I Have a Recipe
I have a recipe.
You may have heard of it. You might already have it! You might have even used it. It’s been around for a while.
My Aunt Alice’s Oatmeal Roll recipe has a story that I’d love for you to know. It is more than just a recipe. There’s something deeper than words and measurements on a card. But we’ll get to that part in a bit.
If you've eaten at my house, ever, you have most likely had a taste of one of these little yeasty wonders and have probably asked for the recipe! They are that good. And that easy. I tell everyone that I've never had a batch of them fail! They are easy to make because they behave beautifully even though they are made with yeast. The nice little balls of dough form up easily and bake into gorgeous golden rolls that make your mouth water just thinking about them. And if they are baking when you come into the kitchen… be prepared for a rush of nostalgia that the smell of baking bread always provides. (Like, did your grandma bake bread?) And I'm sure, after gently pulling to separate the top from the bottom of this warm golden wonder, you’ll be scurrying to find a pad of real butter for slathering on top…along with a bit of strawberry jam, perhaps?
I have many stories about these rolls but I promise not to tell them all here.
The latest story, though, is the reason for this post.
A few days ago, a friend of mine, Jody Collins, put on Instagram and Facebook, one of the poems from her book, Hearts on Pilgrimage, and explained that she wrote this poem, Recipe for Awakening, after receiving a recipe for rolls from a friend. And she tagged me! Surprised, I replied, "What? Did I send Alice's recipe to you?" And, come to find out, indeed I had. So I told her that this was an almost sacred recipe in our home and would she like to know why?
“Of course!” she said. “I sure would.”
I proceeded to tell her that I had a photo that would show her just how much we love our rolls at this house! I told her that I got this photo from our family in Costa Rica just before Easter.
Joel wanted to show us that he had, indeed, prepared Aunt Alice's Rolls for their Easter dinner! I truly can’t articulate how I felt when I saw that Joel took the time to make sure that these rolls were on his family’s table on Easter Sunday. On that same day, they were served at Hannah & Greg’s Easter dinner and were also on our table when we ate with Jonathan.
See?
It matters. It feels so weighty and honoring to the importance of family, of belonging, of history, and of feasting together, even when we’re not together.
These rolls have a history that connects us and brings pleasure in the making, eating, and remembering - the legacy of time spent together.
Here are a few reasons. Do you have time to read through them?
The real Alice, a faithful farmer’s wife, (one of those who made her pie crusts with lard donated by pigs on their farm) probably baked these rolls hundreds of times back in the day when homemade rolls were the norm. She served them every Thanksgiving when our little family of 5 came, along with lots of other relatives, to enjoy the delicious turkey & mashed potatoes with all the trimmings. After a few hours, true to farm time, she got them out again for the 5:00 supper of cold turkey sandwiches, served right on time.
I make these rolls for every family holiday and have done so for probably 30 years! How many times have I served them to Kerstin and Axel, our German friends? How many Thanksgivings? Christmas Eves? Easters? And how many meals in between? Oh, Jonathan is coming home! I better whip up a batch of oatmeal rolls!
Many younger women learned how to make these rolls during a mentoring program (Apples of Gold) hosted by our church.
When our son, Joel, and wife, Rachel, married, they asked me to make 300 of these dear treats for the reception! Oh my. But I had a great friend (thank you, Gwen!) who volunteered to come alongside me. I can’t remember how many times we got together in my kitchen, but it was lots, and each time we gathered, we worked our way through several quadrupled recipes. Each individual ball of dough was weighed to a perfect 3 ounces and baked to perfection. We then froze the baked rolls for the big day. Oh, that’s another thing. These rolls freeze wonderfully. Mix. Let rise. Form. Let rise again. Bake. Cool. Pack in freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. Perfect. You can make them ahead and always have them ready for a quick sandwich or to brighten up a soup or salad meal...or lasagna or spaghetti, or whatever delicious meal needs them.
When my sister, Ann, and husband, Max, got married, they also asked me to bring the rolls for the reception. But they live in Colorado, so I ended up making tons of buns while staying in our friends’ cabin in the mountains and brought them fresh to the wedding. What an honor!
I walk with three neighborhood friends every living morning in every possible weather and each of them, at some time, has requested and received this recipe. I often hear, “I’m making Alice’s Rolls for Easter, or I made those rolls for dinner last night!” It is so fun.
Suzanne even made up a haiku poem about them:
recipes best shared
aunt Alice’s is the one
we pass around most.
Jody didn’t know all that about this recipe when she was inspired to write this poem.
Recipe for Awakening
Stir together singular,
disparate syllables.
Salt tears. Dry yeast.
Mix with water (no blood yet)
but sweat. And all those tears.
Beat, not with a spoon – convex
form no match for the fear held
in its hand – but carefully stir
the sifted self, Savior, kneaded
on a board until the dough
pulls away.
Cover loosely with cloth,
place in a battered space
until deliverance is complete.
Let rise.
Form into one life,
resurrected.
You can read this quietly and slowly to find the meaning shown to you from the carefully crafted words. But, as with all meticulously constructed lyrics, there is more than meets the eye. It is beautiful.
Just like these rolls of mine. Their warmth. Their chewiness. Their flavor. The memories of all who have gathered in our dining room around our old oak table. With the joyful receiving of God’s good gifts of family, friends, food, and even life itself, I can only feel grateful. Feasting with family and friends is actually a time of feasting on the glory of God! He is giving us everything we need. He is nurturing us with what is most important. This is one of the ways he meets and blesses us.
All this in an oatmeal roll, in a basket, on a table, with people who honor him, and a family he has designed to love him and to be loved by him.
So good.
**********
Here is the recipe. Enjoy! I encourage you to go ahead and build your own breadbasket full of incredibly special memories. Who knows? They just might last for generations to come.
Make it stand out
And please be sure to contact me if you make them! I’d be thrilled to know. It will just keep the story of Aunt Alice’s Oatmeal Rolls alive with more and more legacy chapters in the days and weeks to come.