Holiday Decorating & Sharing Bacon Buns.

I decorated out side with our Holiday lights.

 I know its early but I live in the Mid West and I like the lights out side for the Holidays.  I took advantage of the nice weather because we know it wont last. Its the Mid West!

I know its silly but I enjoy it...Of course its a lot of work as long as I am able I will do it, when I cant then I wont..

Here are a couple of photos I took early this morning,  I read that's when you should take outside pictures of lights. dawn or early dusk to get the best results not when it is totally dark.  

 Hold the camera very still.

The front of course I don't have to tell you that LOL

Looks pretty doesn't it. Or ma by its just a me thing :)

We tried to not hang anything where we had to drag out the heavy ladder this year.
The kids would help but we didn't want to bother them they have enough to do.

 Although I'm not through I do have a few more things I want to put out their.

I have really cut back decorating the outside, when I was a few years younger,
 I would go crazy decorating.
 Now I try to brighten it up with lights I gave away a lot of our decorations.

 Some I  never take out of the plastic bags I have them stored in.

  The rest of my outside decorating wont take as long.
Besides

 I was getting behind on all my inside work..

Busy Busy Me..

While I was out their yesterday I took a couple of pictures of my tall grasses.

The yellow flower in front of the grass is a Mum its really very pretty and unusual.

 I don't know what kind it is but quite different than the regular mum.

I bought it years ago not knowing anything about it.

Here's a closer look.

My tall grass is always a favorite with its plumes on top.

My Recipe Share for today is a long time favorite.
 Something we haven't made in a while and Oh so good.

Bacon Buns
Bill used to bring them home when he worked at the
Board Of Ed
 and traveled to the different neighbor hoods
Checking out the jobs..
Here is a great recipe I hope you will like as much as we do.

Lithuanian Bacon Buns

MAKES 4 DOZEN

1 cup scalded milk

1/2 cup shortening or margarine

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 packages dry yeast, regular or rapid rise

2 eggs, well beaten

4 to 41/2 cups flour, sifted

FILLING (RECIPE FOLLOWS
1 pound lean bacon

1 medium onion, chopped

1 pound lean ham (optional)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Topping:

1 egg yolk mixed with 2-3 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Pour scalded milk into a large bowl. Add shortening, sugar and salt. Let mixture cool to lukewarm, 105 degrees. Stir in yeast until dissolved. Add beaten eggs and then add flour gradually, mixing until dough is workable.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead with floured hands until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Put in greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

While dough is rising, make the filling.

Fry bacon until limp. Remove from fat and drain on paper towels. Fry chopped onions in bacon fat until tender. Remove from fat and drain. Cut bacon into small pieces and add to onion. If desired, add ham. Season with pepper.

Once dough has risen once, pinch off a piece of dough, about the size of a golf ball and flatten in a rounded or rectangular shape. Place 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center of each shape, fold and seal edges. Shape between hands to form miniature hot dog bun. Place seam side down on a greased cookie sheet and let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 30 minutes.

Before baking, brush buns with egg-milk mixture. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.