Hedgehogs and Turtles and Snails, Oh, My!

Fun animal shaped dinner rolls are easy to create using dough made in a bread machine.

 A small menagerie of tender rolls are almost too cute to eat!

For creating a hedgehog:

 for creating a snail:

 The turtle is a round body with a smaller piece of dough for the head, four half-circles for legs and a small pointed piece for a tail.  I used a sharp knife to cut a tic-tac-toe grid onto the back of the turtle.

 Animal Shaped Dinner Rolls

ingredients:
1 large egg plus enough water to measure 1 cup
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups bread flour
3 Tbs. Nonfat dry Milk
3 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. Bread Machine Yeast

raisins or currents

Add all of the ingredients (except for raisins/currents) in the order recommended by manufacturer of your bread machine (usually wet ingredients followed by dry ingredients and ending with the yeast).  Set the machine to dough setting.  When complete, remove dough from machine and allow to rest, covered for 5 minutes.

Divide dough into 16 pieces.  Form into desired animal shapes and add raisin/currents for eyes and nose (I try and push the raisins in far so they don't pop out during rising/baking).  Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Cover lightly and place in a warm, draft-free place and allow to rise for another 30-60 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 17 minutes or until golden brown.

 Joining 

Foodie Friday

 Cindy @My Romantic Home for Show & Tell Friday!

Countdown to 2012 Best Bread @Finding Joy in My Kitchen

Critter

How can something so cute be such an annoyance?

Oh, don't look so surprised, chubby squirrel, that you've been caught helping yourself to

BIRD

treats on the new bird feeder wreath.

I knew it was just a matter of time before you came along to gorge yourself as if at a buffet banquet.

I think you have eaten more than your share of the suet and oats!

You know, it isn't very nice to turn your back and ignore my banging on the window to shoo you away!

Go right a head... sample every bit there!

I'd call Mr McGregor on you, but he never had much luck keeping critters out of his place either.

A Wintery, Icy Mix

This morning

Winter

a Mother Goose poem

Cold and raw the north wind doth blow,
Bleak in the morning early;
All the hills are covered with snow,
And winter's now come fairly.

a few winter photos
my grandson:

 my (dead) car battery:

 my guy:

 my dog:

Despite the sometimes dreary days,  I still like winter.  I look forward to the rebirth of spring and the emerging flowers and greenery, but I would never give up winter's peace and subdued colors.

To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven

Ecclesiastes3:1