Buttermilk Yeast Rolls

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year’s Day. We enjoyed a wonderful ham, turnips, buttermilk mashed potatoes, and spicy black-eyed peas. I also made these yeast rolls for the first time. They were the most delicious rolls I have ever had. The buttermilk makes them so tender. The small amount of added sugar makes them slightly sweet and oh so irresistible. The recipe was so easy, and you can even make these rolls ahead of time, and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake them. I added lots of seeds to these because I love seedy bread. I went through my pantry and pulled out 5 different seeds that I added to these rolls. I added hemp, poppy, flax, sesame, and caraway seeds. Don’t worry, the hemp seeds are completely legal and drug free. Hemp seeds and the oil that is derived from the seeds is actually one of the healthiest things you can ingest, even more so than flax seeds! Hemp seeds are an excellent source of all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids that we need. The seeds also contain calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese. The only downside is that they are only found at health food stores and online, and they are a bit expensive. Flax seeds are a great economical, and easy to find alternative. They are also extremely nutritious. You could easily leave out the seeds, or add any combination of seeds that you like, or have handy in your pantry. Sunflower seeds would also be a great addition to these rolls.

Since it is the new year, my husband and I are both taking the opportunity to become more healthy. In the past, we dedicated more time to fitness. At one point in our lives, we were little gym rats, spending 1 – 2 hours in the gym several days a week. Now, our lives are much to busy and full to dedicate that much time anymore. Over the summer I took my son for long bike rides. When we were not on the bike, we would spend the afternoon at the pool, playing and splashing around. However, since the chilly days have come around, I have been spending more and more time inside all day. In an effort to help my activity, my husband bought our family a Wii fit for Christmas. I am starting today to take the time everyday, when my son is sleeping, to use the Wii fit. Lori, at The Recipe Girl, has created a healthy challenge that I am participating in. Its called 10 weeks to healthy in 2010. Its all about feeling healthy, whether it is losing weight, becoming more active, or eating healthier. My goal in this challenge is to become more active, to incorporate some more healthy foods, and to lose a few holiday pounds caused from my inactivity and a sweet tooth. Thanks so much to Lori for creating this challenge.

Now here is the buttermilk yeast rolls recipe. Remember you can easily add or delete any of these seeds. You can even leave the seeds out all together. This was my first time making yeast rolls ever, and trust me this recipe is too easy. The basic recipe came from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. You can form the dough into any shape you want. I just made the dough into a disc about 12 inches in diameter, cut it like a pizza, and then rolled the skinny wedges in these shapes.