ARLENE RAINES (Goodlettsville, Tennessee) shares that her Nana, ELLEN OGLESBY MAYS (Asheville, North Carolina), was quite the lady. Even well into her nineties she dressed every morning and kept her hands well manicured and nails polished and her hair coiffed and lipstick fresh. She didn’t get to see Nana often because she lived hundreds of miles away, but when she did visit, they always went on adventures in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina and shopping excursions downtown. Nana was quite accomplished on the piano and composed many pieces of music. Arlene remembers when she was ten, she spent a month with her, learning to play the piano, and Nana purchased the family’s first practice piano. Nana was committed to healthful living, was always trying new recipes, and wasn’t afraid to be adventuresome with food.
4 cups self-rising flour
2 cups lukewarm water
1 package dry yeast
1 large egg
¼ cup sugar
¾ cup vegetable shortening
Cooking spray
1 In a large bowl add the flour, water, yeast, egg, sugar, and shortening, and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. You do not need to wait for the rolls to rise. (This batter will keep for several days covered in the refrigerator.)
2 When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray 24 muffin tin cups and spoon the batter into the muffin tins, filling each cup one-half full with batter. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
MAKES APPROXIMATELY 24 ROLLS.