ramekin. Reduce heat in the large skillet until water is just simmering and place the ramekins in the water. Cover and steam for 6-8 minutes, depending on how set you like your eggs (check at 5 minutes).
- While the eggs are cooking, heat the tortillas in the small skillet until browned and slightly crispy. Top each tortilla with 2 tablespoons guacamole, ¼ cup shredded beef and 2 tablespoons Monterey Jack cheese.
- Remove the eggs from the ramekins and drain over a paper towel. Top each tortilla with an egg, 2 tablespoons of salsa, 1 tablespoon of chopped scallions and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Inside the Oven [No. 3]
Check out that sweet sibling hug! I love catching these little moments.
Let’s catch up, shall we?
- We’re throwing a Cinco de Mayo party this weekend! I can’t wait to cook up a Mexican feast and enjoy it with friends. Smoky pork tacos, guacamole, Mexican brownies, and make-ahead frozen margaritas are on the menu. YUM. (Check out my other Mexican recipes if you’re looking for some inspiration.)
- Potty training has begun! As you can see, we’re doing much better with #1. haha! Anyone have any tips to share? He is doing great when I take him to the potty, but he isn’t telling me on his own too often. It’s a start, though- a few steps closer to only having one baby in diapers!
- We bought a backyard pool this weekend because it’s been crazy hot! Maybe the little guy will learn how to swim this summer, maybe not.. but at least we have a way to stay cool during the long, hot summer.
- This little food market is my favorite recent Pin. Isn’t it the cutest?? It inspired me to get rid of all the hand-me-down plastic junk food we got with our play kitchen and upgrade to more real looking fruits and veggies. Wouldn’t it be great if the kids kept their playthings this organized?
- I did some experimenting with the spent grain from Nick’s latest homebrew this weekend. I created some spent grain pancakes and made some bread, too. The pancakes were yummy, but the bread left something to be desired- it was pretty heavy. I waited almost all day for it to rise and finally just threw it in the oven! I’m hoping to try these spent grain chocolate chip cookies next time.
That’s all for now. The babies are both napping so I’m going to try to do something productive for a change- it has been the week of zero progress around here. Hope you have a happy weekend!
Chocolate Snickerdoodles
I love playing hostess. One of my favorite things to do is to make a meal and enjoy it with friends and family. Usually, I end up going a little overboard as the host- I start to feel like dinner isn’t enough on its own, and then I start making drinks and desserts and bread. I start looking for quick recipes that I can throw together with pantry items to share with my guests.
These cookies appeared this weekend when we had some guests stop by for dinner. If you keep your pantry stocked with the baking basics- flour, sugar, butter, chocolate, etc- these will come together in a flash. Even faster if your butter is already at room temperature!
When these cookies first came out of the oven, they were crisp; but after a day resting in a container, they got a little softer. I liked them both ways with a big glass of milk. If you want to make sure they are a chewier, bake them for 8-10 minutes instead of 12-14. If you are looking for a really chewy cookie with similar flavors, try these Nutella chocolate chip cookies (they look a lot alike but taste different, trust me).
If you aren’t sold on the cinnamon (they are snickerdoodles, after all), you can roll these in plain sugar. I am a big cinnamon fan, though- I think next time I’ll add cinnamon to the cookie batter as well.
Next time you’re playing hostess on short notice, you can look to this recipe for help. Your guests will thank you!
Chocolate Snickerdoodles
Author: Food and Wine (Grace Parisi)
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups sugar
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°. In a bowl, sift the flour with the baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter with 1 cup of the sugar until creamy. Add the melted chocolate and the egg and beat until smooth. Beat in the dry ingredients until incorporated.
- In a shallow bowl, mix the remaining ½ cup of sugar with the cinnamon. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and roll in the cinnamon sugar. Transfer to 3 parchment paper–lined baking sheets and flatten to 2-inch rounds. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the cookies are puffed and cracked. Transfer to racks and let cool.
Spearmint Iced Tea
Disclaimer: This tea is sweetened, but is not sweet tea!
