Happy Thanksgiving!

     Every year, the food holidays seem to get a bit easier as my cooking skills improve and the kids get older and less likely to scavenge from the buffet.  I still have to watch my overly curious 3 year old, but he can eat wheat this year.  (Gotta keep any eye on that kid, I found him complaining about the "yucky cookie" he found in the kitchen, only to realize he'd been chomping on a cork trivet.)  

     Usually I bring the pies, but this year I'm on starch duty, bringing rolls and potatoes.   I'm sure you could find some frozen bread dough in a pinch, but these rolls are pretty easy and foolproof.  My sister suggested making a plain batch and one with some chopped dried cranberries or cherries...and I think that's a great idea for leftover sandwiches!

Potato Dinner Rolls

Makes about 30

6 cups bread flour
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cups potato flakes
2 teaspoons salt
1 heaping tablespoon yeast
1/2 stick safe margarine (I used Fleishmann's Unsalted Margarine)
3 cups warm water
a few handfuls of chopped dried cherries (optional)

1.) Mix it all up in a stand mixer and knead for 5 minutes.
2.) Yes, this is a very soft sticky dough. If it's a gloppy mess, add more flour a couple spoonfuls at a time, until the dough comes together. It should clear the sides of the bowl, but still be sticking to the bottom of the bowl. I would rather overshoot the water amount in a recipe, because it's easier to add flour to a sticky dough than to add water to a stiff dough.
3.) At this point, I opted to split my dough and make half plain and add some chopped cherries to the other half. You can do whatever you want! Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and allow to raise for 1 1/2 hours.
4.) Get ready to shape the rolls. Spray two 9 x 13 pans with cooking spray. Pour a little oil in a small dish to dip your fingers into as you shape the buns.
5.) Working quickly, shape nice little buns by pulling the tops tight and pinching down at the base. The dough is sticky, so don't fuss around too much with things.
6.) Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let raise for another hour.
7.) Bake at 365 for 35 minutes, or until the tops are golden and the spaces between buns seem set. I'm a geek and I check with a thermometer. I want the center buns to register at least 185 degrees to avoid raw buns. Remove from the pans to allow cooling and prevent soggy bottoms.

Vegan Dinner Roll Recipes, Dairy-free dinner roll recipe, Egg-free Dinner Roll Recipe, Vegan Potato Roll Recipe,

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Pumpkin Ice Cream, Just in Time!

Wow!  Fall just flew by with all the election stuff (which was a complete blast!). Thanksgiving is fast approaching, which means the December Sugar Season is coming.  I'm so excited! Our local ice cream shop has been serving up the seasonal flavors and pumpkin is a family favorite.  This safe version is very easy to make and the kids chowed down two batches in no time.  It was such a hit, I think I'll try a frozen pumpkin pie for the kids next week, rather than our usual no-bake pumpkin pie.  Don't forget to order your chocolate advent calendar from Peanut Free Planet, December 1 comes quickly after Thanksgiving!

Dairy-Free Egg-Free Pumpkin Ice Cream

20 big marshmallows
1 pint Silk creamer
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1 pinch salt


1.) Place the marshmallows and 1/2 cup creamer in a large bowl and microwave 1 minute. Remove and stir, keep returning to the microwave to heat 30 seconds at a time until the marshmallows are smooth and melted into the creamer.
2.) Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of creamer, pumpkin, sugar, spices and salt and whisk until smooth.
3.) Place in the refrigerator until cold.
4.) Freeze in your ice cream maker, according to directions and enjoy! I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker with an extra freezer bowl that works really well. It's worth buying one, seeing how expensive dairy and egg-free ice cream can be...and you can make much cooler flavors at home!

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