Written by Dawn Caldwell @ CommonGround Nebraska

Pepperoni buns are something delicious my mom created when my brothers and I were in high school. We were a very small school, class D3, so we have to travel long distances for away games. Moms of players were really good about making snacks for the bus rides. But my mom, Rosemary Anderson’s, were always the favorites. And of all of the different things that could be sent with a bus full of kids, pepperoni buns were at the top of the request list for each away game! I’ll share just another winter day for our family recently.

On the day this picture was taken, in early January, we were really struggling to find water for the cows. That is a pond my husband, Matt, was standing on, but even in the winter, it is shrinking and we kept hitting mud rather than water. We are so thankful for any moisture that comes our way to hopefully help fill it for the summer!

 

 

Part of our daily winter chores include breaking ice. We do have electric waterers in part of the pens and keep a tank heater in other places. But alas, Matt’s great ice breaking/cutting/removing skills are a much needed asset on our farm. The group of cows pictured above have access to a large field of sorghum stalks as well as the pasture you can see. The pond is their source of fresh water.

I don’t have giant feet, but they are far from tiny! The ice was about 7 inches thick – at least. It did make for a good workout getting a drinking hole made! Thankfully, we got a few warmer days since then and saw some melting. So, when we don’t have to cut ice, I try to enjoy other jobs with Matt. On any average day, we check cows, put out mineral, fill water tanks, and truly enjoy one another’s company. I am very blessed to be the wife of a cattleman and farmer.

 

 

Pepperoni Buns

Ingredients

Speedie Rolls:

2 cups warm water

2 pkg yeast

1/3 cup sugar

6 ½ cups flour

2 eggs

1/3 cup shortening

1 tbsp salt

2 pkg sliced pepperoni

Butter

Directions

1. Combine water, yeast and sugar; stir until dissolved.

2. Add salt and 2 cups of flour. Beat 2 minutes.

3. Add eggs and shortening; beat 1 minute.

4. Blend in rest of flour. Knead, then cover and let rise for 20 minutes.

5. Pinch off a walnut-sized ball of dough and wrap around a slice of pepperoni. Do this with the entire batch of dough.

6. Place rolls on a greased baking sheet and allow to rise for 20 minutes.

7. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until just golden. Brush with butter.