Team Kolaches

By Peggy | February 19, 2012 |


2 c. milk

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. warm water
2 tsp. yeast (one package)
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. whole wheat flour
6 1/2 to 7 c. white flour
2 tsp. salt
2 packages jalapeno/cheddar sausage
16 bits of cheddar cheese (cut about 1/4 inch thick, 1/2-inch wide and 1 1/2 inch long)
Peggy’s part:
Warm milk with butter until butter melts. Set aside. Pour yeast over water and let stand until softened and moist, about five minutes. Check temp of milk and butter (make sure its lower than about 100 degrees, but still warm) and stir into yeast mixture. Stir in sugar, eggs, wheat flour and salt. Add white flour enough to come together and start forming a ball, but not stiff, or the kolaches will be too dry. Let rise until doubled. This can take 2-3 hours. Punch down and put into the refrigerator a minimum of four hours.
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bring dough out to warm up. Meanwhile, cut sausage into 16 even lengths. (You want about 3 inches).
Sam’s part (how to shape): Cut dough into 16 equal parts. Flatten the dough to shape, then put sausage and cheese in middle to wrap.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Posted in recipes

Overheard in the Wolfe House #160

By Peggy | February 11, 2012 |

(while on Skype with the grandparents)
Sam: Here’s the attachment. And you can see the universal remote on my iPhone.
Grandpa: I see it. It looks like a remote on your TV.
Sam: If you touch “Watch a movie,” it turns on the DVD and the TV at the same time.
Grandpa: No kidding. Can you use it to open the garage door too?
Sam: Maybe. (starts hunting for apps)
Grandpa: How about washing the dishes?

Posted in What Sam says

Pizza a la Sam

By Peggy | February 7, 2012 |

This recipe is on the regular rotation in the Wolfe house. It’s all in the dough.

You can either top it with barbecue sauce, mozzarella cheese and bits of cooked chicken breast for preferred variation number one, or smother it with bottled marinara sauce, mozzarella, and slices of turkey pepperoni and Canadian bacon for the all-time family favorite.

Pizza dough
(enough for one large round and one small round)

Put in a mixer outfitted with dough hook 1 1/2 cup warm water, 2 T. olive oil, 2 tsp. salt, 1 c. whole wheat flour, 2 1/2 to 3 cups unbleached white flour, 2 tsp. sugar, 2 tsp. Rapid Rise yeast.

Run in mixer for 4-5 minutes until dough is a nice, pliable ball. Let rise til doubled.

Bake the pizzas at 425 F for 8 minutes, one on top rack, one on bottom, rotate and bake til crust begins to brown and cheese is bubbling and golden.

Posted in recipes

Overheard in the Wolfe House #159

By Peggy | February 7, 2012 |

Peggy: You know, I was able to drag a lawn mower all the way to the south fence line. You really do a good job of mowing the orchard floor. It’s a like a golf course out there.
Sam (with the biggest grin he’s flashed in a long time): Well, thanks.

Posted in What Sam says

Don’t Spare the Horses.

By Peggy | February 1, 2012 |

When Michael was home visiting for the holidays, we had a shared moment for which the details completely escape me now, but after which my son said, “Wow, Mom. Don’t spare the horses.”

I’d never heard that before. But I liked it. I liked it so much I wondered whether it would make a good New Year’s resolution. One I could actually keep.

In a word, yes.

I logged my 500th mile in in training this month and other things in my life are proceeding at that dogged pace.

Last night, I dreamt something was outside my front door. Unlike all the other dreams of monsters and tornadoes and machines and floods and fire and being forced to get control of a runaway vehicle from the backseat of the car, I didn’t hesitate.

Texas has a castle law, you know.

Posted in getting back on the horse, hope