17 on the 17th

Our "baby boy" turned 17 this month on the 17th.  So... he's not a "baby" any more, but a wonderful sweet young man, but in my mind, I still remember the day 17 years ago that he was born, and many precious memories of times through the years of him growing up, and I find it hard to believe he is now 17.  Through the years, the birthday parties for my children were big events.  However, the last couple of years, my kids have chosen to have more simple events to celebrate their birthdays.  My son's birthday this year was quite simple.  He wanted a simple white cake ("no fancy stuff Mom!") and a few of his friends came over to our land for a camp out.  I provided home cooked beans, homemade hot dog buns and hot dogs for the "grub".

This is the same white cake recipe that I made for our daughter's 19th birthday earlier this year.  You can find the recipe here.

I tried a recipe that I found for making homemade hot dog buns (the recipe also works for hamburger buns as well).  These buns were a real hit with the guys.  They thought it was pretty awesome to eat hot dogs in soft, warm homemade buns.  They were actually really easy to make!  (I'll provide the recipe below should any one be interested).

Our son crafted this BBQ pit in his advanced welding class.  It is made out of discarded saw blades and welded together.  He also had a metal circular bottom to sit the pit on to keep the fire contained within the pit.  He plans on making a grill cover to match.  We just used the grill we had with our other pit to cook the hot dogs.

After we finished grilling the hot dogs, the guys had fun finding things to burn in the pit.

These two were the official bread crumb finders.  Not a crumb was left on the ground!  They performed their job very well, and left nothing behind for the birds!

A picture of the cake with Happy Birthday candles being lit.  There happened to be 17 candles in all, and dear son blew them all out.  Hope he gets what he wished for!  :)

Homemade Hot Dog and Hamburger Buns

2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 packets or 2 scant tablespoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
2 cups warm milk (105°F to 115°F)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
6 to 7 1/2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
sesame seeds or coarse salt (optional)

In a large bowl (or Kitchen Aid mixer), dissolve sugar and yeast in the warm water. Add the milk, oil, salt and 3 cups of flour to the yeast mixture. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes with dough hook if using Kitchen Aid mixer.   Gradually add flour until dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a floured area.  Knead until you have a smooth, elastic dough.  Put the dough into a greased bowl (I use butter). Turn once to coat the entire ball of dough with grease. Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour.   

Divide dough into 18 equal pieces. This is done most easily by dividing the dough first into thirds, then those thirds into halves, then the halves into thirds.  Shape each piece into a ball. For hamburger buns, flatten the balls into 3 1/2-inch disks. For hot-dog buns, roll the balls into cylinders, 4 1/2-inches in length. Flatten the cylinders slightly; dough rises more in the center so this will give a gently rounded top versus a high top. For soft-sided buns, place them on a well-seasoned baking sheet a half inch apart so they'll grow together when they rise. For crisper buns, place them three inches apart.  Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes. 

Fifteen minutes before you want to bake your buns, preheat your oven to 400°F. Just before baking, lightly brush the tops of the buns with the egg wash and sprinkle with seeds or salt. Bake for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 190°F. When the buns are done, remove them from the baking sheet to cool on a wire rack. This will prevent the crust from becoming soggy.