Dinner Buns

1 C. whole milk, warmed to about 110°F*
2 1/4 tsp. platinum yeast
1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
1/4 C. honey
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
1/4 C. unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 tsp. salt
3 1/2 cups bread flour (spoon & leveled)

Pour warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Sprinkle yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar on top of the milk. Give it a light stir with a spoon and allow to sit for 5 minutes. The mixture should be frothy after 5 minutes. If not, start over with new yeast. With the stand mixer running on low speed, add the honey, egg, egg yolk, melted butter, salt, and 3 cups of flour. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, then add remaining 1/2 cup of flour. Beat on low speed for 1 minute as it all combines. The dough should be thick, yet soft. And only slightly sticky. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl as it mixes. When it does, it is ready to knead. If, however, the dough is too sticky to handle add more flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time. Make sure you do not add too much extra flour; you want a soft, slightly sticky dough. Form dough into a ball and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 2 minutes, then place into a greased bowl. Turn the dough over to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm environment to rise until doubled, about 2 hours. Once doubled in size, punch down the dough to release any air bubbles. Remove dough from the bowl and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Punch down again to release any more air bubbles if needed. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough in half. Cut each half into 8 equal pieces for a total of 16 pieces that are about 1/4 cup each. Shape into balls as best you can and arrange in a greased 9x13 baking pan. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size and puffy, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for 18-21 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the edges of each roll look cooked.

Last Days of Fall

Favorite Christmas Songs

Little Drummer Boy - Pentatonix
           A rum pa pa pum

Carol Of The Bells - Peter Hollens
           Ding dong ding dong, that is their song

Christmas Canon - Trans-siberian Orchestra
           On this night, on this night, on this very Christmas night

Adeste Fideles - Friar Alessandro
           Venite adoremus Dominum

The Boars Head Carol
           Caput apri defero, Reddens laudes Domino

Gloucestershire Wassail
           With a wassailing bowl, we drink unto thee

O Come O Come Emmanuel - Enya
           Gaude! Gaude! Emmanuel, nascetur pro te Israel!

The Key Of David

O COME, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that morns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! O Israel,
to thee shall come Emmanuel!

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
and open wide our heav'nly home,
make safe the way that leads on high,
that we no more have cause to sigh.

Who or what is the Key of David? Revelations 3:7-8 To the angel of the church in Philadelphia (at the time there were seven churches of Asia, this is one of them) write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. ⁸ I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

Isiah 22:20-23 Then it shall be in that Day, that I will call My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah; ²¹ I will clothe him with your robe and strengthen him with your belt; I will commit your responsibility into his hand. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. ²² The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; so he shall open, and no one shall shut; and he shall shut, and no one shall open. ²³ I will fasten him as a peg in a secure place, and he will become a glorious throne to his father’s house.

The Key of David is a term found in Revelation and Isaiah. A key indicates control or authority; therefore, having the Key of David would give one control of David’s domain, i.e., Jerusalem, the City of David, and the kingdom of Israel. The fact that, in Revelation 3:7, Jesus holds this key shows that He is the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant, the ruler of the New Jerusalem, and the Lord of the kingdom of heaven.  In both cases, with the Church in Philadelphia where certain Jews had unlawfully assumed authority (Rev. 3:9), and in Jerusalem where Shebna had usurped authority in the palace (Is. 22:15-19), the Key of David was given to establish God-ordained authority in those places. In the culture of the time a Key was an emblem of the authority of Government; and in the East to this day, in transferring the authority and Government of a city, a large Key is laid upon a person.

Wreath

This year's wreath is also edible. It is lavender and rosemary. It smells heavenly.

Spy V Spy

This is for my secret Santa. I am also working on a sketch.

Apple Pie

3 C. flour
1 stick Crisco
salt
Chilled water

Makes four small pie tins or two family sized crusts.