Pigs in a Blanket

This ain't no fancy thing!

It's what I make the kiddos when they've got friends coming over . . .

Or when we're going to have hot dogs for dinner and there's no chili stored in the freezer . . .

Or when I need to make sure the package of hot dogs is going to stretch for multiple family members . . .

Besides, this is my freezer. I gotta do something with all of them!

Hot dogs freeze well . . . the soft cheap buns my children LOVE don't.

So this keeps me out of the store where I'll quite possibly spend money on sale steak . . .

Lets make buns!

Hot dogs like a soft, sweet rich dough so we're going to start with some warm milk. We're talking body temperature here people! Too hot and your yeast will die.

. . . and a little yeast . . . let it take a dip in it's bath until it dissolves and gets soft!

Now, an egg for richness! Eggs and color, fat, vitamins, and longevity to bread. Who doesn't like longevity?

Now for a little flour so it can start to mix a little . . .

Still pretty soupy! So I'll add a little more flour and the salt . . .

. . . and the sugar . . . Sugar and salt inhibit yeast when they're too close and personal! That's why I always add some of my flour before I add 'em.

. . . it is a hot and steamy day so I'm really having to add a lot of flour!

. . . I let it sit for awhile and after 20 minutes . . . a little more flour was necessary! Egads!

. . . okay, finger test! . . .

It's incredibly soft but it'll do! It's going to sit and rise now. I'm not worried about the egg and milk being at room temperature because the plan is to bake it and kill off anything that might start to grow. I don't let the kiddos eat any of it raw though . . .

ding, ding, ding! It is risen! Now if you're Lutheran you feel the urge to shout IT IS RISEN INDEED!

Divide the dough into pieces for each hot dog. It doesn't have to be perfect! Some people like a little less bread and others like more. It's RUSTIC!!!

To shape 'em plop down a dough . . . patty . . . blob . . . nugget?

Stick the hot dog on the middle . . .

Start to pinch around it . . .

Voila!

Let 'em rise while you preheat the oven for a good 15 minutes.

I demand at least 15 minutes of preheating for baked goods! I know your oven says it's done, but it's NOT! The minute you open that door the hot air just rushes on out. You want to wait until the heat has soaked into the walls.

Now if you're on a timeline you could put the dough around the dogs and throw them in the fridge to wait for an opportune baking time. It's all good!

Bake them till they're brown. About 20 minutes.

When they come out you can throw a small smear of butter on the buns and as they cool the beautiful crust will turn soft and tender just like kiddos like.

Or you can eat them right away and burn your mouth and enjoy a slightly crunchy crust.  These are salty, meaty, and chewy! The mildly sweet bread makes them deliciously substantial. A little mustard and you've hit all the flavor points!

Pigs in a Blanket

3-4 cups flour
1 cup warm milk
1 tsp yeast granules
1 egg
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
8-10 hot dogs

Dissolve yeast in milk. Do not use HOT milk. We're looking for under 100 deg here. Stir in the egg and one cup of the flour until you have a slippery mess. Add another cup of flour, the salt and sugar and mix together thoroughly. Add enough of the remaining flour to achieve a soft somewhat smooth dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Cover and let rest 20 minutes. Knead again and add flour until a clean finger can pat the dough without getting dirty. Allow to rise until doubled, 2-4 hours depending on the weather. Shape dough around hot dogs. Allow to rest while you preheat the oven for 15 minutes. Bake about 20 minutes. Allow to cool.

The Land of Pork and Chocolate . . .

Do you remember me talking about the best day ever?

How I was planning on it?

It happened!

I spent the whole day with my Dear One!

We went to the school assembly and saw Darling Daughter honored and Guitar Boy help with a skit.

Then we went to Kansas City's beer epicenter, Boulevard Brewery! I got to eat a delicious meal made by Chef's Colby & Megan Garrelts, of Bluestem in Kansas City.

Want to know what we ate?  Here it is!

I was thinking this dairy needed to rethink their name . . .

Then I didn't care what their name was!

This cheese had a hint of barnyard that you find in a standard goat cheese. It had been whipped to a fluffy lightness that was incredible. There was a beautiful hint of lemon to it. There's a little pocket of Balsamic must. I gather it's a mix of balsamic vinegar and the grapes used to create the vinegar in the first place. It had a beautiful sweet tanginess that made the cheese incredible tasting. My husband said the cheese almost took on a texture like finely pureed parsnips or potatoes. It did have very satisfying texture. The pea and asparagus salad was crisp, tender and delightful next to the rich cheese.

The Tank 7 beer is one of the Boulevard Smokestack series. My husband had one in the tasting room! It's on the left. It is a beautiful golden color. Very interesting in that you taste the bitter hops at first then the finish is sweet and light! This is a very smooth beer that can sneak up and spank you with it's 8% alcohol content.

Second Course! The N/A notifies us that the beer has no label. It's still in development. Let me tell it's developing LOVELY!

Oh! Oh! Oh! This was delicious! It's pork shoulder cooked for 24 hours in an immersion circulator. So the meat gets beautifully tender and the fat just melts as soon as it hits your mouth. There was the slightest hint of soy, garlic, ginger, and sesame in this.

The vegetables were incredibly tender too. Knives? Not necessary. Bok choy, mushrooms and won ton noodles simply sauced in the juices from the meat and it's marinade. Why mess with perfection?

