Prepping for Christmas

I am a control freak and it has really been showing over the past week or so.  In addition, I like to take on a lot of projects at once. 

The husband and I are hosting Christmas dinner for 8 adults, two toddlers, and one baby in our new home.  I started to create the menu two weeks ago and finalized it this week.  I am doing it all, from cocktail hour with two snacks and a cocktail to dessert with three tasty treats in addition to cookies.  The menu was designed to have as few projects going on the day of the big meal.  I looked for recipes that can be prepped anywhere from two weeks to a day before dinner. 

This weekend, I started prepping and freezing what I could.  I made a pecan pie, three different kinds of cookies, dinner rolls, and spiced pecans (not frozen).  Aside from the cookies (some frozen, some eaten, and some given away), I only sampled the dinner rolls.  I loved them.  These guys can be made up to one month ahead of time to be placed in your freezer in an airtight container. 

Oatmeal Dinner Rolls
(from Cooking Light December 2006)
printable recipe

1 cup 2% reduced fat milk
 3/4 cup water
1/4 cup honey
1 package dry yeast
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 1/4 cups, flour, divided
1 cup regular oats
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
cooking spray

1. Combine milk, 3/4 cup water, and honey in a small saucepan.  Heat milk mixture over medium-high heat to 100F to 110F; remove from heat.  Dissolve yeast in milk mixture; let stand 5 minutes.  Stir in butter and egg.
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine 4 cups flour, oats, and salt in a large bowl, stirring well.  Add yeast mixture to flour mixture; stir until a soft dough forms.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands.  
3. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, and turn to coat top.  Cover and let rise in a warm place (85F), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size.  
4. Punch dough down, reshape into a ball, and return to bowl.  Cover and let rise 1 our or until doubled in size.  
5. Punch dough down; turn out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead dough 3 to 4 times, let rest 5 minutes. Dived mixture into 24 equal size portions; shape each portion into a ball. Place balls 1 inch apart on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray, or a jelly-roll pan lined with a silpat.  Cover and let rise in a warm place (85F), free from drafts, 30 minutes or until doubled in size.  
6. Pre-heat oven to 425F.
7. Bake rolls at 425F or until browned.  Remove rolls from pan, cool on a wire rack.  

Yield: 24 rolls, unless you sample.  I now have 23 rolls.