I’ve spent the past two years in the South, but I do not claim to be a Southerner. I grew up in the North, where we added sugar packets to our glasses of unsweetened tea. I realize now what these Southerners have known all along- that sugar doesn’t dissolve well in cold tea.
I typically drink water (I’d rather eat my calories) instead of tea, but there is a giant patch of spearmint taking over our garden that must be stopped. The first thing I thought to make with the mint was tea (mint chocolate chip ice cream was a close second). I consulted a few tea recipes, but I knew they would be too sweet for my tastes. I concocted a simple recipe of my own and managed to get a few dear Southern friends (Kentucky natives) to drink some yesterday while they were passing through.
While this tea is still pretty sweet for me (I usually dilute my glass with water), the spearmint flavor keeps me coming back. I think I could reduce the sugar by half and it would still be enjoyable to me. The mint just has a way of fooling your taste buds into thinking the tea is sweeter than it really is. A glass of this tea is light, refreshing, and best enjoyed with friends.
Spearmint Iced Tea
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Makes 1 gallon.
Author: Oven Love
Recipe type: Drinks
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 1 bunch fresh spearmint (I cut 5-6 stalks from my garden, plus more for garnishing)
- 4 family size tea bags
- 1 cup sugar (you can add or reduce the sugar to your liking)
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to boil. When the water is boiling, add the spearmint and tea bags, remove from the heat and steep for 20-30 minutes.
- While the tea is steeping, pour the sugar into a gallon jug (a funnel is helpful if you’re not using a wide pitcher). Cover the sugar with hot water and mix until the sugar dissolves (a cup or two of hot water should be fine). When the tea is done steeping, discard the mint and tea bags and pour the tea concentrate into your gallon container. Add cold water until your container is full. Refrigerate until cold. Serve over ice with a sprig of mint.
Freezer Mashed Potatoes
Did you guys know you can freeze mashed potatoes??
Pretty awesome revelation.
I usually don’t make mashed potatoes on a week night because it seems like too much effort. It’s not really that difficult, but boiling pots of potatoes (that often boil over) and needy children don’t mix. So I save it for a time where I’ve got a ton of potatoes or a ton of people to feed. This time, I had a ton of potatoes but no people, so I decided to try freezing them. I actually like the reheated version just as much as the original potatoes! And I love that there is virtually no work involved on the day you serve them.
Don’t you just love those beautiful pools of butter?
Freezer recipes are awesome!
Freezer Mashed Potatoes
by Oven Love
If you don’t already have a favorite mashed potato recipe, here’s my basic mashed potato procedure: You can make mashed potatoes with any amount of potatoes and whatever you have in your pantry. Start by peeling your potatoes and cutting them into cubes. Pour cold water over them in a stock pot until they are just covered. Add salt and bring to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are fork tender (check them at 10 minutes and then every 5 minutes after until they reach that point). Drain and mash the potatoes. Add your liquid- milk, cream, sour cream, yogurt, stock, etc– and your fat- butter, olive oil, coconut oil, bacon fat, whatever– until you get to your desired consistency. You can also add some cheese- cream cheese, parmesan, goat cheese, brie, cheddar, I could go on– and some seasoning- herbs, minced garlic– make them what you want.
To freeze, let them cool and then freeze flat in zipped freezer bags. Then you’re ready to reheat!
Ingredients
- 1 batch of your favorite mashed potatoes from frozen, thawed (place in the refrigerator the night before for best results)
- 1-2 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spread the mashed potatoes into a baking dish with a spatula. Dot the top of the potatoes with the cubes of butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake in the oven until butter is melted and the potatoes are just turning golden around the edges (cover with foil if they start browning too quick). Serve warm.
Meet the Chickens
It’s time for you to finally meet the chickens!
I’ve mentioned them here and there, but I haven’t gotten around to a formal introduction. Backyard chickens seem to be trendy lately, so I thought I’d share our story with you here; because who knows? Maybe you’re interested. If the photos seem somewhat hazy, it’s because I took them through the chicken wire (I don’t like going into the coop with flip flops on, you understand).
