A reader from the Baltimore area has asked if I have a recipe for Parker House Rolls. Didn't believe that you could come to Sophie for recipes. And so --- this recipe is for a bread machine to knead, but if you're doing it by hand, you can adapt the order accordingly.

Parker House Rolls
1 cup warm water
1 egg
2 tbs. real butter
3-1/2 cups King Arthur bread flour
1 tbs. instant yeast
1 tsp. salt
4 tbs. sugar

Mix the dough in the machine or by hand. When it's time to shape it, divide into 8-12 balls of dough, depending on your preference for size and quantity. For each ball of dough, divide into three smaller balls (or flatten and fold in half for the original shape of PH rolls). In a muffin pan greased with butter (or you can do these freestyle on a baking sheet), place 3 small balls of dough in each cup (or pinch the dough together on the bottom and place on a sheet). Let rise 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Do not overbake. Brush tops with melted butter and serve hot.

So we're settling into winter here in the mountains of North Carolina. I've noticed both at home and at work that tensions seem to run a bit higher when folks are cooped up without the benefit of the sun's warmth and the freedom of movement. Is there any way to release the tension while we wait for the sun to come back out? Absolutely.

Making a pot of homemade soup and a batch of rolls to share with friends is a good start. (Feel free to post your favorite cold-weather recipe below.)

But what about activity? Crank up the music and dance. Go bowling. Take a winter hike (properly layered, and don't forget that sunblock and water are important even in the cold). I really unleashed a lot of tension in the gameroom at Asheville Pizza Company one weekend with friends, playing foosball and air hockey. Bowling is always fun. You can put in some mileage at the mall if you walk more than you shop. There's no need to sit just because it's cold outside. And it will make the fireplace feel that much comfier when you come in out of the cold. But if you truly can't make yourself brave the weather, dancing about the living room can be invigorating, too.

Hope you're all enjoying the weather, however and wherever. To everything its season.

Sophie