Personal Chef (in training)

This year it was my wish to have a quiet Thanksgiving at home since it’s been several years since this has happened.  So preparations began last week as I began to make shopping lists and directed the cleaning schedule to make sure it was a little more hard core than the usual.  This week began with the never-ending cleaning schedule in the midst of 5 sick children, 4 of whom were home with me all day yesterday, and of course the baking!  Yesterday the pie crusts were made and tossed into the freezer.  (The cooler won’t work outdoors because it’s just plain too warm at 72 degrees).  Today some of the pie fillings were started and it was roll baking day!!!  Hip!  Hip!  Hooray!  My kids are sooooo excited and don’t care much about any other part of the meal (except for pie, possibly). 

                

Kaitlyn is always very interested in baking.  She finds it very appealing to butter the risen and rolled out dough with the pastry brush.  Then she helped roll the wedges of dough into crescents.  She told me that she was my “chef”.  It is fun to work together in the kitchen and to share some of our kitchen traditions that have been passed down through generations.  Kaitlyn is a good worker.  I bet a few of you might like to borrow a personal chef for your kitchens this week.

                               

Six dozen crescent rolls finished by 3 p.m.  We will be lucky if they last for two meals.  Nathan has never had one of these goodies in his life but he is my “bread boy” so he’s sure to be as impressed as his brother, dad and uncles are.

This is my Mom’s family recipe.  I actually have two different versions of the same recipe written down; one in my 10 year old sister’s handwriting on a card and one scratched down on a scrap of paper over the phone that I’ve kept over the past 15 years and I don’t follow either one exactly.  I mix the two together and change a couple of things here and there and the steps are different depending on if you are making the rolls all at once or are preparing the dough and baking the next day.  Cooking is an art, after all; hence my philosophy that recipes are merely suggestion.  My husband HATES that school of thought!  Can I say once again as I gather my kitchen notes together that a family cookbook is really in order.  One of these days… 

As I close may I just repeat what I’ve been saying daily for months… I’m thankful for my best friend… THE DISHWASHER!!!  I’m thankful for my people friends too but none of you would do what this does for me without complaint.  Happy preparations!