With summer approaching, I’m using my toaster oven more for baking. This time I tried my no knead crusty rolls and WOW – they turned out beautifully! I set the toaster oven to 450, just like my big oven, and just used a smaller baking pan (9 by 13 inches). These rolls don’t spread much so I was able to bake all eight at one time. I plan to make them this way all the time.
As soon as they cool, I freeze these rolls. I find that putting the frozen rolls directly onto my toaster oven rack at 325 for about 10 minutes makes them super crusty, even more than when they’re first baked. It’s a win-win: Less oven use, and even crustier rolls. I love these rolls with salad, with soup, and sometimes I eat a roll,,, with another roll. 😋 Click here for the recipe.
The world needs more people like Rhonda! She made my recipe for white bread into dinner rolls, but look how she shared these rolls and how much good she did in her community…
Rhonda wrote, “I prepared four batches for a total yield of 36 rolls. We made them to share with residents in the 55 and older mobile home park we live in for our first “2nd Friday Soup Social” held this February. My son suggested we do this dinner event a few months ago as a way of sharing and getting to know our neighbors. He moved here a year ago and has since realized many of the residents are well over 55 years old and don’t socialize much. We posted our invite in the monthly newsletter that is distributed to all 155 homes in our park. Everyone was invited with us knowing the usual turnout for activities is less than 12 people. We provided two homemade soups to choose from – Minestrone and Chicken Noodle – with a homemade roll.
We made enough soup for 24 thinking some might take some home to their neighbor. We provided cardboard soup containers with lids so they could transport their soup easily if they chose to take their soup home to eat or to share. Eighteen people showed up! All 18 stayed to eat their soup and socialize! Several had seconds and a few took soup to their neighbors. We also took soup to a couple of neighbors we knew were convalescing. We had a great time preparing the soups and rolls. We enjoyed socializing with neighbors we knew and met some new people, too.
We plan to repeat this event in March and April, at least. Given the thanks and the compliments we received, we anticipate needing more soup and rolls. Thank you for a delicious and simple recipe for the best rolls. After trying several recipes, your’s delivered the easiest, tastiest and most versatile rolls for our crowd.”
Rhonda is a gift to her community. I’m so proud that my recipe was a part of this generous and welcoming event. Isolation is common with seniors and can lead to numerous health problems. Bringing their neighbors together is such a wonderful thing she and your son are doing. Homemade food is a gift from the heart and by simply bringing people together, she might also be saving lives. I hope others might be inspired to share food and kindness with those who need it.
I found some beautiful organic blueberries yesterday and I put the whole box into this gorgeous loaf! 🫐 Has anybody noticed that blueberries aren’t really blue? They’re kind of purple. Whatever color they are, I love this loaf so much, not just for the lightly sweet taste, but for the health benefits of the berries. The deep hues are what fills blueberries with so many nutrients. Don’t just take it from me. WebMD says:
“Packed with antioxidants, blueberries are also high in potassium and vitamin C. Not only can they lower your risk of heart disease and cancer, they are also anti-inflammatory. Inflammation is a key driver of all chronic diseases.” I hope that motivates you to make this delicious lemon blueberry loaf. Click here for the recipe and don’t skimp on the berries!
My first attempt at adding seeds to my no knead bread looks good but I didn’t really love it. I guess I’m a purist when it comes to bread and I really prefer it plain and crusty. There were too many flavors in the mix of seeds for me and it was hard to get the seeds to stick. It was just okay. Don’t get me wrong. I ate the whole thing! It’s bread!! 🍞
My next one’s going to be plain again. The loaf I make most of the time is my whole wheat version. Maybe I’ll try adding some honey next time to shake things up a bit. You’ve gotta take risks in life! I won’t be bungee-jumping but adding honey to my bread – that’s a chance I’m willing to take. 😀
Easter is just a few weeks away and this photo of my bunny buns makes me smile every time. Jane, from Kansas City, Missouri is an artist. She made a cat and a dog too! How cute are those? “I made your bunny buns and added cat and dog buns,” she wrote. “Our grandchildren loved them!” I can only imagine how any children or grandchildren would love these adorable buns. It makes me wonder what other animals can be made? Please send a photo if you make some “fun buns.” I’m going to try a frog. 🐸
p.s. This is one of dozens of photos that were lost in my spam folder for a year but finally found. (from Feb. 2022)
I’m sad but glad, and mad (at Google!). When I started seeing less and less photos coming in to my “Your Photos” sections, I was sad. I was always excited when someone took the time to send a photo so I posted them myself with a personal note. But oh well, I thought, other websites are popping up and my recipes won’t be popular forever. Then last week, a nice person named Ann Marie posted that her photo was returned.
I let my administrator know and after a lot of checking, it turns out that a new Google algorithm update has been marking most of the photos as spam… for months… maybe longer! When I looked in the spam folder, I found so many pictures there I cried. I was sad but glad because people still cared enough to send me their photos. Then I got mad at Google for doing this update. I thought about boycotting Google but decided against it because I sold my Encyclopedia Brittanica. 🤓
I’m so sorry if anyone felt that I ignored them. The photos were lost but only for a while. I’ve been posting them and will continue as long as it takes. I still can’t count them all but it’s well over 100, maybe 200 pictures. If your picture didn’t get posted, please check back. https://www.jennycancook.com/category/your-photos-my-recipes/
I’m so happy to see all of these photos, but I’m still kind of mad at Google. I won’t boycott them but I might call and ask to speak to the manager. 😀
All I can say is,”Wow!” This gorgeous Christmas Wreath was made by Beth in Canada and it’s post card perfect. “It turned out beyond my expectations,” she wrote. “I used raisins, dried apricots and cranberries and added some orange zest and of course the xtra egg yolk as you suggested.” Beth said she is baking during a “frigid blizzard event today in south western Ontario” and I remember many blizzards growing up in the same area. We always hoped for a white Christmas but maybe not this white!
This photo brought me so much joy! It was sent in by Beth in Canada, whose adorable granddaughter made my chocolate pudding. How cute is she? Beth said her granddaughter was watching my chocolate pudding video while eating lunch and then she made it for a treat. “After making chocolate pudding in the sandbox,” said Beth, “she asked to make the real thing.”
Its always makes me happy to see children take an interest in cooking and I encourage everyone to involve young family members in the kitchen. Let them be your “helper” and encourage them to try to make their own creations. It can be really fun to play in the kitchen and be learning at the same time. This little angel made her own pudding from scratch! Thank you, Beth, for sharing your photos and please tell you granddaughter I said, “Great job!”
With summer approaching, I’m using my toaster oven more for baking. This time I tried my no knead crusty rolls and WOW – they turned out beautifully! I set the toaster oven to 450, just like my big oven, and just used a smaller baking pan (9 by 13 inches). These rolls don’t spread much so I was able to bake all eight at one time. I plan to make them this way all the time.
