Gluten Free Hot Dog Rolls and Grateful to be a Mom...

Can I just tell you something that has been really bugging me lately...? About a week ago on Facebook an acquaintance wrote something like the following post: “I love my kids, but I hate being a mom.” That post has seriously bothered me all week! 

I think what made it worse is someone commented under her post and said something along the lines of “You should feel blessed! What about all the women that can't have children?” where this poster replied, “Ya, they're called Aunts.” Wow. Completely heartless. I don't care if she was trying to be funny. It wasn't. 

I've taught elementary school for 7 years, I'm an aunt, and a sister but you know what...there is NOTHING like being a mom. 

When my husband and I got married we choose not to do any sort of birth control. Kids could come as they would. As time went on, and I didn't get pregnant, I started to get a little worried. Let me tell you, the threat of not being able to have kids makes you even more grateful when they finally do come. (Ironically, going off wheat helped my body be able to get pregnant but that's a different story for another time.) 

So, I've thought a lot about this facebooker's statement: “hate being a mom” all week and it's done something to me (besides ticking me off). It's made me so sincerely GRATEFUL that I AM A MOM. AND it's actually helped me see things in a different light. And maybe I share this story with you in hopes that it might help you be a little more grateful too. 

Is being a mom hard? Yes, totally. It's a job that you can't clock out of. There's times where you wish you could have slept in a little more or you wish someone else would make dinner or do the laundry etc. There's times that you get angry when your kids won't listen to you or frustrated when they leave their toys out... And don't even get me started on delivering a baby. 

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Aside from all the negative you could ever brainstorm, the reality is nothing beats being a mom. Nothing beats a giant smile from your 1 year old or a “anaconda squeeze” from your 3 year old. Nothing beats the sound of your child saying the word “Mom.”

And all the little things I used to get so annoyed with before this week have turned into something to smile about. Because you know what, my kids won't be kids forever. These times are treasured memories in the making. Being a mom is one of my greatest blessings in life besides being married to my husband. It is truly a gift from God.

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So to this mom's post- I say to her I hope you were just having a bad day and realize what a treasure you really do possess (and that you'll think before posting and trying to get a simple laugh or comment on facebook.) ;) Be thankful. Be grateful. God has blessed you with so much. 

And remember this: "Perhaps the most significant of all classrooms is the classroom of the home. It is in the home that we form our attitudes, our deep held beliefs. It is in the home that hope is fostered or destroyed. Our homes are the laboratories of our lives. What we do there determines the course of our lives when we leave home." Your kids are learning from you even when you're not teaching them. So, let's try our best not to screw that up. ;) 

Whew. Thank you, for letting me vent a little. I feel better. With that said, here's a great recipe for your little ones. (Psst- Are hot dogs the healthiest? No, so we don't eat them very often but when we do, this is a fun recipe my daughter LOVES. And that's the power I have as a mom- I can help brighten her day.)

If you haven't tried my Gluten Free Quick Rolls you really should! They are fast, easy, and taste super good just fresh out of the oven. They're very versatile as well. I make hamburger buns, a loaf in the bread machine, and hot dog buns. One of my readers even uses them for bread-sticks too!

Making hot dog buns is a little more tedious than making rolls because I don't have a scooper that makes that perfect hot dog shape. So, I usually have to wet my fingers and shape it out. Rolls on the other hand are quick and easy with an ice cream scooper! Scoop and wha-bam. Done. So, I wanted to create a fun little meal for my daughter that was as tasty as a hot dog but quicker for me to assemble. The result is this next recipe:

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Gluten Free Hot Dog Rolls

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
Created by jalene

Yields about 20 rolls (1/4 cup size)
Ingredients: 

• 3 to 5 nitrate free hot dogs
• 2 Tbsp yeast
• 1 & 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees)
• 6 Tbsp grapeseed oil *see note
• 1/4 cup sugar (I use evaporated cane juice sugar)
• 2 cups brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp potato starch
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp tapioca starch
• 1 & 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 large eggs
• extra grapeseed oil for top of rolls
• (optional: sesame seeds for the tops)

Directions: 

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.  Lightly grease a cookie sheet. 
2. Whisk together the yeast and warm water. Add in the grapeseed oil and sugar. Cover with a towel and allow to double in size while you measure out your dry ingredients. 
3. In a mixer combine the brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, xanthan, and salt. When the yeast mixture is ready, add it and the eggs to the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds then turn up the speed to medium and continue mixing for 2 & 1/2 more minutes. Allow the dough to sit in the bowl for 5 minutes. 
4. While the dough is sitting cut the hot dogs into 1/2 inch circular segments. 
5. (This next step can be easily done with a ice cream scooper but if you don't have one- a 1/4 measuring cup will do fine.) Place 3 to 5 little hot dog rounds into your scooper and then fill up the rest with dough. Place onto your prepared pan about 1-2 inches apart. (Ps- You don't have to make all the rolls with hot dogs in them but just know the cooking time for them will be shorter if you don't.) 
6. Bake at least 10-15  minutes or until rolls are golden brown on top. 

Serve warm. Goes great with ketchup and mustard. 

Note from jalene: Grapeseed Oil has a higher cooking temperature than Olive Oil so it is highly recommended for this recipe. It also has a very minimal flavor so it will not affect the taste of your rolls. It is healthier than Canola Oil or other alternatives so we highly recommend only using Grapeseed Oil for this recipe. 

If you like this recipe you may like my Gluten Free Corndog Muffins too!
Here is the recipe for my Gluten Free Quick Rolls.