Rolls I Like to Make

My sister's second marriage ended in 2010. She didn't get much out of her 10+ years with the guy, but she did get this amazing dinner roll recipe from his mother. She called it "Rolls I Like to Make."

The recipe notes that "the secret to good rolls is: The 'rising' of the dough. 1st rising at least 1 hr. and 15 or 20 min. 2nd rising the same amount of time."

I have had a lot of luck cutting this recipe in half, and with making interesting shapes out of the dough. I suppose sometimes the best family recipes come from other families.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups warm water
• 2 packages yeast (dry yeast)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1/4 cup shortening (FW note: I use butter.)
• 6 1/2 to 7 cups flour

Mix the first 6 ingredients all together. Pour into the flour and mix well ("a dough"). Set in a warm place to rise (an hour and a 1/2). Knead the dough and shape into balls and put on two greased cookie sheets. Set in a warm place and let rise another hour and 20 minutes at least. Set oven at 350 degrees and have oven on for the 2nd rising. Bake rolls until light brown (almost 15 minutes).

Coloma County Casserole

My dad found this recipe, but I am not able to find a "Coloma County" in the south (California gold country and Wisconsin are the two that come up). I also haven't seen black eyed peas done this way, but it is the best way and will convert most people who say they hate black eyed peas.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. bag dried black eyed peas
• Bay Leaf
  
• 2 cups chopped ham
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded & divided
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 onion, chopped (save other half for beans)
  
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
  
• 2 tsp Seasoned Salt (Lawry's)
• 1 tbsp Tabasco sauce

Soak beans overnight, and rinse. Cover with fresh water and bring to boil in large pot. Add a ham bone if you have one, and the non-chopped half of onion & bay leaf. Reduce to simmer and let cook until the peas are soft, an hour to 90 minutes.

Make a cheese sauce by sauteing the onion and butter until onions are soft. Add milk and heat to almost boiling. Add cornstarch dissolved into a little cold milk, and stir with a whisk into the milk mixture. Keep stirring as it thickens. Add Seasoned Salt, Tabasco, and 1 cup of the cheese.

Grease a 13"x9" casserole dish. Add drained black eyed peas, ham & cheese sauce. Top with remaining cheese, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with corn bread and collard greens on New Year's Day for luck & prosperity. And if you double up on the ham and cheese, it still comes out okay.

[photo from sleepyneko's flickr stream]