We have twelve chickens- all egg layers (not broilers, which are raised just for meat). We got our chickens about a year ago through the mail via My Pet Chicken. They were delivered to the local post office, where I picked them up in a little box (with holes, don’t worry) and they chirped the whole way home. They lived in the garage for a while while my husband built the coop. They were pretty cute at first, but turned a little freaky when they hit their “teenage” years- not fully grown, but acting crazy! As soon as they started jumping out of their box, mama sent them right outside.
We actually started out with 16 chickens. Three of them died as chicks and one turned out to be a rooster (it’s very difficult to figure out the gender of chicks, so occasionally, you’ll get a rooster instead of a hen). We decided to get rid of him since we live in a residential neighborhood and we didn’t want him clucking away every morning and waking the neighbors. Nick took care of it, and I made some broth (gotta do what you gotta do). If you have any questions about that process, I’ll pass them along to Nick.
Nick is great with the chickens. Typically he feeds and waters them in morning and gathers the eggs. (Recently, he’s started cooking them up for breakfast, too- thanks, babe!) I do the chicken chores when he’s traveling, but I’m not a huge fan of the job. I wouldn’t say I’m “scared” of the chickens, I just don’t like to hang out in the coop longer than I have to.
We typically get about 8-10 eggs a day. We eat most of them, but I love having extra to give away to friends. The chickens seem to come up in conversation a lot, so it’s nice to have enough extra eggs to pull out of the fridge and let people try. You can easily tell the difference between our eggs and store-bought eggs. They have darker and richer yolks, stronger whites (try whisking them, geez) and thicker shells.
Nick designed and hand-built the coop. It has gone through a few changes and it’s not too fancy, but it works for us. Inside the coop are three water containers, two feed containers and some hay bales for them to lay eggs on (we used to have boxes for laying, but they never went in them). The chickens eat some feed, some greens and lots of our leftovers. We wish we could let them roam free in the yard, but we want to respect our neighbors and keep them safe.
We’ve really enjoyed having the chickens so far. They’ve been pretty easy to take care of and the fresh eggs are absolutely worth it.
What do you think? Does anyone out there have chickens or want to have chickens? Any questions about how to raise them? Do you think it’s crazy to have chickens in our backyard? Id’ love to hear what you think!
Inside the Oven [No. 2]
Hi, friends!
This is what’s new.
- This is a picture of baby girl sleeping on the Strasburg Railroad. We took the kids to ride the train (complete with lunch at the Red Caboose) and they loved it! If you are ever in the Lancaster County, PA area and your kids (or you) love trains, you should really check it out. It makes for a fun day. And stop at The Creamery, too.
- During Easter weekend, my family and I celebrated a little differently this year with a Christian version of the traditional Jewish Seder meal (the Seder plate is pictured above). It was a beautiful reminder of God’s promises and how He has fulfilled them in Christ. (It also reminded me of the wonderful Seder hosted a few years ago by my dear friend Andria, whom I love and miss so very much.) My sister-in-law went above and beyond with the meal and the preparations.. it was a very memorable meal.
- Remember in my last Inside the Oven post where I mentioned my running program? Well, I fell off the wagon on our trip. What do you do to stay motivated to do your workouts (especially when you’re a tired mama)?
- Favorite recent pin? Roasted Peach Lemonade. Sounds amazing! Better believe I will be roasting something soon and turning it into lemonade.
- I just started reading My Life in France by the one-and-only Julia Child. I forgot how much I like reading! Anyone having any good book recommendations? (I have not read The Hunger Games yet. For some reason, I feel that is mandatory to tell people now. Like when you meet people, you should say, “Hi. This is my name. I have/have not read The Hunger Games.“)
- A few women and I shared our testimonies at our MOPS group yesterday and I loved the quote that one of them mentioned. It went something like this- “When you hit rock bottom, it’s because God wants you to know that He is the Rock at the bottom.” I hope that is an encouragement to you today!