The entree was all about tenderness and subtle flavor. The beer was so complex it balanced it completely. Dubbel is a beer they've been working on for quite awhile. This iteration had a hint of celery scent to it. It is flavored with anise, cinnamon and coriander. The overall taste is warm, zesty, and citrusy with a smooth and nutty finish.

Be still my heart.

It's not really a luncheon without a little dessert right?

Goodness gracious!

I'll admit I wasn't particularly excited for this dessert. I'm not a huge fan of pecan pie and while I thought that the float had possibilities I wasn't holding out a great deal of hope.

I was terribly, terribly wrong. This is one of the BEST chocolate desserts I've ever had!

No, I don't think the four beers I've had in the last hour has had any effect on my judgement . . . thanks for your concern

The "tartlet" was a delicious sort of pecan-pie-bar-cookie thing. I think I'll call all my future bar cookies "tartlets." I may have to make some chocolate tartlets tonight. I can imagine it now . . .

Guitar Boy: Mommy, can I have a brownie?

Me: No!

Guitar Boy: What? Why not?

Me: I have no brownies!

Guitar Boy: What are those?

Me: Those are chocolate tartlets! Would you like one?

Guitar Boy: But, . . . Mommy?

Gentle Giant: Shush! She's got that look in her eye!

The pecan tartlet was almost candy like. It was chewy, orangey, with a lovely range of cinnamon and cloves flavors. There was definitely an undercurrent of molasses in it too. The float was pure heaven! The "Old Clarence" is actually Boulevard's Bully Porter barrel-aged for a year like a smokestack type beer would be. It had a deep rich bitterness that made the chocolate become a chocolate symphony in your mouth! Bubbly, cold, bitter, chocolate.

What a lovely day!

The Land of Barley and Hops

While you are at work and taking care of business . . . I am having THE BEST DAY EVER!!! How do I know? I am writing this the day before THE day after all. Well here we go.

1. My husband has the day off and we're going to spend it TOGETHER with no kids. Well the 21 yr. old will be around but we'll avoid each other by mutual agreement.

2. We're headed to school for Darling Daughter to receive a Super Citizen award. Yes, I'm bragging! I figure I should enjoy it now. Next year she could decide she hates school and is becoming an atheist.

3. We've got a lunch date at the Boulevard Brewery! That's right, I get to take pictures of somebody else's food. Somebody who actually gets paid to cook!

4. School Art Expo/Ice Cream Social/Scholastic Book Fair is this evening! Okay, I'm still trying to sell that one to myself.

I am savoring the day before it even gets here. I figure I better enjoy it beforehand. What if I got a flat tire? What if I fall and break my leg? Life changes quickly savor your blessings NOW!

Lunch at a brewery? Big deal? YES it's a big deal. For us craft beer fans at least.

You have to understand Boulevard only has these lunches once a month. You have to enter a lottery to win the chance to buy a ticket. There is no Boulevard "chef" so they actually just recruit a local chef to come cook. Tomorrow it's the Chef from Bluestem. The only guideline is that they cook with beer and pair their offerings with beer!

Did I mention there's beer?

Lots and lots of Boulevard beer?

Did I say the chef gets to cook whatever they want?

Would you like to see pictures?

These are some of the barrels they age their "smokestack" series beers in. You gotta watch yourself with those beers. They have an alcohol content more like wine!

The bottling line!

Big old vats of beer in the making!

What? You wanted pictures of the food?

Salmon rillettes. Smoked and cured salmon chilled in a shot glass and covered with clarified butter. Spread it on the sesame crostini! Served with a lovely cucumber and radish salad with a sour cream dressing. The salmon made a rich and buttery spread. LOVED IT! Paired with ZON beer. A light crisp beer flavored with coriander! Very summery! Perfect with the rich salmon.

Lamb Chops! Served on a warm salad of dandelion greens and roasted beats! YUMMO! The morel mushroom demi-glaze's saltiness cut the bitterness of the dandelion greens perfectly! Paired with "Rye on Rye" from the Smokestack series at Boulevard. Wonderfully rich beer with a hint of sweetness that complimented the bitterness of the lamb seasoning and salad.

Maybe some dessert? A blackberry rhubarb tart with little oatmeal crumblies and vanilla gelato! Very, very tasty! Paired with a stout of the Smokestack series called "The Dark Truth." I usually don't like stouts but this one was rich, foamy, and had the sweetness of a stout with a nicely balanced bitterness. Perfect to accompany a buttery, fruity, dessert.

Maybe you'd like this short rib ravioli? Braised in Sour Brown Ale? With oyster mushrooms and English peas? Savory, meaty, tender. Beef and pasta, am I in heaven?

Perhaps some wild king salmon cured in lime juice and Zon? With a micro green salad and Zon-orange-coriander vinaigrette. It was served with Two Joker's Double Wit. It's almost too pretty to eat. Almost.

Maybe a cheese course? A smokey blue cheese with rosemary scented honey and hazelnuts? Some grilled Rosemary Olive oil bread on the side to wipe the plate with? Have mercy!

I always like it when they include something to clean the plate with. My Dear One gets so embarrassed when I lick the plate.

After I recover from Friday I'll make sure to tell you all about it. Does this make me cruel?

I better stick the camera in the purse NOW!