Cornmeal Rolls (vegan and regular)

I made these cornmeal rolls for dinner tonight as well - they are delicious! Vegan subs are in parentheses.

Cornmeal Rolls
1/3 cup cornmmeal
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick of Nucoa or other dairy free margarine)
2 cups milk (1 can coconut milk)
1 pkg yeast
1/4 cup warm water (must be between 105 and 115 deg)
2 eggs, beaten (3 tsp Ener-G egg replacer plus 1/3 cup water)
4-5 cups flour

Put cornmeal, sugar, salt, butter and milk into pot and cook until thick - stir frequently. It will be the consistency of thinnish cream of wheat.

Cool mixture (I put onto a cookie sheet and put outside and it cools it faster).

Add yeast to warm water - then add yeast/water mix to the cooled cornmeal mixture.

Add eggs and mix, then add flour one cup at a time (I use 4 cups and it works well).

Rise in warmed oven - punch down and then add flour on counter or cutting board and flatten with your hands - use the rim of a glass to cut circles in dough. Or you can put a layer of cornmeal on a pan and then just roll the dough out to meet all edges. Take a pizza cutter and cut squares into it like pull apart dinner rolls.

Sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal over a cookie sheet and put circles of dough on it - cover with towel and stick back in warmed oven to rise again.

When risen, cook for 15-20 minutes at 375 deg. When done, take a stick of butter (margarine) and baste the tops of the rolls.

(I find that cooking for longer at a lower temp works better for the vegan rolls)

Potato Soup and Crafties

Since I didn't get to the grocery store today, we are having whatever I can find in the pantry for dinner :-) I always have onions and garlic - so that's a given in a recipe. Hmm... leftover Russet potatoes from Thanksgiving (not cooked) - potato soup!

I sauteed some onions and garlic in Necoa margarine (would work with EVOO too but I like the buttery taste). While they were sauteeing I chopped up the potatoes. I then threw everything into the crockpot with a can of coconut milk and half a can of chicken broth.

In crafty news, I am working on a felt playhouse for Riley for Christmas similar to this one at Homemade by Jill (my inspiration!). So far I have the tree cut out and half sewn along with some leaves and carrots, lettuce and apples cut out. It's coming along fairly quickly actually!

We got the tree up this weekend! Riley is thrilled though I'm already regretting the tinsel. I thought maybe if it was up on the table with the chairs taken away it would help, but nothing stop the Attack of the TALL BABY!