Herbed Polenta, Rolls, and a Giveaway

I thought it was a stroke of good timing that I was contacted by a representative of CSN Stores to be able to offer you a giveaway, as this is my 300th post!  Woohoo, yay and all that!  I never really knew when I started this little blog that I would enjoy it so much and meet so many nice people along the way.  And getting to work with CSN Stores is a perk I never even dreamed of, and I never cease to be amazed at the variety of products they offer from  kitchen bar stools  to pet supplies.  I will fill you in on the giveaway details after I talk about the food :)

 I ran across the recipe for these rolls at a forum called Cuisine at Home, and was intrigued by them since they contain a custard mix.  They called them Custard Rich Rolls, which I thought was a little bit of an odd name, but whatever.  I liked them.  I liked the bakery-like smell and sweetness that the custard mix added to them.  They were pretty darned easy, only one rising, and I'd definitely try them again.  My husband found them too dense.  I tried to make them some little dunce caps for them but it just didn't quite work out.  

Here's the recipe:

Custard Rich Rolls

1 Cup Warm Milk 80F
1/4 Cup Water, warm 80F
1/4 Cup Butter Softened
1 Egg
1 tsp Salt
4 Cups Bread Flour
1/4 Cup Vanilla Pudding mix or egg custard or flan mix (I used the flan mix)
1 Tbl Sugar
1 Tbl Instant Dry Yeast

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. After five minutes of mixing add 1 to 2 Tbl Water or Flour(whichever is needed).
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Form into rolls, place into pan and cover. Let rise in a warm place. About 1 hour.
Bake in a pre-heated oven 350F for 20 -25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack for five minutes. Coat top with melted butter.

Tonight I also tried my hand at making Herbed Polenta that I saw at Girlichef.  The funny thing about cooking the polenta is that no matter how low I turned the heat and how much I stirred, it kept doing this volcanic thing right in the middle and spewing halfway up to the ceiling.  And onto my hand. 

 But it was worth it, just perfect with the brisket on top...yum!  Only bad part is that it made a massive amount and I'm the only one who likes it.  Anyone want to come over for polenta tomorrow??

Here's the recipe from Girlichef:

 9 c. water
1 Tbs. salt
2½ c. yellow cornmeal or polenta
1½ c. finely grated parmesan cheese
1½ c. whole milk  (I only used about 1/2 cup)
10 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
~½ c. chopped mixed herbs...I used flat leaf parsley, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, fresh chives
¾ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Bring water to a boil in large, heavy pot. Add salt. Gradually whisk in cornmeal. Reduce heat to low, stirring often, until mixture thickens and cornmeal is tender, ~15 mins. Remove from heat, add cheese, milk, butter, herbs and pepper. Stir until butter and cheese melt. Serve.

So I'll plan to leave the giveaway open through Tuesday Nov. 2nd 10pm...Arizona time, whatever that is.  What's up for grabs is a $60 gift code to any of CSN's stores.  

To enter, just leave a comment of any sort and you're in (preferably a nice comment, if you tell me I suck it will make me cry). (I believe CSN ships to US and Canada)

For a second entry, hop on over to my Facebook page and click that "like" button.  If you do, or you already have, please let me know in a separate comment.

For a third entry, and this is a tricky one, if you can remember what I said many months ago (maybe years) that my favorite song is, you'll get an extra entry. (make this a separate comment too) 

Be sure I'm able to reach you in some way!

I'll plan to announce the winner on November the 3rd and contact you by email to let you know.

Thanks for playing!