Pigs in a Blanket

... proofing on the counter ...

I was invited to facetime into the noisiest household ever. Teen-age kids surrounding a long table – kids who have been playing board games for two days. “We offered to take them to the movies, but they are preferring what is going on around this table,” the parents explained to me.

“This phone call is really because you forgot to teach me how to roll buns,” said Mary, “though we also thought you might be homesick for a little of this kind of noise.”

“What! I taught so many people how to do roll buns. And you know how to make bread. How can you not know?”

... making snails out of bread dough ...

“I don’t know,” Mary went on. “I made this bread by hand, but if you were to watch me today, you would know I don’t know at all how to roll the buns. And she proved it by trying to pinch some of the bottoms of the buns closed.

“Move over,” said Catherine, “and I will demo for you.”

I couldn’t help but add that it is time for both of them to roll those buns with the left hand and the right hand simultaneously. That is not about the art of homemaking, but about the art of getting the job done twice as quickly.

The littlest ones in the house had been busy making snakes and snails out of bread dough all morning.

“Have you tasted the dough,” I asked one, and she looked at her mother questioningly.

“Good ahead, try it,” said that mom.

... checking to see if these are ready to take out of the oven ...
... from the photo it is apparent which buns used to hold cheese ...

Mary had another confession about the bread dough. While she makes the pigs in a blanket, she has also been known to roll cheese in the centre of buns as well. “No. It doesn’t really work. The dough rises high, the cheese stays on the bottom, the cheese oozes out as it cooks, but some of the kids like it that way. So I do it.”

We talked for a while about the price of flour. Catherine’s last 20 pound bag cost nearly $18.00.   Ouch.

We talked for a while about Mary’s bread machine which was given to Catherine, for Catherine uses it. “But that is ancient history,” said Catherine. “The machine will still make the dough, but doesn’t automatically cook it.  That sucks for her.

A lot of fun, made out of yeast, water and flour.

Arta