My first blog

What should my first blog be about? Maybe I should write about how much I hate blogging. Or maybe I could tell you that I've had this blog set up for months, but am only now posting for the first time. No, now that I think about it, I think I will tell you about the first time I made bread.

This will come as no surprise to those who know me...I AM A GOOD COOK! I can make anything...ANYTHING I TELL YOU!! That is, except for my two dirty little secrets. Icing and bread. Now, if I'm telling the truth I was able to hide my icing problem for years because my best and most dear friend Hannah was my enabler. Yes, I admit it...I had an enabler! When I needed icing, I just called up my enabler and she would whip up a batch of her famous chocolate love... and just like that...I had icing. Now, I will admit that my dear friend did try several times to aid in my recovery. She would patiently teach me how to mix and stir and whip...and no matter how hard I tried I SUCKED AT IT!!! But through all my failings, my enabler understood this, and loved me anyway. (that's because she has a dirty little cooking secret of her own)

Then one day I said SCREW THIS! I threw away the recipe, tossed out the measurements and just started adding and mixing the basic ingredients. I did it my way, and guess what...ICING!! Some of the best #@**$ stuff you ever put in your mouth! Since that day I have been able to whip out icing like Betty Crocker on crack! Yea for me!

You may be asking how my amazing ability to make icing has anything to do with making bread...well hold your horses I'm almost there.

I have tried countless times over the years to make bread. Any kind of bread...I didn't care...I just wanted to be able to make a batch of pull-apart rolls in the worst way! I got so tired of bread makers telling me "your a great cook Cassie, you can make bread! ANYONE CAN MAKE BREAD!" But now matter how I tried I usually ended up making something that looked alot more like hockey puck than a roll. I could go on for pages about all my failed attempts...but you get the picture. So lets zoom forward to 3 days ago.

On Tuesday morning, I decided to try it again. What, you may ask possessed me to once again rub salt into my old bread wound??? I HAVE NO IDEA!! I just figured I could make it while my husband was at work, and I could toss it quick if it bombed. No one would be the wiser. So, first thing I did was hit the web. I think I may have looked at at least three hundred recipes for pull-apart yeast rolls. I even had my "fresh baked bread" candle burning to keep me from loosing hope.

THEN IT HAPPENED...I found blog by a lady who had been teaching bread classes to beginners for 36 years. She said her recipe was full-proof and tasted great. How could I go wrong? I mean if it's full-proof...how could I screw it up? Right? So, with much trepidation I began the 5 simple steps to bread heaven. And guess what? I CAN MAKE BREAD!! You know how when you get that first positive pregnancy test? Well, I made it three times since then just to make sure it wasn't a fluke. It's not! I CAN MAKE BREAD!!

For those of you out there who have tried and failed as many times as I have...don't give up hope...here is the recipe I used. Enjoy!!

YEAST PULL-APART ROLLS (48 rolls)

2 pkg. yeast
3 cups very water, warm
3/4 cup butter, melted but not hot
1 Tbs. salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temp.
9 to 9 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick melted butter

Dissolve yeast in water. As soon as it starts to bubble a little stir in sugar. Beat butter and eggs together just until mixed. Combine yeast and sugar with egg mixture. Stir in salt and enough flour to make a firm, but sticky dough. With floured hands make into approximately 48 rolls placing into baking pans (2-9x13) which has been sprayed with non-stick spray and has approximately 3 Tbs. melted butter in it. Turn to coat rolls. Cover pan with plastic wrap or wax paper sprayed with Pam. Let rise approximately 1 hour. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350* and cook for approximately 30 minutes or until brown. Brush with melted butter as soon as you remove from oven.

TIP: if you are trying to get your rolls to rise in in a cold house (75 or below) try opening the oven, turning it on to 175 and setting your pan on the door for about 10 -15 minutes. Then turn the oven off and move the pan to the top of the stove to finish rising.

One more thing, just so you know how "full-proof" it is...I left out the salt last time...still great. I cut the recipe in half, but since I don't know how to half 3/4's cup I just did 1/3 +a little more...STILL GREAT!!